COURSE TIMES/LOCATION:   Gainesville (GNV) Campus / Room 811

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

INSTRUCTOR OFFICE HOURS*

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

GRADING CRITERIA

Letter Grade Equivalents:†

†Grades are not rounded up in this course--students will receive the grade earned. 

COURSE OUTLINE (Major Assignments, Due Dates, and Grading Criteria)

* Assignments are due by 11:59 PM on the respective DUE DATE.

** Instructor may change this schedule and assignments to better the learning experience.

Unit Exams.  Exams will be online through McGraw-Hill Connect via Canvas.  There will be no extra credit on the exam and no make-up test dates.  Any discussions, debates, or issues presented “in class” may be included in an exam.

Class Assignments.  At any time during the semester, in-class assignments may be given.  Students who are absent will not have the opportunity to make up these assignments/points. 

Late Work.  Late assignments will not, as a rule, be accepted.  Most assignments and tests are submitted online, so even when a student cannot make it to class, assignments can still be submitted on time.  Please manage your time wisely and leave enough time to deal with any computer problems that might prevent you from completing, and submitting, your course work as required.  Students must communicate as early as possible with the Instructor to receive consideration for adjusting due dates, if circumstances warrant such. 

Chapter Quizzes (i.e. Post Tests).  Students will complete a post test for each chapter, which is designed as a study tool, for the exams.  All quizzes must be completed on or before the due date, but students have unlimited attempts until the due date.  Post tests will not be reopened for any reason.  Students are free to use the book/notes/assignments information to complete the post tests.

Extra Credit.  From time to time, students may have a chance to earn extra credit points. Each properly completed extra credit is worth one or more points, which will be added to the course grade; however, no student’s final course grade may exceed 100%.  Extra credit opportunities are at the Instructor’s discretion and will be announced in class and/or posted on Canvas.  If an extra credit opportunity is given, it will be given to all students. 

Textbook.  It is the student’s responsibility to secure a licensed copy of the textbook in a timely manner because assignments become due immediately.  See the Required Course Materials section at top of this syllabus for details on textbook and edition. 

CANVAS ACCESS.  Canvas is the NCTC online forum used by students and faculty.  All students must have complete access to Canvas for the entire semester.  It is the student’s responsibility to have access to the Internet and all needed programs to complete assignments.  Students are not to give any other person access to his/her Canvas account.  Students can be removed from the course immediately if found to be in violation of this rule.  Once a student has given another person access to his Canvas account, the credibility of all completed work becomes questionable. 

MCGRAW-HILL CONNECT ACCESS.  The textbook, Smartbook®, and Connect activities are all maintained within the McGraw Hill Connect System. Students MUST be enrolled immediately in Connect, which can be purchased at the bookstore or online directly from McGraw Hill.  McGraw Hill does offer a 14-day free courtesy period so that all students can start their coursework as scheduled.  PLEASE NOTE: The ability to sign up for a courtesy period is only available within the first week of classes.  Students should be enrolled by the end of day 1 as assignments are given immediately.  Students who do not properly enroll in Connect will be given a warning by email and then dropped from the Course if the required materials are not purchased.

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)

Additional Instructor-Specific Absence Policy:

Attendance Policy.  Please make every effort to attend and actively participate in each class meeting. However, if circumstances warrant missing a class, realize that you are responsible for classes you miss.  Attendance will be taken during each class to ensure an accurate record is maintained.  Students will be considered absent if he/she is not in class when attendance is taken.  If a student comes in late, it is his/her responsibility to stay at the end of class and request to be changed from ‘absent’ to ‘late’.  Students who miss more than half the class period will be considered absent.  Attendance is not calculated in a student’s GPA for this class; however, there are numerous in-class activities and discussions that are testable and cannot be re-accomplished.

Regular attendance significantly increases a student’s chance of overall course success. 

LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW.   The last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is April 3, 2020.  Dropping the course is the sole responsibility of the student. 

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)_______             

              Communication

              Mathematics                         

              Life and Physical Science

              Language, Philosophy & Culture

              Creative Arts

X              Government/Political Science

              Social and Behavioral Sciences

              Component Area Option

              American History

X              Critical Thinking

X              Communication

              Empirical and Quantitative

              Teamwork

X              Personal Responsibility

X              Social Responsibility