Course Description
Writing with an emphasis on different
methods of developing compositions. Advanced review of grammar,
sentence structure, punctuation, spelling, and words often
confused. Emphasis on planning, writing, and revising of
assignments. Individualized and group instruction in a classroom
or workshop setting. Course Goals: To prepare students to
write confidently and effectively in college-level credit courses
and to pass the writing portion of the TSI. Prerequisites:
Grade of C or better in DEVW 1403 OR placement by a Written Essay Score of 5 and one of the following Writing
objective scores: COMPASS 44-58; CPT 64-79;
ASSET 36-39.
Course Rationale
Students who
have not passed the writing portion of the Texas Success
Initiative must enroll and participate in a developmental writing
course until they satisfy the TSI writing requirement. Students
who do not comply with the TSI developmental education
requirements may be withdrawn by the College from all
college-level courses with a grade of "W."
Course Objectives
After completing this course, the student should be
able to:
engage
in writing as a process;
identify
audience and purpose to determine tone, vocabulary, and
content;
focus
essays with a clear lead-in and a thesis statement, using an
essay map when appropriate;
develop
unified body paragraphs using sensory detail and specific
examples, and use different strategies for organizing body
paragraphs;
develop
coherent essays, and use transitional devices to guide the
reader;
evaluate
the writing of others for effectiveness;
present
an argument in such a way that a reader who is ignorant of the
topic or hostile will be compelled to listen; recognize the
misuse of evidence and logical flaws;
avoid
plagiarism and collusion; engage in research online and in the
library; become familiar with MLA documentation, research
outline, paraphrasing and citing direct quotations; and
use
simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences;
and
develop
proofreading strategies to be able to proofread writing for the
following errors: apostrophes in contractions and possessives; commas with conjunctions; comma splice, run-on, and
fragment errors; subject-verb agreement; pronoun
reference; quotation marks and capital letters;
manuscript form; and commonly confused words.
Departmental Web
Page
Go to www.austincc.edu/writing for
additional information on the developmental writing program and
for online writing resources.
Attendance/Withdrawal
Policy
Students are permitted to miss 4.5 hours of class/lab time. Students who exceed this time limit will be withdrawn by the instructor, unless there are extenuating circumstances. If the time limit violation occurs after the withdrawal date, the student may not pass the course. This policy applies to all sessions. Students who are withdrawn for violating the attendance policy should visit with an ACC counselor or advisor to discuss their options.
Students who are TSI mandated are required by the state to participate in developmental education. However, students shall not be removed from college credit courses as long as they are still willing to participate in a developmental program at the level required by THECB regulations.
Minimum Essay
Requirements
Students must write at
least six academic essays that will count at least 60% of the course grade.
Exit Requirement
WSII students are required to pass a departmental Exit Essay. Students will be given two opportunities to write a multi-paragraph persuasive essay in a one, three-hour block of time: Midterm and Final Exit Essay. One of the two timed essays must earn 18 out of 25 points on the Pass/Fail Score Sheet, which instructors will give to students at the beginning of the semester. Students who are passing the course but do not pass the Exit Essay will receive an In-Progress (IP) grade. Students who receive an IP grade are required to enroll in WSII during their next enrolled semester unless they take and pass the writing portion of the TSI.
Instructors will provide students with a handout during the first week of class with the final Exit Essay testing date, time, and locations.
Grade of Incomplete
(I)
To qualify for an
incomplete, a student must have three-quarters of the course
completed and permission from the instructor. To receive an
incomplete, a student must make a written request to the
instructor and then fill out and sign the appropriate school
document by the deadline noted in the current course
schedule.
Scholastic Dishonesty
Policy
Acts prohibited by the College for which discipline may be
administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not
limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and
unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work.
Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their
thought, research, or self-expression. Academic work is defined
as, but not limited to, essays; tests and quizzes, whether taken
electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group;
classroom presentations; and homework. See the section titled
"Student Rights and Responsibilities" in the current ACC
Student Handbook for additional information on academic
integrity.
All work submitted in this course
should be a student's own work. When a student borrows ideas,
wording, or organization from another source, that information
must be referenced using the methods prescribed by the instructor.
Plagiarism or collusion could cause a student to receive a failing
grade for the course or to be withdrawn from the course. Each
instructor will provide students with a penalty policy for
scholastic dishonesty.
Plagiarism is
appropriating, buying, receiving as a gift, or obtaining by any
means another's work and the unacknowledged submission or
incorporation of it in one's own work. Collusion is
unauthorized collaboration with another person or persons in
preparing written work for fulfillment of course work.
Services for Students
with Disabilities
Each ACC campus offers support services for students with
documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with
disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the
Office for Students with Disabilities on the campus where they
expect to take the majority of their classes. Students are
encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the
semester. See the section titled "Services for Students with
Disabilities" in the ACC Student Handbook for additional
information.
Student Freedom of
Expression
Each student is strongly encouraged to participate in class.
In any classroom situation that includes discussion and critical
thinking, there are bound to be many differing viewpoints. These
differences enhance the learning experience and create an
atmosphere where students and instructors alike will be encouraged
to think and learn. On sensitive and volatile topics, students may
sometimes disagree not only with each other but with the
instructor. It is expected that faculty and students will respect
all views expressed in classroom discussions.
Instructor
Syllabus
In addition to the
information in this Course Master Syllabus, each instructor will
provide students with written statements on the
following:
1. Instructor name, course name
and number, and section number and synonym.
2. Contact information: posted office hours, office location and
number, phone number and e-mail address, and a statement about
appointments being available upon request.
3. Required texts and materials.
4. Any additional course objectives.
5. Grading system.
6. Student discipline/scholastic dishonesty policy.
7. Class outline/calendar with test and due dates as well as other
class activities.
8. Lab handout that outlines activities on a weekly basis,
provides a rationale explaining the purpose of the activities, and
explains how the activities will be graded.
9. Testing center policy if the instructor requires students to
use the testing center.
