WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY

SAN ANTONIO CAMPUS

Wayland Baptist University exists to educate students in an academically challenging,

learning focused, and distinctly Christian environment for professional success, lifelong

learning and service to God and mankind.

 

HIST 2302-SA01                                                        United States History to 1877

                                                                               6:00pm –10:00pm FRIDAY NIGHTS

FALL TERM 2009                                   INSTRUCTOR: Mr. Lawrence J. McNamee

 

EMAIL: historieaux@sbcglobal.net

OFFICE HOURS—before class or by appointment

HIST 2302—covers the American experience from the Western frontier and the rise of industrial America, through

overseas  expansion, agrarian agitation, progressivism, World Wars I and II, and the Cold War to the present.

 

There is no prerequisite for HIST 2302

 

TEXT:  Robert Divine’s   America Past & Present, 8th edition (2007)

 

COURSE OUTCOME COMPETENCIES: at the conclusion of the course the student will understand and be able to describe essential historical concepts and and identify key persons and events in the period of American history from 1877 to today

 

ATTENDANCE: Students enrolled at WBSU’s San Antonio Campus should make every effort to attend all class meetings. All absences must be explained to the instructor, who will determine whether omitted work can be made up.  When a

Student reaches that number of absences considered by the instructor to be excessive (MORE than TWO on our schedule) the instructor will so advise the student to consider dropping the class and file an unsatisfactory academic progress report with the dean.  Any student who has missed 25% or more of

the regularly scheduled class meetings may receive a grade of F for the course.

Additional attendance policies, as defined by the instructor in this syllabus, are to be part of the university’s attendance policy

 

ADDITIONAL ATTENDANCE POLICY:  Students who need to leave early MUST tell the instructor at the beginning of class.  Repeated late arrivals and early departures may be weighed against class attendance.

 

SERVICE FOR THE DISABLED:  It is university policy the no otherwise qualified disabled person be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity in the University.  Students should inform the instructor of existing disabilities at the FIRST class meeting.

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Class Procedure—Lectures will parallel text reading and video presentations. Keeping pace in reading the text will facilitate participation in class discussion, which will reflect on the student’s final grade.

 

Tests—There will be a total of FOUR tests over the course of the FALL term.  The first will be all multiple choice questions and the rest a combination of multiple choice and essay questions.  The final will be semi-comprehensive.  Your lowest score of the first three tests will be dropped and replaced with the grade on the paper or oral presentation with written summary which must be completed for this class.  THE PAPER OR PRESENTATION IS MANDATORY.  Even if you get high grades on all tests, you must do either a six to eight page research paper or a five minute oral report with a three page written summary.

 

THE PAPER (RESEARCH WRITING ASSIGNMENT) OR ORAL REPORT: you will select a topic from American History after 1877, which will be the subject of a  research paper of six to eight pages, type-written, double spaced, including a bibliography of works cited page.   The paper should be written is a standard style for such research papers.  Your grade on this assignment will replace the lowest grade on your first three tests, but NOT usually that of your final.   In writing the paper or developing an oral report, you will select a book, film, or other material as an “anchor” for your research on a topic in early American History and supplement your anchor with other sources.  Papers and oral reports should have at least six sources, no more than two from the Internet.  Biographical data on the author of the book or material which you select or on the producer/director of any film you choose as your research anchor makes for a superior research project.  You may opt to do a five-minute oral presentation on a selected topic in early American History.  If you choose to do this you will have to submit a three-page written summary of your oral report, one page of which will be a works cited or bibliography page.  It is a good idea to clear the topic of your paper or oral report with the instructor early in the term.

 

METHOD OF DETERMINING GRADES FOR THE COURSE: The first three tests count 20% each toward your final grade for a total of 60% PLUS the final, which counts as 25% of the final grade for a total of 85%.  Attendance and class participation counts for the final 15% of your grade, so make a maximum effort to arrive on time and remain until the class ends.  Adult students have adult time schedule problems.  These can and will be addressed, but remember that quality class participation can often make up for late arrivals and early departures.

 

 

SAVE THIS SYLLABUS COPY—IT HAS MY EMAIL ADDRESS ON IT AND THAT EMAIL ADDRESS IS ESSENTIAL FOR OUR INDIVIDUAL COMMUNICATION OUTSIDE OF CLASS!