HST 203 - History of the United States - Course Syllabus - Spring 2004

Please Note	The course syllabus is a contract between instructor and student.  It is the student's responsibility to read, understand, and comply with every academic requirement listed herein. Contact the instructor directly if you have any questions regarding the information in this syllabus or the course in general.
Times/Locations	Tues & Thurs 10-11:20am and 1-2:20pm in CEN401
Instructor/Email Class Web Site	Joe Escobar (student evaluations) escobarj@lanecc.edu http://teach.lanecc.edu/escobarj
Office/Phone Office Hours	CEN419J 463-5581 TuTh 11:30a-12:00p, 2:30-3:30pm, and by appointment (I am here every day and can meet with you)
Required Textbook	Faragher, Out of Many Brief 4th Edition - Chapters 20-29 Primary Source Documents (each week, see Document section of the calendar below.)
Special Code "H"	NOTE "H" in the LCC Class Schedule - Students must be willing to use (not necessarily own) a computer to participate in this course.  If you did not see this code in the schedule of classes and are unwilling to use a computer, please drop the class before the end of the first week of classes to receive a full refund of your tuition money for this course. Students will use an internet-capable computer to: Take practice computer quizzes Turn in written assignment using a computer via the internet Complete exams in an LCC Computer Testing Lab
Course Objectives	Develop knowledge and understanding of people and events that shaped this nation's history from 1900 - 1975. Develop the ability to analyze and interpret historical data from multiple sources and develop multiple perspectives. Develop meaningful connections and insights into the links between "history" and contemporary times.
Instructor Contact	I am accessible via phone, fax, email, voicemail, or in person at office hours or scheduled appointments. You will find that having access to the internet and email will be extremely helpful.  All students must join the class listserv and must have an email address to participate.  Click the Join Class Email Listserv link on the class website and follow the directions.
Evaluation Attendance & Participation	Attendance and Participation in class discussions will constitute 10% of your final grade. Since we will meet for a total of 20 days, each day you attend class will be 0.5% of your grade. Unexcused absences will result in a 0.5% loss to your final grade in the class. Clear absences with your instructor, prior to the fact if possible.
Evaluation Computer Quizzes	Computer Quizzes consisting of 10 multiple choice/true false questions are available on the class website. They must be taken by 3pm on the day scheduled on the calendar below. There is one quiz for each chapter each week. Taking them on time will constitute 10% of your grade in this class. Since there are 10 weeks in the term and 10 chapters total, each weekly quiz will count for 1% of your final grade in the class. Note: These quizzes are for practice. They are a check of your reading comprehension and something to keep the material fresh for you outside of class, during the long weekly breaks from Thursday to Tuesday. Whether you've taken the quiz on time or not... NOT your score on that quiz... will determine whether you get credit (1%) for that quiz. Note 2: Quizzes are a random 10 questions from a pool of between 40-50 questions. Although you need to take each quiz on time only once (to earn your 1%), you should take them 4-5 times in order to "see" most of the questions in the pool. These quizzes will be a good source of review for your exams. Most importantly, 25-33% of these computer quiz questions will be used as actual questions on your graded midterm and final exams.
Evaluation Primary Source Document Response #__	The Primary Source Document Response is a written homework assignment that all students will complete during the course of the term. Each paper is to be typed, source-noted, spell-checked, grammatically correct, and proofread, and be the equivalent of 2 to 3 double-spaced pages in length. Papers must NOT be written in first person. ("I think", "In my opinion", "I feel", "We see that", etc.) Each student will complete only one (1) written assignment during the term. Students will be randomly assigned one of four topic questions to complete. Each topic question is posted on the class website (under the LINKS link) and will have its own specific due date. See the calendar below. The assignment will be due by 3:00 pm on the deadline day. I will grade your papers online and the results, your paper, my comments, and the grade will be emailed back to you after approximately one week. Footnote your sources within the text of your papers by following the direct quote or referenced sentence(s)/paragraph with an open parenthesis, source, page number, close parenthesis.   Examples.   "Recognizing an opportunity, Ho returned to Vietnam in February, 1941." (DeGroot, 24) "In the states, children play cowboys and indians.  In Vietnam, the children play it for real." (Class Video, U.S. soldier)
Evaluation Exams	Students will take two non-comprehensive Exams, each constituting 35% of your final grade in the class. You may choose to take either the objective or essay exam. Objective exams consist of multiple choice questions, true/false, matching, maps, etc. Essay exams consist of answering 2-3 essay questions. Students choosing to take the essay exam must have perfect attendance and contact the instructor at least one week prior to the starting exam date. All exams are computerized and will be taken online. (Since exams will not be given during regularly scheduled class times, be sure to plan your schedules accordingly.) Students will have a several day window of time in which to take their exam. Exams must be completed by 5:00 pm on the deadline day. See the calendar below. After 5:00 pm on the deadline day, students will be able to return to the testing center(s) to review their exams. Most students will be taking their exams in the Social Science Computer Lab CEN456. Students may also take an exam at any LCC Outreach or Community Learning Center (excluding the Downtown Center). The Main Campus lab hours are approximately: Mon-Thur 9am-8pm, Fri 9am-5pm. For your final exam, final exam week hours are: Mon-Wed 9am-8pm, Thurs 9am-5pm, Fri CLOSED.
Evaluation Summary	Deadlines are sacred in this course. Late work is not accepted. No makeup exams will be given. Grades of incomplete will not be given. Attendance will be considered in determining your final grade. Grades are weighted as follows: Attendance/Participation 10% Computer Quizzes 10% PSD Response 10% Midterm Exam 35% Final Exam 35% TOTAL 100%   Letter Grades will be as follows: A+= 100% A=93%-99% A-=90%-92% B+=87%-89% B=83%-86% B-=80%-82% C+=77%-79% C=73%-76% C-=70%-72% D+=67%-69% D=63%-66% D-=60%-62% F=<60%
Students with Disabilities	If you are having difficulty and are in need of academic support because of a documented disability, whether it be psychiatric, learning, physical, hard of hearing, or sensory, you may be eligible for academic accommodations through Disability Services. Contact the Disability Services' office Building #1, Room 218 or at (541) 463-5150 voice, (541) 463-3079 TTY.