Master Syllabus
U.S. History 2341
Depression Era
The purpose of the History Department is threefold. First we provide excellent instruction in the discipline of history. Second, we provide each student with six semester hours of U.S. History instruction to meet the requirements of the Texas Education Code (51.303). Third, we provide history majors with fifteen semester hours of history instruction to prepare them to successfully pursue a bachelor’s or higher degree in history at a four-year college or university.
Course Description: A survey of the political, economic, social and cultural events of the Twenties and Thirties in the United States.
SCANS Competencies: None required, but students will need good reading, writing and study skills to succeed in this course. Students will be expected to read about 400 pages of textbook, and may be obliged to read an outside book. Students will have to write essays and book reports, and will be expected to observe decent English grammar and spelling rules. Although students will be told when tests will take place and be given detailed learning objectives to facilitate study, students will be expected to study information in detail to prepare for the tests.
Instructional Methodology: Depends on the format the student is taking.
Course Rationale: The Texas legislature requires students to take 6 hours of American history to graduate from an institution of higher learning in Texas. This course helps fulfill that requirement. Students taking History 2341 Depression America can expect to improve their reading and writing competencies, critical thinking skills, research skills, etc., all of which help students better succeed in life outside academia.
Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes: upon completion of the A.A. degree in History students will be able to:
1. Use critical thinking in the analysis of historical facts
2. Demonstrate civic awareness in the appraisal of historical contexts
3. Demonstrate cultural awareness in the assessment of historical situations
Course-Level Student Learning Outcomes: upon completion of this course students will be able to:
1. Use critical thinking in the analysis of historical facts
2. Demonstrate civic awareness in the appraisal of historical contexts
3. Demonstrate cultural awareness in the assessment of historical situations
Common Course Objectives: After completing History 2341 – Depression America, 1929-1941, students should be able to:
1. Identify the major economic reversals/depressions throughout American history and place the “Great Depression” of 1929-1941 within this greater perspective.
2. Explain the seeming cyclicality of American history in domestic affairs, identifying major examples of both “liberal/public purpose” and “conservative/private interest” periods as well as the causes of such cycles.
3. Explain how the boom economy of the 1920s, despite the belief that prosperity was both inevitable and perpetual, contained the seeds of its own collapse.
4. Enumerate and describe the major, albeit submerged, weaknesses of the “New Economy” of the 1920s.
5. Identify and evaluate the major conflicting explanations for the onset of the Great Depression.
6. Identify and describe the magnitude of the economic collapse using such factors as stock values, bank failures, home and business foreclosures, production and consumption levels, unemployment, deflation, etc.
7. Describe President Herbert Hoover’s response to the constantly-deepening depression, being certain to specify steps taken, steps he refused to take, and the perceived effectiveness of these responses.
8. Evaluate the contention that Herbert Hoover became both “the forgotten progressive” and the country’s scapegoat for the Great Depression.
9. Demonstrate how the rise to dominance of Democrats during the depression era represented an enduring realignment of the national political system.
10. Identify and describe the major legislative achievements/program initiatives of the New Deal, demonstrating how collectively they represented a greatly changed view the federal government’s role in American life.
11. Identify and describe the “radical” political alternatives to Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal that proliferated in the United States during the 1930s.
12. Assess the overall ideological position of the New Deal given both the environment of the depression and radical alternatives which existed on both the right and the left.
13. Describe the phenomenal role Texas Democrats played in the Roosevelt administration and New Deal program, identifying specific individuals and the offices that they held.
14. Identifying specific programs and projects, describe the New Deal’s impact on depression conditions in Austin and Central Texas.
15. Describe the legal challenges the Supreme Court laid down to the New Deal program as well as its eventual acceptance of the governmental revolution.
16. Identify the various factors that brought Franklin Roosevelt’s dominance of the political scene and the New Deal to an end as the 1930s drew to a close.
17. Assess the New Deal’s impact on the Democratic party in Texas and explain why and how changes at the federal level resurrected a heretofore moribund Republican party in the Lone Star State.
18. Evaluate Franklin Roosevelt’s effectiveness in reversing the economic collapse.
19. Explain how the onset of World War II, rather than the New Deal, brought the Great Depression to an end.
20. Identify the impact of the Depression experience on the role of the government in economic activities, the distribution of power between branches of the federal government, federal-state relations, as well as the legitimacy and power of organized labor.
Grading System: Depends on the format the student is taking.
Course Policies: Policies on attendance, withdrawals, incompletes, student discipline, and academic freedom vary by instructor. However, the entire department adheres to the following statements on scholastic dishonesty and students with disabilities.
Attendance/Class Participation:
Regular and punctual class and laboratory attendance is expected of all students. If attendance or compliance with other course policies is unsatisfactory, the instructor may withdraw students from the class.
