Syllabus

History 1302: U.S. History after 1877

Reconstruction through Present Day
Spring Semester, Second Eight, 2008 - Sections 42255 and 42256
Instructor: George "Andy" Anderson

Table of Contents

	General Course Information:	Internet Course Guidelines:
	Course Description / Objective	Asking Questions
	Course Requirements	Collaboration with Fellow Students
	Required Books	Professor Contact Information
	Course Schedule	Suggested Email Formatting
	Student Performance Measures:	Administrative Information:
	Points & Grading	Ethics Policies
	Online Section Exams	Documented Disabilities
	Chapter Essays	Counseling Services
	Outside Readers	BICC Compliance
	Final Exam	Enrollment Policies
	Extra Credit	Missed exam Policy
		Statement of Standards: Students
Note: This syllabus is meant as a guide and is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. If there are any changes made, students will be notified in a timely manner.

Course Description / Objectives

This course is the study of the American nation from Reconstruction to the present day. Emphasis is placed upon principal characters and events of special note or consequence to aid the student in acquiring an interest in this country's past, to promote the development of critical thinking skills, and to help further student cultural literacy.

Throughout our nation's history, differing philosophies have competed for control:

-	Church control * State authority	-	Racial discrimination * Tolerance
-	Rural tradition * Urbanization	-	Nationalism * Sectionalism
-	Elitism * Democratization	-	Material acquisition * Spiritual development
-	Expansionism * Pacifism	-	Idealism * Realism

By semester's end, students will have analyzed these concepts and determined how the tensions created by the opposing viewpoints have shaped the country in which we live. Specifically, the student should understand:

-	The motivations and mechanics of the westward expansion
-	The early labor and women's movements and how they influenced life in the 20th century
-	The Teddy Roosevelt Era and how these influences are still felt today
-	The causes and consequences of World War I
-	The causes of the Depression, how people survived and how America came out of it
-	FDR's New Deal, why it was needed and how well did it work
-	The causes and consequences of World War II
-	The "serene" 1950's and how things are not as they seem on the surface
-	The turbulent 1960's and how this period shaped America for generations
-	The backlash of the liberal 1960's: the Age of Conservatism and how it continues today
-	How some modern presidents have tried to walk a middle ground between the liberal and conservative
-	Recent events and how they might have been shaped by previous eras.

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Course Requirements

Reading: Students are required to keep up with their readings and should acquire a general understanding of the week's topics before attempting to work through the posted assignments. Students are required to read the assigned textbook, the two monographs or "Readers", a variety of outside sources, and related Internet resources.

Student Performance Appraisal: The students are required to take four Section Exams and one comprehensive Final Exam. Two review papers are required (see "Readers").

Chapter Chapter Essays: The students are required to select and then respond to "Chapter Essays" (these "CEs" are short answer, one per chapter). Students are encouraged to collaborate with other students in a sharing of ideas and knowledge (see "Student Collaboration" on at least four of the Chapter Essays.

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Required Books
-	Textbook: Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty (Single Volume Edition - for 1301 & 1302). W.W. Norton & Company, New York, NY, Seagull Edition, 2005-2006. ISBN: 0393927822
-	Additional Reading: Ables, Gisela. American Perspectives, Volume II, Pearson, 2006 (3rd Edition). ISBN: 0536154120.
-	Reader 1: Moody, Anne, John. Coming of Age in Mississippi. New York: Dell Publishing, (any edition).
-	Reader 2: Coontz, Stephanie. The Way We Never Were. New York: Basic Books, (any edition).
	Note: Buying books is a student responsibility. The books listed above are available from a variety of sources, including HCCS Campus Bookstores and www.hccs.bkstore.com
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Course Schedule

The following is a listing of the same material that is available in the course calendar in Blackboard-Vista. Print several copies. Put one on your refrigerator keep one by the computer, another in your textbook.

Note that the course is divided into 4 "Sections" of 4 chapters each. Each Section has CEs (Chapter Essays), an online Section Exam, and various extra credit opportunities. Also note the Reader 1 Paper should be submitted somewhere around Section 2 and the Reader Paper 2 should be submitted before or during Finals Week.

The First Eight and Second Eight sessions cover the same material as a 16-week class but in this 8-week course, the assignment schedule is determined by each student: it's a student or self directed schedule. "Pacesetter" target submittal dates are provided so the student can roughly judge their progress through the short semester but in reality, all assignments are due at the end of the course.

It is strongly suggested that students keep up with or stay ahead of the Pacesetter target dates, that is, submit assignments throughout the 8-week session. Grades for submitted assignments will be posted weekly (generally, in by Sunday, graded by Tuesday).

This course cannot be completed successfully by leaving everything for the last week. I expect students to send a Blackboard-Vista email periodically and let me know how they're doing. I will review student progress and contact students who are not progressing through the assignments.

Section	What	Description	Pacesetter Target Dates

	Classes Start		Mon-Mar-17

	Easter Break		Fri-Sat-Sun Mar 21-22-23

S1	Chapter Essays (CEs):	Chapter: 15-16	Mon-Mar-24
	Chapter Essays (CEs):	Chapter: 17-18	Sun-Mar-30
	Section Exam	Chapters: 15-16-17-18	Sun-Mar-30

S2	Chapter Essays (CEs):	Chapter: 19-20-21	Sun-Apr-06
	Chapter Essays (CEs):	Chapter: 22-23	Sun-Apr-13
	Section Exam	Chapters: 19-20-21-22	Sun-Apr-13

S3	Reader 1 Paper	Coming of Age in Mississippi	Tue-Apr-15
	Chapter Essays (CEs):	Chapters: 24-25-26	Sun-Apr-20
	Section Exam	Chapters: 23-24-25	Sun-Apr-20

S4	Chapter Essays (CEs):	Chapter: 27-28	Sun-Apr-27
	Section Exam	Chapters: 26-27-28	Sun-Apr-27


Finals Week	Reader 2 Paper	The Way We Never Were	Tue-Apr-29
	American Perspectives (AmPr)	Extra Credit Papers	Thu-May-01

	All Assignments	While it's strongly suggested that students submit assignments on the "Pacesetter" schedule above, this is the actual due date for all assignments.	By Thu-May-01 10:00 PM

	Final Exam Chapters: 15-28	Fri-May-02 Central or	4:00PM - 9:00PM (Last Admit 7:00 PM)
		Sat-May-03 Westgate or	10:00AM - 3:00PM (Last Admit 1:00 PM)
	Exam Dates and locations subject to change...	Sun-May-04 Eastside	10:00AM - 3:00PM (Last Admit 1:00 PM)

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Grading and Point Distribution

This is your education so please remember: What you learn is what you earn...

The total number of points available for this course equals 1,000. All of your grades will be posted in the electronic gradebook inside of Blackboard-Vista Look for newly posted grades and scores in "MyGrades".

Please note that the following grade calculation does not include extra credit points which are available as an "add on" to your total score (extra credit points can be significant enough to raise your final grade one letter grade). See "Extra Credit" for more information.

Sections:
Timed Exams	400 Points	(100 points each for 4 Sections)
Chapter Essays	140 Points	(10 Points each for 15 Chapters)
Final / Reader Paper:
Comprehensive Final	260 Points
Reader Papers	200 Points	(100 points each for 2 Readers)

Total Points	1,000 Points

Grade Calculation:

		Percent Ranges			Point Ranges for this course (to calculate percent ranges, divide the point ranges by 1,000 and round up at 5 to the nearest whole percentage)
A	=	90%	-	100%	900	-	1,000
B	=	80%	-	89%	800	-	899
C	=	70%	-	79%	700	-	799
D	=	60%	-	69%	600	-	699
F	=	0%	-	59%	0	-	599

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Section Exams - Total 400 Points

The Section Exam questions are designed to measure your understanding of the central themes and topics for each Section.

The questions in the Section Exams will cover topics from your textbook.

The Section Exams are open notes / open book, 50 questions, multiple-choice and are taken online.

Students may study for Section Exams together in CE Groups, but the Section Exams must be completed by the individual student, without collaboration.

Each Section Exam is a timed online test. Once you start the exam, you will have 2 hours to complete it - but it must be completed within 2 hours from when you start and it must be completed before the "window" for the exam closes. You will need to ensure that you will not be interrupted once you start the exam.

You will be able to take the Section Exams on your schedule. Generally, the exam "window" opens on Wednesday at 8:00 AM in the week scheduled and closes on Sunday at 10:00 PM. Please consult the Course Schedule for exact exam window dates and times, especially around the end if the semester.

Section 1 = Chapters 17-20
Section 2 = Chapters 21-24
Section 3 = Chapters 25-28
Section 4 = Chapters 29-31

Timed exams are administered online in Blackboard-Vista at the computer of your choice.

-	Timed exams have a time limit (2 hours) and a preset "window" of availability (see Course Schedule). You must finish the exam before the exam window closes...not start the exam by time due, finish the exam by time due.
-	The Section Exams are open book, open notes and must be taken individually.
-	Choose a computer and time when you will NOT be interrupted by people or phone calls.
-	Get a baby sitter if you have children of any age.
-	Exam questions are delivered to you one question at a time, although you can return to any question you have clicked "save answer" again and rework them.
-	I grade timed exams periodically throughout the exam window, usually once a day. Depending on class activity, timed exams may not be graded immediately - this could be as long as two days after the Exam window closes.
-	To prepare for a Section Exams, study the chapters, review your chapter notes, and take the chapter Internet Quizzes so you get used to looking up material in the chapters in a timed exam environment. Be prepared for the Section Exams and you will do fine.

Note About Studying for the Section exams: If you have not read, taken notes, and worked to comprehend the information in your textbook before you sit down at the computer, you will do poorly. Don't think you can simply look up the answers in the textbook at exam time...that is a recipe for failure.

This assignment meets the Reading and Computer Literacy competencies required by the core curriculum (see BICC Compliance)

