Syllabus Government 2306: Texas State and Local Government: 3 Credit Hours / 0 Lab Hours GOVT 2306: Fall Semester 2015; Houston Community College - Central Campus, 1300 Holman Street: Fall 2015 CRN 71040 M/W 10am Room 202 San Jacinto Bldg.; Fall 2015 CRN 71041 M/W 11:30am Room 202 EDC Bldg.; Fall 2015 CRN 71043 T/ TR 1pm Room 202 San Jacinto Bldg. All above listed classes are 16 Weeks of Instruction. In person course instruction includes Lecture, Simulation, and Discussion of material content. HCC Catalog Course Description: http://www.hccs.edu/district/about-us/catalog/course-descriptions/ Notice Of Students Responsibility To Read the HCC Student Handbook: http://central.hccs.edu/students/student-handbook/ Instructor: Eric Schneider Email: eric.schneider@hccs.edu Contact the professor at phone # 713-718-6821. It is preferable the students use email to contact the professor. Course Description: A study of the Context of Texas Politics; The Texas Constitutional Setting; Sigs Special Interest Groups, Political Parties; Voting, Campaigns and Elections; The Texas Legislature, The Texas Governor; The Texas Administrative (Bureaucracy) State; The Texas Judiciary; The Substance of Justice; Local Government; The Texas Economy and the Financing of State Government; Public Policy People; Public Policy Resources; all under the State Level of Government. Course Prerequisites: Must be placed into college-level reading and college-level writing. Course Objectives: The main objective of the course is to broaden and deepen our understanding of American politics. This objective has at least three parts. First: to develop a body of shared knowledge about American politics. Second: to become acquainted with and understand a number of important concepts and theories with which to make sense of American politics. Third: to develop some of the skills necessary to the understanding and practice of American politics. Student learning objectives in GOVT 2306: Students will be able to do the following: Explain the origin and development of the Texas constitution. Describe State and Local political systems and their relationship with the Federal Government. Describe Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances in both theory and practice in Texas. Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of Texas Government. Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties in Texas. Analyze the state and local election processes. Identify the rights and responsibilities of citizens. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas. Demonstrate the ability to read and evaluate government documents and data critical to the study of Texas government and politics. Articulate contrasting points of view on one or more major political issues. Use online data sources to describe and critically evaluate the budgetary policies of the state of Texas, and local governments in Harris County.
Demonstrate the political knowledge to understand what is being reported/discussed in the media. Describe and evaluate the impact of government on the lives of individuals and society as a whole. Compare and contrast the institutions of American national government with those of the state of Texas. Identify and evaluate information sources for political news, data, and opinion. Core Objectives (2305 and 2306) 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 2305/2306 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. Government Program Student Learning Outcomes 1. Identify and describe the institutions of American national government. GOVT 2302/2305 2. Identify and describe the institutions of the State of Texas government. GOVT 2302/2306 3. Identify and evaluate information sources for political news, data, and opinion. GOVT 2306 4. Analyze the effects of the historical, social, political, economic, and cultural forces on politics and government. GOVT 2306 5. Recognize and assume the responsibilities of citizenship by developing one s critical thinking skills, engaging in public discourse, and by obtaining information through the news media. GOVT 2305 Course Requirements: See Grading. Make-up Policy: Exams: make-up is possible only with legitimate excuse. Grading Scale: See Grading. Instructional Methods: This class will consist of lectures and class discussions. Course Attendance and Withdrawal Policy: Attendance will be taken on a daily basis. A student may officially drop at the registrar s office anytime up to and including the drop date. Students who stop
attending class prior to the drop date will be dropped. Students who attend class after the drop date cannot receive a W. Students who take a course for the third time or more face significant tuition/fee increases at HCC and other Texas public colleges and universities. If you are considering course withdrawal because you are not earning passing grades, confer with your instructor or counselor as early as possible about your study habits, reading and writing homework, test-taking skills, attendance, course participation, and opportunities for tutoring or other assistance that might be available. Beginning in Fall 2007, the State of Texas imposes penalties on students who withdraw/drop courses excessively. Students are limited to no more than SIX total course withdrawals throughout their educational career at a Texas public college or university. Students are encouraged to review the HCC 6 Drop Policy. To help you avoid having to withdraw from any class, contact your professor regarding your academic performance. You may also want to contact your counselor to learn about helpful HCC resources (e.g. online tutoring, Child care, financial aid, job placement, etc.). How to Drop a Course: If a student decides to withdraw from a class upon careful review of other options, the student can withdraw online prior to the deadline through their HCC Student Center. HCC and/or professors may withdraw students for excessive absences without notification (see course attendance policy above). AskOnline: All government students are encouraged to use HCC s online tutoring system for help with any GOVT class. Questions submitted to the ASK queue will be answered within 24 hours and usually much before that. Tutors are on duty 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Online tutors will not do homework for you, but they will guide you in the right direction. To maximize the effectiveness of the system, be specific when you ask questions, and let the tutor know what class you are taking. You will receive two responses one from an English tutor and one from a government tutor. Registering for online tutoring is easy. Go to www.hccs.askonline.net. (For DE classes, this link is on the front page of Blackboard.) Select a user name and password that you will remember. Use any e-mail address, and add your student ID number (W number). It will probably take five minutes to set up your askonline account. After that, you can submit questions in seconds. Tutor responses are not e-mailed to you. To see the answers, log back in to the system and click the bright yellow NEW button. Students with Disabilities. Students who require reasonable accommodations for disabilities are encouraged to report to LHSB 106, or call 713-718-6164 to make necessary arrangements. Faculty is only authorized to provide accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office.
International Students. Receiving a W in a course may affect the status of your student Visa. Once a W is given for the course, it will not be changed to an F because of the visa consideration. Please contact the International Student Office at 713-718-8520 if you have any questions about your visa status and other transfer issues. HCC Policy Statement: Academic Honesty. A student who is academically dishonest is, by definition, not showing that the coursework has been learned, and that student is claiming an advantage not available to other students. The instructor is responsible for measuring each student's individual achievements and also for ensuring that all students compete on a level playing field. Thus, in our system, the instructor has teaching, grading, and enforcement roles. You are expected to be familiar with the University's Policy on Academic Honesty, found in the catalog. What that means is: If you are charged with an offense, pleading ignorance of the rules will not help you. Students are responsible for conducting themselves with honor and integrity in fulfilling course requirements. Penalties and/or disciplinary proceedings may be initiated by College System officials against a student accused of scholastic dishonesty. "Scholastic dishonesty": includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion. Cheating on a test includes: Copying from another students' test paper; Using materials not authorized by the person giving the test; Collaborating with another student during a test without authorization; Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole or part the contents of a test that has not been administered; 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 offered for credit. Collusion mean the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work offered for credit. Possible punishments for academic dishonesty may include a grade of 0 or F in the particular assignment, failure in the course, and/or recommendation for probation or dismissal from the College System. (See the Student Handbook)
Course Textbooks and Readings. The textbook for the course can be purchased at the bookstore at HCCS Central College, 1300 Holman. Take this syllabus with you to make sure you get the correct book. The textbook for the course is: 1. Texas Politics Today, 2015-2016 Edition; written by W. E. Maxwell, E. Crain, and M. P. Jones. Cengage Learning is the publisher of the textbook. Each student in this class must have this new textbook, your grades depend upon your owning this new textbook. The HCC Bookstore will have the textbook available in paper. Textbook can also be obtained in electronic form. Either format will access the publisher s website where testing takes place. The quote to remember is: yes book, yes grade. Several additional readings will be assigned. These can be accessed from the course website or distributed in class. Instructor: Mr. Schneider - Syllabus for Course Six Steps to Success: This course will rely on the following six groups of information: 1) your personal notes taken in class, 2) outline notes provided by the instructor, 3) the textbook(s) purchased by the student from the bookstore and read by the student, 4) enrichment materials brought into class by the instructor, 5) films related directly to subject, and 6) successful completion of assessments (tests and projects). Houston Community College classroom rules: Cell phones are to be turned to OFF; they are not to be allowed to disturb the class. The same applies to electronic audio players and audio/ video recorders, and laptops or tablets. Pay attention! Class will begin at the scheduled time, you are expected to be prompt and on time. No more than three (3) excused absences are accepted by the college. YOU are solely responsible for missed notes, classwork, & deadlines!
