Tulsa Community College
Academic Strategies
Online Course Syllabus
(ENGL 1003)
Section # 490, CRN/Call # 12811
Fall 2012
Instructor
Sue Attalla
Office
Office Hours
E-Mail
Division Office
Division Chair
Division Phone
Academic and
Campus
Services
ACS Director
West Campus, I-106
Please e-mail for appointment
susan_attalla@mail.tulsacc.edu
Liberal Arts, L-144
Karen Harmon
(918) 595-8079
(918) 595-8060
DiAnne Cunningham
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR INTERNET STUDENTS
This online Academic Strategies class requires an on-campus midterm and final
exam at the West Campus Testing Center. Day and evening options will be
available. One Writing Center appointment will also be required. It may be
completed on campus at any campus or online with the West Campus writing
consultants at wcrwc@tulsacc.edu.
In addition to regular assignments, all TCC Academic Strategies students will
also complete assignments through MyStudentSuccess Lab. You will receive a
MyStudentSuccessLab access code packaged with your text if you buy your text
from TCC. That code will allow you access through Blackboard. Please follow
course instructions to access MyStudentSuccessLab rather than any instructions
that may come packaged with your text. If you do not buy your text from TCC,
you will need to purchase the code separately.
Although online students should contact their instructor(s) for help with questions
related to the subject matter and assignments in Internet courses, students should
contact the TCC technical help desk for assistance with technical questions
ENGL 1003 (Academic Strategies) Course Syllabus, Section 490, CRN/Call # 12811, Fall 2012
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concerning Blackboard and MyTCC log-in problems, Blackboard and MyTCC
system problems, or Microsoft Office software problems. Contact technical help
desk staff by phone: 918-595-2000. Help Desk hours: 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday; 8:00-noon Saturday.
Before taking an online course, students must have basic computer skills. For
example, online students must know how to create and save files using Microsoft
Word and how to use TCC e-mail and send attachments. Microsoft Office, which
includes Word, is available to all students free of charge if downloaded through
Blackboard or can be purchased on CD at the TCC bookstore for approximately
$12. The TCC software license allows you to load MS Office 2010 on one home
computer.
Internet courses are rarely self-paced. Consequently, students in online courses
must keep up with the due dates of assignments. This course has definite due
dates. See "Late Assignments" section for details of this course's policy. All
assignments will be available at least one week before due, and all due dates will
be clearly posted in Blackboard Assignments folder. You are responsible for
scheduling your time to meet the due dates.
By TCC policy, students who do not participate in the class during the first
two weeks of a 16-week class or first week of an 8-week class will be
dropped from the class. In addition, students who do not participate in
discussions, do not submit assignments, or do not communicate with the
instructor during any consecutive two-week period later in the semester
may be administratively withdrawn from the course at the individual
instructor’s discretion. Students who remain enrolled but do not submit
work should expect the consequences of unfinished assignments. It is
crucial for all students to play active parts in their courses throughout the
semester, whether those courses are traditional or online sections.
E-MAIL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Always feel free to contact me with questions. I typically reply to e-mails twice a
day, including weekends. You will find my email address near the top of page 1.
I will send all communication to your MyTCC e-mail, and you should check
your MyTCC inbox daily. This is the official e-mail program for all TCC studentfaculty-staff communication and, therefore, the e-mail that you must use.
Because of the frequent spam received, I do not open and reply to e-mail coming
from anonymous username e-mail addresses. If you forward your MyTCC e-mail
to another address, you are still expected to communicate from your MyTCC
account. You may, however, contact me directly through Blackboard e-mail.
Messages sent through Blackboard will come to me with your MyTCC email
address as the sender, and my replies will automatically go to your MyTCC email
inbox. Blackboard email is a convenient means of contact while you are working
inside Blackboard. You will find a link to Blackboard e-mail on our course menu.
ENGL 1003 (Academic Strategies) Course Syllabus, Section 490, CRN/Call # 12811, Fall 2012
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To check your TCC e-mail, go to http://mail.tulsacc.edu or click on the MyTCC link
on Blackboard or on the TCC homepage.
ASSIGNMENT GRADING
You can expect assignments, quizzes, and exams to be graded within a week of
the posted deadline. Often they will be graded earlier, but depending on the
deadlines in my other classes, please allow up to a week.
COURSE PREREQUISITE AND TRANSFERABILITY
This course has no prerequisite, and is typically transferable to other colleges and
universities offering similar academic success courses. Transferability is
determined by the institution to which a student transfers.
CATALOG DESCRIPTION
ENG 1003 is designed to improve academic performance and enhance skills in
time management, reading, concentration and memory, test-taking, note-taking,
and critical thinking. Special emphasis will be placed on discussion and writing.
College orientation materials will be included.
NEXT COURSE IN SEQUENCE
None
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND OTHER MATERIALS
Kathleen McWhorter. Study and Critical Thinking Skills in College, Custom
edition for TCC. Pearson-Prentice Hall, 2011.
