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Description
of Course
The History of Western
Civilization is a general survey covering major political,
social, economic, cultural, and religious changes in Europe from
the prehistoric period through the Cold War. Such an ambitious
undertaking does have some limitations. Other great world
cultures are discussed only as they directly relate to problems
confronting the population of Europe.
There are a
few things that you should know before your register.
This course is based on reading and writing. You should
have completed your college English requirements before
registering for HIS 101. You need to have access to a
computer with standard Internet browser, such as Netscape or
Internet Explorer. You must have an email account and it has to be your VCCS
account.
Be
sure to have M.S. Word on your computer and know how to send and
open attachments. We will email Word documents back and
forth as attachments. You
will be expected to check you email and the Blackboard Site on a
regular basis.
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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.
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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 living in the District!
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Participation, Attendance, and Withdrawal
Attendance is required.
If a student is absent for two sessions and has not
notified the instructor, he/she could be withdrawn.
If a student has excessive absences (9hours), he/she
will
be withdrawn.
Throughout the
semester, Blackboard questions will be posted that will require
a student response. A student participation grade will be
based on frequency and depth of participation. Think
creatively, think critically and base your statements on
evidence from your reading or experience. Your
participation will contribute to your understanding of the
evolution of European History
Participation will count as a 20% of your final course grade.
The participation grade will be determined by your answers to
required questions, Blackboard assignments, Blackboard quizzes, and class
attendance. For example, did you answer the required
questions? Did you make the required replies to other
students' responses? Are your responses detailed and
logical.
The college, your instructor, and several accrediting
agencies requires that students must complete assigned
work detailed on the course syllabus in order to receive college
credit for any course.
Withdrawal from this class is
the responsibility of the student. Any student can withdraw from
any course without penalty through the eighth week of the
regular semester. After that date the student must have the
approval of the class instructor and proper documentation for
the reason for withdrawal. 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:
jebraden@nvcc.edu
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Textbooks
The
textbook for this course is Western Civilization, Volume
I, Judith G. Coffin and Robert C. Stacey, latest edition, paperback. Textbooks 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. About the use of the on-line site for your
textbook, if you have a new textbook, the website is free.
There is a card in the front of the book. Take the card
with its special number and use that number to get on the
textbook site. This identification number will make it
possible for your textbook web work to be forwarded to your
instructor. If you have a used textbook, you must go
to
http://www.wwnorton.com/wciv/ and obtain a password.
The password will cost you $10.00 that can be put on a credit
card. Once you have the password use the same procedure to
access the site.
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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 materials 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. The library address can be found on the college
website.
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Examinations
During the regular semester, you will be expected to complete three
examinations. The first examination will be taken during the
sixth week of the semester and will cover all assignments,
Blackboard postings, textbook material and website
assignments dealing with material covered during the first six weeks. The second examination
covers the next several weeks of study and will be taken during
the eleventh week of the semester. The third
examination will be taken during the final week of the semester.
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.
Summer semester students follow the History 101
syllabus posted on my website.
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Grades
on Subjective Questions
The 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 be posted on 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, website, 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 three
examination books and one No. 2 lead pencil. These items can be purchased at the
Alexandria Campus Bookstore. On the day that you take the
exam, take the Examination Book with you to the Testing Lab.
Do not place your
name on the Examination Book.
You
will not use the Examination Book that you purchased--it will be
exchanged for another. The same rules apply for tests that
are taken in the classroom.
About the examinations, remember that you have three exams, two
field projects, and web assignments. If you do not achieve
the desired mark on your first exam, you still have more than
ample opportunity to earn an excellent grade.
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Grading Criteria in Order of Importance
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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The
Museum and Cultural Field Project
Each student is required to complete two museum or cultural
projects.
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. A cultural project might include an examination
of artifacts, sculptures, or paintings from the European and
Eastern Mediterranean region found in the National Gallery
of Art, the Walter's Gallery in Baltimore, 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 cultural projects are due on June 15, 2006.
Students turning in work after that date will be penalized.
The reports to your instructor must be well written and no
longer than three pages. Your documentation for project will be the
notes that you took during your investigation and must be
included. Both projects must be placed in a folder.
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FINAL
GRADE REPORT
The final grade will be calculated from following
activities--three examinations (60 per cent), two projects (20
percent), and class participation (20 percent). Class
participation includes Blackboard responses, quizzes on
Blackboard, Campus lectures,
videos, or any other activity related to the material covered in
this course.
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 Fall Semester must be completed prior to the
end of the Spring 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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