Course Syllabus

HIS 102-N1 Syllabus

Spring 2016

St. Charles Community College

 

Course Description

This course is designed to give students an overview of the second half of United States history, from Reconstruction to the modern day. Students will gain an understanding of United States history during these years and connect this information to current issues and concerns. As a survey course, we will not be able to cover every detail of the 19th and 20th centuries but instead cover broad themes and key developments that shaped modern American culture, politics, and economy. In this regard, students will be expected to grasp these themes critically and apply interpretation through class discussions, exams and analysis projects.  The discipline of history is more than memorization of names and dates, but of interpretation and analysis. Thus, students will lean to apply these skills to documents from the time period and in lecture. This class meets the Missouri Constitution Requirement.

 

Throughout the course, we will be discussing the following themes to understand this particular time in United States History.  

1. Democracy and the Republic: understanding the structure of American government in the time period as well as the expansion and restriction of democracy in the United States post 1865
2. Economic growth and change: examination of the evolution of the market economy and capitalism and its effect on government and society
3. Race in a diverse society: understanding race and discrimination post-slavery and post 19th century immigration and its effect on the structure of American culture and government
4. Reform: understanding reform and reform movements within the context of a changing American culture post 1877
5. The changing interpretation of America’s role world wide, understanding and identifying significant shifts in the nation’s evolving foreign policy and role in international affairs from after the Civil War to changes that occurred post WWII and the Cold War

 

Instructional Goals

This class will provide an environment where the College’s goals for students in the areas of Critical Thinking, Writing Across the Curriculum, and Computer Literacy are practiced. These will be utilized in a variety of ways throughout the course.

 

Instructor Information

Grace Wade Moser

Phone: 636-922-8522

Office: CC 202 C

Office Hours: Tuesdays 5:30-7:00 pm, Wednesdays 4:30-6:30 pm, Thursdays 5:30-7 pm, and by appointment

Email: gmoser@stchas.edu

 

Email Protocol 

Emails can be sent through Canvas. You can select my name from the list of people enrolled in the course. I can also be reached through my stchas.edu email address noted above. Any emails sent to the stchas.edu address must include your full name, course number, and section number, and brief description of your email in the subject line. Please take care to use grammatically correct language in your emails. Text language and unsigned emails are not acceptable. The instructor reserves the right to ignore any emails that do not follow these specifications. 

 

Required Texts

James L. Roark et. al., The American Promise: A Concise History, Vol. II: from 1865 (Bedford-St. Martin’s, 5th ed.)

Michael P. Johnson, Reading the American Past: Selected Historical Documents, Vol. II: from 1865 (Bedford-St. Martin’s, 5th ed.) *Both are bundled together and available in the bookstore on campus.

 

Course Prerequisites 

There are no prerequisites required for enrollment in HIS 102. Students should be prepared to write on a college level and complete the amount of reading required for the course. 

 

Course Objectives 

At the end of this course the students will: 

1. Describe the constitutional changes in the United States since 1861.
2. Understand how race, ethnic and religious background have played a significant role in how Americans see each other.
3. Explain how the industrial revolution, immigration, the rise of urbanism and the movement west impacted the spatial context of American society.
4. Explain the intellectual forces that shaped American political and social beliefs.
5. Evaluate the role of the United States in international affairs.
6. Connect historical events from the context of the course to current issues or concerns facing the United States. 
7. Analyze film, photographs, print and other source material for historical accuracy and interpretation. 
8. Analyze primary source documents for historical interpretation.

 

Is this course really hard? 

This course is geared toward serious students prepared for an online structure, but it is not harder than a normal college course. It is the academic equivalent of a face-to-face course.  I assume that students enrolled in this course are prepared for college level courses and sincerely want to learn. So it is challenging and substantial, but not extremely or unusually difficult. The last day to change from credit to audit or audit to credit is February 16. The final day to withdraw from the course and receive a grade of “W” is April 4.

 

Participation and Attendance

You will be required to actively participate online for this course, and this will be a critical component of your final grade. There will be various participation activities posted throughout the units for points values not associated with exams, papers or graded discussions. These points are the basis of your participation grade, and as the semester progresses, you will accumulate points by completing these activities. Your final grade will be determined at the end of the semester by adding all the accumulated points from all the units combined.

 

You must complete these assignments within the time frame of the unit. For example, the unit will open on a Monday, and you must complete all the participation assignments by the following Monday when the next unit opens. While there is not specific day/time at which you must log in, I strongly recommend you log in several times per week to participate. Occasionally you will have due dates within the unit on assignments earlier than that next Monday due date.

