History 1263
Europe since 1815

Examinations and Other Assignments: In this course, you will work on two types of assignments.  For each, there is a study guide in your packet, so you will know what is expected.

  1)  There will be at least three, and perhaps four, essay tests worth 100 points each.  The last of these essay tests will be taken during Final Examination Week.  The test during finals week is not comprehensive.   Each test includes two types of questions: a) you will answer eight paragraph-length identification questions, in which you write about a person, law, war, event, etc.; and b) you will write on two, out of a selection of three, essays.  Please consult the Directions for Preparing for Essay Tests and the Essay Study Guides for directions for how to prepare for these tests.

  2)  You will take three map tests which together are worth a total of 150 points.  Use the Directions for Preparing Map Studies and the Map Study Guides elsewhere in your packet to help you prepare this assignment.
 

HANDICAPPED STUDENTS: If you have a disability which you believe will require some accommodation in this course, it is your responsibility to let me know about it right away.  You should also contact the University's Equity Office at Ext. 2573.  Together we can implement any appropriate accommodations in a timely fashion.

BAD WEATHER POLICY: If the weather bureau issues an appeal for people "to stay off the roads unless they absolutely have to get out," you can rest assured that the role sheet will not be passed around that day!

Any test scheduled for a day with a dangerous driving warning is automatically moved to the next class meeting. If the roads are bad where you live, but not in Edmond, stay home that day and take the make-up test later.

Do not stake your life on the radio/television announcements which declare that UCO will be open.  On a number of occasions, the University has been kept open during extremely dangerous weather conditions.

Should bad weather disrupt the final examination, I shall be at the University to give the test at 3:30 on the last day of finals week – weather permitting.  There will be a note on my office door designating the classroom we will meet in.  Alternatively, any student may request an incomplete so long as he qualifies under the rule below controlling the "I" grade.

ATTENDANCE: Attendance is mandatory in this course.  Material is introduced in each session which is not in the text or easily available in the University Library.  Part of this material will be needed to answer major questions on the tests.  Just as much material is missed whether an absence is excused or un-excused, therefore all absences will be treated the same.  For each absence one point will be deducted from your semester total.

Attendance records will be kept in the form of a role sheet, which will be passed around the classroom for you to sign.  Write your signature, i.e. do not print your name.  Be careful to pass the sheet on to your colleagues in an orderly manner, so no one is missed.  However, if the sheet passes you by or you arrive late, please come up to my table after class and sign in.  If you leave the room before signing in, you may not sign it later!  Occasionally, no role sheet will be passed around.  On test days, the test you turn in will be used to determine attendance.

Do not contact me if you are going to be absent or when you return from an absence.  Instead, follow the relevant instructions from this handout.

MAKING UP MATERIAL MISSED WHILE ABSENT: Each student is responsible for making up the material missed.  It is not the instructor's responsibility to provide "re-runs."  If an absence is anticipated, consider asking a colleague to tape the session.  Another, but usually poorer, option is to request a photocopy of a fellow student's notes. [Never hand over notes to another student.  Go with him or her to the copy room and wait for the copies to be made.  Taking clear and complete notes requires considerable skill, so feel free to charge colleagues for copies of your notes.  After all, you would charge them to type term papers!]

MAKE-UP TESTS:  If you absolutely must miss a test, then you may take a make up.  Special permission is not required. However, you should avoid delaying a test unless you have an urgent reason.  Remember that you will still be studying for that test while your colleagues are preparing the next assignment sheet.  This delay can easily result in a lower score on the next test!

The make-up test will have the same format as that given to the class as a whole and will be from the same study sheet.  However, the questions will be different.  They will not intentionally be made harder, even though you may feel that you would have done better on the first test!

Make-up tests will never be scheduled in advance of the regular test date.  However, if there are two sections of the course scheduled, you may be able to arrange to take the test with the other class.  Make-up tests will not be scheduled during final exam week.

