NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE COURSE SYLLABUS

 

Course Title:	ENGLISH 1301  COMPOSITION 1
Course Prefix & Number:		ENGL1301	Section Number:	310, 311, 312	Semester/Year:	Spring 2018
Semester Credit Hours:		3	Lecture Hours:	n/a	Lab Hours:	n/a
Course Description (NCTC Catalog): Intensive study of and practice in writing process, from invention and research, to drafting, revising, and editing, both individually and collaboratively. Emphasis on effective rhetorical choices including audience, purpose, arrangement, and style. Focus on writing the academic essay as a vehicle for learning, communicating, and critical analysis.
Course Prerequisite(s): Satisfactory placement test score or passing grade in ENGL 0305
Required or Recommended Course Materials: REQUIRED HANDBOOK:  Lunsford, Andrea A. The Everyday Writer with Exercises (2016 MLA Updates), 6th ed, Bedford St. Martins. ISBN: 978-1-319-11780-1 It is strongly recommended that students have a writer’s handbook for reference on MLA guidelines and examples for citing sources and formatting as well as grammar and mechanics. Hard copy or e-book are both acceptable.

 

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of Instructor:	Tanda Nasche
Campus/Office Location:	Gainesville Campus English Department-Admin Bldg. Online instructor—no permanent office.
Telephone Number:	English Department: 940-668-3343
E-mail Address:	tnasche@nctc.edu

 

OFFICE HOURS

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
9am-noon	11am-2pm		11am-2pm	9am-noon
All office hours are online. I will also meet with you by appointment via chat, phone conference, etc.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (From Academic Course Guide Manual/Workforce Education Course Manual/NCTC Catalog

At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
LO 1	Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes.
LO 2	Develop ideas with appropriate support and attribution.
LO 3	Write in a style appropriate to audience and purpose.
LO 4	Read, reflect, and respond critically to a variety of texts.
LO 5	Used edited American English in academic essays.

 

GRADING CRITERIA

# of Graded Course Elements	Graded Course Elements	Percentage or Point Values
14	Discussion board	25%
9	Group work/Collaborative work	20%
34	Quizzes	15%
3	Essays	30%
2	Rough Drafts	10%
	**Assignments may be added or changed at the instructor’s discretion**

 

LETTER/NUMERICAL GRADE VALUES:

A: 100-90    B: 89-80    C: 79-70    D: 69-60   F: 59-0

 

ADDITIONAL GRADING POLICIES

 

Grades will be posted in Canvas.

Students may meet with the professor at any time throughout the semester to discuss grades or progress or status in the class.

All major assignments include a grading rubric that is available before the assignment is due. Assignments will be assessed using the specified rubric. All assessment attempts to reward students for what they have accomplished. If at any time during the semester, you think that your work has not been fully appreciated for its merits, please contact your professor privately to review your contribution to the course.

 

COURSE SUBJECT OUTLINE (Major Assignments, Due Dates, and Grading Criteria)

 

See complete list of assignments and due dates in Canvas. Due dates are listed in the Calendar and can be accessed using the Syllabus link as well.

 

Course content such as assignment instructions and lessons are located in the modules. Due dates for the assignments are in the Calendar and listed below the syllabus in Canvas.

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered.  All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor.  It is the student’s responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgement by the faculty member.  Approved college sponsored activities are the only absences for which a student should not be held liable and only when provided by a college official ahead of the absence.  Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work.  Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor.  A student who is compelled to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to postpone the exam.  Student will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has been justifiably absent or tardy a sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course’s objectives.    Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories will be considered sufficient cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College. From Board Policy FC (LOCAL)

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is  April 5, 2017

DISABILITY SERVICES (Office for Students with Disabilities)

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides support services for students with disabilities, students enrolled in technical areas of study, and students who are classified as special populations (i.e. single parents).

Support services for students with disabilities might include appropriate and reasonable accommodations, or they may be in the form of personal counseling, academic counseling, career counseling, etc.  Furthermore, OSD Counselors work with students to encourage self-advocacy and promote empowerment. The Counselors also provides resource information, disability-related information, and adaptive technology for students who qualify.

If you feel you have needs for services that the institution provides, please reach out to either Wayne Smith (940) 498-6207 or Yvonne Sandman (940) 668-4321.  Alternative students may stop by Room 170 in Corinth or Room 110 in Gainesville.

CORE CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONAL COMPONENT AREA (For classes in the Core)________   

• Communication

□    Mathematics       

□    Life and Physical Science

□    Language, Philosophy & Culture

□    Creative Arts

□    American History

 

□    Government/Political Science

□    Social and Behavioral Sciences

□    Component Area Option

 

 

REQUIRED CORE OBJECTIVES (For classes in the Core)

 

• Critical Thinking

• Communication
• Teamwork
• Personal Responsibility

 

COURSE TYPE

 

• Academic NCTC Core Curriculum Course

 

 

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook and published online.