A MyStudentSuccess Lab access code will be packaged with your text.
Save this code in a safe place where you will not lose it. DO NOT try to log
in to MyStudentSuccess Lab until assigned to do so. You will need my
instructions to access your assignments. Loss of the code bundled with your
text will mean purchasing an additional stand-alone code. Buying from any other
source (including a past student) will mean that you may be missing important
pages of the text previously submitted for assignments and that you will not have
the required MyStudentSuccess Lab access code. You cannot use a code
previously used by another student. Each code works only for one website
registration.
I strongly encourage you to purchase your textbook in person at Northeast
Campus (Harvard and Apache). Northeast is the campus that handles Internet
ENGL 1003 (Academic Strategies) Course Syllabus, Section 490, CRN/Call # 12811, Fall 2012
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course texts. Write down or print out the names of the authors and texts; doing so
will enable you to avoid possible wrong purchases. Do not purchase any text
without verifying that you are buying the text for the precise course that you have
enrolled in. A wrong edition will not work for this class. Also, if you buy from any
other source, you will not have the custom TCC pages.
In addition to the text and the MYSTUDENTSUCCESS Lab access code, you
will need the following supplies:



3x5 index cards (lined or unlined) for course terms
A 1-inch flexible plastic 3-ring binder for your portfolio. Please do not buy
the larger, heavier stiff-cover binders. The light-weight flexible ones are
easy for me to carry from campus to home and back and are very
inexpensive for you to buy (approximately $1) for the least expensive style.
Chapter dividers for your portfolio. The simple old-fashioned inexpensive
Manila ones are fine. Dividers must have tabs that you can label with
chapter numbers and other specified labels. (A Week 1 assignment will
provide portfolio set-up instructions.)
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Students should be able to:
1. Use personal and social strategies to succeed in and enjoy the college
experience;
2. Identify and apply college and academic terminology;
3. Construct short-term and long-term goals, balancing personal skills,
interests, personality, and values;
4. Construct and monitor weekly/monthly time plans to balance work, school,
family, and social activities;
5. Locate and apply college resources and support systems and incorporate
these into the learning process (MyTCC Email, Blackboard,
Career/Advisement Centers, Financial Aid, Learning Resources Center,
computer labs, and support labs (writing, reading, and math labs)
6. Analyze and modify study techniques and behavior patterns to successfully
complete homework, reading assignments, exams, and special projects;
 Demonstrate effective note taking techniques across the disciplines;
 Demonstrate effective test taking strategies for objective and essay
exams;
 Use techniques for improving memory and concentration;
7. Apply critical and creative thinking skills to identify and solve academic and
social problems (including math and science strategies, collaborative
learning, and conflict resolution;
8. Apply writing process skills to written work;
 Demonstrate application of basic paragraph and essay organizational
techniques;
 Use mechanics of English correctly (i.e. grammar, punctuation, and
spelling);
ENGL 1003 (Academic Strategies) Course Syllabus, Section 490, CRN/Call # 12811, Fall 2012
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9. Demonstrate transference of skills learned to other coursework during the
semester.
GENERAL EDUCATION GOAL STATEMENT
General Education Goals are designed to ensure that graduates of Tulsa Community
College have skills, knowledge, and attitudes to carry them successful through their work
and their personal lives. General Education goals most applicable to this course include
Critical Thinking, Effective Communication, and Technological Proficiency.
INSTITUTIONAL STATEMENT
Each student is responsible for being aware of information contained in the TCC catalog,
TCC Student Handbook, TCC Code of Conduct Policy Handbook, and semester
information in the Class Schedule.
EVALUATION PROCEDURES
The number of points that you earn will determine your grade in this class.
Assignments
Points Possible
Internet Orientation points
“Homework”: MyStudentSuccessLab and Blackboard
portfolio assignments (midterm check 85; final check 70)
9 online discussions (15 pts. each)
15 chapter quizzes (15 points each)
Thesis-outline-introduction assignment
Writing Project (includes required tutoring session, 10 pts.)
ON-CAMPUS Midterm Exam
ON-CAMPUS Final Exam
TOTAL POINTS
10
155
135
225
25
100
175
175
1000
GRADING SCALE
You will earn your grade based on the points you accumulate. Any assignment not
submitted by the deadline will earn a score of 0.
A standard college grading scale will apply to this course: 90-100% = A, 80-89% = B, 7079% = C, 60-69% = D, 0- 59% = F. Translated into points, with 1000 possible, grades will
be based on this point scale:
A = 900-1000
B = 800-899
C = 700-799
D = 600-699
F = 0 - 599
ENGL 1003 (Academic Strategies) Course Syllabus, Section 490, CRN/Call # 12811, Fall 2012
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LATE ASSIGNMENTS
Some Academic Strategies assignments completed within Blackboard, such as
quizzes and writing assignments, will automatically disappear after the due date.
