Master Syllabus
U.S. History 2327
Mexican-American History I

The purpose of the History Department is threefold. First we provide excellent instruction in the discipline of history. Second, we provide each student with six semester hours of U.S. History instruction to meet the requirements of the Texas Education Code (51.303). Third, we provide history majors with fifteen semester hours of history instruction to prepare them to successfully pursue a bachelor's or higher degree in history at a four-year college or university.

Course Description: A survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and intellectual history of Mexican Americans from pre-Columbian America to the U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction.

Course Rationale: This course fulfills three of the six hour legislative requirement for American history.  Students taking History 2327 can expect to improve their reading and writing competencies, critical thinking skills, research skills, etc.

SCANS Competencies: None required, but students will need good reading, writing, and study skills to succeed in this course.  Students will be required to read from a textbook and, depending on the instructor, may have outside readings and be assigned book reviews and/or research papers.  Writing assignments must observe correct English grammar and spelling.  Although students will be given specific test dates and detailed learning objectives to facilitate study, students will be expected to study the course material in detail to prepare for tests.

Instructional Methodology: Lecture and other methods, depending on the instructor and the particular format of the course.

Course Policies: Policies on attendance, withdrawals, incompletes, student discipline, and academic freedom vary by instructor.  However, the entire history department adheres to the following statements in regard to scholastic dishonesty and students with disabilities.
a) “Acts prohibited by the college for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an exam, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work.  Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research, or self-expression.  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 home work.”
b) “Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities.  Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes.  Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the semester.”

General Education Competencies: upon completion of the general education component of an associate’s degree, students will demonstrate competence in:
1. Gathering, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating and applying information (Critical Thinking)
2. Analyzing and critiquing competing perspectives in a democratic society (Civic Awareness)
3. Comparing, contrasting, and interpreting differences and commonalities among peoples, ideas,. Aesthetic traditions and cultural practices (Cultural Awareness)

Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes: upon completion of the A.A. degree in History students will be able to:

1. Use critical thinking in the analysis of historical facts
2. Demonstrate civic awareness in the appraisal of historical contexts
3. Demonstrate cultural awareness in the assessment of historical situations

Course-Level Student Learning Outcomes: upon completion of this course students will be able to:
1. Use critical thinking in the analysis of historical facts
2. Demonstrate civic awareness in the appraisal of historical contexts
3. Demonstrate cultural awareness in the assessment of historical situations

Common Course Objectives: After completing History 2327, the student should be able to:

1. Describe the Native American cultures present in the Western Hemisphere upon the arrival of the Europeans, with particular attention to Central America.

2.  Describe the dominant political, social, and military characteristics of the Spanish people during the Reconquista before 1492.

3.  Discuss the dominant personalities, military strategies, and major battles of the Spanish conquest of Mexico and Central America.

4. Discuss the exploration, colonization, and settlement of Nueva Espana and the region of the present United States.

5. Describe the major racial gene pools in the Mexican mestizaje and the major characteristics of the European, native Mexican, and mestizo groups by 1800.

6. Describe the purpose, distribution, and daily functions of the Spanish mission system in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

7. Trace the chain of events in the 1830s and 1840s that led to the U.S.-Mexico War.

8. Discuss the dominant personalities, military strategies, and major battles of the independence movement in Mexico after 1810.

9. Review the role of Tejanos in the Republic of Texas years and their contributions to Republic policies and institutions.

10. Analyze the ethnic diversity of Texas, New Mexico, and California after the U.S.-Mexico War and the resulting social, cultural, and religious traditions.

11. Discuss “Manifest Destiny” and its effects on Mexican Americans in the expansion of the United States.

12. Trace the expansion of Spanish and Mexican ranching in the eighteenth century in the present Southwestern U.S.

13. Review the colonization of the present-day Southwestern United States by Anglo-Americans in the 1820s and their resulting relationship with the Tejanos, Hispaniola, and Californios.

14. Discuss the role of Mexican Americans in the U.S. Civil War, and describe its political, economic, and social effects on Mexican Americans.

15. Compare and contrast the Spanish colonial/mission system with the English colonial/mercantile system.

16. Review the rise and development of the Texas cattle culture from the vaquero tradition to the Cattle Kingdom.

Grading System: Depends on the individual instructor.

Course Policies:  Policies on attendance, withdrawals, incompletes, student discipline, and academic freedom vary by instructor.   However, the entire department adheres to the following statements on scholastic dishonesty and students with disabilities.

 

Attendance/Class Participation:
Regular and punctual class and laboratory attendance is expected of all students. If attendance or compliance with other course policies is unsatisfactory, the instructor may withdraw students from the class.


