U.S. History 1301
Sections 085 (31663) & 058 (31640)

  Spring 2018

Text: Robert A. Divine, et. al., America: Past and Present, Vol. I, 9th or 10th ed.

Course Description:  This course is a survey of American history from 1492 to 1877 and partially fulfills the legislative requirement. This class offers students opportunities to pursue historical topics of individual interest and enhance their reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. You should be aware of the expectations that the History Department has for all ACC students. Please see the History Department Page for other information.

Instructional Methodology: While it is primarily intended to be a lecture course, we will devote a substantial amount of class time to discussion and questions.

Grading System: Your grade will be determined by your scores on 4 Unit Exams and once Critical Book Review each of which are worth 20% of your final grade. The Unit Exams will be roughly 60% multiple choice and 40% short answer or identification. The exams may include several map questions as well. At the beginning of each unit, I will distribute a list of Identification items and Lecture Objectives for that unit.

Common Course Objectives: Can be found here.

Course Rationale: Consult the History Department Page

Re-testing and Make-up Exams: Students who have scored less than 60% on an exam may wish to re-test. However, the highest grade a student can earn on a re-test is a 75. Students who have a valid reason for missing the regularly scheduled exam on the assigned testing day may take a make-up exam. Students taking a make-up exam are not limited in how high a grade they can earn, but they may not re-test. Make-up exams and re-tests will have an essay format and MUST be taken in the Testing Center WITHIN TWO WEEKS after the regularly scheduled exam was returned to the class. Any exam not taken on the scheduled class day will also have an essay format. You should acquaint yourself with Testing Center rules and hours. If you need to take a make-up or a re-test you should contact me as soon as possible because this is an inflexible deadline and there will be NO EXTENSIONS and NO EXCEPTIONS for this requirement. No re-test will be offered for the 4th exam.

Attendance: The best way to do well in this course is to attend class regularly and participate in the discussions. In the lectures I  will present material that is not in your text and WILL appear on the unit exam. Make sure to be on time to class because attendance will be taken at the BEGINNING of each class and anyone who arrives after I have taken attendance will be counted absent for that day. Students who attend faithfully AND participate in discussions AND KEEP THEIR PHONES TURNED OFF may earn up to TWO POINTS on their final grade. Recognize, however, that grades are NOT automatically rounded up in any circumstance.

Withdrawal: A student may be withdrawn from the course at the instructor's discretion, but in every other case withdrawal is the STUDENT''S RESPONSIBILITY. The last day to withdraw from the course without academic penalty is APRIL 23.  I WILL NOT retroactively withdraw students from the course UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

Incompletes: Incompletes will be given ONLY in VERY RARE instances and ONLY to students who have a DOCUMENTED  excuse for missing the 4th exam AND have gained approval from me by MAY 11. All other work must be turned in by the last day of class.

Academic Dishonesty:  Academic Dishonesty WILL NOT BE TOLERATED! The college policy states: "Acts prohibited by the College for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty. including but not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, 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 homework." Any student found guilty of academic dishonesty (cheating or plagiarism) will automatically be assigned a FAILING GRADE FOR THE COURSE. Additionally, you should recognize that students may be required to "defend" their Critical Book Review if the authorship is questionable. See the Student Handbook for details  on scholastic dishonesty. Recognize that students can not withdraw from the course when under investigation for scholastic dishonesty.

Students with special needs: Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities.  Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Student Accessibility Services Office 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.

Student Privacy: The federal government requires that student privacy be preserved.  Thus the posting of grades, even by the last four digits of the social security number, is forbidden.  All communication will remain between the instructor and the student, and the instructor will not be able to share details of the student's performance with parents, spouses, etc. I can not give out grades over the phone or by email, but you may check your final grades online.

Testing Center Policies: Can be viewed here.

Use of ACC email
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.

Safety Statement
ACC is committed 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 emergency.

Building Regulations
ACC regulations prohibit smoking, drinking, and eating in classrooms. This prohibition also includes electronic cigarettes.

Legal Notice:
All course materials, including the syllabus, study questions and exam questions are copyrighted material. Copying or posting all or part of these materials online to Facebook, Quizlet, or any other site is a violation of copyright and is expressly forbidden.

Campus Carry:
The Austin Community College District concealed handgun policy ensures compliance with Section 411.2031 of the Texas Government Code (also known as the Campus Carry Law), while maintaining ACC’s commitment to provide a safe environment for its students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Beginning August 1, 2017, individuals who are licensed to carry (LTC) may do so on campus premises except in locations and at activities prohibited by state or federal law, or the college’s concealed handgun policy. It is the responsibility of license holders to conceal their handguns at all times. Persons who see a handgun on campus are asked to contact the ACC Police Department by dialing 222 from a campus phone or 512-223-7999. A short video can be found here.

History Tutoring:
ACC History Department faculty are available for additional tutoring assistance at different Learning Labs at different times. See the schedule

Additional Note: Learning is a skill. The more you practice, the easier and more enjoyable learning becomes. Learn all you can. Ask questions. Challenge yourself. Stay informed. To give ourselves a better perspective on the historical events we study and to help us make some sense out of the world around us, we will, when time allows, spend a few minutes discussing the day's most important current events. Each student is strongly encouraged to participate in class. In any classroom situation that includes discussion and critical thinking, there are bound to many differing viewpoints. These differences enhance the learning experience and create an atmosphere where students and instructors alike will be encouraged to think and learn. On sensitive and volatile topics students may sometimes disagree not only with each other, but also with the instructor. It is to be expected that faculty and students will respect the views of each other when expressed in classroom discussions. We will, therefore,  vigorously defend the principles of free speech so every student should feel comfortable in expressing his or her opinions.

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