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Chapter Essays - Total 150 Points
	The Chapter Essays are short answer questions (one per Chapter) which are designed to help the student make a connection with the period by exploring an important or controversial topic or an interesting personality. The Chapter Essay questions are located in the "Chapter Info" icon, at the bottom of each chapter page.
	The Chapter Essays cover topics from your textbook.
	Chapter Essay responses should be concise and to the point but at the same time, the answer should be complete enough to let me know that you have a firm grasp of the subject matter.
	The student will answer one Chapter Essay per chapter. There are 15 chapters in History 1302 and each Chapter Essay response will count 10 points toward your final grade.
	The Chapter Essays are generally due weekly (see Course Schedule). Please note that in most weeks, there is 1 Chapter Essay due.
	Chapter Essay responses that are late may or may not be accepted by the instructor depending on circumstances. Regardless, late Chapter Essay responses will not receive full credit. Once a Section Exam closes, no more CEs for that Section will be accepted.
	There will be 3 Chapter Essays to choose from for each chapter. I suggest you take a few moments and read the Chapter Essays before you read the chapter so that as your encounter the questions in the text, you can highlight them for easy reference later.
	The Final Exam will consist of 16 short answer questions. 15 of these short answer questions are taken from the same Chapter Essays that were assigned for each chapter; the 16th question is taken from the online discussion questions in "Public Forum." Rather than waiting until the last minute, it is to your advantage to prepare for the Final Exam by outlining the answers to all the CE questions as you go through the semester.
	I expect the CE answer to be good, full paragraph - but the answer should not exceed one printed page. Your answer must be submitted in the body of a private Email message to me *(no attachments, please)*. The subject line must contain the chapter number of the Chapter Essay and the question number separated by a "-" (example: CE17-Q2 which is the Chapter Essay for Chapter 17, Question 2). Each CE must be sent in a separate Blackboard-Vista Email message.
	Students are encouraged to collaborate with other students on Chapter Essays but each student must individually write and post a response in their own words.
	I will appreciate your efforts to format your Chapter Essay answers in a clear, readable format. Example: If the Chapter Essay has three parts, format your Email so your three responses are easily identified (see Email Formatting Suggestions).
	This assignment meets the Reading, Writing, Critical Thinking, and Computer Literacy competencies required by the core curriculum (see BICC Compliance)
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Readers - Total 200 Points
	Two "Readers" are required for this course: Reader 1: Coming of Age in Mississippi and Reader 2: The Way We Never Were. See "Required Textbooks" for more information.
	The student is required to write a 2-3 page (maximum 5 pages) narrative summary for each book. The papers should demonstrate that the student has read the books and that the student understands the connection between the books and History 1302. Your Reader papers must "stand alone", that is your paper must contain enough narrative recap so that anyone can read your paper and understand any conclusions or themes that you might explore. Please: do not use outside or Internet sources and do not collaborate with fellow students - simply read the books and write the narrative summaries.
	The papers will be submitted in MLA style to include Arial typeface, 12 point, double-spaced, 1 inch margins, proper titles and identification block, page numbering, works cited page, etc.. A sample MLA style is available in the "Introduction" section of your Blackboard-Vista class.
	Your papers must be submitted as an attachment to a Blackboard-Vista email message (it is a student responsibility to properly send attachments - no attachment means no paper received). Reader Papers are the only attachments I accept - and these must be submitted as attachments - please: no exceptions, no excuses. You must use Blackboard-Vista Email and your paper must be in MS Word file format (.DOC or .RTF).
	Plagiarism (words or ideas) is completely unacceptable and will incur severe penalties, which can include a "F" for the entire course - see Ethics Policies. If you have any doubt about what plagiarism is, contact me before submitting a plagiarized paper.
	If you're really serious about preparing an excellent Reader Paper or if you want additional information about how to write research paper, there is a good Internet resource from Purdue University's Online Writing Lab.
	This assignment meets the Reading, Writing, Critical Thinking, and Computer Literacy competencies required by the core curriculum (see BICC Compliance)
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Final Exam - 250 Points
	The final exam is a comprehensive examination.
	The Final Exam can contribute up to 250 points toward your final grade. This is the most important exam of the semester in History 1302 as it comprises 25% of your final grade.
	The Final Exam is important. If you do not take the Final Exam, your grade will be calculated on material submitted. As the Final Exam is a major component of your final course grade calculation, it's difficult to pass this class without taking the Final Exam.
	The Final must be taken on-campus at one of the testing centers during Finals Weekend - please: no exceptions, no excuses.
	The Final Exam is a closed book, closed notes exam.
	The Final Exam will consist of 16 short answer questions. 14 of these short answer questions are taken from the same Chapter Essays that were assigned for each chapter; the 15th and 16th questions are taken from the online discussion questions in "Public Forum."
