United States History II Syllabus for 2021-2022
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Instructor Information

Office Location

<p>Dutton Hall 202H</p>

Office Hours

Summer I 2023: M - TR 8:30 - 9:30 AM

Course Information

COVID-19 Protocols

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

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 Student Service Center office 112. 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.

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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.

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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

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The Tutoring for Success policy applies to any student whose grade or performance in the course falls below a departmentally determined minimum threshold. In either of those cases, the instructor will direct the student to the appropriate tutoring service, which may be faculty-led, discipline-specific, and/or general. Under this policy, the instructor will follow specific departmental guidelines governing the use, duration, and grade component of the tutoring need.

Administrative Drop Policy

Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016

Student Withdrawal Procedures

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.

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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 .

Course

HIST-1302-DC001 United States History II

Prerequisites

Course Description

A survey of the social, political, economic, cultural and intellectual history of the United States from the Civil War/Reconstruction era to the present. United States History II examines industrialization, immigration, world wars, the Great Depression, Cold War and post-Cold War eras. Themes that may be addressed in United States History II include: American culture, religion, civil and human rights, technological change, economic change, immigration and migration, urbanization and suburbanization, the expansion of the federal government and the study of U.S. foreign policy.

Student ResourcesStudent Resources Website

Department Expectations

Occupational License Disclaimer

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.

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

Online Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

The American YAWP, volume II, edited by Joseph Locke and Ben Wright. This is an OER (open educational resource) available for free online with a low-cost paper copy available at the bookstore.

Supplies

You are required to have regular access to a personal computer (chromebook, mac, or pc desktop or laptop) with reliable access to the Internet.

Student Performance

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Create an argument through the use of historical evidence.
  2. Analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources.
  3. Analyze the effects of historical, social, political, economic, cultural, and global forces on this period in United States history.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

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".

Expected Student Behavior

The best way to get in touch with your professor is through email. Sunday - Friday, Dr. Fauss will check his email at least once a day; this means that most of the time you will receive a response within 24 hours. It is not necessary to follow up unless you have not received a reply within 24 hours. Please observe the proper etiquette for business emails: provide a descriptive yet concise subject, write in complete sentences that avoid net- or text-speak, and include a greeting and closing. Most workplaces use email, so this should be good practice for you.

Check your school email multiple times throughout the week. Dr. Fauss will occasionally send out reminders and other important information via email.

You are responsible for taking the proper steps to solve problems with the technology used in the class: a list of support resources has been provided for you under the “help” section of the course’s Blackboard site. Dr. Fauss is not trained to provide technical support and will refer you to the “help” section if you come to him with technical problems.

You are expected to follow all Amarillo College policies and procedures, particularly those relating to academic integrity and personal conduct. The following are of particular importance:

  • Be respectful: to provide an environment that encourages free expression we must treat each other with dignity and respect. Students who behave inappropriately may face disciplinary action from the college.
  • Don't commit plagiarism: you must properly cite sources used in your work.
  • Do your own work: while it is perfectly acceptable and encouraged to study together, you may not collaborate with others on any work that receives a grade unless specifically authorized. It is never acceptable to pass off others' work as your own, including having others take exams for you, buying papers, etc., nor is it acceptable to submit the same work in mutiple classes.
  • Any form of academic dishonesty will result in harsh penalties imposed at the instructor's discretion including failure of the assessment, failure of the course, and disciplinary action from the college.

Course content created by your instructor, including assignments, handouts, lectures, exams, quizzes, and videos, is protected by copyright and is indended for your personal educational use only, and may not be reproduced, distributed, sold, bartered, or linked to on the Internet without my express written permission. Students found to have violated their instructor's intellectual property rights will be referred to the college for disciplinary action and may be subject to legal action as permitted by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

Grading Criteria

Graded components

Chapter quizzes

Each unit will have four online quizzes. You are allowed unlimited attempts until the end of the unit, when the quizzes will close. The highest scoring attempt will count. Each quiz is worth up to 20 points. Late quizzes will not be accepted.

Exams

You will be taking three online exams. The exams will consist of objective questions and will be timed. Each exam will be worth up to 220 points. The lowest exam grade will be replaced by the highest at the end of the semester.

Because the exams will be open for a long period of time, there will be no make-ups if a student fails to take one during the availability period.

