NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE COURSE SYLLABUS

 

Course Title:	Texas Government – Tuesdays 6:30 – 7:50   Hybrid
Course Prefix & Number:		GOVT2306	Section Number:	390	Semester/Year:	Fall2018
Semester Credit Hours:		3	Lecture Hours:	3	Lab Hours:	0
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.
Course Prerequisite(s): None
Required Course Materials: Champagne-Harpham. Governing Texas. 3rd edition. Norton. paperback w/ebook folder ISBN: 9780393283679 OR Champagne-Harpham. Governing Texas. 3rd edition. Norton. 2 hole punch w/ebook folder 9280393616477

 

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of Instructor:	Aubri Thurmond
Campus/Office Location:	Corinth 331
E-mail Address:	athurmond@nctc.edu

 

OFFICE HOURS

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
	5:00 – 6:20pm
	7:50 – 8:15pm

 

 

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:
	Explain the origin and development of the Texas Constitution.
	Demonstrate an understanding of 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.

 

GRADING CRITERIA

# of Graded Course Elements	Graded Course Elements	Percentage or Point Values
3	Exams	400
14	Reading Quizzes	280
1	Map Quiz	50
1	Local Government Project	50
1	Research Paper	100
5	Homework Assignments	125
4	Discussion Boards	200
		Total = 1205

 

Students accumulating between 1205 and 1085 points will receive an             A

Students accumulating between 1084 and 964 points will receive a                 B

Students accumulating between 963 and 844 points will receive a                    C

Students accumulating between 843  and 723 points will receive a                   D

Students accumulating or fewer than 722 points will receive an                         F

 

COURSE POLICY AND PROCEDURES

 

1. Late Policy: No assignments will be accepted late. No Canvas or Connect assignment will be re-opened. All assignments must be completed on time and will receive the grade of 0 if they are not completed by the due date.

 

2. Attendance: Student attendance will be recorded in each class meeting.  Students are expected to attend class, to be on time, and to stay for the duration of our class meeting.  If you miss class, it is your responsibility to get notes from one of your peers and to ask the instructor about assignments, handouts, etc. There are NO MAKE UP QUIZZES OR EXAMS. There are no excused or unexcused absences in this course; students are either present or absent.  If a student has perfect attendance (and is punctual and does not leave early), he or she will be awarded 10 extra credit points at the end of the semester. 

 

3. Technology Requirements: Students are required to have weekly access to an internet-enabled computer (not a phone, not a tablet – an actual computer).  There are computers available in the lab on campus, if needed. Students are also required to have Microsoft Word and Adobe Reader programs.   

 

4. Course Agreement Statement: You are required to read the syllabus and understand all assignments, due dates, requirements, course expectations, and the course grading system.  After reading the syllabus you must complete the “Agreement Statement” found on Canvas.  Mrs. Thurmond will not accept future course work from any student who has not submitted the course agreement statement by September 4^th.  If you do not understand the syllabus, assignments, due dates, requirements, course expectations, course grading system – and are, consequently, unable to sign the statement – you must contact Mrs. Thurmond immediately.  If you do not understand any aspect of the course requirements, etc. Mrs. Thurmond will be happy to explain them to you.  Failure to sign the agreement statement, within the allotted time, will result in severe academic penalty.

 

5. Course Pre-Test and Post-Test: To measure student learning outcomes, students must complete both a pre-test and a post-test for this class.  These are REQUIRED assignments and students must complete them within the given time frame.  As an incentive, Mrs. Thurmond will give 5 extra credit points to students who complete the pre-test by September 4^th  at 11:59pm.  The post-test will be available after our last class meeting on December 4^th  and an additional 5 extra credit points will be given to students who complete the post test by December 12^th  at 11:59pm.  Both the pre-test and post-test can be found on Canvas.

 

6. Recording Lectures: You are permitted to record lectures using only audio recording devices.  However, if you intend on recording my lectures, you must first complete and turn in the recording contract found on Canvas. You do not have permission to record my lectures, unless you complete the recording contract.

Additionally, students are not permitted to take pictures of the instructor’s power point presentations without my explicit permission.  All lecture material is considered my academic property and you may not replicate it without my permission.  Students who do so will be removed from the classroom.