	The Final Exam is available during Finals Weekend in a proctored environment in an online format or can be handwritten.
	This assignment meets the Reading, Writing, Critical Thinking, and Computer Literacy competencies required by the core curriculum (see BICC Compliance)
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Extra Credit - Total 100 Points
	Extra credit points will be available for students that use the online communication tools to collaborate on Chapter Essays and to effectively communicate with their instructor and their fellow students:
	Chapter Essay Collaboration: Students who collaborate with fellow students on Chapter Essays will be eligible for 5 extra credit points per collaboration but with a maximum of 5 points per Section and therefore a maximum of 20 total points for the course. Reminder: even if you collaborate, you still must write your own response. To receive extra credit for this collaboration, you must send a separate Blackboard-Vista Email message to me which includes the name of the person you collaborated with and a brief sentence or two on how the collaboration helped with the assignment. Look for a collaboration partner by posting a message in "Student-2-Student".
	Participation in Public Forum: Focused discussion questions on topics relevant to where we are in the course will be posted periodically (in Discussions, "PF-XX" topics); students are encouraged to "weigh in" with their opinion on those topics. I will monitor the message activity; extra credit points are based on effective messages that relate to the subject matter. I will be looking at this on a Section by Section basis and will assign up to 5 extra credit points per Section (maximum of 20 for the course).
	Blackboard-Vista Chat: We will have "Towne Meetings" in our Blackboard-Vista Chat Room on Wednesday evenings. A visit to and participation in a "Towne Meeting" will earn 5 points of extra credit to a maximum of 5 points per section (maximum of 20 total points for the course).
	Readings in "American Perspectives": Extra credit points are available for the student who reads selected works from "American Perspectives: Readings in American History, Volume II". The student will earn 10 points of extra credit for reading a selected work and writing a one page summary. Each summary will be delivered to the instructor in a Blackboard-Vista Email message (please, no attachments). Each summary must be sent in a separate Blackboard-Vista Email message. The student may select any of the works from the listing that is available in our Extra Credit section in Blackboard-Vista. The student may only submit a maximum of four summaries (maximum of 40 points extra credit for American Perspectives summaries for the course). The deadline for American Perspective summaries is listed in the Blackboard-Vista course calendar and in the Course Schedule.
	These Extra Credit activities meet the Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, Critical Thinking, and Computer Literacy competencies required by the core curriculum (see BICC Compliance)
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Asking Questions Online
	Use the Main folder in the Discussion or Public Forum area for general questions relating to course content. Please try to ask most of your questions in the Main folder so all students can benefit from both the questions and the responses.
	If your question is about something you don't want to share with the rest of the class, please send a Blackboard-Vista Email message to me privately. Whether posted in Main or sent in Blackboard-Vista Email, I will try to answer all questions within 24 hours.
	If your question is about computers or Blackboard-Vista in general, we have a terrific DE Support Staff (Ram, Felix, Doug) who can be contacted at desupport@hccs.edu.
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Collaboration with Fellow Students
	Distance Education provides a quality education with flexible schedules (within the course boundaries) from a "classroom" that is an Internet-connected PC.
	But part of the college experience is the exchange of ideas which is the natural result of students interacting with each other. This aspect of higher education is sometimes difficult to achieve in a Distance Education environment.
	To foster interaction with other students taking this course, you are encouraged to use the online communication tools to "connect" with your fellow students. Optional Extra Credit is available for Chapter Essay collaboration, for contributing to general Public Forum, and for making appearances in our Blackboard-Vista Chat Room.
	You may NOT collaborate on: - Section Exams: You may study together for Section Exams but the exam itself must be taken individually - Reader Papers: Simply read the book and write a narrative summary - in your words, on you own - Final Exam: You may study together for the Final Exam but the exam itself must be taken individually
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Professor Contact Information
-	Communicate any private concerns with your instructor using Blackboard-Vista Email area. I will be checking this frequently and will try to answer Email within 24 hours.
-	In an emergency, you may contact me at my external Email address: george.anderson@hccs.edu or if there are problems with the HCCS network, use the alternate: hccs_andy@yahoo.com. If you have a serious emergency, you may call me at home: (281) 580-2214. Any and all assignments and questions must be sent in Blackboard-Vista Email - the alternate addresses should only be used in an emergency.
-	Additionally, our DE Instructional Support Specialist for this class is Ms. Carolyn Paul. Ms. Paul can be reached at carolyn.paul@hccs.edu, 713-718-5210. Contact information for other DE Support staff is listed in the Blackboard-Vista course in homepage icon "HCCS DE Staff."
-	Also, you can ask administrative or other questions in our scheduled Blackboard-Vista "Towne Meeting" - where visitors earn Extra Credit points for showing up and participating.
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Suggested Email Formatting

