Course Syllabus

Course ID:	MHL145
Title:	American Jazz and Popular Music
Modality:	Internet
Credit Hours:	3.00

Course Section Information

Course Materials

Be sure that you have all the necessary materials prior to the start date of your course.

Required Textbook:

Title: Jazz Styles: History and Analysis (Eleventh/11th National Edition)
Author: Mark C. Gridley
Publisher: Pearson
ISBN: 9781256406396 (if purchased at the college bookstore ONLY)

You may also choose, instead, to purchase or rent an etextbook through the following link or elsewhere:

vitalsource.com

NOTE: You will use Spotify® to access all required musical selections for the course except one song. Access instructions will be provided within the course in Lesson 1.

Course Description and Competencies

Official Course Description
The study of cultural and social contributions to the evolution of American jazz and popular music from the mid-1800's to present.
Official Course Prerequisites
None.
Official Course Competencies
Describe the basic elements of music. Describe the instruments most associated with jazz. Define "Improvisation" and explain its role in jazz performance. Describe 19th and early 20th-century genres of American music and their indebtedness to African and European music. Describe the unique culture of New Orleans at the turn-of-the-century and its influence on the formation of jazz. List several of the major musicians of early jazz. Describe the influence of Louis Armstrong on 20th-century popular music. Compare and contrast the styles of early New Orleans with the music of the Swing Era. List several of the major musicians of the Swing Era. Describe the effect Swing music had on the formation of Rhythm & Blues and other mid-20th-century forms of popular music and culture. Compare and contrast the music of the Swing Era with the "modern" jazz styles. List several of the major musicians of "Modern Jazz." Describe the influence of Latin music on jazz, and vice versa, from early New Orleans jazz to the 1960s. Describe how Miles Davis and his sidemen influenced the formation of several jazz styles. Describe what aspects of avant-garde jazz diverge from traditional techniques and which aspects are retained. Describe what aspects of Fusion are derived from traditional jazz and which are derived from popular music, such as rock and funk. Describe the attitudes of race in the 20th century, and their influence on the history of jazz through the 1960s.   Departmental Competency Compose critical compositions about music, incorporating originality of expression, a command of the English language, proper syntax, proper punctuation, and proper grammar usage. Don't worry! Read the next section of the syllabus carefully. You will see that the competencies outlined above are covered in the midterm, final exam, paper, reviews, and Listening Logs that you write at home (using your text and notes from the music listening!). The course provides a host of valuable information relating directly to the competencies.

Course Requirements

Reading Assignments

You are responsible for carefully reading the assigned chapters in the textbook for each of the lessons as they are presented. The Connecting Your Learning, Instruction, and Summarizing Your Learning sections are presented with the assumption that the student will also read the textbook. Our objective is to have a general understanding of developments in American jazz and popular music during the twentieth century. Suggested due dates for the reading assignments are listed in the course gradebook due date calendar.

Chapters 1 through 9 cover the material for the midterm. Chapters 10 through 18 cover material for the final exam. Supplemental information is also included in the lessons. You are accountable for familiarizing yourself with this supplemental information. You will be tested on the supplemental information as it relates to the chapters covered in the same lesson. This material is accessed by links in the body of the lessons.

1. You must complete all assignments in the course to receive a passing grade.

2. Examinations: Two examinations (a midterm and a final) are required in this course. Both exams may be taken online at home, but there is a time limit.

3. Note: You must earn an average of 60% on the midterm and final exams in order to pass the course. This requirement is not negotiable under any circumstances. If your exam scores do not average 60% or higher, you will not earn a passing grade regardless of any and all assignment scores.

Time Requirements

Remember that this is a three credit-hour class. As such, you will need to dedicate significant time to this course. Plan to spend at least three hours on course content and at least six hours on homework for a total of at least nine hours each week. Be prepared to double your weekly class and study time if you choose an accelerated calendar.

