Example Reading and Vocabulary – Syllabus
Instructor: Barbara Alvarez
Semester: Fall 2013
Class Room: TBA
Class Meeting Times: Monday/Wednesday: 9am – 10:50am
Office: 244 H
Telephone: 817/265-6591
Email: b.alvarez@tcu.edu
Final Exam date
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Wednesday, September 11, 2013: Midterm over GSAS for Reading & Vocabulary 1
Wednesday, October 9, 2013: Final over GSAS for Reading & Vocabulary 2
Required Text and Additional Resources
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“More Reading Power 3”, 3rd edition by Linda Jeffries and Beatrice S. Mikulecky
Minimum of 2 leveled library books for “Extensive Reading”
Vocabulary Journal Notebook
Course Description
This course will work on building students vocabulary and reading skills and will encourage the
students in the practice of outside reading to build vocabulary and reading skills.
Learning Outcomes
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To build vocabulary at the Intermediate level (introducing the AWL and word forms)
To read independently and extensively (2 book over the session)
To use a set of intermediate reading skills
Graded Student Action Steps
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will gain familiarity with the Academic Word List
will choose and read 4 books independently, and do related classwork
will use intermediate level skills for reading and understanding intermediate level texts
Instructional Methods
This course will be structured around discussion, group learning projects, lab, and
presentations.
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Learning Philosophy
Learn by doing. Learn from mistakes and have fun while learning.
Course Policies and Requirements
IEP Policies on Attendance and Punctuality
The Official Texas Christian University policy on class attendance is clear and straightforward:
Regular and punctual class attendance is essential, and no assigned work is summarily excused
because of absence, no matter what the cause.
Records of class attendance are the responsibility of the faculty, and every course’s syllabus
should clearly state the instructor’s policy on class attendance and how attendance affects a
student’s final evaluation in the course. Students who miss an instructional experience are
expected to meet with faculty to discuss their absence as soon as possible.
The IEP student must attend each class 100%. Moreover, students are expected to arrive to class
on time.
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A student is considered tardy if s/he arrives after the class has started.
Three tardies = one absence
Tardiness after 10 minutes = one absence. The instructor may close the classroom door and
not allow entry to the class after 10 minutes.
Four absences = failure of the class
If a student is absent on the day of a test, quiz, or presentation, make-ups will only be
available if the student contacts the instructor before class time and provides to the instructor
documentation of an illness, catastrophic illness, or family emergency.
o If the student knows that he or she will be absent, the student must contact the
instructor before class.
o If student is sick, he or she should go to the TCU Health Center or see another health
care provider. (Please note that if the Health Center believes that the student is unable
to attend classes, the instructor will be emailed this professional opinion; simply
going to the Health Center does not constitute permission to make up the missed
work.)
If any of the following conditions are true, the faculty member should contact the IEP
assistant director or director, who may contact the TCU Campus Life Office:
o The faculty member is concerned for the student’s health or well-being, or thinks the
student needs additional help.
o The student has had excessive absences in the class.
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Class Levels and Progress: The Badge System
Students will be tested in grammar, writing, reading, and listening/speaking for placement into
their core courses. Each student will have four core courses each term, with core courses running
Monday through Thursday, and supplemental programming, advising, and digital support on
Fridays.
With the placement tests, a student will place into the Beginning, Intermediate, or Advanced
Levels. At each level, the student is required to show proficiency by acquiring a specific number
of Outcome, or Achievement, Badges. These badges represent mastery of specific skills.
Students must earn two Outcome Badges in order to progress to the next level. Outcome Badges
are earned by completing Action Steps and earning Action Badges. Each Outcome Badge
requires the completion of three Action Step Badges.
Badges are required to progress from one level to the next, and each badge has a required
assessment at the end of the term. A student must receive a passing grade of A or B in each
Action Badge area to show mastery of the skill and to receive the Outcome Badge for that unit.
Probation:
A student goes on probation:
 If he/she receives an F in any class,
 If he/she has failed to earn 3 badges of student outcome (BSO) in any given skill class
after completing two consecutive sessions,
 If he/she fails to earn BSOs in the Workshop and Student Success class in any given
session
A student will be on probation until:
 They successfully complete the program
 Fail to meet the probation requirements
Probation requirements include:
 Passing all classes
 Completion of at least one BSO per each class every session
 Achieving 3 or more BSOs per skill class every two sessions
 Achieving the BSO for both Workshop and Student Success class each session
A student who fails to meet probation requirements:
 will not be allowed to register for IEP classes. S/he must work with an advisor in the
Office of International Services to ensure that legal immigration is maintained by
immediately either transferring his/her SEVIS record to another institution, returning to
his/her country, or applying for a change of visa status.
 Failure to fulfill the requirements of probation is also failure to meet the requirements of
F and J visas. Students who do not meet these requirements are in violation of their status
and must apply for reinstatement.
