Syllabus for ENC-1101 Summer 2015 Professor Spottke MY OFFICE

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Syllabus for ENC-1101 Summer 2015
Professor Spottke
MY OFFICE: Valencia West, Building 1-Room 238A
My Office Phone: 407-582-1935
My Email: nspottke@valenciacollege.edu
Communications Department Located at 5-231;
Communications Department phone: 407 582 1313
Face-to-face Hours, this is the ONLY time you will
catch me in my office.
Visit me on West Campus, building 1 room 238A
No appointment necessary, just drop in!:
Wednesdays 5pm to 6pm
Tuesdays and Thursdays 1030am to 1145am
Face-to-face Conferences outside of scheduled
face-to-face hours may be requested by appointment
Online hours, nspottke@valenciacollege.edu
I respond to email messages during these hours ONLY:
Monday through Friday 2pm to 3pm
BOOKS and MATERIALS
Buscemi, Santi V., and Charlotte Smith. 75 Readings Plus – most recent Edition (or any of the last three editions)
The Little Seagull Handbook by Richard Bullock and Francine Weinberg
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Development of essay form, including documented essay; instruction and practice in expository writing. Emphasis
on clarity of central and support ideas, adequate development, logical organization, coherence, appropriate citing
of primary and/or secondary sources, and grammatical and mechanical accuracy. This course includes learning
activity designed to ensure competence in the basic use of computers.
GORDON RULE
State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.030, the Gordon Rule, requires that students complete with grades of C or
better 12 credit hours in designated courses in which the student is required to demonstrate college-level writing
skills through multiple assignments
__ Failure to complete ALL essays on time or by the four day late deadline will result in an F for the course.
__ Individual essays UNDER the length requirement will not be accepted. Student has four days to turn in
completed essay late to meet Gordon Rule Requirements or else will result in an F for not meeting Gordon
Rule. See assignment sheets for individual length requirements.
COLLEGE LEVEL ACADEMIC SKILLS (CLAS)
Evidence of College Level Academic Skills (CLAS) is a graduation requirement. To the extent possible, you will be
encouraged to develop reading skills, essay skills, and English language skills as part of your work in this course.
Additional information is available in the Current Valencia College Catalog.
CORE COMPETENCIES
The faculty of Valencia College has identified four core competencies that define the learning outcomes for a
successful Valencia graduate. These competencies are at the heart of the Valencia experience and provide the
context for learning and assessment at Valencia College. You will be given opportunities to develop and practice
these competencies in this class. The four competencies are: 1. Think - think clearly, and creatively, analyze,
synthesize, integrate and evaluate in the many domains of human inquiry; 2. Value - make reasoned judgments
and responsible commitments; 3. Communicate - communicate with different audiences using varied means; 4. Act
- act purposefully, effectively and responsibly.
GRADES
You will earn points for each assignment you complete including 110 pts descriptive essay; 270 pts documented
essay, and 110 pts comparative essay.
At the end of the semester, you must have earned 700 points to pass the course with a C.
800 earns you a B.
900 an A.
A list of assignments, points, and due dates can be found on the left of your Blackboard page, the “weekly work
due” tab.
You can earn a total of 1025 points. Notice the 25 extra points.
Because of these extra points, there will be no “bumping up” of grades due to being “so close” and no extra credit
offered. Don’t ask.
700 points is absolutely REQUIRED to pass this course.
Failure to complete the three essays both the first draft for peer review and the final version will result in an F for
not meeting Gordon Rule Requirements.You will earn points for each assignment you complete.
Essay Assignments & Late Policy Regarding…
You will complete three essays according to the following
guidelines:
Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx format)
Your essays must be submitted as an attachment in
Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx format) ONLY to
Blackboard. Failure to submit in .doc or .docx format
will result in a loss of up to ten points—more for the
documented essay, for proper formatting of MLA
documentation will not be verifiable. Free Microsoft Word
program available through your Atlas account.
LATE assignments
There is NO SUCH THING as late work. Students must use a computer with reliable internet access. No excuses
permitted due to computer error. The exception to this policy is late essays. Essays may be submitted up to four
days late, one letter grade deducted from the essay grade for each day late. Late essays will be graded by the end of
the semester without professor comments.
Failure to Complete any essay
You will complete two essays and a full length documented essay this semester—two full versions of each. If you
fail to submit even one of these (for peer review or final)--you have up to FOUR days past the deadline to submit-you will earn a zero for that missed assignment, and you will fail the course for not meeting Gordon Rule
Requirements.
Documented Essay Minimum three works
Failure to submit the documented essay with the required three works will result in failing the course for not
meeting 1101 course objectives, proficiency in MLA documentation.
Length requirement



Each essay has a length requirement.
Short essays will be returned with a zero and without the professor’s comments, and you will fail the
course for not fulfilling Gordon Rule Requirements (see GORDON RULE above).
Furthermore, going OVER the length requirement will result in up to ten points deducted depending on
how far over the length. Good writing is condensed, succinct, and to the point.
