Course Syllabus

WOH2022

Instructor: Dr. Robert Cassanello Email: robert.cassanello@ucf.edu Web Page: Department Webpage Office Hours: by appointment, phone or Email Office: TCH 348K Office Phone: (407-823-1681) 

Course Description: PR: C.I. Rise of modern civilization from 1500 to the present, with an emphasis on the confrontation between the Western and non-Western spheres of civilization.

Purpose of Course & Learning Outcomes: Students will gain an understanding of how to analyze, interpret, and synthesize historical information. In addition students will gain an understanding of human civilizations and societies across time since 1500 CE. 

Texts & Electronic Requirements: 

Required

World History: Journeys from Past to Present By Candice Goucher, Linda Walton 2nd Edition Routledge, 2013. [You can download the entire book as a PDF from the UCF Library Catalog for free with a Library ID and logged into the UCF Library webpage with your NID]

BBC, A History of the World in 100 Objects Podcast.  You can download the entire series on iTunes if you prefer or other podcast distributor.

MS Word--You must use MS Word in this class or have access to it. As a student you have access to an online cloud version of MS Word for free with your Knights email account and you can purchase MS Office with your student ID at the computer store for less than $20.00. You cannot use Open Office, Word Perfect, Google Doc or any other word processing program. Use of MS Word is a requirement. If you think you can produce a paper through an alternative word processing program and can SUCCESSFULLY export that file as a MS Word formatted file and I cannot tell the difference then you have my blessing. But if you turn your paper assignments in and they are not correctly formatted as doc or docx files then the onus is on you not me to accept your assignment. 

Recommended

Jack E. Maxfield, "A Comprehensive Outline of World History," I have cut this to only include the material for this course.

Specific Course Objectives:

Students must:

1. know and be able to identify the significance of important key figures, terms and facts covered in class and the readings.
2. comprehend and analyze the major themes in the course and place them within a historical context.
3. write essays on the major themes.
4. interpret historical frameworks as they apply to world history.
5. Your participation and attendance will be required through the successful completion of the assignments for this class as well as attending scheduled classes. In order to optimize my employment of active learning strategies in this class you must attend classes, participate in all discussions online and in class and contribute to group projects fully. If you do not it will impact your grade and your learning environment negatively. I will work with students who have documented excused absences so that they will not be impacted by this class policy negatively.

Course Requirements:

1. Exams. There will be two non cumulative exams consisting of essay questions, short answer and multiple choice answers. The Midterm Exam will be on Chapters 13-18 and the Final Exam will be on Chapters 19-24. (20% grade)

2. Short Papers: There will be several written papers (almost weekly) due throughout the course of this class. Papers will be completed by a due date and time and must adhere to the assignment directions and rubric as well as style guide. Some weeks you will work as a group and not turn a paper in when the rest of the class does because you will be scheduled to present a group presentation (see #3). Your group presentation will count as a separate grade (see #3) and you will not have points taken off for the week of your online presentation from your short paper grade. (30% of grade)

3. Presentations: During these class session you will prepare two presentations for the rest of the class that you will post in the discussion section, they will be in text or blog format not interactive. You will also be required to reply to posts (other people's presentations) as part of your overall grade. (15% of grade)

4. Quizzes: There will be quizzes connected to the modules. They will all be multiple-choice and free response and will be based on the reading. (20% of grade)

5. Final Paper: There will be a final 2-3 page paper that will be due before the Final Exam and must adhere to the assignment directions and rubric as well as style guide. The Final Paper will be counted for this part of your grade. (15% of grade)

Rules for Writing Assignments, Exams and Quizzes:

All papers, quizzes and exams are due when they are scheduled, any late paper will receive 10% off for each calendar day it is late. The final research paper will not be turned in late without prior approval due to a documented excuse which will earn an Incomplete for the class. All final papers must be turned in on time or will receive no credit if turned in too late. All papers must be turned in through Canvas. There will be several writing assignments given throughout the semester. There will be no make ups on the assignments and I do not accept late papers for full credit without a documented written excuse. Unless due to some extenuating circumstances, there will be no late or make-up exams. If there are extenuating circumstances they must be discussed with me in advanced of the exam deadline or after once I have approved the documented excuse.

Grading Scale:

Students are responsible for calculating their own grades throughout the semester. The instructor will not calculate any student's grade until the end of the final exam week. 

Attendance Policy:

1. Students should attend all classes, even online ones. If you miss 2 complete assignments during the semester (without a documented excuse) I will penalize your overall grade, see Attendance in Course Requirements.
2. Unexcused absences by way of not completing a quiz or exam will result in a "0."
3. Excused absences for reasons such as illness requiring medical care, college activities, religious holidays etc. must be documented. Exceptional cases must be approved by me.
4. Incompletes will be given only in very rare documented cases, i.e. almost never!
5. Your participation and attendance will be required through the successful completion of the assignments for this class. If you do not turn an assignment in it will be interpreted as you not attending class. Thus if you do not complete four assignments by turning them in on time or within 10 days of the due date you will automatically fail this class. Students with documented excused absences will not be impacted by this class policy. 
6. I do not take work related excuses as documented excuses. I will only accept documented medical care of yourself or a loved one in exceptional cases.
7. If you find yourself without internet or limited use of internet or something in Canvas is not working for you but working for the rest of the class this will not translate into an excuse to delay turning in Assignments or taking quizzes and exams including any of these events due to travel on your part. Unrelated natural causes that can be documented like storms, hurricanes power outages which can be documented and verified so they will be excused.  

