Spring 2026
Base Integrated Reading & Writing
Integrated Developmental Reading/Writing (INRW 0373 Sec 2A4) CREDIT : 3 semester hours (3 Lec hours lecture, 0 Lab hours lab)) MODE OF INSTRUCTION : On Line PREREQUISITE/CO-REQUISITE Co-enrollment in INRW 0173 COURSE DESCRIPTION: Integration of critical reading and academic writing skills. Successful completion of this intervention if taught at the upper (exit) level fulfills TSI requirements for reading and writing. 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. Core Objectives 1. Critical Thinking Skills: To include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information. 2. Communication Skills: To include effective development, interpretation, and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication. 3. Teamwork: To include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others. 4. Personal Responsibility: To include the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making. INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION : Patricia Culbertson Email: paculbertson@lit.edu Office Phone: GEDS Office: 409 880 8191 Office Location: N/A- Please see me after class and I shall arrange a time, or I can create a virtual meeting on Collaborate REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS All required reading materials are provided by instructor in Blackboard. ATTENDANCE POLICY for 0373 (On-Line): Attendance is worth 20% of your grade and is calculated on completion of assignments in 0373 gradebook. This means for a grade of “100” in attendance, students must complete all assignments in 0373. Each assignment’s value is determined by the number of assignments (except extra credit assignments) in this course or gradebook for 0373 and divided into “100”. The number of completed assignments is multiplied by the “per assignment value” above which will be the “attendance grade”. 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 Student Success web page. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an “F” in the course. COURSE CALENDAR: Schedule of Assignments for 0373 Late Start Spring 2026 Assignment Schedule for 0373 (May change some as the semester progresses) UNIT I ASSIGNMENTS Discussion Board: Introductions Due Wednesday, 2/18 by 11:59 PM Plagiarism Quiz Due: Wednesday, 2/18 by 11:59 PM Unit 1 Test—In The category of 20% Sunday 2/22 by 1:59 PM Completion of Khan Academy Account Assignment Sunday 2/22 by 11:59 PM UNIT II ASSIGNMENTS 2.1 (A) Explicit Information--Ideas Reading Assignment-- Due: Wednesday 2/25 by 11:59 PM 2.2 (A) Literary Inferences Reading Assignment-- Due: Wednesday 2/25 by 11:59 PM 2.3 (A) Author's Craft--Literary Word Choice Reading Assignment-- Due: Sunday 3/01 by 11:59 PM 2.4 (A) Author's Craft--Plot Structure of Fiction Reading Assignment Due: Sunday 3/01 by 11:59 PM 2.5 (A) Author's Craft--Purpose Reading Assignment Due: Wednesday, 3/04 by 11:59 PM 2.6 (A) Author's Craft--Literary Audience Reading Assignment Due: Wednesday, 3/04 by 11:59 PM 2.7 (A) Author's Craft--Literary Point of View Reading Assignment Due: Sunday 3/08 by 11:59 PM 2.8 (A) Author's Craft--Perspective Reading Assignment-- Due: Sunday 3/08 by 11:59 PM Spring Break: Discussion Board assignment- after viewing “Fractured Fairy Tales” video Due: Wednesday, 3/18 by 11:59 PM 2.1 (B) Main Ideas and Supporting Due: Sunday 3/22 by 11:59 PM 2.2 (B) Informational Inferences Reading Assignment Due: Sunday, 3/22 by 11:59 PM 2.3 (B) Author’s Craft-Informational Word Choice Reading Assignment Due: Wednesday, 3/25 by 11:59 PM 2.5 (B) Author's Craft--Purpose of Informational Texts Reading Assignment Due: Wednesday, 3/25 by 11:59 PM 2.6 (B) Author’s Craft-Informational Texts Audience Reading Assignment Due: Sunday 3/29 by 11:59 PM 2.7 (B) Author's Craft--Informational Point of View Reading Assignment Due: Sunday 3/29 by 11:59 PM Unit III ASSIGNMENTS Unit 2 Test—In The Category of 20% Due: Monday, 3/30 by 11:59 PM 3.1(A) Audience in Academic Writing Assignment--Click Here Due: Wednesday 4/01 by 11:59 PM 3.2(A) Purpose in Academic Writing Assignment--Click Here Due: Wednesday, 4/01 by 11:59 PM Administrative Holiday/ Easter Sunday 3.3(A) Tone in Academic Writing Assignment--Click Here Due: Wednesday, 4/08 by11:59 PM 3.6(A) Concluding Paragraphs Writing Assignment Due: Wednesday, 4/08 by 11:59 PM Discussion Board Assignment based on “Eleven” story by Sandra Cisneros Due: Sunday, 4/12 by 11:59 PM, PARAGRAPH WRITING ASSIGNMENTS 3.8(B) Paragraph Organization Writing Assignment Due: Wednesday, 4/15 by 11:59 PM 3.12(B) Paragraph Final Draft Writing Assignment Due: Sunday, 4/19 by11:59 PM Unit IV ASSIGNMENTS 4.0 Prewriting Essay Assignment Due Wednesday, 4/22 by 11:59 PM 4.2 Essay Organization Writing Assignment Due: Sunday, 4/26 by 11:59 PM MLA Template Assignment, Due: Wednesday, 4/29 by 11:59 PM Unit V Test “Writing an Essay”-In the category of 20% Due: Sunday, 5/03 by 11:59 PM 4.4 Final Exam Essay Due Monday, May 11th by 11:59 PM. Late submissions will not be accepted!!!- This is in the category of 20% calculated into your final grade for the semester. Your prewriting topic and your essay organization outline will be the final exam topic. You may submit the Final Exam Essay beginning Sunday, May 03, through Monday, May 11, by 11:59 PM. Please make sure you have constructed your outline and submit it before you attempt to submit your final exam essay. Only your (prewriting topic from assignment 4.0 can be used. Do not change your topic as it will not be accepted. Late submissions for the final exam will not be accepted or graded after 11:59 PM, Monday, May 11th. All 0373 Assignments, except the final exam above, are due by Wednesday, May 06 (last class day). No late submissions or new attempts will be accepted or graded. All Khan Academy Exercises are due Friday May 08 , by 11:59 PM. Late submissions for Khan Academy Exercises will not be accepted or graded. COURSE EVALUATION Final grades will be calculated according to the following course requirements criteria: 1. Attendance--20% (On-Line Attendance is calculated by on-line activity and assignment submissions…See the section labelled “Attendance” in this syllabus). 