Northern Virginia Community College
Manassas Campus
COURSE INFORMATION
ESl 51-072M Composition III (Hybrid)
Fall 2010: Sept 6-Dec. 13
Monday 7-9:30 p.m.
Howsmon/MH 220
CONTACT INFORMATION
Instructor: Prof. Mary Beth Martin
Contact the Instructor: memartin@nvcc.edu
Office hours: 6:30-7:00 and 9:30-10:00 p.m. Monday or by appointment
I encourage students to take time before and after class to ask questions and address
concerns they may have with assignments, the course, or the college.
Texts:
· Anker, Susan (2010). Real Writing with Readings (5 th ed.). Boston: Bedford/St. Martins.
ISBN: 978-0-312-53904-7.
· Azar, Betty S. (2009), Understanding and Using English Grammar Book B with CD (4th
Ed.). New York: Pearson/Longman. ISBN: 978-0-1323-3332-0.
· Azar, Betty S. (2009), Understanding and Using English Grammar Answer Key (4th
Ed.).New York: Pearson/Longman. ISBN: 978-0-1324-1546-0.
Note: Do not buy instructor editions of the textbooks. If you do, you will be
asked to return them and buy student editions.
OTHER REQUIRED MATERIALS
8 ½-by-11-inch lined notebook paper
Pen with blue or black ink
Binder or folder to keep papers organized
Consistent access to a computer with high-speed Internet or the computer center on
campus
Computer diskette or other storage device (such as a flash drive).
Dictionary
3 blue examination booklets
Optional:
A thesaurus
COURSE DESCRIPTION
ESL 51 prepares students for college-level writing through practice in the writing
process, emphasizing development of thought in essays of greater length and
complexity, and use of appropriate sentence structure and word choice.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The course objectives are development of critical thinking skills to be used in writing;
effective application of the writing process; use of grammar, idioms, and vocabulary that
are acceptable to a college educated native speaker.
HYBRID COURSE REQUIREMENTS
This is a hybrid course. Face to face meetings are held on campus once a week. You
are also required to log in at least once a week to complete the Online assignments.
Attendance Online is measured by your logging in at least once a week, and completion
of online work ON TIME. If you have a 0 for a week of Online assignments, it will
also count as an absence. You have a maximum of three absences (including both
face to face and Online). In a hybrid course, it is the responsibility of the student to
contact the instructor by email before the due date if there is a technical problem with an
assignment, or if an assignment is not available for some reason. It is the responsibility
of the instructor to respond to the student and address the problem within 24 hours of
receiving an email M-F and within 48 hours of receiving an email on the weekend or
breaks.
COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS
1. E-mail
An e-mail account is assigned automatically to all NVCC students . It is students'
responsibility to become familiar with their e-mail and check it for important
announcements. They may also use e-mail to turn in certain assignments.
2. Blackboard
Blackboard is a web-based virtual classroom. It can be found
at http://learn.vccs.edu or by logging in using NovaConnect. Students will need a
user ID and password to enter Blackboard.
Once logged on to Blackboard, a link to this class will appear. A copy of the class
syllabus, links to Web sites with useful information, discussion groups, and important
announcements are available there. Students need to become acquainted with
Blackboard. The IT Help Desk at 703-426-4141 can help with problems logging on.
3. Classroom Computer Policy
Our class is in a computer lab, where each student will be in front of a computer.
Computers are to be used for class-based work only during class hours , not IM,
email, Facebook, or any other websites unrelated to the class. Students found surfing
during class or doing work for other classes will be asked to turn their computer off and
marked absent for the day with no opportunity to make up the assignment.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1. Essays
To pass ESL51, students must submit all required essays, both in-class and at-home,
plus pass the ESL51 final writing exam. Essays are graded on the basis of correctness
of grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, word choice, sentence structure; thesis
statement; essay development. They may submit the rough drafts of your home essays
to me for correction and a grade no more than twice; therefore, they must edit and
revise your essays by themselves very carefully. Students need to make and keep a
copy of all of their essays until the end of the semester. Unless a student has a
valid reason, no late essays will be accepted. If an essay is accepted late, it will be
marked down by 10 points off the final grade for each class period that is missed.
