Course Title: Composition I
Course Prefix, Number, and Section Number: ENGL 1301.0310
Semester/Year of course: SUMMER I 2023
Semester start and end dates: June 5, 2023 - July 6, 2023
Modality: Online
Class meeting location, days, and times: Online
Semester credit hours: 3
Course Description: Intensive study of and practice in writing processes, from invention and researching 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.
Required course materials:
For both ENGL 1301 and ENGL 1302, you will use the textbook bundle that is available at the NCTC bookstore that includes The Hub 2022 Revision with APA Updates and North Central Texas College Preface with The Address Book by Dierdre Mask & Factfulness by Hans Rosling. (ISBN: 9781319493592)
*I do not use Achieve in my courses; therefore, you will not need the code that comes with your book bundle.
The Address Book is also available on Audible (Links to an external site.)to listen.
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Name of instructor: Lisa Smart
Office location: Corinth Campus (Except in Summers then on Webex)
Telephone number: n/a
Email address: lsmart@nctc.edu [please use Canvas Inbox to contact me when possible; only use NCTC email if Canvas is not working]
Office hours for students:
- Monday: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Via Webex
- Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Via Webex
- If these times do not work for you, I will do my best to accommodate you - feel free to reach out.
SYLLABUS CHANGE DISCLAIMER
The faculty member reserves the right to make changes to this published syllabus if it is in the best interest of the educational development of this class. Any such changes will be announced as soon as possible in person and/or in writing.
SUMMARY OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
List of graded assignments: See Course Summary below.
Final grade scale:
- Weekly Discussion, Writing Activities, Evidence of the Writing Process, Reading Quizzes = 40%
- Unit 1: Narrative of Place = 15%
- Unit 2: Collaborative Project = 20%
- Unit 3: Research Essay = 25%
COURSE POLICIES
Academic Integrity Policy: Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but not be limited to cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion. See Student Handbook “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct [FLB- (LOCAL)]” #18.
Disciplinary Actions [Student Handbook, #5] “When cheating, collusion, or plagiarism has occurred beyond any reasonable doubt, the instructor may give the student or students involved an “F” on a particular assignment or in the course. [See Scholastic Dishonesty FLB (Local)] The instructor shall make a written report of the incident and the planned action to his Department Chair. The Department Chair shall report the incident and action to the appropriate instructional dean who shall review the case, notify the student and, if necessary, take further action. This may involve either probation or suspension of the student or students in question. If such disciplinary action is deemed necessary, the Dean of Student Services shall be notified, and the action shall be taken through that office.”
AI Writing and Acceptable Use: Submitting work generated by ChatGPT or any other AI language tool on assignments is considered academic dishonesty, even if cited as a source. NCTC's English Department uses AI detectors to enforce this policy. The writing assignments in NCTC English courses require generating new knowledge, rather than just recombining existing information. AI does not generate original research, and the information may contain factual errors.
AI may be used in brainstorming, or developing a research question. Generally speaking, students are not authorized to use artificial intelligence and related products like large language model applications to produce work for this class EXCEPT on assignments that the instructor has identified and for which the student will have received significant guidance on the appropriate use of such technologies. Students should not, however, construe this limited use as permission to use these technologies in any other facet of their coursework. Students who submit AI generated content as original work will be subject to the same disciplinary actions listed above in the college's academic integrity policy.
Attendance Policy: Attendance in an online course is mandatory. This means checking email and announcements daily and submitting work as assigned. If a student fails to submit work for more than one week in a summer course, I reserve the right to drop the student from the course.
Withdrawal Policy: A student may withdraw from a course on or after the official date of record. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate and complete a Withdrawal Request Form. The last day to withdraw from the course with a “W” June 27, 2023.
Late-Work Policy: All assignment due dates are explicitly posted in Canvas. I expect assignments to be submitted on time and encourage students to practice good time management and personal responsibility by meeting deadlines. That said, if you submit your work (excluding major essays) by the time I grade the assignment, I will accept it, even if you submitted it late. However, I would caution you to develop a strong work ethic and submit your work as assigned to avoid accumulating zeros. I may grade an assignment right after it's due, or it may be several days. So, the question is, how lucky do you feel, and are you willing to gamble with your course grade?
