Syllabus

New York City College of Technology (CUNY)

Social Science Department

History of Immigration

HIS3208/Sec OL68

Spring 2020

CUNY Flexible Core: US Experience in its Diversity

City Tech Liberal Arts and Science Capstone Course

Writing Intensive Course

Fully ONLINE COURSE

Instructor: Dr. Peter Catapano 610 Namm Hall Office Hours: Tues, Wed, Thurs. 3:00 – 4:00pm. Or by appointment Course Website: https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/his3208catapanoClass Meeting: ONLINE Office Phone: 718-260-5056 E-mail Address: pcatapano@citytech.cuny.edu  

This course fulfills the LAA/LAS Associate Capstone requirement, though it can also be taken for other requirements and electives. The City Tech LAA/LAS Associate Capstone is designed for students entering their second year in the program. LAA/LAS Associate Capstone courses are meant to prepare students to continue their studies in a bachelor’s degree, third-year, or junior, level. In addition, Associate Capstone courses are meant to help students develop an awareness of the importance of knowledge, values and skills developed in general education courses; and to integrate this knowledge, these values and these skills into their advanced academic study and professional careers. Please ask the instructor if you have any questions about what the LAA/LAS Associate Capstone requirement entails.

WHAT IS AN ON-LINE COURSE?

This course is designed as fully online and synchronous. We will not be meeting face-to-face in person or online. Instead, you work at your own pace within a daily/weekly framework. Our main source of interaction will occur via the ANNOUNCEMENT page and DISCUSSION BOARD on Blackboard. It is important that you log on and check Blackboard regularly during the day. Your reading, tests, and assignments are posted by topic in the LEARNING UNITS tab.

REQUIRED READINGS and VIDEOS

There is NO Textbook. All readings for the class are in Blackboard under in the LEARNING UNITS folders organized by date and topic. There will also by other online sources, including videos, that are required as the semester progresses. The links will be provided on Blackboard.

INSTRUCTION FOR LEARNING UNIT ASSIGNMENTS

Each topic we cover is divided on Blackboard into LEARNING UNITS. Please follow the instructions carefully. Each unit will also include required readings, quizzes, assignments, and links to discussion board. It is best to complete the UNITS in order and it is required to complete any assignment or test by the due date.

COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES For the successful completion of this course, students should be able to: Discuss the significance of immigration on the history of the United StatesIdentify specific contributions of the varied immigrant groups in American culture.Discuss the nativist movements and discuss their effect on immigration.Discuss the changing legal status of immigrants and immigration.GENERAL EDUCATION OBJECTIVES For the successful completion of this course, students should be able to: Use primary source to conduct historical analysis.Conduct basic research and be able to catalog that research in writing.Engage in critical thinking.

ACCESS TO BLACKBOARD:

You may access Blackboard via the City Tech website (www.citytech.cuny.edu) by clicking on the Blackboard link under “Quick Links,” under the category “Logins.” If you do not have an account, click on Register Now to create a new student account. Click on Student and fill out the requested information. Type in your user name and password. Once you have logged in, you will find a link on the right side of the page named Blackboard 9.1. When you click on it, you will be redirected to your Blackboard homepage. Then click on your course. Alternatively, you can login to Blackboard via the CUNY Portal www.cuny.edu and click Log-in. For help logging in, see http://websupport1.citytech.cuny.edu/bb9student_videos/login/Login.html

CUNY PORTAL and BLACKBOARD HELP:

If you need help with the CUNY Portal, for example, you do not seem to have a CUNY account no Blackboard please contact the Student Helpdesk located on the 1st Floor of the Atrium (A114), inside the Student Welcome Center. The telephone number is 718-260-4900, or e-mail them at studenthelpdesk@citytech.cuny.edu. If you have any technical issues, please check your device and/or contact the Instructional Technology & Technology Enhancement Center 718-254-8565 or e-mail at ITEC@citytech.cuny.edu.  Alternatively, drop by the student lab, G-600, at any time during its hours of operation. For those new to Blackboard, or are in need of instruction, the Department of Instructional Technology will be conducting free student Blackboard workshops during the semester. Here’s the link for the training days and times: http://websupport1.citytech.cuny.edu/studentworkshops.html Please note that while these sessions are for hybrid sections, they will work just as well for asynchronous classes like ours. You can also find helpful tips on the various features of Blackboard (including how to “Create and Post a Thread) on the City Tech iTEC webpage: http://websupport1.citytech.cuny.edu/studentbb.html

COMMUNICATION WITH THE INSTRUCTOR:

If you send me an e-mail, please enter the course number in the subject section; otherwise, I may delete it. Also, be sure to sign your email with your full name. Some email addresses aren’t clear regarding identity and there may be multiple students with the same first and/or last name.

I am available in my office during my posted office hours. I am also available via email Monday through Friday. I usually check my email for class a minimum of twice a day. While I will do my best to get back to you as soon as I can, sometimes it might take longer. I will however respond within 24-48 hours.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

All assignments for this course will be submitted via BLACKBOARD. For each unit, you will:

  • Complete the unit readings and assigned videos
  • Take unit quizzes
  • Post the Discussion Board assignment
  • Take your exams
  • Submit Immigrant Experience Assignments
It is very important that you follow the due dates provided on the syllabus and check your email regularly. You should login to Blackboard and check announcement at least twice a week for any additional information, changes, or advice on your assignments.

