Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2026

American History (Face-to-Face)

HIST 1700-01

Course: HIST 1700-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2026
Department: History, Sociology & Anthro
CRN: 31594

Course Description

The fundamentals of American history including political, economic, and social development of American institutions and ideas. Successful completion of this course meets the American Institutions requirement established by the state legislature. (Fall, Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Registration Restriction(s): Intensive English Program majors may not enroll General Education Category: American Institutions

Required Texts

Weekly readings and videos will be provided on Canvas.Weekly readings and videos will be provided on Canvas.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course students will complete the American Institutions requirement and be able to demonstrate skills with the following:

• Synthesize– Analyze, contextualize, and interpret primary and secondary source documents to understand the history, principles, form of government, and economic system of the United States. 
• Sources and Evidence– Locate, evaluate, and use historically, politically, and economically relevant information and data to develop and enhance information literacy and research skills.
• Communicate–communicate effectively about the history, principles, form of government, multicultural populations, and economic system of the United States.
• Examine–engage a diversity of viewpoints that contribute to a constructive dialogue about the history, principles, form of government, and economic system of the United States.
• Apply– Apply historical, political, and economic perspectives and methods as appropriate to address big questions or threshold concepts pertaining to the history, political system, and economic system of the United States.
By the end of this course students will complete the American Institutions requirement and be able to demonstrate skills with the following:


Course Requirements


History 1700 has been structured to allow you to explore American history using a variety of sources and methods. As you work through the course, try to build upon what you learn and apply “lessons from the past” to your understanding of more recent and contemporary events.  This course follows a due-date based schedule, so you must be focused and diligent to finish all course work by the end of this semester. The course is broken into four segments. Because this is a 1000-level course and it is vital that students realize its vigor, students must complete their chosen assignments in each segment by the following dates: 


Module 1: Sunday October 4 by 11:59 pm


Module 2: Sunday October 25 by 11:59 pm 


Module 3: Sunday November 15 by 11:59 pm


Module 4: Sunday December 13 by 11:59pm


If you have personal challenges that prevent you from finishing the assignments, please contact me to work out a solution and enable you to proceed with the assignments.  Please check due dates as posted under the individual modules or assignment tabs. 

Assignments
Your work in History 1700 will focus on participating in classroom discussions, reviewing selected films, short answer questions, 3-2-1 activities, and multiple-choice quizzes. Because you will be selecting the assignments to complete, your success will be determined by your persistence and diligence in moving consistently and sequentially through the course materials and by your attendance. You are encouraged to work at a steady and systematic pace to finish all required work by the course deadline. All of your course work will be submitted through Canvas.  Unless stated otherwise, work must be submitted using the common place book model.

Commonplace books have a long legacy of sparking creative thought. From Leonardo da Vinci to Thomas Jefferson and beyond, those interested in the life of the mind have used formal reflections on their readings as a way to engage with the ideas found therein. This semester in History 1700, you will continue this tradition as a way to reflect on what you have learned through the texts you engage with. You will need to purchase a notebook. When you are done with your common place book entry, take a photo of it, and upload it to Canvas. For more specific information on assignments, due dates, and requirements, consult the assignment tab in canvas.
Course Requirements Acknowledgement
Please read the syllabus carefully, explore canvas, then after you feel you understand the expectations, you need to submit a note of that you understand all of the course requirements.
Weekly Attendance and Participation
Each day, you will earn 20 attendance points for this class. To receive attendance points, you must be in class, computer and phone down, headphones out, and attentive. Over the course of the semester, there will be 700 possible points earned this way.

 

Course Outline

Module 1: The following assignments are available for you in module 1:
• Constitution Scavenger Hunt
• APEX lecture attendance
• Shay’s Rebellion Quiz
• 321 submission
• 2 Short Answers
As mentioned above, you many complete any, all, or none of these assignments. Combined with your attendance, each completed assignment will count toward your final grade. For specific assignment requirements please consult the assignment tab in the module. Module one closes on Sunday, October 04 at 11:59 p.m. After the module closes, the assignments and points will no longer be available.

Module 2: The following assignments are available for you in module 2:
• Civil War History vs. Hollywood paper
• Documentary film review
• Antietam Quiz
• 321 submission
• 3 Short Answers
As mentioned above, you many complete any, all, or none of these assignments. Combined with your attendance, each completed assignment will count toward your final grade. For specific assignment requirements please consult the assignment tab in the module. Module one closes on Sunday, October 25 at 11:59 p.m. After the module closes, the assignments and points will no longer be available.

Module 3: The following assignments are available for you in module 3:
• National Historic Site Virtual Visit
• APEX lecture attendance
• Cities film Quiz
• 321 submission
• 2 Short Answers
As mentioned above, you many complete any, all, or none of these assignments. Combined with your attendance, each completed assignment will count toward your final grade. For specific assignment requirements please consult the assignment tab in the module. Module one closes on Sunday, November 15 at 11:59 p.m. After the module closes, the assignments and points will no longer be available.

Module 4: The following assignments are available for you in module 4:
• US History Story Map
• APEX lecture attendance
• 4 Quizzes
• American History personal item analysis
• 2 Short Answers

As mentioned above, you many complete any, all, or none of these assignments. Combined with your attendance, each completed assignment will count toward your final grade. For specific assignment requirements please consult the assignment tab in the module. Module one closes on Sunday, December 13 at 11:59 p.m. After the module closes, the assignments and points will no longer be available.

Extra Credit Final Exam
An optional extra credit 50 question multiple choice final exam will be offered on Tuesday December 16 at 9am for any student who would like to earn extra points. If you decide not to take the exam, you will not be penalized. In other words, not taking the test will not count against your final grade. If you wish to take the exam, you must let me know on Monday, November 30, otherwise there will not be an exam available for you. Please consult canvas for more information.

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late papers will receive a penalty of at least one full letter grade per week until the specific module closes. Then they will not be accepted. ALL WORK SHOULD BE SUBMITTED ON CANVAS.Late papers will receive a penalty of at least one full letter grade per week until the specific module closes. Then they will not be accepted. ALL WORK SHOULD BE SUBMITTED ON CANVAS.

Attendance Policy

Weekly Attendance and Participation
Each day, you will earn 20 attendance points for this class. To receive attendance points, you must be in class, computer and phone down, headphones out, and attentive. Over the course of the semester, there will be 700 possible points earned this way.




Course Fees

Content for this section will be provided by the instructor.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.