Grading Procedure and Scale

Grading Procedure

There are 500 possible points for this course:

Week	DAY of Week	LESSON	ASSIGNMENTS	Points
Week 1		1	Getting Started	10
Week 2		2	LL Answer Sheet Quiz 1 (chapters 1-4)	10 20
Week 3		3	Listening Log 1	10
Week 4		4	Listening Log 2 Quiz 2 (chapters 5-6)	10 20
Week 5		5	Listening Log 3	10
Week 6		6	Listening Log 4 Internet Scavenger Hunt	10 10
Week 7		7	At-Home Midterm Exam (chapters 1-9)	100
Week 8		8	Listening Log 5	10
Week 9		9	Listening Log 6 Quiz 3 (chapters 10-12)	10 20
Week 10		10	Jazz Album Review	55
Week 11		11	Listening Log 7 Quiz 4 (chapters 13-15)	10 20
Week 12		12	Jazz Report	55
Week 13		13	Listening Log 8	10
Week 14		14	At-Home Final Exam (chapters 10-18)	100
Total				500

 

Grading Scale

Letter grades for assignments, examinations, and the course will be determined by the following scale:

Overall Course Grading Scale: Points Earned

A	=	90% - 100%	450 - 500
B	=	80% - 89%	400 - 449
C	=	70% - 79%	350 - 399
D	=	60% - 69%	300 - 349
F	=	0 - 59%	0 - 299

Submitting Assignments

All assignments are listed in lessons under the "Reading Assignment" and/or "Assessing Your Learning" headings. This is where you will find directions regarding submitting the required assignments. 

Note to students: Keep a copy of everything that you submit.

Exams

There is a required midterm exam and final exam for this course. Both are online at-home exams. Please review the "Course Requirements" portion of your syllabus for details. Your course materials give specific information about these exams and make suggestions for test preparation.

Check your Gradebook for specific due dates for your exams. You may take your exams early if you have completed the assignments ahead of schedule.

Copyright Acknowledgements

The following items are copyrighted and have been reproduced in this online course, through special permission granted by the rights holders, with all rights reserved. In the event copyright permission has not yet been granted, the Fair Use statement below applies.

Fair Use statement: Items are made available under the Fair Use Statute, Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976. The material is made available solely for the use of registered students in this class and may not be further distributed to any person outside the class, whether by copying or by transmission in electronic or paper form.

Some images used in courses are licensed as follows: Accunet/AP Multimedia Archive, http://www.clipart.com, EBSCO Image Collection.

Late or Missing Assignments

Assignments that have due dates are due on time according to the due dates in your gradebook. If you need to request an extension for an assignment, a request must be made to your instructor via RioLearn prior to or on the due date. You can request a due date change from the "Request a Change" link in the "Assessments and Due Dates" section of your Course Homepage.

Late points may be applied at the instructor's discretion.

Extra Credit

Policy Regarding Extra Credit

There are no extra credit assignments for this course and no paper rewrites are allowed in fairness to all. The scheduled assignments and exams are more than sufficient to measure your understanding of the content and concepts presented in the course. You will have a greater understanding of the subjects covered if you put your efforts into these assignments and exams, rather than scattering your energy over a greater number of projects. What we want to achieve is quality, not quantity.

Course Completion Policy

A student who registers for a Distance Learning course is assigned a "start date" and an "end date." It is the student's responsibility to note due dates for assignments and to keep up with the course work. 

If a student falls behind, she/he must contact the instructor and request an extension of her/his end date in order to complete the course.

It is the prerogative of the instructor to decide whether or not to grant the request.

Submitting Assignments

Online Submission Platform

The assignment due dates in this course are structured to complete all the lessons over the span of the course. Regular and consistent progress is expected in the course through the submission of assignments. The submission of an assignment can be no earlier than 7 days prior to the due date. Consult your course gradebook for specific due dates. Assignments/acknowledgments must be submitted through the online submission platform unless otherwise directed.

Final Grade Options

• Letter grade (A, B, C, D, F)

• Extension (in lieu of an incomplete grade): Students may request an assessment extension because of illness or other extenuating circumstances, if they have been doing acceptable work. Assessment extensions may extend up to two weeks beyond the established course end as indicated in the gradebook. Please Note: Assessment extensions are given at the instructor’s discretion. Instructors are not obligated to give extensions.

• Withdrawn Failing (Y) – Students may be removed from their classes with a Withdrawn Failing (Y) grade for non-participation, which counts like an F in GPA calculation.

• Withdrawal (W) - Students may submit a withdrawal request on or prior to the "Last Date to Withdraw" indicated in their RioLearn Gradebook.

