Instructor: Josh Fleming
Contact Information:(preferred method of communication)
Office: 775-445-4257
Traditional Office Hours:
TBA
**On-line "office hours" are informally held throughout the semester, sometimes at 1:00 in the morning!
Required Textbooks:(keep in mind that the McGraw Hill text is a "virtual text." Whether you purchase it at school bookstores or on-line, the version you are looking for is a "virtual text," accessible via the internet. You will have access to it for 3 years. If you wish, you could purchase the actual textbook in addition to the access code for another $40.00 approximately, but the text is easily $100, and I'm working hard to reduce costs for students.
Author:Maimon
Edition:3rd
ISBN:9780077397326
Student Resources and Policies
School/Class Policies:
Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity(Links to an external site.)
Student Conduct (Grievances, Classroom Behavior, and more...)(Links to an external site.)
Official WNC Distance Education Policy(Links to an external site.)
Disability Support Policy(Links to an external site.)
Academic Integrity (Plagiarism, etc.)(Links to an external site.)
Student Resources:
Support for veterans.(Links to an external site.)is available. Please take advantage of it.
On-line Technology Support: (Links to an external site.)Please use our many resources for improving your technical abilities on-line. It is not the instructor's responsibility to teach the computer skills necessary for this course.
Literacy Software(Links to an external site.), a powerful tool which you can download to your computer, is available for you. I've included links to instructions as well as directions for downloading the software to your own computer. Check it out! Simply go to their website (Links to an external site.)and type in
Username: wnvcoll
Password: access
**There are system requirements described on their website as well.
Tutoring Support:(Links to an external site.) In this class, we have embedded tutors, but if you prefer person-to-person interactions, please visit our wonderful tutorial centers.
W/F Policy:
I do not issue “W’s.” It is up to you to withdraw, and, at the end of the semester, your grade will be determined by your placement on the Grading Chart.
Course Expectations. I expect that you will spend approximately 9 hours a week on this class.
Classroom Ettiquette:
This is an adult classroom. This is not Facebook, YouTube, or other social networking site where your opinion should be used to create confrontation or controversy except in appropriate instances such as discussions on controversial subjects, and even those must be done in collegial manner. This is not a place to start controversial threads or air personal grievances. While I'm happy to extend support and clarification, I think I speak for most people in that I don't enjoy being in a hostile environment. If you have something negative to say, please direct it to me personally via e-mail at so as not breed discontent in a place where people come to learn. There is no place in this class--or a traditional class--for such disruption.
Taking an online course and corresponding via the World Wide Web presents communicators with the task of overcoming the lack of nonverbals in communication. When taking a course online, it is important to remember several points of etiquette that will smooth communication between the students and their instructors.
1. Avoid language that may come across as strong or offensive. Language can be easily misinterpreted in written communication. If a point must be stressed, review the statement to make sure that an outsider reading it would not be offended, then post the statement. Humor and sarcasm may easily be misinterpreted as well, so try to be as matter-of-fact and professional as possible.
2. Keep writing to a point and stay on topic. Online courses require a lot of reading. When writing, keep sentences poignant and brief so that readers do not get lost in wordy paragraphs and miss the point of the statement. Also, do not introduce new topics; it may just confuse the readers.
3. Read first, write later. It is important to read all posts or comments of students and instructors within the course discussion before personally commenting to prevent repeating commentary or asking questions that have already been answered.
4. Review, review, then send. There’s no taking back a comment that has already been sent, so it is important to double-check all writing to make sure that it clearly conveys the exact intended message.
5. An online classroom is still a classroom. Though the courses may be online, appropriate classroom behavior is still mandatory. Respect for fellow classmates and the instructors is as important as ever.
6. The language of the Internet. Though still a fairly young type of communication, certain aspects of this form of communication are becoming conventional. For example, do not write using all capital letters, because it will appear as shouting. Also, the use of emoticons can be helpful when used to convey nonverbal feelings (example: or ), but avoid overusing them.