 

Our class will run from a Monday to Monday schedule. I will make the week’s content available to you on the Monday of that week by 9 AM central time. Any exams and participation activities must be completed by the following Monday by 11:59 pm. Any other due dates will be noted in the unit itself and the semester course schedule.

 

Despite being an online course, I still have to report attendance. I consider students attending if they are completing the weekly assignments, activities, exams, and readings, and are logging in to Canvas on a regular basis to complete those assignments, activities, exams and readings. Just completing the assignments is not enough to mark you attending. Canvas has a feature where I can track you and your time spent on Canvas, along with the assignments you view and participate in. I will know exactly what you are viewing and how much time you spend within our Canvas course.

 

Assignments

Participation Assignments--assignments noted above in the participation section. Short activities in each unit engaging and using the assigned course materials. Students earn a participation grade by accumulating points from these specific assignments.

 

Graded Discussions--students will complete 3 graded discussions based on assigned readings throughout the semester. Discussions will consist of 2 posts, one based on your response, and one posted later in response to a fellow student’s post. There will be different deadlines for each post, so be careful to pay attention to the directions for each discussion. For example, your deadline for your first post will be Thursday of that week, but you will have until Monday to respond to another student in your second post.

 

Final Project--instead of a comprehensive final exam, students will complete a final project based on the themes identified at the beginning of the syllabus and focused on in the course itself. It will be a reflective assignment based on choosing one of the themes discussed throughout the semester, and applying it to a historical topic of your choice. I will release more details on the project closer to the due date.

 

Extra Credit--throughout the semester, I will make various extra credit assignments available. These assignments generally require a typed, 1-2 page reflection essay to accompany the activity. Most of these assignments will be worth 10 points apiece. Points will be awarded on the basis of quality of the essay accompanying the assignment. Students may earn up to 50 points extra credit for the semester. Any papers submitted beyond that grade of 50 points total will not be counted in your overall grade.

 

Graded Papers and Exams

In general, grades for discussions, participation assignments, and exams will be posted within one week of the due date. Occasionally I fall behind on grading. If I am behind, I will notify you through the Canvas announcement feature and let you know when I anticipate getting the grading completed. I understand you are anxious to know and understand your grade in class. Thank you in advance for being patient with me on this issue.

 

Late Assignment Policy 

I will deduct 1 letter grade for every day an assignment is late. Be aware of noted due dates in the schedule and do not miss the assigned dates. Please notify me in advance if you know your assignment will be late.

 

Exams

Unit Tests--There will be short exams or quizzes at the end of units to verify understanding of the material. Some units may have quizzes individually, and some units will be combined with other units. In all cases, the information covered will be clearly identified in the course schedule and in the unit itself. Exams will open on Friday mornings by 9 AM and close by 11:59 PM the following Monday evening. Exams may be shorter or longer based on the amount of material presented in that particular unit, and time allotted for each test will vary depending on the length of the exam itself.

 

Unit exams/quizzes will be timed, and the time allotted will vary according to the length of the exam. Exam times will be posted clearly in the exam itself. You will be allowed to use your notes or textbook on the exam, but use this sparingly. You will not have time to look up every answer in your book. So use the study guides provided in every unit to prepare for the exam, and don’t rely on the open note nature of the exam to get you through. Students will only have access to the exam one time; don’t click to open the exam unless you are prepared to take it at that time.

 

Makeup Exam Policy

There are no make up exams in this course. You need to make sure you access the exam during the window of time they are available. If you have an extreme circumstance, such as hospitalization, arrangements can be made. Contact me to make arrangements.

 

Grading

In general, students will receive an A in the class if they earn a score of 90% on all of the assignments, exams, activities, and discussions, a B if they earn 80%, and so on. However, I do know that students stress about their grades in a course and this policy can be a little vague.

 

I’ve structured the course so that the weekly assignments are just as important to your overall grade as the exams for each unit. I also recognize that not everyone is good at taking exams or at writing assignments. Therefore, your grade in this class is based on a variety of skills and assessments. Generally, you can expect that your participation assignments make up roughly 1/3 of your grade, your exams another 1/3, and the remaining 1/3 is based on your graded discussions and your final project. This might not match up exactly with the end grade, but it is a good general rule for the class.

 

 

A	90-100% of total points
B	80-89% of total points
C	70-79% of total points
D	60-69% of total points
F	59% of total points and below

 

 

Netiquette Policy

Netiquette is a term to describe acceptable behavior for online activity. When not followed, the person doing the online writing can be perceived as unprofessional and hostile. Remember, when you are interacting in an online class, we cannot observe each other’s body language or tone. Therefore, we need to take extra precaution when communicating through written language online. We will be following these basic guidelines for the duration of our course.