As a general rule when it comes to Email formatting, less is best. But there are specific things you can do to make your Email document more readable and therefore, more enjoyable for your viewer. Here's a few tips:

-	Don't use all capital letters; all caps is difficult to read. Use caps and lower case.
-	Don't use a text color or colored / patterned backgrounds.
-	Use standard guidelines for grammar and punctuation.
-	Use a spell checker (you may create the message in Word, for example, spell check it, and then copy/paste it into Blackboard-Vista Email).
-	Break your message into small paragraphs or "sound bites". No, don't put each sentence in a paragraph, but don't put 20 sentences in one paragraph either.
-	Use blank lines to separate paragraphs, opening addresses, your signature, etc..
-	It is polite to start your Email message by addressing your viewer (such as "Dear Bob:" or "Bob:). It is also polite to have a signature - which can be as simple as your name or maybe add something like "Thank you, blank line, your name".
-	If you ask your viewer to call you, consider including your telephone number in the message; if you ask your viewer to send an Email to someone else or to call someone else, consider including their Email address or telephone number in your message.

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Ethics Policies

The Distance Education Office follows the HCCS policies on scholastic dishonesty, which includes, but is not limited to cheating on a exam, plagiarism, and collusion.

Cheating is not that hard to define and as college students, you should have a pretty good idea about what cheating is. Just to be clear, here are a few simple definitions:

-	Cheating is: Copying from another student's exam.
-	Cheating is: During a exam, using materials not authorized by the person giving the exam.
-	Cheating is: Collaborating with another student during a exam without proper authority.
-	Cheating is: Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole or part the contents of an exam or paper.
-	Cheating is: Bribing another person to obtain a copy of an exam.
-	*Cheating is: Plagiarism which means using someone's work or someone's ideas* and representing them to be your own.** That "someone" may be another student, a friend, a relative, a book author, an author of material on a web site, etc. Do not take material from anywhere without giving proper credit or reference.
-	Cheating is: Collusion means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work offered for credit when you represent that work to be your own.

The Reader Papers will be submitted to TurnItIn.com which is a service HCCS subscribes to for identifying plagiarized material.

In this class, the minimum penalty for academic dishonesty is a grade of zero on the assignment. The penalty for gross plagiarism and cheating on exams is failure in the course. Depending on severity and frequency, academic dishonesty can lead to a recommendation for probation or dismissal from the College System.

If you ever have any question about what is cheating, what is plagiarism or what is unauthorized collusion, please contact me before you do anything or submit anything. It is much better to ask first than to get caught later.

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Documented Disabilities
	Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the appropriate HCC Disability Support Service (DSS) Counselor at the beginning of each semester. Faculty are authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office.
	Students who are requesting special testing accommodations must first contact the appropriate DSS Counselor for assistance. Please contact the Distance Education Counselors at 713.718.5275, option #4 or at de.counseling@hccs.edu in order to be referred to the appropriate HCC DSS Counselor.
	Students who require testing accommodations need to schedule an appointment for testing to ensure that staff will be available for proctoring and to arrange for any adaptive equipment that may be required. Students should contact the distance education instructor's "Instructional Support Specialist" (ISS) the week prior to each exam throughout the semester to confirm that the requested testing accommodations will be met. If you need assistance in determining your instructor's ISS, please contact your instructor or the Distance Education Counselors for assistance.
	Any student with a documented disability, (i.e. physical, learning, psychiatric, visual, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the disability services office at the respective college at the beginning of each semester. Faculty are authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the disability services office. The counselor for Southeast College is Ms. Lilian Baldwin and she can be reached at 713 718-7218.
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Counseling Services
	Advising can be accomplished by telephone at 713/718-5275 - option # 4, via Email at de.counseling@hccs.edu, by visiting the Distance Education Office at the HCC Administration Building, 3100 Main Street, 3rd floor and/or by on-site advising at other HCC locations upon request.
	Confidential sessions with the distance education counselors will help students understand admissions, registration, entrance testing requirements, degree planning, transfer issues, and career counseling. Houston Community College counselors also maintain a local referral base in order to provide appropriate referrals to students with personal or family issues that may require long-term solutions.
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Basic Intellectual Core Competencies

Texas Colleges must demonstrate that the Basic Intellectual Core Competencies are are incorporated into all Core courses. This course addresses the competencies in the following ways:

-	Reading: The Textbook, alternative web sites, and the readers will provide the basis for Section Exams, Chapter Essays, and the Final Exam.
-	Writing: Students will write all responses to their selected Chapter Essays, and will conduct most communication with the instructor through the typewritten word. Students will write two historical research papers and answer essay questions.
-	Speaking: Students may phone the instructor for supplemental information or clarification of assignments as needed. Students working in collaboration with other students on chapter assignments will have the opportunity to develop their speaking proficiency.
-	Listening: Students working in collaboration with other students on chapter assignments will have the opportunity to develop and practice their listening skills. Students will also practice critical listening as the course utilizes more streamed audio and video materials.
-	Critical Thinking: Many of the Chapter Essays and essay questions on the Final Exam will contain questions and problems that will require higher-level, "critical" thinking skills to solve successfully.
-	Computer Literacy: Web-based courses such as this one require significant computer literacy from the students, who must be proficient at navigating the web, sending and receiving Email, participating in threaded discussions, and using online testing procedures.

