Instructor: David Paul Haney, Ph.D.

Email: dhaney@austincc.edu

VIRTUAL OFFICE HOURS

These hours will be held by appointment in Blackboard's Zoom feature. At the prearranged time, click the Zoom link in Bb, then click the link to the appointment.

COLLEGE POLICIES AND STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

These policies and resources can be found here, and this link will also be made available in Blackboard.

(Services such as online tutoring, academic coaching, library services, food assistance, emergency financial support, mental-health counseling, crisis hotlines, and other resources are included in the lower half of the page linked above.)

COURSE OBJECTIVE
This course surveys the major developments in the history of the United States and its people since 1877.

COURSE ORIENTATION

To complete the orientation, please read this syllabus and complete the "Student Info and Questions" Form.

ACC's admissions office now requires the submission of an "attendance certification" from the faculty, and in a distance-learning course, required student contacts like the one involving this personal info form suffice as evidence of student "attendance." Under this faculty-reporting directive, a student's failure to fulfill the attendance requirement described above causes ACC's registration system to impose an automatic withdrawal from the course!

You can verify that I have received your completion of the Student Information Form by checking your "Grades" category in Blackboard, where I will mark a column with the notation "Received" for those students who have already sent theirs.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This section is a distance-learning version of the standard United States History survey course. The student will be required to do the same amount of work and the same quality of work as students enrolling in the classroom equivalent of the course. This course is designed for mature and capable students who possess self-discipline, responsibility, regular and active reading habits, and knowledge of personal computers and the Internet.  This learning style survey is a good device for determining one's suitability for a distance course.

The workload in this course is equivalent to that of a 16-week college course, whether its session length is 5, 6, 8, or 12 weeks. Students who earn a C or higher in it can transfer that credit to a public university in Texas (UT, Texas State, Texas Tech, A&M), and thus its workload is comparable to that of its university-level version.

ACC Student Services now offers distance learning students a variety of forms of assistance with their distance learning experience.  Click here for more information.

Also, for Early College Start students, keep in mind that I am prohibited by the Family Educational Records Privacy Act of 1974 from communicating with parents or anyone other than my students, so contact me directly.

Please take note: The Family Educational Records Privacy Act also prohibits faculty from discussing specific grade matters with students by e-mail, since e-mail is neither a private nor a secure mode of communication.  Students are therefore asked to send questions about test scores and course grades through the "Messages" function in the Blackboard system.  (After logging in, choose the "Control Panel" link and then click the "Messages" option.)  It is then a good idea to send me an e-mail to alert me that a message is waiting for me there.

Transferability of workforce courses varies. Students interested in transferring courses to another college should speak with their Area of Study (AoS) advisor, Department Chair, and/or Program Director.

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGY

This course includes assignments of textbook chapters and primary-source documents, on-line testing, the presentation through recorded lectures of special topics containing a large amount of multi-media material (art, photography, advertising and propaganda, film clips, sound recordings, etc), and individualized online consultations with the instructor.

ON-LINE LECTURE TOPICS

As indicated above, each of the four units of this course will include a series of recordings of lecture topics (3 to 4 max.), which will be posted in each unit's study guide. These recordings will be devoted to the course's principal historical topics and will usually include a substantial amount of art, advertising, photography, political documents, sound recordings, and film clips. Each recorded lecture will range in length from around 80 to 90 minutes, and they will not merely recapitulate the content of the textbook -- their content will overlap significantly with that of the textbook, but a significant share of the material covered will not be found in the book.
 

COURSE RATIONALE

The Texas legislature requires students to take 6 hours of American history to graduate from an institution of higher learning in Texas. This course helps fulfill that requirement. Students taking History 1302 can expect to improve their reading and writing competencies, critical thinking skills, research skills, etc., all of which help students better succeed in life outside academia.

Upon completion of the general education component of an associate’s degree, students will demonstrate competence in:

• Civic and Cultural Awareness - Analyzing and critiquing competing perspectives in a democratic society; comparing, contrasting, and interpreting differences and commonalities among peoples, ideas, aesthetic traditions, and cultural practices
   
• Critical Thinking - Gathering, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating and applying information.
   
