ROSE STATE COLLEGE
Class Syllabus
US History since 1877
HIST 1493 #7296
Fall 2010

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course will survey the history of America from the beginning of Reconstruction following the Civil War up to modern day developments. An attempt will be made to cover all facets of US history, however, I will emphasize thematic cultural history. Material will be presented in the lecture format with a strong encouragement for discussion from the class.

PROFESSOR/INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Name Craig Ferguson
Title Professor
Office Location SS 229
Office Hours T & Th, 7:00-8:00 & 11:00-12:30
Campus Phone Number 787-2588
Campus E-mail Address:cferguson@rose.edu
Website: www.occc.edu/cferguson

 

COURSE INFORMATION
Prerequisite course(s) or skill(s) none
Section Number/Course Number/Course Title US History since 1877; HIST 1493, #7296
Time/Location T & R 12:30 – 1:45 SS 135

DELIVERY METHOD
Traditional/Lecture
CLASS COMPUTER USAGE
All course sections at RSC may be Web enhanced and require some level of access to a computer and the College utilized Learning Management System. Free access to computers is available to all enrolled students in the Learning Resources Center and in other Academic Division computer laboratories.

TEXTBOOK/SUPPLIES INFORMATION
Title/Edition American History, volume 2
Author/Publisher Brinkley, McGraw-Hill
ISBN # 9780077945268

CAMPUS-WIDE ASSESSMENT – Goal #4 – Quantitative/Analytical Literacy
Quantitative/Analytical Literacy may be defined in terms of mathematical skills, problem-solving skills, reasoning skills, and interpretative skills:
• The ability to solve basic mathematical problems and equations; the ability to deal with numbers, uncertainty, errors in data, to design experiments, to create models
• The ability to use mathematics to understand, predict, and control routine events in people’s everyday lives
• The ability to analyze numerical evidence, understand logical arguments, detect logical fallacies, and evaluate risks
• The ability to interpret quantitative information deductively

GRADING SCALE
Your final grade will result from the total number of points received on periodic quizzes, four exams, and a book review. The quizzes will occur throughout the course and will cover assigned readings from the text. Quizzes will be administered at the beginning of class, therefore punctuality is paramount. If a student is not present at the commencement of class, that student will not be allowed to take that quiz. Moreover, there will be no make-ups for the quizzes. These quizzes are designed to encourage and reward reading, thus better preparing students for lecture material. However, to ensure fairness and compensate for the inevitable unforeseen absences (or tardies), only ten of the quizzes will count toward ones' grade. Simply, students will be allowed to drop their two lowest quiz scores. Each of the quizzes will be worth twenty points, for a total of 200 points. In addition, there will be two exams worth 100 points each, a final take-home exam worth 100 points, and an in-class final exam worth 100 points. Make-ups for the major exams will be administered in the testing center. Make-ups must be completed BEFORE December 1st. All four exams must be taken in order to pass the course.

Book Review:
A book review is required for this course. The book review is worth 100 points. Each student will pick a topic from the syllabus. It is the student's responsibility to find an appropriate book that pertains to a topic that will be discussed in class. The student is to read the book and write a review of said book in which the student provides:
1) Bibliographical denotation
2) Statement of author's thesis
3) Examination of thesis
4) RELATE thesis to class discussions
5) critique/analysis of the book

Thus, the total possible number of points for this class will be 700. The breakdown by letter grade will be as follows:
A = 630 - 700
B = 560 - 629
C = 490 - 539
D = 420 - 489
F = < 419

ATTENDANCE POLICY
As per policy at Rose State College, attendance will be taken. Also, according to departmental guidelines, attendance will affect one’s grade. The occasional absence due to unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances will be tolerated; however excessive absences for ANY reason will result in a lowering of one’s grade. Specifically, if a student misses approximately one-fourth of the allotted classes said student will be penalized. EACH absence in excess of five will result in the student’s final point total being reduced by ten points. For example, if a student has missed ten classes then that student would lose fifty points. Moreover, in an attempt to encourage punctuality, AN ABSENCE IS DEFINED AS MISSING ANY PART OF A CLASS PERIOD. Missing part of a class means coming in late, leaving early or leaving at any point during class for any reason whatsoever, or simply being inattentive during class (e.g. talking out of turn, sleeping, doing homework for another class, texting, answering cell phone, etc.). Determining attendance will be subject to my prerogative. However, as an incentive to encourage class attendance, if a student has fewer than five absences then that student will be rewarded via extra points. Specifically, for each absence fewer than five a student will receive five extra points. For example, if a student has zero absences that student would receive twenty-five extra points.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
• Electronic Communication
o Electronic communication is the official means for communication to the students of Rose State College. The College will send communications to students via e-mail and will expect that those communications are received and read in a timely manner.
o Thus, all Rose State College students are issued a student e-mail account. The College will direct all electronic communications to the college-issued e-mail address. Students should monitor the college assigned student e-mail account on a frequent and consistent basis in order to remain informed.