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Enrollment Policies

Withdrawals:

The instructor will not issue a "W" (Withdrawal) course grade to any student.

Students who do not log in or stop participating at any point in the semester will receive a grade based on the Points & Grading scheme established for this course.

Students who choose to administratively withdraw from the course may do so using the processes and procedures as defined by HCCS.

It is a student responsibility to withdraw / drop by the deadlines established by HCCS. For First and Second Eight courses, it is strongly recommended that you contact DE Counseling regarding drop dates.

Students who wish to withdraw / drop but fail to do so by the deadlines established by HCCS will be issued a grade based on the Points & Grading scheme established for this course.

HCC Course Withdrawal Policy:

The Texas State Legislature has begun to impose penalties on students who drop courses excessively. In 2007, the Legislature passed a law limiting students to no more than six (6) total course withdrawals throughout their academic career in obtaining a baccalaureate degree. To help students avoid having to drop/withdraw from any class, HCC has instituted an Early Alert process by which you instructor will "alert" you and HCC student services of the chance you might fail a class because of excessive absences and/or poor academic performance. You should visit with your instructor, a counselor, or HCC Online Student Services to learn about your options.

Students must visit with a faculty advisor, a counselor or online student services prior to withdrawal from class. If a withdrawal is to be given, this must be done prior to November 8, 2007 at 4:30pm. After that date and time, students will no longer be allowed to drop and will receive the grade that they earned. Faculty will no longer be allowed to give a "W" on the final grade sheet; any faculty member who wishes to withdraw a student will be required to process the drop before November 8, at 4:30.

Course Repeats:

Students who take a course more than twice face significant tuition/fee increases at HCC and other Texas public universities. If you are considering withdrawing from a course because you are not passing (or for any other reason),confer with your instructor/counselor as early as possible about your study habits, reading and writing homework, test-taking skills, attendance, course participation, and opportunities for tutoring or other assistance that might be available.

Student Course Reinstatement Policy:

Students have a responsibility to arrange payment for their classes when they register, either through cash, credit card, financial aid, or the installment plan. Faculty members have a responsibility to check their class rolls regularly, especially during the early weeks of a term,and reconcile the official class roll to ensure that no one is attending class whose name does not appear on it.

Students who are dropped from their courses for nonpayment of tuition and fees who request reinstatement after the official date of record payment of tuition and fees who request reinstatement after the official date of record (OE Date) can be reinstated by making payment in full and paying an additional $75 per course reinstatement fee. This fee will only be charged to those students who are making payment by check, cash, money order, or credit card. A student requesting reinstatement should present the registration office with a completed Enrollment Authorization Form with the signature of the instructor, department chair, or dean who should verify that the student has been regularly attending class.

Students who are reinstated are responsible for all course policies and procedures, including attendance requirements. A dean may waive the reinstatement fee upon determination that the student was dropped because of a college error. The dean should note the nature of the error in a memo to the registration office with appropriate documentation.

International Students:

Receiving a W in a course may affect the status of your student Visa. Once a W is given for the course, it will not be changed to an F because of the visa consideration. Since January 1, 2003, International Students are restricted in the number of distance education courses that they may take during each semester. ONLY ONE online/distance education class may be counted towards the enrollment requirement for International Students per semester. Please contact the International Student Office at 713-718-8520 if you have any questions about your visa status and other transfer issues.

New DE Student Userid:

Your new student login userid will be your HCC User ID (sometimes referred to as the “W” number). All HCC students have a unique User ID. It is the same number you use for class registration. For students who have taken DE classes in previous semesters, the login will no longer be “firstname.lastname” + the last 2 digit of your SS #. If you do not know your User ID you can look it up using the following links:
-	From the HCC home page, click on “Register Here”
-	On the Student Web Services page, click on “Registration (Online)”
-	Click on “Retrieve User ID” and follow the instructions.
-	Or use the direct link: https://hccsaweb.hccs.edu:8080/servlets/iclientservlet/sauat/?cmd=start
-	The default student password will still be “distance.”
-	As always, students will then be prompted to change their password after their first login.
These new student login procedures apply to classes taught in both Blackboard-Vista and Blackboard.