Withdrawal Policy:
It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that his or her name is removed from the roll should s/he decide to withdraw from the class. The instructor does, however, reserve the right to drop a student should s/he feel it is necessary. If a student decides to withdraw s/he should also verify that the withdrawal is submitted before the Final Withdrawal Date. Students are also strongly encouraged to retain a copy of the withdrawal form for their records.
College & State Withdrawal Policies:
Students who enroll for the third or subsequent time in a course taken since Fall 2002, may be charged a higher tuition rate for that course.
State law permits students to withdraw from no more than six courses during their entire undergraduate career at Texas public colleges or universities without penalty. With certain exceptions, all course withdrawals automatically count toward this limit. Details regarding this policy can be found in the ACC college catalog.
Incompletes:
An instructor may award a grade of “I” (Incomplete) if a student is unable to complete all the requirements for the course. An incomplete grade cannot be carried beyond the established date in the following semester. The completion date is determined by the instructor but may not be later than the final deadline for withdrawal in the subsequent semester.
Statement on Scholastic Dishonesty:
A student attending ACC assumes responsibility for conduct compatible with the mission of the college as an educational institution. Students have the responsibility to submit coursework that is the result of their own thought, research, or self-expression. Students must follow all instructions given by faculty or designated college representatives when taking examinations, placement assessments, tests, quizzes, and evaluations. Actions constituting scholastic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, collusion, and falsifying documents. Penalties for scholastic dishonesty will depend upon the nature of the violation and may range from lowering a grade on one assignment to an “F” in the course and/or expulsion from the college. See the Student Standards of Conduct and Disciplinary Process and other policies at http://www.austincc.edu/current/needtoknow
Student Rights and Responsibilities:
Students at the college have the rights accorded by the U.S. Constitution to freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, petition, and association. These rights carry with them the responsibility to accord the same rights to others in the college community and not to interfere with or disrupt the educational process. Opportunity for students to examine and question pertinent data and assumptions of a given discipline, guided by the evidence of scholarly research, is appropriate in a learning environment. This concept is accompanied by an equally demanding concept of responsibility on the part of the student. As willing partners in learning, students must comply with college rules and procedures.
Statement on Students with Disabilities:
Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented disabilities. Students with disabilities who need classroom, academic or other accommodations must request them through the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD). Students are encouraged to request accommodations when they register for courses or at least three weeks before the start of the semester, otherwise the provision of accommodations may be delayed.
Students who have received approval for accommodations from OSD for this course must provide the instructor with the “Notice of Approved Accommodations” from OSD before accommodations will be provided. Arrangements for academic accommodations can only be made after the instructor receives the “Notice of Approved Accommodations” from the student.
Additional information about OSD is available at Student Accessibility Services (SAS)
Safety Statement:
Austin Community College is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for study and work. Students are expected to learn and comply with ACC environmental, health and safety procedures and to agree to follow ACC safety policies. Additional information on these can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/ehs. Because some health and safety circumstances are beyond our control, we ask that you become familiar with the Emergency Procedures poster and Campus Safety Plan map in each classroom. Additional information about emergency procedures and how to sign up for ACC Emergency Alerts to be notified in the event of a serious emergency can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/emergency/.
Use of ACC email:
All College e-mail communication to students will be sent solely to the student’s ACCmail account, with the expectation that such communications will be read in a timely fashion. ACC will send important information and will notify you of any college related emergencies using this account. Students should only expect to receive email communication from their instructor using this account. Likewise, students should use their ACCmail account when communicating with instructors and staff. Instructions for activating an ACCmail account can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/accmail .
Please note that students are expected to conduct themselves professionally, with respect and courtesy to all. Anyone who thoughtlessly or intentionally jeopardizes the health or safety of another individual will be dismissed from the day’s class activity, may be withdrawn from the class, and/or barred from attending future activities.
Testing Center Policy:
Under certain circumstances, an instructor may have students take an examination in a testing center. Students using the Academic Testing Center must govern themselves according to the Student Guide for Use of ACC Testing Centers and should read the entire guide before going to take the exam. To request an exam, one must have:
- ACC Photo ID
- Course Abbreviation (e.g., ENGL)
- Course Number (e.g.,1301)
- Course Synonym (e.g., 10123)
- Course Section (e.g., 005)
- Instructor’s Name
Do NOT bring cell phones to the Testing Center. Having your cell phone in the testing room, regardless of whether it is on or off, will revoke your testing privileges for the remainder of the semester. ACC Testing Center policies can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/testctr/
Student and Instructional Services
ACC strives to provide exemplary support to its students and offers a broad variety of opportunities and services. Information on these services and support systems is available at: http://www.austincc.edu/s4/
Links to many student services and other information can be found at: http://www.austincc.edu/current/
ACC Learning Labs provide free tutoring services to all ACC students currently enrolled in the course to be tutored. The tutor schedule for each Learning Lab may be found at:
Learning Lab Services
For help setting up your ACCeID, ACC Gmail, or ACC Blackboard, see a Learning Lab Technician at any ACC Learning Lab.