Please email me if you need an extension due to an extenuating circumstance beyond your control (car accident, death in your immediate family, major illness, house flood, Covid, etc.). I am compassionate and always willing to work with a student who has an actual emergency. I reserve the right to grant (or not grant) an extension based on each student's circumstance(s). Communication is key!
Student Learning Outcomes: Students who successfully complete English 1301 will meet the following learning outcomes:
- Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes.
- Develop ideas with appropriate support and attribution.
- Write in a style appropriate to audience and purpose.
- Read, reflect, and respond critically to a variety of texts.
- Use Edited American English in academic essays.
Core Objectives: Courses in this category focus on developing ideas and expressing them clearly, considering the effect of the message, fostering understanding, and building the skills needed to communicate persuasively. Courses involve the command of oral, aural, written, and visual literacy skills that enable people to exchange messages appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience.
- Critical Thinking Skills (CT)- to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information
- Communication Skills (COM)- to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication
- Teamwork (TW)- to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal
- Personal Responsibility (PR)- to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making [Rev. 5-2014 THECB]
COLLEGE POLICIES
Student Handbook: Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the Student Handbook.
ADA Statement: NCTC will adhere to all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations to afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Office for Students with Disabilities to arrange appropriate accommodations. See the OSD Syllabus Addendum.
Student Services: NCTC provides a multitude of services and resources to support students. See the Student Services information linked in the Lesson 1 Module for a listing of those departments and links to their sites.
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS
The student should contact the instructor to deal with any questions, concerns, or complaints specific to the class. If the student and faculty are not able to resolve the issue, the student may contact the chair or coordinator of the division. If the student remains unsatisfied, the student may proceed to contact the instructional dean.
Name of Chair/Coordinator: Kristen Weinzapfel
Office Location: Gainesville 502
Telephone number: 940 668 3342
Email address: kweinzapfel@nctc.edu
Name of Instructional Dean: Dr. Rochelle Gregory
Office Location: Flower Mound 200
Telephone number: 940 496 6297
E-mail address: rgregory@nctc.edu
USEFUL INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
Course Content in Canvas: All course content is housed in this Canvas shell, and all work must be submitted here. While dual credit students might use a different online course management system, all NCTC coursework must be submitted here.
Disability Accommodations: The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students with disabilities. OSD counselors and advisors also provide strategies for academic success; individual, career, and academic counseling services as well as referrals to campus and community services and assistance with admission and registration. It is not necessary that a student with a disability disclose his/her disability to college officials if he/she is not requesting any accommodations. OSD is federally funded through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Federal Grant. NCTC is committed to making its degree and certificate programs accessible to all qualified persons in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA Amendments Act, and The Rehabilitation Act (1973), Section 504.
REQUEST SERVICES: New Students: Accommodations require advanced preparation. Please make your request before the semester begins. Documentation is required before any accommodations can be provided. Depending on your diagnosis, this documentation should come from a medical doctor, psychologist, or other licensed or properly credentialed professional.
Current Students: Contact the OSD at the beginning of each semester well in advance of registration.
Contact Us: Please reach out to us to schedule an intake or if you have questions or concerns. Wayne Smith, OSD Manager, kwsmith@nctc.edu, (940) 498-6207 Yvonne Sandmann, OSD Advisor, ysandmann@nctc.edu, (940) 668-3300 http://nctc.site/student-services/disability-services/index.html (Links to an external site.)
Email Correspondence: I reserve 24 hours to respond to students’ emails during the week and 48 hours on weekends. Emails sent to me become my personal property, and I may disclose them to third parties if I determine it necessary.
Equity. NCTC defines equity as encompassing the practice of acknowledging individual differences and systemic disparities when developing new programs and resources for our campus community, which may sometimes challenge our own beliefs and assumptions, in order to ensure balanced educational opportunities toward completion.
Evaluation
- “A” Work: This writing is excellent and demonstrates excellence in development, organization, style and tone, and mechanics. There is clear evidence of the writing process (invention, drafting, revision, editing, and proofreading). A = 95 A- = 92 A-/B+ = 90
- “B” Work: This is good work and delivers substantial information—that is, substantial in both quantity and interest-value. It is well-developed and unified around a clear organizing principle that is apparent early in the piece. There is evidence of the writing process.
