Spring 2026
BASE NCBO INTEGRATED READING AND WRITING
INRW 0173-3A1 Class times: W 12:15-1:05 pm Class location: TA4 INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: Mrs. Esther Courville Email: ecourville@lit.edu Office Phone: 409-247-5235 Office Location: Technology Center, Room 222 Office Hours: M: 1:30-3:30; T: 9:00-11:00, 2:30-3:30; R: 9:00-11:00, 2:30-3:30; F: 1:00-3:00. *I am also available by appointment if none of these times work with your schedule. I can also meet online via Teams. I accept walk-in appointments, but if you want to be sure I am available, it’s best to make an appointment via Starfish. CREDIT 1 Semester Credit Hours (0 hours lecture, 0 hours lab) MODE OF INSTRUCTION Face-to-face. PREREQUISITE/CO-REQUISITE: AFTER Jan. 11 2021 Scores ● College Readiness Classification, CRC, score of 910-944 AND ● Diagnostic level of 1 to 3 AND ● Does not have an essay score AND ● Co-enrollment in INRW 0173 BEFORE Jan. 11 2021 Scores ● TSI Reading score of 339 or below OR ● TSI Writing score of 339 or below AND ● ABE is below 4 AND ● Four or lower on the essay AND ● Co-enrollment in INRW 0173 COURSE DESCRIPTION Integration of critical reading and academic writing skills. This Intervention is designed specifically for students assessed at BASE levels 3-4 and must be part of a student’s coenrollment (co-requisite) enrollment: 1. as a mainstreamed intensifier providing contact hours for additional, just-in-time instructional support for the student’s success in the developmental IRW course, or 2. as a contextualized and/or integrated basic skills instructional support for a Career/Technical Education course. COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to 1. Locate explicit textual information, draw complex inferences, and describe, analyze, and evaluate the information within and across multiple texts of varying lengths 2. Comprehend and use vocabulary effectively in oral communication, reading, and writing. 3. Identify and analyze the audience, purpose, and message across a variety of texts. 4. Describe and apply insights gained from reading and writing a variety of texts. 5. Compose a variety of texts that demonstrate reading comprehension, clear focus, logical development of ideas, and use of appropriate language that advance the writer’s purpose. 6. Determine and use effective approaches and rhetorical strategies for given reading and writing situations. 7. Generate ideas and gather information relevant to the topic and purpose, incorporating the ideas and words of other writers in student writing using established strategies. 8. Evaluate relevance and quality of ideas and information in recognizing, formulating, and developing a claim. 9. Develop and use effective reading and revision strategies to strengthen the writer’s ability to compose college-level writing assignments. 10. Recognize and apply the conventions of Standard English in reading and writing. . REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS Cengage. The instructor will provide information for supplemental required reading resources. ATTENDANCE POLICY Attendance is mandatory and graded. As well, there are daily in-class assignments that cannot be made up. If you have a documented excuse, you will neither receive the points for the in-class assignment you missed, nor will you be deducted points for the in-class assignment you missed. In other words, if you have an excused absence, your grade will not be affected by missing an in-class assignment. To receive credit for attendance, you must be mentally present as well. Perpetual cellphone usage will result in my marking you as absent for the class period. CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE 1. Cellphones distract me while I am teaching, so I ask that you do not use it during class unless an assignment requires cellphone usage. If you need to take a phone call, please step into the hall quietly, and take it. 2. The cellphone policy applies to computer usage as well. Please use computers whenever directed to do so by me for particular parts of lessons. 3. Please attend class prepared to discuss readings and the homework assignments. Please keep the classroom environment professional, distraction-free, and non-hostile. 4. Do not bring a buffet of food to class. 5. Do not bring pets or children to class (come speak to me if there is a child emergency, and we can work something out) DROP POLICY If you wish to drop a course, you are responsible for initiating and completing the drop process by the specified drop date as listed on the Academic Calendar. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an “F” in the course. STUDENT EXPECTED TIME REQUIREMENT For every hour in class (or unit of credit), students should expect to spend at least two to three hours per week studying and completing assignments. For a 3-credit-hour class, students should prepare to allocate approximately six to nine hours per week outside of class in a 16- week session OR approximately twelve to eighteen hours in an 8-week session. Online/Hybrid students should expect to spend at least as much time in this course as in the traditional, face-to-face class. COURSE CALENDAR DATE TOPIC READINGS (Due on this Date) ASSIGNMENTS (Due on this Date) Week 1 Jan 20-25 The parts of speech: Nouns (plural, singular concrete, abstract, irregular verbs, etc). -various types of nouns (readings) -noun grammar exercises -writing journal Week 2 Jan 26- Feb 1 The parts of speech: Verbs (irregular, tenses, auxiliary verbs, etc.) -regular and irregular verbs reading -verb tenses readings -verb tenses and uses exercises -writing journal Week 3 Feb 2-8 The parts of speech: Modifiers (adjectives, adverbs, articles, intensifiers, etc). -using modifiers correctly readings -modifiers exercises -writing journal Week 4 Feb 9-15 The parts of speech: Pronouns (cases, POVs, reflexive pronouns, relative pronouns, etc.) -different types of pronouns readings -pronouns exercises -writing journal -test 1 (nouns, verbs, modifiers, and pronouns) Week 5 Feb 16-22 Parts of speech: prepositions and conjunctions (coordinating conj, subordinating