Northwest College

Classroom Course Syllabus – CRN 29270

Tuesday, Thursday: 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.

Govt 2305 - American National Government: Federal Constitution & Topics

Fall 2014

Instructor: Andrew Teas

Email: [email protected]

Learning Web: http://learning.hccs.edu/faculty/andrew.teas

Office Phone: (713) 718-5528

Office Location

My office is at the Spring Branch Campus, Room 900B - over by Murphy's Deli. My official office hours are Fridays, 10:00 a.m. - Noon, but we can arrange to meet at your convenience. Just email me or give me a call, and we'll arrange a time that's convenient for you.

Please feel free to contact me concerning any problems that you are experiencing in this course. You do not need to wait until you have received a poor grade before asking for my assistance. Your performance in my class is very important to me. I am available to hear your concerns and to discuss course topics.

Purpose of the Course:

Government 2305 is designed to introduce students to the study of the origin and development of the U.S. Constitution, structure and powers of the national government including the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, federalism, political participation, the national election process, public policy, civil liberties and civil rights.  The course goals are to develop an understanding of the institutions and political processes of the American political system; encourage critical thinking about political events; and introduce students to the discipline of Political Science and how political scientists study politics scientifically.  This course is fully transferable to all Texas State colleges and universities.

HCC Required Textbook for Government 2305

American Politics Today: 3rd Essentials Edition, by William T. Bianco and David T. Canon; January 2013, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., ISBN 978-0-393-92106-9

Find information about the book here: http://www.wwnorton.com/college/polisci/american-politics-today3/essentials/welcome.aspx

Buy online access for $31.25 for the semester: http://books.wwnorton.com/books/detail.aspx?Id=4294974176

A printed copy of the book should be available at the HCC bookstores at the Spring Branch, Katy and Alief campuses. Also, a lot of online sources for a printed version of this textbook are complied here: http://www.directtextbook.com/American-Politics-Today-3rd-edition-Bianco-paperback-2013/9780393921069

Grading/Testing: Each assignment and quiz is equally weighted. Your grade for the course will be the average grade for all assignments and quizzes.

Exams: No exams, just assignments and quizzes. No midterm. No final.

Written Assignments: Each written assignment is explained in its file under "Assignments." Submit in Microsoft Word before the deadline using the Eagle Online system.

Quizzes: They’re mostly short and easy. Do them before the deadline. They're open book, open internet and I give you plenty of time, but finish them once you open them.

Late Work: The deadlines for most assignments and quizzes are Saturday nights at 11:30 p.m. I know it says "11:55 p.m.," but the Eagle Online clock always runs ahead of real time for some reason. My recommendation: Stay a day or two ahead of the deadlines in case something goes wrong. You can submit assignments up to one week after the deadline (only assignments, not quizzes) and receive a grade with 10 points per day or part-of-day late deducted.

Grading Scale:
A = 90+
B = 80-89
C = 70-79
D = 60-69
F = below 60

Prerequisites

Students will have completed developmental English classes or achieved passing grades on the English portion of the college assessment exam: College Ready Reading & Writing.

Logging in to Eagle Online

Your entry page for the Eagle Online server is here: eo2.hccs.edu 

Your Eagle Online 2 username/password is the same as your Eagle ID, which is the User ID or W number that you were issued upon admission and the password you created for your HCC Email (issued upon enrollment through the Student System). Your Eagle ID is also used for logging into campus computers, AskOnline tutoring, printing on campus, etc.

If you don’t know your W number, you can look it up from the Student System Sign In page (see "Forgot My User ID").
For more information on your User ID or your HCC Email password see the Eagle ID web page.

Eagle Online 2 Support

For Eagle Online documentation, tutorials (including movies), phone and chat support, go to the HCC Eagle Online support website.
Phone support: 713-718-2000, options 4, 2, 3 (available 24 x 7)

Active Participation

The official day of record for this course is September 8, 2014. Students who have not actively participated in the course by that day will be dropped. For the purposes of this requirement, “active participation” means the completion of at least one quiz or assignment.

HCC Policy Statements

Access Student Services Policies on this Web site: http://hccs.edu/students-rights

DE STUDENT SERVICES

The Distance Education Student Handbook contains policies and procedures unique to the DE student. It is the student's responsibility to be familiar with the handbook's contents and part of the mandatory orientation. The handbook contains valuable information, answers, and resources, such as DE contacts, policies and procedures (how to drop, attendance requirements, etc.), student services (ADA, financial aid, degree planning, etc.), course information, testing procedures, technical support, and academic calendars. Refer to the DE Student Handbook by visiting this link: http://de.hccs.edu/de/de-student-handbook

International Students

International Students are restricted to ONLY ONE online/distance education class per semester. Please contact the International Student Office at 713-718-8520 if you have additional questions about your visa status.

Virtual Classroom Conduct

As with on-campus classes, all students in HCC Distance Education courses are required to follow all HCC Policies & Procedures, the Student Code of Conduct, the Student Handbook, and relevant sections of the Texas Education Code when interacting and communicating in a virtual classroom with faculty and fellow students. Students who violate these policies and guidelines will be subject to disciplinary action that could include denial of access to course-related email, discussion groups, and chat rooms or being removed from the class.

