The North Central Texas College (NCTC) Course Syllabus provides the following as required by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB):
- a brief description of the course including each major course requirement, assignment, and examination;
- the learning objectives for the course;
- a general description of the subject matter of each lecture or discussion; and
- any required or recommended readings.
Contact information for the instructor is also provided. The Course Syllabus also provides institutional information to indicate how this course supports NCTC’s purpose and mission. Information specific to a particular section of the course will be included in the Class Syllabus and distributed to enrolled students.
Course Name & Number: ENGL 1302 (Composition II)
Semester & Year: Fall 2021
Catalog Description. Intensive study of and practice in the strategies and techniques for developing research-based expository and persuasive texts. Emphasis on effective and ethical rhetorical inquiry, including primary and secondary research methods; critical reading of verbal, visual, and multimedia texts; systematic evaluation, synthesis, and documentation of information sources; and critical thinking about evidence and conclusions. [Rev. Fall 2012 THECB] Prerequisite: English 1301 or its equivalent.
Textbooks & Materials:
Short Title: CP THEHUBDVA NCTC&ACH&THIS&V2&10
ISBN-10: 1319383351
ISBN-13: 9781319383350
The bundle includes an NCTC custom version of The Hub (with assignment sheets and rubrics), This I Believe (Vols 1 and 2), Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts, online access to Achieve. This bundle will be used for both ENGL 1301 and ENGL 1302.
A Note About The Bundle: If you took ENGL 1301 last semester (or during Summer 2021) and you purchased the bundle for that course, you're all set with your textbooks for this course. However, if you took ENGL 1301 prior to last summer and purchase this bundle, you'll end up with books you don't need because this bundle contains the texts for 1301. If you've already passed ENGL 1301 and don't want to purchase the bundle, go ahead and purchase Ten Arguments and The Hub separately from online sources. (No, you don't need the access code for the extra resources.) If you purchase the books separately, you won't have the NCTC custom version of The Hub, but you can still work with a slightly older edition of that book. I want you to save money on textbooks by helping you find an alternative to the bookstore bundle.
Instructor's Name: Dr. Sarah DeCapua
Email Address: sdecapua@nctc.edu and sarah.decapua@uconn.edu
Online Office Hours: Friday 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. (CT) & Saturday 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. (CT) & By appointment
COURSE AND COLLEGE INFORMATION
Learning Outcomes. Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
- Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative research processes.
- Develop ideas and synthesize primary and secondary sources within focused academic arguments, including one or more research-based essays.
- Analyze, interpret, and evaluate a variety of texts for the ethical and logical uses of evidence.
- Write in a style that clearly communicates meaning, builds credibility, and inspires belief or action.
- Apply the conventions of style manuals for specific academic disciplines (e.g., APA, CMS, MLA, etc.) [Rev. 8-2012 THECB]
Foundational Component Area: Communication
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): creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information
- Communication Skills (COM): effective development, interpretation, and expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication
- Teamwork (TW): the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal
- Personal Responsibility (PR): the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making [Rev. 5-2014 THECB]
Institutional Learning Goals. A quality general education curriculum in all associate degree programs.
- Quality freshman and sophomore level courses in arts and sciences that parallel the lower division offerings of four-year colleges and universities.
- Quality technical programs leading directly to careers in semi-skilled and skilled occupations, and quality technical education programs up to two years in length leading to certificates and associate degrees.
- Quality programs and services in support of adult literacy and basic skills development as a means of workforce enhancement and expanding access to higher education.
Course Type: Academic General Education Course (from Academic Course Guide Manual but not in NCTC Core).
Program Purpose Statement. NCTC seeks to implement its goal of providing quality freshman and sophomore level courses in arts and sciences that parallel the lower division offerings of four-year colleges and universities by offering a coherent sequence of courses with appropriate breadth and depth to prepare a student for transfer to a university.
Departmental Purpose Statement. The Department of English, Speech, and Foreign Language provides quality instruction to students pursuing their academic and career goals.
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
Affinity Groups. Staff and faculty representing the Employee Resource Groups (ERG’s), along with academic advisors, counselors and success coaches, serve as mentors for NCTC’s student-centered Affinity Groups. An Affinity Group is a population of students who have specific needs, barriers or systems they are needing to navigate not only within college but within life. Providing mentorship, support, and resources for identified Affinity Groups such as Black/African American students, veterans, and active military, single parents, students with disabilities, adult learners, Latinx, LGBTQ+ and students who have experienced foster care and/or homelessness, enables us to make more impactful, meaningful connections with students who are in dire need of equity and understanding.