Do not call me to explain your absence from a test.  Do not submit an excuse.  However, it is up to you to ask me when the make-up will take place.  At the next class meeting following the test, I shall set a single date and time for the make-up.   Everyone who missed the test has to make it up at the same  time.  The make-up test will usually be scheduled for the second week following the regularly scheduled test.  It will be scheduled on one of the days of the week on which the class meets, but not during class time. It is very likely that the time chosen for the make-up test will be inconvenient for you, since we all have different, but busy, work and study schedules.  Nonetheless, you will have to re-arrange your work or class schedule to attend.  If you skip the make-up test you receive the minimum possible score for it, i.e. 40% of the possible points.  I am sorry that I have had to abandon the practice of scheduling separate dates for each absentee and writing a different test for each.  That practice proved much too time-consuming and resulted in those students last in line having to write on significantly harder questions!

If you miss the final exam, you may be eligible to receive and Incomplete in the course so long as you agree to make up the test early in the next regular semester.  Please read the section on receiving the grade of "I."

IMPROVING YOUR NOTE-TAKING SKILLS:  Accurate and thorough notes are absolutely essential to success in this course!  Failure to take adequate notes is a common ground for poor performance.  If you are not a confident note taker, then consider taping the class sessions until you master the art.  A tape can be very useful for checking the accuracy of your notes and filling in any parts you were unable to write down in class, until your note-taking speed improves. [A tape is, however, best used as only a temporary expedient, because you will have to set aside additional study time to convert the taped information into written form.   Complete notes from a day in class can be re-read in about ten minutes, while it takes as long to listen to a tape as it did to attend class!  You will also need to integrate information from your notes with information from the text.  It is very difficult to do that with a tape.]

As is the case with most history courses, key-word notes are virtually useless in this class.  You need to write down complete explanations as they are given in class.  The lectures are usually devoted to explaining why or how events took place.   If you miss writing down a "who, "what" or "when," you will very likely be able to find the information in the text, or in another easily available source.  The crucial things to record in your notes are the causes of events, how specific goals are achieved, and what the major consequences of actions and events were.  If your notes are in complete sentences that is a good sign that you are recording complete thoughts.

A little improvised "short hand" will increase your speed.  Make up an abbreviation for any name or term used frequently.  If I am comparing two movements, etc. to each other, make a column for each on your paper.

Be sure to concentrate completely on what is being said.  If you do not recognize a word, write it down in the margin and look it up in your college-level dictionary once you get home.  During the lecture, I shall define any special terminology related to the subject-matter of the course, unless it is defined in the text.  If I fail to do so, just raise your hand and ask.

Do not try to mull over the information during class.  This will distract you from hearing what is said next.  However, if you have a question, or need something repeated, just ask.  After all, if you did not understand, others probably did not.   Always re-read your notes before the next class period and make a list of any points you need clarified.  I'll give you a chance to ask questions at the beginning of the next class.

Please do not become discouraged if at first you have trouble taking adequate notes.  Anyone can learn to take useful notes; it just requires effort and practice.  Once you have tried out what I have suggested above for about two weeks, come by the office and let me read over some of your notes.  I can then tell you whether you are getting down what you will need and perhaps make a few suggestions for improvements.

Decorum: I am sorry to even have to bring up this topic with a college class, but experience has taught me it is necessary.  In the interest of not interfering with your colleagues' opportunity to learn, please do not do any of the following things during class.

 1)  Do not use a cellular phone, either to make or return a call.  If you have a beeper, turn it off before you come to class. [In case of a serious emergency, you should consult me before class to see whether I agree that an exception is in order.]
 2)  Do not bring food or drinks, except water, to class.  Do not smoke.  Do not chew either gum or tobacco.
 3)  Do not make unnecessary noise.  This includes sharpening your pencil or visiting with a classmate during class.
 4)  If you are not going to participate in the class, please do not come.  It is very rude to read the newspaper during class or study for a test the next hour!
 5)  If you must come in late, or leave early, sit near the door, not in your usual seat.  Please come by later and explain to me why you were not able to be present for the entire class period.
 6)  When asking a question or contributing to a discussion, always be polite to all persons in the class.  It is never acceptable to be abusive by using vulgar or obscene language.   A person can express their disagreement with the views of another person without being hostile toward that person.

If a student is determined to behave in a discourteous or disruptive way, then up to five points may be subtracted from his semester total for each offense.

CHEATING: You are cheating if you use any information on a test which you pulled from any other source than your own head during the test!  You are cheating if you look at notes in whatever form, look on a fellow student's paper, asking another student to whisper information, etc. You are also cheating if you assist another student in cheating.

