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NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE
COURSE SYLLABUS
MW – 12:30pm to 1:50pm in Room #102
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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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504
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Semester/Year:
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Fall, 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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Kevin T Davis
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Campus/Office Location:
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Flower Mound / Room #107 – Cubicle #4
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Telephone Number:
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972-899-8410
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E-mail Address:
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kdavis@nctc.edu
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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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10am to 11am
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9am to 9:30am
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10am to 11am
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9am to 9:30am
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Noon to 2pm
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2pm to 3pm
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12:30 to 3pm
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2pm to 3pm
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12:30 to 3pm
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On-line
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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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14
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Smart Books Chapter Reviews
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5 pts / 70 pts
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10
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Daily Participation Assignments
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5 pts / 50 pts
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2
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Debate
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20 pts / 40 pts
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2
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Pre Test & Post Test
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5 pts / 10 pts
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2
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Research Papers
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50 pts / 100 pts
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2
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Midterm Exams
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100 pts / 200 pts
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1
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Final Exam
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100 pts
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COURSE SUBJECT OUTLINE (Major Assignments, Due Dates, and Grading Criteria)
Completed Smart Book Reviews will get full credit IF you spend the time to complete them by due date. This is about 10% of your grade, so DON'T ignore it! There are no make-ups for Smart Books!
Participation Assignments are due every weekday and are pretty much all or nothing. If you are late, it is two points off every day, so after 5 days they are worthless.
Debates will occur every week in between exams. We will sign up the first week, and then schedule them over the course of the semester. If you miss a debate, you can sign up for another one with an opening.
Two short research papers will be due. These are practice so you can improve and do better in later classes. Take advantage and LEARN how to do a short but formal research paper now, so you can just lengthen it later. More info below.
Exams will be 100 points each and count for just less than one-half of your grade!
These are 45-minute multiple choice exams of 50 questions. This will be an in class exam. If you miss the exam, you can take a make-up but ONLY for Medical Reasons, and you WILL need a doctor's Note. You then make an appt with FM Testing Center - link at end of syllabus. Make-up exam is an essay format over the same chapters, but you will write a discussion essay answer general questions about the chapters.
Plagiarism/ Cheating/Collusion will NOT be tolerated and will result in a Zero for that assignment and a report to the Dean for Disciplinary Action.
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This is a TENTATIVE Schedule which is subject to change W/O notice due to inclement weather, power outages, or other unforeseen events.
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August 23rd – First Day of Class
September 6th – Labor Day Holiday – All Campuses CLOSED
September 24th – Smart Books Unit #1 - Due by 11:59pm
September 27th – First Midterm Exam - Module #1 – Intro + Chapters 1-4
October 3rd – Research Paper #1 due through CANVAS by 11:59pm.
October 29th – Smart Books Unit #2 - Due by 11:59pm
November 1st – Second Midterm Exam - Module #2 - Chapters 5-9
November 1st – Last Day to Withdraw from Course.
November 14th – Research Paper #2 due through CANVAS by 11:59pm.
November 24th – 28th – Thanksgiving Holiday – All Campuses CLOSED
December 3rd – Final Smart Books Unit #3 - Due by 11:59pm
December 8th – Final Exam - Module #3 - Chapters 10-14
If you cannot meet these dates/deadlines, then drop this course.
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)
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.
Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is November 1, 2021.
Smart Books are due by the Due Date and no late work is accepted, since it is hosted off site.
There are no Late Debates, so if you miss one, just sign up for another one, if there is one open.
Participation Assignments can be accepted late through CANVAS, but there will be a late penalty of 2 pts per day.
Research papers can be accepted late through CANVAS, but there will be a loss of 5 pts per day.
Since Exams are open for 2 days, there will be no make-ups, except for some sort of technical malfunction, or serious medical problem, and even then, ONLY with a Doctor’s Note.
E-mail your instructor IMMEDIATELY if there are any problems with anything.