 

1. Proofread:always proofread and messages you post online or in an email. They should be grammatically correct and professional. Text language, such as “u” or “lol”, is not acceptable in academic assignments or communication. Typing in all caps translates to YELLING online. Be professional and courteous when typing any messages in the class forums or discussions.

 

2. Pay attention to tone:sarcasm does not translate well in a written format and can be viewed as hostile towards the other reader. Follow the golden rule in this case, and address all your messages as you would wish to be addressed. 

 

Internet messages are permanent: this is something students need to realize. Once you post something, it is in cyberspace forever in multiple servers and electronic files. Be conscious of this aspect, and take time to read your messages carefully and thoroughly before posting them online.

 

3. Check email addresses:make sure the intended target of your message is the person you’ve actually addressed in the email address and is spelled correctly. While we will be using Canvas mail in the class, in which you do not have to type addresses, this is still an important reminder as there is the function available to send an email to all users or to an incorrect user.

 

4. Be respectful:remember your online activity is a reflection of you as the user. You want to be remembered for politeness and courtesy to others, not as the person lashing out or attacking others’ ideas.

 

5. Address and sign your emails: when sending an email to the instructor or any other user in the course, be sure to address the intended recipient directly. For example, I am not “hey you” or “hey there”, address me as Prof. Moser in your emails. Include a subject line in your emails to notify the reader as to the nature of your email. Last, but not least, be sure to sign your emails! So many times I have received questions from students without any signature, and I don’t know who they are or how to help them. It is a basic courtesy to let the reader know who is addressing them.

 

Academic Dishonesty

Our school has a specific policy when it comes to academic dishonesty. You can view the school’s policy in the student handbook, for which I’ve also provided a link.

SCC Student Handbook Student Conduct

 

In addition to the school’s policy, I have a policy of my own concerning plagiarism. Plagiarism is the theft of intellectual property. In other words, it is the act of taking someone else’s thoughts, ideas, or research and passing them off as your own. Any student caught participating in any type of academic dishonesty within this class will face serious consequences, including an immediate failing grade for the assignment in question and a reporting of the incident to the Dean of Academic Affairs for possible broader consequences.

  

Special Needs and Accommodations

We all have various channels through which we learn best. The Office of Disability Support Services is available to guide, counsel, and assist students with disabilities. Please contact the Accessibility Services Manager, Paige George, at (636-922-8247) so that eligibility for services can be determined. Additionally, the Accessibility Services Manager will provide a one-stop-shop to address 2-year plans for degree completion and registration all in one place. Location is in Room 133 of the Student Center.

 

Mental Health

The college years can be a time of growth and development as well as a time of challenge and stress. Students may experience that stress in many different ways.

St. Charles Community College offers the opportunity to address your concerns utilizing free personal counseling from the Office of Student Success. SCC has a well-trained professional staff to help with a wide range of concerns common to college students including anxiety, eating concerns, alcohol/drug issues, relationship concerns, academic stress, suicidal thoughts, sexual and LGBT concerns.

We are committed to providing high quality care guided by the SCC mission of serving our community by focusing on academic excellence, student success, workforce advancement, and life-long learning within a global society. We celebrate diversity and we enrich the economic and cultural vitality of the region by providing an accessible, comprehensive, and supportive environment for teaching and learning.

Within the Office of Student Success we offer short-term personal counseling, community support and referrals. Sometimes a student may require care beyond the scope of our personal counseling services and in these situations students will be assisted with establishing care off campus.

Length of personal counseling varies. Some problems are resolved within one or two sessions. Other problems may require meeting more often. This will be determined by you and your counselor.

Please contact the Office of Student Success, Teresa Drury at 636-922-8536 or tdrury@stchas.edu to set an appointment. Students can also schedule an appointment by going to http://www.stchas.edu/mhappt. The Office of Student Success is located in ADM 1123.

Any faculty, staff, or student may submit a report to SCC’s Campus, Assessment, Response, and Encouragement Team (C.A.R.E.) at http://publicdocs.maxient.com/incidentreport.php?StCharlesCC or by calling 636-922-8111. Any serious concerns of immediate response please direct to the SCC Department of Public Safety at 922-8545.

Campus Closings: For up-to-date information on closings due to inclement weather or other emergencies, call 636-922-8000, log on to www.stchas.edu, Twitter, receive a text (if you signed up), or http://www.facebook.com/stchas. 

