SYLLABUS GOVT 2305 ONLINE CLASSES Fall CUMBA

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1 SYLLABUS GOVT 2305 ONLINE CLASSES Fall CUMBA Course Description: Origin and development of the U.S. Constitution, structure and powers of the national government, including the legislative, executive and judicial branches, federalism, political participation, the national election process, public policy, civil liberties and civil rights. Prerequisites: None. Course Goals: To impart an understanding of how our government works, how it impacts individuals and businesses and to foster a desire to become an involved citizen who participates in our democratic form of government and has an understanding of the major issues currently in the public arena. Instructor Information and Other Helpful Numbers: Ann Cumba: Cell Phone: (best phone number) Office: Home Phone: [email protected] IT Help Desk: Phone: [email protected] Textbook: None required. You will download PowerPoint notes inside the course (in the Desire to Learn Software, notes can be found under Content ). Testing: Some tests you will take in a proctored setting and some tests you will take on your own computer at a location of your choice. Two of the four major exams and two of the four current events tests are proctored tests where you have to show your Brazosport College ID. Brazosport students students will take the proctored exams in the Learning Services Testing Center, Room E-130. Angleton High School students can take their proctored exams in the Angleton High School Library or can come ib the BC campus and take the exams in the Learning Services Testing Center. I will post the exams a week before the deadline and you will schedule a convenient time during the week to take the exams. In the Learning Services Testing Center or in the Angleton High School library you can take the proctored exams on your own laptop computer just like you do at home or you can use the school s computers. If you use a college computer, you will need to be able to access your notes on the P drive or a flash drive. You will be allowed to use your notes on the proctored exams just like you can on the exams you take at home. If you live out of town, please see the information below about arranging proctored testing. 1

2 HOW TO TAKE EXAMS IN THE LEARNING SERVICES CENTER, ROOM E130 (LOCAL STUDENTS) To take an exam in Learning Services, you must have a Brazosport College Student ID. If you do not have an ID, go to the library first and have one made. Just tell the front desk you need one. They are free. Schedule your exam before you plan to take it. Don t just show up. Note that the testing center has limited space for testing. Some exam times will fill up, so the earlier you schedule the test the better. To schedule the exam, call Learning Services at They administer exams certain times of the day: Monday through Thursday 8, 10, 1, 5 and 7 and Friday 8 and 10. Go to the testing center at least 5 minutes before your scheduled time. Have your student ID ready and your cell phone turned off. HOW TO TAKE EXAMS AT OTHER SITES As soon as possible, find a testing center near you at another college or university sometimes public libraries will provide this service. Go there as soon as possible and make arrangements for testing. Learn their testing policies and get the name of a contract person at the institution get their phone number, fax number and where I can reach them. You will need to take your test on a computer you can bring your own or use one of their computers. The proctor will be advised that you can use your own computer and access your notes. You will be able to see your grade as soon as you complete the test. Course Management Software: Brazosport College uses Desire to Learn course management system. Right before the semester begins, D2L will be upgraded to a newer version so it may look slightly different than it looked in prior courses you have taken. You will access your course syllabus, PowerPoint notes, current events, discussion questions, and all tests via this software. Everything you need to do is located under the Content tab inside the D2L course. There are two formats for the course chapter notes (PowerPoint and pdf), and there are two formats for the weekly current events (Word and pdf). You will use PowerPoint and Word if you have Microsoft Office on your computer. You will use the pdf files if you don t. Pdf files require Adobe Reader which is a free download. Accessing the Course: Locate the Brazosport College Homepage: 2

