Syllabus

HIS 108: History of the United States through 1865

Owensboro Community and Technical College

Dr. Maltby/Fall 2008

COURSE DESCRIPTION: HIS108 examines key political, economic, and social topics that have influenced significantly the American experience from the pre-colonial period through the Civil War era. (3 credit hours; no prerequisite).

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INSTRUCTOR'S OFFICE HOURS: Technical Building, Room 114

MWF: 9:00-11:00

TTh: 8:00-10:00

Meetings can be arranged at other times by appointment.

Office telephone: 686-4544. Please leave a voice mail message if I am not in my office.

E-mail: Marc.Maltby@kctcs.edu

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COURSE COMPETENCIES AND REQUIREMENTS: It is expected that upon completion of this course, students will have achieved the following objectives:

COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY (read and listen with comprehension; speak and write clearly using standard English; interact cooperatively with others using both verbal and non-verbal means)
THINK CRITICALLY (make connections in learning across the disciplines and draw logical conclusions; demonstrate problem solving through interpreting, analyzing, summarizing, and/or integrating a variety of materials)
LEARN INDEPENDENTLY (use appropriate search strategies and resources to find, evaluate, and use information ; make choices based upon awareness of ethics and differing perspectives/ideas; apply learning in academic, personal, and public situations; think creatively to develop new ideas, processes, or products)
EXAMINE RELATIONSHIP IN DIVERSE AND COMPLEX ENVIRONMENTS (recognize the relationship of the individual to human heritage and culture; develop an awareness of self as an individual member of a multi-cultural global community)

As well as completing the appropriate assignment satisfactorily, all students are expected to become familiar with the OCTC Standards of Professional Conduct and to hold themselves to these expectations. These may be found in the printed schedule of classes or at www.octc.kctcs.edu/expectations. Included in the Standards are the following:

COMMUNICATING WITH HONESTY AND INTEGRITY
MAINTAINING ACADEMIC HONESTY
ACTING WITH CIVILITY AND RESPECT
AVOIDING UNNECESSARY ABSENCES
LISTENING AND BEING ATTENTIVE
BEING PREPARED AND ON TIME
PARTICIPATING ACTIVELY AND TAKING WORK SERIOUSLY

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REQUIRED TEXTS:

Martin, et al., America and Its Peoples, Volume 1 (Fifth Edition, New York: Longman, 2004).

Roberts and Olson. American Experiences, Volume 1 (Seventh Edition, New York: Longman, 2008).

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COURSE GRADE:

Final grades will be determined by four examinations worth a total of 80% (20% each), one take-home assignment worth 10%, and one short paper worth 10%. Grades will be assigned according to the following scale:

A 90-100

B 80-89

C 70-79

D 60-69

E 0-59

Examinations will be given at various times during the semester. Exam dates will be announced in advance. Exams will consist of essay, identification, and objective questions.

Take-home assignment details will be provided later in the semester. Due date will be after the second exam.

Students will be required to write one critical essay on a selected article found in the library. Details will be provided later in the semester. Due date will be after the third exam.

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ATTENDANCE AND MAKE-UP POLICY:

Students are responsible for all material covered in the readings, films, and lectures. Consistent attendance, therefore, is essential for student success. Students are expected to attend class, on time, consistently.

Students are expected to be present for all examinations. If you must miss a scheduled test, notify the instructor ahead of time if at all possible. Make-up examinations must be taken within one week of the originally scheduled test. The format of make-up examinations may be different from the original examination.

Assignments are expected to be turned in on time. Late assignments will be penalized ten points for each day they are late (including weekends). No assignment will be accepted more than one week after the due date.

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WITHDRAWAL POLICY:

From the end of the drop/add period through midterm, a student may withdraw from the course and receive a "W." From the first day after midterm until the last day of course work, a student may, at the instructor’s discretion, withdraw from the course and the instructor will assign a grade of "W." The student must initiate the official withdrawal.

NOTE: If you wish to withdraw, please make sure you complete all the appropriate paperwork. Contact the Student Records Office to withdraw officially.

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ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

Cheating or plagiarism on examinations, quizzes, or papers will not be tolerated and will result in a grade of zero and a recommendation to the dean's office that offenders receive a final grade of "E.

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TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE AND ASSIGNMENTS

Material for First Examination