Department of Language and Literature
ENC 1101 - WRITTEN COMMUNICATION I : POLICIES & PROCEDURES
Dr. Blanchard – Spring Semester, 2013
-----------Prerequisite and Course Description
To qualify for ENC 1101, a student must have successfully completed ENC 0020 or earned an appropriate
score on an English placement test (FPT, SAT or ACT). This course meets the Area I requirement for the
A.A./.A.A.S./A.S. general education requirements. It includes grammar and diction review, composition,
expository writing, work with both primary and multiple source themes, instruction in the use of the library
and writing the research paper, and practice in oral communication. ENC 1101 also meets the six-thousand
word Gordon Rule requirement.
Objective
Your minimum practical objective in ENC 1101 ought to be to complete all course work with an average grade
of "C" or better so that you may gain necessary college credit hours and progress to ENC 1102, should 1102
be in your plans. Of course, I hope you will make it your personal objective to learn as much as you possibly
can during the semester and earn a grade that reflects the knowledge you've acquired and the skills you've
mastered.
To earn a "C" or better in this class, you must be able to demonstrate a knowledge of the fundamentals of
grammar and composition and the ability to read critically and for comprehension. You will demonstrate this
knowledge and ability by 1) writing three clear, well-organized and convincing expository essays, 2)
developing a research paper which demonstrates the ability to conduct, present, and properly document
research in support of a stated thesis, and 3) earning a satisfactory average on several quizzes administered
during the semester and finally, 4) passing the final exam at the end of the semester.
ENC 1101 is a "Gordon Rule" course. This means that, according to Florida state legislation, you must
write at least 6,000 words in the completion of the course objective. This State-mandated requirement has
influenced the development of the curriculum for ENC 1101.
Consult the SCF Web site at <http://www.scf.edu/Academics/ArtsLetSocBehSci/
LanguageLiterature/LanguageLiteratureCourses.asp> for a complete description of course performance
standards. At this site, click on "Course Performance Standards," then "Language and Literature" and then
"ENC 1101."
Attendance
Absence from class will make it difficult for you to successfully meet the objective of this class. For this
reason, you are strongly encouraged to be present for every session. As an incentive to regular attendance,
five percent of your grade for this course will be based on your attendance.
Your attendance grade will be the percentage resulting when the total number of classes you attend is divided
by 30, the total number of class sessions for the semester. (This total will be adjusted for late registrants.)
There are no "excused" or "unexcused" absences.
Please Take Note: A student who does not meet the following minimum attendance
requirements will be dropped from the class with a grade of "W" or, after March 21, a "WF":
1)
as of March 21, an attendance percentage of at least 65% (i.e., no more than 7 absences
in 20 sessions);
2)
any time after March 21 thru April 25, an attendance percentage of at least 65% (i.e., no
more than 10 absences in 31 sessions).
It is the student's responsibility to keep track of his or her absences. However, I will alert a student who is
in danger of being dropped due to excessive absence -- if that student is in class to be notified.
ENC 1101 - Policies & Procedures (2)
Participation
Participation will be another five percent of your course grade. This grade is based largely on a student's
arriving to class on time and leaving when dismissed. Since habitual lateness or early departures will only
make it more difficult for you to effectively meet the course objectives, you are expected to report to class on
time and to leave when excused.
If you think you may have difficulty generally meeting this requirement,
you may want to adjust your class schedule..
However, as explained in the attached handout "The Major Components of Your Grade," factors other than
punctuality will also affect your participation grade. These include the satisfactory completion of homework
assignments, performance on any "pop" quizzes, satisfactory completion of extra-credit opportunities, and
classroom behavior which conforms to the standards set forth in the SCF Student Handbook.
Please Take Note:
THIS CLASS IS A NO GADGET ZONE!
Once class is in session, please make sure any phone or other technologically advanced toy on
your person liable to distract you, your classmates, or your instructor from the course objectives
is 1) silent and 2) out of sight.
A STUDENT CONSULTING A GADGET DURING CLASS MAY BE EVICTED FROM THE CLASS.
Should I have to ask a student to leave the classroom that student will lose five participation
points.
In general, appropriate classroom behavior is respectful of both the instructor and other students and
considerate of the course objective. A student whose behavior so distracts me from teaching his or her
classmates that I feel it necessary to admonish that student is liable to lose two or more participation points
on any such occasion. A student deemed seriously disruptive may be dropped from the class
altogether.
Text Books and Supplies
You will need to purchase the following texts: The Little, Brown Compact Handbook, with Exercises,
8th ed., by Jane E. Aaron and Writing Today, brief 2nd ed., by Richard Johnson-Sheehan and Charles
Paine. These texts are available through the SCF Bookstore. A readily available dictionary will also prove
useful. Concerning supplies, I suggest you purchase a three-ring binder. A one-inch binder should be
sufficient. This binder will be most helpful in maintaining notes you take in class and, especially, in
maintaining in an organized manner the numerous handouts which will be distributed during the semester.
Being unprepared will only make it more difficult for you to meet the class objectives.