Essay Formatting
Type Your Essays According to MLA Format. Failure to meet the required formatting will result in a loss of up to
ten points for each requirement as follows:
Proper format
• Typed in black fonts:
• 12 sized fonts:
• TNR fonts only:
• Double-spaced with no extra space
between paragraphs or around title:
• One inch margins on all four sides:
• Each new paragraph indented by 12 spaces
or tab of 1/2 inch:
• Heading appears at top left corner of the first page
ONLY as follows:
Student’s Name
ENC-1102
Professor Spottke
Date paper is due
Deduction if not in proper format
minus 3 pts
minus 3 pts
minus 3 pts
minus 5 pts
minus 2 pts
minus one pt each
minus 2 pts:
• Follow your heading with your creative title centered,
typed with normal capitalization, no italics, quotation marks,
bolding, underlining, or any other fancy font styling
and for documented essay, Works Cited typed and centered at the
top of the last page:
minus 2 pts
CLASS ATTENDANCE
Attendance is required and necessary for your receiving information and earning points. Work due in class may
not be turned in online, under my door, or late but must be turned in at the beginning of class on the due date.
Points awarded during class may not be made up. If you are absent, Do NOT contact me via email for homework
or missed work, I will not respond; ask a classmate for his or her notes and check Blackboard--or drop by my
office during office hours (see above). Furthermore, in college, there is NO such thing as an excused absence. You
may only miss three classes; upon the fourth absence, I reserve the right to drop you from the course. Most
legitimate reasons need no more than three absences and even if you did need more, the fact is that there is work
to be done and when you’re absent, you are NOT getting that work, not participating, not a part of this class.
TARDY
Tardy students disrupt the learning process. I begin class approximately 5 minutes after the start time. If you are
not in class when I finish taking role, you are absent. You may still join the class late, but your presence will not
count. Homework will not be accepted. No excuses. If being on time for this class is a problem for you, you may
wish to register for a different time slot, another instructor, or an online class. Tardiness is not acceptable
behavior in the job market and best for you to prepare here where you won’t get fired.
WITHDRAWAL
See IMPORTANT DATES below for withdrawal deadline. Students can withdraw themselves, receiving a grade of
W in the course BEFORE the withdrawal deadline but may NOT withdraw themselves after the withdrawal
deadline. It is your responsibility and your decision to withdraw from the course unless otherwise mandated by the
instructor and/or the dean of the Communications Department (see attendance policy).
Blackboard
Do NOT access Blackboard from ATLAS. Atlas often goes down while Blackboard remains accessible. Go to
Blackboard through this link: https://learn.valenciacollege.edu/
This the online class site.
You will utilize this site for all of the following:
view instructions and requirements;
check for important announcements;
post essays and assignments;
read through learning modules;
keep track of your class standing (grades);
and stay up-to-date on when work is due.
You are responsible for checking the announcements regularly— at least every four days.
GETTING STARTED WITH BLACKBOARD:
Access our class site via the following address:
https://learn.valenciacollege.edu/
--Use the same USER ID and PASSWORD as you use to access your ATLAS account.
--remove popup blocker for this site prior to logging in for the first time. Errors with opening files are often due to
this not being done.
Any troubles with Blackboard?
My recommendation: Download three browsers to your computer:
Firefox
Explorer,
and Chrome
If something doesn’t work on Blackboard, try another browser. If all three browsers show the same trouble, call
the Online Courses Help Desk and make sure to ask for a confirmation code:
Blackboard Help Page or 407-582-5600.
Only after doing all of this should you contact the professor and alert her of the problem—be sure to give her the
confirmation code as well.
ATLAS MAIL and Student Questions—ONLINE Hours
You may send me questions via ATLAS mail. These questions will be
responded to Monday through Friday only (see hours listed above).
You MUST check your Atlas email account regularly— at least every four
days—for class cancellation notices, important announcements, etc..
You may also contact me via telephone. However, these calls will be
responded to ONLY during live engagement hours only (Monday and
Tuesday as listed above).
As for engagement hours, my doors are open to you according to the hours
posted on my office door and at the top of the syllabus. Want to work on
homework? Drop by. Want me to take a look at your essay? Drop by.
Appointments for other dates/times may be made when necessary, just ask.
WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS
On your Blackboard Course Tab Menu on the left, you will see button/tab labeled "Weekly Work Due." Click on
this button and you will see a list of weekly assignments.
Late submissions (pre-writing assignment, quizzes, and essays) will incur a penalty of 20% per calendar day. This
is non-negotiable and will be strictly enforced for everyone. No exceptions will be made to this policy for any
reason including technology issues (i.e. computer crashing, uploading wrong file, etc. The late penalty will be
waived only when official, written documentation of an emergency, such as hospitalization documents, is presented
within 48 hours of the missed work (no hand written doctors’ notes, please).
ACADEMIC HONESTY & PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s words, ideas, pictures, design, and/or intellectual property without the
correct documentation and punctuation.
Your professor has a no tolerance approach to plagiarism.
Students’ essays will be submitted to a Blackboard program for verification of originality.