3 At the bottom of the Brazosport College homepage, click on the gold Virtual Campus/D2L rectangle. The Login page will appear. Type your User Name (your ID is the first initial of your first name, full last name, and the last four digits of your student ID. (ex: jsmith2468) your student ID is a randomlygenerated number not your Social Security number. Type your password: If you are a new student, your initial password will be bcpin# - if you do not know your pin number, you will need to contact the IT Help Desk at or them at [email protected]. Desire to Learn can be loaded onto a smart phone. Contact the Help Desk if you have questions regarding how to do this. Students have told me that they don t recommend taking tests on a smart phone. Online Courses: Online courses require discipline and organization. It is imperative that you pace your progress so as to meet all course requirements and assignment deadlines. You will not have a teacher nagging you to get this done or that done. You will be able to see the due dates for each assignment on the home page under the calendar. If you have any questions about course materials or assignments, call your instructor IMMEDIATELY. If you are having technical problems with your computer, call the IT Help Desk IMMEDIATELY. The course is divided into five oneweek blocks that begin on a Monday and end the following Sunday. Everything for a week is due on Sunday by 11:30 p.m. Course Evaluations: 4 major exams over PowerPoint notes (can take twice 2 Proctored) 35% 4 current events tests [can take twice 2 Proctored) 30% 8 chapter quizzes [can take twice] 10% 3 Discussion Questions 10% 2 Papers 15% Makeup Tests: You will be allowed to make up only one test during the course the makeup can be for a quiz, a major exam or a current events test. Current Events: Each week, I will post Current Events (five weeks) you will take your first Current Events Test over Weeks 1-2, the second Current Events Test over Weeks 3-4, and the third Current Events Test over Week 5. Each Current Events Test can be taken twice with the highest grade counting. Discussion Questions: Three times during the course you will post a response to a discussion question I post on the discussion board. To respond to the discussion questions, click on the second Discussion Question 1 (the first Discussion Question 1 is the forum the second Discussion Question 1 is the topic where you post your paragraph). The first posting from me says Information from Instructor Read 3

4 First in my posting you will find information about the topic. Research the topic and post a one-paragraph response that will teach others in the class something new and interesting about the topic. Read what others have previously posted before you post your response to ensure that you do not repeat information. Do not cut and paste information from the internet use your own words. Grades will be assigned on content, creativity, how interesting, grammar and overall effort. After posting some researched information, feel free to post your opinion. Also, feel free to respond to anyone else s posting if so moved. Papers: You will write two 3-5 page papers on two assigned topics during the semester. The paper should use proper MLA formatting and include a Works Cited page at the end. Every students taking a government class at BC will be writing papers on these two topics. Papers will be submitted to the drop box in D2L. All papers are submitted to Turn-it-in.com for a plagiarism check. Participation in Gator Project (Optional): For the past several years Brazosport College has engaged in a study project during the Fall and Spring semesters related to increasing understanding of some of the barriers students face while pursuing a college education. In prior semesters we have looked at issues related to poverty, women, blacks, Hispanics and veterans. Participation in this project is optional and can replace one of the two unproctored major exams or one of the two unproctored current events tests. To replace a test with this project, you must complete ALL aspects of the project: Watch a documentary and participate in two discussion projects over the book (and when you sign up this time you will be required to successfully answer a short quiz over the book to ensure you read it). Some teachers require students to also write a short reflective essay I don t because I am already having you write two papers. Attendance is taken at each Gator Project event and I will be given a list of my students who attended each session. Be sure to properly sign in when you arrive. I have participated in every one of these projects and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. This semester we will be reading Lean-In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg, the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook. You will be able to purchase the book in the BC bookstore or you can order it from Amazon (see link below to Amazon): Academic Honesty: BC assumes that students eligible to perform on the college level are familiar with the ordinary rules governing proper conduct, including academic honesty. The principle of academic honesty is that all work presented by you is yours alone. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, and collusion. Academic dishonesty will be treated appropriately. Please refer to the BC Student Guide for more information. This is available online at Click on the CATALOGS AND SCHEDULES link under STUDENTS. Academic dishonesty violates both the policies of this course and the Student Code of Conduct. In this class, any occurrence of academic dishonesty will be 4

5 referred to the Dean of Student Services for prompt adjudication and will, at a minimum, result in a grade of zero on all assignments where it was determined that cheating occurred. Sanctions may be imposed beyond your grade in this course by the Dean of Student Services. Students with Disabilities: Brazosport College is committed to providing equal education opportunities to every student. BC offers services for individuals with special needs and capabilities, including counseling, tutoring, equipment, and software to assist students with special needs. Please contact Phil Robertson, Special Populations Counselor, for further information. Also, talk to me, your instructor, about how I can accommodate your special needs. 5