To participate fully in the class, you should report to each class with your text and any assigned
readings, notebook paper, and a pen (blue or black ink only). All work you turn in to be graded
should be typed. Please complete all quizzes in blue or black ink to insure your answers are clear. No
pencils, please!
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the use of ideas, facts, opinions, illustrative material, data, direct or indirect wording of another
scholar and/or writer -- professional or student -- without giving proper credit. All work you do as a student
in this class should be your own. Expulsion, suspension, or any lesser penalty may be imposed for
plagiarism. As a minimum penalty, a student caught attempting to plagiarize on an essay or when taking a
quiz will receive a "0" on that assignment. Of course, since three personal essays are required to pass the
course, a "0" on an essay will mean the student has, in effect, failed the course.
Regarding plagiarism, I encourage all students to keep a few facts in mind: 1) "everyone" does
not cheat, 2) cheaters ultimately hurt themselves, and 3) personal integrity is a foundation on
which one can build a happy, healthy, and successful life.
ENC 1101 - Policies & Procedures (3)
Important Dates
January 12, Saturday: last day to add and/or drop or to withdraw with refund (11:59 p.m. deadline)
March 21, Thursday: last day to withdraw as a drop (or "W").
Withdrawal Policy
In accordance with the policy of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota as stated in the college catalog,
students may withdraw from any course or all courses without academic penalty (or a "W" grade) by the
withdrawal deadline of October 25, as listed in the SCF academic calendar and highlighted above. It is the
student's responsibility to initiate the withdrawal procedure. However, you are encouraged to talk with your
instructor before taking any withdrawal action.
Instructor Availability
Please Note: I DO NOT USE “ANGEL.”
WE WILL COMMUNICATE AS EXPLAINED BELOW.
Office Hours: MWF, 10:00–11:00 a.m., and TR, 11:00–noon, in Bldg #18, Room 116.
At these hours, I will be present to meet with any student who may wish to drop by for any
reason. No appointment is necessary. Upon student request, if these hours are
inconvenient or unsatisfactory, I will do my best to meet by appointment at a mutually
convenient time with any individual student interested in discussing a particular assignment
or any other matter related to our course work.
Phone number:
752-5242. This is the general department phone number.
with the receptionist.
You may leave a message
Mailbox:
in lobby of building #3 (Faculty Building), adjacent to Campus Ministry.
Secretary:
Maria Matute, who offices in building #3, is secretary to the Department of Language
and Literature. She is knowledgeable and may be helpful in answering questions about
my whereabouts or about routine registration procedures.
E-mail address: <BLANCHL@scf.edu>. Generally, I check my e-mail messages during the day and just
before I leave campus for the day.
Faculty Web site:
<http://faculty.scf.edu/blanchl/blanchl.htm>. Most class handouts will
be posted to this Web site for easy access. This includes the guidelines to
the essays and the research paper. Should you be curious, biographical
information about me and samples of my poetry are also available at this site.
Reference Librarian Assistance is available to any registered student and may be easily accessed through
"Ask a Librarian" or the virtual library on the SCF Web site.
Online Tutoring and Study Skills Support: A collection of Web sites to help students improve their study
skills and to provide tutoring support is available as necessary at <http://scf.edu/Academics/
AcademicResourceCenter/default,asp>.
My ultimate objective as your instructor is to do what I can to help you to meet at least satisfactorily the
standards of this course. For this reason, I encourage you to drop by my office during my office hours or to
schedule time to talk with me about any problem you may be having with regard to the course work or about
any aspect of course work, class discussion or life you feel like discussing. I will enjoy seeing you succeed as
a student and grow as an individual.
ENC 1101: Policies & Procedures - Final Grade Calculation (4)
Your final grade will be calculated according to the following formula:
Final Grade by Percentage
Attendance
=
5%
Participation
=
5%
Personal Essays (3)1
= 30%
Quizzes (5)
= 30%
Research Paper2
= 15%
(Essay = 12% Bibliography = 3%)
Final Exam
= 15%
-------------------------------------------------TOTAL
= 100%
1
2
all three personal essays are required to pass the course
a requirement for satisfactory completion of the course
The following grading scale will be used during the semester:
Grading Scale
92 - 100 = A
84 - 91 = B
75 - 83 = C
66 - 74 = D
The following factors will be applied in the application of the grading scale and in the calculation of final
grades:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
each of the five formal quizzes and the final exam will include extra-credit points in addition to the
standard one-hundred;
quizzes and the final exam will generally be graded on a curve determined by the student who scores
the highest on each quiz and the exam;
at the end of the semester, the lowest quiz grade will be dropped in determining a student's final quiz
average;
an opportunity to earn a "100" grade on an extra-credit quiz will be presented;
opportunities to earn extra-credit participation points will be presented during the semester;
at the end of the semester and at the discretion of the instructor, a curve will generally be applied to
final averages expanding the formal grade range.
Regarding attendance, please note that a student who fails to meet the minimum attendance requirement
after March 21 and up to the last day of class has failed the class and, therefore, is not qualified to turn in a
research paper or to take the final exam.
Notice
For a more detailed explanation of the elements making up your final grade and of classroom
procedures, please review the attachment "The Major Components of Your Grade."