Course Syllabus

Spring 2024 | HIS-2070-VO01 - Vermont History

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Cyndy Bittinger
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Philip Crossman

General Education Requirements

VSCS Humanistic Perspectives

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

This course surveys the history of Vermont from early days to the present. Students explore political, social, cultural, and economic aspects of the history of the state.

Essential Objectives

1. Describe Vermont's earliest inhabitants and the impact that European exploration and settlement in the region had on indigenous communities.
2. Explain the historical events and circumstances that led to Vermont's settlement, independence, and admission into the Union.
3. Describe how Vermont's geology, topography, and climate affected the pattern of settlement and economic, social, and political development.
4. Compare and contrast Vermont's development with patterns of development in the region and the nation.
5. Discuss the contributions and experiences of Vermont women in different historical periods.
6. Discuss the contributions and experiences of African Americans, Native Americans, and ethnic groups in Vermont, including the history of racism and eugenics in the state.
7. Analyze the significant factors that have created and influenced Vermont's present political, social and economic institutions.
8. Analyze Vermont history utilizing local historical resources.
9. Engage in and evaluate historical research using information literacy skills.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

*** This is a low cost ($50 or less) textbook or resource class. ***

This course uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations.

Spring 2024 textbook details will be available on 2023-11-06. On that date a link will be available below that will take you to eCampus, CCV's bookstore. The information provided there will be specific to this class. Please see this page for more information regarding the purchase of textbooks/books.

HIS-2070-VO01 Link to Textbooks for this course in eCampus.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Methods

Discussions are created where students have read the textbook and other assigned readings and demonstrate their knowledge. They also interact with each other. That is very important in online learning. You are to participate in the class. That means working with the class. Since the class runs Tuesday to Monday night, submitting material in the last hour of Monday night is not considered class participation. Posting earlier in the week and working with other students is very important. Each week the assigned reading is described in the syllabus and in Canvas for the week. You may read ahead, but posting ahead is not a good idea. It is like speaking to an empty classroom. Correct English in your posts is essential. If you submit a post with jumbled English, we will have to just guess at what you are trying to say. Read over your contributions and correct them. Write at the college level.

Two papers, each with considerable student choice, but required components must be submitted in a timely way. The course is timed so that the workload is spread out over the term. I recommend you back up your work and save it in a file. Choose a topic for a paper and tell me know your choice. I can point out useful sources. Students should understand resources, endnotes and how to summarize material. They should incorporate primary sources. A good short handbook is A Pocket Guide to Writing in History by Mary Lynn Rampolla. Papers are based on research and show independent thought and reflection.

A quiz and a final exam are based on the essential objectives of the course. Students demonstrate their mastery of the course with essay answers. The essays follow a suggested format with an introductory paragraph, thesis statement, supporting evidence and conclusions. Writing at the college level is important.
I do suggest extra credit opportunities to enrich the class. Often they are lectures or museum visits. I believe that seeing the actual artifacts brings history alive. Also, going to places where history was made helps you understand the events so much better.

Evaluation Criteria

45% class discussion
10% topic paper
10% quiz
15% town or state issue paper
20% final exam

Grading system: Participation in the discussion forum will account for 45% of your grade. Each week 3 points can be earned for your participation. One point for basic work or two points for excellent work, and one point for interface with other students and/or your instructor. The more you post with quality contributions, the more credit you receive. A basic post shows knowledge and thought about the subject for the week. An excellent post includes outside research and contributes websites for exploration. I have provided a sample post in the first week. It should show critical thinking about the subject at hand. I encourage students to visit the class often during the week and post a response to the assignment in about 200 words. A one sentence response will not gain much credit. Do respond to other students and try to build a discussion of the topic for the week. As the instructor, I will encourage students with questions during the week to elicit more thought on the topic. You should respond to my encouragement.

The week runs from Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. to Monday night at midnight. After Monday night, the week is closed. Time management is key to online study. Posts during the week help build discussions; posts on Sunday and Monday are important, but do not give students time to react. They are not conducive to class discussion. Excellent work should include correct grammar and English. To sum up, cover the material we are discussing, write in a well-mannered way, post early, build on what other students write, and encourage others.

Writing papers and essays is important. You learn to present a case with focus, a clear, central thesis and purpose. Your research has given you insight into a topic. You have a clear, logical progression of ideas and build an argument. You have college-level vocabulary with proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. You cite sources correctly. You must credit sources. Use endnotes or footnotes or citations in the paper. Where did you get the ideas? What hard data proves your point? You should incorporate primary sources into your work. You should show critical thinking about the subject and do not just state facts or pull together material off the internet without re-writing it with your own input. These papers and exams are to encourage reflection on the history you have studied and a drawing of conclusions about the subjects we have discussed.

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

As stated above, participation on a weekly basis is the key to online courses. Complete your readings on time. Respond to others in the discussion modules. That helps build more of a classroom atmosphere. Often bring in sources outside our textbooks. Over the years of my teaching this course, students have added websites and examples from their own research to enrich the course. Challenge yourself to do your best work.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Regular attendance at an online class is the secret of success. Staying with the course by reading and discussing the material is important. Remember to think about adequate time for the course. A face to face class lasts 3 hours and preparation may be an additional 3 hours or more. Missing three classes or three weeks means a non-satisfactory grade. Not turning in papers or not taking the two exams means a non-satisfactory grade. Each paper and quiz have deadlines. Not adhering to deadlines shows a lack of concern for the course and less credit will be given for that work. Of course if an emergency happens, considerable latitude is given.

Each week, a student is expected to read the sections of the textbook assigned and any other reading material before proceeding to the discussion modules so they know the work to be done. Considerable reading may be required before a student can contribute a comment. Our class runs from 9 a.m. Tuesday to 12 midnight the next Monday, but attendance is recorded Tuesday morning. Failure to participate during the week means the student was absent. CCV has this as a requirement. However, work can be done up to Monday night at midnight if necessary before the week is closed for credit.

If a student knows of a problem in attendance due to an extraordinary circumstance or an emergency, he or she should contact the instructor by email or phone. Letting the instructor know about this in advance is a good practice. Making up the class is a good plan and helpful for grading. Making up work in prior classes can be done up to two weeks afterward in email to the instructor for minimal credit.

If a student does not participate for two weeks, their advisor will be notified. That means that the student will get assistance on continuing the course or they will drop the course. Questions and help with assignments can always be emailed to the instructor.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity