Course Syllabus

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COURSE INFORMATION

Course Title: Composition I
Course Prefix, Number, and Section Number: ENGL 1301
Semester/Year of course:  Fall 2025
Semester start and end dates: 8/25/25 to 12/12/25
Modality: Classroom
Class meeting location, days, and times: Mon, Wed 11-12:20 PM

Semester credit hours: 3

Course description:  Intensive study of and practice in writing processes, from invention and researching to drafting, revising, and editing, both individually and collaboratively. Emphasis on effective rhetorical choices, including audience, purpose, arrangement, and style. Focus on writing the academic essay as a vehicle for learning, communicating, and critical analysis.

Required course materials:

Instructor will provide materials.

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of instructor: Robert Burton
Office location: MSU 220
Telephone number: (972) 899-8350
E-mail address: rburton@nctc.edu
Office hours for students: M and W, 9:30-11am and T and Th, 11am- 12:30pm

SYLLABUS CHANGE DISCLAIMER

The faculty member reserves the right to make changes to this published syllabus if it is in the best interest of the educational development of this class. Any such changes will be announced as soon as possible in person and/or writing.

SUMMARY OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

List of graded assignments: See Course Summary below.

Final grade scale: See right column (Group and Weight).

Late work policy:  Assignments are due by the day and time listed in Canvas; any assignment not submitted in Canvas by the due date will receive a zero. If you need more time, let's discuss it and see what, if anything, can be done. However, if you need/want more time, please know I will need/want substantially more work, usually double the work/length of the original assignment, but in exchange, I will grade the assignment for full credit with no deduction for lateness. I will not evaluate or comment on any work submitted two days late by 9 am so I can keep up with the course workload and give timely feedback. The final class assessments cannot be submitted late, so final grades can be calculated and submitted by the last day of class for transfer students.

All major assignments must be submitted by the due date for students to remain enrolled and progress through the class.

COURSE POLICIES

Academic Integrity Policy: Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but not be limited to cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion. See Student Handbook “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct [FLB- (LOCAL)]” #18.

Disciplinary Actions [Student Handbook, #5] “When cheating, collusion, or plagiarism has occurred beyond any reasonable doubt, the instructor may give the student or students involved an “F” on a particular assignment or in the course. [See Scholastic Dishonesty FLB (Local)] The instructor shall make a written report of the incident and the planned action to his Department Chair. The Department Chair shall report the incident and action to the appropriate instructional dean who shall review the case, notify the student and, if necessary, take further action. This may involve either probation or suspension of the student or students in question. If such disciplinary action is deemed necessary, the Dean of Student Services shall be notified, and the action shall be taken through that office.”

AI Use in College Writing: Documentation Guidelines

In this course, you are encouraged to explore AI tools like ChatGPT to assist in brainstorming, drafting, or refining your writing. However, transparency is essential. Just as you would cite any other source, you must document your use of AI in your work. If the required documentation is not included in student submissions that use AI, those submissions will receive a 0. 

Document AI Use:

AI Use Statement (For short assignments like discussion boards):
Include a brief statement in the Comment box explaining how you used AI.

    • Example: AI Use Statement: I used ChatGPT to brainstorm essay topics and refine the thesis statement. All final writing and analysis are my own.

MLA Citation (For essay documentation):

Essays using AI require documentation in accordance MLA, https://style.mla.org/citing-generative-ai/Links to an external site.

    • MLA in-text citation format: (“first few words from prompt”)
      • Example: ("Explain antibiotics")
    • MLA Works Cited entry format: “Text of prompt” prompt. AI name, Day Month version, publisher, Day Month Year, link.
      • Example: “Explain antibiotics” prompt. ChatGPT, 16 Feb. version, OpenAI, 16 Feb. 2023, chat.openai.com.

AI Transparency (Further required essay documentation):
For essays, include an additional MLA-formatted document with your assignment submission, which indicates your usage of AI in your work:

    • Name of AI used:
    • Prompt:
    • AI Response:
    • Use in Essay:

Academic Integrity Reminder:
AI is a tool to support your writing process—not replace it. Misrepresenting AI-generated work as your own, violates NCTC academic integrity policies and students will be subject to disciplinary action.

If you're ever unsure about how to document AI use, ask!

