 - Academic General Education Course (from ACGM, but not in NCTC Core)

X - Academic NCTC Core Curriculum Course

 - WECM Course

GRADING POLICY AND PROCEDURES_______________________________       ______                                __________ 

All students are responsible for gaining access to Canvas, reading all attached documents/assignments under Modules and completing all work by due dates. See Tentative Course Schedule document posted on Canvas for all assignment due dates. Failure to meet deadlines due to technological issues, online connectivity disruptions and any other access issues will not be accepted as legitimate excuses. This is a college level course and proficiency in technology and self-discipline in following scheduled due dates is 100 percent accountable to the enrolled student.  All questions should be answered by the instructor, the syllabus, tentative schedule, posted important documents, lecture notes, power-points, reviews and ability to use cognitive skills.   

There will be 4 exams, 1 per unit, due throughout the semester. These are posted on Canvas, under Modules and worth 60 percent of student’s final overall grade. The exams will consist of multiple-choice questions. The information is provided from the unit lecture notes/PowerPoint/PDF slides posted on Canvas and from the completed Texas History 2301 Homework Assignments under Modules in Canvas. The exams are timed at 2 hours (120 minutes) and reviews may be provided and posted on Canvas prior to the exam. Reviews are optional resources left up to instructor’s discretion. Make-up exams are only allowed for extreme circumstances and there is no make-up opportunity for the Final Exam (4). Students will be allowed 1 submission attempt and once they begin, it cannot be paused or closed until completed. Attendance will affect exam grades. A loss of 5 points will be deducted from exam for each student absence during the unit learning period. If student is absent 4 times, then a total of 20 points will be deducted from the exam grade. This will be added to the number of questions already deducted due to missing questions, 1 point each. If student earned a 75 on exam, was absence 4 times, then their final grade would be a 55, with 20 points deducted. This will be applied for each of the 4 separate learning units. Only exception would be excused absences, which would only be for a documented medical situation of that student only. This is non-negotiable and designed to encourage student attendance.  

There will be 8 multiple choice Texas History 2301 Homework Assignments, 2 per unit, due during the semester. These are posted on Canvas, under Modules and are worth 25 percent of student’s final overall grade. Refer to unit lecture notes/PowerPoint/PDF slides posted within Canvas to complete homework assignments and these questions will be included on each unit exam. The homework assignments must be completed before the due date in order to review and study before the unit exam becomes available. The unit lecture notes/PowerPoint/PDF slides posted within Canvas are where 100 percent of the information for the homework and exams are found. The review covers the other information, from same lecture notes/PowerPoint/PDF slides, that will be on the exams that is not located in the homework assignments.  The lecture notes/PowerPoint/PDF slides in Canvas, under Modules, are meant to simplify and enhance the learning process. Late work is not accepted and students not completing the assignments by the due date, 11:59pm, will receive a zero. Only exception to this rule is for extreme circumstances, primarily a medical situation, and 1 late attempt may be allowed. Work must be completed individually, as it is not group work. Students will be allowed 2 submission attempts, with highest score recorded. Students will have 60 minutes, timed, once they begin and it cannot be paused or closed until completed.

There will be 1 essay due during the semester that will be posted on Canvas, under Modules. This essay is worth 10 percent of student’s overall grade in the course. The essay is required by the college and the department to assess learning outcomes. Specific Writing Instructions include the following: it must be type-written, with student’s first and last name at top. Student must read the primary resource that is provided in this assignment and write an essay. Follow the directions for the essay clearly explained n the instructions on this assignment. Use “I think”, “I believe” or “in my opinion” in this essay. Use of provided lecture notes is encouraged. Essay must be three to four pages in length, with multiple paragraphs, with a minimum of three sentences in each. College level work is expected and it must be individually completed only. It must be uploaded into Essay Drop Box in Canvas before due date (11:59pm). Emails are not accepted and it must be uploaded into Drop Box in Word or PDF Format. Google Docs and links do not work and must be converted to Word or PDF format. Do NOT change and save in viewer, as it will turn it into html. Essays with plagiarism greater than 25% will result in a ZERO. Students may make multiple submissions to get plagiarism under 25% or less. Best way to avoid plagiarism is to write in “your own words”. No Works Cited or Bibliography Page are required and the Essay document is uploaded in Canvas, under Modules.