Instructors are unable to submit a withdrawal (W) on behalf of a student. A student wishing to withdraw from a class within the stated timeline must do so by visiting View My Classes/Schedule in the Student Center, and selecting Drop Classes. In extreme circumstances, students do have the option of requesting a complete withdrawal from the college by submitting a "Request for Complete Withdrawal From All Courses" available under the Records heading on Rio’s Important Forms page.

Before withdrawing, students should consider contacting their instructor and/or Rio's Counseling Services to see what options are available to help them stay in class.

STUDENTS – STOP Before You Drop! A withdrawal request is irrevocable, and may affect future Financial Aid, Visa status, Veteran benefit eligibility, scholarship eligibility and may delay graduation. Please be sure that it is the right option for you before submission.

STOP BEFORE YOU DROP

• Credit/No Credit Option (P/Z) - Some courses may be offered with a credit/no credit option which, if offered, would be identified in the Grading Procedure and Scale section of this syllabus. See detailed information about the (P/Z) option here.

Note: Choosing the P/Z option is a permanent change to the gradebook. A P/Z grade will not be changed to a letter grade after the course end date.

Regular and Substantive Faculty-Student Interaction

The Rio Salado College faculty provide learners with frequent opportunities for regular and substantive interaction, which are critical components of a quality online program. At a minimum, faculty teaching online courses for credit monitor weekly due dates and initiate contact with students, post course announcements and/or "From Your Instructor" (FYI) notes that are academic and relevant, respond to academic inquiries within 72 hours, and provide detailed, personalized, and timely feedback. In addition, faculty regularly engage in synchronous and/or asynchronous interaction with students via tools such as discussion boards, rubrics, voice threads, video conferences, audio recordings, phone calls, email and/or text messages, social media, and online collaboration software. Though faculty members are responsible for initiating interaction, providing academic information, and facilitating learning, Rio students are responsible for remaining in regular contact with their instructors and engaging with the course content as active participants in the educational experience.

Requirement for Active Class Participation

Withdrawal for Non-Participation (Y) – Students need to communicate regularly with their instructor and engage in academic activities as determined by the instructor and department. Students may be removed from their classes after 14 days of non-participation with a Withdrawn Failing (Y) grade, which counts like an F in GPA calculation.

If you receive financial aid of any kind, it is your responsibility to protect your eligibility to receive financial aid by meeting the active participation requirements of this class.

Pregnant and Parenting Students

Students will not be discriminated against on the basis of a disclosed pregnancy. This includes discrimination against a student based on pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery from any of these conditions. As a result, a pregnant or parenting student (a student during a defined postpartum period lasting up to 8 weeks after delivery), may be provided adjustments so they are able to access and participate in their educational program or activity.

Please visit the Working with Pregnant and Parenting webpage to learn more about this policy, reasonable adjustments and complete the Pregnancy Adjustment Form. If you have questions about the policy, please contact Rio Salado College’s Title IX/504 Coordinator Tafari Osayande at o.tafari.osayande@riosalado.edu or (480) 517-8196.

In the event of certain pregnancy-related medical complications, contact Disability.Services@riosalado.edu or call (480) 517-8562 for assistance in providing accommodations/academic adjustments.

Basic Needs

If a lack of basic needs such as food, transportation, school supplies, etc. is affecting your participation and/or performance in this course, please contact the Rio Salado Counseling Department at 480-517-8785 or via email at counseling.receptionist@riosalado.edu.

For additional services and resources:

Rio Salado College Counseling and Career Services
Maricopa Basic Needs and Community Resources

Library Services

The Rio Salado Library is committed to student success and provides a variety of materials and services to enhance student learning. Utilizing Rio’s online library for your research is the best way to ensure that your sources are validated, authoritative, and appropriate for college-level coursework. The library's Video Tutorials page provides instruction on how to use the online library to find books, articles, ebooks, and more. Librarians are available to help you at all times via our Ask a Librarian live chat service.

Please note that when library materials (e.g., articles, ebooks, and streaming media) are integrated into your lesson content, you will see the notation “…provided to you through the Rio Salado Library.”

Academic Misconduct

Academic Misconduct includes cheating, conspiring to cheat, soliciting to cheat, attempting to cheat, plagiarism, fabrication on an assignment, or other forms of dishonest presentation.

