INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

GRADING CRITERIA

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

Grading Scale:

100-90% = A                1000- 900 pts = A

89-80% = B                   899-800 pts = B

79-70% = C                   799-700 pts = C

69- 0 % = F                    699 – 0 pts = F

• Graded homework assignments can be made up or turned in late. However, the highest grade earned for late work will be a 70.
• Essays can be turned in late up to five days with a five-point penalty per

Detailed Grading Procedures:

Your grades are divided into the following categories:

1. My Skills Lab (250 pts):

Students will complete 15 skill practice sets in My Skills Lab. Please refer to the course calendar for specific assignments.  Each assignment is worth 10 pts and will cover reading and writing skills.

Students will also earn a “My Reading Lab” Lexile grade, which is determined by improvement in their reading lexile level. Students will receive their initial lexile level when they take the pretest at the beginning of the semester. Each student is expected to improve this score significantly (100 pts) by the end of the semester.  An improved lexile score of 100 points or more will earn a score of 100.

Each lexile point of improvement is worth 1 point, so a student who improves his/her score by 86 points will earn an 86% in this category. Any student who improves his or her lexile score above 100 points will be awarded 1 point extra credit for every 5 lexile point interval. For example, a student improving his/her lexile score by 150 lexile points would earn 100 % for the lexile grade, plus an additional 10 extra credit points for the 50 lexile points above the initial 100.

2. Quizzes: (200 pts): Students will have four quizzes covering the content and skills in each unit. Each quiz is worth 50 points. Refer to the course calendar for the quiz

3. Journals: (150 pts): The guided journal is the core of the class. It is neither extra credit nor busy Journals will be both formal and informal writing assignments that help students practice writing skills and encourage invention before writing papers. Journal entries will be composed at the keyboard and submitted to the appropriate drop box in Canvas. Journals should be in Word (.doc or .docx). Computer problems will not excuse a student from submitting an entry. Average entries should be 250 words long. Although journals will not be evaluated in terms of grammar, they will be evaluated on content. The journal is intended as a tool for the practice of writing, development of ideas, revision of writing, and analysis of course readings.

4. Essays: (300 pts): Students will write three papers (summary, informative, and persuasive). Two drafts are required for each paper. First drafts should focus on fulfilling the assignment and on the quality and clarity of content. Second drafts should show improvement in organization of the paper, cohesiveness, polish, and style. These should be well edited and spell-checked. Final drafts of a paper will be accepted up to five days late with a five-point penalty for each day. The last paper, the persuasive essay, will not be accepted late due to finals week and end of semester grading deadlines.

5. Final (100 pts): The final will be held the last week of class and will be

Class Rules:

1. Be courteous and respectful to everyone in the classroom at all times. Maintain a positive and professional attitude.  All students are expected to remain respectfully engaged with the instructor and the learning materials throughout each class period.  Students who break this rule will receive disciplinary action, which may include expulsion from the course.  Don’t be a jerk.
2. Students are not permitted to use or to appear to be using ear buds or earphones/headphones of any type while in class. Students who break this rule will be dismissed from class, will be counted absent for the class period, and will receive further disciplinary action, which may include expulsion from the course.

1. A seating chart will be assigned in this section of INRW 0405.  Students are required to sit where they are assigned according to the seating chart.  Also, the seating chart may change throughout the duration of the semester.  Students who do not sit in assigned seats as directed by the instructor will receive disciplinary action, which may include expulsion from the course.
2. Students are expected to arrive to class on time for the start of each class period.  Students who consistently arrive after class begins will be counted tardy, and will receive disciplinary action, which may include expulsion from the course.
3. Students are expected to remain seated in class for the duration of each class period.  Students are expected to use the restroom, make or receive telephone calls, and take care of any personal matters before or after class.  Students who consistently leave the classroom (more than two times throughout the semester) during the class period will receive disciplinary action, which may include expulsion from the course.
4. Students are not permitted to sleep in class.  Sleeping students will be dismissed from class, will be counted absent for the class period, and will receive further disciplinary action, which may include expulsion from the course.
5. Students are required to submit their writing assignments through the VeriCite drop box to receive credit/grades.  Students who plagiarize any writing assignment will be required to sign the NCTC academic dishonesty form, will receive a grade of zero (0) for the plagiarized assignment, and will be ineligible to receive a final grade of A in this course.  Further disciplinary action, including expulsion, may follow. 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

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. Withdrawals are subject to college policies as set forth in the college catalog.

In the long term, a student that twice receives an F or W in a College Prep course based on non-attendance will be placed on academic hold and blocked from enrolling in any courses other than the required College Prep course.

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. Students who are absent from class two weeks (not necessarily consecutive days) and not keeping up with course assignments may be dropped at the discretion of their instructor.  For this class, that is four class sessions.   

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

See separate course calendar

LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is April 5, 2018.

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 or visual impairment, learning, and/or psychological disorders are eligible for services. 

Disability Accommodations

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/StudentServices/SupportServices/Disabilityservices/DisabilitiesFacultyResources.aspx

STUDENT HANDBOOK

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

http://www.nctc.edu/catalog/North-Central-Texas-College-Student-Handbook/nctc-student-handbook.html

SCHOLASTIC INTEGRITY

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 of the planned action to his Department Chair.  The Department Chair shall report the incident and action to 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.

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.

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.