NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE
COURSE SYLLABUS
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Course Title:
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Federal Government
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Course Prefix & Number:
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GOVT2305
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Section Number:
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0404
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Semester/Year:
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Semester Credit Hours:
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3
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Lecture Hours:
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3
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Lab Hours:
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0
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Course Description (NCTC Catalog):
Origin and development of the U.S. Constitution, structure and powers of the national government including the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, federalism, political participation, the national election process, public policy, civil liberties, and civil rights.
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Course Prerequisite(s): None
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Required Course Materials:
Patterson, Thomas E. We the People. 13th edition. McGraw Hill. (E-book with Connect Plus Access)
ISBN 978-1264031919
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INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Name of Instructor:
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Donna (Hooper) Smith
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Campus/Office Location:
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COR 209
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Telephone Number:
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940-498-6266
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E-mail Address:
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** I prefer students email me using the Canvas Course Email—Secondary is dhooper@nctc.edu
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OFFICE HOURS
Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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9:30-10:50 AM
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12:30-3PM
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9:30-10:50 AM
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12:30-3PM
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BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
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2-3 PM
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2-3 PM
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STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (From Academic Course Guide Manual/Workforce Education Course Manual/NCTC Catalog)
At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
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Explain the origin and development of constitutional democracy in the United States.
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Demonstrate knowledge of the federal system.
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Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice.
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Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government.
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Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties in the political system.
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Analyze the election process.
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Describe the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
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Analyze issues and policies in U.S. Politics.
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GRADING CRITERIA
# of Graded Course Elements
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Graded Course Elements
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Percentage or Point Values
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15
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Quizzes: Into to the Course, 14 Chapter Quizzes Lowest dropped), and Course Post Test
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10%
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3
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Exams: Midterm, Final & Research Assignment
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30%
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11+
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Class Assignments ** which includes class participation assignments given in class at any time
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50%
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COURSE SUBJECT OUTLINE (Major Assignments, Due Dates, and Grading Criteria-- All due dates will be maintained in the Canvas Course Calendar. This schedule provides a tentative layout of the course; however, changes can be made at any time to ensure the best learning environment. As this is a government class, there are always current events that can guide the course. Students are expected to be in class and to monitor the Canvas Calendar throughout the semester.)
GOVT 2305 FALL 2019
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Week
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Dates by Week
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Requirement
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Due Date
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1
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Aug 26 to Sept 2
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Complete Intro to the Course Week 1 Module
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Sept 2
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**Couse Pre Test/Register with McGraw Hill-Connect
** Connect Orientation Assignment
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Sept 2
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**Intro to the Course Quiz
** Students who do not meet Week 1 minimum requirements will be dropped from the course on Nov 3rd at 2pm
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Sept 2
Sept 3
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2
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Sept 2 to Sept 9
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Read Ch 1 Critical Thinking & Political Culture
Chapter 1 LearnSmart
Chapter 1 Quiz
**Student Intro Essay
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Sept 9
Sept 9
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3
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Sept 9 to Sept 16
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Read Ch 2 Constitutional Democracy
Chapter 2 LearnSmart
Chapter 2 Quiz
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Sept 16
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4
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Sept 16 to Sept 23
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Read Chapter 3 Federalism: Forging a Nation
Chapter 3 LearnSmart