 

ASSIGNMENTS

1. Readings:  You are required to do all reading listed in the course schedule.  Quizzes – worth 20 points each – will be completed online prior to class to assess your comprehension of the assigned reading.  Careful reading is essential to success in college government courses.

 

2. Homework: Students are required to complete five homework assignments, worth 25 points each. See course schedule for due dates.

 

3. Discussion Boards: You are required to write four discussion board posts examining the topics covered in the lectures and your reading assignments.  A series of questions will be provided to guide your discussion.  Your post must be thoughtful and demonstrate that you are critically thinking about topics covered in the course, and they must be at least 10 sentences.  After writing and submitting your post, you must respond to the posts of two classmates.  Always be respectful in your responses to others; disrespectful and derogatory language will not be tolerated.

 

4. Texas Maps Quiz: You will be quizzed over Texas geography, including: major cities; border locales; major rivers; and climate areas.  A study guide is provided for you on Canvas.  For full-credit, answers must be spelled correctly. You will have 25 minutes, and one attempt, to complete the quiz.

 

5. Exams: There will be two exams in this course (100 points each) and a Final exam (200 points).  Exams will assess your comprehension of all materials discussed in lectures and printed in the assigned readings.  Exams #1 and #2 will only be offered online in Canvas during the dates and times listed in the syllabus. Students will have 1 attempt and 1 hour to complete the exams on Canvas. The Final exam is comprehensive and will only be offered in-class on the date listed in the syllabus. Failure to take an exam will result in a 0.  

 

6. Local Government Project:  Students will be required to select a city in Texas and discover how the local government in that city is structured; what officials are elected and appointed and how often; and the responsibilities and functions performed.  Students will then be required to visit a local government meeting and take extensive notes which will be submitted as part of the project. More detailed instructions will be posted on Canvas. See Course Schedule for due date. Projects will not be accepted late.

 

7. Research Paper: Students will be required to write a research paper in this course.  Your essay must be at least 3 pages in length.  It must be doubled-spaced with 1-inch margins and you must use 12-point font. The essay will be submitted both in class and through Vericite.  Please see syllabus for due dates.  Further instructions are available on Canvas.

 

8. Participation:  Students are expected to be fully engaged in class; to take notes; to ask questions; and to participate in class discussions.  Do not brush your hair, paint your nails, or put on make up during class. Do not eat a hot meal during class.  Do not chat with your neighbor during class.  Do not sleep during class.  Do not study for other courses during class. All cell phones and other mobile devices must be turned off and put away. 

 

Students are asked to remain seated throughout the entire class; please leave only in cases of emergency.  If you anticipate needing to leave before the end of class, speak with Mrs. Thurmond before the beginning of class and sit near an exit.  Perennially leaving class may result in severe academic penalty.  Students are not permitted to leave class during the administration of in-class examinations. Students who engage in disruptive and/or inattentive behavior will lose participation points and possibly be asked to leave the classroom.

 

 

 

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 judgment 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)

Additional Instructor-specific Absence Policy:

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is ___November 8th____________.        

 

5. Classroom Decorum:  Many different experiences, opinions, and beliefs will be represented in our class and sensitive and divisive topics will be discussed. Therefore, this course will be an exercise in civil discourse. Students will disagree; however, students must be respectful and kind to one another at all times or he/she will be removed from the classroom.
6. Laptop Computer Policy:  Tablets are NOT permitted in this class under any circumstances.  However, proper laptop computers are allowed for student use in the classroom. Using laptops in class is a privilege.  Any student who is found using their laptop in class for unrelated activities will no longer be permitted to use their laptop in class.
7. Familiarizing Yourself with Canvas:  It is imperative that, before class begins, you familiarize yourself with the various folders and assignments available on the course Canvas site.  In addition to hosting many assignments in this course, Canvas also contains the course grade book, faculty contact information, and other helpful tools.  I use Canvas to post important announcements, course documents and to send periodic communications to the class. I will only use the Canvas Inbox to communicate with students, so be sure that this function is working properly. It is your responsibility to check Canvas and your e-mail account regularly. 

 

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

o           Communication

o           Empirical and Quantitative

 

o           Teamwork

X              Personal Responsibility

X              Social Responsibility

COURSE TYPE

STUDENT HANDBOOK

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY