1st Summer Semester 2008                  HISTORY 2311           DR. MARLETTE REBHORN
                                                          (section 15372)

COURSE OBJECTIVE: This course surveys the major developments in the history of Europe up to 1648.  It also includes examples of conflicting interpretations of the progress of that history and a program of historical research.

COURSE RATIONALE- Students taking History 2311 can expect to improve their reading and writing competencies, critical thinking skills, research skills, etc., all of which help students better succeed in life outside academia.  This course is required of Austin Community college history majors and is frequently a requirement in history departments elsewhere. PLEASE NOTE: THIS COURSE IS RUN USING THE BLACKBOARD SYSTEM.

COMMON COURSE OBJECTIVES: Please consult http://www.austincc.edu/history.  For learning objectives specific to this section, please consult course learning objectives under HIST 2311 PCM on my website.

COURSE ORIENTATIONS:  Each student must orient online by May 29, 2008. PLEASE INCLUDE THE WORD "ORIENTATION" IN YOUR EMAIL TO ME TO AVOID HAVING THE INFORMATION DISCARDED AS SPAM.

If you do not orient online by the date specified, you will be dropped from the course.

OFFICE HOURS:
   M W Th 8-12 noon Attaché 216
OFFICE PHONE:  223-3399  or 223-3385(Dept phone)

E-MAIL: mrebhorn@austincc.edu to be used for contacts and questions, but not papers

WEBSITE: www.austincc.edu/rebhist

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This section is a self-paced version of the standard Western Civilization survey course.   The student will be required to do the same amount of work and the same quality of work as students enrolling in the classroom equivalent of the course.   This self-paced course is designed for mature and capable students endowed with a great degree of self discipline and responsibility.  If this description does not sound like you, then you should consider dropping this section.  You WILL need maturity, ability, and self-discipline to successfully complete the requirements of any self-paced  course.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: The student's final course grade is determined by the quality and quantity of the student's work.   The following requirements are non-negotiable:

For the grades of D, C, B, and A.  The student must contact the instructor, either in person, by email, or by telephone, twice during the semester: once after the completion of Test #3 and once more after the completion of Test #5.   Anyone failing to make these contacts may not receive credit for the course.

For the grade of D: In addition to the two course contacts, the student must take all 5 tests and make an overall course average of 60% (18 correct out of 30 questions).   Failure to meet these requirements will result in the grade of F

For the grade of C: In addition to the two course contacts, the student must take all 5 tests and make an overall course average of 70% (21 correct out of 30 questions.  There are no further requirements for the grade of "C."

For the grade of B: There are two different options available to earn the grade of "B:"

          Option One: In addition to the two course contacts, the student must take all 5 tests and make an overall course average of    
         80% (24 out of 30 questions) AND complete one analytical book report as described in the HISTORY 2311 Learning
         Objectives.  An average means you can score above 24 on some tests, but not on others, ending up with an average of 24.

         Option Two: In addition to the two course contacts, the student must take all 5 tests and make a 24 or better on each test. 
          There are no further requirements for the grade of "B" with this option.:

For the grade of A:  There are two different options to earn the grade of "A."

         Option One: In addition to the two course contacts, the student must take all 5 tests and make an overall course average of
          80% (24 out of 30 questions) AND produce two analytical book reports as described in the History 2311 Learning
          Objectives.  An average means you can score above 24 on some tests, but not on others, ending up with an average of 24.

         Option Two: In addition to the two course contacts, the student must take all 5 tests and receive 24 or better on each test, and submit only one book report.
         

TEXTBOOK This is available on my Blackboard site. You will need to have an ACCeID and password to access it. There is no textbook in the traditional sense of a book for this course. All information to answer the learning objectives is on Blackboard. You will be responsible for information in both the textbook chapters in red and the sidebars in blue.

DEADLINES:  All tests must be taken in the ACC Testing Centers at the RGC, NRG, RVS, CYP, RRH, EVC, SMC, SAC, FBG, or PIN campuses.   The student MAY take the tests as early as he/she is ready; however, the student MUST take the tests by the following deadlines:

 Test 1 Friday, May 30, 2008
 Test 2 Tuesday, June 10, 2008
 Test 3 Monday, June 16, 2008
 Test 4 Thursday, June 19, 2008
 Test 5 Thursday, June 26, 2008

You MUST turn in your analytical book report(s) by  JUNE 25, 2008.