DO NOT send e-mails asking to turn in your work, attach it to your e-mail and send it ASAP. The longer you wait, the more points you lose.
Grades will post within 3 days of assignment closing, except for research papers, which can take up to 7 days, assuming there is no intervening factor that occurs.
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)]”.
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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Why did the Chicken cross the Road?
JOE BIDEN: Why did the chicken do the...thing in the...you know the rest?
DONALD TRUMP: I've been told by my many sources, good sources - they're very good sources - that the chicken crossed the road. All the Fake News wants to do is write nasty things about the road, but it's a really good road. It's a beautiful road. Everyone knows how beautiful it is.
SARAH PALIN: The chicken crossed the road because, gosh-darn it, he's a maverick!
BARACK OBAMA: Let me be perfectly clear, if the chickens like their eggs they can keep their eggs. No chicken will be required to cross the road to surrender her eggs. Period.
AOC: Chickens should not be forced to lay eggs! This is because of corporate greed! Eggs should be able to lay themselves.
HILLARY CLINTON: What difference at this point does it make why the chicken crossed the road?
GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road or not. The chicken is either with us or against us. There is no middle ground here.
DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?
BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken.
AL GORE: I invented the chicken.
JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now and will remain against it.
DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he is acting by not taking on his current problems before adding any new problems.
ANDERSON COOPER: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.
NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.
PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.
DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.
ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain, alone.
GRANDPA: In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough for us.
ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.
ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: To cross the road or not cross the road… THAT, is the question.
COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?
[Copied from another source.]
Debates:
Every student should participate in at least one debate, but you should do both of them, and you can do a third debate for extra credit. We will register for debates the first week of classes, and each student can choose which side to represent on the debate; Pro or Con. (Debate slots are filled based on first-come, first-serve. Extra credit sign-ups will be available after everyone has had a chance to sign up for the regular debates.)
Each debate is worth 25 pts towards your final grade, and points are assigned as follows:
8 points – Argued your own side with at least FOUR valid, fact-filled responses.
8 points – Used/Cited 4 or more sources.
4 points – Was not rude or snide. Did not “bait” their opponents with rigged question.
5 points – Won debate according to secret ballot election results.
(At the end of each debate, the electorate (those in class) will vote on which team did the better job defending their topic. Winner of the secret ballot election gets 5 points, the losers do not. A tie will result in BOTH sides receiving 5 points.)
Students can sign up and participate in a second debate for extra credit. If you are on the winning side, you are awarded an extra 5 points. Those on the losing side, who try, get 1 to 3 points, depending upon your level of participation. Those who lose, and don’t try, get no points.
GOVT 2306 – Research Papers – Fall, 2021
Here is your chance to practice writing formal Research Papers, which will consist of two 1400 to 1500-word essays from the assigned topics listed below. Please choose your words carefully and make sure your paper is no longer than 1700 words with your citations. Put your name at the top, skip a line and then start writing. Be sure to focus on relevant information and not extraneous personal information like exact birth dates, siblings, pets, mother’s/father’s occupation, etc.
Here is a good place to find source material: https://www.nctc.edu/library/research-help/subject-guides/government.html
Make sure your discussion is significant to the topic at hand and researches/discusses both sides of each issue. In your conclusion, discuss your own opinions on the subject; for or against, etc. and justify that conclusion!
Make sure to cite ALL your quotes and use APA or MLA format for citations/sources. Failure to cite your quotes is plagiarism, and you will be counted off for that. Also, do not cite more than 10%, or 150 words, of your paper. Using encyclopedias and encyclopedic websites (about.com or wikipedia.com), or grade school websites, will count against you! Do NOT quote your instructor or textbook. This is supposed to be OUTSIDE research, so make good use of the books, magazines, journals, reports, and government/education websites.
Each paper or project is worth 50 points towards your final grade, and paper points are assigned as follows:
4 points – Is the length correct?
8 points – Covered subject matter w/o grammatical, spelling, or sentence errors?
