HIST 1112A and BModern World Civilization
Georgia Regents University Fall 2014
HIST 1112 A: 8.30-9.45 AM TR Allgood Hall E-257
HIST 1112 B 1 PM -2.15 PM TR Allgood Hall E-258
Instructor:Dr. McClelland-Nugent
Office Location:Allgood Hall E-210
Email: (NOTE: The address has the letter “l” and then the number “1" before the gru: rmcclel(one)@gru.edu )
Office Phone:706-737-1709
Office Hours:Wednesday 12-4 and by appointment
Important note: This syllabus is laid out according to the requirements of Georgia Regents University, not the preferences of your instructor. Required texts and the grading formula are on page 3. If you are looking for the course schedule, please turn to page 5.
Course Description
This class will acquaint you with the major outline of world history from the era of encounter through the end of the Cold War.
Course Goals
This class will leave you better able to understand current international events and trends by placing them in historical perspective.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to recognize and analyze major political/cultural/social figures, trends, and events from world history since 1500. This will be evidenced through tests, essays, and verbal in-class participation.
Pre-Requisites
This is a college-level class. You will practice college-level skills: reading and comprehending assigned material, writing clearly, and speaking intelligently in front of other people. If you are not ready to practice these skills at this time, then you are not ready to take this class. This is non-negotiable.Please note that this class has a significant workload. You are expected to spend about 6-9 hours per week working outside the class for every 3 hours of a week in class. It is your responsibility to plan your schedule accordingly. The workload is non-negotiable.
Teaching Methods
A typical class session will include lectures with Power Point or Prezi. Discussion and questions are encouraged. There may be some work in small groups in class. Study Questions are included for each reading and for each lecture, in order to help you prepare for the tests. There will also be discussion days for the books. This class requires significant independent work; lectures will complement, not replicate, the readings. In other words: you, and you alone, are responsible for keeping up with the reading; I will not be repeating that material in class. You are encouraged to ask questions about the reading.
Expectations
Attendance
Attendance is mandatory. There are no "excused" absences. You are allowed three absences without penalty. The fourth absence results in 2 points off of your final grade. The fifth, 3 more (5 total). The sixth results in an automatic failure for the class. This is non-negotiable. (If you miss a test or essay, please see the make-up policy below.)
Perfect attendance and the final exam
Those with perfect attendance (meaning NO absences for any reason) are excused from the final exam. This is a reward, not an entitlement. If you miss class for ANY reason, you do not receive this reward. This is a statement of fact, not a making a moral judgement; you have either been here every day or you have not. There may sometimes be very good reasons for you to miss class; I understand that! Again, this is not a judgement on your character, but rather a matter of record-keeping.
I provide this reward in order to emphasize the value of attendance. Being in class, participating and listening attentively, is of great pedagogical value, and I am willing to reward that.
Please do not ask for this reward if you were not factually, physically here every day. This is non-negotiable.
Lateness
Thank you, in advance, for being on time and ready to learn.Late entry to class is not permitted. It is a distraction to the entire learning community.Once I have taken attendance and begun the lecture or discussion (normally about 2 minutes into class time), you may not enter the class. The only exceptions to this are for physical disabilities requiring late entry, as verified through the disability services office of this university, or through another specific pre-arrangement with the instructor, designed to minimize the intrusion.Please note that I take attendance at the beginning of class. If you are not here for attendance, you will be marked absent. This is non-negotiable.If you attempt to enter class late, I will ask you to leave. If you argue with me, your participation mark immediately is reduced to a zero (10 points off the final grade.) If you refuse to leave, campus security will remove you and you will fail the course.
Leaving early
Leaving early, like lateness, is not normally permitted save in cases of emergency (going to work or other classes are not emergencies), because it is a distraction to others. Those found to be leaving class for non-emergency reasons will automatically lose 15% from their final grade, as this will be treated as academic dishonesty.
Visitors
While visitors are not normally a part of the class, you may request permission from the instructor to bring visitors in certain circumstances. If permission is granted, you are responsible for the behavior of your visitor. S/he may be asked to leave if s/he cannot adhere to appropriate classroom behavior as defined by the instructor.
Class Behavior and the Learning Environment.
Both the Faculty Manual and the Student Code of Conduct emphasize the professor’s duty to maintain a learning environment.
Thank you, in advance, for fostering a positive learning environment through your words and actions. It is a pleasure and a privilege to teach when everyone does their part to make our class a real learning community.