7. Consider the privacy of others'. Ask permission prior to giving out a classmate's email address or other information.
8. If possible, keep attachments small. If it is necessary to send pictures, change the size to an acceptable 100k.
9. No inappropriate material. Do not forward virus warnings, chain letters, jokes, etc. to classmates or instructors. The sharing of pornographic material is forbidden.
Academic Freedom: If you are easily offended, this class is not for you. We touch on a range of subjects which may be sensitive but are crucial for understanding the works we will cover. To quote NSHE policy: “[freedom] in teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the teacher in teaching and of the student in learning.” A member of the faculty “has freedom and an obligation, in the classroom or in research, to discuss and pursue the faculty member’s subject with candor and integrity, even when the subject requires consideration of topics which may be politically, socially or scientifically controversial.” A member of the faculty may not be subject to censorship or discipline for expressing opinions or views which are controversial, unpopular, or contrary to the attitudes of the NSHE community.
Support for students with learning or physical disabilities: Western Nevada College declares and reaffirms a policy of equal employment opportunity, equal educational opportunity, and nondiscrimination in the provision of educational and other public services. (WNC Policy Manual: Policy 4-2-1) You should contact Susan Trist (775-445-3275), our Disability Services Coordinator to arrange testing or accommodation.
Plagiarism Policy: Acts of academic dishonesty as explained in the WNC policy will be dealt with swiftly. This includes but is not limited to using the works of others without giving credit and submitting an assignment used for another course. Plagiarism includes the submission of your own work from a previous class or improper paraphrasing. It is your task to know the difference between using direct quotes and properly paraphrasing. Turnitin.com may be used to verify the authenticity of your work, especially if your generative assignment reveals little process work. Acts of plagiarism will result in a "0" on the assignment and may even result in a failing grade in the course, depending on the severity of the infraction.turnitin.com(Links to an external site.)will be by used by the instructor to determine whether a paper has been submitted in prior classes or is plagiarized from a pay site etc.
E-mail/Phone Policy: While I strive to respond to students' e-mails as rapidly as possible, you should not be surprised at a wait of 24-48 hours for an e-mail or phone response. This timetable applies to a regular weekday and NOT the weekend. You will likely find my responses much faster than the aforementioned timeframe, but in order to retain my sanity as well as my focus on the substantive material of this course (responses to essays), this policy needs to be clearly understood. In this age of text-messaging and instantaneous responses, we can feel that a lag of a few hours is an eternity. It is most definitely not.
Grade Breakdown, Policies and Opportunities for Revision
Assignment / Possible Points / Your PointsIntroduction Assignment: Desert Island / 10
Essay #1: Writer's Autobiography / 20
Essay #2: Narrative / 100
Essay #3: Persuasive / 100
Essay #4: Research** and Rough draft / 250 (25 points for draft)
Syllabus Quiz / 10
Quizzes / 100 points (50 for "Plan")
IRIS Research Activity / 25
Art Activity / 10 (10 extra points for 2nd poem.)
Discussion / 50 (5 x 10 discussions)
Pre-Writing Portfolio (Generative Writings) / 25
Total: / 700 points
Extra Credit Points Possible: / To be announced...
A=630 and above
B=560 and above
C=490 and above
D=420 and above
F-0-419
Discussion Grading Rubric
Discussion Grading Rubric
Your discussions are worth 5 points each and are graded according to the following critera:
Is the post of sufficient length?
Is it expressed in college-level prose?
Does it reflect an understanding of the assigned readings?
Are the required follow-up postings to peers made and are they sufficiently in-depth (not just "Good Job" or "I disagree")?
Are required links and/or images posted in an effective fashion?
Here's the thing, folks. When I examine these postings, I'm looking very quickly and judging holistically but based on all these criteria. I used to use a scorecard, but the time expense vs. reward wasn't quite there. I usually know exactly why I deducted points. If you receive a deduction, and, after applying the questions above your own paper, you still can't understand the deduction, e-mail me and I'll resolve the issue in expeditious fashion. Deal?
- 2. America Now, 10th Edition
Author:AtwanEdition:10thISBN:9781457615931
Prerequisite:College Board Test of Standard Written English or equivalent examination, or a grade of C or better in ENG 098
Number of Credits: 3