NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE COURSE SYLLABUS

 

Course Title: TEXAS GOVERNMENT
Course Prefix & Number: GOVT2306	Section Number:  322	Semester:
Semester Credit Hours: 3	Lecture Hours: 3	Lab Hours: N/A
Course Description (NCTC Catalog): Origin and development of the Texas constitution, structure and powers of state and local government, federalism and inter-governmental relations, political participation, the election process, public policy, and the political culture of Texas. 48 lecture hours.
Course Prerequisite(s): None
Required Materials: v  Governing Texas by Champagne & Harpham, Norton, 2nd edition, paperback w/ebook folder, ISBN: 978-0-393-28731-8  OR v  Governing Texas by Champagne & Harpham, Norton, 2nd edition, 3-hole punch w/ ebook folder, ISBN: 978-0-393-28752-3  OR v  Students can also purchase the ebook at a lower price directly from Norton.

 

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of Instructor:	Jennifer Danley-Scott, Ph.D.
Campus/Office Location:	n/a
Telephone Number:	n/a
E-mail Address:	Jdanley-scott@nctc.edu

 

 

GRADING CRITERIA

 

# of Graded Course Elements	Graded Course Elements	Percentage or Point Values
4	Unit Tests	125 each
6	Posts	25 each
18	Response Posts	5 each (3 per thread max)
1	Research Project	150
Varied	Quizzes and Activities	110

• See below for module specifics

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

	At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
	Explain the origin and development of the Texas constitution.
	Describe the state and local political systems and their relationship with the federal government.
	Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice in Texas.
	Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of Texas government.
	Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups and political parties in Texas. Analyze the state and local election process.
	Identify the rights and responsibilities of citizens. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.
	Research and compose an essay assignment/argument using proper grammar/English and basic computer skills.

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY

 

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.

 

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

 

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is _______________.

 

DISABILITY SERVICES (OSD)

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students who have a documented disability. On the Corinth Campus, go to room 170 or call 940-498-6207. On the Gainesville Campus, go to room 110 or call 940-668-4209.  Students on the Bowie, Graham, Flower Mound, and online campuses should call 940-668-4209.

North Central Texas College is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, ADA Amendments Act of 2009, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112).  http://www.nctc.edu/StudentServices/SupportServices/Disabilityservices.aspx

 

CORE CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONAL COMPONENT AREA______________________________           

 

o         Communication

o         Mathematics              

o         Life and Physical Science

o         Language, Philosophy & Culture

o         Creative Arts

 

o         American History

X         Government/Political Science

o         Social and Behavioral Sciences

o         Component Area Option

 

 

REQUIRED CORE OBJECTIVES

 

X             Critical Thinking

X            Communication

o           Empirical and Quantitative

 

o           Teamwork

X            Personal Responsibility

X            Social Responsibility

 

COURSE TYPE

o           Academic General Education Course (from ACGM but not in NCTC Core)

x        Academic NCTC Core Curriculum Course

o        WECM Course

 

 

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook. http://nctc.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2014-2015/Catalog/North-Central-Texas-College-Student-Handbook

 

 

Name of Chair/Coordinator:	Donna Hooper
Office Location:	Corinth 209
Telephone Number:	940-498-6266
E-mail Address:	dhooper@nctc.edu
Name of Instructional Dean:	Dr. Larry Gilbert
Office Location:	Corinth 305
Telephone Number:	940-498-6216
E-mail Address:	lgilbert@nctc.edu

 

 

Grading Policy & Procedures

.

  This course will introduce you to the government of Texas. It will also compare the Texas system with other states, so that you can appreciate the differences between the Texan method of government and other methods. Once you have read the three items (Introduction, Grades, policies) in the Begin Here section, you may begin the class.

 

From here, you will see the rest of the course shell.

 
The course is broken down into four units, based on themes. Each unit will ask you to complete readings, video lectures, research (online and in the books), and assignments.  The material in the learning modules should be followed from top to bottom. This means that you will understand the material better if you do the readings or videos in the order that I have placed them in the modules. The same policy stands with activities and assignments. You will understand the activities better and complete the assignments more thoroughly (thus you will receive better scores) if you don't skip around. I will not open unit 2 until unit 1 is complete, or unit 3 until unit 2 is complete, etc. 

 

This class runs 4.5 weeks. In a face to face course, you met 54 hours for lecture and tests over 16 weeks; you also have readings and classwork. This course is designed to give you the same information that you would in a regular semester, so you should expect to spend 3+ hours a week on this class. All readings, activities, lectures, postings and assignments found in each unit is required unless it expressly states that it is optional or extra credit. You are responsible for all material presented in Canvas and must log into Canvas regularly to complete the course.

 

Because this class is online, there is a slightly larger amount of written work than if this were a standard class. The writing helps me to determine whether you're on the right track with the material. It isn't busy work...think of it as me asking questions during lecture or doing a 10 minute in-class writing. 