Cheating is a very serious offense.  It is sufficient grounds for failure in the course or dismissal from the University.  My own practice has been to assign the lowest possible score for the test and, of course, not permit the test to be made up.  The University policy, a copy of which follows this Syllabus, is considerably more severe and much more time consuming!  Remember that one bout of cheating can ruin a reputation you have spent several years building.  Please do not cheat.  Just set aside enough time to study so you can earn an honest grade!

EXTRA POINTS and DEMERITS: From time to time, I shall conduct a "trial test."  These will be announced in advance, at which time a number of the identification items from your current study guide will be assigned.  You will be asked to write a paragraph on one of these right at the beginning of the class.  Be sure to get to class on time or you will miss your change to get extra points and end up with a demerit!  We only spend a few minutes writing an ID, and there is no opportunity to make up a trial test, so do not be late!  Please always have a pen with you in class, as trial tests must be written with a pen.  Trial tests are intended to encourage you to stay caught up.  They also give you a chance to see how I grade the ID's.  You can earn up to three points on a trial test.  If you write an "A" answer, you will receive three points and two points for a "B."   A "C" answer earns one point,  and a "D" earns zero points.  If your write an "F" answer,  or you are absent, then the score will be a -1, i.e. a demerit.  The points involved do not sound like much, but added up over the course of the semester they often make a difference in the final grade in the course.

COURSE GRADES: To receive an "A" you will need to earn 90% of the possible points in this course. [Of course, extra points and demerits are not included in the total possible points, but are included in the sum of points you earned.] The grade of "B" indicates you earned at least 80% of the possible points in the course.  Students who earn an "A" or a "B" have exhibited various degrees of excellence in their mastery of both information and intellectual skills.  A "C" indicates you earned at least 70% of the possible points.  The grade of C indicates a student shows adequate mastery of the information and skills assigned in the course.  To receive a "D" a student must have earned at least 60% of the possible points in the course, which means he or she has some knowledge and understanding of the material in the course.  Students earning fewer than 60% of the possible points will receive an "F."

We are no longer permitted to post grades.  You will receive your grades in the mail or you access them electronically.  If you would like to see your score on the final examination, please come by my office any time during the next semester and I shall give you your blue book.  I throw out old tests at the end of the semester following that in which the course was taught.

If your grade does not look right to you, be sure to come by right away.  I shall be glad to recalculate the grade and answer any of your questions.  It is your responsibility  to keep all the tests I return to you, along with the test question sheets, study guides and the syllabus, until you have received your final grade and any questions concerning that grade are resolved.

NEUTRAL GRADES:  If you decide to drop the class, you must formally withdraw from the course. [Check the calendar in the Class Schedule to determine the last date for dropping a class and the last dates for withdrawal from a class or from all classes.]   If you stop attending this class and do not formally withdraw, your instructor has no choice but to assign you the grade of "F" in  the course.

SEVERE HARDSHIP: If a  serious hardship forces you to miss several weeks of classes, the only real option is to withdraw.  However, if this occurs near the end of the semester, when you have already completed most of the work for the course, if may be possible for you to receive the temporary grade of  "I" in the course.  However, you must commit yourself to completing the work for the course early in the next semester.  Consider the procedure below if you find yourself with this problem.

TO RECEIVE AN INCOMPLETE:  I will consider assigning an "I" under certain conditions.  You must contact me in writing by the end of finals week requesting an Incomplete.  In this request you must agree to complete the remaining work by the end of the second week of the next regular semester.  If you fail to complete the work by that time, the lowest possible grade, i.e. 40% of the possible points, will be assigned for each assignment left incomplete and the final grade computed on that basis.  This final grade will then be submitted to replace the temporary grade of Incomplete.  This instructor will not approve your request and assign the grade of "I" unless the following two conditions prevail:  1)  You must have completed at least 3/5 of the total possible points for the course; and  2) you must have earned at least a D+ average in the work completed to date.

If you suffer a severe crisis at the last minute and are unable to get in contact with me before grades are turned in, please come see me, or write to me to explain, as soon as you are able. [In such a situation I shall expect to see documentation verifying the grounds for your absence.]  This exception from the previously explained rules  is to cover such crises as a wreck during finals week which lands you in the hospital, a death or severe sickness in the family, etc.   In such cases, we can arrange an opportunity for you to make up the missed final, so long as you get in touch with me as soon as you are able.