• Personal Responsibility - Identifying and applying ethical principles and practices; demonstrating effective learning, creative thinking, and personal responsibility.
   
• Written, Oral and Visual Communication - Communicating effectively, adapting to purpose, structure, audience, and medium.

COMMON COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing History 1302 the student should be able to:

1. Describe how Anglo-American settlement of the west impacted the lives of women, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans and African Americans.
2. Identify the major industries of the 19th century American West.
3. Explain the rise of the major industries in the 19th century United States.
4. Describe the effects of 19th century industrialization on labor unions, women and minorities.
5. Describe the social effects of urbanization on the 19th century United States.
6. Explain the major events of Gilded Age politics.
7. Describe the rise of the American overseas empire by 1900.
8. Identify the main political, social, intellectual and economic effects of Progressivism on American society.
9. Compare and contrast the “Square Deal,” the “New Nationalism” and the “New Freedom” programs.
10. Explain the background of and U.S. participation in World War I.
11. Describe how World War I transformed the roles of women, African Americans and Hispanic Americans.
12. Explain how the 1920s changed American society politically, socially and economically.
13. Identify the major writers of the 1920s.
14. Describe the causes of and results of the Great Depression.
15. Identify the changes in American politics and society brought about by the New Deal.
16. Explain the effects of American foreign policy in the 1920s and 1930s and the coming of World War II.
17. Describe the social, economic and political effects of World War II on American society.
18. Evaluate the major causes and effects of the Cold War on America from 1945 to 1960.
19. Describe the key events of the 1950s and their effects on American society with special emphasis on McCarthy and civil rights.
20. Compare and contrast the “New Frontier” and “Great Society” programs.
21. Examine the American involvement in Vietnam and the effect of that war on American society.
22. Describe the Republican Resurgence and the effects of Watergate.
23. Evaluate the effects of the 1980s on American society.
24. Describe the effects of the end of the Cold War in 1989.
25. Evaluate the results of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on American politics and society.
26. Describe the impact of the election of Barack Obama to the presidency in 2008.

COMPUTER ACCESS REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS COURSE

Each exam in this course will require the use of a computer that can access the Blackboard system and download and utilize the Respondus Lockdown Browser (described under "Testing Policies and Procedures" below). Computers must also be equipped with a working webcam.

Students must have administrative login permission on the computer equipment they intend to use for testing, so that they can download the lockdown browser. This means that Chromebooks issued to students by high schools are likely to prevent the downloading of the security software used during testing in this course.  Those who only have access to a school-issued Chromebook during this session should consult the "Testing Policies and Procedures" category below for testing alternatives.

Students in need of computer equipment may be able to check out an iPad from ACC.  For more information, go to iPad Distribution: Student Support and complete a Student Technology Access Form.

Austin Community College now provides free, secure drive-up WiFi to students and employees in the parking lots of all campus locations. WiFi can be accessed seven days a week, 7 am to 11 pm.  Additional details are available at https://www.austincc.edu/coronavirus/drive-up-wifi

RECORDING POLICY

To ensure compliance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), student recording of class lectures or other activities is generally prohibited without the explicit written permission of the instructor and notification of other students enrolled in the class section.  Exceptions are made for approved accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Recording of lectures and other class activities may be made by faculty to facilitate instruction, especially for classes taught remotely through BlackBoard Collaborate or another platform.  Participation in such activities implies consent for the student to be recorded during the instructional activity.  Such recordings are intended for educational and academic purposes only.

PERSONALLY-COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS IN THIS COURSE

The study questions and learning objectives included in each of the four study guides in this course are, explicitly, my copyrighted material, and thus they are accompanied by the following language: "All rights reserved. Any publication, public online posting, and/or distribution of this material without the author's express written consent is prohibited."  Therefore, please note that I will withdraw from the course any student who violates this policy, and that there is unlikely to be a "take-down" warning beforehand.