Chapter 3 Quiz
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Sept 23
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**Separation of Powers (Ch 2)--MHC
**Social Contract Theory (Ch 2)--MHC
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Sept 23
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5
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Sept 23 to Sept 30
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Read Chapter 4 Civil Liberties
Chapter 4 LearnSmart
Chapter 4 Quiz
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Sept 30
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**Congressional Representative Assign (Ch 3)
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Sept 30
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6
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Sept 30 to Oct 7
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Read Chapter 5 Equal Rights
Chapter 5 LearnSmart
Chapter 5 Quiz
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Oct 7
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7
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Oct 7 to Oct 14
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Read Chapter 6 Public Opinion & Political Socialization
Chapter 6 LearnSmart
Chapter 6 Quiz
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Oct 14
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8
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Oct 14 to Oct 21
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Read Chapter 7 Political Participation
Chapter 7 LearnSmart
Chapter 7 Quiz
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Oct 21
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*** Mid-Term Exam
**Political Socialization & Ideology Assign (Ch 6)
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Oct. 15/16
Oct 21
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9
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Oct 21 to Oct. 28
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Read Chapter 8 Political Parties, Candidates & Campaigns
Chapter 8 LearnSmart
Chapter 8 Quiz
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Oct 28
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** Nov 1—Last Day to Drop with a “W”
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Nov. 1
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10
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Oct 28 to Nov 4
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Read Ch 9 Interest Groups
Chapter 9 LearnSmart
Chapter 9 Quiz
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Nov 4
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11
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Nov 4 to Nov 11
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Read Ch 10 The News Media and the Internet
Chapter 10 LearnSmart
Chapter 10 Quiz
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Nov 11
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** Campaign Funding Assignment (Ch 9)
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Nov. 11
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12
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Nov 11 to Nov 18
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Read Ch 11 Congress
Chapter 11 LearnSmart
Chapter 11 Quiz
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Nov 18
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** Research Assignment*
Party Platform Analysis
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Nov. 18
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13
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Nov. 18 to
Nov. 25
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Read Chapter 12 The Presidency
Chapter 13 LearnSmart
Chapter 13 Quiz
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**Congressional Assignment
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Nov. 25
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14
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Nov 25 to Dec 2
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Read Chapter 13 The Federal Bureaucracy
Chapter 13 LearnSmart
Chapter 13 Quiz
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Dec 2
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15
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Dec 2 to Dec 9
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Read Chapter The Federal Judiciary
Chapter 14 LearnSmart
Chapter 14 Quiz
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Dec. 9
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16
Final Exams Week
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Dec 9 to Dec 12
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**Course Post Test
**Final Exam
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Dec 10
**As per Final Exam Schedule
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Points Letter Grade Equivalent
90% or higher A
80-89.99% B
70 -79.99% C
60 – 69.99% D
59.99% or less F
** Grades are never rounded up in this course. The student will receive the grade earned. Every student has the ability to increase his/her grade with extra credit.
Weekly Quizzes- Quizzes will begin Week1 with the Intro to the Course Quiz, proceed to the weekly Chapter Quizzes, and end with the Course Post Test. Students will have one week to complete the quizzes. Quizzes will be timed and students will have two attempts, with the highest score recording. Weekly quizzes will open the Monday before the due date at 1am and close the following Monday at11:59pm. At the end of the semester, the lowest chapter quiz grade will be dropped. The Intro to the Course and Post Course Post-test cannot be dropped. Students who miss a quiz, FOR ANY REASON, will receive a zero. There are no make-up quizzes in this course; therefore, it is essential that students plan weekly to complete the quizzes accordingly.
LearnSmart (Connect/McGraw Hill)- For each chapter, students will be required to access the ebook and complete a series of questions from the reading to show mastering of learning outcomes of each chapter.
Exams: The exam category will consist of the mid-term, research assignment, and the final exam. Make-up exams are not given; therefore if a student misses an exam without making prior arrangements to take the exam early, a zero will be given. Students need to make sure to be in class on schedule exam days.
In Class Assignments: At any time during the semester, in class activities/assignments may be given. Students who are absent will have the ability to submit the assignment before the next class with an automatic deduction of 10 points. It is the responsibility of the student to request any missed in class assignments the day of the absence. If not, the student will receive a zero and no make-up will be allowed.
Late Work –Late assignments will not be accepted. No assignments, research paper, quizzes, etc. will be re-opened for any student for any reason. Please manage your time wisely, and leave enough time to deal with any computer problems that might arise and keep you from completing your course work as required. Submitting early is the best rule of thumb. Students are free to make unlimited corrections and/or resubmission before the due date; however, after the due date has expired, no resubmissions/corrections will be accepted.
