Syllabus

NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE

COURSE SYLLABUS

 

Course Title: Fundamentals of English I

Course Prefix & Number: ENGL 0300

Section Number:  402

Semester: Spring 2017

Semester Credit Hours: 3

Lecture Hours: 3

Lab Hours: 0

Course Description (NCTC Catalog):

In this course, students will learn to write clear, well-developed paragraphs.  Students will also learn to identify and correct major sentence errors, including fragments, comma splices, and run-ons.  Other topics include subject-verb agreement, pronoun usage, and basic punctuation.  This course does not count toward graduation at NCTC.

Course Prerequisite(s): Earn satisfactory TSI Assessment placement scores or earn satisfactory placement scores on another approved assessment.

Required or Recommended Course Materials:

Biays: Along These Lines: Writing Sentences & Paragraphs with Writing from Reading Strategies, Pearson, 6th edition, 2016. (book bundle includes MyLabsPlus access code)

 

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of Instructor:

Jared Ince

Campus/Office Location:

Corinth

Office Hours:

Available for questions via email Monday afternoons (2:00-4:00 PM).  Additional availability by appointment.

E-mail Address:

jince@nctc.edu

 

GRADING CRITERIA

# of Graded Course Elements

Graded Course Elements

Percentage or Point Values

10

MyWritingLab “Recall 2” Assignments

20%

10

In-class Activities and Quizzes

10%

3

Paragraph Writing Assignments

25%

3

Tests

25%

1

Final Exam

20%

Grade Scale:   90 – 100% = A;   80 – 89% = B; 70 – 79% = C;     Below 70% = F

 

Missed Exam, Quiz, or In-class Activity

A student who misses an exam, quiz, or other in-class assignment and has an instructor-approved, documented reason for the absence has 48 hours to schedule in writing (email) an appropriate make-up assignment. Otherwise the grade in question will be a zero.  Additionally, a student who is more than fifteen minutes late to an exam will not be permitted to take the exam.

 

Cheating

Any form of cheating/plagiarism will result in an automatic zero on the offending assignment.

 

Assignment Make-Up Policy

Incorrectly submitted assignments will not be accepted.  Make up of any missed assignment is at the discretion of the instructor. In all cases, the grade may be reduced regardless of the quality of work if submitted work is late, incomplete, or insufficient. For serious and unavoidable situations that cause absences or missed assignments, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor within 48 hours of the beginning of the missed class or the posted due date and request a chance to make up work. The instructor reserves the right to require documentation for absences and makeup work.  All makeup work must be approved, submitted to e-college, and emailed directly to jince@nctc.edu before the agreed upon deadline; no other form of submission will be accepted.  For late work:  Late homework assignments can be submitted without documentation for 80% credit.  In order to receive partial credit, the student must submit (email) the assignment to the instructor within 24 hours of the posted deadline.  An additional 20% will be deducted for each consecutive day (24 hours) that the assignment is late, and, after 4 days, the assignment will not be accepted.  Late quizzes, exams, and in-class assignments will not be accepted without documentation.  Other exceptions to the late work policy will be posted in Canvas.

 

Readings

Each day’s homework readings are to be completed before the start of the next class meeting.  You are expected to participate in the class’s discussion of the reading assignments.

 

In-class Assignments and Group Work

You are required to actively participate in all in-class assignments and group work.  Failure to do so will result in a zero on the assignment at the discretion of the instructor.

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

 

At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:

1.

Compose a variety of texts that demonstrate clear focus, the logical development of ideas, and the use of appropriate language that advances the writer’s purpose.

2.

Determine and use effective approaches and rhetorical strategies for given writing situations.

3.

Generate ideas and gather information relevant to the topic and purpose.

4.

Develop and use effective revision strategies to strengthen the writer’s ability to compose college-level writing assignments.

5.

Edit writing to conform to the conventions of standard English.