You are required to bring school materials for your own use; this is not the responsibility of the instructor. Instructor has NO extra copies! Class participation includes attendance in the classroom and preparation for active discussion of the course material. Everyone has an opinion; so, please bring it with you to class. I expect to hear what you have to say on the ideas and materials we discuss in class. Treat others with respect and dignity. Treat and respond to others as you would ideally like to be treated. This is an important idea. We all come to this class with diverse backgrounds and many different ways of thinking about the same subject. It will be important to remember this when we get into class discussions. Think of it as a sharing of ideas and viewpoints, rather than someone being righter than another. Requirements: As part of the work load there will be short papers with prior notice, or presentations as part of a peer team. Make sure they are your original product. I will be looking forward to reading your own stated opinion on a chosen topic. Quizzes and tests will make up the bulk of the assessment (grading). And, there will be a bunch of short writings and worksheets from time to time on topics or readings chosen by the instructor. You will need to have your textbook to be accepted into the class. If there are any changes to this, you will be notified by the instructor. Contact Information: If you have any questions, please contact me before or after class or by e-mail at: eric.schneider@hccs.edu. I check my e-mail daily. Course Topics: From textbook Texas Politics: Foundations: Ch. 1,2,3,4,5,6; The Context of Texas Politics; The Constitutional Setting; Interest Groups; Political Parties; Voting, Campaigns and Elections. Institutions: Ch. 7,8,9; The Texas Legislature; The Governor; The Administrative State; The Judiciary.
Politics and Policy: Ch. 10,11,12; The Substance of Justice; Local Government; The State Economy and the Financing of State Government; Public Policy People; Public Policy Resources. Grades: Eric Schneider Houston Community College, Central Campus 2305 American National Government & 2306 Texas State and Local Government Email: eric.schneider@hccs.edu Grading Scale: 90 to 100 = A grade 80 to 89 = B grade 70 to 79 = C grade 60 to 69 = D grade 50 to 59 = F grade Rounding up to the nearest number: a grade of 79.6 will be rounded up to an 80. Methods of Grades Computation: All quizzes and tests are given equal weight for each marking period. The results are added together and averaged to get a grade. This provides an average grade which is used to calculate the final grade of the semester.
NOTE: Extra Credit work for class is OPTIONAL. Extra Credit work is NOT part of the regular assessment of the Student. If completed by the Student, extra credit work will be counted as an extra exam grade during a grading period. Extra Credit does NOT mean extra easy. I have lowered grades for students that did poorly on extra credit. So sorry! Conversely, I have raised grades for Students that did well on the Extra Credit assignment. Pay attention to the assignment, it will be graded. Grades are not given away just because you are courteous in class. Grades are earned by students on how they score on the assessments (tests and classwork). Note: I would prefer you to be courteous in class. Quizzes and tests count for 80% of the total semester grade. Final Exam counts for 20% of total. Exam/Test/Quiz dates will be announced only in class. If you miss an assessment, contact me immediately by email, arrangements will be made for you to take a make-up assessment during the next class period. Example: 1. First Grade = 80 2. Second Grade = 80 3. Third Grade = 80 4. Fourth Grade = 80 = 320 / 4 = 80 x 80% = 64 5. Final Exam = 80 x 20% = 16 Final Grade = 80 See the note below: Note to students: You are in control of your grade. If you really want to get a high grade in this class, complete the required reading in the textbooks, get into class on time, pay attention in class, ask questions, and bring a pen and pencil to class. Oh yes, please turn off your electronic friend(s) while concentrating on the course material either in the classroom or when studying! Department Chair Contact Information: Evelyn Ballard, Chair-Government Department, evelyn.ballard@hccs.edu 713-718-2490.