Stevens Institute of Technology
College of Arts & Letters

SPRING 2015
Tuesday 9.00-9.50 am; Thursday, 9.00-10.40 am
Classroom: Babbio 204

Link to Schedule, Reading List, and Assignments

Course Description:  

This course is a survey of important themes, people, and events in American history since 1865. During the semester we will consider changes in American race relations, civil liberties, corporate capitalism, technology, and American power in a global context.

Course and Program Objectives and Outcomes

Textbooks to purchase (available in the campus store unless otherwise noted):

Eric Foner
The Story of American Freedom
W.W Norton & Co. (1999)
ISBN-10: 0393319628

Michael H. Hunt, ed.
A Vietnam War Reader: A Documentary History from American and Vietnamese Perspectives
University of North Carolina Press, 2010
ISBN-10: 0807859915

Steven Mintz and Sara McNeil
Digital History (2013)
Available from http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/

The remainder of the course readings will be available from the course website or on Canvas.

Writing & Communications Center:

The College of Arts & Letters maintains the Writing & Communications Center at Stevens in Morton 210. Their office hours are Monday-Friday, 9 am - 5 pm. You can stop in or make an appointment to get help with your papers, presentations, and all other work you do at Stevens. I have never had a student visit the WCC and come back with a lower grade on their assignment.

Honor Board Policies:

You should by now be familiar with The Honor System at the Stevens Institute of Technology. It is your responsibility to uphold the ideals set forth in the Honor System Constitution. Specific student responsibilities include:

• Maintaining honesty and fair play in all aspects of academic life at Stevens;
• Writing and signing the pledge, in full, on all submitted academic work;
• Reporting any suspected violations to an Honor Board member or to the Dean of Student Development;
• Cooperating with the Honor Board during investigations and hearings.

If you ever have questions about how to interpret the Honor System in relation to your work in this class, please get in touch with me.

Students with disabilities:

If you require special accommodations due to a disability, or if you need individual arrangements should the building be evacuated, you must inform the office of Student Counseling and Psychological Services, Dr. Jodi Streich, Director, in the Howe Center, 7th floor (x5177), and complete the Faculty Contact Form. Once you have done so, you should ask to meet with me so that we can work out any special arrangements that may be necessary.

Grades and Course Policies:  

Attendance is mandatory. Any absences must be accounted for by notifying me before the start of class; otherwise I will need verification from an outside authority (i.e., doctor, coach, another professor) explaining why it was necessary for you to miss class. Cell phones should either be turned off or silenced and put away. Students may not use laptops or other computers (tablets, etc.) in class without my permission. You should stay awake at all times during class. Any students in violation of these simple rules will be marked as absent for that particular class.

Grades will be based on the following criteria:

• class participation (including attendance, preparedness, and contributions to discussions) (40%)
  • To evaluate your participation I use Prof. Vinsel's Zombie Scale of Classroom Participation
• essay assignments (35%)
• final exam (25%)

Percentages are approximate. I will determine final weights at the end of the course. I reserve the right to give pop quizzes.

Link to Schedule, Reading List, and Assignments