HISTORY 1302 (Hybrid)
U.S. History After 1877
CRN# 91416
PROFESSOR: Dr. Michael McCormick
OFFICE: Room 305, The Learning Hub, Stafford
OFFICE HOURS: 8:30-9:30am and 11:00-12:00noon, Tuesdays/Thursdays and by
appointment.
EMAIL: Use Eagle Online class email (Quickmail) for contact.
COURSE COMPUTER REQUIREMENT
Because this is a hybrid class, many of its most important elements require computer
literacy and access to a functioning Internet connection and a working computer. The weekly
study guides and class notes are available only online. The preferred method for
communicating with me outside of class is through Eagle Online email. You will also be required
to take at least ten online weekly quizzes. Therefore it is absolutely essential that you can meet
the computer requirements for this class.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
History 1302 is a survey of American history from 1877 to the present era. It will focus
on the evolution of the economic, social/cultural and political institutions which define the
development of the modern United States and its people. This course is built around historical
events and processes and is much more than a simple recitation of facts. Students will learn
and apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills and will work with historical documents,
maps and economic and demographic models.
History 1302 is a 16-week, 48 contact hour course which fulfills three hours of the statemandated six-hour history requirement. It is a hybrid class which will meet for 1.5 hours in-class
each week and use online resources for the other 1.5 hours.
Prerequisites: must have passed English 1301 and be computer literate and able to
work in an intensive online environment.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1. To provide a comprehensive introduction to the essential social/cultural, political,
military and diplomatic elements of United States history from 1877 to the present.
2. To provide students with a thorough grounding in problem-solving and analytical
thinking, particularly as they relate to American history.
3. To provide students with training in skills essential to success in a college/university
and/or work environment.
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BOOKS
Required Text: Roark, The American Promise. Value 5th Ed., Vol. 2.
Monographs: Thomas Bell, Out of This Furnace, paperback edition and Moody, Coming of Age
in Mississippi, paperback edition.
Although the text should be available in the HCC bookstore, you can frequently obtain cheaper
copies at a variety of online sources like Amazon.com.
The two paperbacks will not be available through the bookstore. You can obtain them online
(Amazon.com and other sources) or through places like Half Price Books. Copies of the text and
the paperbacks are on reserve in the library. If you have trouble finding or obtaining books, let
me know as soon as possible. Do not wait until late in the semester to obtain these books.
EXAMS/GRADED ASSIGNMENTS
The final course grade will be based on the following elements:
1. Three major exams: 60%
2. Weekly online quizzes: 20%
3. Book review essays (20%)
Each student will read the two (2) monographs listed above and write an 4-5 page
directed paper on each. Instructions and due dates will be posted on the class home
page. Papers turned in late will have a letter grade deducted for each day late. Failure
to complete and turn in both papers will result in automatic failure of the course.
GRADING
Your final grade will be based on the assignments cited above using the percentages indicated
for each assignment.
Grading will follow the usual college standards (A=100-90; B=89-80; C+79-70, etc.) Grades will
not be curved. There will be no extra credit assignments. Be sure to keep up with your grade
average as the semester proceeds. If you have any questions about your grade situation, don’t
hesitate to ask me.
It’s essential that students keep up with their grades throughout the semester. If you make a
low grade, it is strongly advised that you schedule a meeting to discuss it. If you miss a class
when graded assignments are returned, it is your responsibility to pick up your graded work.
MAKE-UP POLICY
Because I will drop your two lowest quiz grades, there will be no makeups available for those
assignments. If you miss a quiz for whatever reason, that will be accounted for by the two
dropped quizzes. I will allow one makeup for missing one of the major exams provided that you
have contacted me with your reason for missing the exam as soon as possible. Simply showing
up for the next class and asking for a makeup won’t work. If you miss two major exams, you
must drop the course.
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ATTENDANCE
Although much of the course material is available online, it’s imperative that you attend
class on a regular basis. During class, I’ll explain and discuss the most important and, in some
cases, most difficult topics covered in that week’s material. Essay questions on the major
exams will rely heavily on the in-class discussions and presentations.
My attendance policy is relatively simple: this is a college course, you are adults and
therefore you should make up your own mind regarding whether you attend class. Although I
do keep track of who attends regularly and who does not, I will not withdraw anyone from this
class because of nonattendance. If you do miss a class, keep in mind that you are responsible
for all announcements, assignments and the like presented during that class.
If you chose to withdraw, you must do so by the last date for official withdrawal, April
5 by 4:30pm. No withdrawals are possible after that time and failure to officially withdraw by
that date will likely result in failure of the course.
International students, veterans, and those on financial aid should be fully aware of the
grade and minimum hours policies affecting your situation. In particular, pay attention to the
rules regarding withdrawal (“W”) from a course. Once a “W” is officially recorded it will not be
changed to another grade regardless of
circumstances.