- B+ = 87 B = 85 B- = 8 B-/C+ = 80
- “C” Work: This is an average piece that is generally competent in its development, organization, style, and tone, and mechanics. It meets the needs of the assignment, has few mechanical errors, and is reasonably organized and developed. This piece also shows some evidence of the writing process. C+ = 77 C = 75 C- = 72. C-/D+ = 70
- “D” Work: This is below-average work that lacks development and is not effectively organized to facilitate the reader’s understanding. The paper also shows little or no evidence of the writing process. D+ = 67 D = 65 D- = 62
- “F” Work: This work fails in all aspects of the evaluation criteria. There is no evidence of the writing process, and the paper fails in all aspects of development, organization, style, and mechanics. F (work submitted and attempted) = 55. F (no work submitted or attempted) = 0
Gender Identity: This course affirms people of all gender expressions and identities. If you prefer to be called a different name than is what on the class roster, please let me know. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records, and so I may call you by your preferred name and pronoun. If you'd like your name changed in the roster, please contact the Registrar's office.
Grade Appeals and Incomplete Grades: Students can read more about the college's grade appeal processes and procedures for assigning incomplete grades by visiting the Academic Catalog.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism, which should be avoided at all costs, includes the following student actions:
- 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.
- Copying words, ideas, or images from someone without giving credit; Failing to put a quotation in quotation marks.
- Giving incorrect information about the source of information, quotations, or images.
- Changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit.
- Copying so many words, ideas, or images from a source that it makes up the majority of the student's work, whether or not the student gives credit.
- Giving your paper, discussion board posts, or reflections to a classmate to use as his/her own.
- Having another person write, type, edit, or revise any parts of your writing assignments.
Please be aware that the department takes plagiarism very seriously. You may not use someone else’s Writing Assignment or buy one from a “professional” source. Failure to follow the proper guidelines for documentation constitutes plagiarism. Considering the severity of the issue, if you ever have any questions or concerns regarding plagiarism, please consider this an open invitation to visit with me about the issue. If I discover that a student has committed intentional plagiarism, the plagiarized assignment will receive a zero, and I will recommend to the English Department Head that the student fails the course.
Professionalism: Your college courses are also opportunities for you to learn what it means to be a “professional” in your field. Therefore, I expect you to act like a “professional” student in this course. Consider these suggestions:
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- Prepare and participate meaningfully in online discussion boards.
- Be assertive. (An assertive student exhausts all available resources of information before contacting me. In other words, read the assignment sheet carefully before e-mailing me to ask how many sources are required in your paper, and if you are unsure how to cite a source, look it up in your handbook or a credible, online source—such as The Purdue Owl or a handbook.)
- Consider the quality (and effort) of required drafts, notes, and daily assignments.
- Turn in writing assignments on time and as assigned.
- Mind the quality and tone of email correspondence.
Student Rights & Responsibilities: NCTC Board Policy FLB (Local) Student Rights and Responsibilities states that each student shall be charged with notice and knowledge of the contents and provisions of the rules and regulations concerning student conduct. These rules and regulations are published in the Student Handbook published in conjunction with the College Catalog. All students shall obey the law, show respect for properly constituted authority, and observe correct standards of conduct.
Tobacco-Free Campus. NCTC restricts the use of all tobacco products including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, electronic cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco on campus property. NCTC is aware that tobacco use influences underage students, which cumulates unsightly tobacco litter and interferes with assuring clean air for all who come to NCTC. NCTC recognizes the health hazards of tobacco use and of exposure to second-hand smoke. Information on a tobacco cessation program is available for students, faculty, staff who wish to stop using tobacco products. We would like to "thank you" for your help in making our campuses Tobacco-Free. For questions or concerns, please contact the Office of Vice President of Student Services at 940-668-4240.
Withdrawing from a Course: Students can learn more about the withdrawal policy and procedure by visiting this website: http://nctc.site/current-students/helpful-forms.html (Links to an external site.).
Writing Assignments & Rough Drafts: All major writing assignments are required. If you fail to turn in one of the major writing assignments, you cannot pass the course. I reserve the right to administratively drop/fail any student who does not submit all major assignments.
Submitting your rough drafts as assigned guarantees you receive feedback from me that you can use to revise your next draft. In most cases, rough drafts submitted after the due date will not receive instructor feedback.