 

 

Assignments, Grades, and Grading Policies 

All material (reading, lecture, videos, activities, etc.) in each unit are required, unless otherwise noted. Any optional activities will be marked accordingly.  All due dates are listed in the unit checklists and on the Course Calendar. I do not accept late posts or late response posts. I do not accept late research papers without a 50% penalty (time or points), unless a picture of medical or similar emergency. There are no “redo” or resubmissions on work. 

 

Breakdown of points and grades 
The class is divided into 1000 points. Your grade is based on how many points you accumulate by the end of the term.

  

• Each unit test will be worth 125 There are 4 tests for a total of 500 points. (Several pop quizzes will also be available for self-testing.) 
• Six discussion posts answering initial questions worth 25 points each, for a total of 250  
• At least 3 thoughtful discussion responses per discussion post topic, in which you respond to your classmates' posts, will be worth 5 points each. I will grade the top three per thread for a total of 90 points across 6 threads. (The best way to do this is to respond to at least three peers in each thread and answer any posts that ask you questions from your post.)  
• The research project, worth 150 points. 
• Varied quizzes/activities will be worth a total of 110 points. There are more than 110 points available, so do not panic if you miss a question or two.

 

A  = 900 points and above

B = 800-899 points

C = 700-799 points

D = 600 – 699 points

F = 599 points and below

 

 

Course Due Dates   

Unit 1: Founding - - Posts due July 17, test and responses due July 18. Unit closes July 18.

Unit 2:   Branches of government- Post due July 24, test and responses due July 25. Unit closes July 25

Unit 3: Elections - Posts due July 31, test and responses due August 1. Unit closes August 1.

Research Project due August 3.

Unit 4: Policy and Intergovernmental  - Posts due August 8, test and responses due August 9. Class closes August 10

 

 

Tests

Tests are completed online, in Canvas. You will have a one day window for the test, from 8 a.m. to midnight. In each section, there will be a test. Each test will be objective, covering the material from the unit. The tests will be open book, but will have a relatively short time limit. (The purpose of an open book test is to make the test fair for all, not to make the test easy. It is difficult to determine if someone is using notes, so everyone may use notes. You will need to study, as you would for a closed book test.) The tests will have a window of time (for example, from 8 a.m. to midnight) for completion. Please plan ahead so that you can test in the time frame. If you need a different window due to work, you will need to contact me immediately, and your test will be different from the rest of the class’s tests to ensure fair testing. If you postpone the test, your test will be more difficult, as you've possibly had more time to study and that would be unfair to the rest of the class. You will lose 1/3% of the allotted time for the test for each day you test late unless proper emergency documentation is given. The test will not be given more than two days late.

  

Activities/ Quizzes  

In each section, there will be a few quizzes that you can take to see how you're doing on the material and get a feel for the type of questions I might ask on the test. They are open book, but you will have a time limit for completing the quiz. You do not have to take these quizzes, and they will earn you a small number of points, but they will help you prepare for the unit tests.  There will also be animated quizzes from the textbook to help further explore material and there will be activities where you look for information to present in either quiz form or an alternate form.

  

Discussion Post Grades 
Posts will be graded on a scale as weak (~15 points), moderate (~20 points), and strong (~25 points). You can get a 0 if it is completely off topic. They cannot be turned in late. You can receive a zero if the post fails to answer the question or is devoid of supporting information. You will not be able to see other posts until you have posted for yourself in the thread. To be judged as strong, the post must completely answer the question in a thoughtful manner with evidence to back up the argument with an example from the reading or activity and a citation of material. These posts should be 5-8 sentences. Ideally, you should complete them as you go through the unit, but please see the unit checklist for their overall due date. The discussion board lists threads for the entire semester. Only complete the threads for the current unit; the threads are listed in the unit checklist. Do not work ahead; you will receive zeros for work completed outside of the unit.  As much as possible, Unit 1 posts will be graded as they come in, so please check grades and make sure your work is meeting the requirements. I do not accept uploaded docs for discussion posts; you must paste the test into the thread so it is visible without downloading.

  

Response Posting Grades 
Posts will be graded on a scale as poor (2 points) or strong (5 points). These may be shorter than your initial posting, but should be 4 to 5 sentences of actual discussion. Response posts will be counted up and scored at the end of the class. You may receive up to 15 points per thread for these responses. I will give partial credit if you respond to fewer than three people in the thread. The discussion posts close at the end of the unit and I do not accept late response posts. I grade these as a whole at the end of the term.

  

 
Research Project 

Please see the Research Projects page (see the menu to the left) for the project description.

 

Grammar and style are important in a college paper. One of the skills that is expected in a college degree is the ability to take information, analyze it, and write about it.  Regardless of your future profession, you will have to write reports or correspondences. In this class, you need to write formally, with citations for all information you use or reference. 

 As I read, I'll click off where you stand for each part of the rubric. The rubric is in Canvas, in the instructions for the project. 