Deployed Active Duty Military Students-Students who are deployed active duty military and/or National Guard personnel and require accommodation should contact their instructors as soon as possible after the semester begins and/or after they receive notification of deployment to make related arrangements.

Academic Honesty:

Students should familiarize themselves with UCF’s Rules of Conduct at <http://osc.sdes.ucf.edu/process/roc>. According to Section 1, “Academic Misconduct,” students are prohibited from engaging in

1. Unauthorized assistance: Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study aids in any academic exercise unless specifically authorized by the instructor of record. The unauthorized possession of examination or course-related material also constitutes cheating.
2. Communication to another through written, visual, electronic, or oral means: The presentation of material which has not been studied or learned, but rather was obtained through someone else’s efforts and used as part of an examination, course assignment, or project.
3. Commercial Use of Academic Material: Selling of course material to another person, student, and/or uploading course material to a third-party vendor without authorization or without the express written permission of the university and the instructor. Course materials include but are not limited to class notes, Instructor’s PowerPoints, course syllabi, tests, quizzes, labs, instruction sheets, homework, study guides, handouts, etc.
4. Falsifying or misrepresenting the student’s own academic work.
5. Plagiarism: Using or appropriating another’s work without any indication of the source, thereby attempting to convey the impression that such work is the student’s own.
6. Multiple Submissions: Submitting the same academic work for credit more than once without the express written permission of the instructor.
7. Helping another violate academic behavior standards.

For more information about Academic Integrity, consult the International Center for Academic Integrity 
<http://academicintegrity.org>.

For more information about plagiarism and misuse of sources, see “Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement on Best Practices” <http://wpacouncil.org/node/9>.

Responses to Academic Dishonesty, Plagiarism, or Cheating
Students should also familiarize themselves with the procedures for academic misconduct in UCF’s student handbook, The Golden Rule<http://goldenrule.sdes.ucf.edu/docs/goldenrule.pdf>. UCF faculty members have a responsibility for students’ education and the value of a UCF degree, and so seek to prevent unethical behavior and when necessary respond to academic misconduct. Penalties can include a failing grade in an assignment or in the course, suspension or expulsion from the university, and/or a “Z Designation” on a student’s official transcript indicating academic dishonesty, where the final grade for this course will be preceded by the letter Z. For more information about the Z Designation, see <http://goldenrule.sdes.ucf.edu/zgrade>.  

Course Accessibility Statement

The University of Central Florida is committed to providing access and inclusion for all persons with disabilities. Students with disabilities who need access to course content due to course design limitations should contact the professor as soon as possible. Students should also connect with Student Accessibility Services (SAS) <http://sas.sdes.ucf.edu/> (Ferrell Commons 185, sas@ucf.edu, phone 407-823-2371). For students connected with SAS, a Course Accessibility Letter may be created and sent to professors, which informs faculty of potential course access and accommodations that might be necessary and reasonable. Determining reasonable access and accommodations requires consideration of the course design, course learning objectives and the individual academic and course barriers experienced by the student. Further conversation with SAS, faculty and the student may be warranted to ensure an accessible course experience.

Campus Safety Statement-On Campus Students

Emergencies on campus are rare, but if one should arise during class, everyone needs to work together. Students should be aware of their surroundings and familiar with some basic safety and security concepts.

• In case of an emergency, dial 911 for assistance.
• Every UCF classroom contains an emergency procedure guide posted on a wall near the door. Students should make a note of the guide’s physical location and review the online version at <http://emergency.ucf.edu/emergency_guide.html>.
• Students should know the evacuation routes from each of their classrooms and have a plan for finding safety in case of an emergency.
• If there is a medical emergency during class, students may need to access a first-aid kit or AED (Automated External Defibrillator). To learn where those are located, see <http://www.ehs.ucf.edu/AEDlocations-UCF> (click on link from menu on left).
• To stay informed about emergency situations, students can sign up to receive UCF text alerts by going to <https://my.ucf.edu> and logging in. Click on “Student Self Service” located on the left side of the screen in the toolbar, scroll down to the blue “Personal Information” heading on the Student Center screen, click on “UCF Alert”, fill out the information, including e-mail address, cell phone number, and cell phone provider, click “Apply” to save the changes, and then click “OK.”
• Students with special needs related to emergency situations should speak with their instructors outside of class.
• To learn about how to manage an active-shooter situation on campus or elsewhere, consider viewing this video.You CAN Survive an Active Shooter

Campus Safety Statement for Students Online Classes

Though most emergency situations are primarily relevant to courses that meet in person, such incidents can also impact online students, either when they are on or near campus to participate in other courses or activities or when their course work is affected by off-campus emergencies. The following policies apply to courses in online modalities.