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Grading
Final Grade Elements:
Percent / Point
Value
25%
25%
25%
25%
Item
25%
25%
25%
25%
Reading & Vocabulary 2 Homework Assignments
Reading & Vocabulary 2 Quizzes
Reading & Vocabulary 2 Journal
Reading & Vocabulary 2 Test
Reading & Vocabulary 1 Homework Assignments
Reading & Vocabulary 1 Quizzes
Reading & Vocabulary 1 Journal
Reading & Vocabulary 1 Test
Final Numerical Grade Calculation (+/-):
Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Score
94-100
90-93
87-89
84-86
80-83
77-79
74-76
70-73
67-69
64-66
60-63
0-59
Final Letter Grade Calculation:
Grade
A
B
C
D
F
Score
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
0-59
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Statement of Disability Services at TCU
Disability Statement approved Fall 2007 by the Undergraduate Council / Revised Summer 2011
Disabilities Statement: Texas Christian University complies with the Americans with Disabilities
Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 regarding students with disabilities.
Eligible students seeking accommodations should contact the Coordinator of Student Disabilities
Services in the Center for Academic Services located in Sadler Hall, 1010. Accommodations are
not retroactive, therefore, students should contact the Coordinator as soon as possible in the term
for which they are seeking accommodations. Further information can be obtained from the
Center for Academic Services, TCU Box 297710, Fort Worth, TX 76129, or at (817) 257-6567.
[Note: The following two paragraphs may be included, but are not required.]
Adequate time must be allowed to arrange accommodations and accommodations are not
retroactive; therefore, students should contact the Coordinator as soon as possible in the
academic term for which they are seeking accommodations. Each eligible student is responsible
for presenting relevant, verifiable, professional documentation and/or assessment reports to the
Coordinator. Guidelines for documentation may be found at
http://www.acs.tcu.edu/disability_documentation.asp.
Students with emergency medical information or needing special arrangements in case a building
must be evacuated should discuss this information with their instructor/professor as soon as
possible.
Academic Misconduct:
**Academic Misconduct (Sec. 3.4 from the Student Handbook) –Any act that violates the
academic integrity of the institution is considered academic misconduct. The procedures used to
resolve suspected acts of academic misconduct are available in the offices of Academic Deans
and the Office of Campus Life and are listed in detail in the Undergraduate Catalog (Student
Policies>Academic Conduct Policy Details;
http://www.catalog.tcu.edu/current_year/undergraduate/). Specific examples include, but are not
limited to:
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Cheating: Copying from another student’s test paper, laboratory report, other report, or
computer files and listings; using, during any academic exercise, material and/or devices
not authorized by the person in charge of the test; collaborating with or seeking aid from
another student during a test or laboratory without permission; knowingly using, buying,
selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in its entirety or in part, the contents of a test
or other assignment unauthorized for release; substituting for another student or
permitting another student to substitute for oneself.
?????another’s work, and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of that work
as one’s own offered for credit. Appropriation includes the quoting or paraphrasing of
another’s work without giving credit therefore. I will be using http://www.turnitin.com
for plagiarism detection.
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Collusion: The unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing work offered for
credit.
Netiquette: Communication Courtesy Code
All members of the class are expected to follow rules of common courtesy in all email messages,
threaded discussions and chats. If I deem any of them to be inappropriate or offensive, I will
forward the message to the Chair of the department and the online administrators and appropriate
action will be taken, not excluding expulsion from the course. The same rules apply online as
they do in person. Be respectful of other students. Foul discourse will not be tolerated. Please
take a moment and read the following link concerning "netiquette".
http://www.albion.com/netiquette/
Participating in the virtual realm, including social media sites and shared-access sites sometimes
used for educational collaborations, should be done with honor and integrity:
http://ctlt.ubc.ca/distance-learning/learner-support/communicating-online-netiquette/
TCU Campus Resources for Students
**TCU Campus Resources for Students: Many resources exist on the TCU campus that may be
helpful to students: Mary Couts Burnett Library (257-7117); Center for Academic Services (2577486, Sadler Hall. 1022); the William L. Adams Writing Center (257-7221, Reed Hall 419);
Student Development Services (257-7855, BLUU 2003); and Office of Religious & Spiritual
Life (257-7830, Jarvis Hall), Campus Life (257-7926, Sadler Hall 2006), and the Counseling,
Testing, and Mental Health Center (257-7863, Brown Lupton Health Center).
**Email Notification: Only the official TCU student email address will be used for all course
notification. It is your responsibility to check your TCU email on a regular basis.
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Course Schedule
[number and dates of exams must be included]
**the specific day-to-day or week-to-week schedule is not required, but it is encouraged
Date
Day
1
2
3
4
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Aug. 19
Aug. 21
Sept. 26
Sept. 28
Topic
Reading
Assignment