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Missed exam Policy

In general, a missed Section Exam earns zero points toward your final grade. However, if you contact me in advance or if you have a very, very good, provable excuse, you have a few options.

1.	The very best option is to not miss Section Exams - our course schedule is very clear and mapped out in advance. Not to to sound harsh or uncaring but...generally, you need to adjust your personal life to your college schedule, not the other way around.
2.	The best option is to take the Section Exam early. Depending on the circumstance, I may open the Section Exam early for the whole class. This is close to the option above as it avoids missing the Section Exam.
3.	Another option on a missed exam is to have the score on your Final Exam count in place of one missed Section Exam score. To calculate the relative point value, the Final Exam points are multiplied by 41.67%. This is the option for one missed Section Exam that is routinely granted and is the next best option.
4.	Depending on the reason you will miss the Section Exam, I may allow you to take a make-up Section Exam with a 25% score penalty. This is a very poor option and rarely granted because as a college student, you are expected to understand the course requirements and abide by the course schedule.
5.	There are few options available if you miss the first Section Exam - see "Withdrawals".
6.	If you do not take the Final Exam, you will be withdrawn from the course - see "Withdrawals".

All the options for missed Section Exams are not automatic but rather might be granted in very unusual circumstances - better said: highly unusual circumstances.

Because the Final Exam is comprehensive and closed book, some students make one letter grade lower, and often two, on their Final Exam so missing a Section Exam is not your best plan. A second missed Section Exam results in the student being dropped from the course. All exams are open a liberal number of days for your convenience, but there are some time and date restrictions - read your course schedule carefully.

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Statement of Standards: Students

This is from the HCC Student Handbook:

In working jointly with students to ensure they receive the education to which they are entitled, HCC asks that students:
1.	Become knowledgeable of, and adhere to, all regulations, procedures, and deadlines in the Catalog, Class Schedule, and Student Handbook.
2.	Identify their goals at HCC and develop and follow plans to achieve those goals.
3.	Enter the learning process with an open mind and a willingness to learn.
4.	Actively participate in their own learning, both inside and outside the classroom.
5.	Maintain their mental and physical well-being so that they are prepared to learn.
6.	Have the necessary prerequisite skills for the courses in which they enroll.
7.	Attend class regularly and on time and come prepared by following the syllabus and completing reading and assignments.
8.	Take responsibility for seeking the academic and student services help they need.
9.	Maintain satisfactory academic progress so that they can complete their programs.
10.	Demonstrate consideration and respect for other students, faculty, and staff, both inside and outside the classroom.
11.	Follow all HCC regulations governing student conduct and, in addition, any classroom standards of behavior established by the instructor.
12.	As a student and later as an alumnus, take pride in HCC and actively support its efforts to improve.

Standards of behavior for this class:

In an academic environment, students should be able to post comments and statements openly and freely. However, just like in a live class, the instructor is the designated moderator and if necessary, the instructor will correct errors in historical fact, clearly identify personal opinions, and ensure that comments directed to other students do not become too personal. With this in mind, please review the following:
1.	Students will treat fellow students and the instructor with respect and courtesy.
2.	Students will not make any comments or statements that may be considered a personal rebuke.
3.	Students will not make expressions of faith that may be offensive to other students who do not share the same belief.
4.	Students will not make any negative comments or statements about anyone's race, religion, gender, or sexual preference.
5.	Students will not use non-historical references (movies, hearsay, etc.) as fact.
6.	Students will properly document any use of historical references or another writer's words or ideas.
7.	Students will be clear about their use of personal opinions that are not supported by historical fact.

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Acknowledgment
	I would like to acknowledge and thank the individuals who have contributed to this syllabus by allowing the use of their work for sample formats and content - and to also thank those individuals that provided conceptual guidance and suggestions. Contributing individuals include Susan Bogan, James Patterson, Karen Saenz, June Woest, and Mikki Novak.
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