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SAN JACINTO COLLEGE - SOUTH CAMPUS

U. S. HISTORY 1301
COURSE SYLLABUS Summer 2015
Instructor: Dr. Nicholas Malavis

I. COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This is a survey of the social, political, economic, cultural, and intellectual history
of the United States from the pre-Columbian era to the Civil War/Reconstruction
period. United States History I includes the study of pre-Columbian, colonial,
revolutionary, early national, slavery and sectionalism, and the Civil
War/Reconstruction eras. Themes that may be addressed in United States
History I include: American settlement and diversity, American culture, religion,
civil, and human rights, technological change, economic change, immigration
and migration, and creation of the federal government. Prerequisites: Reading
level 7 and Writing level 7 (3:3-0)
CAVEAT: Since this is an online course, there is no face-to-face contact like a
classroom course. Therefore, students must take the initiative and discipline
themselves to engage in self-study and complete assignments, discussion
board, exams, and other course requirements in a timely manner with little or no
supervision by the instructor. Students must also be proficient in accessing and
using a computer and the Internet and resourceful in resolving technological
problems. Information for obtaining and receiving technological assistance is
available both the on the San Jacinto College Website and on Blackboard.
II. LEARNING OUTCOMES:
CONTENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
A. Create an argument through the use of historical evidence.
B. Analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources.
C. Analyze the effects of historical, social, political, economic, cultural, and
global forces on this period of United States history.
GENERAL EDUCATION OUTCOMES:
A. CRITICAL THINKING: Students will develop habits of mind, allowing them to
appreciate the processes by which scholars in various disciplines organize and
evaluate data and use the methodologies of each discipline to understand the
human experience.
B. COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Students will communicate ideas, express
feelings and support conclusions effectively in written, oral, and visual formats.
C. PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY: Students will develop habits of intellectual
exploration, personal responsibility, and physical well-being.
D. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Students will demonstrate a global perspective
toward issues of culture, society, and politics, environment, and sustainability.

III. GRADE RANGE:

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90 - 100
80 - 89
70 - 79
60 - 69
Below 60

A
B
C
D
F

IV. REQUIRED READING MATERIAL:


A. Textbook
Tindall, George Brown and Shi, David. America: A Narrative History,
9th
ed. ISBN# 978-0-393-91262-3
The textbook is available for purchase in the campus book store.
Students are responsible for all material contained therein.
History 1301
covers chapters 1-18 of the text.
The textbook is very important. It is the main source of historical
information for exams. Students may purchase the one-volume book, the
two-volume combined book, or access the electronic book from the
publishers website or any online bookstore, or rent the book from one
the
online textbook rental services.
B. Scholarly History Article
Select an article pertaining to the historical period covered in this course
(Beginnings through Reconstruction)
from a scholarly historical
periodical
from the San Jacinto College Library System Database Click on
the
"History Research" link in the "Content" section of the Blackboard
Course
Web Site to access a link to the library database and other library
services.
V. BLACKBOARD:
With the exception of textbook and article content, all materials and
information for this course are posted and available to students on the specific
course site on Blackboard. Computer literacy and proficiency in accessing and
utilizing Blackboard is a MUST for this course. Students who lack adequate
proficiency in accessing and utilizing Blackboard are responsible for obtaining
the necessary help and instruction from the Information Technology Center.
All assignments must be completed and submitted by specific deadlines.
Students are responsible for checking the Blackboard Announcements
Page and Student E-mail Accounts at least once at the beginning of every
week for due dates and deadlines of assignments, and exams. The
professor will neither accept nor respond to excuses that students forgot
about the due date for assignments, and exams. There is NO EXCUSE for
neglecting to check the Blackboard Announcements Page and Student E-mail
accounts at least once a week. Also, the professor is not responsible for
technological errors or failure to read and/or respond to deadlines, messages,
and E-mails.. If your computer crashes, the internet fails, or your dog eats your
computer, students are responsible for finding another system San Jacinto
College has technology centers/computer labs on each campus to assist

