o        Communication

X             Critical Thinking
o            Communication
o            Empirical and Quantitative
o            Teamwork
X               Personal Responsibility
X               Social Responsibility

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook and published online.

 

Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, academic falsification, intellectual property dishonesty, academic dishonesty facilitation and collusion.  Faculty members may document and bring charges against a student who is engaged in or is suspected to be engaged in academic dishonesty.  See Student Handbook, “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct ([FLB(LOCAL)]”. 

 

Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered.  All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor.  It is the student responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgement by the faculty member.  Approved college sponsored activities are the only absences for which a student should not be held liable and only when provided by a college official ahead of the absence.  Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work.  Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor.  A student who is compelled to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to postpone the exam.  Students will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has been justifiably absent, or tardy, a sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course’s objectives.    Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories will be considered sufficient cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College. From Board Policy FC (LOCAL)

Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered.  Absence does not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work.  Dropping a course is the student's responsibility, but you MAY be dropped for excessive absence.  See Attendance Regulations in the North Central Texas College Catalog.

 

Last day to withdraw from this course with a “W” is August 3, 2019.

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides support services for students with disabilities, students enrolled in technical areas of study, and students who are classified as special populations (i.e. single parents).

Support services for students with disabilities might include appropriate and reasonable accommodations, or they may be in the form of personal counseling, academic counseling, career counseling, etc.  Furthermore, OSD Counselors work with students to encourage self-advocacy and promote empowerment. The Counselors also provides resource information, disability-related information, and adaptive technology for students who qualify.

For support, please contact the counselors at (940) 498-6207 or (940) 668-4321.  Alternatively, students may stop by Room 170 in Corinth or Room 110 in Gainesville.

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

Counseling and Testing staff offer a variety of services to current and prospective students, such as College 101, placement testing, academic advising and course registration, transfer assistance, and College Success seminars (Time Management, Study Skills, Test Anxiety, Choosing a Major, Learning Style Strategies, Career Exploration), and much more. http://www.nctc.edu/StudentServices/CounselingTesting.aspx

 

Completion Center offers academic coaching, tutoring, including a Writing Center, a Math Lab and assist new students acclimate to college by providing computer lab services for prospective students.   First generation students can also participate in TRIO which offers specialized support services.

http://www.nctc.edu/StudentServices/SupportServices.aspx

 

QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS

Name of Chair/Coordinator:	Crystal R.M. Wright
Office Location:	Gainesville Campus, Room 824
Telephone Number:	940-668-7731, ext. 4320
E-mail Address:	cwright@nctc.edu
Name of Instructional Dean:	Dr. Bruce King
Office Location:	Gainesville Campus
Telephone Number:	940-498-6464
E-mail Address:	bking@nctc.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rumsfeld’s Unknown Speech

"As we know, there are known knowns. These are things we know. These are things we know we know… We also know there are known unknowns. That is to say, we know there are some things we do not know… But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don't know, we don't know." – Donald Rumsfeld

 

Debates:

 

Every student should participate in at least one debate.  (Students may elect to participate in a second debate for extra points, but points will only be added if their side “wins” the debate.)  We will register for debates the first week of classes, and each student can choose which side to represent on the debate; Pro or Con.  (Debate slots are filled based on first-come, first-serve.  Extra credit sign-ups will be available after everyone has had a chance.)  

 

The debate is worth 10 points towards your final grade, and points are assigned as follows:

10 points – Argued your own side and gave at least four valid responses.

10 points – Cited facts/research during debate.

10 points – Did not “bait” or ask direct questions of your opponents.

10 points – Opened/Closed or was especially vocal.

10 points – Won debate according to secret ballot election results.

(At the end of each debate, the electorate (those in class) will vote on which team did the better job defending their topic.  Winner of the secret ballot election gets 10 points, the losers do not.  A tie will result in BOTH sides receiving 10 points.)

 

Students can sign up and participate in a second debate for extra credit.  If you are on the winning side, you are awarded an extra 10 points.  Those on the losing side, who try, get 1 to 5 points, depending upon your participation.  Those who lose, and do not try, get no points.

 

GOVT 2305 – Research Paper / Survey Project – Summer II, 2019

 

Research Papers will consist of two 1000 to 1200 word essays from the assigned topics listed below.  Please choose your words carefully and make sure your paper is no longer than 1400 words with your citations.  Put your name at the top, skip a line and then start writing.  Be sure to focus on relevant information and not extraneous personal information like exact birth dates, siblings, pets, mother’s/father’s occupation, etc.  Make sure your discussion is significant to the topic at hand and researches/discusses both sides of each issue.  In your conclusion, discuss your own opinions on the subject; for or against, etc. and justify that conclusion! 

