Basic Grammar and Writing II Syllabus for 2016-2017
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Instructor Information

Course Information

Recording Policy

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As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

Administrative Drop Policy

Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016

Student Withdrawal Procedures

Students who wish to withdraw from a class must:

• consult with their instructor to obtain a signed academic withdrawal request form to submit to the AskAC department for processing
• consult with the financial aid office if receiving financial aid
• consult with the Veterans Benefit Coordinator if receiving veteran benefits
• consult with their academic advisor to determine how withdrawing may affect their enrollment in future semesters
  • NOTE:  The Texas Education Code stipulates that students attending Texas institutions of higher education for the first time fall 2007 and later may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career, including courses from which transfer students have withdrawn at other Texas institutions of higher education. (Senate Bill 1231) Rule 4.10.

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Course

ENGL-0302-004 Basic Grammar and Writing II

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: RDNG 0301 and BASW 0302-minimum grade of C or acceptable TSI scores.
Corequisite: ENGL 0301  

Course Description

Development of college-level writing focusing on idea generation, drafting, organization, revision and utilization of writing conventions and Standard English.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

English Department Plagiarism Policy (Revised Spring, 2013):

The English Department takes plagiarism seriously.

Plagiarism is defined as the following:  the use of someone else’s exact words that are neither quoted nor cited; paraphrasing someone else’s words without citing them; or using someone else’s research without citing it.

Student plagiarism in the Amarillo College English Department is internally tracked.  To clarify, records will be kept in the Department of those students who have plagiarized.  At the beginning of each new semester, the names of students who plagiarized the previous semester will be sent to all English Department faculty. 

Plagiarism may receive a penalty of a zero.  A subsequent infraction will be deemed a reason for expulsion from the class. At this point, the case will be referred to the Vice President of Student Affairs.

Note: Self-plagiarism will be discussed with the class by each instructor and infractions for such are left up to the individual instructor’s discretion.

 

 

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Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec, 1 lab)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

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​Required Textbooks

The Little Seagull Handbook with Exercises

by Richard Bullock, Michal Brody, and Francine Weinberg

​

If you have questions regarding your textbooks call the AC Bookstore at (806) 371-5307.

Supplies

Other Supplies

• lined notebook or looseleaf binder with paper
• pen, pencil
• jump/flash/USB drive for saving work

Student Performance

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

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, incorporating the ideas and words of other writers in student writing using established strategies.

4. Evaluate relevance and quality of ideas and information to formulate and develop a claim.

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

6. Edit writing to conform to the conventions of standard English.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

Behavior

All rules and regulations set forth in the "Student Code of Conduct" section in the current edition of the Student's Rights and Responsibilities publication will be followed in this course. It is the student's responsibility to obtain a copy of the handbook from the Dean of Student Services Office and to become familiar with the contents and provisions of the college’s policies, rules, and regulations concerning student conduct.

Plagiarism

Amarillo College English Department Plagiarism Policy, revised Spring 2013

The English Department takes plagiarism seriously.

Plagiarism is defined as the following:  the use of someone else’s exact words that are neither quoted nor cited; paraphrasing someone else’s words without citing them; or using someone else’s research without citing it.

Student plagiarism in the Amarillo College English Department is internally tracked.  To clarify, records will be kept in the Department of those students who have plagiarized.  At the beginning of each new semester, the names of students who plagiarized the previous semester will be sent to all English Department faculty. 

Plagiarism may receive a penalty of a zero.  A subsequent infraction will be deemed a reason for expulsion from the class. At this point, the case will be referred to the Vice President of Student Affairs.

Note: Self-plagiarism will be discussed with the class by each instructor and infractions for such are left up to the individual instructor’s discretion.

Grading Criteria

 Grades will be based on the following system:

A         90-100= high achievement
B         80-89= above average achievement
C         70-79= satisfactory achievement
D         60-69= unsatisfactory achievement
F          0-59= unacceptable

• Essay # 1 – 15%
• Essay # 2 – 15%
• Essay # 3 – 15%
• Assignments, Attendance, Class Participation  – 20%  
• Tests, Quizzes – 15%
• Final Exam – 20%

Attendance

ATTENDANCE:

Students are expected to attend all classes. Because of the collaborative nature of this course and the fact that success in this course depends on continuous practice and constant direction from the instructor, missing even one class can interfere with your grade. Absences start on the first scheduled day on which the class meets.

Regular attendance and class participation are necessary for satisfactory achievement. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the student to attend class, to sign the attendance sheet every class day, and to complete all assignments.  Attendance is part of the class participation grade.