The calendar with due dates can be found at the end of the syllabus.

ASSESSMENT

Please keep aware of all assignment dates by checking the syllabus and the ANNOUNCEMENT page for any changes. No “extra credit” or “make-up” is offered. NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS will be accepted without PRIOR approval by the instructor. Each assignment is will be weighted according to the percentage below:

  • Exams: 40% (Midterm, Final, 20% each)
  • Immigrant Experience Essay, 40%
  • Unit Quizzes, 10%
  • Discussion Board, 10%

EXAMS: There will be two exams worth 15% of your final grade. Each exam will cover one half of course material. There is no cumulative final exam. Exams are given on the dates given in the schedule below. There are NO makeup exams. Each exam will consist of multiple-choice, true or false, and/or an essay question. Further instructions on the format of the test will be made on Blackboard.

IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE ASSIGNMENT: You will be asked to write an essay on the immigrant experience based on a variety of primary and secondary sources. However, before submitting your final essay you must complete five tasks. In order to complete five tasks that will help structure the research and composition of your final essay. Instruction details will be posted on Blackboard. Be aware of the due dates all five tasks must be completed to receive a grade for the assignment. The Immigrant Experience assignment will be worth 40% of your final grade. The breakdown of each assignment is the following:

Distinguishing Sources Quiz – 5%
Submitting your Topic – 5%
Research Plan – 5%Bibliography – 10%How to Avoid Plagiarism Quiz – 10%
Immigrant Experience Essay – 65%

Be aware of the due dates. Late tasks will be accepted but penalized. All five tasks MUST be completed to receive a grade for the entire assignment.

UNIT QUIZZES: There will be short weekly reading quizzes posted on a course Blackboard that correspond with each lecture topic. The quizzes provide an excellent study guide for the exams. The total value of the quizzes toward your final grade is 10%. All quizzes are open book and must be submitted by the posted due date. Late quizzes will receive ½ credit if completed before the next upcoming exam. You will have multiple attempts to complete the quiz.

DISCUSSION BOARD: There will be a Discussion Board question for each learning module. All Discussion Board assignments will consist of two parts: 1.) your response to the question and; 2) Comments and critiques to at least two of your classmates. To complete each assignment, you MUST complete both parts for a total of three posts. You will be penalized for incomplete and late submissions. Please keep in mind that your fellow classmates need to complete part 2, so it is important that you complete part 1 in a timely manner. Your diligence in posting will be helpful to both you and your fellow students’ success in the class.

GRADING:

Grades will be posted to your Gradebook in Blackboard. The letter grade equivalent for your final weighted total will be assigned according to the following scale:

Letter Grade                Meaning of Letter Grade Number Grade 
A                       Exceptional                   100-93 
A-                      Superior                        92.9-90 
B+                     Very Good                    89.9-87 
B                       Good                            86.9-83 
B-                      Above Average             82.9-80 
C+                     Slightly Above Average   79.9-77 
C                       Average                         76.9-70 
D                       Poor                               69.9-60 
F                        Failure                           59.9-0 

NETIQUETTE AND CLASS CONDUCT

Since this course is fully online, our primary interaction will be on Blackboard. Therefore, you will be expected to respect the collective online environment of your classmates. There are similarities between good manners in face-to-face and online classrooms. However, there are some differences unique to the online experience. Here is a netiquette list of do and don’ts to guide you through the semester:

DoDon’t
Make comments and questions that are relevant to the discussion topicWrite anything that you would not share in person in a class.
Use respectful and polite language in your commentsShare confidential information about yourself or others.
Make comments that are thoughtful but to the pointWrite in all CAPITALS because this looks as if you are SHOUTING and makes your message more difficult to read.
Preserve confidential informationUse unexplained acronyms or strange notations that may be unfamiliar to readers.
Respond to a comment or message by including enough information so that the context of your response is understoodMake rambling and off the topic comments
Use appropriate upper and lower case and punctuationPost a message to point out other people’s errors in typing or spelling unless they have asked for the correct spelling of a name or unfamiliar concept
Be aware of CUNY’s Policy on Academic IntegrityUse offensive language or make fun of someone’s post.
Think before you push the send button.Write anything that you would not share in person in a class.
Do not hesitate to ask for feedback.Share confidential information about yourself or others.
When in doubt, check with your instructor for clarification.Write in all CAPITALS because this looks as if you are SHOUTING and makes your message more difficult to read.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

“Students and all others who work with information, ideas, texts, images, music, inventions, and other intellectual property owe their audience and sources accuracy and honesty in using, crediting, and citing sources. As a community of intellectual and professional workers, the College recognizes its responsibility for providing instruction in information literacy and academic integrity, offering models of good practice, and responding vigilantly and appropriately to infractions of academic integrity. Accordingly, academic dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and at New York City College of Technology and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion.”

According to the NYCCT statement on academic integrity:

The complete text of the College policy on Academic Integrity may be found in the college catalog.

ACADEMIC ADJUSTMENTS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:

Students with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations or academic adjustments for this course must contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities. NYCCT is committed to providing equal access to all programs and curricula to all students

Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with documented disabilities. If you have specific physical, psychiatric or learning disabilities and require accommodations, please let me know as soon as possible, but definitely before the date of the first exam, so that your learning needs may be appropriately met. If you have not already done so, you will need to provide documentation of your disability to the Center for Student Accessibility, which is located in A-237 in the Atrium Building.
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