GEORGIA HIGHLANDS COLLEGE
History 2111 (80367 ) – American History I
Fall Semester 2006 – North Metro Tech
MW 11:00-12:15 pm
Instructor: Dr. William Mugleston Office: Cartersville 320A
E-Mail: wmuglest@highlands.edu Office Phone: 678: 872-8092
Office Hours (Cartersville) MW 8:00-10:00 am, 1:30-3:00 pm
TR 8:00-9:00 am; 11:00 am – 1:30 pm
Other times by appointment
Course Description: A survey of US History to the post-Civil War period, this course stresses the political and constitutional history of the United States from earliest settlements until 1865. It satisfies the state legislative requirements in United States & Georgia history. Prerequisites: Satisfactory placement scores/READ 0099 and ENGL 0099.
Required Book for the Course:
David M. Kennedy et al., The Brief American Pageant. 6th ed., 2004. Vol. I: To 1877.
ISBN 0-618-33269-3
Examinations and Quiz: There will be four major 100-point exams, on Monday Sept 18, Monday Oct 16, Wednesday Nov 8, and the final, Wed Dec 13, 10-11:50 am.
There will also be one 20-point quiz on Monday October 2.
Class Participation & Attendance: In order to award and encourage active participation in the course, everyone will start out with an “account” of 60 points. These are yours to keep or lose. You must attend and actively participate in order to receive full credit in this category. Active participation means showing up every day and on time, staying for the duration of the class, not leaving early (unless you let the instructor know beforehand), not wandering in and out of class, staying awake, not checking cell phones during class, and actively participating in class discussions. There are no “excused” or “unexcused” absences; an absence is an absence. Your final points in this category will be determined at the end of the semester.
E-Mail: Each student must e-mail me within one week of the beginning of the semester, introducing yourself (interests, activities, hobbies, academic and career goals, etc.) as well as letting me know if you have any questions, concerns, etc., about the course. This will be recorded as part of your participation grade.
Grading System: Your final course grade will be based on 480 points: 400 for the four major exams, 20 for the quiz, and 60 for participation & attendance). The following scale will determine your final letter grade:
480 - 441 A (92%) 335 - 288 D (60%)
440 - 384 B (80%) Below 288 F
383 - 336 C (70%)
The “Gold Star A”: The person who earns the highest numerical grade on the final exam will receive an “A” in the course, regardless of his or her previous grade average. (The Fine Print: To qualify for this, you must have taken the first three 100-point exams and the 20-point quiz.)
Recap of Important Dates:
Monday Sept 4 – NO CLASS; LABOR DAY HOLIDAY
Monday Sept 18 – First 100-point Exam
Monday Oct 2 – 20-point Quiz
Wednesday Oct 11 – Midterm; Last Day to Withdraw with a “W”
Monday Oct 16 – Second 100-point Exam
Wednesday Nov 8 – Third 100-point Exam
November 22-26: NO CLASSES; THANKSGIVING HOLIDAYS
Wednesday Dec 13 – Final Exam – 10 – 11:50 am; No make-ups on the final!
Student Learning Outcomes:
Students will demonstrate an awareness of global and multicultural issues as they have affected individuals and social structures in the past and are likely to affect them in the future.
Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze and synthesize historical data in relation to both its time period and ours.
Students will be able to express knowledge of historical data through verbal and written means.
Students will be able to analyze both quantitative and qualitative course source material.
Students will be able to apply historical concepts to modern situations in the search for cause and effect patterns.
Policies on student conduct and academic integrity: These are in the College’s “Student Rights & Responsibilities” document. This can be accessed at the following URL:
http://www.highlands.edu/campuslife/handbook/html/academic_integrity_code.htm
Any student who feels he or she may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should make an appointment with the College Access Center (706: 802-5003) to coordinate reasonable accommodations. You are also welcome to contact me privately to discuss your specific needs.
This message applies only to students receiving financial aid: Federal regulations state that if a student did not attend classes and received failing grades, then the grades were not earned and financial aid needs to be reduced accordingly. Please be advised that any student receiving a 0.00 GPA will be required to prove that the
0.00 GPA was earned by attending classes or completing requirements for each class. Students who have earned at least one passing grade for the semester will not be affected by this regulation. If a student has properly withdrawn from all classes, the student’s financial aid should be adjusted from the time they signed the withdrawal form.
CELL PHONES: All cell phones must be turned off and stored out of sight during class!
My Main Goal in This Course: To help you learn to think more critically and intelligently about the past, its relationship to the present, and your position in the present. If at the end of the course you have more questions than answers in your head, then we will have achieved something together.
Take Your History Seriously – it can help you understand yourself, other people, your country, and the world.
Take Your History Lightly – it can be fun! It can help you laugh at the humor in human behavior.
TWO SPECIAL REQUESTS:
1) If you must leave before the end of a class (not a good idea), please let me know before the class begins. Simple courtesy. Thanks.
2) Students wandering in and out of class drive your instructor crazy. If you have some compelling reason to do so, please discuss it with me.
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“The past is ransacked, not for its own sake, but as a source of alternative models of what the future might become.”
---Staughton Lynd