Houston Community College Alief Campus GOVT 2306 Texas Politics Spring 2015 Instructor: Wanda Mullen Office: Faculty Work Room E-mail address: wanda.mullen@hccs.edu Office hours: By appointment or after 4pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays CRN: 44205 Class Days: Tuesdays and Thursdays Class Times: 12:30pm 2:00pm Credit Hours: 3 Classroom Location: B126 Required Textbook: Texas Politics (12 th edition) Newell, Prindle and Riddlesperger, Jr. Online References: Texas Tribune https://www.texastribune.org/ Core Objectives The Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) mandates that the core curriculum must ensure that students will develop the essential knowledge and skills they need to be successful in college, in a career, in their communities and in life. Through the Texas Core Curriculum, students will gain a foundation of knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world, develop principles of personal and social responsibility for living in a diverse world and advance intellectual and practical skills that are essential for all learning. Students enrolled in GOVT 2306 core curriculum courses will complete assessments designed to measure the following core objectives: Critical Thinking Skills To include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information. Communication Skills To include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication. Personal Responsibility To include the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making. Social Responsibility To include the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making. Student assessment of proficiencies mandated by THECB may include testing, projects or assignments.
Student Learning Outcomes Identify and describe the institutions of the State of Texas government. Identify and evaluate information sources for political news, data and opinion. Analyze the effects of the historical, social, political, economic and cultural forces on politics and government. Class Policy Attendance Students are expected to attend classes on a regular basis. A B C D F 1-2 absences 3 absences 4 absences 5 absences 6 absences If not in class before the completion of roll call, the student will be record as tardy. 3 tardies = 1 absence 3 early exits = 1 absence If the student must attend jury duty, a copy of the jury summons and certificate of participation must be submitted. There will be no distinction between excused or unexcused absences. Class Activities Group Oral Reports (Current events) Exams (3) Class debate Final Exam Attendance
Activities Grade Specifications Percent of Final Average 3 Exams 100 points each 30% (10% per exam) Final Exam 150 points 30% Group Oral Reports Letter grade by group 15% Class Debate Letter grade 15% Attendance Letter grade 10% Total 100% FINAL LETTER GRADE ASSIGNMENT: Final Average in Percent Grade A 90 100% B 80 89% C 70 79% D 60 69% F 59% and below Housekeeping Cell phones/beepers: Off during class discussions. No exceptions. Laptops/tablets: For note taking and class contributions only. Students with Disabilities Any student with a documented disability (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Service Office (713 718-5422) at the beginning of each semester. Faculty members are authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office.
Student Discipline Adult behavior is expected. Disruptive behavior/activities which interfere with teaching and /or learning will not be tolerated and may result in an administrative withdrawal without refund. Academic Honesty Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to: cheating on a test, plagiarism and collusion. Cheating on a test includes Copying from another student s test paper Using, during a test, materials not authorized by the person giving the test Collaborating with another student during a test without authority Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting or soliciting in whole or part, the contents of an unadministered test Bribing another person to obtain a test that is to be administered. Plagiarism means The appropriation of another s work and the unacknowledged incorporation of that work in one s own written work for credit. Collusion means The unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work offered for credit. Attendance / Withdrawal Policy HCC policy provides that students may be dropped after missing more than six hours of class time. However, the instructor chooses to waive this option. March 24, 2015 is the last day to withdraw from the class. Students who wish to be withdrawn must go to an advisor or may complete the online withdrawal form themselves. Students who stop attending class and who do not withdraw themselves, will be assigned the final grade of FX at the end of the semester. HCC will not disperse financial aid funding for students who have never attended class. Students who receive financial aid but fail to attend class will be reported to the Department of Education and may have to pay back their aid. A grade of FX is treated the same as an F in terms of GPA, probation, suspension and satisfactory academic progress.
Class Activities Schedule Week Activities 1 JAN 20 Greet and information sharing; Expectations; Group assignments JAN 22 Syllabus Overview; Chapter 2 (pg 41) Chapter 6 (pgs 178-181) 2 JAN 27 Chapter 4 (pgs 107-109); Chapter 3 (pgs 70-71, 82, 85) JAN 29 Group Report; Chapter 1 3 FEB 3 Group Report; Chapter 2 FEB 5 Group Report; Chapters 2 and 3 4 FEB 10 Group Report; Chapters 3 and 4 FEB 12 Group Report: Chapter 4 5 FEB 17 First Exam FEB 19 Review of First Exam; Chapter 5 6 FEB 24 Group Report; Chapter 5 FEB 26 Group Report; Chapter 6 7 MAR 3 Group Report; Chapters 6 MAR 5 Group Report; Chapter 6 8 MAR 10 MAR 12 9 MAR 17 MAR 19 Second Exam Review of Second Exam; Selection of Debate Teams and Topics Spring Break No Class Spring Break No Class 10 MAR 24 Group Report; Chapter 7 MAR 26 Group Report; Chapters 7 and 8 11 MAR 31 Group Report; Chapters 8 and 9
APR 2 Group Report; Chapter 9 12 APR 7 APR 9 Group Report; Chapter 9 (Chapter 10 optional) Third Exam 13 APR 14 Review of Third Exam; Chapter 11 APR 16 Group Report; Chapters 11 and 12 14 APR 21 Group Report; Chapter 12 and 13 APR 23 Class Debate 15 APR 28 Group Report; Chapter 13 APR 30 Group Report; Chapter 13 and 14 16 MAY 5 Group Report; Chapter 14 MAY 7 MAY 14 Semester Review; Last day of class Final Exam