English 1
Preparing for College Writing I

Heiges

CLASS INFORMATION

Class Assignments
Heiges' News

Course Objectives
ENG l, Preparing for College Writing I, is a five-credit course which will help improve basic writing skills necessary for entry into ENG 3, the second level of developmental writing. Successful completion of this course should improve the following writing skills:

Class time includes individualized and group work as well as frequent teacher conferences.  Concentrated work on the elements of the writing process and review of pertinent grammar rules will help increase writing confidence.

Course Materials
 You are required to obtain the following materials and bring them to each class meeting.
Sentence Skills, Form A, 9th edition, Langan
USB key/flashdrive

Overview
 This class is scheduled as a HYBRID course.  A hybrid combines traditional classroom work with independent online assignments.  For this course, 50% will be face to face instruction in the classroom every Wednesday.  The other 50% will consist of using Blackboard to complete assignments at a location convenient to you by a specific deadline.  Each week, the textbook homework and online writing assignment will be posted on the Blackboard website for the course.  You are responsible for completing the assignments during the week they are assigned and submitting writing assignments to Blackboard.  You should check the Blackboard website at least twice a week for homework information and special updates.

During class time, you will meet in a computer lab so that you have access to Internet Explorer and MS Word.  To complete independent online assignments outside of class, you need to have direct access to a computer with Internet Explorer and MS Word.  If you do not have easy access to a computer outside of school, you must come to campus and use the open computer lab in Waddell to complete your work. Since NOVA uses MS Word as the standard word processing software, you must type your papers in Word so that you can work easily on these papers during class time in the computer lab.

Attendance

·   Attend all class meetings.

·   Email your instructor before class if you have an emergency.

·   Get information about assignments through Blackboard if you’re absent.

·   If you stop attending class and/or do not submit any assignments for two or more consecutive weeks, you may not pass the course.

·   Last day to withdraw without grade penalty is October 31.

 

Participation

·   Actively take part in classwork, group work and class discussions.

·   Complete assigned activities by due dates.

·   Act like a college student.

·   Use computers for classwork only.

·   Don’t use cell phones or any other type of electronic communication devices in class.

Communication
 It is important for you to communicate with your teachers.  Outside of class, you can use office hours or email your teachers to discuss any questions or problems.  College policy states that you must use your Novamail to discuss school related issues.  When you email your instructor, be sure to include your full name, your class and be specific about what information you need (for example, test or assignment name).  You can expect a response to your email within 24 hours.  Always use courteous and appropriate language when communicating with your instructors or classmates.

Assignments
Grammar and writing assignments and their due dates are listed on a separate assignment page.  You are expected to complete assignments during the week they are assigned.  Late work will be graded more strictly.  Over the semester, you will complete many grammar chapters from the textbook.  After we review the chapters in class, you will take a Mastery Test on Blackboard and you must score 70% or higher.  If you score less than 70%, you will discuss the chapter with Dr. Heiges and then retake another Mastery Test.  You will also complete some Editing Tests and Sentence Variety Exercises.  These tests and exercises are in the textbook and must be submitted on paper in class.

Writing Assignments

You must follow the class schedule in turning in papers.  In order to take the midterm and final exams, you must have completed all papers listed before the exams are scheduled.  No papers will be accepted more than two weeks after the due date.  You may not turn in more than two writing assignments per week.

All papers must have proper formatting:

Submitting Papers

You must follow these steps for completing writing assignments:

1)    First draft:  Turn in a printed copy in class and submit a Word file to Blackboard by the due date.

2)    Second draft:  Dr. Heiges will return your paper during the next class.  Revise your paper according to comments.  In class submit a second draft with all rough drafts and prewriting and the worksheet attached behind the newest draft by the end of class.

3)    Third draft:  Dr. Heiges will return a copy to you with editing suggestions marked on the paper.  Then you will make final edits to your paper.  The final draft must be submitted in class with all drafts, worksheet, and prewriting attached.

Your paper is not complete until you have finished the three drafts.  Your paper may require more than three drafts.

Class Folder
Each student has an individual class folder where all written papers are kept and all completed assignments/tests are recorded.  During each class, you should check your folder to be sure that you have completed the required assignments.  Please do not take home your class folder as it should remain with the Instructor.

Exams
 For the writing portion of the course, you will take a midterm and a final exam that will be graded by another English instructor.  Midterm and final exams must be completed in class on the day they are scheduled.  You must receive a passing grade on the final exam in order to pass the course.

How to Pass the Course
You must complete the following course requirements in order to receive a passing grade of "S":
1)      attend and participate in class
2)      complete all writing assignments on time
3)      score 70% or higher on all tests
4)      submit a midterm portfolio on time
5)      submit and pass the final portfolio

Any assignment which is not sufficiently revised must be redone until a passing grade is achieved.  If you cannot keep up with the due dates and continually submit late papers, you will have to repeat the course.  Plagiarized work is unacceptable and may result in a grade of “U” for the course.  If your final exam is not considered satisfactory, you will need to repeat.

Plagiarism
 Plagiarism is the act of copying the ideas or exact words of someone else’s work and presenting them as your own without acknowledging the source.  This includes copying from a variety of sources, such as Internet sites, books, magazines, or even another student’s paper.  Plagiarism is unacceptable in a college course and will seriously affect your standing in this class.  A first time offense will receive a warning; repeated offenses may result in more severe penalties, such as receiving a 0 for the assignment or a U for the course.  For more information on the college’s policy on academic dishonesty, go to http://www.nvcc.edu/curcatalog/admin/academic.htm

Grading

S = Satisfactory.  Student has met the course requirements.

R = Re-enroll.  Student is making satisfactory progress toward meeting the course requirements but needs more time to finish the work.  Student must re-register for ENG 1 again.                          

U = Unsatisfactory.  Student has excessive absences and/or work is unacceptable.  Student must re-register for ENG 1 again.

W = Withdraw

Writing Center
The Writing Center is located in LR, right outside the library and provides free trained tutorsto assist with English assignments (understanding reading topics or writing/revising papers). Hours are posted on the door of the Center, located in the Reynolds building.

Early Registration
Instead of providing early registration notes for the next semester, it is Loudoun's policy to post grades to NOVA Connect as students complete their developmental English course requirements.  Therefore, if you'd like to register early, you will need to finish the course requirements early.

College Closings
 In the event of bad weather, you should login to the class website on Blackboard and check the Announcements page for information about school closing or class cancellation.  For emergency situations at the campus, you should check the NOVA website for closing information. 

If you have a disability of which I need to be aware (for class and/or testing accommodations), please meet with me privately to discuss it.  More information about the college’s disability policy can be found at http://www.nvcc.edu/current-students/disability-services/

 

Last revised:  August 20, 2011
e-mail:  jheiges@nvcc.edu