 

STUDENT EMAIL

All students at NCTC are assigned a student email address, also known as Lion Pride email. Lion Pride email can be accessed on the NCTC home page by clicking on MyNCTC, then the link “Lion Pride Email” to the left. After clicking the Lion Pride Email link, the Microsoft Office 365 window will open.
1. Enter your NCTC student e-mail address. (for example, Smithj123456@student.nctc.edu)

  1. Enter your password (your NCTC Student ID Number, either 7 or 9 numbers).
  2. From the list of Microsoft icons, choose MAIL.
  3. You will be asked to set your language and local time zone (Central Time). Your account is now activated.

 

**It is the student’s responsibility to activate and regularly monitor the assigned NCTC (Lion Pride) e-mail account. Important announcements and notifications from the Admissions office, Financial Aid, or other college staff will be sent via the Lion Pride student email system.

 

For communicating with classmates and instructors, students also have an option to communicate through Canvas. Canvas messaging is NOT the same as Lion Pride e-mail. Failure to read and/or receive NCTC e-mails (either in Lion Pride or in Canvas) is no excuse for not complying with the College Prep Attendance Policy or any other school policies. Be sure to regularly check BOTH the Lion Pride email as well as the Canvas inbox for important messages and information.

 

TSI COMPLIANCE

At North Central Texas College, students who test but do not meet the passing scores in ALL sections of the TSI Assessment or any other THECB approved testing measurements are required by state law to obtain TSI advising and continuously enroll in a formal college preparatory studies (developmental) program every semester until all TSI requirements are satisfied. TSI program attendance is MANDATORY. Non-compliance with the rules of attendance will result in a student being WITHDRAWN from the college preparatory course and possibly from North Central Texas College. Withdrawals are subject to college policies as set forth in the college catalog.

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all College Prep classes for which they have registered. There are NO excused absences.  Faculty in the Department of College Preparatory Studies will notify students of absences on a regular basis and one courtesy warning e-mail notification will be sent to the students’ current NCTC student e-mail address (Lion Pride email and/or Canvas email) when the student accrues 1 week absence (not necessarily consecutive days) in a course. Please check your NCTC student email (Lion Pride) frequently to ensure that you are receiving notifications from the college and from your instructors. Some faculty may send notifications in Canvas as well. Failure to read and/or receive NCTC e-mail (Lion Pride) is no excuse for not complying with the Attendance Policy. It is the student's responsibility to maintain correct and current e-mail and local and permanent addresses with the college.

 

After a student has been absent from class 2 weeks (not necessarily consecutive days), the student may be dropped. If the student is dropped from the only College Prep class in which he/she is enrolled and is TSI liable, the student may be DROPPED from all remaining courses for that semester.

Inform the instructor in writing during the first week of class of any religious holidays observed this semester. Documentation must be given to the instructor at the class following the holiday.

Also, since punctuality has become a problem in recent semesters, three tardies may be considered one absence. Coming in late disrupts the class. Occasions do occur that you will need to be tardy, but not on a consistent basis.

 

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

 

Week 

Starting

Topic

Assignment

Week 1

1/19/2017

Course Introduction

HW: Read Chapter 1 (pp. 1-19)

MyWritingLab Orientation

HW: MWL "Build Your Learning Path"

Fundamentals of English Pre-test

 

Simple and Compound Sentences

 

 

 

Week 2

1/26/2017

It is the student’s responsibility to check email each week in Lion Pride and Canvas.

Simple and Compound Sentences (cont'd)

HW: Read Chapter 2 (pp. 20-34)

Avoiding Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices

HW: Read Chapter 3 (pp. 35-43)

 

HW: MWL #1 (subjects and verbs)

 

 

Week 3

2/2/2017

Subordination: Building Complex Sentences

MWL #1 due by the beginning of class

Avoiding Sentence Fragments

HW: Read Chapter 4 (pp. 44-51)

 

HW: Read Chapter 6 (pp. 60-69)

 

HW: MWL #2 (run-ons)

Week 4

2/9/2017

The Writing Process

MWL #2 due by the beginning of class

 

HW: MWL #3 (fragments)

 

HW: Test 1 Review

 

 

Week 5

2/16/2017

Review for Test #1

MWL #3 due by the beginning of class

Test #1

HW: Read Chapter 20 (pp. 241-258)