STUDENT E-MAIL ACCOUNTS

All College e-mail communication to students will be sent solely to the student’s ACCmail account, with the expectation that such communications will be read in a timely fashion. ACC will send important information and will notify students of any college- related emergencies using this account. Students should only expect to receive email communication from their instructor using this account. Likewise, students should use their ACCmail account when communicating with instructors and staff. Information about ACC email accounts, including instructions for accessing it, are available here.

Every student who registers for an ACC course receives an ACC e-mail account, and since I will use the Blackboard on-line system on occasion to send out announcements to the entire course enrollment, it is important that every student establish access to his or her ACC e-mail account and check that account regularly. However, because many students prefer to continue using their preexisting personal or institutional e-mail accounts and are therefore unlikely to check their ACC e-mail addresses on a regular basis, I recommend that those students set up their ACC e-mail account to forward messages to the account they use daily.

To ensure student privacy, I request that students send all e-mail messages to me through their ACC e-mail accounts. If I receive a message from a non-ACC address, I have no reliable means of confirming that it has actually been sent by one of my students.

E-mail messages to me should contain complete sentences, punctuation, and the full spellings of words. It also helps for me to receive a student's enrollment information within a message, so that I can determine quickly which course and section the student is taking.

ACC students can now use choose the first names they would like to appear in their e-mail messages using the "My ACC" portal.  (Click here for more information -- the change is permanent and should be approached accordingly.)

TESTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Each test will consist of questions drawn from the learning objectives, study questions, and guidelines found in the unit Study Guides posted in the Blackboard system.

Testing in this course is intended to assess students' acquired knowledge, not their spontaneous information-retrieval skills. Therefore, all tests must be taken without the use of external materials (notes, textbook, phones, etc.).

Gaining access to the tests will require the use of a lockdown browser that prevents test-takers from printing, copying, going to another URL, or accessing other applications during a test.  In order to gain access to the tests, you must download the lockdown browser here, and use it to take them. (Users of iPads: Click here.)

Chromebooks can now use the lockdown browser, but they must download the Chromebook-compatible lockdown browser here. (Please note that students who are using Chromebooks issued by their high schools are likely to be prohibited from downloading the lockdown browser software by their units' administrative settings.)

Several academic institutions discourage their students from using Internet Explorer for Blackboard testing due to compatibility issues, so as a precaution, plan to use Firefox, Safari, or Chrome instead.

The information below supplies information for those who need to find an alternative to their existing equipment for testing purposes:

• Students in need of computer equipment can check out an iPad from ACC.  For more information, go to Student Technology Services, where distribution times and an application form are available.
• Another option is to take the tests in the ACCelerator facility at the Highland, Rio Grande, Round Rock, or San Gabriel campus. The ACCelerator contains Apple computer units that have the lockdown browser and cameras. For more information (hours, resources), check out the ACCelerator home page and the Student Technology Access page.
• Finally, the alternative to the proctoring software in use in this course is live proctoring, which ACC offers students on an appointment basis using the Google Meet platform. Information on hours available and the scheduling procedure are available here. (Note that a two-day advance notice is required for the processing of a scheduling request.)

Testing will also include the use of Respondus Monitor, a Blackboard feature that serves as an "automated proctor" by using a student's webcam to record and analyze the testing process for any evidence of academic dishonesty (consulting one's notes, making phone calls, looking up answers on an auxiliary device like a smartphone, etc.). Therefore, it is vital that the device that a student plans to use for testing possess a working webcam.

TROUBLESHOOTING PROBLEMS WITH TEST ACCESS

Technical problems with the lockdown browser and proctoring software occur occasionally, and I always do what I can to assist in resolving them. However, I am not a technical-support specialist, and thus the ultimate responsibility for resolving such access issues lies with the student. It is imperative that the following troubleshooting steps be kept in mind:

(1) Make sure that you're actually using the lockdown browser to access Blackboard (i.e., not Safari, Chrome, Firefox, etc.). The test is only accessible when you click on the lockdown browser icon and open up the program.

(2) Check to make sure that you don't have an antivirus program running that could interfere with the lockdown browser.

(3) If you are using Internet Explorer as your browser, switch to Firefox, Chrome, or Safari for testing.

(4) Shut off and restart your computer.