TARDINESS
Classes will start on time. Some of the most important information in any class is given
during the first 5 to 10 minutes. Frequent tardiness is one of the most significant indicators of
poor performance in college. If you have to be late, please enter the classroom as
unobtrusively as possible and let me know after class why you were late. I reserve the right to
administratively drop any student who is consistently more than 30 minutes late.
ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY
Plagiarism, cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited by HCCS
policy and the rules of this class. Plagiarism is the use of the ideas or words of another person
(either in whole or in part) without crediting the source. Plagiarism amounts to the theft of
another person’s work and its appropriation as one’s own. If you aren’t clear as to what
constitutes plagiarism, show me a draft of your paper so that I can review it and you can make
necessary corrections before turning in the final draft. Cheating involves fraud and deception
for the purpose of violating legitimate testing rules. Cheating includes, but is not limited to:
copying from another student’s test paper; using, during a test, materials not authorized by the
instructor; collaborating with another student during a test; knowingly using, buying, selling,
etc. whole or part of an unadministered test. Any questions about academic dishonesty should
be referred to the Student Conduct section of the College System catalogue. Violations of this
policy will result in automatic failure of the course and/or expulsion from the college.
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DISABILITY POLICY
Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing,
etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Support
Service Counselor, Dr. Becky Hauri (713 718-7909) at the beginning of the semester. Faculty
members are authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Office of
Disability Support Services (DSS). Students who are requesting special testing and other
accommodations must first contact that office.
ONLINE ACCESS and RESOURCES
1. Because this is a hybrid class, the primary means of online access will be at Eagle Online. The
course syllabus, study guides and instructions will be available at this site. This course is on EO
version 2.0. You can access the site by going to HCCS. Edu and clicking “Student Sign-ins” at the
top right-hand side of the home page. Then follow directions to login, using your student ID
number and the password “distance”. You can change the password later.
2. The Roark textbook publishers have put together an excellent online site to help students
learn history based on the ideas presented in that book. To access that site use this link:
befordstmartins.com/roarkvalue. This site is free to students unless you desire their premium
access. .
ONLINE TUTORING
HCC offers an excellent resource for tutoring and for writing papers – AskOnline. You can
access it at http://hccs.askonline.net. Turn-around time for receiving help on papers is usually
18-24 hours, so you should plan on submitting papers for help well before they are due. Visit
the AskOnline website for details and further information.
CLASS ROUTINE
Because this is a hybrid class, it will meet in the classroom only one day a week for 1.5 hours.
During that period I will lecture on the most important course topics, lead discussions and
answer questions. The midterm and final examinations will be given during the regular class
period.
Given the nature of hybrid courses, students are responsible for a large amount of work outside
of class. In fact, this class is to some extent an online class with the addition of class time to
allow for lecture/discussion, questions and some testing. The text – Roark, The American
Promise, Volume 2 – will be a primary source for the online quizzes that will count for 20% of
the final grade. Therefore it is essential that students obtain the book quickly and keep up with
weekly reading assignments (see Calendar below). To assist you, I have created a study guide
for the text that outline important topics in each chapter and cites key terms, names and the
like. Many of the online multiple choice quizzes will be created from those key terms and
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names. Additionally, I will give you broader focus/thematic questions which will be the basis
for most of each major exam.
PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Create an argument through the use of historical evidence.
2. Analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources.
3. Analyze the effects of historical, social, political, economic, cultural and global forces on this
period of United States history.
4. Understand the importance of chronology and how earlier ideas and events shaped later
events.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
1.
Explain the features of the Gilded Age and the issues on society, culture, and politics
2.
Summarize Industrialism and Urbanization
3.
Analyze the New South and Jim Crow
4.
Explain Populism and Progressivism
5.
Identify the causes and effects of WWI and the US
6.
Discuss America between the wars
7.
Identify the causes of WW2 and the Cold War
8.
Discuss Post-war America at home
9.
Discuss Post-modern America
TITLE IX OF THE EDUCATION AMENDMENTS OF 1972, 20 U.S.C. A§ 1681 ET.
SEQ.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 requires that institutions have policies and
procedures that protect students’ rights with regard to sex/gender discrimination. Information
regarding these rights are on the HCC website under Students-Anti-discrimination. Students
who are pregnant and require accommodations should contact any of the ADA Counselors for
assistance.
It is important that every student understands and conforms to respectful behavior while at
HCC. Sexual misconduct is not condoned and will be addressed promptly. Know your rights
and how to avoid these difficult situations.
Log in to: www.edurisksolutions.org . Sign in using your HCC student e-mail account, then go
to the button at the top right that says Login and enter your student number.
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