8/8/2019 Course 1302 Syllabus Addendum Spring 2011

1/3

Course 1302US History II Syllabus Addendum

E-mail Address: codom@panola.eduTelephone Number: 903-693-2047

Office Hours: Monday 1:30-4:00

Tuesday 2-4Friday 8-12:30

Grading procedures:Students will be evaluated by major exams and daily grades. A brief explanation of each

follows.

ExamsStudents will take two major exams during the semester along with a final examduring finals week that will each count 25% of the overall course grade which means that

the three exams added together count 75% of the grade. If a student has to miss an exam,

it is the responsibility of the student to contact the instructor to make arrangements for a

make-up exam. The instructor reserves the right to deny make-up exams. Students

missing exams due to illness should have a doctors note to make up the exam. Allother reasons for missing an exam will be handled on a case by case basis. In the

event a student misses an exam due to an emergency, the student should contact theinstructor as soon as possible to make arrangements for a make-up exam. Students, who

fail to notify the instructor of missing an exam within 24 hours of the exam, will receive a

grade of 0. This obviously will put the student in serious jeopardy of failing the class.Hence, it is wise to take all exams on time if at all possible.

Research Assignmentstudents will write a 900 to 1000 word paper over a topic

related to U.S.-Mexico Border History. An additional handout will be provided to explainthe assignment. The research assignment will count as 50 percent of the second exam. A

detailed explanation and handout of this assignment will be given during classroominstruction.

Service Learning Alternative to the Research PaperStudents may choose to

participate in a service learning alternative assignment to the research paper. The servicelearning assignment, if chosen by the student, will count as 50 percent of the secondexam. A detailed explanation and handout of this assignment will be given during

classroom instruction.

Daily AssignmentsStudents will take lecture notes each class period, including notes on

any video, audio, or outside presentation used as part of this course.

Each week students will complete key terms assignments that will be due on Wednesdayof each week. Students should sign into Canvas and find the daily assignments file to see

detailed instructions about daily assignments as well as exam dates.

The instructor will also give quizzes during the semester that will count as daily grades.Again see Canvas for more details as mentioned in the above paragraph.

The instructor will not accept late daily assignments. The instructor will drop two daily

grades, this includes quizzes, during the semester. Students will have the opportunity

mailto:codom@panola.edumailto:codom@panola.edu

8/8/2019 Course 1302 Syllabus Addendum Spring 2011

2/3

during the semester to earn up to 100 bonus points that will be added in with the dailygrades.

Sample Grade Compilation

In the following example, a student has earned a 78 average on the three major examsand a 90 average on daily assignments. The following example explains how the grade

would be determined for this student.

Test Average= 78 X .75=58.5

Daily Average=90 x.25=22.5

Total Average for the course=81 (Note this figure comes from adding the two columnsabove together)

Textbook: Tindall & Shis America: A Narrative History. 8th ed., W.W. Norton & Co.

(2010). Information not covered in lecture or the textbook will be presented via handout,library supplement, or links online.

Student ConductGeneral Classroom ExpectationsAs students of history at Panola College, I expect you

to adhere to high ethical standards. I realize that in todays society, many do not have a

clear understanding of what it means to be ethical. In relation to the class that I will teachto you, ethical will mean respecting one another and respecting me as the instructor.

Within this framework of respect, the following rules will be adhered to:

1. Do not work on other materials or engage in conversations with other students during

class.

2. No eating or tobacco use is permitted in the classroom.

3. Be punctual to class and be prepared to start class at the appointed time for class.Students should have notebooks and pens ready when class is ready to start. (See

attendance policy below)

4. Leaving class early is prohibited unless prior arrangements have been made with theinstructor or illness occurs during class.

5. Do not put books or notes until class is dismissed.

6. Turn-off pagers, phones, and any other electronic device during class. Prior to testingthe instructor will ask everyone to turnoff all electronic devices. Anyone caught violating

this principle will be dealt with on a case by case basis.

Attendance Policy as per Panola College*

Regular and punctual attendance at classes and laboratories is required of all students.

When a student has been ill or absent from class for approved extracurricular activities,

he or she should be allowed, as far as possible, to make up the work missed.In accordance with Section 51.911, Texas Education Code, Panola College shall allow a

student, who is absent from class in observance of a religious holy day, to take an

examination or complete an assignment schedule for that day within a reasonable timeafter the absence. By the end of the second week of class, the student must notify his or

8/8/2019 Course 1302 Syllabus Addendum Spring 2011

3/3

her instructors of the students intent to be absent for religious holy days, which occur in

the semester. When an instructor feels that a student has been absent to such a degree as

to invalidate the learning experience, the instructor may recommend to the VP ofinstruction that the student be dropped from the course. Instructors may drop students for

nonattendance after they have accumulated the following number of absences.

Regular session5 absencesMWF classes

3 absences---TTH classes2 absencesOne-day-per week classes

Summer sessions

3 absencesFive-day-per-week classes

2 absencesTwo-evenings-per-week classes

*Excessive absences will result in the reduction of the students overall grade. Students

who miss more than five times in a semester without providing valid reason for theabsences will receive a ten percent reduction in his/her grade. A valid reason means that

the student is seriously ill, a death has occurred in the family, or some other reason thatthe instructor determines as a valid reason for missing the exam.

Students are responsible for seeing that they are officially withdrawn from class.

Cheating or plagiarism

Cheating will not be tolerated. Students caught cheating will be subject to a zero on the

assignment in which he or she was caught cheating and if the problem persists, thestudent may fail the course. Plagiarism is defined as the taking of a persons ideas or the

copying of a persons writings and claiming those ideas or writings as ones own work.Plagiarism will consist in this class as the copying of 7 or more consecutive words froman author. Quoting and citing borrowed information is not plagiarism. For the purposes of

this class, a student who plagiarizes is subject to failure of the assignment for the first

offense and failure of the class after repeated offenses. (This policy shall be adhered tounless mitigating circumstances should prove a lesser penalty should apply).