   * A project can receive zero points in a criteria if it completely fails to address the requirement or if there are serious problems with the requirement.

  

Written Work (Policy Project and posts)
Please be sure to follow all instructions. Work will be due online. I strongly suggest that you write all assignments in a word processing document (Word or Wordperfect) before you submit them online. Work is sometimes lost during upload and Canvas can time out if you work in the submission browser. By working in a separate document and saving periodically, your work will be safe and you will have a back up file.  

  

This should have specific examples and citations. It is important that you write your assignments in a formal writing style. A component of the grade dedicated to grammar and style. This is an upper division course, so you are expected to cite your research and place quotes around material (even just clauses) taken from others' work. You may use MLA, APA, APSA, or any other recognized citation format. 

 Grades will be returned within 4 days of the due date. If grading will take longer than 4 days, an announcement will be posted to let you know when you can expect the grades. Unit 1 grades will be completed withing 24 hours of submission, to allow you time to adjust your work quality as needed. 
 
 Grievance Policy   

If you disagree with a grade on an assignment, post, or test, you must email me within 3 days of the score's posting. The email must contain the name of the assignment, the unit of the assignment, and a carefully reasoned paragraph why your answer should be reconsidered. Simply saying that you do not agree will not be sufficient. 

 

Required technological skills and technology 

This course requires you to have working knowledge of a computer, email, the Internet, Canvas (including Turnitin and discussion boards), a word processor, and video/sound. You will also need access to your NCTC email. 
 
Lecture Videos and Other Videos 

The lecture videos are not meant to repeat information that is in the books. Instead, they follow up on concepts that might be important or to explain material that was missed or glossed over in the textbooks. They are as important as the text and will also be on the tests. 
 
The lecture videos are visible on YouTube. If you require transcripts or closed captions, please see the notes to the right or bottom of the embedded YouTube files. Please try to watch at least one lecture video during the first few days of class just to make sure there are no technical problems. The videos are embedded so that they can be watched in Canvas. They will not start until you click the play triangle on the screen and are generally 4 to 8 minutes in length. 

 Documents and Readings: Any readings and documents (outside of your textbooks) will normally be posted as PDF or JPEG files. These are universal formats. Please make sure you have Adobe Acrobat Reader  (Links to an external site.); the free version is all that is required.  
 
Netiquette 
Politics is inherently controversial and sensitive. As such, emotions will probably run high at times. Please remember that this is a classroom, so we will be analyzing the branch and the people. We will examine governors, legislators, and judges. We will examine their actions, campaigns, and legacies.  We will discuss political philosophies and journeys. 
 
But regardless of whether you love or hate particular politicians, please keep your comments based in fact and figures. For the next 3 weeks, we are all government scholars, and our opinions are based on facts. I will do the same. The golden rule is the best rule on the boards: treat others as you wish to be treated. Remember that a person cannot see your face or hear your tone when they read your words, and it is easy to mis-interpret or read between the lines of a post.  When frustrated or when in doubt, don't hit post. Give it a day or two before responding, and make sure that your words are always polite. And last, although typing a word in all caps is sometimes used for emphasis, typing an entire post in caps is netiquette for shouting.  

 

Email and Online Office Hours 

If you need to email me about something personal or not appropriate for the discussion boards, please use my NCTC email (jdanley-scott@nctc.edu) to contact me. I attempt to answer emails within 8 hours, but do reserve a window of up to 48 hours.  Please be sure to put your name in each email so that I can quickly help. Please write in a formal style, with proper grammar and spelling.  (I am terrible at interpreting text-message-speak, so please spell out all the words.) If you are contacting me about a grade or a discussion of your progress in the class, please use your NCTC email account. (Anyone can create a Yahoo or Gmail account and say that they are you.) For FERPA reasons, I cannot send personal information to any email account but your NCTC account. 

  Also, if you have questions about a grade or assignment, it is best to email me. While Canvas allows students to reply to comments in the gradebook, the system does not immediately notify me that you made a comment. As it is easy to miss those comments, emailing me is best. Or, if you leave a comment and do not receive a response within 3 days, please email me to let me know you left a comment. Please let me know which assignment/activity so that I can find the comment.

Technical Requirements and Problems 
 In this class, you must be able to use Canvas, YouTube, and your NCTC email regularly. You may also be required to use word processing documents and online simulation activities. You cannot pass this class without completing the activities and material in Canvas, so please log in right away to begin.

This class also has a lot of working parts, with many videos, links, activities, and quizzes. Things happen, links die, material is moved, etc. If you run into a problem, please email me your question so that my answers can be helped for future people who have similar problems. 
 
If you have problems, please contact me or the IT Helpdesk immediately so that we can get the problems ironed out now. Assignments and activities have specific due dates; technological difficulties will not be an acceptable excuse. Because webpages change periodically, please let me know via email if you hit a dead link so that I can get it updated immediately.