COURSE OBJECTIVES/EXPECTED OUTCOMES
After successfully completing this course, each student shall be able to grasp the basic themes defining modern post-bellum US society. Students shall be capable of tying basic facts, important figures and seminal events into the basic themes outlined in the course.STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
Rose State College complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Amendment Act (ADAAA). Students with disabilities who seek accommodations must make their request by contacting the Office of Disabilities Services, located in LRC 125 or call 733-7407. The student will be asked to provide documentation concerning the disability. All accommodations must be approved by the Office of Disability Services

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STUDENT POLICIES
Academic Integrity
Rose State College expects students to understand and to follow basic standards of honesty and integrity. Some common violations of these basic standards of academic integrity include but are not limited to, plagiarism, cheating on tests and examinations, presenting work completed for one course as original work for another, and other forms of dishonest performance on college assignments, as explained below.
Plagiarism means the use of the thoughts, ideas, words, phrases or research of another person or source as one's own without explicit and accurate credit to the original author.
Cheating on examinations of any kind (quizzes, midterms, finals, etc.) includes copying another student's answers, exchanging information, using notes or books unless expressly permitted to do so by the instructor, or gaining access to examinations prior to the actual taking of such examinations.
Other examples of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, copying or preparing another person's work; or buying prepared papers.
Assisting anyone to engage in any of the violations described above qualifies as academic dishonesty.
All rules and standards of academic integrity apply equally to all electronic media, particularly all intranet and internet activities. This is especially true for any form of plagiarism, ranging from submission as one's own all or part of a paper obtained from an internet source to failure to cite properly an internet source.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
Last day to withdraw November 19th
Final Thursday, December 16th, 12:00-1:50

TENTATIVE CLASS CALENDAR/Course Outline
Topics to be discussed
I. Reconstruction
1. The Transformation of Union War Aims
2. Andrew Johnson and Reconstruction
3. Congressional Reconstruction
4. The Overthrow of Reconstruction
II. Industrialization
1. New South
2. Immigration
3. Transformation of Work
4. Labour Movement
III. Urbanization
1. Periodization of Urban Change
a. 1820-1870
b. 1870-1920
c. 1920 >
IV. Women's Movement
1. Birth of Suffrage Movement
2. Split over Abolition
3. Rebirth 1900-1920
4. > 1920
V. Progressivism
1. Decline of Localism
2. New Middle Class
3. White collar Management
4. Social Control
5. conservatism vs. Preservationism
VI. WWI
1. Decline of Progressivism
2. Treaty of Versailles
3. New World Order
VII. 1920's
1. Mass Society, Mass Culture
2. Society in Turmoil

VIII. Great Depression
1. Vilification of Hoover
2. Hoover's Response to Crash
IX. FDR and New Deal
1. FDR as Politician
2. Idea of Two New Deals
3. WWII and New Deal
X. Cold War
1. FDR and Stalin
2. Truman's Role
3. Cold War as "Long Peace"
XI. Civil Rights Movement
1. Background
2. Birth of Modern Movement
3. Foundation for Protests of 1960's
XII. Vietnam and Protest Movement
1. Colonial History of Vietnam
2. Emergence of Student Opposition to War
3. Nixon and War
XIII. Watergate
1. Nixon's Presidency
2. Nixon's Personality
3. Implications of "Imperial Presidency"
XIV. Recent Developments
1. Reagan Years
2. Environmentalism
3. Irangate

Test and Quiz Schedule
Quiz 1, American History, chapters 15 & 16: August 31st
Quiz 2, American History, chapters 17 & 18: September 14th
Exam 1: September 23rd
Quiz 3, American History, chapter 19: September 28th
Quiz 4, American History, chapter 20: October 12th
Quiz 5, American History, chapters 21 & 22: October 19th
Quiz 6, American History, chapters 23 & 24: October 26th
Exam 2: October 28th
Quiz 7, American History, chapters 25 & 26: November 2nd
Quiz 8, American History, chapters 27 & 28: November 9th
Quiz 9, American History, chapters 29 & 30: November 16th
Quiz 10, American History, chapters 31 & 32: November 23rd
Quiz 11, American History chapters 33 & 34: November 30th
Quiz 12, American History, The Constitution: December 7th
Final Exams & book review: Thursday, December 16th, 12:00-1:50

Craig Ferguson's Home Page

 

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