Posting assessments on an unauthorized web site, soliciting assessment answers and the unauthorized acquisition of assessments, assessment answers, or other academic material is cheating. Turning in content created by essay generators or other types of artificial intelligence platforms is also academic misconduct.

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the use of paraphrase or direct quotation of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment. It also includes the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling or sharing of term papers or other academic materials. Information gathered from the Internet and not properly identified is also considered plagiarism.

We expect every student to produce his/her original, independent work. Any student whose work indicates a violation of the MCCCD Academic Misconduct Policy (including cheating and plagiarism) can expect sanctions as specified in the college catalog.

Rio Salado College uses software that uncovers plagiarism from student to student and other data sources on the Internet. If a student is found to have plagiarized content, grade consequences will be applied in accordance with departmental policies.

Civility Policy

The faculty of Rio Salado place a high value on the importance of general ethical standards of academic behavior and expect that communication between students and instructors or among students shall maintain the level of formality and mutual respect appropriate to any college teaching/learning situation.

Language or behavior that is rude, abusive, profane, disruptive, or threatening will not be tolerated. Activity of this type is Academic Misconduct as defined in MCCCD Policy AR 2.3.11. Students engaging in such behavior will be removed from the course with a failing grade. Additional sanctions may be applied pursuant to AR 2.3.11.

Honors Program

If you are taking this course for Honors credit, you must complete all assessments, including the Honors Project(s). The Honors Project(s) are listed in one or more lessons of the course and are designated for "Honors Students." Failure to complete the Honors Project(s) will result in a failing grade in the course and a loss of Honors credit.

Honors students are also enrolled in a non-credit Honors Achievement Award (HAA) or Presidential Honors Scholarship (PHS) section within RioLearn to submit co-curricular activity submissions. Co-curriculars must be completed in order to receive funding.

The Honors Department is here to support you! Connect with the college and other Honors students in our INSCRIBE community.

The Honors Department is available to provide additional resources and support to support your journey. Please contact the Honors department at RioSalado.Honors@riosalado.edu.

Classroom Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) and its associated colleges are committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities to students with documented disabilities (e.g. mental health, attentional, learning, chronic health, sensory, or physical). Visit district.maricopa.edu/mandatory-drs-title-ix-syllabus-statements for more information.

Religious Accommodations

Rio Salado College will reasonably accommodate the religious needs, observances, and practices of their students, when requested and the requests are made in accordance with the procedures set forth in ND-4. Any student may request a religious accommodation by making a written request for an accommodation to the appropriate faculty member using the Religious Accommodation Request form. To the extent possible, requests must be made at least two (2) weeks before the requested absence from class due to religious holiday or day of observance.

Addressing Incidents of Sexual Harassment/Assault, Dating/Domestic Violence, and Stalking

In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, MCCCD prohibits unlawful sex discrimination against any participant in its education programs or activities. The District also prohibits sexual harassment—including sexual violence—committed by or against students, District employees, and visitors to campus. As outlined in District policy, sexual harassment, dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking are considered forms of "Sexual Misconduct" prohibited by District policy. Visit district.maricopa.edu/mandatory-drs-title-ix-syllabus-statements for more information.

Student Solution Center

Rio Salado College is dedicated to a quality learning experience and has provided the Student Solution Center webpage as a resource for students to raise issues to our attention. We look forward to the opportunity to provide an equitable solution for all involved parties. For grading or instructional issues, students should first contact their faculty member(s) in accordance with the Instructional Grievance Process. For non-instructional complaints, students may contact Institutional Integrity and Compliance by submitting the non-instructional complaint form, emailing studentcomplaints@riosalado.edu, or calling 480-517-8505. Students may also contact their state regulatory agency; the Arizona SARA Council; and/or the Higher Learning Commission to escalate their concerns.

Change of Address

Please notify Course Support at (480) 517-8243 or 1-800-729-1197 or by email at course.support@riosalado.edu. Please include your name, student number, phone number, and new address including city, state, and zip code.

Contact Us

Please see the following page for contact information.

Disclaimer

Course content may vary from this outline to meet the needs of this particular group.

Rio Salado College Copyright

Course Content © Copyright 2021 Rio Salado College. All Rights Reserved.