(5) Make sure that all other applications are closed before launching the lockdown browser.

(6) Throw the lockdown browser program in the trash, empty the trash, and download a new copy of it.

(7) Explain your situation to the Student Services Help Desk.   You can communicate with its staff at helpdesk@austincc.edu or at 512-223-4636, option 8, and let me know what they recommend, so that I can pass it on to anyone else who is experiencing access problems of this type.

(8) Take the test in the ACCelerator at the Highland Campus (Building 1000, ground floor). The ACCelerator contains Apple computer units that have the lockdown browser and cameras. For more information (hours, resources), check out the ACCelerator home page.

(9) If you have access to another computer, use that. Otherwise, consider borrowing an iPad from ACC. Contact Student Technology Services, and complete a Student Technology Request form (linked lower down on the STS page, under "How to Request Technology").

(10) The alternative to the proctoring software in use in this course is live proctoring, which ACC offers students on an appointment basis using the Zoom platform. Information on hours available and the scheduling procedure are available here.

TESTING DEADLINES

Each test must be completed by the date and time listed with it below:

Test 1 (20% of course grade): Monday, October 14 at 11:59 p.m.

Test 2 (20% of course grade): Monday, November 4 at 11:59 p.m.

Test 3 (20% of course grade): Monday, November 25 at 11:59 p.m.

Test 4 (20% of course grade): Sunday, December 15 at 11:59 p.m.

Analytical paper (see explanation below, under "Grading"): Sunday, December 15 at 11:59 p.m.

RETESTING AND MAKEUP TESTING

A retest option (a second attempt at the test) is available after the posted deadline for each initial test expires. (Note that "a second attempt" means just that, rather than additional attempts after the second one.)

These retests are worth the same maximum amount of credit as the initial tests (100 points). In large part, this policy exists due to the fact that distance testing (and our current lack of access to ACC's highly-reliable campus testing centers for testing) has created a situation in which technical problems with students' personal computer equipment occur with significant frequency during testing. Thus, if a student experiences such technical problems during initial testing, and the problem cannot be resolved in time for the test to be completed before its officially-posted deadline, the retest becomes an opportunity to replace that outcome with a second chance to complete the test in its entirety.

Retests will be made available via a Blackboard link separate from the one for the initial tests. Retest scores (on either or both parts of a given test) will replace initial attempts only if they are higher (individually).

However, retesting on a given unit is available only for those who took that unit's initial test by its posted deadline. If a posted testing deadline is missed (for any reason, including illness, personal emergencies, travel, and technical problems that interfere with testing and cannot be resolved by the deadline), the retest becomes a makeup test. (This means that a given test can be taken after its posted deadline, but that it can be taken only a single time.)

Retests remain accessible until the last minute of the last day of the session.

INSTRUCTOR-INITIATED WITHDRAWALS

If the instructor concludes that missed testing deadlines pose a serious risk to a student's ability to pass the course, he reserves the right to withdraw that student from the course. Therefore, students are encouraged, but not required, to supply documentation explaining any testing deadlines missed, and this information will inform the instructor's decision as to whether a withdrawal is warranted.

GRADING

The student's final course grade is determined by the quality and quantity of the student's work, and it will be based solely upon the performance on the assignments and assessments described above. (No extra-credit work is available in this course.) The following requirements are non-negotiable:

For the grade of "C": A student must take all 4 tests and make an overall test average of 70%. Failure to meet these requirements will result in the grade of "F". There are no further requirements.

For the grade of "B": A student must take all 4 tests and make an overall test average of 80% AND complete the analytical paper (instructions and topic options will be provided in Blackboard when the session begins).

For the grade of "A": A student must take all 4 tests and make an overall test average of 90% AND complete the analytical paper (instructions and topic options will be provided in Blackboard when the session begins).

At any point during the session, students may calculate their current averages by adding up the points earned on the tests they've completed (substituting any retests scores that exceeded the initial scores), and dividing that sum by the total points possible on those tests. (Thus, for example, a calculated result of .85 would become 85%.)

STUDENT DISABILITIES

Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Student Accessibility Services office on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes. Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the semester.

ACADEMIC SUPPORT

ACC offers academic support services on all of its campuses. These services, which include online tutoring, academic coaching, and supplemental instruction, are free to enrolled ACC students. Tutors are available in a variety of subjects ranging from accounting to pharmacology. Students may receive these services on both a drop-in and a referral basis.
 
An online tutor request can be made here.

Additional tutoring information can be found here.

STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Austin Community College values academic integrity in the educational process. Acts of academic dishonesty/misconduct undermine the learning process, present a disadvantage to students who earn credit honestly, and subvert the academic mission of the institution. The potential consequences of fraudulent credentials raise additional concerns for individuals and communities beyond campus who rely on institutions of higher learning to certify students' academic achievements, and expect to benefit from the claimed knowledge and skills of their graduates. Students must follow all instructions given by faculty or designated college representatives when taking examinations, placement assessments, tests, quizzes, and evaluations. Actions constituting scholastic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, collusion, falsifying documents, or the inappropriate use of the college’s information technology resources. Further information is available at https://www.austincc.edu/about-acc/academic-integrity-and-disciplinary-process.

Acts prohibited by the College for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work. Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their own thought, research or self-expression. Academic work is defined as, but is not limited to, tests, quizzes (whether taken electronically or on paper); individual or group projects; classroom presentations, and homework. A student discovered to have violated the academic integrity policy described above will receive an F in the course.

Academic dishonesty includes:

• Communicating exam information to, or receiving such information from, another person;
• Using, attempting to use, or assisting others in using materials that are prohibited during an exam, such as: cellphones, books, Web sites, prepared answers, written notes, or concealed information;
• Allowing others to do one's exam or assignment or a portion of one's exam or assignment;
• Using a commercial term paper service;
• Purchasing or otherwise acquiring written work that is not your own, and then submitting it as your own;
• Posting copyrighted course material on the Internet, on sites such as Study Blue or Quizlet (all material in this course is copyrighted)
• Taking an online test with the camera obstructed or pointed away from your face.

Plagiarism is defined as using another's work (whether printed, electronic, or spoken) without crediting the person or copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up most of your work, whether you give credit or not.

All of the following are considered plagiarism:

• submitting someone else's work as your own;
• copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit;
• paraphrasing words or ideas from someone else without giving credit;
• failing to put a quotation in quotation marks;
• giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation with the intention of deceiving;
• changing words but copying the organization and structure of a source without giving credit;
• Prompting an AI text-generating platform to produce textual material and presenting that material as one’s own written work.

To help avoid plagiarism:  read over your source, then close the book (or close the browser if it’s online).  THEN write notes about what you’ve read.  This will help to ensure that you’re not copying or completely paraphrasing your source.  Paraphrasing is ok to do but on a VERY limited basis.  You cannot paraphrase entire paragraphs or sections of your papers or exam essays – because then it wouldn’t be YOUR work.  Write the information in your own words.

STUDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Students at ACC have the same rights and protections as those guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States. These rights include freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, petition and association. As members of the community, students have the right to express their own views, but must also take responsibility for according the same rights to others and not interfere or disrupt the learning environment. Students are entitled to fair treatment, are expected to act consistently with the values of the college, and obey local, state and federal laws.

As a student of Austin Community College you are expected to abide by the Student Standards of Conduct.

WITHDRAWING FROM THE COURSE

Withdrawing from a course may affect financial aid, veterans benefits, international student status, or academic standing. Students are urged to consult with their instructors or an advisor before making schedule changes. Per state law, students enrolling for the first time in fall 2007 or later at any Texas college or university may not withdraw (receive a W) from more than six courses during their undergraduate college career. Some exemptions for good cause could allow a student to withdraw from a course without having it count toward this limit. Students are encouraged to carefully select courses; contact an advisor or counselor for assistance. See the Student Handbook for additional information.

If you find that you are unable to continue taking the course, you should withdraw from it in order to avoid being assigned a failing grade. Withdrawal is accomplished by completing a withdrawal form available at a campus Admissions and Records office. The responsibility for withdrawing lies with the student. If one fails to withdraw, an F will be entered for the final course grade.  The last day to withdraw from a course in the second summer 5-week session is Thursday, November 21.

