University of Texas at Dallas

HIST 1302.005 (spring 2008)

U.S. History since 1877
Credit Hours: 3 Lecture Hours: 3

Instructor: Dr. Steven W. Short

Office: JO 4.622
Phone:
Email: sxs070500@utdallas.edu
Class Meeting Time: T/R 10am to 1115am, room JO 4.614
Office Hours: 930am to 10am and 1245pm to 115pm

Teaching Assistant: Caitlin Bryant

Office: JO 5.410C
Office Hours:
Phone:
Email: caitlin.bryant@student.utdallas.edu

TEXT:

Prerequisite: None
Textbook: Give Me Liberty! by Eric Foner

Course Description

This course will serve as a survey introduction to United States history from 1877 until
the present. Since this course is a survey a lot of ground will be covered. Students will
be provided with a broad overview of U.S. history focusing primarily on the period from
1877 to 1980. Themes to be examined are: social construction of the nation, economic
development from Reconstruction to world power, role and status of the military in the
emerging nation, effect of slavery and racial tension in the United States, and various
cultural and social aspects of the U.S. These themes will be broken into further rubrics as
the semester progresses.

Student Learning Outcomes

The goals of this course, upon successful completion, are to introduce students to the
major social, political, and economic events in the United States from 1877 to the
present. Students will learn how the impact of the Industrial Revolution, the emergence
of corporate capitalism, immigration increases, the transformation from a rural to an
urban society, and the internalization of foreign policy brought about a series of reform
movements (Populism, Progressivism, the New Deal, the Civil Rights Movement, the
Great Society) in the United States, and how the country came to involve itself in two
world wars, the Cold War, and the war in Vietnam.

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By the end of the semester, students should have:

• gained an understanding of the basic framework of U.S. history and the development of
particular American institutions and experiences in this period;
• obtained a better understanding of the interconnectedness of history, politics,
economics, and culture in the formation of the United States;
• developed an understanding of and appreciation for primary source documents and their
use in the study of history;
• developed an understanding of the subjective nature of historical inquiry and the
resulting conflicts that occur between students of history;
• improved their ability to read and comprehend collegiate texts; analyze documents,
maps, and charts; use critical thinking skills; and courteously interact with fellow
students in classroom discussion.

Expectations

Attendance

I expect students to attend every class. Classes will be held in this room and students
should arrive on time. If you miss a class it WILL count against your grade.
Exceptional attendance, however, will be looked upon favorably at the end of the
semester. For example, a student with a solid attendance record who is close to a higher
grade is more likely to receive a “bump” than students who have missed classes. So
excessive absences will not only hurt you from the fact that you missed class material,
but it will also hurt your overall grade.

To monitor attendance, a sign-in sheet will be passed around during every class session.
On some days the role will be called.

Students will lose three (3) points from their final total for every absence accumulated
beyond one (3) absences. Absences beyond two (2) for the semester may result in a
failing grade for the semester.

The only acceptable excuse for missing class is official university business. Should such
an event occur, the student must provide official documentation from the university
indicating the student’s name and the date of the absence. Medical excuses are not valid,
do not bring the documentation. The only acceptable excuse is official university
business.

An absence on the day of a quiz or exam is not the end of the world. Student may take a
make-up quiz or exam. Please see the “make-up” section under the Exams and Quizzes
title.

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Participation

Students are not required to participate in class as part of their grade. It is to your
advantage, however, to participate in the discussion during the class. In many cases
students do not ask questions or offer comments because they are afraid of saying the
wrong things. Do not be afraid. Most students have similar concerns and questions and
the chances are that someone else is also thinking of the same question or comment.

Participation in class can affect your grade in a positive way in the same manner as
exemplary attendance can. It is to your benefit to participate.

Exams and Quizzes

Students are required to take four exams (three mid-terms and one final) and take eight
quizzes over the course of the semester.

Exams

Exams will be comprised of a series of multiple guess, fill-in-the-blank, and/or true/false

questions. The final component of the exams will be an essay section in which students
will write one essay from a list of two essays. All exams will take place in this
classroom. The three midterm exams will last one hour and fifteen minutes. The final
exam will last two hours. The format for the final exam will be the same as the midterm
exams.

Exams are worth 100 points. Part of each midterm (30 points) will be based on multiple
guess questions and the remaining half (70 points) based on the identifications.

