"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."
- Albert Einstein
English/language arts courses teach a process for acquiring skills necessary for effective communication in writing, reading, speaking, and listening. This course helps students develop an appreciation for the power of college-level written and oral traditions. ENG 101 also prepares students for writing expected in other college-level courses.
This is an OER (Open Educational Resources) course. All reading material is free and embedded in D2L. Please visit the assignment schedule to view a list of course readings.
Print-outs of course readings for note-taking. A complete print-out of the book is available through the PTC bookstore. The cost is $7.31. Please contact the PTC bookstore to place your printing order.
Students in this course will complete the following assignments:
Essays (60% of course grade) -- you will draft and revise four major essays in the course (a narrative essay, an analysis essay, a non-research based argument, and a research-based argument). Essays should be typed, double-spaced, and should follow the conventions of MLA format. Essays not meeting minimum length requirements (listed in assignment sheets) will not receive a passing grade. Assignment details are posted in D2L.
Reading Quizzes (15% of course grade) -- you will take a syllabus quiz, 5 online reading quizzes, and a plagiarism quiz in this course. See assignment schedule for due dates.
Discussions (15% of course grade) -- you will complete 4 online discussion postings in this course. See assignment schedule for due dates. Your lowest discussion grade will be dropped at the end of the semester.
Technology and Communication Skills Tests (10% of course grade) -- twice during the semester, you will take two sets of diagnostic tests: technology/communication skills pre-tests and technology/communication skills post-tests. The post-tests are proctored and will count toward your final grade. See assignment schedule for due dates.
All assignments should be the student's original work. Instances of plagiarism will receive a grade penalty (up to failure of the assignment) and will be processed in accordance with the college's academic integrity policy.
All PTC online courses require a proctored assignment. In this class, your proctored assignment is the Communication Skills + Technology Skills post-test. To complete this proctored assignment, you will need to visit a campus location or arrange for an off-campus proctor. You will need your student ID card. See assignment schedule for more details.
All work in the course must be completed by 11:59pm on the due date. Late work is not accepted. If you are having trouble completing your work on time, please contact your instructor.
Students in ENG 101 are expected to check D2L regularly and to participate in online discussions and activities. Attendance in online courses is recorded based on completion of weekly assignments. Attendance in hybrid courses is recorded based on completion of weekly assignments + attendance during live or Webex class sessions. Please see the Webex module if you are enrolled in a Webex-hybrid section of this course.
90-100 = A, 80-89 = B, 70-79 = C, 60-69 = D, Below 60 = F
Students have the option of revising one paper in this course. Visit the "Assignments" tab for more information.
Email:
Emails are usually answered within 24 hours, excluding weekends and holidays.
Grades:
Essays are usually graded within ten school days of the due date.
August 2023
Academic Misconduct
The PTC Student Calendar and Handbook (p. 45) states the following:
1.) "An instructor who has reason to believe that a student enrolled in his/her class has committed an act of academic misconduct must discuss the matter with the student. The instructor must advise the student of the alleged act of academic misconduct and the information upon which it is based. The student must be given the opportunity to refute the allegation. if the student chooses not to participate in the discussion, the instructor will make a decision based upon the available information."
"If the instructor, after meeting with the student, determines that the student has engaged in academic misconduct as alleged, the instructor will inform the student about the decision and the academic sanction that will be imposed. The instructor may impose one of the following sanctions:
Completion of an educational activity relating to the nature of the offense.
Assign a lower grade or score to the paper, project, assignment or examination involved in the act of misconduct.
Require the student to repeat or resubmit the paper, project, assignment, or examination involved in the act of misconduct.
Assign a failing grade for the course.
Require the student to withdraw from the course.
If the student is found responsible for the academic misconduct...the instructor will submit a written report about the incident and the sanction imposed to the Chief Academic Officer."
Essay Grading Rubric