I typically work Monday & Tuesday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Wednesdays 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Thursdays & Fridays 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM (12:00 PM on Fridays during the Summer sessions). You are more than welcome to just drop by to see me any time within those hours. Sometimes I am teaching or have meetings though, so if you want to ensure I will be free to meet with you, please email me to set an appointment day & time that works for us both.
***During my work hours, email is the best way to reach me: ergilbert@actx.edu****
Outside of work hours, cell is the best way to reach me - (806) 382-4709. Feel free to text me between the hours of 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM.
If it's your first time contacting me, please tell me who you are and which class you are in. Keep in mind that I may be in a meeting, teaching a class, making dinner, etc. depending on the time you contact me. Please give me time to get back to you.
Collusion is defined as “the unauthorized collaboration with another person or by any other means, including artificial intelligence (AI) and computer translators, in preparing work for fulfillment of course requirements.” Using AI like (ChatGPT or Google Gemini) to create a document is considered colluding. <strong>The use of Generative Artificial Intelligence on specific assignments is at the discretion of the instructor. </strong>
If you have a disability (learning, mental, physical) that affects your ability to participate effectively and have access to any program or service at Amarillo College please contact Disability Services at (806) 345-5639 . Our offices are located in the Enrollment Center, Suite 700. More information may be found at www.actx.edu/disability.
Disability Services facilitates access to all programs and services according to the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as well as other federal and state laws.
Amarillo College is committed to providing equal access to all programs and services, including all working, learning, and service environments that affect equal access for persons with disabilities. This commitment to provide equal access and opportunity for persons with disabilities is in compliance with federal and state law. Amarillo College also strives to provide Electronic and Information Resources (EIR) that are accessible to all authorized users.
If you find you are unable to access material in an accessible format please contact the Disability Services Office at (806) 345-5639 . This office will work in conjunction with other campus resources to address and accommodate your issue in a timely manner.
As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc
Tutoring for Success applies to any student whose overall performance in the course falls below 75%. The instructor will create the task in the Student Engagement Portal (Watermark) to direct the student to the appropriate tutoring service, which may be faculty- or SI-led, discipline-specific, and/or general. The tutoring service assigned, the due date for when the tutoring must be completed, and the amount of tutoring required are at the discretion of the instructor. Additionally, the task will alert the student’s success team. Students who do not fulfill the assigned tutoring task may be subject to program- and course-specific penalties that could result in a grade reduction and/or in not being allowed to progress in the course until the tutoring requirement has been satisfied.
Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016
Students who wish to withdraw from a course must complete all steps indicated on the Academic Withdrawal Request form by the course withdrawal deadline.
NOTE: Students who are attending Texas institutions of higher education, for the first time fall 2007 and later, may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career. This withdrawal limitation does not include dual credit or developmental classes (Senate Bill 1231 Rule 4.10.) For more information on Drop and Withdrawal Policies, please visit the Registrar's Office Web site.
The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students. If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .
GOVT-2305-022 United States Government
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.
Student ResourcesStudent Resources Website
Notice to Students enrolled in an educational program for preparation of issuance of certain occupational licenses:
Students enrolled in an educational program in preparation for obtaining certain occupational licenses are potentially ineligible for such license if the student has been convicted of an offense. For further information, please contact:
Melodie Graves
Justice Involved Advocate
Student Service Center 117
mgraves24@actx.edu
806-371-5995
Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me
You can also contact the Legal Clinic, or the faculty member in charge of the educational program that you seek to enroll in. The further information you will receive will include notification to you of your right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the licensing authority in order to clarify your particular situation.
(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)
Online Course
We the People, 15th edition
Access to reliable internet and a computer to access the course through the internet.
In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .
If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".
Particularly because this is an online-only course, you will need to read your textbook to get the best grade. Exam questions are pulled from the textbook. To help guide you as you read the book and study for exams, I will provide my PowerPoint presentations and notes from my in-class lectures. These materials will help you identify what is important to focus on during the reading.
You only need to purchase the book, either in print or online. You can find the book at the AC bookstore or online through vendors like Chegg, Amazon, etc. If you want to buy an electronic copy, I will include a link in our Blackboard class. The first assignment requiring you to read is within the first few days of class, so please sign up for access or get a book within the first two days, even if you are waiting on financial aid or for your order to be delivered.
On course discussion boards, please be aware that no one ever knows what life experiences their classmates have had. Therefore, it is incredibly important to be respectful and kind during discussions, and speak(type) in a manner that will always protect the safety of the learning environment for ALL students.
Amarillo College expects all students to engage in academic honesty and refrain from cheating and/or plagiarism. I expect each student to complete the assignments independently. Exams should be completed independently, as should all assignments. Penalties for cheating as well as plagiarism are outlined in the Amarillo College Student Handbook.
In our course calendar, I list due dates for all assignments. All work must be turned in on time to receive full credit. Put your due dates in a planner, use phone apps or reminders; take advantage of the time you have, and plan ahead so you turn assignments in on time.