Attendance Policy: Attendance and participation in online and face-to-face courses are required.  For in-class students, attendance will be at the beginning of class; after that, the role is closed. For online students, attendance will be calculated based on the on-time submission of assignments. To keep students from failing and negatively affecting their academic success, the instructor reserves the right to withdraw students from the course who miss four or more classes or assignments.

Withdrawal Policy: A student may withdraw from a course on or after the official date of record. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate and complete a Withdrawal Request Form. The last day to withdraw from the course with a "W" is November 3, 2025.

Student Learning Outcomes: Students who successfully complete English 1301 will meet the following learning outcomes:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes.
  2. Develop ideas with appropriate support and attribution.
  3. Write in a style appropriate to audience and purpose.
  4. Read, reflect, and respond critically to a variety of texts.
  5. Use Edited American English in academic essays.

Core Objectives: Courses in this category focus on developing ideas and expressing them clearly, considering the effect of the message, fostering understanding, and building the skills needed to communicate persuasively.  Courses involve the command of oral, aural, written, and visual literacy skills that enable people to exchange messages appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience.

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  • Critical Thinking Skills (CT)- to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information
  • Communication Skills (COM)- to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication
  • Teamwork (TW)- to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal
  • Personal Responsibility (PR)- to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making [Rev. 5-2014 THECB]

COLLEGE POLICIES

Student Handbook: Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the Student Handbook.

ADA Statement: NCTC will adhere to all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations to afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Office for Students with Disabilities to arrange appropriate accommodations.  See the OSD Syllabus Addendum.

Student Services: NCTC provides a multitude of services and resources to support students.  See the Student Services Syllabus Addendum for a listing of those departments and links to their sites.

QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS

The student should contact the instructor to deal with any questions, concerns, or complaints specific to the class.  If the student and faculty are not able to resolve the issue, the student may contact the chair or coordinator of the division.  If the student remains unsatisfied, the student may proceed to contact the instructional dean.

For general course questions, please contact your instructor, whose contact information can be found above in the "Instructor Information" section.

Name of Chair/Coordinator: Lisa Smart
Office Location: Gainesville 502
Telephone number: 940 668 3343
E-mail address: lsmart@nctc.edu

Name of Instructional Dean: Crystal Wright
Office Location: Denton
Telephone number: (940) 380-2504, ext. 2504
E-mail address: cwright@nctc.edu

USEFUL INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

Basic Needs: Any student who faces challenges securing food or housing and believes this may affect their performance in the course is urged to contact the Dean of Students, Dr. Roxanne Del Rio (rdelrio@nctc.edu) for support. Furthermore, please notify me if you are comfortable doing so. This will enable me to direct you to additional resources for support.

Career Services Center. The NCTC Career Services Center is the place you can go for educational and career planning. Services include Career/Degree Exploration, Job Search Tools and Resources, Resume and Professional Portfolio Development, Interview Skills, and Preparation. Our Career Advisors partner with you in making your educational journey an efficient process towards a rewarding career. For more information, refer to this handout.

Completion Center. The NCTC Completion Center is a comprehensive student engagement program that increases retention and completion rates of first-time, low-income students. Services include Success coaching to address students’ academic and non-academic challenges and issues; Success Seminars, and centralized career readiness and job placement program. For more information, refer to this handout.

Counseling and Advising. Support Services, Counseling and Advising staff offer a variety of services to current and prospective students, such as College 101, placement testing, academic advising and course registration, transfer assistance, and College Success seminars (Time Management, Study Skills, Test Anxiety, Choosing a Major, Learning Style Strategies, Career Exploration) and much more. For more information, refer to this handout.

Course Content in Canvas: All course content is housed in this Canvas shell and all work must be submitted here. While dual credit students might use a different online course management system, all NCTC coursework must be submitted here.

Disability Accommodations: The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students with disabilities. OSD counselors and advisors also provide strategies for academic success; individual, career, and academic counseling services as well as referrals to campus and community services and assistance with admission and registration. It is not necessary that a student with a disability disclose his/her disability to college officials if he/she is not requesting any accommodations. OSD is federally funded through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Federal Grant. NCTC is committed to making its degree and certificate programs accessible to all qualified persons in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA Amendments Act, and The Rehabilitation Act (1973), Section 504. 

New Students: Accommodations require advanced preparation.  Please make your request before the semester begins. Documentation is required before any accommodations can be provided.  Depending on your diagnosis, this documentation should come from a medical doctor, psychologist, or other licensed or properly credentialed professional.

Current Students: Contact the OSD at the beginning of each semester well in advance of registration.

Contact Us: Please reach out to us to schedule an intake or if you have questions or concerns. Wayne Smith, OSD Manager, kwsmith@nctc.edu, (940) 498-6207 Yvonne Sandmann, OSD Advisor, ysandmann@nctc.edu, (940) 668-3300 

Early Alert and CARES. The NCTC Early Alert program assists students who are at risk of failing or withdrawing from a course. Faculty and staff may refer students through the Early Alert process at any point in the semester in an effort to provide appropriate intervention and access to support services. Examples of behaviors that could prompt an Early Alert referral could be missing assignments, failing tests, excessive absences, or personal circumstances impacting academic performance. A student submitted as an Early Alert will be contacted by an academic advisor or success coach through text, phone, and/or via their NCTC e-mail address to discuss any current challenges, as well as helpful resources and success strategies-we, want our students to finish strong and know that education is a partnership! The NCTC CARES (Campus Assessment Response Evaluation Services) Team is concerned not only about our students' academic success, but also their emotional and physical well-being. The CARES Team promotes a safe learning environment for students, faculty, and staff and is committed to taking a proactive approach in helping our students succeed by addressing the mental, emotional or psychological health and safety of the NCTC community. As a student, you have the ability to report concerning behavior that could impact your own safety or the safety of another NCTC student, such as stalking, harassment, physical or emotional abuse, violent or threatening behavior, or self-harm. Visit the NCTC CARES site to also locate campus and community resources, or email counseling@nctc.edu to get in touch with a member of the CARES Team directly.  As always, if you feel there is an immediate threat to your own safety or welfare (or to another student), please call 911 immediately. For more information, refer to this handout.

Email Correspondence: I reserve 24 hours to respond to students’ emails during the week. Emails sent to me become my personal property, and I may disclose them to third parties if I determine it’s necessary.

Evaluation

  • “A” Work: This writing is excellent and demonstrates excellence in development, organization, style and tone, and mechanics. There is clear evidence of the writing process (invention, drafting, revision, editing, and proofreading).  A=  90-100
  • “B” Work: This is good work and delivers substantial information—that is, substantial in both quantity and interest-value. It is well-developed and unified around a clear organizing principle that is apparent early in the piece. There is evidence of the writing process. B= 80-89
  • “C” Work: This is an average piece that is generally competent in its development, organization, style, tone, and mechanics. It meets the needs of the assignment, has few mechanical errors, and is reasonably organized and developed. This piece also shows some evidence of the writing process. C= 70-79
  • “D” Work: This is below-average work that lacks development and is not effectively organized to facilitate the reader’s understanding. The paper also shows little or no evidence of the writing process.  D= 60-69
  • “F” Work: There is no evidence of the writing process, and the assignment fails in all aspects of development, organization, style, and mechanics or was not submitted. F= 0-59

Financial Aid. Financial Aid offers financial resources for students that qualify, visit the financial aid offices for more information.

Gender Identity: This course affirms people of all gender expressions and identities. If you prefer to be called a different name than is what on the class roster, please let me know. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records, and so I may call you by your preferred name and pronoun. If you'd like your name changed in the roster, please contact the Registrar's office.

Grade Appeals and Incomplete Grades: Students can read more about the college's grade appeal processes and procedures for assigning incomplete grades by visiting the Academic Catalog.

Library: Students can access online and physical resources from the NCTC campus library by visiting the library website. Students can access research databases and can locate research help including tutorials and study guides, information on the hours of operation for each of the campus libraries, our online catalog, our intra- and inter-library loan services, and NCTC library policies. 

Plagiarism: Plagiarism, which should be avoided at all costs, includes the following student actions:

  1. Unintentionally or inadvertently turning in someone else's ideas, opinions, theories, or work as your own as the result of failing to document sources both internally and in the Works Cited.
  2. Copying words, ideas, or images from someone without giving credit; Failing to put a quotation in quotations marks.
  3. Giving incorrect information about the source of information, quotations, or images.
  4. Changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit.
  5. Copying so many words, ideas, or images from a source that it makes up the majority of the student's work, whether or not the student gives credit.
  6. Giving your paper, discussion board posts, or reflections to a classmate to use as his/her own.
  7. Having another person write, type, edit, or revise any parts of your writing assignments.  