2. Reading assignments--20% 3. Writing Assignments--20% 4. Unit Tests--20% 5. Final Exam-20% GRADING SCALE 90-100% is an DA 80-89% is a DB 70-79% us a DC 0-69% is an DF The D before each grade stands for Developmental. Only the A ,B,C, or F calculates into students' GPAs. LIT does not use +/- grading scales TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS For the latest technical requirements, including hardware, compatible browsers, operating systems, etc., review the Minimum Computer and Equipment Requirements on the LIT Online Experience page. 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. 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. 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 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. Expectations: *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. *As a result, students may disagree on various topics during class discussions. *Disagreements lead to critical thinking, scholarly debates, and learning only when each member of the class respects the different opinions of others. Disrespect for others will not be tolerated. ***ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSIONS Each assignment, in Blackboard, has an answer document attached, or a blank document attached (except for some in-class (extra credit) assignments which do not require separate document submission). This answer document or blank document which is attached to the assignment areas, must be used to answer questions or complete paragraphs or essays. If the above documents are not used, then I will not accept the submission (s). In addition, I will only accept answer documents in “word” or office 365, which is available to students. I do not accept any assignments in my LIT email, or documents in Pages (iPhone submissions), shared Google documents, images, pictures, JPEG, or links. These documents are not processed by Blackboard Safe Assign which all students must agree to use before document submission. If you do not have “word” on your PC, then use the computers on campus, or call the Tech Center at 409 839 2074. ***0373 Assignments and Late assignment submission policy: No 0373 assignments are accepted after 11:59 PM, Wednesday, May 06, except the final exam essay which is due by 11:59 PM, Monday, May 11th. Late submissions of the final exam or other assignments will not be accepted or graded. Also, 10 to 15 points will be taken off for each late assignment which is not submitted or attempted until 3 weeks before the last class day of the semester or week 13. This also includes second or third attempts on previous attempts submitted. This is because re grading these assignments or grading many assignments in a short space of time is very difficult and requires a lot of extra time. Therefore, make sure you keep all your assignment submissions current. The final exam is due on the day and time it is administered per the assignment schedule and cannot be made up). Your instructor will give each class the final exam date. All Khan Academy assignments are due: Friday, May 08, before 11:59 PM. Assignment due dates for 0373 are in your assignment schedule posted on Blackboard content page. No units or assignments will be reopened after they close. Students who are unable to participate in submitting class assignments, or timely submit assignments due to injury/illness, should provide documentation from a licensed healthcare provider verifying dates the student is excused from work/school. If the instructor does not need this documentation, I will let you know. Medical documentation must verify the beginning date of injury/illness as well as the ending date (date of return). Medical documentation must be submitted within 5 days of the injury or illness and missed work must be submitted within a week after this documentation. Academic Honesty 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. Academic honesty is expected on all assignments. Please see the LIT student handbook for more information about academic honesty and the penalty for breaking academic honesty. Plagiarism is submitting someone else’s work, either published or not, as your own, and is not allowed. Plagiarism includes patchworking together assignments from any type of internet search. You also may not use your own work from a previous class in my class, even if it was my class. If a student used a previous essay topic or paragraph topic for my class, or another class, then a different topic for these assignments must be chosen, or the assignment will not be accepted. If an assignment is plagiarized, then I do not allow anymore attempts on those assignment(s). *All writing assignments are submitted to SafeAssign in Blackboard to be reviewed for plagiarism, but this is not the only method I use to check for plagiarism. I will be running all written assignments through several, online, AI generators, including ChatGPT Zero, Scribbr, and QuillBot. Assignments that receive a significant portion of their assignment pinged for AI will receive a 0 unless proven otherwise. Students who plagiarize may receive anywhere from a deduction of 50 pts. to a “O” on writing assignments which include the final exam essay. Second attempts on plagiarized assignments will not be accepted.