 

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, academic falsification, intellectual property dishonesty, academic dishonesty facilitation and collusion.  Faculty members may document and bring charges against a student who is engaged in or is suspected to be engaged in academic dishonesty.  See Student Handbook, “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct ([FLB(LOCAL)]”.  

 

Consequences for academic dishonesty may include:

 

1. ZERO on the assignment for the first offense.
2. ZERO in the course for additional offenses.

 

QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS

Name of Chair/Coordinator:	Dr. Rochelle Gregory
Office Location:	Corinth Campus
Telephone Number:	940-498-6297
E-mail Address:	rgregory@nctc.edu
Name of Instructional Dean:	Dr. Larry Gilbert
Office Location:	Corinth
Telephone Number:	940-498-6216
E-mail Address:	lgilbert@nctc.edu

ADDITIONAL COURSE REQUIREMENTS

 

COMPUTER HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE

Students are REQUIRED to have access to a working computer with Internet access and word processor throughout the semester.

You should also make a backup plan for when problems with the computer occur, as they surely will. NCTC has computer labs. Area libraries offer free access to computers. Perhaps you have friends or family members who will be able to help out.

**Computer and/or technical issues WILL NOT excuse any late work in this course.**

MS Word or another word processing program (Windows open documents or Google docs are both free programs)

 

GOOGLE DOCS ACCOUNT

Some of the group work you will do REQUIRES participation via Google Docs. You will need an account to login and participate in these assignments.

 

REQUIRED SKILLS

Basic Computer skills (how to format, type, and save documents, how to copy and paste text, how to convert file extensions, how to open documents). You will save files throughout the semester as .pdf only!

Basic Internet navigational skills (Do not use Safari or Google Chrome. They have known conflicts with CANVAS. Mozilla Firefox or IE 7, 8, or 9 should work.)

Basic facility at using email (originating email with an appropriate RE [subject] line, opening, reading, writing, attaching documents, and sending emails)

Basic Canvas Navigational Skills (Using Canvas’s internal email, writing and editing discussion board posts, attaching documents to drop boxes and email, checking grades, locating materials, using links, submitting assignments.)

Ability to READ and FOLLOW written instructions.

 

TIME REQUIREMENT—FALL AND SPRING TERMS

The rule of thumb in college is 2 hours of outside study time per week for every hour a course is worth. This is a three-hour course, so 6 hours per week would be your "outside" time, and 3 hours per week would be your "in class" time in a long semester. Even though we do not meet as a class, you still have to read all content in the modules, complete discussion boards, take quizzes, plan, draft, edit and proofread essays, and participate in group work. Doing all of this independently is going to require a significant time investment. Realistically, you should expect to devote 6-9 hours per week to this course. If you do not have time to take this course, you should withdraw from it.

REQUIRED "PARTICIPATION"

Students are accountable for their behavior. Students are expected to CHECK ANNOUNCEMENTS frequently and stay abreast of any changes made to class assignments or requirements. Students should also CHECK EMAIL frequently—important course information will be given through email as well.

Students are expected to actively participate and contribute to all group activities and assignments. This participation includes but is not limited to posting and responding to discussions, contributing ideas/content, actively engaging with peers in a respectful dialogue, and follow all instructions.

REQUIRED "ATTENDANCE"

To be successful in this online course, students must be regular and active participants. You must complete assignments to be marked as “attended” this course and simply logging on will not count you as having “attended”.

ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION

ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE IN CANVAS ON THE DATE INDICATED IN THE CALENDAR TO THE APPROPRIATE DROP BOX. All due dates are available in the Canvas calendar.

NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED. Late is late regardless of the amount of time which it is late—one minute, one hour, one day—late work will earn a zero.

**I am willing to work with those who come to me BEFORE a deadline.**

Some assignments are time sensitive and require class participation—these assignments cannot be extended due to the time constraints. Discussion board, rough drafts, and peer reviews, and group work must be submitted on time and are NOT eligible for a time extension regardless of the excuse.

Follow ALL specific instructions in each drop box for submissions.

NOTE: It is the student’s responsibility to submit work correctly and on time and follow all instructions. Failure to submit work correctly to the appropriate drop box prior to the deadline will result in a zero for that assignment.

 

Rough Drafts and Peer Review:  A draft is required on the due date. A draft must have three fully developed body paragraphs and a thesis statement (unless otherwise indicated on the assignment description). If you do not have a draft on the day of peer review, you cannot participate in the peer review.

