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Blackboard
Blackboard is
the name of the website on the College network and is accessible
at http://bb.vccs.edu. On
Blackboard, you will find course documents, announcements, and
course assignments. To access Blackboard you will need a
College user name and password. You can use the same
username and password that you have for your College email.
During the first week of the semester, the College will enroll
students in Blackboard. There may be a lag time on your
registration on Blackboard, so be patient. If you cannot
access Blackboard, contact the College Help Desk at 703-426-4141.
To access this course on Blackboard, go to http//:bb.vccs.edu.
Your Blackboard username will be entered in lower case and your
password is your birth date: month, day, year. For
example, if your birthdate is August 23, 1968, your password would
be 082368.
At times, the Blackboard State System will go down or undergo
maintenance. The interruptions last for a few hours.
You are responsible for doing the assignments at the appropriate
time, so do them early.
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Email
Your email
address will consist of the first letter of the first name + the
last name + an assigned 4-digit number, and the email domain.
For example Charlie Braden's address would be cbraden0001@email.vccs.edu.
Note, Charlie is a small gray cat (probably of English descent) living in the District!
In order to find out what the 4-digit number that has been
assigned to you, go to http://webmail3.utility.vccs.edu/index.pl,
or if you need directions on looking up email addresses, usernames
and passwords, go to http://www.nvcc.edu/bbstart.
Your username is case sensitive; for email use all uppercase
letters followed by the 4-digit number.
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Withdrawal
Participation, Attendance, and Withdrawal
Withdrawal from this class is the
responsibility of the student. Any student can withdraw from any
course without penalty through the third week of the summer class
session. After that date the student must have the approval of
the class instructor. The student must initiate the request
the grade of "W". Any student who disappears or fails to
withdraw will receive "F" as a final grade. In
order to receive an Incomplete ("I"), the student must
confer with his/her instructor.
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Instructor Contact
All NVCC instructors have
office hours. As soon as the class assignments have been
stabilized for the semester, I will post my scheduled office hours
on my website under contact. If you would like to meet with me in
my office, it would be a wise procedure to make an appointment.
All on-line Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, Alexandria
Campus' students are urged to meet with their instructor, if it is
at all possible. You will need to telephone me when you have
problems related to your inability to complete assigned work
during the allotted time period. Please place the call to
NVCC during any of my scheduled office hours (703-845-6357).
The easiest way to contact me is by email: [Top
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Textbooks
The
textbook for this course is A History of England, Volume
I, Clayton Roberts, David Roberts and Douglas R. Bisson, latest
edition, paperback. The textbook
can be purchased at the Alexandria Campus Bookstore. NVCC
bookstores are open one night during the week after the first
week, which means that it is difficult for students to purchase
books after the first week.
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Library
The NVCC Library of the
Alexandria Campus is located on the second floor of the Bisdorf
Building. Check at your library circulation desk for library
hours. Suggested reading material not found in the text will be
placed on Closed Reserve and kept at the Library Circulation Desk.
Closed Reserve permits maximum student accessibility to limited
material. Closed Reserve audio-visual material must be used in the
Library.
The NVCC Library Catalog and many other indexes and databases are
available on the NVCC Libraries Home Page on the World Wide WEB.
The library address can be found on the college website.
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Examinations
During the semester you
will be expected to complete two examinations. The first
examination will be taken during the third week of the summer
session and will cover all assignments, Blackboard postings, and
textbook material dealing with material covered during the first
three weeks. The
second examination covers the next several weeks of study and will
be taken at the end of the sixth week of the scheduled class
sessions.
Each examination contains at least two sections (multiple choice
questions, identification items, essays, short answer questions,
etc.). All grades received are equal when calculating the final
grade. For example, the grade of "B" on the essay is
equal to the grade of "B" received on multiple choice or
identification items. At the end of the semester all grades will
be converted to their mathematical equivalents and divided by the
number of grades received.
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Grades
on Subjective Questions
T he
essays on each exam will be taken from examples provided on your
study guides. You have your essay from the first day--think about
the topic and know what you intend to write before you arrive in
the testing situation. If you wish to discuss certain aspects of
an essay prior to the exam, please email me at jebraden@nvcc.edu.
Also, if you wish to speak with me in person, please feel free to
telephone me at 703-845-6357. It is best to telephone during
my regular scheduled office hours. My office hours will b
posted on Blackboard and my website under contact.
Generally, on the
essay, "A" is excellent (you know and understand the
material and have shown in your work considerable understanding of
the concepts and interpretation of the subject matter under
consideration); "B" indicates good work (understanding
and interpretation at a high level); "C" indicates fair
work (understanding and interpretation in little evidence, but
with a knowledge of the material); "D" is not a failing
mark, it means only that the work under consideration is poor.
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Grades
on Objective Question
The multiple choice
questions or identification items are designed to test your
general understanding of textbook and library materials, and
your ability to reach conclusions when dealing with several known
factors. Grades on the multiple choice sections are
"scaled" in relation to the highest score obtained by an
individual student on a particular exam (i.e., highest score (42),
90% of 42 -- "A", etc.).
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Rules
for the Examination
1. No
notes
2. No
books
3. No
helpful friends
Always
check to see if you have placed your name on the examination book,
the test, and the answer sheet.
You will
need two examination books, one No. 2 lead pencil, and two
Scantrons. all of which can be purchased at the Alexandria
Campus Bookstore. On the day that you take the exam, bring
the examination materials with you to class. Do not write
your name on either the examination book or the scantron. You
will not use the Examination Book that you purchased--it will be
exchanged for another.
ABOUT THE EXAMINATIONS--REMEMBER THAT YOU HAVE TWO EXAMS AND TWO
FIELD PROJECTS. IF YOU DO NOT ACHIEVE THE
DESIRED MARK ON YOUR FIRST EXAM, YOU STILL HAVE STILL HAVE MORE
THAN AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO EARN AN EXCELLENT GRADE.
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GRADING
CRITERIA, IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE, FOR ALL WRITTEN WORK
1.
Command of material
2.
Ability to think originally
3.
Clarity (if you can't say it, you don't know it)
4.
Interest
5.
Ability to write English
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Museum
Field Project
As indicated in the NVCC catalogue, this course sequence is a
survey of civilization. Each student is urged to investigate some
aspect of the social structure of the civilization under
consideration. The cultural project might include a trip to
Agecroft Hall or the Virginia House in Richmond, a
Shakespeare play in Washington, a comparative Art Project at the
National Gallery of Art, the Washington Cathedral, or a
trip the Metropolitan Museum in New York, etc. You would
be advised to undertake a cultural project in the field of your
greatest cultural interest and discuss your selection with your
instructor. The first cultural project is due the THIRD WEEK of the
summer class session.
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FINAL
GRADE REPORT
The final grade will be calculated from following activities-- two
examinations (80 points), and the two Museum Field Project (10
points each),
A student,
given extenuating circumstances, can be given an "I."
Please note that an "I" must be completed prior to the
end of the next semester. For example, an "I"
received at the end of the Summer Semester must be
completed prior to the end of the Fall
Semester. There is a college form that must be signed by both the
teacher and the student before the letter "I" can be
given.
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