INCOMPLETE GRADES

Students may request an Incomplete from their faculty member if they believe circumstances warrant it. The faculty member will determine whether the Incomplete is appropriate to award or not. The following processes must be followed when awarding a student an I grade:

1. Prior to the end of the semester in which the “I” is to be awarded, the student must meet with the instructor to determine the assignments and exams that must be completed prior to the deadline date. This meeting can occur virtually or in person. The instructor should complete the Report of Incomplete Grade form.
2. The faculty member will complete the form, including all requirements to complete the course and the due date, sign (by typing in name) and then email it to the student. The student will then complete his/her section, sign (by typing in name), and return the completed form to the faculty member to complete the agreement. A copy of the fully completed form can then be emailed by the faculty member to the student and the department chair for each grade of Incomplete that the faculty member submits at the end of the semester.
3. The student must complete all remaining work by the date specified on the form above. This date is determined by the instructor in collaboration with the student, but it may not be later than the final withdrawal deadline in the subsequent long semester.
4. Students will retain access to the course Blackboard page through the subsequent semester in order to submit work and complete the course. Students will be able to log on to Blackboard and have access to the course section materials, assignments, and grades from the course and semester in which the Incomplete was awarded.
5. When the student completes the required work by the Incomplete deadline, the instructor will submit an electronic Grade Change Form to change the student’s performance grade from an “I” to the earned grade of A, B, C, D, or F.
 

If an Incomplete is not resolved by the deadline, the grade automatically converts to an “F.” Approval to carry an Incomplete for longer than the following semester or session deadline is not frequently granted.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

The required textbook is Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty, Volume 2 (Seagull Edition).  Be sure it's Volume * 2 *  (Volume 1 contains the material for HIST 1301, not 1302.)

The ACC bookstore currently stocks the 7th edition, and the publisher's "ebook" version (also linked in Blackboard) is also the 7th edition. A used copy of the 6th Edition is also a perfectly acceptable alternative to either of those editions, and copies are widely available for low prices on-line.

Students will not need any “access code” that comes with the book when it is purchased new. 

This textbook is also available for check-out in two-hour intervals in the Round Rock Campus library.

ON-LINE DOCUMENT READING ASSIGNMENTS

Each unit of the course includes a selection of on-line documents, each of which is paired with a set of study questions.  Exam will be drawn directly from these study questions, so it is highly recommended that students make use of them, particularly by marking hard copies of the documents where the answers to these questions reside.  Links to these documents can be found in the Study Guides in the Blackboard system.

1. Big Business and the Modern Corporation

2. The Cultures of the Industrial City: Immigrant Workers

3. The Cultures of the Industrial City: The Middle Class

4. The Social, Economic, and Political Turmoil of the 1890s

5. The Evolution of U.S. Imperialism

6. The Birth of Modern American Music and Art

7. The Progressive Movement

8. World War I

9. The "Modern" Culture of the 1920s 

10. Economic Weaknesses of the '20s; The Depression Experience in the Early '30s

11. The Evolution of Modern Liberalism: The First New Deal

12. The Evolution of Modern Liberalism: The Second New Deal

13. World War II and the Birth and Escalation of the Cold War

14. McCarthyism and the Red Scare

15. The Civil Rights Movement

16. Liberalism in the 1960s

17. The Vietnam War

18. The 1960s Student Movement and the Counterculture

19. Nixon, Vietnam, and Watergate

20. The Multicultural Explosion of the 1970s

21. The Rise of Modern Conservatism

22. U.S. Foreign Policy after Vietnam

23. The Resurgence of Economic Inequality

COURSE STUDY GUIDES

The Study Guides (posted in Blackboard) provide a breakdown of the material assigned for each of the four units of the course, as well as links to learning objectives to guide the readings.  (Please note on the Study Guide that these learning objectives are not designed to create extra work for students; in fact, they should result in less work, because they direct the reader's attention to particular elements within the reading assignments, rather than leaving the reader to attempt to master every last detail of those readings.)