Any student whose actions disrupt this environment (as defined by me or others who may be instructing or proctoring) will be asked once to cease. Refusal to cease such behavior, arguing with the professor or other instructor, or a second disruption (of the same or different kind) will result in an ejection from the class and 10 points deducted from the student's final grade. Students will then be counseled and a report made to the chair. Further serious incident (as defined by the instructor) will result in an automatic F for the course. Guest lecturers and other visiting faculty have the same responsibility to maintain the learning environment in the instructor’s absence. Your co-operation with such persons is both required and appreciated; they have the same authority as the regular instructor.
Note: please also see the university statements regarding conduct and disruption in the student manual.
Computer
Computers for note-taking and e-readers for text consultation are the only electronic devices authorized for use in class. Those using computers must sit in the first row of class, unless special permission is granted by the instructor. Devices are authorized only for note-taking. You may not check your email, use Facebook, Twitter, or otherwise be online during class. Doing so is a violation of the behavior policy and will be treated as such. Other electronic devices must be OFF and securely stowed while you are in class. If a cell phone rings, the instructor reserves the right to answer it.
Meetings and Email:
If you need to meet with me, you are welcome to drop by my regularly scheduled office hours; I will normally be there, unless there is an emergency or I am conducting other official university business (like being in another meeting). You may also email me o phone the office to request an appointment.
I would like to help you if I can. If, for example, you are having trouble studying for tests, please arrange a conference and we’ll try to come up with a more effective strategy.
If you are going to email me, I try to respond within 1 or 2 business days, sometime during normal working hours (9-5 M-F). I may not see or respond to emails on the weekends or in the evening.
I respond most promptly to emails which include a greeting (“Hi Dr. McClelland-Nugent,” for example, or even “Dear Dr. McN” or perhaps “Hey Dr. Nugent” or maybe “Hello Dr. McNuge”). You should also include your name in the signature. It also helps if the e-mails are reasonably well-spelled and conform in general to English grammar. I don’t mind typos; the email does not have to be perfect. However, please do not send an email written as if it were a text, or tweet, or in-game chat, or a forum post. Those emails will be placed at the very bottom of my priorities list.
I reserve the right to completely ignore any email which addresses me as “Mrs” or by some other incorrect title. I also reserve the right to ignore any email from students that calls me by my first name, or calls me by some other name entirely. You are obviously looking for someone else, and I will assume you sent me the email by mistake. (“Mrs. Nugent” is my mother, and she is deceased, so you are out of luck on that one.)
Texts and Resources
- TraditionsEncounters:ABriefGlobalHistory,VolumeII
- King Leopold’s Ghost
- AlltheShah'sMen:AnAmericanCoupandtheRootsofMiddleEastTerror
These texts are required.
You are also expected to use D2L for additional handouts, study guides, and in order to view grades.
Grading
3Tests(matching, multiple choice, occasional short essay)@15% each=45%
1 final examination (multiple choice)=15%
2 Essay Quizzes@15 % each= 30%
Participation and Preparedness= 10%
1
Note: failure to turn in any assignment or complete any test, exam, or essay, will result in an automatic fail for the class.
Reading Schedule
Reading should be COMPLETED the day it is listed in the syllabus. Study questions and pointers are provided to help you get more out of the reading. Test questions over readings, and any pop quizzes, will be based on these guides. The reading load is non-negotiable.
Tests and Final
Tests will draw on ALL material for this class; you are responsible for all material in the assigned reading, whether or not we cover it in class. Each tests covers one unit; only the final exam is comprehensive. You are also responsible for all lecture materials, as well as films and anything else presented in class. One of the tests will include an essay component. All tests are non-negotiable. No notes or other study aids are authorized for use on tests. Study questions are provided on D2L; you are encouraged to use them!
In-Class Essay Quizzes
You will write in-class essay tests on two assigned books: Tastes of Paradise and King Leopold’s Ghost. No notes or texts are authorized for this essay.
Make-Up Tests and Essays
ALL MAKE-UPS WILL BE GIVEN DURING THE LAST WEEK OF CLASS. Make-ups for tests will only be given for absences with written documentation related to the following: medical emergencies with proper documentation, immediate family emergencies with the proper documentation, military obligations with the proper documentation, school-related activities (sports, performances, travel required for courses, etc) with the proper documentation. Other documented emergency situations may be considered at the instructor’s discretion.