ATTENDANCE POLICY                                                                                                                                                                  

Attendance is mandatory, will be taken, and recorded every day. Students must attend, expected to arrive on time, as class will begin on time, every day it meets throughout the current semester. Attendance, participation, punctuality and attitude will account for 5 percent of student’s overall grade. Only excused absences are for documented medical situation. Grade reductions will include any absence, arriving late, leaving early, and/or disrupting the class, electronics violations or anything else not appropriate in the classroom. Students are required to participate in class discussions, be prepared, take and/or edit notes and have a positive attitude. Tardiness and/or leaving early will affect 5 percent of the student’s final grade. Students will lose 5 points for every absence, 5 points for being late twice and 5 points for leaving early twice and partial point reductions will be applied. Only students registered and enrolled in the course are allowed to attend class and anyone not listed on the official class roster must leave immediately. After first day of class, discussion regarding attendance policy will be done in private. Number of absences will lead to reduction of points on each exam, as noted above. This is a face to face class and students are expected to attend regularly, prepared to learn and engage each in each classroom meeting.

ELECTRONIC POLICY                                                                                                                                                                   

Students are responsible for having access to proper technology, including electronics, internet, software and any other resources needed for successful completion of this college course. A computer or laptop crashing, the internet going down or any other issue is not an adequate reason for failing to complete assignments fully, accurately and by the due date. This electronics policy is non-negotiable. Students are required to manage their time effectively

LATE WORK POLICY                      _____________                                                                                                                     

Students are required to complete all assignments, including exams, homework and essay assignments fully and accurately by the posted due dates (11:59pm). All assignments are listed on Canvas calendar and in the posted tentative course schedule. It is student’s responsibility to fully complete all assignments on their own. Late work for exams, homework or essay assignments may be allowed only for extreme circumstances. This will require a reduction of points and/or allowing only 1 attempt permitted. No late work will be allowed during Final Exams week, regardless of circumstances.  Grades for course are due at end of week and there is no time for any late work.

INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR                                                                                                                                                       

Some behaviors have no place in a college classroom, such as using prejudicial or discriminatory language, cursing or bad language, inappropriate non-approved instructor group work, yelling, sleeping, snoring, not paying attention, studying for other courses, throwing objects, bringing smelly foods or other odors into classroom, distracting electronics of any sort (texting, listening to music), writing inappropriate letters and/or notes, constantly going in and out of the classroom, talking excessively with neighboring students instead of listening to instructor, constant distracting activity and anything that disrupts the learning environment and/or causes a negative situation. Any penalties may include a reduction in student’s grade by 15 points, being removed from course, turned into Dean’s office for disciplinary action and/or receiving a failing grade.

SCHOLASTIC INTEGRITY AND ACADEMIC ETHICS                                                                                                           

Scholastic dishonesty includes any violation of college rules, regulations and may be punishable as prescribed by Board policies. Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but is not be limited to collusion, cheating and/or plagiarism. Enrolled course individuals should read the online Student Handbook for more information.

COLLUSION/CHEATING/PLAGIARISM                                                                                                                                    

Collusion is intentionally aiding or attempting to aid another in an act of scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to, providing a paper or project to another student, giving answers to a classmate during an examination, allowing a classmate to copy one’s answers, non-instructor approved group work, and/or viewing or knowing about scholastic dishonesty, plagiarism and cheating and not reporting it to the instructor. Cheating is the willful giving or receiving of information in an unauthorized manner during an examination, using someone else’s work for the assignments as if it were one’s own, and/or any other dishonest means of attempting to fulfill the requirements of a course. This includes non-instructor approved group work, which is not allowed. All assignments are not to be copied, word for word, between students. Plagiarism is the use of an author’s words or ideas as if they were one’s own without giving credit to the source, including, but not limited to, failure to acknowledge a direct quotation. If collusion, cheating or plagiarism occurs, all students involved will receive a zero. 

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 provide resource information, disability-related information and adaptive technology for students who qualify. Students with disabilities are required to notify instructor for any accommodations that are needed, which must include a letter from OSD Office for current semester enrolled and must include all specific needs. For support, please go to one of following: Corinth Campus, Room 170 or call 940-498-6207 or Gainesville Campus, Room 110 or call 940-668-4321. Students on the Flower Mound, Bowie, Graham and/or 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/student-services/disability-services/index.html

See separate document posted on Canvas