All Assignments must be typed and uploaded as a doc or docx document. I will not grade assignments that have been handwritten. In Canvas I can only use the grading function if the document is a doc or docx. If you are using a Mac, it is your responsibility to make sure the document has been submitted correctly. Canvas will not recognize files uploaded as .pages, which will lead to the student receiving a zero. I highly recommend that you use Google Chrome as your browser. Safari should never be used with Canvas.
Announcements: All course information will be posted as announcements. I will post several announcements each week to remind you what is coming due and I will also give more details and suggestions on assignments. It is very important that students read all announcements in full. Students are encouraged to set the notifications to receive announcements as they are posted.
** I have posted the instructions on setting Notifications. I strongly suggest you set those up for better success.
CONNECT ACCESS- The textbook, Learn Smart, Chapter Quizzes, and Connect activities are all maintained within the McGraw Hill Connect System. Students need to be enrolled immediately in Connect, which can be purchased at the bookstore, or online directly from McGraw Hill through Canvas. Temporary access can be used directly from Connect McGraw Hill for 12 days from the first day of class. Students must be enrolled within the first week of class, as assignments are due immediately. Students who do not properly enroll in Connect will be dropped from the course. Students will be given a warning by email and then dropped from the Course if the required materials are not purchased.
CANVAS ACCESS: All students must have complete access to Canvas for the entire semester. It is the student’s responsibility to have access to the internet at all times, as well as having all needed programs to complete an online course. Students are not to give any other person access to his/her Canvas account. Students can be removed from the course immediately up violating this rule. Once a student has given another person access to his/her canvas account, the credibility of any work completed becomes questionable.
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. Student 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)
**Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class with a sign in sheet. If a student comes in tardy, it is his/her responsibility to stay at the end of class and request to be changed from absent to tardy. Any student who fails to sign in will be counted absent. Attendance will count as an assignment grade, which will be a cumulative grade for the entire semester. Students are either present or absent. There are no excused absences, except those listed in the catalog where specific requirements have been met.
**ANY STUDENT WHO HAS 8 OR MORE ABSCENSES MAY, AT THE INSTRUCTOR’S DISCRETION, BE DROPPED FROM THE COURSE.
**It is always the student’s responsibility to drop the course if they no longer wish to attend the course.
**Students who miss 3 or less hours (2 classes) will be awarded 10 extra credit points.
Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is NOVEMBER 1, 2019.
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DISABILITY SERVICES (Office for Students with Disabilities)
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.
CORE CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONAL COMPONENT AREA (For classes in the Core)_______
o Communication
o Mathematics
o Life and Physical Science
o Language, Philosophy & Culture
o Creative Arts
X Government/Political Science
o Social and Behavioral Sciences
o Component Area Option
o American History
REQUIRED CORE OBJECTIVES (For classes in the Core)
X Critical Thinking
X Communication
o Empirical and Quantitative
o Teamwork
X Personal Responsibility
X Social Responsibility
o Academic General Education Course (from ACGM but not in NCTC Core)
X Academic NCTC Core Curriculum Course
o WECM Course
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)]”.
**Scholastic dishonesty will not be tolerated in this course. All students will be held responsible for plagiarism, cheating and/or collusion. Students who do not follow the conditions of the instructor regarding scholastic dishonesty will have the appropriate documents filed with the appropriate Dean and may automatically receive an “F” in the course.
**Falsified Information- Any student who submits falsified information in this course, including community service/local government extra credit information will be given an automatic “F” in the course and scholastic dishonesty documents filed with the appropriate Dean.
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS
Name of Chair/Coordinator:
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Crystal R.M. Wright
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Office Location:
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Gainesville Campus, Room 824
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Telephone Number:
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940-668-7731, ext. 4320
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E-mail Address:
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cwright@nctc.edu
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Name of Instructional Dean:
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Dr. Bruce King
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Office Location:
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1500 North Corinth St, Corinth, TX 76208-5408
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Telephone Number:
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940-498-6464
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E-mail Address:
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bking@nctc.edu
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