 

Course Schedule

HIS 102-N1 Schedule Spring 2016

 

Here is a list of the due dates in one sheet for your own use. These dates will also be listed in your course schedule located under the syllabus and in a print copy located under Beginning and Orientation.

 

Every unit will include participation assignments including discussion forums, short written reflections, or other activities; participation assignments are due by the end of the week in which the unit is assigned.

 

Note: remember our week runs on a Monday to Monday schedule. Units will release on Monday mornings while the previous unit will close that same Monday evening. There will be some overlap in due dates and release dates from one unit to the next.

 

Extra credit projects and their due dates will be announced separately throughout the semester.

 

 

HIS 102 Online Schedule Spring 2016

Assignment	Date Available and Date due—Please mark all these dates in your calendar ASAP!
Week 1: Jan 19-25 Beginnings and Orientation	Available Tues, Jan 19 All participation activities due by 11: 59 PM Mon, Jan 25.
Week 2: Jan 25-Feb 1 Unit 1	Available Mon, Jan 25 All participation activities due by 11: 59 PM Mon, Feb 1.
Week 3: Feb 1-8 Unit 2: Units 1 & 2 Exam	Available Mon, Feb 1 Units 1 & 2 exam opens 9 AM Fri, Jan 29 & closes 11:59 PM Mon, Feb 1 All participation activities due by 11: 59 PM Mon, Feb 2.
Week 4: Feb 8-15 Unit 3: Graded Discussion #1	Available Mon, Feb 8 Discussion Post 1 due Thurs, Feb 11, Post 2 due Mon, Feb 15 All participation activities due by 11: 59 PM Mon, Feb 15.
Week 5: Feb 15-22 Unit 4: Units 3 & 4 Exam	Available Mon, Feb 15 Units 3 & 4 exam opens 9 AM Fri, Feb 19, & closes 11: 59 PM Mon, Feb 22 All participation activities due 11: 59 PM by Mon, Feb 22.
Week 6: Feb 22-Feb 29 Unit 5	Available Mon, Feb 22 All participation activities due by 11: 59 PM Mon, Feb 29.
Week 7: February 29-March 7 Unit 6: Units 5 & 6 Exam	Available Mon, Feb 29 Units 6 & 7 Exam opens 9 AM Fri, March 4 & closes 11:59 pm Mon, March 7 All participation activities due by 11: 59 PM Mon, March 7.
Week 8: March 7-14 Unit 7: Unit 7 Exam	Available Mon, March 7 Unit 7 exam opens Fri, March 11 & closes Mon, March 14 All participation activities due by 11: 59 PM Mon, March 14.
Week 9: March 14-21 Unit 8: Graded Discussion #2	Available Mon, March 14 Discussion Post 1 due Thurs, March 17, Post 2 due Mon, March 21 All participation activities due by 11: 59 PM Mon, March 21.
Week 10: March 21-28	Spring Break—No classes
Week 11: March 28-April 4 Unit 9: Units 8 & 9 Exam	Available Mon, March 28 Units 8 & 9 exam opens 9 AM Fri, Apr 1, & closes 11:59 PM Mon, April 4 All participation activities due by 11: 59 PM Mon, April 4.
Week 12: April 4-11 Unit 10: Graded Discussion #3	Available Mon, April 4 Discussion Post 1 due Thurs, April 7, Post 2 due Mon, April 11 All participation activities due by 11: 59 PM Mon, April 11.
Week 13: April 11-18 Unit 11: Units 10 & 11 Exam	Available Mon, April 11 Units 10 & 11 exam opens 9 AM Fri, April 15, & closes 11:59 PM Mon, April 18 All participation activities due by 11: 59 PM Mon, April 18.
Week 14: April 18-25 Unit 12: Unit 12 Exam	Available Mon, April 18 Unit 12 exam opens 9 AM Fri, April 22, & closes 11:59 PM Mon, April 25 All participation activities due by 11: 59 PM Mon, April 25. Final Paper Directions will be made available this week.
Week 15: April 25-May 2 Unit 13	Available Mon, April 25 All participation activities due by 11: 59 PM Mon, May2.
Week 16: May 2-9 Unit 14: Units 13 & 14 Exam	Available Mon, May 2 Units 13 & 14 exam opens 9 AM Fri, May 5, and closes 11:59 PM Tuesday, May 10 All participation activities due by 11: 59 PM Tuesday, May 10.
Finals Week: May 10-16	Final Paper due by 11:59 PM May 11. All remaining extra credit assignments due by 11: 59 PM Wednesday, May 11.

 

NOTE: Paper directions will be released 2 weeks before the unit in which they are assigned, to allow you adequate time for completion.