If you submit work that is wholly or partially plagiarized, you will be penalized for the offense, depending on the
extent of the offense.
Basically, if you are cutting from somewhere and then pasting into your essay without
1. quotation marks, AND
2. citations, AND
3. a bibliographic entry on the works cited page,
then you ARE plagiarizing.
Absolutely NO research allowed for your first TWO essays! Do NOT open a web site and start reading and/or
copying.
You will be taught MLA citation and formatting. If you take a passage from a source, a single sentence or more
without appropriately citing that information, you will receive an F in the course. Offering a sentence, sentences, a
full paragraph(s) or even a full essay will result in an F in the course. In extreme circumstances, academic action
may be taken against you.
Read the Academic Dishonesty policy found in Valencia’s online policy manual:
http://valenciacollege.edu/generalcounsel/policy/default.cfm?policyID=193&volumeID_1=8&navst=0
CLASS BEHAVIOR
Students are expected to behave appropriately so as not to disrupt the academic process. A student who fails to act
appropriately may be asked to leave class. Continued disruptions may result in the student being withdrawn from
the course. Respect is essential to a healthy learning environment. Remember that we are each from different
backgrounds and environments, of different races and religions, etc. You don’t have to believe as others believe,
but you must be respectful of these differences within the academic setting. See student handbook, “IV. Standards
of Classroom Behavior”
http://valenciacollege.edu/generalcounsel/policy/default.cfm?policyID=180&volumeID_1=8&navst=0
In addition, electronic devices are allowed. HOWEVER, if I believe you are doing other than taking notes, I will
revoke privileges.
Furthermore, poking, engaging in side conversations, passing notes, or other non-college behaviors will not be
tolerated. If you revert back to such behavior, you will be told to leave.
Finally, allow your professor time to set up class materials at the beginning of class. Hold questions for when class
starts. If you have other pressing matters needing to be addressed, address them with the professor during
engagement hours—not before or after class.
IMPORTANT DATES
Mon. May 25 NO CLASSES College Wide: Memorial Day
Friday July 3 NO CLASSES College Wide: 4th of July
Friday July 10: Withdrawal Deadline
Final Exam. There is no final for this class, only a presentation based on your descriptive/places essay at the end of
the semester.
IMPORTANT LINKS
Pooky’s Pantry.
For students who are homeless and or hungry, non-perishable items are available in the Student Development
office, building 3 room 147. If you need or would like to donate, the pantry is open Monday through Thursday
8am to 7pm and Friday 9am to 5pm. A Valencia ID is needed and five items per day may be retrieved from the
pantry.
Communications Center
Writing Professionals available to work with you on essays, research, and overall writing skills (1/2 hour
appointments; 1 hour appointments available for research paper). West Campus Building 5, room 155; (407) 5821812.
There are also writing centers at every campus, not just West. Check the campus website for whichever campus is
closest to you.
Computer Lab at the Library
Computers available for student use. Software support for all disciplines. Internet & word processing for research
papers. Atlas & E-mail, Software catalog available in Lab. Photo ID required.
Valencia Library West Databases
Access through ATLAS. Click on "Search the Library." Click on "Databases A-Z." Scroll down through this list
of various databases. Choose one, click on it, and begin searching that database.
Having trouble with Blackboard?
Do NOT contact your professor, contact the Online Courses Help Desk:
For most common problems: Blackboard Help Site
If the above link proves unhelpful, call: 407-582-5600
Offices for Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities who qualify for academic accommodations must provide a Notification to Instructor
(NTI) form from the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) and discuss specific needs with the professor,
preferably during the first two weeks of class. The Office for Students with Disabilities determines
accommodations based on appropriate documentation of disabilities.
Contact information:
East Campus
Bldg. 5, Rm. 216
Ph: 407-582-2229
Fax: 407-582-8908
TTY: 407-582-1222
West Campus
SSB, Rm. 102
Ph: 407-582-1523
Fax: 407-582-1326
TTY: 407-582-1222
Osceola Campus
Bldg. 1, Rm. 140A
Ph: 407-582-4167
Fax: 407-582-4804
TTY: 407-582-1222
Winter Park Campus
Bldg. 1, Rm. 212
Ph: 407-582-6887
Fax: 407-582-6841
TTY: 407-582-1222
Valencia College is interested in making sure all our students have a rewarding and successful college
experience. To that purpose, Valencia students can get immediate help with issues dealing with stress, anxiety,
depression, adjustment difficulties, substance abuse, time management as well as relationship problems dealing
with school, home or work. BayCare Behavioral Health Student Assistance Program (SAP) services are free to all
Valencia students and available 24 hours a day by calling (800) 878-5470. Free face-to-face counseling is also
available.
FINAL NOTE:
Some students seek “extra credit.” The professor does not offer extra credit, for such translates to extra work for
the professor, and she hasn’t the time for it. Instead, points can be offered at the end of the semester for visits
made to either the professor’s office or the writing center to review any of the assigned essays.
THIS SYLLABUS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
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