POLICIES:

1. Attendance is mandatory. Students are expected to arrive on time. I expect students to remain in class for the entire period. After 10 minutes, students are absent, and I do not like having students walking in late. Each absence and late arrival or early departure may result in a lowering of the final grade up to one letter grade maximum. However, "a student absent the equivalent of two weeks of instruction in a regular semester may be dropped by the instructor" (SAC Bulletin). In addition, I reserve the right to assign an F for non-performance rather than dropping the student. The student is responsible for dropping classes he or she chooses to quit attending. Please note that being absent, regardless of the reason, does NOT excuse students from the assignments for that day. It is students’ responsibility to learn about possible changes in the assignments; therefore, it is a good policy to exchange phone numbers with one or two classmates so that in the event students must miss class, they can keep up with the class work. There are NO excused absences.
    
   
2. Academic Dishonesty Policy: The full text of the policy may be found in the "Student Code of Conduct," which is on pages 52-60 in The San Antonio College Bulletin. The text reads, in part: "Students found guilty of an act of academic dishonesty may be subject to an academic penalty, including one or more if not inconsistent: 1) A requirement to complete additional academic work not required of other students in the course; 2) A reduction in grade; or (c) Assignment of a grade of 'F' in the course."
    
   
3. Children in the Classroom Policy: "Students are urged not to bring children to either a class or a lab. Minors under the age of twelve (12) must not be left unattended on campus" (SAC Bulletin).If a student’s child is quiet and well behaved and the student must either bring the child or miss class, please bring the child. I assume both will leave if any disruptions should occur.
    
   
4. ADA Statement for Students Requiring Special Accommodations: As per section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, if accommodation is needed, contact the Office of DisABILITY Support Services (CAC 124C) at 733-2347. (SAC Bulletin)
    
   
5. Tutorial Assistance: Tutorial assistance is available to students in the English Department Writing Lab (GH 118) and in the Student Learning Assistance Center (SLAC Lab in MLC 726). The Internet Skills Center is located in MLC 400B.
    
   
6. Sentence Boundary Errors: Students will earn an F for any paper that has four or more sentence boundary errors: fragments, run-ons, or comma splices. This class is a second semester freshman writing course, and students should either have command of all grammar and syntax rules, or have a tutor to assist them in finding any errors before the papers are turned in. A grade for content may be shown on the paper, but an F will be earned if four or more sentence errors are present.
    
   
7. Readings: All assigned readings are mandatory. Students are expected to have read all the appropriate readings before they come to class and to participate in the class and group discussions. A portion of the grade is assigned for participation in discussions.
    
   
8. Due Dates: Assignments are due on the date specified in the syllabus or by the instructor at the beginning of the class period. No assignments or journals may be made up. MRS. BRITT DOES NOT ACCEPT LATE PAPERS. Not turning in any one major writing assignment will cause a student to automatically fail this course.
    
   
9. Keeping Work. Students are expected to maintain a folder in which they keep their copies of all their writing assignments, their journal entries, their essay packets, handouts, and class notes. These must be kept until the end of the semester. Prior to submitting any written assignment, students should make a copy for themselves.
    
   
10. Missing Assignments. Not turning in any one major writing assignment will cause a student to automatically fail this course.
     
    
11. Submission of Projects.. For each assignment, ALL stages of the writing process must be submitted--prewriting, rough drafts, revisions, final drafts. Papers not meeting guidelines may receive only 7 points (of the possible 35). The final draft of each paper must be typed or computer printed, double spaced, and submitted in paper AND emailed to Mrs. Britt using your e-portal account. Mrs. Britt expects a font comparable to Times New Roman 12 point type. Margins should be one inch on all sides. Staple the pages together in the upper left corner. Students will follow MLA form (as found in The Curious Researcher). MLA style means that in the upper right corner students will have their last name and page number. On the first page only, on the left side of the paper, double-spaced, will be the MLA heading. Mrs. Britt will be grading using a voice recognition program that will type her comments in the papers.
     
    
12. Documentation. If students do not properly document sources or include a works cited page for documented papers, this forgetfulness may result in an F and will always lower their grade.
     
    
13. Workshops. Failure to have a draft for peer workshops will always reduce a student’s grade by 7 of the possible 35 points per paper.
     
    
14. Final Examination Paper. For the final examination, students must use a Blue Book and write in blue or black ink, one side of the page only, skipping every other line.
     
    
15. Discrimination.The Alamo Community College District, including its affiliated colleges, does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability with respect to access, employment programs, or services. Inquiries or complaints concerning these matters should be brought to the attention of: Director of Human Resources, Title IX Coordinator, 210/208-8051. Address: Human Resources Department, 201 W. Sheridan, Bldg. AA, San Antonio, Texas 78204. For special accommodations or an alternate format, contact the San Antonio College DisABILITY Support Services at 733-2347.
     
    
16. Electronic Devices:Students are required to silence all electronic devices (pagers, cellular phones, etc.) when in classrooms, laboratories, the library, or other areas where such devices would interfere with instruction and learning.
     
    
17. Emergency Numbers:
    ACCD DPS Emergency Number 222-0911
    ACCD DPS General Phone 208-8099
    ACCD DPS Weather Phone 208-8189 (for information on college closures)
     
    
18. Other Policies: All other policies and procedures outlined in the SAC Bulletin and in the College "Student Code of Conduct" will be enforced in this course.

JOURNALS:

Students are required to maintain a writing journal made up of two weekly entries. Each will be dated and will be written in ink on lined composition paper (one side of the paper only), or computer printed. Mrs. Britt will not accept spiral notebook paper or odd sized paper. Each entry is to be at least one page long.

Journals will be submitted at the beginning of class each day, prepared in advance by the student. Mrs. Britt does not accept journals after class begins. If two are turned in on the same day, Mrs. Britt will count only one. The journals are assigned in the calendar of this syllabus. Reader's response to literature requires that students give a brief description of their understanding of something we are reading for class. Students do not have to write about all of a selection but may choose a word, phrase, sentence, paragraph, etc. Students will analyze the passage that they have chosen to discuss. They will be using the terms we have used in class, their own understandings of the text, or other literary analysis. This journal is a place to explore what students want to write about a piece of literature. Students may write about one selection or several selections.

Unlike the essays, student journals will not be graded for spelling, punctuation, or mechanical errors; Mrs. Britt will grade with a "check" for an acceptable entry. Journal entries will be free writing rather than formal writing; use the freewriting technique—just write. Students should think of the journal as a practice session for their formal essays.