 

HW: Read Chapter 21 (pp. 259-267)

 

HW: Read Chapter 22 (pp. 268-273)

 

HW: MWL #4 (easily confused words)

Week 6

2/23/2017

Writing Pattern #1 (Narration)

MWL #4 due by the beginning of class

 

HW: Read Chapter 23 (pp. 274-282)

 

HW: Read Chapter 24 (pp. 283-308)

 

HW: Read Chapter 13 (pp. 133-151)

 

HW: Narrative paragraph (due Thursday, Mar. 2)

Week 7

3/2/2017

Subject-Verb Agreement

Narrative paragraph due by the beginning of class

 

HW: Read Chapter 14 (pp. 152-163)

 

HW: Read Chapter 15 (pp. 164-173)

 

HW: MWL #5 (subject-verb agreement)

Week 8

3/9/2017

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

MWL #5 due by the beginning of class

Pronoun Consistency and Case

HW: MWL #6 (pronoun-antecedent agreement)

 

HW: Test 2 Review

 

 

 

3/16/2017

SPRING BREAK

College closed 3/14 - 3/20

Week 9

3/23/2017

Review for Test #2

MWL # 6 due by the beginning of class

Test #2

HW: Read "Cause and Effect" by J. S. Biays and C. Wershoven:  See handout in Canvas

 

HW: MWL #7 (pronoun reference and point of view)

 

 

Week 10

3/30/2017

Writing Pattern #2 (Cause and Effect)

MWL #7 due by the beginning of class

 

HW: Read selection from Chapter 16 (pp. 178-187)

 

HW: Cause or effect paragraph (due Thursday, Apr. 6)

 

 

Week 11

4/6/2017

Punctuation: The Apostrophe

Cause or effect paragraph due by the beginning of class

Punctuation: The Comma

HW: MWL #8 (pronoun case)

 

HW: MWL #9 (apostrophes)

 

HW: MWL #10 (commas)

 

HW: Read Chapter 26 (pp. 327-342)

 

**Last Day to Drop with a W  is Thurs 4/7**

Week 12

4/13/2017

MyWritingLab Work Day

No class meeting

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 13

4/20/2017

Writing Pattern #3 (Illustration)

MWL #8 due by the beginning of class

 

MWL #9 due by the beginning of class

 

MWL #10 due by the beginning of class

 

HW: Test 3 Review

 

HW: Illustration paragraph (due Thursday, Apr. 27)

Week 14

4/27/2017

Review for Test #3

Illustration paragraph due by the beginning of class

Test #3

HW: Final exam review

 

 

 

 

Week 15

5/4/2017

Review for Final Exam

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final Exams May 9 – 12

**Final exam is scheduled for Thursday, May 11, at 7:00 PM

 

 

 

 

LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is Thursday, April 6, 2017.

 

DISABILITY SERVICES (OSD)

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students who have a documented disability. On the Corinth Campus, go to room 170 or call 940-498-6207. On the Gainesville Campus, go to room 110 or call 940-668-4209.  Students on the Bowie, Graham, Flower Mound, and online campuses should call 940-498-6207.

North Central Texas College is committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, ADA Amendments Act of 2009, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112).   http://www.nctc.edu/StudentServices/SupportServices/Disabilityservices.aspx

 

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook. http://nctc.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2016-2017/Catalog/North-Central-Texas-College-Student-Handbook

 

 

Name of Chair/Coordinator:

Elizabeth Howell

Office Location:

Corinth 324

Telephone Number:

940.498.6209

E-mail Address:

ehowell@nctc.edu

Name of Instructional Dean:

Sara Alford

Office Location:

Flower Mound Suite 200

Telephone Number:

972.899.8401

E-mail Address:

salford@nctc.edu

 

CAMPUS RESTRICTIONS

Tobacco-Free Campus:  NCTC restricts the use of all tobacco products, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and smokeless tobacco, on campus property.

 

Campus Carry: Current law prohibits the open carry of firearms on college campuses including all property such as parking lots.  For more information, see the website at http://www.nctc.edu/Police/gun-laws-campus-carry