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 judgment 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. A student will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon the 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 adequate cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College (from Board Policy FC (LOCAL)).
Completion Center. The NCTC Completion Center is a comprehensive student engagement program that increases retention and completion rates of first-time, low-income students. Services include Success coaching to address students’ academic and non-academic challenges and issues; Success Seminars, and centralized career readiness and job placement program: http://www.nctc.edu/student-services/completion-center/index.html. (Links to an external site.)
Career Services Center. The NCTC Career Services Center is the place you can go for educational and career planning. Services include Career/Degree Exploration, Job Search Tools and Resources, Resume and Professional Portfolio Development, Interview Skills, and Preparation. Our Career Advisors partner with you in making your educational journey an efficient process towards a rewarding career: http://www.nctc.edu/career-services/index.html. (Links to an external site.)
Counseling and Advising. Support Services, Counseling and Advising staff offer a variety of services to current and prospective students, such as College 101, placement testing, academic advising and course registration, transfer assistance, and College Success seminars (Time Management, Study Skills, Test Anxiety, Choosing a Major, Learning Style Strategies, Career Exploration) and much more: http://www.nctc.edu/counseling-advising/index.html. (Links to an external site.)
Disability Accommodations: North Central Texas College does not discriminate on the basis of disability for admission or access to its programs. The College is committed to providing equal access to its students with disabilities by providing appropriate accommodations; a variety of services and resources are made available through the ACCESS Department. Students are responsible for notifying the ACCESS Department of their need for assistance. Students with documented disabilities, such as mobility impairment, hearing impairment, visual impairment, learning impairment, or psychological disorders, are eligible for services.
The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students who have a documented disability. A disability is anything that can interfere with learning, such as a learning disability, psychological challenge, physical illness, or injury. Accommodations may include extra time on tests, tests in a distraction-reduced environment, volunteer note-taker in class, etc.
On the Corinth campus, go to room 170 or call 940-498-6207. On the Gainesville campus, go to room 110 in the Administration Building (100) or call 940-668-4209. Students on the Bowie, Graham, Flower Mound, and online campuses should call 940-668-4209 to arrange for an intake appointment with OSD.
North Central Texas College is on record as being 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/student-services/disability-services/index.html(Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Early Alert and CARES. The NCTC Early Alert program assists students who are at risk of failing or withdrawing from a course. Faculty and staff may refer students through the Early Alert process at any point in the semester in an effort to provide appropriate intervention and access to support services. Examples of behaviors that could prompt an Early Alert referral could be missing assignments, failing tests, excessive absences, or personal circumstances impacting academic performance. A student submitted as an Early Alert will be contacted by an academic advisor or success coach (Links to an external site.) through text, phone, and/or via their NCTC e-mail address to discuss any current challenges, as well as helpful resources and success strategies-we, want our students to finish strong and know that education is a partnership!
The NCTC CARES (Campus Assessment Response Evaluation Services) Team (Links to an external site.) is concerned not only about our students' academic success, but also their emotional and physical well-being. The CARES Team promotes a safe learning environment for students, faculty, and staff and is committed to taking a proactive approach in helping our students succeed by addressing the mental, emotional or psychological health and safety of the NCTC community. As a student, you have the ability to report concerning behavior that could impact your own safety or the safety of another NCTC student, such as stalking, harassment, physical or emotional abuse, violent or threatening behavior, or self-harm. Visit the NCTC CARES site to also locate campus and community resources, or email counseling@nctc.edu to get in touch with a member of the CARES Team directly. As always, if you feel there is an immediate threat to your own safety or welfare (or to another student), please call 911 immediately.
EEOC Statement: North Central Texas College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, or disability in the employment or the provision of services.
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.
Financial Aid. Financial Aid offers financial resources for students that qualify, visit the financial aid offices for more information: http://www.nctc.edu/financial-aid/index.html. (Links to an external site.)
Last day to Withdraw: Last day to drop a class with a grade of “W” is November 1, 2021.
Scholastic Integrity – Plagiarism: 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.”
Plagiarism, which should be avoided at all costs, includes the following student actions:
- Turning in someone else's ideas, opinions, theories, or work as your own;
- 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 quotations 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.