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students. So, if the power goes out or Blackboard crashes at the last minute
before the deadline for an assignment or during an exam, there will be no
extensions, no make-ups, no retakes. To be safe, turn in all assignments before
the deadline and take all exams at the San Jacinto College technology
center/computer lab. Never wait until the last day and the last minute.
VI. COURSE OUTLINE:
There is an outline of the course in Microsoft Word format posted on the first link
in the Content section of the Blackboard website. The outline will serve as a
guide to what students should take note of when reading the text and other
material. In other words, if a topic is not on the outline, students will not be
responsible for knowing it about for tests.
VII. WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS:
A schedule of weekly assignments, including textbook reading and
sections of the outline covered for that week, is posted under Weekly
Assignments, the second link in the Content section of the Blackboard
website.
VIII. EXAMS:
A. Regular Exams
There will be two (2) exams. Each exam will consist of twenty-five (25)
multiple choice questions worth four (4) points each for at total of 100
percent of the exam grade.
B. Final Exam
The final exam will consist of forty (40) multiple choice questions worth
two-and-a-half (2 ) points each for at total of 100 percent of the
exam
grade.
C. Exam Dates/Time
EXAM I 12:00 AM FRIDAY, 3 JULY 2015 to 11:59 PM
MONDAY, 6 JULY 2015
EXAM II 12:00 AM FRIDAY, 24 JULY 2015 to 11:59 PM
MONDAY, 27 JULY 2015
FINAL EXAM 12:00 AM MONDAY, 10 AUGUST 2015 to 11:59 PM
WEDNESDAY, 12 AUGUST 2015
D. Log on to Blackboard anytime from 12:00 AM on beginning exam
date and 11:59 PM on ending exam date and you will have the entire
scheduled time limit to take the exam. For example, as long as you
log on anytime between 12:00 AM on Friday, 3 July 2015 and
11:59 PM on Monday, 6 July 2015, you will have the
entire one
(1) hour to take Exam I. Same for Exam II and the Final
Exam on
their respective dates. Since the final exam is longer,
you will have
1 hours (90 minutes). Make sure to close all other
browsers and
applications before logging on for exam and

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once you start exam do
functions.

knocked

not refresh or hit any other buttons or

*DO NOT USE Wireless internet access as it is prone to


interruptions and those interruptions result in getting
out of the exam. Use a physical internet connection.
CONSULT the "BEST PRACTICES FOR BLACKBOARD
EXAMS" tool link on the Blackboard Course Web Site.

E. NO EXAM MAKEUPS/RETAKES/DROPS
Since all exams are available for five days from Friday through
Tuesday, for 120 hours there are no makeup exams, or
retakes, or
dropping exams. Make-up exams will be allowed only
in the case of
a medical emergency that is verified by
submission of
documentation by the treating
physician. Make-up exams will be given
the last class day prior to the week
of Final Exams and will be essay in
format. Students must notify
professor prior to the last of week of class
that they need to make up
an exam and arrange to make-up exams at
this time. NO
EXCEPTIONS! The best advice is to take the exam at
the regularly
scheduled date and time to avoid problems with makeups.
The professor is not responsible for technological errors or failures. If
your computer crashes, the internet fails, or your dog eats your
computer,
students are responsible for finding another system San Jacinto
College has technology centers/computer labs on each campus
to assist
students. So, if the power goes out or Blackboard crashes
at the last
minute before or during an exam, there will be no
extensions, no makeups, no retakes. To be safe, take all exams at the a
San Jacinto College
technology center/computer lab. Never wait until
the last day and the last
minute. NO EXCEPTIONS!
IX. DISCUSSION:
Each week, except for week one (1), there will be a discussion question posted
under the discussion button pertaining to the topic/textbook chapter for that
week. Students must respond to the question and then read at least three (3)
different student comments and complete three (3) responses to those three (3)
comments. The initial response to the question should not exceed a paragraph
and responses to other students comments need not exceed one (1) to three
(3)
sentences. Discussion questions will be available beginning 12:00 AM on
Sunday of each week and open for comment until 11:59 PM Saturday of that
same week. There will be no discussion question during week one (1). Instead,
students will be allowed that time to familiarize and orient themselves with the
Blackboard website and post a short paragraph in the discussion section
introducing themselves.
PLEASE BE OBJECTIVE, PROFESSIONAL, RESPECTFUL, AND
COURTEOUS IN ALL DISCUSSION COMMENTARY AND POSTS.
DISCOURTEOUS, OBSCENE, PROFANE, RACIST, SEXIST, AND
OTHERWISE DISRESPECTFUL COMMENTARY AND LANGUAGE WILL NOT
BE TOLERATED AND RESULT IN DISCIPLINARY ACTION!