Important Note: Drafts are graded on completion (did you have a draft on the day required, did your draft include three body paragraphs and a thesis statement, and did you complete the required number of peer reviews). The draft should respond to the essay prompt—simply turning in some writing that does not attempt the assignment will not be accepted. Drafts, however, are NOT evaluated for content by the instructor—so it is possible to get full credit for a draft but quite a different grade for the final polished essay. The draft grade in no way reflects the grade you should anticipate for the final draft of the essay. Draft grades are for completion only.

 

EXTRA-CREDIT, MAKE-UP, AND LATE WORK

College students are expected to work independently and complete assignments within the time allotted. It is important to look ahead in order to understand when assignments are due. Most successful students mark due dates on a planner or calendar.

This instructor DOES NOT make available extra-credit assignments and NO LATE WORK IS ACCEPTED. Students must stay abreast of deadlines and submit their work as scheduled in order to receive credit.

Have a backup plan for when your technology fails and avoid working close to a deadline in case your technology fails and you do not have time to access your backup. Technology and computer issues WILL NOT be an excuse for not having work submitted on time.

 

PLAGIARISM AND GRADE OF ZERO

 

Plagiarism, which should be avoided at all costs, includes (but not limited to) the following student actions: 

1. Turning in someone else's ideas, opinions, theories, or work as your own;
2. Unintentionally or inadvertently turning in someone else's ideas, opinions, theories, or work as your own as the result of failing to document sources both internally and in the Works Cited;
3. Copying words, ideas, or images from someone without giving credit; Failing to put a quotation in quotations marks;
4. Giving incorrect information about the source of information, quotations, or images;
5. Changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit;
6. Copying so many words, ideas, or images from a source that it makes up 20% or more of the student's work, whether or not the student gives credit.
7. An essay previously written by you for another class and submitted as original work for an assignment in this course is considered plagiarism/cheating.

 

GRADE OF ZERO

1. A paper not submitted or submitted late will receive a grade of zero.
2. A paper that fails to respond to the prompt and/or fails to follow instructions will receive a grade of zero because the assignment has not been done.
3. A paper that fails to do the assignment as prescribed (e.g., formatting, length, content) will receive a grade of zero because the assignment has not been done.
4. A research assignment that contains no research or insufficient/inadequate research will receive a grade of zero because the basic assignment has not been done.
5. A research assignment that contains a Works Cited page but no internal documentation will receive a grade of zero because the paper is plagiarized (information was not internally cited).
6. A research assignment that is internally documented but contains no Works Cited page or a page that fails to conform to MLA standards will receive a grade of zero because the paper is plagiarized (information is not completely/correctly documented).
7. An essay previously written by you for another class and submitted as original work for an assignment in this course is considered plagiarism/cheating and will receive a grade of zero.
8. A paper that includes plagiarism, collusion, cheating, or academic dishonest of any kind will receive a zero.

   

BASIC MLA FORMATTING GUIDELINES

 

All essays and rough drafts should follow MLA formatting guidelines. See the handbook for specific formatting rules for internal citations and a works cited page.

 

Heading should be in MLA format (Your name, instructor name (spelled correctly!), course and section, and date (day month year). The heading should appear on the FIRST page only and in the TOP LEFT corner of the page. TIP: Type this in as part of the document and do not insert in as a header into the margin space. The section number for your course is listed in Canvas.

 

Title—the title should reflect what the essay is about and NEVER “Essay 1” or anything of that nature. Titles should NOT be in larger, bold or in any way different from the rest of the text. The title should be centered.

 

Spacing—the entire document should be double spaced. No extra spaces between heading and title, title and text, or between paragraphs. If you use a new version of MS Word you must manually remove those spaces from the paragraph options tab.

 

Paragraphs --the first line of each should be indented one tab space.

 

Page number and your last name should appear on the top right of each page including the first. TIP: use the “Insert” feature of your word processor and NEVER type these directly into the document. They should appear inserted into the header/margin space. TIP: remember to format this the same way as the rest of the document (font size and font style).

 

Font size and type—the font you use should be Times New Roman or Arial 12 point font. This is different from the default on most MS word processing programs so you have to change it. No other font style or size should be used.

 

Text color should always be standard black (typically the default on most word processing software).

 

COURSE COMMUNICATION POLICIES

 

Course communication policies regarding general communication, discussion board, group work, email, and all written correspondence expectations are located in Canvas under the module “Course Policies.”

 

Students are required to check course announcements. Announcements are how students will be notified of any important information related to the course. Students are responsible for information shared in the course announcements.

This document is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.