The last day that any late essays will be accepted is Nov. 29.
Practice Essays
Practice essays are to be typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins (see the
examples on your Blackboard course site). Use 12-point type, Times New Roman
font. Your name, class and section number, instructor's name, and the assignment
name should appear in the upper left-hand corner. There should one double space;
then the title should be centered on the page; then another double space before the
beginning of your essay.
Handwritten Essays: Use standard 8 ½- by 11-inch lined paper for all handwritten
assignments.
Only one side of the paper should be written on. Student's name, instructor's name,
class and section number, the date, and the assignment name should appear in the
upper left-hand corner in that order. Papers should be written in ink, not in pencil and
every other line skipped for grading purposes.
Typed Essays: Practice essays are to be typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins
in 12-point type, Times New Roman font. Examples are on the Blackboard course
page. Student's name, instructor's name, class and section number, the date, and the
assignment name should appear in the upper left-hand corner. There should be a
double space; then the title should be centered on the page; then another double space
before the beginning text of the essay.
Essay Exams will be hand written in a blue examination book . During exams,
students may use a paper dictionary but not electronic translators, computers, or
cell phones .
2. Exit test
Students must take a departmental exit test graded by a faculty member other
than their instructor in order to pass this course. For this test, you must write an
in-class essay. There is no choice of topic nor will you know the topic in advance. The
most important criteria for passing are using grammar and vocabulary which are
intelligible to a native speaker. No matter how excellent the content if grammar and
word choice are not intelligible, making the essay difficult to read, it will not pass. The
essay will be written on Dec. 6. There are no makeup tests. Students need to make
sure their personal/work schedule will accommodate this important exam. If someone
has a scheduling problem, he or she should see the instructor as soon as possible.
Remember that students must pass the exit test in addition to passing the course
in order to be allowed to register for ENG111/09. The exit exam is a good indicator
of whether a student is prepared for Eng 111.
3. Attendance
No more than three absences are allowed. If a student has more than three absences,
he or she will be asked to withdraw or the instructor will do so. If a students leaves
early or is late three times, that will count as one absence. Students are responsible
for completing their assignments, even if they miss class. They should not
expect to be allowed to turn in work late or make up missed tests or exams if they
miss class.
Attendance will count for 5% of the final grade and will be treated as a single grade, the
same as a quiz or exam. In classes that meet for two and a half hours per week,
students begin the semester with an attendance grade of 100 points and for each
absence 25 points is deducted from the initial score. For example, students who miss
only one class will receive an attendance score of 75, which will account for 5% of their
final grade. Students who are absent for two or more classes will receive a grade of 0
and will lose 5% of their final grade.
4. Behavior
Students need to come to class prepared (having done the reading, exercises, and
writing) and to conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to a college classroom.
Their behavior should reflect respect for the college, the professor, their classmates,
and themselves. Students need to set cell phones on vibrate or turn them off.
5. Assignments
Assignments are to be turned in on time. Many assignments will only be available on
the computer during the assigned time period. Students will not be allowed to make up
work once the deadline has passed. They must submit all required
assignments. Unless a student has a valid reason, no late first assignments, either
face-to-face or online, will be accepted. Assignments submitted late will lose 10 points
off the final grade for every face to face class missed. Students are responsible for
your assignments even if class is cancelled. If a student misses an assignment due
to a class absence, it is his or her responsibility to find out what was missed and
complete it before the next class meeting. No late papers or make-up quizzes will be
accepted.
6. To register for Eng 111/9
Students must complete the exit test and all classroom work (i.e. turning in all of the
required essays, and taking all paper and computer-based tests) in order to be allowed
to register for ENG 111/9. They must also pass or be exempt from ESL reading through
ESL 52 or will not be allowed to register for ENG 111/9.
7 . Corrections
When a paper is returned, errors will be identified. To pass the exit test, each student
needs to devise some system for identifying typical errors and correcting them. Each
student writer needs to keep track of the kinds of mistakes identified on papers and
should look for those in editing. No one help will be available during the exit test.
EVALUATION
This course is pass-fail. Students will receive one of the following final grades for the
course:
S Satisfactory (pass) 70-100%
R Re-enroll (must take the class again) 55-69%
U Unsatisfactory (fail) 0-54%
W Withdraw (must withdraw before Nov. 1)
Quizzes, essays, and exams will be given one of the following grades. These are the
grades of the American university academic system. In order to get a final grade of 'S,'
a student must have a 70% average in each category: homework, essay exams,
and exit exam.
The components of final grades are weighted as follows:
Homework……......... 10%
Essay Exams……….. 55%
Attendance………….
5%
Discussion Board…… 5%
Exit Exam………. …. 25%
COLLEGE-WIDE POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND DATES
Academic Integrity
Students are expected to follow Information Student/Patron Ethics Agreement as
posted in computer areas and academic integrity standards as set down in the student
handbook.
A Place For Learning
You should feel safe and comfortable anywhere on this campus. In order to meet this
objective, you should let your instructor, the Dean of Students or the Provost know if an
unsafe, unwelcome, or uncomfortable situation arises that interferes with the learning
process
Special Accommodations
A student with a documented disability needs to Inform the instructor within the first two
weeks of classes. NVCC complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act, which
requires that schools attend to the special needs of certain students. If a student should
require any special considerations covered under this act or wish to have more
information on the covered disabilities, he or she may contact the Counseling Office in
the Student Development Center (Room MH110). Further information is also available
online in the Student Handbook.
Writing Center
The Writing Center is located in 112A Howsmon Hall, where tutors are available to provide
feedback to students on their writing assignments. There is no charge for this service and you
only need to make an appointment and then bring your assignment and your written paper. All
students are encouraged to take advantage of this great resource.
Emergency Procedures
During the first class, we will go over the emergency procedures for exiting the building safely
and for remaining inside the building during an emergency. First and foremost, always listen to
the instructions and remain calm. Note that the safety plan for the room is located on the wall
next to the door. If it is necessary to exit the building, take all your belongings, assist
students needing help, proceed to designated waiting area, and WAIT - do not wander
off. We need to know that everyone is out safely. Do not use your cell phones unless you
have been advised that it is safe to do so. If our primary exit is blocked, use the secondary
exit. Do not go to your cars or drive out of the grounds. There may be emergency vehicles
trying to get access and we have limited roads. Help those students who need assistance.
Inclement Weather Policy
If the campus is going to close for classes, the college generally decides by 6 a.m. on that day
(and by 4 p.m. for evening classes). Please sign up for NOVA Alert, check your college email
account, the NVCC Web page, or radio/television news for accurate information. If the college
cancels classes because of the weather, students should check the class Web page for an
alternate assignment.
Cheating / Plagiarism
It is obvious to the instructor when students turn in work that is not original. A
plagiarized assignment will result in a grade of zero (0). Copying, cheating, or
talking during a quiz or exam will also result in a grade of zero. In addition,
students accused of cheating or plagiarism will be subject to disciplinary action by the
college, as explained in the Student Handbook, available online at
http://www.nvcc.edu/resources/stuhandbook/studenthb2007-09.pdf (see pages 79-80).
Cancelled Classes
In case of severe weather, information on school closings is available on the NVCC
Web site at http://www.nvcc.edu/ . School closings are also usually announced on the
radio or on television. NOVA alert will leave messages on your phone if you sign up for
the service. Students are responsible for your assignments even if class is
cancelled.