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NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE
COURSE SYLLABUS
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Course Title:
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Texas Government
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Course Prefix & Number:
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GOVT2306
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Section Number:
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408
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Semester/Year:
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2021
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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 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.
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Course Prerequisite(s): None
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Required Course Materials:
Registration in the course gives you access to the e-book needed for GOVT2306. You do not need to purchase a separate textbook.
Inclusive Access is a partnership between NCTC and McGraw-Hill Education, to provide the best learning resources on the first day of class. Students can gain access to McGraw-Hill’s adaptive online platforms with the latest version of the eBook at a discount. If students would like to purchase a physical copy of the textbook, they can order a discounted loose-leaf version through the bookstore.
Students who drop before the add/drop date will have their book fees credited back to their student account, and students who remain in the course will be charged a materials fee by the school to have continued access of the online platforms. If you remain enrolled in the course but wish to opt-out of access to the book please email the NCTC Bookstore with your name and student number to 1263mgr@follett.com.
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INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
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Name of Instructor:
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Donna (Hooper) Smith
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Campus/Office Location:
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Corinth, Office 208
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Telephone Number:
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940-498-6266
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E-mail Address:
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dhooper@nctc.edu** I prefer you email me through our Canvas Course
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OFFICE HOURS
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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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9:30am-10:30am
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9:30-10:30 am
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**Students are encouraged to schedule meetings in person and through WebEx as needed. Simply email me with the day(s)/time(s) you would like to meet and we will work it out.
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STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (From Academic Course Guide Manual/Workforce Education Course Manual/NCTC Catalog)
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At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
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Explain the origin and development of the Texas Constitution.
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Demonstrate an understanding of state and local political systems and their relationship with the federal government.
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Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice in Texas.
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Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of Texas government.
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Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties in Texas.
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Analyze the state and local election process.
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Identify the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
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Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.
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GRADING CRITERIA
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# of Graded Course Elements
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Graded Course Elements
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Percentage or Point Values
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Approx. 28
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Class Assignments: Chapter Smart Books & Chapter Reviews (McGraw-Hill) Connect, Intro Module Activities, Chapter Activities, & In Class Assignments
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20
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Approx. 8
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Analysis Assignments (AA): Research based chapter Assignments & Attendance
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40%
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4
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Exams: Midterm Exam, Final Exam, Constitutional Amendment Project & Research Assignment
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40%
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COURSE SUBJECT OUTLINE (Major Assignments, Due Dates, and 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, within the time frame allotted.
Exams: The Exam Category will consist of a mid-term and final exam, a constitutional amendment Project, and a Research Assignment. Make-up exams are not given; therefore, if a student misses an exam, they will receive a permanent zero.
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, Smartbook assignments, Chapter Reviews & Exams are all maintained within the McGraw-Hill Connect System. Students will have immediate access to enrolled in Connect through the Canvas Course; therefore, no additional purchase will be necessary. Students should choose “Opt In” when registering. Students who choose “Opt Out” will lose registration at some point and possibly receive zeros on assignments and/or exams.
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 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 whatever reason. For those who miss less than two classes, you will still receive the credit, which means extra credit. Attendance counts as an Analysis Grade in this course.
Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is November 1, 2021.
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
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Name of Chair/Coordinator:
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Donna Smith
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Office Location:
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Corinth Campus, Room 208
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Telephone Number:
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940-498-6266
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E-mail Address:
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dhooper@nctc.edu
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Name of Instructional Dean:
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Sara Flusche
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Office Location:
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Gainesville Campus, Room 1312
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Telephone Number:
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940-668-3321
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E-mail Address:
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sflusche@nctc.edu
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FALL 2021 Course Calendar
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Week
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Dates by Week
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Unit/Chapter
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Assignment
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Due Date
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Classes Begin
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Intro Unit
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1
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8/23 to 8/29
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Intro Module
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Complete Intro to the Course Week 1 Module
**CA: Intro to the Course Quiz
** Orientation Videos
**Connect SmartBook Orientation Videos
**Course Pre-Test
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** Students who do not complete the Intro Module requirements by Sunday 8/29 before 11:59 pm
may be dropped from the course**
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2
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8/30 to 9/5
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Ch 1 Intro to Texas History & Politics
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** Student Intro Essay
Chapter 1 SmartBook
**AA: State Rep Assignment (Ch 1)
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Monday (8/30)
Monday (8/30)
Friday (9/10)
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3
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9/6 to 9/12
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Ch 2 Amer Federal System & Tx State Constitution
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CA: Chapter 2 SmartBook
**Texas Bill of Rights Assignment (Ch 2)
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Monday (9/6)
Friday (9/17)
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4
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9/13 to 9/19
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Chapter 3 The Texas Legislature
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CA: Chapter 3 SmartBook
**AA: TX State House Member Inventory (Ch 3)
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Monday (9/13)
Thursday (10/8)
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5
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9/20 to 9/26
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Chapter 4 The Executive Branch
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CA: Chapter 4 LearnSmart
**AA: Governor Veto Assignment (CH4)
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Monday (9/20)
Friday (10/1)
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6
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9/27 to 10/3
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Chapter 5 The Court System
Assign: 10/30
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CA: Chapter 5 SmartBook
Project:
Texas Constitutional Amendments
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Monday (9/27)
TBA
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7
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10/11 to 10/17
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Chapter 6 The Criminal Justice System
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CA: Chapter 6 SmartBook
Research Assignment: Texas Exonerations
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Monday (10/4)
TBA
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MID-TERM EXAM
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Mid-Term Exam (Chapters 1-6)
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Oct. 14
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8
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10/18 to 10/24
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Chapter 7 Local Governments
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CA: Chapter 7 SmartBook
**AA: **Local Reps Assignment (Ch 7)
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Monday (10/11)
Friday (10/22)
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9
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10/25 to 10/31
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Ch 9 Voting & Political Participation
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CA: Chapter 9 SmartBook
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Monday (10/18)
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10
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11/1 to 11/7
November 1
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Ch 10 Campaigns & Elections
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CA: Chapter 10 SmartBook
**AA: ** Elections & Campaign Assign (Ch 9, 10 & 12)
Last Day to Withdraw with a “W”
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Monday (10/25)
Friday (11/19)
November 1st
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11
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11/8 to 11/14
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Ch11 Political Parties in Texas
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CA: Chapter 11 SmartBook
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Monday (11/1)
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12
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11/15 to 11/21
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12 Interest Groups & Lobbying in TX
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CA: Chapter 12 SmartBook
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Monday (11/8)
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13
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11/22 to 11/28
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13 Public Policy
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CA: Chapter 13 SmartBook
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Monday (11/15)
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14
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11/22 to 11/28
Nov 24-28
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Chapter 14 Financing State Govt
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CA: Chapter 14 SmartBook
Thanksgiving Break
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Monday (11/22)
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15
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11/29 to 12/5
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Extra Credit Due
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Extra Credit Due
AA: Texas Biennial Budget
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Tuesday (11/30)
Friday (12/3)
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16
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12/6 to 12/10
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Course Post Test
Final Exam
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Course Post Test
**Final Exam (Ch 10-12 & 14)
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Monday (12/6)
As per Final Exam Schedule
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** Chapter Reviews will be assigned after the chapter is completed. Students will have 3 days to complete.
** In-Class Assignments may be given at any time during the semester and will be included in the Analysis Assignment grade category.
** Assignments and Dates can be adjusted at any time during the semester. Students who are absent should email the instructor for updates on what was missed.