conj, etc.) -preposition and conjunction readings -preposition and conjunction exercises -writing journal Week 6 Feb 23- March 1 Mechanics: punctuation (commas, periods, colons, semicolons, dashes, etc.) -the importance of punctuation readings -mechanics exercises -writing journal Week 7 March 2-8 Mechanics: sentence types (simple, compound, complex, etc.) -sentence types readings -sentence types exercises -writing journal Week 8 March 9-15 *this week falls over spring break (3/9-3/13) Mechanics: phrases and clauses (dependent, independent, rearranging clauses, direct obj, etc.) -phrases and clauses readings -phrases and clauses exercises -writing journal -test 2 (cumulative) Week 9 March 16-22 Style: sentence and paragraph flow; mixing sentence types, paragraph anatomy, transition sentences, etc. -sentence flow readings -sentence flow exercises -writing journal Week 10 March 23-29 Style: implementing sources, correct punctuation, drop-quoting, paraphrasing, etc. -source implementation reading -source implementation exercises -writing journal Week 11 March 30- April 5 *Good Friday is APRIL 3RD Style: using MLA formatting (in-text citations, paper format, works cited pages, conventions) -MLA overview -MLA formatting exercises -writing journal Test 3 (no class) Week 12 April 6-12 College writing: Researching- knowing what to search, where to search, and how to search -researching skills reading -researching exercise -writing journal Week 13 April 13-19 College writing: Writing thesis statements and supporting thesis statements in paper with strong details -thesis statement creation and support reading -thesis statement creation and support exercises Week 14 April 20-26 College writing: The writing process (brainstorming, drafting, outlining, editing, peer reviewing, etc.) -the writing process readings -cumulative exercises for exam review Week 15 & 16 April 27- May 7 Final exam week Final exam due: May 6 COURSE EVALUATION Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria: • Attendance Grade--25% • Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling, and Usage Grade--25% • Unit Tests--25% • Grammar Final Exam--25% • GRADING SCALE 90 – 100 A 80 – 89 B 70 – 79 C 60 – 69 D 0 – 59 F LIT does not use +/- grading scales ACADEMIC DISHONESTY Students found to be committing academic dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, or collusion) may receive disciplinary action. Students need to familiarize themselves with the institution’s Academic Dishonesty Policy available in the Student Catalog & Handbook at http://catalog.lit.edu/content.php?catoid=3&navoid=80#academic-dishonesty. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS The latest technical requirements, including hardware, compatible browsers, operating systems, etc. can be online at https://lit.edu/online-learning/online-learning-minimum-computer-requirements. A functional broadband internet connection, such as DSL, cable, or WiFi is necessary to maximize the use of online technology and resources. DISABILITIES STATEMENT The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are federal anti-discrimination statutes that provide comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. LIT provides reasonable accommodations as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, to students with a diagnosed disability. The Special Populations Office is located in the Eagles’ Nest Room 129 and helps foster a supportive and inclusive educational environment by maintaining partnerships with faculty and staff, as well as promoting awareness among all members of the Lamar Institute of Technology community. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator at (409)-951-5708 or email specialpopulations@lit.edu. You may also visit the online resource at Special Populations - Lamar Institute of Technology (lit.edu). STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT STATEMENT It is the responsibility of all registered Lamar Institute of Technology students to access, read, understand and abide by all published policies, regulations, and procedures listed in the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook. The LIT Catalog and Student Handbook may be accessed at www.lit.edu. Please note that the online version of the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook supersedes all other versions of the same document. STARFISH LIT utilizes an early alert system called Starfish. Throughout the semester, you may receive emails from Starfish regarding your course grades, attendance, or academic performance. Faculty members record student attendance, raise flags and kudos to express concern or give praise, and you can make an appointment with faculty and staff all through the Starfish home page. You can also login to Blackboard or MyLIT and click on the Starfish link to view academic alerts and detailed information. It is the responsibility of the student to pay attention to these emails and information in Starfish and consider taking the recommended actions. Starfish is used to help you be a successful student at LIT. ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES/INFORMATION MRS. COURVILLE’S RESPONSE TIME 1. I only answer my phone when I am in my office. 2. I only return calls that leave a voicemail. Please leave a detailed message with your name, your number, the class you are in, and your concern. 3. The best way to reach me is through my LIT email, ecourville@lit.edu 4. I usually respond to emails well within the required 24-hour window. On weekends and holidays, I may respond later than 24 hours. Feel free to send me a follow-up email if I have not responded to your first one. Sometimes emails can slip through the cracks. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE STATEMENT Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) recognizes the recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, have changed the landscape of many career disciplines and will impact many students in and out of the classroom. To prepare students for their selected careers, LIT desires to guide students in the ethical use of these technologies and incorporate AI into classroom instruction and assignments appropriately. Appropriate use of these technologies is at the discretion of the instructor. Students are reminded that all submitted work must be their own original work unless otherwise specified. Students should contact their instructor with any questions as to the acceptable use of AI/ChatGPT in their courses LIT EMAIL 1. Not communicating with me because your LIT email is not working is not a valid reason for not responding to my emails, or for not emailing me. The IT department can help with any issues like this. 2. You are welcome to email me screenshots of what you need help with. 3. Please email me as soon as you get into the blackboard course so that I can ensure your email is up and running. 4. When you email me, please provide your full name and your course name and section so that I can better assist you. BLACKBOARD MESSAGES 1. Check the Send to Email box above Blackboard Messages textbox if you want a faster response. 2. If you use Blackboard Messages to contact me, and I don’t respond within 24 hours, send the same message to my LIT email. BLACKBOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. Announcements in Blackboard are posted to the Announcements webpage that you see when you log into class. Read them. They may pertain to schedule changes, homework changes, etc. 2. Announcements are also emailed to your Blackboard email, which you can check at My LIT. TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS 1. Use Chrome or Firefox as your browser. Edge and Safari do not work well with Blackboard. 2. If you do this class’s assignments on a cell phone, a tablet, or a netbook, make sure you are seeing all assignments as they are presented on a desktop computer. 3. Not having the correct technology or internet is not a valid excuse for not doing assignments or tests. The IT department can assist you with these types of issues. STUDENT BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS 1. Keep in mind that each student comes from a different cultural background and brings with her or him a different set of beliefs and values. 2. As a result, students may disagree on various topics during class discussions. 3. Disagreements lead to critical thinking, scholarly debates, and learning only when each member of the class respects the different opinions of others. 4. Disrespect for others will not be tolerated. DUE DATES 1. All assignments have due dates. In-class work cannot be made up unless you have an excused absence. Late homework is only acceptable if you have an extenuating circumstance that you have communicated to me. Any other late homework assignments will receive partial or zero credit depending on the situation. 2. I do not accept any assignments or tests after their due dates unless you communicate to me in advance that you have a verifiable extenuating circumstance. 3. I do have a grace period the last two weeks of the semester when students can submit or resubmit writing assignments they missed for partial credit. 4. These assignments will be accepted one time only during this grace period and will only be graded. These assignments will not marked or commented on. GRADING POLICIES 1. Homework assignments are completion grades, but if you put in an obviously low amount of effort into it, you will receive partial credit. 2. Missing assignments will be given a 0. 3. All grades are recorded in Gradebook on Blackboard. 4. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure their grades on their assignments match their grades in Blackboard Gradebook. 5. If there is a discrepancy, email me the assignment title so I can correct it. 6. Grading rubrics are available on assignments. 7. I do not mark specific grammar, punctuation, spelling, usage, and style errors on writing assignments, but if there is an abundance of these errors and they lead to a lack of overall language clarity, I will note it on the assignment and doc points from the assignment grade. 8. I provide a list of writing errors that will lower students’ writing assignments’ grades. 9. If you have problems with the types of errors above, we can discuss what those errors are, how to identify them, and the best ways to correct them. 10. This is a student-led discussion of their own writing. 11. I do not recommend that you use programs like Grammarly to fix your errors. 12. All assignments except for pretests, final drafts, and final exams have unlimited attempts which means you may resubmit an assignment before its due date if you have made changes to it. 13. All writing assignments must use correct academic style, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and usage, and MLA formatting. It is the student’s responsibility to know, or find out, what these requirements are. I will provide all the resources you need to find out how to adhere to these writing conventions. 14. All writing assignments’ topics must be approved by me before you start your writing assignments. All of your writing must be completely objective unless otherwise stated by me, so I recommend steering away from highly emotional topics such as abortion, political parties, religious matters, etc. unless you have a logical, unbiased argument. ACADEMIC HONESTY AND PLAGIARISM POLICIES 1. Academic honesty is expected on all assignments. See LIT student handbook for more information about academic honesty and the penalty for breaking academic honesty. 2. I do not tolerate plagiarism of any sort. This includes using AI to write your writing assignments. 3. Plagiarism is submitting someone else’s work, either published or not, as your own, and is not allowed. 4. You also may not use your own work from a previous class in my class, even if it was my class. 5. Patchworking together from the internet is also plagiarism. 6. All writing assignments are submitted to a plagiarism checker in Blackboard to be reviewed for plagiarism, but this is not the only method I use to check for plagiarism. 7. Students who plagiarize may receive a 0 on the entire unit and may receive an F for the entire course.