Spring 2007 

                History 1378,  U.S. from 1877 to the Present
                T, Th 2:30-3:45
                Bob Buzzanco
                Office Hours:  by appointment
                http://vi.uh.edu/pages/buzzmat/buzzanco.htm
 
 

                Teaching Assistants

                 Maria Corsi, 641 AH
                      1-2:30, Tues and Thurs
                  
                 Mike Phifer, 639 AH
                      2-5, Weds

                 Anna Burke, 639 AH
                      1-2, Monday, 10:30-12:30, Wednesday

                 Kristen Contos, 662 AH
                       12-1:30, Tues and Thurs                              

               
                **************************
                Required Books:


                Book package including,  History Dept. Reader and  Readings and Documents in Post-1945 U.S. History [listed as "Readings and Documents" below]
                  

               
         
     
       
Grading:
 
Your grade in this course will be based on your scores on
three exams [which may include essays and  IDs], two during the semester, at dates announced in class and on WebCt, and a final exam.   Practice questions will be given out before the tests and review sessions with TAs will be scheduled.

Makeup Policy--read carefully.  We do not want to get flooded with requests for makeups.  Do everything in your power to be here on test dates.  If you miss an exam due to verifiable emergency conditions, with proper documentation, there will be makeup tests given on a case-by-case basis, at the discretion of the professor/TAs. On the day of your  scheduled make-up, you will be required to make up all missing tests.  The only excuses for missing that day will also be medical or other emergencies [not travel plans], for which you must provide written documentation. If you miss the makeup test, you will receive zeroes for those tests.  Additionally, it is your responsibility to notify your TA that you have missed an exam and to schedule a make up as soon as possible.  

Make sure you attend class regularly and keep up with the assigned readings. If at any time you are unsure of the material we are covering,
please ask the T.A. or me.


Read this carefully, because it is an issue every semester

Deadlines and important dates:

Dates for drops, graduation, etc, can be found at:     http://www.uh.edu/academics/catalog/general/Cal_event_f05s06.html

 
If you want to drop the class, that’s your responsibility.  To drop, get a drop form and bring it to me to sign.  It’s not my responsibility to drop the class for you.  If you want to drop, check the deadlines and meet them.  Don’t come to me at the end of the semester and ask me to drop the class for you.  Also, don’t ask me for an “incomplete” unless you have serious mitigating circumstances–incompletes are allowed only for “emergency” situations and not simply because you’ve fallen behind in class or aren’t doing well.  If you sense that you’re not going to perform at the level you want to and do not want to complete the class, withdraw from it rather than asking me for an incomplete. 
The key to success in this class is simple: attend class regularly, and do all the readings. 

Faculty Handbook: Incomplete (I) Grade Policy

The grade of "I" (Incomplete) is a conditional and temporary grade given when a student is passing a course but for reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of all requirements. The student is responsible for informing the instructor immediately of the reason for not submitting an assignment on time or not taking an examination. The grade of "I" must be changed by fulfillment of course requirements within one year of the date awarded or it will be changed automatically to an "F" or a "U" (Unsatisfactory). The grade of "I" may not be changed to a grade of "W" (Withdrawn), but may only be changed to another letter grade. Once the student has completed the remaining work for the course, the instructor should submit an Academic Record Adjustment form to change the "I" grade to the grade the student has earned. Some colleges require the student to sign an agreement with the instructor indicating when the requirements will be met.

NOTE: Students should be instructed not to re-register for the same course in a following semester in order to complete the incomplete requirements.




Procedure for questioning grades:

                If, after we have turned back your exams, you have any questions or
                complaints, this is the procedure to follow:

                First, we will not discuss your tests right after we turn them back to you;
                please look over your exams upon return and wait a day before contacting us.

                Next, make an appointment with your TA and come to that meeting with
                specific questions or concerns, in writing. If you believe you deserved a
                higher grade, be prepared to explain specifically why you believe that. Do
                not simply say "I studied and thought I should have done better."

                Then, if the TA and you do not reach an agreement, the TA will re-grade the
                entire test and your final grade may be raised, stay the same, or lowered.