Therefore, if you log on to complete an assignment after a deadline, you will find
the work unavailable. Some assignments, such as discussions, will not disappear
but will earn credit only when submitted before the deadline. You will have until
the end of the due day (11:59 p.m.) to submit an assignment; you may, of course,
submit assignments any time before the deadline. This includes submitting
assignments on earlier days.
Missed assignments mean lost points. To avoid missed points when unforeseen
conflicts arise at the last minute, I suggest working at least one day ahead of the
deadline.
EXAM POLICY
You must complete the on-campus midterm and on-campus final exam at
West Campus by the scheduled dates. These dates are listed on your course
agenda and will also be posted on the course’s Announcements page
approximately two weeks before each exam. Flexibility will be built into the
schedule to allow for varying personal schedules, but you must complete each
exam before the exam deadline.
E-MAILS AND DISCUSSION BOARD POSTINGS
You should regard e-mail and discussion board postings as you would a
professional business letter or memo written in the workplace. These messages
should use correct capitalization, grammar, sentence structure, and spelling. You
should write out full words rather than using shortcuts and abbreviations that you
might use with e-mails or text messages to friends. Your e-mails and discussion
postings should come to the point while also developing your points with pertinent
supporting detail.
Remember, too, that e-mail and discussion board postings are not entirely private.
Do not write anything that you would not want to have circulated among several
other people. Again, this policy follows standard business practice. Employees
are sometimes fired for inappropriate e-mail messages.
You may e-mail me with any class-related question. However, please do not send
me "junk" e-mails. While I love to laugh, I can't spare the time for all the funny
jokes or inspirational messages that regularly circulate on the Internet.
See netiquette rules posted on our Blackboard site for other email requirements.
ENGL 1003 (Academic Strategies) Course Syllabus, Section 490, CRN/Call # 12811, Fall 2012
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WITHDRAWAL FROM CLASS
The deadline for withdrawal from a course shall not exceed ¾ the duration of any
class. Check the TCC Academic Calendar for the deadline that applies to the
course(s) you are taking. Begin the process with a discussion with the faculty
member assigned to the course. Contact the Advisement Office at any TCC
campus to initiate withdrawal from a course (“W” grade) or to change from Credit
to Audit. Withdrawal and/or change to an audit from a course after the drop/add
period can alter the financial aid award for the current and future semesters.
Students may receive an outstanding bill from TCC if the recalculation leaves a
balance due to TCC. Students who stop participating in the course and fail to
withdraw may receive a course grade of “F,” which may have financial aid
consequences for the student.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Deliberate plagiarism is claiming, indicating, or implying that the ideas, sentences,
or words of another writer or student are your own. Plagiarism includes, but is not
limited to, having another writer/student do work claimed to be your own, copying
the work of another and presenting it as your own, copying answers from an
answer key and submitting them as your own, or following the work of another as
a guide to ideas and expressions that are then presented as your own.
Suspected plagiarism in this course will result in grade reduction on the
assignment. Proven plagiarism will result in a zero on the assignment.
At times, close friends or family members enroll in the same traditional or online
course. In all cases, each student must complete his or her own work.
Any other forms of academic dishonesty--for example, cheating on a homework
assignment, exam, or quiz-- will result in a zero on the assignment and possible
failure of the course. This includes submitting matching Blackboard assignments.
For more detail, see the posted TCC Academic Integrity Statement. You will find it
in the Course Information area of our Blackboard site.
READING AND WRITING ADVICE
Metro Campus Communications/Writing Lab, 918-595-7240
Northeast Campus FACET Center, 918-595-7592
Southeast Campus Communications/Writing Lab, 918-595-7749
West Campus Reading and Writing Center, 918-595-8063;
West Campus Reading Writing Center e-mail: wcrwc@tulsacc.edu
The West Campus Reading and Writing Center, located in the Technology
Learning Center (TLC), provides free reading and writing support to all TCC
classes. Writing consultants can help you build strong analytic reading, writing,
and critical thinking skills. Additionally, you can receive help with source
ENGL 1003 (Academic Strategies) Course Syllabus, Section 490, CRN/Call # 12811, Fall 2012
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documentation and Internet research strategies for any class for which you might
need that assistance.
You are welcome and encouraged to seek assistance from the writing consultants
on the nearest campus. However, our required tutoring appointment
demands that the writing consultant send me proof of your consultation. If
you seek advice for that assignment at any campus other than West, you
must have the writing consultant contact me through his or her official TCC
e-mail account. You will not receive credit for the appointment unless the
writing consultant contacts me and provides information about the session.
ADA POLICY/ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS
DISABILITY RESOURCES: It is the policy and practice of Tulsa Community
College to create inclusive learning environments. Accommodations for qualifying
students in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act are available. To request accommodations, contact
the Education Access Center (EAC) at eac@tulsacc.edu or call (918) 595-7115
(Voice). Deaf and hard of hearing students may text (918) 809-1864.