United States Government Syllabus for 2023-2024
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Instructor Information

Course Information

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Recording Policy

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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

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

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.

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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Course

GOVT-2305-012 United States Government

Prerequisites

Course Description

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

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

Hybrid

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

 

Supplies

Access to reliable internet and a computer to access the course through the internet.

Student Performance

1. Explain the origin and development of constitutional democracy in the United States
2. Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice
3. Demonstrate knowledge of the federal system
4. Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of the federal government
5. Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups and political parties in the political system and analyze the election process
6. Describe the rights and responsibilities of citizens
7. Analyze issues and policies in U.S. politics

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

Because this is a hybrid course, I will not be able to fully lecture over all chapters covered. You will need to read your textbook (online or physical copy) to get the best grade.

You only need to purchase the print book – we do NOT use an access code for online content. 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, the first week of class you can sign up for free digital access to the book. This free access will expire before the course is over though, so at some point, you will need to buy either the book or the access code. The first assignment requiring you to read has been provided in the course, but you will need to buy the book for future readings.

During course discussions, please be aware that no one ever knows who is in the room with them and what life experiences they've had. Therefore, it is incredibly important to be respectful and kind during discussions, and speak 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, when required, or collaboratively when required. Exams should be completed independently, as should Short Answer assignments and the Common Assessment for this class. Participation activities are expected to be conducted collaboratively. 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. 

If work is submitted late, it is subject to a 2 points per day deduction.  In the case of an emergency, this deduction may be waived, but it requires contacting Emily and the waiver is at her discretion.

Grading Criteria

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.  If you want to double-check your grade, you can use a Grade Calculator website; I've linked one here for ease of access.

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

Exams:

There will be 3 exams that each consist of 50 questions. The 3 exams together are worth 35% 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. Exam 3, which takes place during the last week of the course has a different closing time. It is noted on the calendar.

You must complete the exam all at once within the allotted time of 75 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.

Participation:

We learn best when we are engaged with the material. You are expected to regularly attend class and be prepared for the lesson as we will have participation activities every class day that relate the assigned material; participation is worth 25% - which is a quarter of your grade. Preparation is part of participation. See the attendance section below for more information.

ETIQUETTE: Students are expected to conduct themselves and exchange ideas, opinions and information in a respectful manner.  Good etiquette also includes respectful practices like not sleeping and not talking excessively to one's neighbor or friend when class activities are going on. If warnings are disregarded, I reserve the right to count the student as non-participatory and penalize the current assignment for which the behavior is continuing to occur.     

Short Answer Assignments

There are six Short Answer Assignments throughout the semester. You will need to utilize the connected book chapter in order to complete these assignments as they are designed to add to the information given during lecture. I will drop the lowest scored Short Answer Assignment at the end of the class. Each is worth 4% points for a total of 20%.

See our course calendar for the specific Short Answer Assignments and when they are due. 

Planning & Research assignment:

The Planning & Research assignment is to assist you with your Common Assessment.  It is worth 5% of your grade.  Research will be required for this assignment; meeting with a Librarian is a required part of your grade.

Common Assessment:

This is the writing assignment that every government class must complete. Instructions and grading information on the Common Assessment will be found in our Blackboard course. The Common Assessment is 10%.

The course calendar has the due date for this assignment.

Foundations assignment:

The Foundations assignment is due at the end of the first week of class and is worth 5% of your grade.  All information needed to complete this assignment will be in the Foundations PowerPoint and Instructor Notes or can be found in the connected book chapters.  

The course calendar has the due date for this assignment.

The course calendar has the due date for this assignment.

See below for information on attendance.

 

Attendance

Regular student engagement is absolutely necessary to realize success in an in-person class. When you miss class, you miss out not only on the lecture content delivered, but on the activities, which allow you develop practical skills and the interaction with your classmates that can aid comprehension. If you must miss a day, contact Emily regarding a make-up assignment.  In this course, participation activities will occur every day and will account for a quarter (1/4) your grade.  

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING ILLNESS: If student is feeling COVID symptoms or feeling ill, the student is strongly encouraged to please stay home. Accommodations will be made.

 

KEY DATES: You must physically attend class by the Census date on Monday, Oct 30 (10/30/2023) to avoid an automatic withdrawal from the course. This is an automated occurrence and I am not in control of this.

Final Date to Withdraw from the Course without a Failing Grade: Wednesday, December 6 (12/06/2023).

Calendar

Additional Information

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.