Academic Dishonesty

Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited. Plagiarism involves using the ideas or words of another person (either in whole or in part) without crediting the source (for example, pasting text directly out of one of the websites we use without showing it as a quote and citing the source!!). Cheating involves fraud and deception for the purpose of violating testing rules. Students who improperly assist other students are just as guilty as students who receive the assistance. If two or more students submit work that is identical or nearly identical, in whole or in part, they are equally guilty of violating the academic dishonesty policy. A student guilty of a first offense will receive a grade of F on the assignment involved. For a second offense, the student will receive a grade of F for the course.

Services to Students with Disabilities

Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, 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 is authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office.

For questions, please contact Donna Price at 713.718.5165 or the Disability Counselor at your college.

HCC-Northwest ADA Counselor: Northwest ADA Counselor - Mahnaz Kolaini - 713.718.5422

HCC Policy Statement: Academic Honesty

A student who is academically dishonest is, by definition, not showing that the coursework has been learned, and that student is claiming an advantage not available to other students. The instructor is responsible for measuring each student's individual achievements and also for ensuring that all students compete on a level playing field. Thus, in our system, the instructor has teaching, grading, and enforcement roles. You are expected to be familiar with the HCC Policy on Academic Honesty, found in the student handbook. What that means is: If you are charged with an offense, pleading ignorance of the rules will not help you. Students are responsible for conducting themselves with honor and integrity in fulfilling course requirements. Penalties and/or disciplinary proceedings may be initiated by College System officials against a student accused of scholastic dishonesty. “Scholastic dishonesty”: includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion.

Cheating on a test includes:

Plagiarism means the appropriation of another’s work and the unacknowledged incorporation of that work in one’s own written work offered for credit.

Collusion mean the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work offered for credit. Possible punishments for academic dishonesty may include a grade of 0 or F in the particular assignment, failure in the course, and/or recommendation for probation or dismissal from the College System. (See the Student Handbook)

HCC Course Withdrawal Policy

If you feel that you cannot complete this course, you will need to withdraw from the course prior to the final date of withdrawal. Before, you withdraw from your course; please take the time to meet with the instructor to discuss why you feel it is necessary to do so. The instructor may be able to provide you with suggestions that would enable you to complete the course. Your success is very important. Beginning in fall 2007, the Texas Legislature passed a law limiting first time entering freshmen to no more than SIX total course withdrawals throughout their educational career in obtaining a certificate and/or degree.

To help students avoid having to drop/withdraw from any class, HCC has instituted an Early Alert process by which your professor may “alert” you and HCC counselors that you might fail a class because of excessive absences and/or poor academic performance. It is your responsibility to visit with your professor or a counselor to learn about what, if any, HCC interventions might be available to assist you – online tutoring, child care, financial aid, job placement, etc. – to stay in class and improve your academic performance.

IMPORTANT: Students are now able to withdraw from one or more of their classes online. While it is still advisable that student receive good counsel from instructional and counseling faculty prior to dropping one or more classes, students will no longer be required to “see” someone before they will be allowed to drop. They will be provided information related to the implications and possible consequences of dropping their courses. The following will occur when a student selects the “drop” option during an enrollment request:

· Students will be required to select a drop reason in order to complete the withdrawal request (the drop reason will cue whether the dropped course will count toward the 6 drop rule or not).

· Students will be invited to click on several links to learn more of the implications of dropping on the six-drop rule (http://imc02.hccs.edu/gcac/drop.htm), on veterans, on financial aid, and on international students.

· Students will be required to acknowledge the implications of withdrawing from a class.

Due to the new HCC policies, I will NOT withdraw students for low or no attendance. I recommend that you discuss this with me before you decide, but the decision is yours. The last day that you can withdraw is October 31, 2014. If you do not withdraw by this date, you will NOT receive a 'W'.

Repeat Course Fee (3-peaters)

The State of Texas encourages students to complete college without having to repeat failed classes. To increase student success, students who repeat the same course more than twice, are required to pay extra tuition. The purpose of this extra tuition fee is to encourage students to pass their courses and to graduate. Effective fall 2006, HCC will charge a higher tuition rate to students registering the third or subsequent time for a course. If you are considering course withdrawal because you are not earning passing grades, 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.

Core Objectives

 

The Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) mandates that the core curriculum must ensure that students will develop the essential knowledge and skills they need to be successful in college, in a career, in their communities, and in life.  Through the Texas Core Curriculum, students will gain a foundation of knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world, develop principles of personal and social responsibility for living in a diverse world, and advance intellectual and practical skills that are essential for all learning.

Students enrolled in GOVT 2305/2306 core curriculum courses will complete assessments designed to measure the following core objectives: 

o   Critical Thinking Skills—to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information

o   Communication Skills—to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication

o   Personal Responsibility—to include the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making

o   Social Responsibility—to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making

Student assessment of proficiencies mandated by THECB may include testing, projects, or assignments.

Government Program Student Learning Outcomes

1.    Identify and describe the institutions of American national government. (GOVT 2305)

2.    Identify and describe the institutions of the State of Texas government.  (GOVT 2306)

3.    Identify and evaluate information sources for political news, data, and opinion. (GOVT 2306)

4.    Analyze the effects of the historical, social, political, economic, and cultural forces on politics and government. (GOVT 2306)

5.    Recognize and assume the responsibilities of citizenship by developing one’s critical thinking skills, engaging in public discourse, and by obtaining information through the news media. (GOVT 2305)