HIST 1302 Honors Syllabus

Attache Offices (ATT) Room 218
1209 Rio Grande Street

Across the street from the main entrance
to the Rio Grande Campus

For the official Course Description, Course Objectives, and Course Rationale, see the ACC History Department web site at:

Honors courses have limited enrollment to permit a concentrated learning environment. As with all US History II courses, this class will address the principal themes of modern US history since 1877. But US History II: Terrorism in America and the World will take advantage of the honors format to also examine in detail the role of America in world affairs and, in turn, the influence of the world on life in the United States. To make sense of such a sweeping view of history, the class will concentrate on three distinct but interrelated periods:

The subtitle of this course is An Interpretive History of Terrorism in America and the World. The name was chosen for a reason. Despite a reputation of being nothing more than a list of names, dates, and places, history is, first and foremost, about people and how they lived their lives. It is about the factors that shaped their existence and the choices that made. Any attempt to write about the past, however, is fraught with danger, because a serious question always looms: how do we know that what we are writing is correct? The obvious answer is, we do not, and cannot, always know the correct answer. But we generally can make good guesses, often very perceptive ones. Consequently, history reflects one's interpretation of the past. Whether you are a professional historian or not, each individual makes her or his own choice about what in history is important to her or him. The purpose of this course is to provide students with a useful framework from which to interpret some of the important themes in modern United States history and the interrelationship of foreign policy on life in America since 1877.

NOTE: YOU WANT THE BLACK AND WHITE VERSION OF EXPERIENCE HISTORY. IT IS HALF THE PRICE!

Most class meetings will have a reading assignment. See the Course Schedule for the reading assignments. It is essential to complete the assigned reading prior to each class. In addition to the required reading, students will be expected to review the material on the Links page prior to each class. The reading is designed to provide you with the background necessary to understand the lectures. Lectures will build on the material in the course reading NOT merely repeat the same information.

Class attendance is crucial. The bulk of the material on which students will be tested is contained in the lectures. Students cannot expect to pass the course with only a knowledge of the information in the textbook. The instructor reserves the right to withdraw a student for poor attendance. The instructor will notify students in danger of being withdrawn from the course for poor attendance.

NOTE: Students who stop attending class must fill out the necessary paperwork to withdraw from the course. The instructor will not. If you stop attending class and you do not properly withdraw from the course, then you will receive an F for the course.

There are only three rules for this course: 1.) be on time; 2.) stay awake; and 3.) turn off all pagers, cell phones, and tape recorders, etc., BEFORE entering class. The instructor reserves the right to withdraw any student who fails to abide by the course rules.

Discussion will be an essential part of this course. The honors format enables students to take advantage of the remarkable learning dynamic of class discussion. All students are encouraged to participate in class discussions on a regular basis. “PARTICIPATING” DOES NOT MEAN GIVING THE “RIGHT” ANSWERS; IT MEANS THINKING ABOUT THE MATERIAL AND SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS. Students will be expected to discuss the assigned readings, the Links, and their research on an onoing basis with the rest of the class. The instructor will determine the merits of class participation. Discussion will comprise 20% of your course grade.

Students will complete five (5) Critical Reviews. The lowest grade of the five (5) reviews will be dropped. Each review will examine the assigned reading for that day. Students will determine the success of authors in proving their thesis as they evaluate the reading in light of other works and important course themes. Please see the Course Schedule for the dates by which you must submit your Critical Reviews.

Students will submit their reviews electronically via e-maill as a Word or PDF document to dlauderb@austincc.edu . Reviews are due at 10:00 am on the date due. Please see the Critical Review page for details on producing a quality review. Each review will count ten (10) points. Combined, the critical reviews will constitute 40% of your course grade.

Each student in this honors class must complete a term research project. In US History II: America and the World, students will complete a Country Report that will include analysis of specific nation's: history, economy, demographics, religion, education, & political structure. The Country Report will conclude with a threat assessment of a their chosen country as a source of terrorist activity. The country will be chosen in consultation with the instructor. Students will then submit a Country Page (3 points), wherein they must explain the: current economic, religious, and political climate, and the significance of the country to national security. Then, students will assemble an Annotated Bibliography (7 Points) of primary and secondary readings for the project where they will describe the utility of each source. Next, students will prepare a detailed Outline (10 points) of their final Country Report that will conform to the specific guidelines on the Outline page. Finally, students will prepare a Final Draft (20 points) of their research in a paper. Combined, the Country Report project will be worth a total of 40 points.