 Students are expected to swipe in using the scanner located in the classroom; therefore, bring the student ID to class every day.  Students also are expected to keep up with the class calendar and to respond to instructor email messages that request information. Read your class email frequently throughout the week.  

WITHDRAWING FROM A CLASS:

It is the responsibility of the student to officially drop or withdraw from a course. Failure to withdraw may result in a grade of “F” for the course. A grade of “W” will be given for student-initiated withdrawals that are submitted on or before the withdrawal deadline: May 2, 2017. Students must have the instructor’s permission to withdraw from the class.  If you want to withdraw, you must contact the instructor via email before the deadline given below.  Withdrawal requests will not be accepted by telephone.

The Texas Education Code stipulates that students attending Texas institutions of higher education for the first time in fall 2007 and later may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career, including courses from which transfer students have withdrawn at other Texas institutions of higher education. There are certain exceptions to this policy and petitions for exceptions should be directed to the Registrar.

 If during the semester you consider dropping this class, please check with your instructor first for an alternate plan that protects your investment in this course and gives you an opportunity to complete it.  Remember that the deadline for drops this semester is May 2, 2017.  Withdrawing early from a class could affect scholarship or financial aid monies.  Check with a counselor or advisor before you withdraw from any class.

Student Withdrawal Procedures: Students who wish to withdraw from a class must initiate the request with their instructor before the withdrawal deadline.

 Administrative Drop Policy: Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016. The administrative drop date this semester is March 27, 2017.

Calendar

Additional Information

LATE WORK:

All work is due on the date assigned. The class calendar is usually followed, but it is always subject to change.  Regular viewing of the class calendar on Blackboard is necessary so that a student will be aware of any class changes.  Late assignments may or may not be accepted, based on instructor’s discretion; points will be deducted from any late assignments that are accepted. Keep up with the class calendar, which should appear on your AC Connect page.  You can always turn in work early. 

COMPUTERS:

Computers are available in the English Writing Labs (Ordway 101 and 104) for individual student use for word processing and Internet work. Students who use the lab are required to sign in for each visit. Students will do some writing on computers as a part of this class.  Students will need a USB (jump or flash) drive to save their work.  This class also uses Microsoft Word, Blackboard, and Connect programs. Some of your grade is based on assignments turned in and/or done with these programs.

Blackboard

Blackboard is a learning management computer program that we use in this class.  The class calendar is posted there.  The assignments are posted under the content tab there.  Quizzes may be sometimes taken with the program.  The gradebook and Email are available there also.

TUTORING:

Free tutoring is available through two sources: The Writers’ Corner and Smarthinking. The Writers’ Corner is on the first floor of Ordway Hall in room 102. You can drop by The Writers’ Corner for tutoring any time during open hours.  The Writers’ Corner is open Monday – Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.  In addition, AC subscribes to Smarthinking, an on-line tutoring service you may use free for 10 hours each semester.

TUTORING POLICY:

This is the tutoring policy for this class. When you turn in a paper and you receive a grade below 70, you still have a chance to make a passing grade.  Your instructor will return a copy of the paper to you.  You may take the paper and meet with a tutor in The Writers’ Corner.  After you meet with a tutor, the tutor will send your instructor a message explaining what the two of you discussed. You will have three class days after the paper was originally returned to you to rewrite the paper with the advice you received from the tutor.  You will turn in both the original paper and the revised paper to your instructor.  The revised paper will then be graded.

To have the original grade removed and replaced with the new one, you must (1) meet with a tutor in the Writers’ Corner, (2) rewrite the paper, and (3) turn in both the original and rewritten papers within three class days from when the original was first returned to you.

FEED BACK AND GRADING TIMELINE

Feedback is a response to an inquiry.  An example of feedback is when a student sends a question to an instructor, and the instructor answers the question. You can reach your instructor, Ms. Johnston, in three ways: in person, by phone, or by email. You can visit with her after or before class, during her office hours, or by appointment. You can leave a message for her on voice mail.  It will be at least 24 hours for her to respond to your voice mail message.  She usually answers voice mail Monday through Thursday and sometimes on Friday. She looks at email several times a day, including sometimes on weekends.  It may take as long as 24 hours to answer you during the week and 48 hours to answer you on the weekend.  Email is the fastest way to receive a response back from your instructor.  She does not use any other media or network for her classes.

Remember that when you have questions for your instructor, you need to contact her well before an assignment is due.  For example, a question at 11:00 p.m. may be too late for a response when a project is due at midnight or the next morning.  You might not get an answer to your communication until sometime the next day.

The grading response time is usually 4-7 days for a graded essay or exam to be returned to you.  Homework and class assignments are usually graded in 3-5 days.

Corequisites for this Course: There are no corequisites for this ENGL 0302.004 course.