Discussions

There will be four online discussions: they will include an introductory discussion where you will get to know the other members of the class, and one for each unit. The introductory discussion will be worth up to 10 points, and the remaining discussions will be worth up to 30 points each.

Extra credit

There will be no extra credit awarded in the class.

Exceptions to course policies

Exceptions to course policies will not be granted unless a student is experiencing exceptional 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.

Display and calculation of grades by Blackboard

Your current grade will be available in Blackboard under "My Grades" in the course menu.

Final grade calculation

Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria:

899 or more points = A

799 to less than 899 points = B

699 to less than 799 points = C

599 to less than 699 points = D

Less than 599 points = F

Turnaround times

Quizzes and online exams will be graded immediately. Discussions and components of the paper project will generally be graded within a week. 

Attendance

This is a fully online class with no in-person meetings or online meetings at a scheduled time.

As detailed above in the "administrative drop policy," students must physically attend class on or before the census date or be removed from the class, but because this is a fully online class, what counts as attendance is submitting work for a grade. Simply logging in is not enough to fulfill this requirement.

Calendar

Unit 1: weeks 1 - 3

Week 1 (6/6 - 6/12) 

Topics covered: Labor and Capital, The West

Work due by 11:59 PM on 6/12

  • Complete the "start here" orientation found in the course menu, including the introductory discussion
  • Read chapters 16 and 17, watch the associated video lectures, and take the quizzes

Week 2 (6/13 - 6/19)

Topics covered: American Empire, The Progressive Era

Work due by 11:59 PM on 6/19

  • Read chapters 19 and 20, watch the associated video lectures, and take the quizzes
  • Do your first post for the unit 1 discussion

Unit 2: weeks 3 - 6

Week 3 (6/20 - 6/26)

Topics covered: World War I and Its Aftermath

Work due by 11:59 PM on 6/26

  • Do your second post for the unit 1 discussion
  • Take the unit 1 exam (the exam will be available the entirety of week 3)
  • Retake unit 1 quizzes as desired (the quizzes will close at the end of week 3)
  • Read chapter 21, watch the associated video lecture, and take the quiz

Week 4 (6/27 - 7/3)

Topics covered: The New Era, The Great Depression

Work due by 11:59 PM on 7/3

  • Read chapters 22 and 23, watch the associated video lectures, and take the quizzes
  • Do your first post for the unit 2 discussion

Week 5 (7/4 - 7/10)

Topics covered: World War II

Work due by 11:59 PM on 7/10:

  • Read chapter 24, watch the associated video lecture, and take the quiz
  • Do your second post for the unit 2 discussion

Unit 3: weeks 6 - 8

Week 6 (7/11 - 7/17)

Topics covered: The Cold War

Work due by 11:59 PM on 7/17

  • Take the unit 2 exam (the exam will be available the entirety of week 6) 
  • Retake unit 2 quizzes as desired (the quizzes will close at the end of week 6)
  • Read chapter 25, watch the associated video lecture, and take the quiz

Week 7 (7/18 - 7/24)

Topics covered: The Affluent Society; The Sixties

Work due by 11:59 PM on 7/24

  • Read chapters 26 and 27, watch the associated video lectures, and take the quizzes
  • Do your first post for the unit 3 discussion
  • Turn in the common assessment assignment

Week 8 (7/25 - 7/28)

Topics covered: The Unraveling

Work due by 11:59 PM on 7/28 (note that this week is shorter than the others and ends on Thursday):

  • Do your second post for the unit 3 discussion
  • Read chapter 28 and chapter 29 section III, watch the associated video lecture, and take the quiz
  • Take the unit 3 exam (the exam will be available the entirety of week 8) 
  • Retake unit 3 quizzes as desired (the quizzes will close at the end of week 8)

Late work will be accepted no later than 11:59 PM on 7/28

Additional Information

You will be assessed on your mastery of the information presented in lectures, your textbook, and other materials utilized in class. Because the quality of most information on American history on the Internet is so poor, turning to it for information is not recommended unless specifically authorized.

If a student earns less than 70% of the points on the first exam, he or she will be required to attend tutoring per Dr. Fauss' instructions. Students who do not comply with the tutoring policy may be prevented from taking the next exam until they attend tutoring.

Dr. Fauss reserves the right to change the syllabus and calendar if needed.

Syllabus Created on:

06/05/22 7:46 PM

Last Edited on:

06/05/22 8:32 PM