Understanding the History Syllabus: A Comprehensive Guide

History as a discipline provides an opportunity to explore, inquire, and interpret events from multiple perspectives. A well-structured history syllabus serves as a roadmap for students, outlining the course's objectives, content, and expectations. This article will delve into the key components of a history syllabus, drawing from various examples and perspectives to provide a comprehensive understanding for students and educators alike.

The Purpose of History Education

The History Department aims to provide excellent instruction in the discipline of history. History instruction must meet the requirements of the Texas Education Code (51.303). A central goal of history education is to foster a sense of inquiry. It is also an interpretive discipline, allowing opportunity for engagement with multiple perspectives and opinions.

Course Rationale: Fulfilling Requirements and Developing Skills

Many institutions, such as those in Texas, require students to take American history courses to graduate. This course helps fulfill that requirement. Beyond fulfilling mandates, history courses aim to equip students with essential skills. Students will need good reading, writing, and study skills to succeed in this course. These skills are transferable and valuable in various academic and professional pursuits. Students will be expected to read about 450 pages of textbook, and, depending on the individual instructor, may be obliged to read an outside book and/or do a research paper. Students will have to write essays, book reports, and/or research papers and will be expected to observe decent English grammar and spelling rules.

Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion, students should achieve specific learning outcomes. These outcomes might include:

Comparing, contrasting, and interpreting differences and commonalities among peoples, ideas.

Further outcomes would be listed here

Core Historical Concepts

The Diploma Programme (DP) history course is a world history course based on a comparative, multi-perspective approach to history and focused around key historical concepts such as change, causation and significance. The DP history course requires students to study and compare examples from different regions of the world, helping to foster international mindedness. It involves the study of a variety of types of history, including political, economic, social and cultural, encouraging students to think historically and to develop historical skills.

Course Content: Breadth and Depth

A history syllabus outlines the specific topics and periods that will be covered in the course. The content can vary widely depending on the focus of the course. Here are some examples of potential content areas:

1. Military History and Conflict

Military leaders
Conquest and its impact
The move to global war
Causes and effects of wars (750-1500)
Causes and effects of Early Modern wars (1500-1750)
Causes and effects of 20th-century wars

2. Social and Political Transformations

Rights and protest
Emergence and development of democratic states (1848-2000)
Authoritarian states (20th century)

3. Economic and Social Structures

Society and economy (750-1400)
Societies in transition (1400-1700)
Origins, development and impact of industrialization (1750-2005)

4. Governance and Leadership

Dynasties and rulers (750-1500)
Early Modern states (1450-1789)

5. Regional Focus

History of Africa and the Middle East
History of the Americas
History of Asia and Oceania

Course Policies: Expectations and Guidelines

The syllabus also details course policies, setting the ground rules for student conduct and academic integrity.

1. Attendance and Participation

Regular and punctual class and laboratory attendance is expected of all students. Policies on attendance vary by instructor. The instructor does, however, reserve the right to drop a student should s/he feel it is necessary. At the instructor's discretion, any student registered for a class in the College of Arts and Letters who does not attend the first two (2) scheduled meetings of the class (or does not attend the first scheduled meeting of a class that meets once a week) may be administratively dropped from the class. Unless those students drop the course on their own, they will receive a grade at the end of the semester.

2. Withdrawals and Incompletes

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. If a student decides to withdraw s/he should also verify that the withdrawal is submitted before the Final Withdrawal Date. 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. 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.

Read also: Navigating World History

3. Academic Integrity

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. Making references to the work of others strengthens your own work by granting you greater authority and by showing that you are part of a discussion located within an intellectual community. When you make references to the ideas of others, it is essential to provide proper attribution and citation. Failing to do so is considered academically dishonest, as is copying or paraphrasing someone else’s work. The results of such behavior will lead to consequences ranging from failure on an assignment, to failure in the course, to dismissal from the university. Please ask if you are in doubt about the use of a citation. Academic dishonesty is not limited to plagiarism. Other examples of academic dishonesty include cheating on tests or homework, taking an exam or writing a paper for someone else, and selling or uploading unauthorized documents from a class. Talk with your instructor if you have questions regarding academic honesty.

4. Student Conduct

A student attending ACC assumes responsibility for conduct compatible with the mission of the college as an educational institution. Students are expected to conduct themselves professionally, with respect and courtesy to all.

5. Disability Services

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 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. JMU abides by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, which mandate reasonable accommodations be provided for students with documented disabilities. If you have not already done so, you will need to register with the Office of Disability Services, the designated office on campus to provide services for students with disabilities. All faculty are required to give reasonable and appropriate accommodations to students requesting them on grounds of religious observation. The faculty member determines what accommodations are appropriate for his/her course. Students should notify the faculty by no later than the end of the Drop-Add period the first week of the semester of potential scheduled absences and determine with the instructor if mutually acceptable alternative methods exist for completing the missed classroom time.

6. Safety and Emergency Procedures

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. 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. ACC will send important information and will notify you of any college related emergencies using this account.

7. Testing Center Policies

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. 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.

8. Support Services

ACC strives to provide exemplary support to its students and offers a broad variety of opportunities and services. ACC Learning Labs provide free tutoring services to all ACC students currently enrolled in the course to be tutored.

9. Important Dates and Deadlines

The Office of the Registrar maintains a list of important dates and deadlines for each semester. Students are responsible for knowing about the last day to drop/add a class, the last day to withdraw from a class (Course Adjustment deadline) as well as the date and time of the final exam.

10. Freedom of Speech

Students have 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.

11. Diversity and Inclusion

James Madison University is a community dedicated to diversity and inclusivity. As faculty, we believe that learning environments should support a diversity of thoughts, perspectives, experiences, and identities.

Assessment and Grading

The syllabus should clearly outline how student performance will be evaluated. This typically includes a breakdown of the weighting of different assignments, such as:

Essays
Book reports
Research papers
Exams
Class participation

Students will have to write essays, book reports, and/or research papers and will be expected to observe decent English grammar and spelling rules.

Required Readings

Students will be expected to read about 450 pages of textbook, and, depending on the individual instructor, may be obliged to read an outside book and/or do a research paper. The syllabus will list all required textbooks and other readings.

SCANS Competencies

SCANS Competencies: None required, but students will need good reading, writing and study skills to succeed in this course.

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