Sample Syllabus

Houston Community College System

Government 2302 - Hybrid

Contacting Your Instructor

Office Hours:Online - by appointment

713-718-5243 (I check my voice-mail once daily Monday-Thursday)

evelyn.ballard@hccs.edu

e-mail - on WebCT (this is the best way to reach me - I check this mailbox Monday-Thursday, several times a day)

Instructional Area (see receptionist): Monday 11 am -1 pm

Note: Like all of you, I am not available 24 hours a day/7 days a week. I do not check e-mails or voice-mails on the weekends. If you leave a message after 12:00 PM Friday, do not expect a response until Monday afternoon.

Class Meetings

8-9:30 am

Monday and Wednesday (online calendar will detail which days will be online and which will be in the classroom)

Room 3003 Angela Morales

Mailing Address

Evelyn Ballard HCCS-Southeast

6815 Rustic

Houston, TX 77087

Course Description

Government 2302 is one of the two courses designed to introduce students to the politics of national, state, and local government. Government 2301 and 2302 are fully transferable to other colleges and universities.

Required Textbooks

Tannahill, Neal. American Government: Policy and Politics 8th edition (Longman Publishing, 2006.)

Tannahill, Neal. Texas Government: Policy and Politics 9th edition (Longman Publishing, 2007).

NOTE: Students often contact me to ask about using older editions of the textbooks. All that I can offer as an answer is that I use the editions listed above when I write the exams. It is your responsibility to determine if an older edition will work for you.

Books may be purchased from the Houston Community College Bookstores.

Grading:

The following Grading scale will be used:

90-100% = A

80-89.9% = B

70-79.9% = C

60-69.9% = D

Below 60% points = F

Note: There are no "extra credit" points in the course. Please do not ask.

There will be four exams. All exams will be taken online. The exams will be averaged and will be worth 85% of your final course grade. Each of the exams will be available until a specific date - these are listed on this syllabus. You must take each exam on one of these dates.

Note: For students who have taken my other courses, this is a change. The exams are strictly timed and there will be a penalty for using more than the allowed time (a one point per minute penalty will be assessed).

You will also be required to participate in 4 class discussions worth a total of 5% of your final course grade. Finally, there will be two writing assignments due April 1 and May 1 which will be worth 10% of your final course grade. I will be checking all writing assignments for plagiarism (if you do not know what this is, find out - as a college student, you are expected to know) or any form of cheating (working together is considered dishonest and, therefore, cheating). Note: even if you are quoting from something I assign for you to read, you must give credit. I am looking for your original writing, therefore, only 5% of your paper may be quotes or paraphrases. That means one or two short quotes or paraphrases.

Make-up Exams

Make-up exams are not available for this course.

All exams will consist of multiple choice questions. Many of the exam questions will require that you analyze, critique, or apply what you have learned. In other words, you must understand the material rather than simply memorize it. Increasingly, today's employers rely on databases to store information, they want employees who are literate and have the ability to process information and use it in a productive manner. That is the goal of this course as well.

Some students initially feel intimidated by the requirement that they go beyond simple memorization to critical thinking. Often, they have not been expected to apply such skills in high school and previous college classes. Yet all of us have this ability and use it every day when making decisions. Actually, it is a lot easier (and fairer) to be tested on understanding, if you have studied as required. Furthermore, it is more relevant. Calculus teachers rarely test students' ability to memorize and repeat a formula--they test the students' ability to solve problems, using the formulas. Similarly, I will rarely ask you to repeat a theory about politics, but, instead, I will test your ability to recognize and apply that theory to the real world.

You will be allowed to use your textbooks and notes for the exams, but you must read and make notes in your books before the exam - there will not be enough time to look up each answer if you are not already very familiar with the materials. Each exam will have 50 questions and you will have 60 minutes for each exam.

Please be aware that, although you are allowed to use your notes and books for the exams, it is necessary to read the materials carefully and make notes as well as marking your materials. You will not have enough time to look up each question unless you are very familiar with the materials and are very well organized.

Basic Intellectual Competencies

Students in this course will fulfill the following basic competencies of a college class: 


Reading: Students will complete assigned readings and lectures, as well as additional online materials.

Writing: Students will complete 1 writing assignment as well as 4 written discussions with each other.

Listening: Students will visit at least one virtual tour online and will view the video and listen to the audio. Students are expected to listen carefully to these audios.

Critical Thinking: Exam questions and writing assignments go beyond memorization and require critical thinking.

Computer Literacy: In order to successfully complete this course, a student must be computer literate.

Participating in the Discussions

Periodically, I will place discussion topics in the discussion section of your class. Your participation grade will depend on two things: 1) Your logging in and responding to these topics as directed and 2) the quality of the thought that goes into your responses - I expect college-level responses (and I will contact you if that is not what you are submitting). There will be 4 discussions - one for each course module. Discussions are designed for you to show that you have a growing understanding of the course materials, whether that material is from the course lectures, the readings, or from supplementary materials from the Internet. We will also have in class discussions.

Lectures:

The lectures are available on the class site. There will also be in class lectures. The materials in the lectures will be covered on your exams.

Incompletes, Withdrawals and Fs:

If you decide to drop this course, go to any HCCS office and do this. If you fail to drop officially, you will receive either an "F" or a "W" in the course, depending on when you stop participating in the class. If you stop participating (turning in assignments, taking exams, participating in discussions) before the official drop date, you will be eligible for a W in the class. If you stop participating after the official drop date, you will receive an F.

Note: The determination of whether a student is eligible for an Incomplete, a W or an F will be made by the instructor. I will not assign an I, a W or an F simply at the request of the student. If you want to be certain that you will receive a W, you must withdraw yourself officially at any HCCS campus before the official drop date (see the Summer calendar - available at the HCCS or call any campus). If you need an F instead of a W, be sure that you actually participate and complete assignments, discussions and exams both before and after the drop date. As a rule, I do not give Incompletes.

Attendance:

You are required to log on to the course site at least twice a week - my experience indicates that students who do well are those who log on several times a week (5-6). If you do not log on for a week, I will deny you access to the course. You will then need to contact me to gain access again. You should attend all Monday face-to-face sessions in order to do as well as you can in this course.

Overview of the Course

There are four modules in the course. There will an exam over each module. The exams will be taken online on specific dates (see module schedules at the end of this syllabus). Each exam will be limited to 60 minutes and students will only be able to access an exam one time. Additionally, the questions on each exam will be chosen randomly from a test bank I have prepared. In other words, each student's exam will be slightly different from every other student's exam.

Written Assignments

The focus of the extra readings and these writing assignments will be women and gender in politics. The written assignments will be short (3-4 pages) and will require some Internet research. The assignment will be due April 1 and May 1. The specific instructions for the assignments are available from the virtual classroom on WebCT. These written assignments are designed for you to illustrate your growing knowledge about politics and government by writing about that knowledge at a level that indicates a college-level understanding. Your writing must also show the ability to write at a basic college level, using language and grammar correctly. I use TURNITIN to check student papers for plagiarism. Plagiarism will result in an F in the class.

Grades:

Your grades will be available on WebCT.

Hybrid Course

This Hybrid government course will cover the same materials as the traditional in-class course. One major difference is that this course combines the best of the traditional face-to-face class with the advantages of online classes. You will attend a traditional class one day a week and you will work on the Internet the other class day. This course assumes that you have basic computer skills, or a basic level of computer literacy. By the end of the course, you will be comfortable navigating a "virtual classroom," participating in online discussions (synchronous and asynchronous), surfing the Web for supplementary information about government and politics - this supplementary information will be both written, visual and auditory, so you will need to read, as well as watch and listen carefully.

NOTE: Aall students in HCCS courses are required to follow all HCCS Policies & Procedures, the Student Code of Conduct, the Student Handbook, and relevant sections of the Texas Education Code when interacting and communicating in a virtual classroom with faculty and fellow students. Students who violate these policies and guidelines will be subject to disciplinary action that could include denial of access to course-related email, discussion groups, and chat rooms or being removed from the class.

Do's and Don'ts for This Class

Do remember to take tests and complete discussions by the prescribed times, as they are one

means of evaluating your success or failure. Forgetting to take a scheduled test or completing

discussion is the same as skipping class.

Don't trust your friends word on this course. Rumors are usually wrong, so come to this webpage for your information. Read the syllabus and the other items on the course home page. Explore the course website so you become comfortable with it.

Don't expect to be allowed to makeup discussions or exams. I have a NO MAKEUPS and NO DROP GRADE policy for this course. It takes a real emergency – such as the death of a parent or sibling, or your hospitalization to merit an extension of deadline on a test. Your problem must conflict with the entire testing period (Several weeks for each exam) and must be well documented. It does not matter if you are a star athlete, a 4.0 student, or just a nice person having a tough semester. If you miss one of my exams for any other reason, the maximum final course grade you will be able to achieve is a D.

Don't wait until the end of the semester to realize that you had medical problems earlier on. If you experience a SERIOUS legitimate conflict with the testing period, notify me prior to or immediately after the conflict for consideration. I will not consider excuses after week 13 of the semester, regardless of their severity.

Don't expect your problem to be serious enough. Most are not. If you are hospitalized, pick up the phone next to your bed and call the Distance Learning office. Leave a message with the secretary. Then bring complete documentation of your hospitalization to Distance Learning the first day you return to campus.

Don't wait until the last hours before the deadline to take a test. The server gets busy because of students who wait until the end and if its sluggishness prevents you from finishing or taking the test you will not be granted an extension.

Don't just think that there is a computer system problem if you experience difficulties. That rarely happens and when it does I announce a course wide extension in an e-mail the next day. If you experience technical problems accessing a test, find another computer and try it again until it works, preferably a campus laboratory computer. If the problem is anything other than a documented system failure, you will not be granted an extension.

Do plan your schedule to take the tests a day or two earlier than the deadline for each exam. . This way you can avoid the rush and possible conflicts at the end.

Do realize that in order to enjoy the flexibility of an internet delivered course, you also have to recognize and accept the limitations. Computers and the network can be unstable and crowded at certain times of the day or week. This means you have to plan ahead, pick a quiet time to take the tests (early mornings for example) and use a stable computer (like a lab computer on campus such as the library computer commons).

Don't expect an extension because your computer crashed or you lost your connection. If you don't think your personal computer is stable enough to trust a test to it, use a college laboratory computer.

Don't just quit if you experience computer problems and run out or time. The system will tell me how much overtime you used but it will still let you answer the questions. If this happens to you, email me immediately after submitting your test and tell me what happened.

Do try and access the test again if you get kicked off for any reason. The system will allow you to re-connect to the test if you experience a problem that cuts you off. The timer will keep running, but you'll still be able to re-connect and keep taking the test.

Don't click on a test until you are ready to take it. I wouldn't let you walk into my classroom and then decide you would rather wait until the next day to take it. Once you click on a test, you are committed to taking it, whether you are ready or not.

Don't count on my sympathy to accommodate your failure to complete your work. Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.

Do enjoy this course. Even though I have outlined a long list of "don'ts" for you to worry about, this course is still an enjoyable point of view of the world around you that you may not have experienced yet.

Statement on Reasonable Accommodations:

Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the appropriate Disability Support Service (DSS) Counselor at the beginning of each semester. Faculty are authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office. Students who are requesting special testing accommodations must first contact the appropriate DSS Counselor for assistance. Please contact the Distance Education Counselors, Angela Berveiler at 713-718-7014 or angela.foote@hccs.edu or Carmen Gentry at 713-718-7008 or carmen.gentry@hccs.edu in order to be referred to the appropriate DSS Counselor.

Scholastic Integrity

Honest work and effort are expected and are rewarded. However, if any student is caught cheating on a test or plagiarizing papers, the student will receive a grade of zero on that test or assignment. A second infraction will result in a grade of "F" for the semester. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, unauthorized collusion on tests or papers, copying directly from another person's work but passing it off as your own, or using unauthorized "cheat sheets, notes, or other forms of information during a test. Review your obligations in the HCC Student Handbook, page 28.

Modification of Syllabus:

This syllabus acts as a contract between students and instructor. I will make every effort to fulfill the requirements of this syllabus during this semester. However, in the unlikely event that changes must be made, I reserve the right to make such changes and to notify students in a timely manner of any such changes.

NOTICE: Students who repeat a course for a third or more times may soon face significant tuition/fee increases at HCC and other Texas public colleges and universities. Please ask your instructor / counselor about opportunities for tutoring / other assistance prior to considering course withdrawal or if you are not receiving passing grades.

MODULE 1

Congress, President, Federal Bureaucracy, Federal Courts

Reading Assignment for MODULE 1:

American Government: 9, 10, 11, and 12
Additional Readings Assigned by your Instructor.

Exam I and Discussion I available from February 10-12

MODULE 2

Texas Governor, Legislature and Courts

Reading Assignment for MODULE 2:

Texas Government: Chapters 8, 9 and 10
Additional Readings Assigned by your Instructor.

Exam II and Discussion II - Available from March 19-21

MODULE 3

Cities, Criminal Justice, Due Process, Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

Reading Assignment for MODULE 3:

American Government: Chapters 15 and 16
Additional Readings Assigned by your Instructor.

Writing Assignment #1 Due April 1

Exam III and Discussion III - Available from April 14-16

MODULE 4

Domestic Policy, Foreign Policy

Reading Assignment for MODULE 4:

American Government: Chapters 13, 14, and 17
Texas Government: Chapters 13
Additional Readings Assigned by your Instructor.

Writing Assignment #2 due May 1

Note: There are no "extra credit" points in the course. Please do not ask.

IMPORTANT DATES

January 16 – First Day of Class

February 10-12 – Exam I available

February 19 – PresidentÕs Day Holiday – HCCS Closed

March 12-18 – Spring Break – HCCS Closed

March 19-21 – Exam II available

April 1 – Writing Assignment I due

April 5 – Last Day to Drop – 4:30 PM

April 14-16 – Exam III available

May 1 – Writing Assignment II due

May 4 – Instruction Ends

May 7-9 – Exam IV available