6 points – Is there a conclusion? Was it a high-quality conclusion?
4 points – 4 or more “good” sources? (You will lose points for using wikipedia.com, about.com, or any encyclopedic site, as a source. You also lose points for using your textbook or instructor as a source.)
28 points – Quality of your paper. (Thorough, complete, polished, answers the questions, sticks to subject, no excessive, quoting, no awkward spots, and has good flow?)
Papers will be submitted through Canvas by 11:59pm on the day it is due. If you miss the deadline, you can STILL submit your work through CANVAS, but I will deduct 5 points for EVERY day that it is late. (If you miss the midnight deadline, you have the full 24 hours, before you lose another 5 points, so use MOST of it to re-edit, re-write, re-read and thoroughly re-hash your paper again and again. ) It is YOUR responsibility to make sure YOUR paper is submitted by the deadline.
Paper #1 Due October 3rd – COVID is surging in Texas right now. Governor Abbott has banned mask and vaccine mandates. Do you think this was a mistake, or do you think he should reverse his decision? We have vaccine mandates for many other diseases, so why not this one? Many people have been going bonkers over the mask mandate on planes. Why is that? Why are people so riled up over a mask mandate and why are so many praising Governor Abbott for NOT enforcing one?
Be sure to include a decision at the end of what you think Governor Abbott should do. Is more freedom worth people’s lives, or is a little less freedom worth it so more Texans can live longer? There are some good arguments on both sides of this argument, but it’s the Governor who gets to decide for all of us right now.
Although your conclusion is your opinion, be careful NOT to use “I” or “we.” Personal pronouns are not to be used in a formal research paper, which this is, even though it is a short research paper. Just say it like you mean it, and it is a fact. “Texas should, or should not, build the border wall, because…”
Paper #2 Due November 14th – Governor Abbott has said that Texas should finish MORE of President Trump’s border wall. Is that something the people of Texas should spend tax money on? Should he get sponsors to pay for it? Is it even legal? If not, why not?
How much of the border wall did President Trump build? How much more does Governor Abbott want to build? How much does he want to spend? How much has been authorized? What are his plans? And finally, what are YOUR thoughts on what Texas should do about the border wall?
Although your conclusion is your opinion, be careful NOT to use “I” or “we.” Personal pronouns are not to be used in a formal research paper, even though it is a short research paper. Just say it like you mean it, and your opinion is a fact. “Texas should, or should not, finish MORE of the border wall...”
If you have any questions, please ask!
Grading Scale: 570 total points possible
A = 507+ pts B = 506 – 450 pts C = 449 – 393 pts D = 392 – 336 pts F = 335 or less
Helpful Phone #’s for Flower Mound:
Admissions: 972-899-8430 FM Testing: 972-899-8335
Business Office: 972-899-8403 If you need to Test in the FM Testing Center
Counseling: 972-899-8412 Make an Appointment on-line:
Financial Aid: 972-899-8400 NCTC - Flower Mound Testing Center
FM Director: 972-899-8408
Library: 972-899-8413
Technical Problems?
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- The Connect website address: http://connect.mheducation.com (shortcut: mhhm.com)
- The Customer Experience Group: The Customer Experience Group is your “just in time” contact for tech support and one-off questions that need immediate attention. This team can address questions such as how to extend a due date, how to view a student’s grade, how to change assignment policies, etc.
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- https://mhedu.force.com/CXG/s - You will find the Platform Status Center here, which lets you know if there is a Connect disruption and when/for how long it occurred.
- 800-331-5094
- Their hours of operation [Eastern]:
Sunday 12pm – 12am
Mon-Thurs 24 hours
Friday 12am - 9pm
Saturday 10am - 8pm
Kevin Davis: 972-899-8410
Email: kdavis@nctc.edu
Address:
NCTC – Flower Mound
Attn: Kevin Davis
1200 Parker Square
Flower Mound, Texas 75028