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STICK TO THE SUBJECT MATTER, BE SCHOLARLY, AND AVOID
PERSONAL ATTACKS AND INSULTS!
X. History Common Assessment Assignment - Click on the History Research link in
the Content Section of the Blackboard Course Web Site for detailed instructions
for South Campus Article and access to the library online database.
*DUE DATE: Download completed paper as a word attachment in the Common
Assessment Paper link located in the Content section of the Blackboard Course Web
Site on or before 11:59 PM on Friday 31 JULY 2015. PLEASE NOTE: Paper must be
downloaded as a Word attachment in the Common Assessment Paper link. Other
formats and forms of submission such as E-Mail attachments or hardcopy hand-ins are
unacceptable!
XI. GRADES:
A. Regular Exams
Each regular exam counts as 20 percent of the final grade average for a
total of 40 percent of the final grade average.
B. Final Exam
The final exam counts as 20 percent of the final grade average.
C. Discussion
The discussion posts count as 20 percent of the final grade average.
*PLEASE NOTE: Discussion Forum grade will not be posted until the
end
of the semester when all 15 discussion forum threads are calculated for
the final discussion forum grade.
D. Common Assessment Assignment
The common assessment assignment counts as 20 percent of the final
grade average.
E. NO EXTRA CREDIT
There is no extra credit for this course.
XII. CLASS PARTICIPATION POLICY:

Site.

DO NOT ask questions of a logistical nature such as exam dates, paper


deadlines, holidays, emergency school closures, etc. All logistical information is
available to students on Blackboard and the San Jacinto College Main Web
Students are responsible for consulting Blackboard and the San Jacinto Main
Web Site regularly. The best advice is to check Blackboard and the San Jacinto
College Main Web Site on a Daily basis and come to class on time and be
prepared to participate!

XIII. WITHDRAWAL:

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Students wishing to drop courses must drop themselves over the web. Faculty
will not drop students. Students should consult with a Counselor/Advisor before
dropping courses. Students starting college for the first time in fall 2007 or after
may only receive six grades of W ( grade received from a course dropped after
the census date) from all Texas public colleges and universities attended.
Grades of W in developmental courses or courses taken while in high school will
not count in the six grades of W. After six grades of W are received, students
must receive grades of A, B, C, D, or F in all courses. There are other
exemptions from the six-drop limit and students should consult with a
Counselor/Advisor before they drop courses to determine these exemptions.
Official Drop/Withdrawal Deadline Fall Semester 2014 - 20 April 2015
XIV. CLASSROOM ETTIQUETTE:
Please turn off cell phones, pagers and any other mobile communication
devices
for the entire class period. cell phones on vibration mode are permissible
during class. No food or drinks, in the classroom and no socializing while class is in
session.
XV. REPEAT RULE: If a course is subject to the repeat rule, a student may take the
course two times and pay the regular tuition. The third time, the student will be
charged an additional $60.00 of tuition per credit hour for the third or
subsequent time taken.
XVI. HONESTY CODE: As a student at San Jacinto College, you are expected to
exhibit honesty, integrity and high standards in your academic work. Members
of
the college community benefit from an open, honest educational environment.
We are all responsible to encourage and promote academic integrity, a code of
moral and artistic honesty. Students should refer to the Student Handbook for
policies and procedures on Cheating and Plagiarism.
XVII. EMERGENCY CLOSURE: In the event the College needs to be closed for any
situation, such as inclement weather, students and employees should check the
College website at www.sanjac.edu or call (866) 504-5853 for the most
immediate and current information. The College will also engage the
emergency
notification plan which sends a voicemail, text message, and/or email to
each student/employee who opts in. The College will also contact local media but the
most reliable, accurate and current information will also be found on the College
website or at the toll-free number listed above. Official communications with
students is through their SJC email account.
XVIII. DISABILITY STATEMENT: If you have a disability that may affect your ability to
learn the material in this course, please contact the Disabilities Services Director
through the Educational Planning and Counseling Offices:
Central Campus - 281-998-6150 Ext. 1014;
North Campus - 281-998-6150 Ext. 2317;
South Campus - 281-998-6150 Ext. 3444
XIX. CONTACT INFORMATION:
Office: S7 131

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San Jacinto South Campus Telephone: 281.484.1900, ext. 3319
E-mail: nicholas.malavis@sjcd.edu
Office In-Person by Appointment and/or Via E-Mail 24/7.
Above information available under INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFO button on
Blackboard.

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