You will need to contact me to develop arrangements for any submissions that will be turned in late. What is a reasonable or acceptable reason for turning in work late and what the timeline will be for turning in a late assignment is at my discretion. As soon as you know you must miss an assignment, please contact me. If work is submitted late, it is subject to a two points per day (including weekend days) deduction.
Grades in this course are not given, they are earned. As a student, you will be required to complete the necessary work to earn your grade.
Overall Course Grades are broken down in this manner:
| Letter Grade | Points |
| A | 100 - 89.5 |
| B | 89.4 - 79.5 |
| C | 79.4 - 69.5 |
| D | 69.4 - 59.5 |
| F | 59.4 - 0 |
Display and calculation of grades will be done by Blackboard.
Your current grade will be available in Blackboard under "My Grades" in the course menu.
ETIQUETTE: All students are expected to be tolerant and respectful of other students and of me. There will be zero tolerance for any type of harassment. In class discussions online, be courteous and respectful of the different opinions of your classmates. Remember that I (and potentially the entire class) will be reading what you post.
Assignment Breakdown:
| Assignments | Percentage of Grade |
| Exams (2) | 30% |
| Discussions Boards (3) | 30% |
| Module Assignments (3) | 25% |
| Common Assessment | 10% |
| Required Videos | 5% |
More Information Regarding Exams:
There will be a midterm exam and a final exam that each consist of 100 questions. Together they are worth 30% of your grade.
Each exam will open at 12:01 AM on the date indicated on the course calendar and will close a few days later, when indicated on the calendar, at 11:59 PM.
You must complete the exam all at once within the allotted time of 150 minutes. I do not reopen exams.
Exams are open book/open note, but are not collaborative assignments. For more information on cheating, see above.
Please do not wait until the last minute to take your exam, when you will not find anyone to assist you with technical problems. I, and most all other AC staff, will be unavailable to answer questions after 9:00 PM each night.
Do NOT take exams on a cell phone or when using an unreliable connection. It is highly suggested to use an actual computer that has a dedicated cable for the Internet connection.
You may take each exam from any location - from home, in an AC computer lab, at the public library, etc. - that has a reliable connection.
You will be able to see your exam grade immediately, but you cannot access all of the questions/answers until after the due date has passed - at that point, you can click on the menu item ‘My Grades’ in our course, click on the exam of interest, and you will then see all of the questions/answers.
Please note: exceptions can be made for extenuating circumstances, but you must communicate with me.
As an online-only class, attendance is measured by your completion of assignments by their due dates. It is up to you to check our class online each day and to calendar and keep up with when all assignments are due.
Periodically, I will make announcements, which will be posted in our class on the “Announcements” page in our course and also sent out via email, so checking your email regularly (a couple times a day) is also highly recommended.
KEY DATES: You must submit an assignment by the Census date on Monday, August 26 (08/26/2024) to avoid an automatic withdrawal from the course. This is a State policy, not mine, and I am unable to change it.
Final Date to Withdraw from the Course without a Failing Grade: Tuesday, October 1st (10/01/2024).
GOVT 2305 – United States Government
Refer to the Module content folders for specific information on coursework.
Module 1 – Political Culture & Critical Thinking - Intro on discussion board due 8/24/24 at 11:59 PM; discussion replies due 8/26/24 at 11:59 PM
Module 2 – Constitutional Foundations – all assignments due 9/2/24 at 11:59 PM
Module 3 – Your Rights & Liberties – all assignments due 9/9/24 at 11:59 PM
Midterm Exam – Opens Sunday 9/8/24; closes Wednesday 9/11/24 at 11:59 PM
Module 4 – Lawmakers & Law Breakers – all assignments due 9/16/24 at 11:59 PM
Module 5 – Executors & Administrators of the Law - First post on discussion board due 9/21/24 at 11:59 PM; discussion replies due 9/23/24 at 11:59 PM
Module 6 – Public Policy - Videos due 9/30/24 at 11:59 PM
Module 7 – Political Participation – First post on discussion board due 10/5/24 at 11:59 PM; discussion replies due 10/7/24 at 11:59 PM
Module 8 – Wrapping Up – Common Assessment due 10/7/24 at 11:59 PM
Final Exam – Opens Sunday 10/6/24; closes Wednesday 10/9/24 at 11:59 PM
COLLEGE POLICY: If a student overall grade in the course falls below 75%, they will be required to attend tutoring per the instructor’s directions, to better ensure success in the course.
Please contact me if you have questions or problems that are impacting your performance in this class. My contact information is at the top of this document.
Exceptions to the above course policies:
Exceptions to course policies can be granted unless a student is experiencing significant hardship or bereavement and the student communicates with their instructor in a timely fashion. Technical problems are not an acceptable excuse for late work unless there was a problem with Amarillo College's systems or services used by the school.
If you have unreliable Internet service, it is critical to find a backup that you can use in case of an outage. The Amarillo College Library has partnered with T-Mobile to provide free internet hotspots to eligible students. Contact the Library to check on your eligibility.
Your instructor reserves the right to alter the syllabus, calendar, or assignments if needed.
08/16/24 2:02 PM
08/16/24 3:00 PM