Richard Alishio/ Spring 2015
_______________North Seattle College_______________________
Basic and Transitional Studies--Intensive English Program
COURSE SYLLABUS Winter 2015
College Reading—Level Six (062.01)
Our class will meet Monday through Thursday, from 2:30-3:35
INSTRUCTOR:
Richard Alishio
E-Mail: Richard.Alishio@seattlecolleges.edu
Office: Variable-See me if we need to meet
Office hours: by appointment
REQUIRED TEXT: “Inside Reading 2” by Lawrence J. Zwier. (in the bookstore)
REQUIRED MATERIALS: You must bring these things to class every day:
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8 ½ X 11 3-hole, loose-leaf paper (or similar notebook)
Pen or pencil and eraser
Your textbook
You also need:
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a 3-ring binder or folder (to keep your notes and handouts organized)
COURSE OBJECTIVES: In this class you will prepare to handle reading and vocabulary at the college level.
With that in mind, you’ll read a variety of non-fiction articles. You will do a complete review of the Academic
Word List to make sure that you have the basic vocabulary needed for academic work in college. There will be
a lot of tests, quizzes and assignments, but they are all designed to serve a purpose—to make you successful in
college!
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
DO:

o
Come to classes on time and come to every class. There are no excused absences
the IEP Program
If you have to miss class, please contact me. Here are the ways to contact me:

Tell me ahead of time
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Email me before class starts. (Richard.Alishio@seattlecolleges.edu)
Richard Alishio/ Spring 2015
o
Be on time. Our class begins at 2:30. If tardiness becomes a problem, I will lock the door at 2:30.
If you arrive late, you may not come in. If you are late on the day of a test, you will miss the test and
you will receive a zero.
o
Be ready. Come prepared. Do your homework before class. Always bring your textbooks and
materials to class. Be ready to talk!
o
You can use your cell phone but only in the required manner (e.g., dictionary, Internet search-no
texting or e-mail, please)
o
Never talk to your classmates during a test! Bring your own pencil and eraser. If you talk to a
classmate, your teacher will think that you are cheating and may give you a zero for that test!
o
Always do your own work.
o
Make a “study buddy.” Today, get the phone numbers and email addresses of two students in our
class so that you can arrange to study together or so that you can call them if you miss a class. You
will need to find out what you missed and do the homework for the next day. You can put your study
buddy information at the end of this syllabus.
o
Ask questions! Please, please, please. If you don’t understand something, please ask me during class
or after class. If you don’t ask questions, I think that you understand me. I always welcome questions.
They help me know what to teach you.
DON’T:
o
Talk in class while your teacher is teaching, or while your classmates are speaking. This is very, very
impolite. If you talk in class repeatedly, I will ask you to leave.
o
Sleep in class. If you sleep in class, I will ask you to leave.
o
Eat in class. Please eat on your breaks. You will need to plan your meals and snacks carefully!
GRADES: Your grade for this class will be based on your performance on tests, assignments, quizzes and
(possibly) presentations. Other elements which affect your grade are attendance, class participation and
preparedness. The approximate break-down of your grade will be as follows:
50% Reading tests, quizzes, assignments
25% Vocabulary tests, quizzes, assignments
20% CHAP (Classwork, Homework, Attendance, and Participation)
NOTE: There are no “make-up” quizzes, tests, or in-class assignments. If you miss any of these, you will
receive a zero. I know that emergencies can come up and that people get sick, so I have a policy of dropping
your lowest scored test. Know that if you miss more than one test, quiz or major assignment and your average
is not above 75%, you will probably fail this class.
Richard Alishio/ Spring 2015
Important Notes:
o You need to receive a grade of 75% in order to pass this class.
o In addition, you must pass your final with 75% to pass this class.
A Note on Homework
It is important for you to do your homework on your own at home or in the library.
Homework is a chance for you to practice English at home and to see if you understand what
you learned in class.
Do not copy another student’s homework. If I discover that you have copied another student’s
homework, you will both receive zeroes for that assignment.
Do not do your homework in class.
Do not ask someone else to do your homework for you.
If I discover copied homework, both students will receive zeroes.
 Late homework will not be accepted. You are responsible for turning in your homework
when it is due.
A Note on Plagiarism
Do you know what plagiarism is? Plagiarism is when a writer uses words that are not his or her
own words. In some cultures, it is an honor to use other writers’ words – especially if they are
wise words. However, in the United States, plagiarism is a kind of cheating. It is a big problem
in the U.S. Many students try to plagiarize. They:
 Ask a friend to write their homework for them.
 Ask a Loft tutor to write their homework for them.
 Copy other students’ homework or papers.
 Copy papers, or parts of papers, from the Internet.
 Copy information from books or the Internet and put it in their papers.
These are some of the kinds of plagiarism. Don’t do these things! It is very important that you understand that
you can not plagiarize. It is completely against the rules. If you are caught plagiarizing, some schools will
expel you! Your teachers are very smart. They will know if you have plagiarized, and you will have to deal
with the consequences. Please, do your own work. Your writing will not improve if you copy someone else’s
work. If you are caught plagiarizing, you will receive a zero for the assignment.
(You may be thinking, “But, Richard, this isn’t a writing class!” You’re right! You will write some homework
for me sometimes, though, and I want you to understand about plagiarism.)
Possible College Closures:
The college may close because of weather or other emergencies. Listen to radio or TV broadcasts or check on
the Internet at http://www.northseattle.edu. Information is usually available before 6 a.m. You can sign up for
text alerts about college closures if you go to the class webpage.