Please be aware that the department takes plagiarism very seriously. You may not use someone else’s Writing Assignment or buy one from a “professional” source. Failure to follow the proper guidelines for documentation constitutes plagiarism. Considering the severity of the issue, if you ever have any questions or concerns regarding plagiarism, please consider this an open invitation to visit with me about the issue. If I discover that a student has committed intentional plagiarism, the Writing Assignment that has plagiarized materials will receive a zero, and it will recommend to the English Department Head that the student fails the course.

Professionalism: Your college courses are also opportunities for you to learn what it means to be a “professional” in your field. Therefore, I expect you to act like a “professional” student in this course. Consider these suggestions:

    • Prepare and participate meaningfully in online discussion boards.
    • Be assertive. (An assertive student exhausts all available resources of information before contacting me. In other words, read the assignment sheet carefully before e-mailing me to ask how many sources are required in your paper, and if you are unsure how to cite a source, look it up in your handbook or a credible, online source—such as The Purdue Owl or a handbook.)
    • Consider the quality (and effort) of required drafts, notes, and daily assignments.
    • Turn in writing assignments on time and as assigned.
    • Mind the quality and tone of email correspondence.

Student Rights & Responsibilities: NCTC Board Policy FLB (Local) Student Rights and Responsibilities states that each student shall be charged with notice and knowledge of the contents and provisions of the rules and regulations concerning student conduct.  These rules and regulations are published in the Student Handbook published in conjunction with the College Catalog.  All students shall obey the law, show respect for properly constituted authority, and observe correct standards of conduct.

Student Success Center. The Student Success Center is designed to help all students at NCTC develop tools to achieve their academic goals. The center links students to FREE tutoring, including a Writing Center, a Math Lab, and free online tutoring.  The program helps students acclimate to the college by providing free interactive online workshops. For more information, please visit your nearest Student Success Center. Student Success offers academic coaching, tutoring, including a Writing Center, and a Math Lab to assist new students to acclimate to the college by providing computer lab services for prospective students. First-generation students can also participate in TRIO, which offers specialized services. For more information, refer to this handout.

Testing Service Center. The mission of NCTC Testing Services is to provide high-quality testing services that adhere to the professional standards and guidelines to meet the needs of students, faculty, and community members. For more information, refer to this handout.

Timely Care. Get on-demand support from counselors, doctors, nurse practitioners, and more. For more information, refer to this handout.

Tobacco-Free Campus. NCTC restricts the use of all tobacco products including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, electronic cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco on campus property. NCTC is aware that tobacco use influences underage students, which cumulates unsightly tobacco litter and interferes with assuring clean air for all who come to NCTC. NCTC recognizes the health hazards of tobacco use and of exposure to second-hand smoke. Information on a tobacco cessation program is available for students, faculty, and staff who wish to stop using tobacco products. We would like to "thank you" for your help in making our campuses Tobacco-Free. For questions or concerns, please contact the Office of Vice President of Student Services at 940-668-4240.

Writing Assignments: All major writing assignments are required.  If you fail to turn in one of the major tasks, you cannot pass the course. The instructor reserves the right to administratively drop any student who does not submit all major assignments.

Other Pertinent Information

  • Please upload a current photo in your Canvas>Account>Profile. If you are uncomfortable with a photo, then please use some other image. Please use good taste and decorum in your photo or image selection.
  • Please write and speak in a tone that reflects our academic endeavors. 
  • Emailed assignments will not be accepted for credit.
  • Links are not acceptable for grading; please use attachments unless otherwise noted.
  • Canvas can be persnickety about uploaded files. Please only submit in .doc or .rtf.
  • All assignments will be in MLA 8 unless otherwise specified. 
  • Quoted material that exceeds the four lines of prose, as outlined by MLA format, should be treated as a long quote and do not count toward the length of the essay.
  • While the MLA format is indeterminate about the font, we will use Times New Roman 12-point font for all assignments.
  • Undocumented use of five or more consecutive words constitutes plagiarism, so documentation is required. 
  • Our assignments will be due at 9am, unless otherwise stated.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due