INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

CLASS/OFFICE HOURS

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (From Academic Course Guide Manual/Workforce Education Course Manual/NCTC Catalog)

GRADING CRITERIA

** Detailed Course Calendar is posted at the end of the syllabus **

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.

Smartbook (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.

Chapter Reviews (Connect/McGraw Hill):  Students are to review the lecture/power point for each chapter and then complete the Chapter Review.  Students have unlimited attempts to improve his/her grade until the assignment closes.  The highest grade will be maintained; therefore, students can only improve the grade.

Discussion Boards- Students must post an original post at least three days before the assignment closes and response posts before the assignment closes.  Late discussion posts will receive a deduction of 3 points per each day late.  While students can include opinion in discussion board posts, this should always be secondary to incorporating the sources in to the discussion, as well as cite to where the sources are used.  Students are expected to behave in a professional manner at all times.  Standard grammatical rules apply, use complete sentences and paragraphs.

Exams:  Students will be given a mid-term and final exam.  Exams will be given online where students have two days to complete the exam.  Make-up exams are not given; therefore, if a student misses an exam, they will receive a permanent zero.

**Research Assignment:  Students will complete a research assignment, which will also count as an exam grade. 

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—DO NOT UPLOAD .pages FILES AS THEY DO NOT FUNCTION OUTSIDE OF YOUR MAC.  IMPROPERLY UPLADED FILES, will lead to the student receiving a zero.  If you choose to use Google Docs, make sure you upload a functioning file.

**I highly recommend that you use Google Chrome as your browser.  Safari should never be used with Canvas.

Announcements: 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.

CONNECT ACCESS-  The textbook, Learn Smart, Chapter Reviews & Exams 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 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.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

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 Guidelines:  Attendance will be taken each class period.  Students will be counted as either Present, Tardy or Absent.  Other than the excused absences defined by the Student Handbook, there are no excused absences.  Students will be given credit for three absences at the end of the semester, which means each student receives three excused absences for what ever reason.  For those who miss less than three classes, you will still receive the credit, which means extra credit.  Attendance counts as an Analysis Grade in this course.  It is very important that everyone follow CDC and NCTC guidelines for COVID.  Here are the basic rules to follow:

• If you have a FEVER no not come to class.
• If you feel ill—do not come to class.
• If you are exposed to Covid, Do Not Com to Class
• If you get tested for Covid—Do Not Come to Class until you have received your results of negative.
• If you test positive, you must email Chief Nicole Shaw at anshaw@nctc.edu and notify her of the positive test.  You will then be notified as to when you can return to campus.  Additionally, your teachers will be notified so that all know you need accommodates during this time.
  • Please email me as soon as possible, so that I can begin to work with you based on your symptoms.  Obviously if you have mild symptoms, you will want to quarantine and stay current on the course work.  If you have severe symptoms, we will work out accommodations. 
  • Once you have a positive test, you cannot return to class until you have been cleared to do so.
• If you do not attend class and you want to make up the absence (marked as Excused as opposed to Absent), you must notify me the day of the absences and watch the lecture within a 24 hour time period.  Once you meet the attendance requirements, you must email me verifying you have done so.  Once I verify I view your activity log and verify you have met the requirements, the attendance will be changed from "Absent" to "Excused".  If the requirements are not met, the "Absent" designation will remain.  Again, you are not required to do so, this is simply an option.

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

X             Critical Thinking

X             Communication

o           Empirical and Quantitative

o           Teamwork

X              Personal Responsibility

X              Social Responsibility