Proper essay/identification answers will contain as much pertinent information as

possible. It is important to write in a clear, coherent manner. See attached memorandum
on essay/identification construction for further information.

Quizzes

In addition to the exams, students will also take six quizzes over the course of the
semester. Each quiz will be based on the lecture material. These six quizzes will each be
worth 20 points and will be a combination of multiple guess and short answer/fill-in-the-
blank questions. The quizzes will last approximately fifteen minutes at the beginning of
class of the specified day. For the quizzes students will write on their own paper and turn
it in. Students will not use notebook paper that has fringes on it. I do not like fringes and
if a paper is submitted with fringes on it then the student will lose five (5) points from
that assignment.

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Although no extra credit will be offered, it is possible that more than eight quizzes will be
given. If more than eight quizzes are given then the extra quizzes may be used to replace
a lower quiz grade.

See the attached course schedule for the quiz and exam schedule.

Make-ups

Students are allowed to take a make-up exam or quiz if they miss the original. Be
advised, however, that I reserve the right to have the make-up assignment much more
difficult than the original. This generally means that quizzes and exams become all-essay
and the options for picking which essay are not available.

Only in the event of an absence because of official university business will the student be
permitted to take the regular-style of quiz or exam.

Make up quizzes or exams will only be permitted if completed within one (1) week of the
original assignment date. Any make ups beyond the one-week grace period will not be
provided and the resulting grade will be a zero (0).

Grading and Evaluation

Grading will be based on a point system. Students will acquire points as assignments are
completed. The points will go toward your final total. The maximum total will be 520
points combining all quizzes and exams. Bonus points will be available along the way in
the form of extra points on quizzes and exams. No other extra credit will be given.
Don’t ask to read a book or write a paper, etc. Apply yourself and study and you won’t
need to. This is college, not high school, act accordingly. If you do not understand how
the point system works then you need to see me.

Grading breakdown: 520 to 505 = A+

504 to 484 =A
483 to 468 = A-
467 to 452 = B+
451 to 431 =B
430 to 415 = B-
414 to 399 = C+
398 to 378 =C
377 to 362 = C-

Academic Integrity

You are expected to do your own work. Copying words or ideas of others without
documentation is against University of Texas at Dallas policy and could result in an F for
the course. That is: Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. Any student caught in

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such unethical activity will receive a zero for the assignment. Serious violations, such as
stealing an exam or downloading a paper from the internet, will result in failure for the
entire course. I will also report serious violations to your dean.

The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty.
Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work
done by the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high
standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.

Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related
to application for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s
own work or material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty
involves one the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying
academic records. Students suspected of dishonesty are subject to disciplinary
proceedings.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from
any other source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the college’s policy on
plagiarism (see general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of
www.turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over 90 percent
effective.

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and
regulations for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility
of each student and each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and
regulations which govern student conduct and activities. General information on student
conduct and discipline is contained in the UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is
provided to all registered students each academic year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of
recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the
Rules and Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1,
Chapter VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the
university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations
are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are
available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-
6391).

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of
citizenship. He or sheis expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the
Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to
discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or
off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.

Email Use

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The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication
between faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises
some issues concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange.
The university encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a
student’s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty and staff consider email from
students official only if it originates from a UTD student account. This allows the
university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the identity of all individual
corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD furnishes each
student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with university
personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method
for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.

ADA Compliance Statement

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational

opportunities equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in
room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to
6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30
p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable
adjustments necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example,
it may be necessary to remove classroom prohibitions against tape recorders or animals
(in the case of dog guides) for students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment
requirement may be substituted (for example, a research paper versus an oral
presentation for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes enrolled students with
mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities. The college or
university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or
mobility assistance. It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the
need for such an accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to
present to faculty members to verify that the student has a disability and needs
accommodations. Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact
the professor after class or during office hours.

Religious Holy Days

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from a class or other required
activities for the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose

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places of worship are exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas
Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible
regarding the absence, preferably ten days in advance of the assignment. The student, so
excused, will be allowed to take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable
time after the absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of
one week. A student who notifies the instructor and completes any missed exam or
assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A student who fails to complete the
exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a failing grade for that
exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence or if there is a

similar disagreement about whether the student has been given a reasonable time to
complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor
may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of the institution, or his or her
designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative
intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the
chief executive officer or designee.

