WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
Fairbanks Campus
Wayland Mission Statement: Wayland Baptist University exists to educate students in an academically
challenging, learning-focused, and distinctively Christian environment for professional success, and service to God
and humankind.
Course Title, Number, and Section: HIST 2302-FB20 - United States History Since 1877
Term: Winter 2014
Instructor: Wally Smith
Office Phone Number and WBU Email Address: Phone 907-356-2403
Email wallys@wbu.edu
Office Hours, Building, and Location: Office Hours 8am – 2pm M, Tu, Th Building 4391 FWA
Class Meeting Time and Location: Thursdays, 6pm-10pm on Ft. Wainwright (Building 4391 / Rm 5)
Catalog Description: American experience from the frontier and rise of industrial America, through overseas
expansion, agrarian agitation, Progressivism, World Wars I and II, and the Cold War to the present.
Prerequisite: None
Required Textbook(s) and/or Required Material(s):
 “America: A Concise History” by James Henretta, Edition 6, MacMillian Publishing, ISBN
9781457648625
(NOTE: The 5th edition of “America: A Concise History” is equally acceptable. ISBN 9780312643270)

Students are required to have access through purchase or a library one of the following:
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan
(NOTE: Used books can be purchased for less than $3.00 each from “Barnes and Nobel” or “Amazon”)
Optional Materials: Peer reviewed, scholarly articles on various subjects will be available on blackboard or via the
Wayland library
Course Outcome Competencies: Upon completion of this course, students will be able to understand and
describe:
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The economic, social and political transformation of the United State from the closing of the frontier to
1900
Emergence of the United States as a world power
Social and political changes of the Progressive Era
Life of the 1920s and the era of the Great Depression and the New Deal
Cause, course and impact of World War II
Political and social changes since World War II
Attendance Requirements:
External Campuses
Students enrolled at one of the university’s external campuses should make every effort to attend all class meetings.
All absences must be explained to the instructor, who will then determine whether the omitted work may be made
up. When a student reaches that number of absences considered by the instructor to be excessive, the instructor will
so advise the student and file an unsatisfactory progress report with the external campus executive director/dean.
Any student who misses 25 percent or more of the regularly scheduled class meetings may receive a grade of F in
the course. Additional attendance policies for each course, as defined by the instructor in the course syllabus, are
considered a part of the university’s attendance policy. A student may petition the Academic Council for exceptions
to the above stated policies by filing a written request for an appeal to the executive vice president/provost.
Disability Statement: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), it is the policy of
Wayland Baptist University that no otherwise qualified person with a disability be excluded from participation in,
be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity in the
university. The Coordinator of Counseling Services serves as the coordinator of students with a disability and
should be contacted concerning accommodation requests at (806) 291- 3765. Documentation of a disability must
accompany any request for accommodations.
Course Requirements and Grading Criteria:
Exams – Two exams will be given via blackboard over the assigned textbook reading material. See the
course schedule below for dates related to these specific tests. Exams will be primarily multiple choice questions
and will test the student’s comprehension and retention of the textbook. Each of the exams will comprise 20% of
the course grade for a total of 40%.
Article Review – One 5-7 page article review will be written during the course of the term and submitted
via blackboard’s safe assign feature. This paper will be over a scholarly article chosen by the student from a
number of provided sources. Detailed instructors on what comprises an Article Review will be provided during the
term, but this assignment will be used to illustrate the student’s writing ability and critical thinking skills. The
article review will be 20% of the course grade.
Attendance – Roll will be kept of each class period and 5 points will be awarded for student attendance and
participation. Students must attend over 50% of any class period to get the attendance points for that week.
Attendance points constitute 5% of the total course grade.
Quizzes – Ten quizzes will be given, one each week, for students to take home and answer using the
textbook reading material. Completed quizzes will be handed in during the next class period, with any quiz not
submitted on time (see tentative class schedule) will be reduced one letter grade for the first late class period. Any
quiz two weeks late of more will receive a grade of zero. Each discussion question will be worth 10 points with a
cumulative value of 100 points or 16% of the total course grade.
Book Summary – One 3-4 page book summary will be written during the course of the term and submitted
via blackboard’s safe assign feature. This paper will be over one of two historically significant works of literature
(The Jungle by Upton Sinclair or The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan). Detailed instructors on what
comprises a Book Summary will be provided during the term, but this assignment will be used to illustrate the
student’s writing ability and critical thinking skills. The Book Summary will be 19% of the course grade.
Course Grading:
Exam 1
100 points
20% of grade = 200
Exam 2
100 points
20% of grade = 200
Book Summary
100 points
19% of grade = 190
Article Review
100 points
20% of grade = 200
Quizzes
20 points X 8
16% of grade = 160
Attendance
50 points
5% of grade = 50
The University has a standard grade scale:
A = 90-100, B = 80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69, F= below 60, W = Withdrawal, WP = withdrew passing, WF =
withdrew failing, I = incomplete. An incomplete may be given within the last two weeks of a long term or within
the last two days of a microterm to a student who is passing, but has not completed a term paper, examination, or
other required work for reasons beyond the student’s control. A grade of “incomplete” is changed if the work
required is completed prior to the last day of the next long (10 to 15 weeks) term, unless the instructor designates an
earlier date for completion. If the work is not completed by the appropriate date, the I is converted to an F.
Student grade appeals:
Students shall have protection through orderly procedures against prejudices or capricious academic evaluation. A
student who believes that he or she has not been held to realistic academic standards, just evaluation procedures, or
appropriate grading, may appeal the final grade given in the course by using the student grade appeal process
described in the Academic Catalog. Appeals may not be made for advanced placement examinations or course
bypass examinations. Appeals limited to the final course grade, which may be upheld, raised, or lowered at any
stage of the appeal process. Any recommendation to lower a course grade must be submitted through the Executive
Vice President/Provost to the Faculty Assembly Grade Appeals Committee for review and approval. The Faculty
Assembly Grade Appeals Committee may instruct that the course grade be upheld, raised, or lowered to a more
proper evaluation.
Additional Information:
1) The syllabus should be read thoroughly prior to the beginning of the term.
2) Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or issues arise during the course of this
term. Email is probably the best way to make contact, but phone will work as well. Do not sacrifice
your grade due to the lack of asking questions or seeking clarification. I am glad to help any way I can.
3) The university catalog can be accessed at http://catalog.wbu.edu
Tentative Schedule:
Assigned readings to be completed prior to assigned week
Class Date
Assignment
Reading Material
Nov 13
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Course Syllabus (start reading Ch. 16-17)
Nov 20
Quiz 1
Concise History, Chapters 16-17
Thanksgiving Break Nov 24-28 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dec 4
Quiz 2
Concise History, Chapters 18-19
ARTICLE REVIEW SELECTION DUE
Dec 11
Quiz 3
BOOK SUMMARY DUE
Concise History, Chapters 20-21
Dec 18
Quiz 4
Concise History, Chapters 22-23
Christmas Break Dec 22 - Jan 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan 8
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MID-TERM EXAM
Jan 15
Quiz 5
Concise History, Chapters 24-25
Jan 22
Quiz 6
ARTICLE REVIEW DUE
Concise History, Chapters 26-27
Jan 29
Quiz 7
Concise History, Chapters 28-29
Feb 5
Quiz 8
Concise History, Chapters 30-31
Feb 12
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FINAL EXAM