Late work
I do not normally accept late work. If you would like an extension, you must ask before the due date; I am very flexible about extensions. However, I cannot grant them on the due date, save in a bona fide emergency situation (which will be considered as for make-ups, above.)
Participation and Preparedness
Participation and preparedness reflect your readiness for class on a daily basis.
This is not a “gimme” grade. Very, very, few students earn an A on this grade (9 or 10). C is an average grade, and most students receive it (7). Just as some people do well on multiple choice exams (and others have difficulty), and some excel at essay tests (while others dread them), some people will do very well in this regard, and others will not.
Participation and preparedness requires making verbal contributions. Simple attendance does not grant points for participation and preparedness. It is quite possible to show up every day and receive a zero for this grade. Being silent every day, even if you are there every day, will not push your mark above a C. Conversely, it is possible to miss class occasionally and still receive a good participation grade because of excellent overall participation. I also reserve the right to give pop quizzes and/or assignments as a part of this grade.
Things you can do to better your participation grade include, but are not limited to:
*Participate in class discussions
*Participate actively in any group work
*Answer written or verbal questions about the assigned reading
*Turn in any pop assignments/quizzes
*Ask meaningful questions
*Be aware of what is going on in the class and actively follow all material
Things that will lower your participation grade include (but are not limited to):
*Sleeping in class
*Working on other assignments in class
*Reading websites, books, or other material when class is in session
*Leaving class early
*Talking to those around you
*Texting, Tweeting, or using Facebook in class
*Using phones, PDAs, or other electronic devices in class
*Being rude or disruptive in any way
*Being inattentive in any way
*Being unprepared to answer questions about the reading
*Not working in groups or participating in discussions
Certain behaviors result in an automatic zero for your participation grade; see “ Class Behavior” above.
Academic Honesty
Please consult the official GRU policy on academic conduct:
Always demonstrate respect for yourself and for the entire university grading system: do not cheat. I expect the highest ethical standards from all students at Georgia Regents. Please do not disappoint me.
Academic dishonesty might include:
·cutting and pasting ANYTHING from the Internet for an assignment
·copying from a book or article or other published source
· having someone else sign an attendance sheet for you or otherwise being deceptive about attendance
·copying from an unpublished source
·using someone else’s words and not putting quote marks around them AND providing a footnote or endnote or other reference
· falsifying documents relating to a class absence, or otherwise being deceptive about leaving class
·using someone else’s words and changing a few words here and there
·using quote marks but not including full citations (page numbers, etc.) in a research paper or other take-home assignment
·putting something in your own words but not giving documentation to show where you got the information on a research paper or other take-home assignment
·faking your footnotes
· using notes or summaries instead of reading a book
· Soliciting a paper, assignment, or other out-of-class work from other people, in any way
· Soliciting test or exam information from other people, in any way
Those found using unapproved test aids (paper notes, websites, electronic notes, other students’ papers, etc.) will minimally receive a 0 for the test, be counseled, and have a letter placed with the head of the history department. Those collaborating in any other form of cheating will be treated in the same fashion, minimally losing 15 points from their final grade. It is also possible to receive a greater punishment via the Dean of this college or the VP for student affairs. These might include failing the class and/or being ejected from the university.
You must leave your cell phone, PDA, and other electronic devices at home or in your car during tests and the final, or securely stow them in a CLOSED bag or pocket where they cannot be seen or accessed. Those with any electronic devices on their persons during a test may be considered in possession of test aids, and may be treated accordingly as academically dishonest. You may always leave books, notes, or electronic devices with me for the duration of the test if you wish.
Special needs
You are welcome to visit my office to discuss any problems or questions you have, whether or not they are related to class. I will steer you in the direction of the appropriate campus resources as best I can. Those with writing or other tutoring questions are urged to visit the Writing Center. For help managing your schedule, dealing with stress, or if you’re just feeling overwhelmed, there is the Counseling Center. Services are FREE and confidential.
Disabilities/Accommodations:Students with disabilities enrolled in this course and who may need disability-related classroom accommodations are encouraged to make an appointment to see me before the end of the second week of the term. All discussions will remain confidential, although the Student Accessibility Services office may be consulted to discuss appropriate implementation of any accommodation requested.
If you have not already done so, and you need accommodations, you are urged to visit Student Accessibility Services immediately. Accommodations must be arranged through their services.