General Information and Comments

When turning in quizzes please do not use spiral notebook paper unless it has no fringes
on it. The fringes are irritating and do not contribute to maintaining an orderly style.
Failure to abide by this policy will count against your grade after your first offense.
It will be a 5 point deduction per offense.

Please do not wear baseball caps or other such headgear in the classroom. We hold
class in a room in a building, not outdoors and not in a barn. You are not at the ballgame
or rodeo or some other such place, you are in a classroom, please behave as such. I don’t
wear my hat in the classroom, neither shall you. Failure to abide by this policy will
detract from your grade by 5 points per offense.

Students will NOT wear headphones in class. Students caught wearing headphones will
receive a point deduction per offense of 5 points.

Cell phones and/or pagers or MP3 players are NOT to be used in class at all. All
electronic devices will be turned off and placed in the student’s backpack or briefcase. I
do not want to see cell phones lying on top of your belonging on the floor; I do not want
to see cell phones lying on the desk in your view. I do not want to see them at all.
Failure to abide by this policy will result in a grade detraction for each offense.
Deduction of 5 points per offense.

Come to class and take notes. If you pay attention to the discussions and keep up with
the readings then the semester will be more rewarding for you. It is also important to
keep up with your grades and understand where you are in the class. It does not do you

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any good to come see me about your grades with two weeks left in the semester. By then
it is too late. So stay active with your grades and if there are problems or concerns then it
is important to talk to me about those issues sooner rather than later.

Do not arrive late. It is disrespectful and rude. Excessive tardiness will result in the
loss of points from your semester total. Students will lose 1 point per tardy after
drop/add date.

Learn to swim.

Participation in class is encouraged. Although not officially part of your grade (failure to
participate will not detract from your grade), participation could help those with
borderline grades achieve the higher grade.

If you plan to use a computer/laptop during class, you must sit in the forward section of
the classroom. Students will NOT be permitted to use a computer if they do not sit in
the forward section. Unfortunately this allows computer-students to be monitored more
closely and ensure they are not chatting or messaging or surfing the web.

When taking notes in class it is important to pay attention to what is being said. If you
are only copying down the Power Point notes then you are missing a considerable amount
of information. Students often spend too much time worrying about Power Point
information and not enough time listening to the discussion. The Power Point is a guide
for the teacher more than it is an outline for the students.

The best way to contact me is to come by during office hours (you don’t need an
appointment during office hours, just come by) or to email. I check email frequently and
that is the best way to get me. Use the office phone number during office hours and you
will get me. Don’t leave a message on the office phone unless it is a last resort. When I
leave campus I will not check the messages on the phone but I will check emails, so use
email to get me.

This syllabus may be amended by the instructor as needed.

Course Schedule

Week One (1/7 – 1/11):

Text: Chapter Fifteen and Sixteen

Week Two (1/14-1/18):

Text: Chapters Sixteen and Seventeen

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Week Three (1/21-1/25)

Text: Chapters Seventeen and Eighteen

Week Four (1/28-2/1)

Text: Chapter Eighteen

EXAM ONE, Thursday 1/31

Week Five (2/4-2/8)

Text: Chapter Nineteen

Week Six (2/11-2/15)

Text: Chapter Twenty

Week Seven (2/18-2/22)

Text: Chapters Twenty and Twenty-one

Week Eight (2/25-2/29)

Text: Chapters Twenty-one and Twenty-two

Week Nine (3/3-3/7)

Text: Chapter Twenty-two

EXAM TWO, Thursday 3/6

Week Ten (3/10-3/14)

Spring Break: No Class

Week Eleven (3/17-3/21)

Text: Chapter Twenty-three

Week Twelve (3/24-3/28)

Text: Chapters Twenty-four

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Week Thirteen (3/31-4/4)

Text: Chapters Twenty-four

EXAM THREE, Thursday 4/3

Week Fourteen (4/7-4/11)

Text: Chapter Twenty-five

Week Fifteen (4/14-4/18)

Text: Chapter Twenty-six

Week Sixteen (4/21-4/25)

Text: Chapter Twenty-seven

Week Seventeen (4/28 – 5/2)

Text: Chapter Twenty-seven

Final Exams: Thursday 5/1 at 8:00 am

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