                If, at that point, you are still not satisfied, bring your exam to me,
                again with specific questions or concerns in writing, and I will go over it
                with you.

                At the end of the semester, DO NOT send me an email asking for your grade
                to be raised simply because you need extra points to maintain your grade point
                average or to graduate or for other such reasons.  If you have a question about
                a particular grading decision, you may of course talk to us, but don't simply beg
                for points or a grade. 
                **************************
                Academic Honesty:

                You are expected to do your own work in this class. The tests will consist
                of in-class essays and you will be expected to write your answers on your
                own. If you have any questions about the University of Houston plagiarism
                policy, please consult the University Handbook.

                Also, there are now many websites covering various aspects of U.S. history.
                Feel free to peruse them--many are quite useful--but do not turn in work
                from the web as your own. We are all familiar with the various resources on
                the web and will be able to notice any cases of turning in information from
                the web as your own.
                **************************
                Classroom Decorum:

                It goes without saying that you are expected to arrive in the classroom on
                time, remain seated and quiet, and remain until the class ends.

                Please turn off all pagers and cell phones before entering the auditorium.

                Remember, this is a college course; you have decided to enrol and attend.
                Therefore, if you are in class it is imperative that you remain silent for
                the full time that class is in session. If you decide to move about or
                make noise, or otherwise disrupt your fellow students, university
                regulations allow us to remove your name from the roster. The TAs and I
                will be vigilant in enforcing procedures on behavior.

                Should problems arise, the class will be given a single warning. If
                disruptions persist after that, the professor reserves the right to take
                appropriate measures.
                **************************
                E-Mail and Discussions:
        
                We will be using WebCT for this class.  To get started go to http://www.uh.edu/webct
                 I'll also give more information in class.
        
                **************************
                Lecture materials and notes:

                I consider the lectures I deliver to be my intellectual property and no one
                should post them on a web site or otherwise make them available publicly
                without my permission.
                **************************

                 TOPICS AND READING ASSIGNMENTS  

                Week 1

                Background: Capitalism, Labor Wars, Empire

                Reader, pp. 1-42
                               
                
               

                Week 2

                Imperialism, Markets and the Great War

              
                Reader, pp. 43-100


                Week 3
                The Aftermath of War, Abroad and At Home

               

           


                Week 4

                The 1920s

               Reader, pp. 101-136

               

                Week 5

                FDR and the New Deal
                Reader, pp. 137-189
              
             


                Week 6

                The Onset of War
               
         
       

 

                Week 7   Test 1

                War, the Bomb, and Cold War
   
                "Readings and Documents," Intro and chapter 1 
(and questions at end of chapter)
               


                Week 8

                The War at Home: Domestic Containment
                Beaver, Beatniks, and Confomity

                 Reader, pp. 205-252
                "Readings and Documents", chapters 2 and 4 
(and questions at end of chapter)
               


                Week 9

                Taking the Third World
                 Reader, pp. 253-57
                "Readings and Documents", chapter 3 
(and questions at end of chapter)
             


                Week 10

                Questioning Authority in the 1960s

                 
                  "Readings and Documents", chapters 5 and 8 
(and questions at end of chapter)

                Optional Reading: Buzzanco, Vietnam and the Transformation of American Life ,
                at http://vi.uh.edu/pages/buzzmat/vntalpdf/vntalpdf.html



                Week 11   Test 2

                The Modern Civil Rights Era

               
                "Readings and Documents",
chapter 6 
(and questions at end of chapter)
               
        


                Week 12

                Vietnam and the Limits of Power

                "Readings and Documents", chapter 7 
(and questions at end of chapter)
               
                 
                  

            


                Week 13

                Backlash and H2Ogate

              
                "Readings and Documents", chapter 9 
(and questions at end of chapter)
               
               

        



                Week 14

                Reagan's America
                Clinton and the Republicrats

                 Reader, pp. 123-29
               "Readings and Documents"
, chapters 10 and 11 
(and questions at end of chapter)
              
               
                           


                Week 15
        
                "Readings and Documents", chapter 12 
(and questions at end of chapter)

Final Exam, consult   http://www.uh.edu/enroll/rar/final_exam_schedule.htmlm_schedule.html