 

Make sure to cite ALL your quotes, and use APA or MLA format for citations/sources.  Failure to cite your quotes is plagiarism, and you will be counted off for that.  Also, do not cite more than 10%, or 100 words, of your paper.  Using encyclopedias and encyclopedic websites (wikipedia.com or about.com), or grade school websites, will count against you!  Do NOT quote your instructor or textbook.  This is supposed to be OUTSIDE research, so make good use of the books, magazines, journals, reports, and government/education websites.

 

 

Each paper or project is worth 50 points towards your final grade, and paper points are assigned as follows:

5 points – Is the length correct? 

12 points – Covered subject matter w/o grammatical, spelling, or sentence errors?

8 points – Is there a conclusion?  Was it a high quality conclusion?

8 points – 4 or more “good” sources?  (You will lose points for using wikipedia.com, about.com, or any encyclopedic site, as a source.  You also lose points for using your textbook or instructor as a source.)

17 points – Quality of your paper.  (Answers the questions, sticks to subject, no excessive                     quoting, no awkward spots, and has good flow?)

 

Papers will be submitted through Canvas by 11:59pm on the day it is due.  If you miss the deadline, you can e-mail it to me, but I will deduct 5 points for EVERY day that it is late.  It is YOUR responsibility to make sure YOUR paper is submitted by the deadline.

 

 

Paper #1 Due August 1^st by 11:59pm through CANVAS –

EVERYONE Writes and Submits Paper #1 – President Trump says we are being invaded by illegal immigrants.  Is that true?  How does our immigration problem compare to other countries?  Is there a difference between the “asylum seekers” and “undocumented workers?”  Do we treat our immigrants better, or worse than other countries?  What is the “Zero Tolerance” Policy that we have?  Is our system broken?  If so, can we fix it?  If not, why is everyone complaining about it so much?  Conclude with your judgment/opinion of what you think/hope should have happened or will happen in the future.

Although your conclusion is your opinion be careful NOT to use “I” or “we.”  Personal pronouns are not to be used in a formal research paper, which this is, even though it is a bit short.  Just say it like you mean it, and it is a fact.

Although your conclusion is your opinion be careful NOT to use “I” or “we.”  Personal pronouns are not to be used in a formal research paper, which this is, even though it is a bit short.  Just say it like you mean it, and it is a fact.

 

Two Options for 2^nd half of Research Grade – Due August 12^th

 

• Write and Submit a Second Paper – What is your opinion of President Donald Trump so far?  He has only been in office for a bit over two years, so what has he accomplished?  Does he seem to be making progress on his promises to Make America Great Again?  Are his Cabinet picks working out okay?  What major legislation has been passed?  How are Foreign Relations working out?  Has the economy improved substantially?  What successes/problems do you see so far?  How has been doing compared to other Presidents?  What do you think he will, or won’t, do in the rest of his term?  Conclude with your judgment/opinion of what you think/hope he will/will not do by the end of his first term.

 

Although your conclusion is your opinion be careful NOT to use “I” or “we.”  Personal pronouns are not to be used in a formal research paper, which this is, even though it is a bit short.  Just say it like you mean it, and it is a fact.

 

• Or Conduct 50 or more Surveys with Eligible Texas Voters.  Surveys will be provided by your instructor, but you have to get 50 or more individuals to complete them before the deadline.  These will be non-partisan surveys about people’s political habits.  Any one is eligible to complete the survey as long as they are a US Citizen, 18 years of age or older, living in Texas.  Each participant MUST complete the entire survey and NOT leave out any information, or you will NOT receive credit for that card.  There are no wrong answers and we are NOT here to judge, but just to collect data.  Your instructor will send around a sign-up sheet to see if you are interested in this option the first week of class.  I will provide survey materials.  You will ONLY receive a point for a properly completed card.  You need to bring your cards to class on, or before, August 12^th.

 

Remember: If ANYTHING is missing, then you do NOT get credit for the card.  As such, I would suggest completing 55 or more cards, just in case.

 

If I find out you intentionally fabricated cards, I will give you a zero for the entire assignment, throw out all your cards, report you to the Dean for cheating and withdraw you from this class.

 

If you have any questions, please ask!

 

Grading Scale: 750 total points possible

A = 668+ pts     B = 667 – 594 pts     C = 593 – 519 pts    D = 518 – 444 pts    F = 443 or less

 

Helpful Phone #’s for Flower Mound:

 

Admissions: 972-899-8430

Business Office: 972-899-8403

Counseling/Testing: 972-899-8412

Financial Aid: 972-899-8400

FM Director: 972-899-8402

Library: 972-899-8413

 

Kevin Davis: 972-899-8410

Email: kdavis@nctc.edu

 

Address:

1200 Parker Square
Flower Mound, Texas 75028