Please see the Course Schedule for the dates by which you must: submit your Country Page, complete your Annotated Bibliography, compile your Outline, and turn in your Final Draft. The Country Report will require a sustained effort over the entire semester. Be sure to consult regularly with your instructor for details on how to complete the Country Report.

You must score a total of at least 90 on: discussion, the four critical reviews, and a completed country report.

To earn a B:

You must score a total of at least 80 on: discussion, the four critical reviews, and a completed country report.

To earn a C:

You must score a total of at least 70 on: discussion, the four critical reviews, and a completed country report.

To earn a D:

There will be no grade of D given in this class.

To earn an F:

You score less than 70 on: discussion, the four critical reviews, and a completed country report.

Privacy

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy and confidentiality of educational records. So, to protect your privacy grades will not be given out over the phone, through a fellow student, or via e-mail.

Each Austin Community College campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office of Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take a majority of their classes. Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the semester.

WARNING: Scholastic dishonesty will NOT be tolerated. Acts prohibited by the College for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, included but not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work. Academic work is defined as, but not limited to tests, quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations, and homework. Any student guilty of scholastic dishonesty will automatically receive an F in the course and be remanded to the appropriate Austin Community College authorities for disciplinary action. See the ACC Student Handbook for details on scholastic dishonesty.

Incompletes will be given ONLY with a medical excuse certified by a physician. All incompletes MUST be completed within the first four weeks of the following session. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS POLICY.

Students may withdraw from the course for academic reasons. Withdrawals must be completed according to the guidelines of Austin Community College. See the ACC Catalog procedures for withdrawing from a class and the Course Schedule for the deadline by which you must withdraw from a class. Students may also withdraw from the course for non-academic reasons. Once again, see the guidelines in the ACC Catalog for details and the Course Schedule for the deadline by which you must withdraw from a class.

The instructor will NOT withdraw students for failing to fulfill any of the course requirements, see above. Instead, students will receive a grade based on their performance in the course. Students who fail to fulfill any of the course requirements will receive a F. Therefore, if a student registers for a course it is the student's responsibility to satisfy the course requirements. If “life happens” and you cannot finish the course, be sure to withdraw. Once again, see the guidelines in the ACC Catalog for details and the Course Schedule for the deadline by which you must withdraw from a class.

It is essential that students and the instructor make a concerted effort to maintain open lines of communication. In other words, talk to me. Problems generally are easier to solve BEFORE they happen. You are encouraged to discuss any questions you may have regarding the course, the material, and your performance. To that end, I have scheduled time to meet with students. My office hours are listed at the top of page 1 of this Course Syllabus. If those times do not fit your schedule, please feel free to make an appointment. You may also contact me via e-mail at: dlauderb@austincc.edu. I do have one request. If you make an appointment, please make every effort to keep that appointment.

ACC sends all email communication solely to the student's ACCmail account and expects students to read the messages in a timely manner. So that means all important information and emergency details will go only to your ACCmail . Students should expect to receive from, and send email to, their instructors from their ACCmail account. To set up an account, students can go to ACCmail for instructions.

ACC is committeed to providing a safe and healthy environment for study and work. Students are expected to learn and to comply with ACC environmental, health, and safety procedures and to follow ACC safety policies. See the Environmental Health and Safety link for more details. The College also asks that each student become familiar with the Emergency Procedures and Campus Safety Plan map in each classroom. See ACC Emergency Alerts to sign up for electronic notices in the event of a serious emeergency.

The purpose of this course is to acquaint you with the history of Terrorism in America and the World since 1865. You will be responsible for learning a considerable amount of information in a short period of time. You must demonstrate on your exams that you can analyze what you have learned. I will do my best to give you every opportunity to learn. In return, I ask that you give yourself the opportunity to do the same.

Bring an open mind; listen to the instructor and, especially, your classmates; and think critically about everything that is discussed in class.
The free exchange of information and ideas is vital to the pursuit of learning.

Copyright

The instructor reserves the right to all lecture materials, handouts, and interpretations presented in class, and any said materials may not be reproduced in any form without the express, written consent of the instructor.

HIST 1302-700	MW 12:00-1:20 pm
SYN 35679	RGC 129