All these deadlines will be strictly enforced!  There will be no extensions for these deadlines, and you will NOT receive credit for any work (either tests, retests, or book reports) submitted after the forgoing deadlines.

TESTING POLICY:  Each unit has a 30 question test that focuses on the learning objectives found in the History 2311 learning objectives.   You MUST score 21 correct answers out of 30 (70%) to pass the test.   (Remember that it is your overall course average which determines your grade.  In that sense, you may fail one of the tests and still pass the course if the average of your five grades is 21 or better.)

The first test is the map test.  The other four tests, over chapters in the textbook, are much more difficult.  DO NOT JUDGE THE DIFFICULTY OF THE COURSE BY THE FIRST (MAP) TEST!!!

If you do not pass the test the first time you take it, then you may retest once.   There are three restrictions on the retest:

 1. You can only retest ONCE on each test.

 2.The highest grade possible on the retest is 70.  Therefore, if you have passed the test the first time, there is no point in retaking it.   YOU CANNOT make a score higher than 70 on the retest.

3. You must retest BEFORE the deadline date for the test.   You may NOT retest after the deadline date even if you took the test for the first   time before the deadline date.   Also keep in mind that ACC Testing Center policy prohibits anyone from retesting a test on the same day  they took it for the first time.   Therefore if you feel you may need to  retest, you should take the test for the first time AT LEAST two days before the deadline date.

Remember: You cannot go "down" on a retest.  If you score less than you did on the primary test, I will not count the lower score.  It is in your best interests to attempt a retest, since there is no penalty for getting a lower score.

After you test or retest, the Testing Center will give you a "feedback" form with your score.  KEEP THIS FORM!!!  If, as very occasionally happens, your test is delayed in the intercampus mail, the feedback form is your proof that you completed the test at the appropriate time.   DO NOT THROW AWAY ANY FEEDBACK FORM UNTIL YOU HAVE RECEIVED YOUR FINAL GRADE AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER!!!!  Also, the Testing Center will need to see the yellow feedback form to be able to give you the right form of the test for your retest.

FOR TESTING CENTER RULES:  Please consult http://www.austin.austincc.edu/testctr.

WITHDRAWAL POLICY  If you fail to meet the test deadlines, you ARE SUBJECT to being withdrawn from the course by the instructor.   This is at the discretion of the instructor.  If you determine during the course of the semester that you will not be able to successfully fulfill the requirements of this course, YOU MAY WITHDRAW YOURSELF!   The deadline for withdrawing is Wednesday, June 25, 2008.   No withdrawals or reinstatements may be made after this deadline.

COURSE COMPLETION VERIFICATION:  Each Student is REQUIRED to CONTACT the instructor, either in person, by email or by telephone, after they have completed test #3 and test #5.  The contact after test #5 will serve as a course completion verification and must be done no later than July 2, 2008.  During this conference, we will verify your test scores, review any projects submitted for and A or B, and determine your course grade.  FAILURE TO COMPLETE THIS CONFERENCE REQUIREMENT MAY IMPERIL THE PROMPT REPORTING OF YOUR GRADE!!!   This is as much a requirement of the course as any other grading requirement.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: 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.

INCOMPLETES:  The grade of I (Incomplete) will only be awarded for medical reasons verified by a satisfactory letter from a physician.   All Incompletes must be completed within four weeks in the following semester.   There are no exceptions to this policy.

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.

ACADEMIC FREEDOM: The free and open exchange of ideas is vital to the pursuit of learning.

SCHOLASTIC DISHONESTY:  Any form of scholastic dishonesty by the student will automatically earn the grade of F for this course.  This includes both cheating on tests as well as plagiarism on the book reports. A handout containing further information on plagiarism may be obtained in any Learning Resource Center.  College policy reads:

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."

LAST WORDS OF CAUTION:  If you use the RGC Testing Center for this self-paced course, please be sure to mark the Testing Center Student Request Form for "self-paced".  Otherwise, you may receive my classroom test that is slightly different from the test you are prepared to take.   (A quick way to tell the difference is the self-paced tests all have 30 questions and my classroom tests have 25.)