Withdrawal Policy:
It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that his or her name is removed from the roll should s/he decide to withdraw from the class. The instructor does, however, reserve the right to drop a student should s/he feel it is necessary. If a student decides to withdraw s/he should also verify that the withdrawal is submitted before the Final Withdrawal Date. Students are also strongly encouraged to retain a copy of the withdrawal form for their records.

College & State Withdrawal Policies:
Students who enroll for the third or subsequent time in a course taken since Fall 2002, may be charged a higher tuition rate for that course.

State law permits students to withdraw from no more than six courses during their entire undergraduate career at Texas public colleges or universities without penalty.  With certain exceptions, all course withdrawals automatically count toward this limit.  Details regarding this policy can be found in the ACC college catalog.

Incompletes:

An instructor may award a grade of "I" (Incomplete) if a student is unable to complete all the requirements for the course. An incomplete grade cannot be carried beyond the established date in the following semester. The completion date is determined by the instructor but may not be later than the final deadline for withdrawal in the subsequent semester.


Statement on Scholastic Dishonesty:

A student attending ACC assumes responsibility for conduct compatible with the mission of the college as an educational institution. Students have the responsibility to submit coursework that is the result of their own thought, research, or self-expression. Students must follow all instructions given by faculty or designated college representatives when taking examinations, placement assessments, tests, quizzes, and evaluations. Actions constituting scholastic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, collusion, and falsifying documents. Penalties for scholastic dishonesty will depend upon the nature of the violation and may range from lowering a grade on one assignment to an "F" in the course and/or expulsion from the college. See the Student Standards of Conduct and Disciplinary Process and other policies at http://www.austincc.edu/current/needtoknow


Student Rights and Responsibilities:
Students at the college have the rights accorded by the U.S. Constitution to freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, petition, and association. These rights carry with them the responsibility to accord the same rights to others in the college community and not to interfere with or disrupt the educational process. Opportunity for students to examine and question pertinent data and assumptions of a given discipline, guided by the evidence of scholarly research, is appropriate in a learning environment. This concept is accompanied by an equally demanding concept of responsibility on the part of the student. As willing partners in learning, students must comply with college rules and procedures.


Statement on Students with Disabilities:
Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented disabilities. Students with disabilities who need classroom, academic or other accommodations must request them through the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD). Students are encouraged to request accommodations when they register for courses or at least three weeks before the start of the semester, otherwise the provision of accommodations may be delayed.
Students who have received approval for accommodations from OSD for this course must provide the instructor with the "Notice of Approved Accommodations" from OSD before accommodations will be provided. Arrangements for academic accommodations can only be made after the instructor receives the "Notice of Approved Accommodations" from the student.
Additional information about OSD is available at http://www.austincc.edu/support/osd

 

Safety Statement:

Austin Community College is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for study and work. Students are expected to learn and comply with ACC environmental, health and safety procedures and to agree to follow ACC safety policies. Additional information on these can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/ehs. Because some health and safety circumstances are beyond our control, we ask that you become familiar with the Emergency Procedures poster and Campus Safety Plan map in each classroom. Additional information about emergency procedures and how to sign up for ACC Emergency Alerts to be notified in the event of a serious emergency can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/emergency/.

Use of ACC email:
All College e-mail communication to students will be sent solely to the student’s ACCmail account, with the expectation that such communications will be read in a timely fashion. ACC will send important information and will notify you of any college related emergencies using this account.  Students should only expect to receive email communication from their instructor using this account.  Likewise, students should use their ACCmail account when communicating with instructors and staff.  Instructions for activating an ACCmail account can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/accmail/index.php.

Please note that students are expected to conduct themselves professionally, with respect and courtesy to all. Anyone who thoughtlessly or intentionally jeopardizes the health or safety of another individual will be dismissed from the day's class activity, may be withdrawn from the class, and/or barred from attending future activities.
 

Testing Center Policy:

Under certain circumstances, an instructor may have students take an examination in a testing center.  Students using the Academic Testing Center must govern themselves according to the Student Guide for Use of ACC Testing Centers and should read the entire guide before going to take the exam.  To request an exam, one must have:

Do NOT bring cell phones to the Testing Center.  Having your cell phone in the testing room, regardless of whether it is on or off, will revoke your testing privileges for the remainder of the semester.  ACC Testing Center policies can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/testctr/

Student and Instructional Services
ACC strives to provide exemplary support to its students and offers a broad variety of opportunities and services.  Information on these services and support systems is available at:   http://www.austincc.edu/s4/
Links to many student services and other information can be found at: http://www.austincc.edu/current/
ACC Learning Labs provide free tutoring services to all ACC students currently enrolled in the course to be tutored.  The tutor schedule for each Learning Lab may be found at:  http://www.autincc.edu/tutor/students/tutoring.php
For help setting up your ACCeID, ACC Gmail, or ACC Blackboard, see a Learning Lab Technician at any ACC Learning Lab.