• To stay informed about emergency situations, students can sign up to receive UCF text alerts by going to <https://my.ucf.edu> and logging in. Click on “Student Self Service” located on the left side of the screen in the toolbar, scroll down to the blue “Personal Information” heading on the Student Center screen, click on “UCF Alert”, fill out the information, including e-mail address, cell phone number, and cell phone provider, click “Apply” to save the changes, and then click “OK.”
• Students with special needs related to emergency situations should speak with their instructors outside of class.

Course Due Dates & Schedule

Please note that all due dates are not on the same day of the week. It is your responsibility to know when each due date is.

1. Check your course e-mail at least twice per week. 

2. When emailing the instructor concerning class please only email him through the Course Mail option within Canvas (otherwise your email might get lost with other email coming to the instructor's email account). Expect an answer within 48 hours during the week, excluding weekends.

3. Always try to include a subject in the heading to orientate the instructor or classmates as to what to expect from the email message.

4. Make sure you are clear and courteous in email because innocent and genuine wording could come across as malicious and mean-spirited to others.

5. Sign your e-mail messages with both your first and last name.

6. Do not use all caps. This makes the message very hard to read and is considered "shouting."

7. Check spelling, grammar, and punctuation most email programs have a function for this if not you may want to compose in a word processor, then cut and paste the message into the e-mail.

8. Use a space between paragraphs and different ideas within the email.

9. Never...Never...Never...email an assignment as an attachment unless directed first by the instructor.

Assignments:

1. All assignments must adhere to the grading rubric for that assignment.

2. All assignments must be turned in through Canvas on the assignment direction page.

3. All assignments must be turned in on time or they will be flagged as late. I will not accept any assignments through email attachments and any late assignment (from an unexcused absence) will receive 10% points off for every calendar day it is late. After 10 days you will not have the option to turn the assignment in at all and will receive a "0."

4. You are free to turn in paper drafts to the instructor for revision comments; however any rough drafts must be submitted to the instructor at least 48 hours in advance of the due date, any draft turned in within 48 hours of the due date will not be reviewed for comments. All drafts should be turned in through an email attachment in Canvas webmail or at my email address with a request to review it for comments.

5. Any problems computer related on your part does not translate into the ability to turn a paper in late. You must prepare for unforeseen computer problems by completing your work early enough to anticipate potential problems.

6. Most important: You should never turn in an assignment (only drafts) through Canvas email as an attachment or the instructor's email as an attachment. Also your papers must be in MS Word format as a .doc or .docx file, no plain text, Rich Text, PDF or any Open Office file extension will be accepted. If you turn in an assignment this is not in MS Word format it will not be graded.

7. Since I have had trouble in the past all papers must use citations no exceptions. Any paper turned in without citations will not be graded and when turned in with correct citations will receive 10% points off the final paper grade. If this continues to be a problem I will refuse to grade papers without correct citation formatting. You may use Chicago Manual, APA or MLA Style Citations.

8. If you have taken this class with me in the past then your papers for this semester must be at least 50% different from your previous effort(s) according to Turnitin.com. You cannot turn the exact (or closely resembling the) same papers in from the previous semester. If you turn a paper in that is more than a 49% match to the previous semester you will receive a "0" for that paper.

9. It is up to you to know all due dates. During the early stretch of this class assignments are due on the same day each week, at some point that changes. You will need to mark your calendars and go by the schedule and due dates for the class because all assignments are not due on the same day every week.

10. Each assignment has a number, such as Assignment 2 or Assignment 3. Some assignments are broken into parts such as Assignment 1.1, Assignment 1.2 and Assignment 1.3. Each of those are all Assignment 1. Assignments 1 and 7 are broken into smaller parts, so understand that when you schedule your time to complete them. 

11. Since this is an online class, your participation and attendance will be required through the successful completion of the assignments for this class. If you do not turn an assignment in it will be interpreted as you not attending class. Thus if you do not complete two assignments by turning them in on time or within 10 days of the due date you will automatically fail this class. Students with documented excused absences will not be impacted by this class policy.

Quizzes

1. All quizzes must be taken before the due date. Once the date and time have passed you will not be allowed to complete the quiz.

2. Important!--Do not open a quiz unless you are ready to take it. If you open a quiz to just "see what it looks like" Webcourses will think you are taking it and then grade it once you click out of the quiz. Assuming you did not answer any questions then your quiz will be counted as a "0." Remember only open a quiz when the quiz is part of an assignment and you have read the directions for that assignment. Do not go to the assessment link and start opening quizzes.

3. If there is a study guide before a quiz you may use the study while answering the quiz. All quizzes are open book and open note. However be prepared, most quizzes will be timed so it will not allow you to locate all the answers from a cold reading of the material.

4. Expect for the orientation quiz, all quizzes will be timed and submitted once. The orientation quiz you must receive a 100% on in order to move on to other assignments (remember you can take it as many times as you want)

5. You must have the “pop-ups blocked” function disabled and your firewall disabled before you take the quiz.