Please be aware that the department takes plagiarism very seriously. You may not have another person write, type, edit, or revise any parts of your Writing Assignments. You may not use someone else’s Writing Assignment or buy one from a “professional” source. You may not recycle a paper you wrote for this course--or any other--in a prior semester and submit it again for this class. You may not use the material on the internet or in print sources without documenting it. 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 Writing Assignment that has plagiarized materials will receive a zero. The assignment cannot be made up and I will recommend to the English Department Head that the student fails the course.
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.
Student Success. At NCTC, student success is progress towards collegiate goals, reached in an affordable and timely manner, under professional guidance, empowering students to serve skillfully in their chosen role within their community.
Student Success Center. The Student Success Center is designed to help all students at NCTC develop tools to achieve their academic goals. The center links students to FREE tutoring, including a Writing Center, a Math Lab, and free online tutoring. The program helps students acclimate to the college by providing free interactive online workshops. For more information, please visit your nearest Student Success Center.
Student Success offers academic coaching, tutoring, including a Writing Center, and a Math Lab to assist new students to acclimate to the college by providing computer lab services for prospective students. http://www.nctc.edu/student-services/student-success/tutoring/index.html (Links to an external site.)First-generation students can also participate in TRIO, which offers specialized services: https://www.nctc.edu/student-services/trio-student-support-services/index.html (Links to an external site.)
Testing Service Center. The mission of NCTC Testing Services is to provide high-quality testing services that adhere to the professional standards and guidelines to meet the needs of students, faculty, and community members. http://www.nctc.edu/testing-center/index.html (Links to an external site.)
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.
OTHER AREAS OF CONSIDERATION
Basic Needs: Any student who faces challenges securing food or housing and believes this may affect their performance in the course is urged to contact the Dean of Students, Dr. Roxanne Del Rio (rdelrio@nctc.edu) for support. Furthermore, please notify me if you are comfortable doing so. This will enable me to direct you to additional resources for support.
Class Attendance Policy: Attendance, in both online and face-to-face courses, is required. Because this course progresses very quickly, I reserve the right to block from this course students who fail to complete assignments for more than one week. Students who are blocked MUST contact the registrar's office and withdraw from the course, or they will receive a semester grade of F.
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.
Email Correspondence: I reserve 36-48 hours to respond to students’ emails/messages. Correspondence sent to me becomes my personal property, and I may disclose it to third parties if I determine it’s necessary. Emails/messages constitute correspondence between instructor and student; therefore, remember your audience when sending me emails/messages. Correspondence may contribute positively or negatively to your professionalism grade.
Evaluation
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- “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).
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- “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- = 82
- 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
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- “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.
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- “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 complete this form (Links to an external site.) and submit it to 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:
Late-Work Policy: Writing assignments are due on the dates listed in Canvas. However, a 48-hour grace period is built into all assignments, except the final exam. For example, if an assignment is due at 11:59 p.m. on a Monday, you have until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday to submit it in Canvas without penalty. You don't need to seek my permission to use the grace period, or to inform me via message/email that you're doing so (although a kind heads-up is always appreciated, so I know your work is on its way). Work submitted after the close of the 48-hour grace period will not be evaluated and will receive a zero grade. If your circumstances require an extension beyond the grace period, please contact me so we can discuss it. I can't guarantee that you'll receive more time beyond 48 hours, but it's a good idea in general to let me know if you're struggling with the course.
Library: Students can access online and physical resources from the NCTC campus library by visiting the library website: www.nctc.edu/library. (Links to an external site.) Students can access research databases and can locate research help including tutorials and study guides, information on the hours of operation for each of the campus libraries, our online catalog, our intra- and inter-library loan services, and NCTC library policies.
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 messaging 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.
Progress Reports and Rough Drafts: For major assignments, you will be required to show evidence of the writing process by submitting progress reports and presenting several rough drafts. Because those assignments are designed to encourage students to move through the writing process while getting feedback for improvement, those assignment dropboxes will be locked 48 hours after the due date and students may not turn in those assignments late. Additionally, if you do not show evidence of the writing process, I will not evaluate your work.
Withdrawing from a Course: Students can learn more about the withdrawal policy and procedure by http://www.nctc.edu/current-students/drop-withdraw-class.html (Links to an external site.). (Links to an external site.)
Writing Assignments: All major writing assignments are required. If you fail to turn in one of the major tasks, you cannot pass the course. I reserve the right to administratively drop any student who does not submit all major assignments.
