Compensatory Essay Writing
RGTE 0199 - CRN 80290
Dr. Diane Langston
Fall 2009, W 5:00-7:30 p.m.

Course Description

RGTE 0199 focuses on intensive instruction in the structure and mechanics of writing the essay under a time limit. The components of this instruction include basic grammar, diction, structure, and development. RGTE 0199 allows the instructor and the student to focus on individual writing deficiencies.

This course is required of students who fail the essay portion of the Regents' Test for the third  time, students whose essays are coded as LOW by the Regents' raters, and students who have accumulated 45 semester hours (excluding Learning Support courses) and have not passed the Regents' Essay Test.

E-mail me.  I provide my e-mail address in class.  
Floyd Campus Office: (706) 368-7524
Academic Support Division Office: (706) 295-6357

Office hours on web page: www.highlands.edu/subwebs/dlangston

Textbooks and Supplies

• No required books
• Recommended: Hodges' Harbrace Handbook (16th or 17th edition), a dictionary
• Notebook or binder for keeping handouts and graded work

Passing RGTE 0199

Grading for RGTE 0199 is done on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.  To pass RGTE 0199 (and get a grade of "S"), you must accomplish two goals:

• complete the work of the course as explained in the next paragraph
• pass the Regents' Writing Test

You will be required to complete ten practice essays on approved Regents’ Test topics, each within a 60-minute time limit. Each assignment will be done in class on a different class day. If for ANY reason (technical or personal) you do not submit an essay on that date, you must move on to the next assignment.  You must complete SEVEN of the essays. Failure to complete seven assignments may make you ineligible to take the Regents' Test. 

Informal writing assignments and exercises may be completed to facilitate class discussion and grammar practice.

If you do the work of the course but do not pass the Regents' Writing Test, your grade for the course will be "U." 

Withdrawing from RGTE 0199
The last day to withdraw and receive an automatic grade of W is September 24.  This is the mid-term date for ten-week courses.  However, students who are required to take RGTE 0199 cannot withdraw from the course and still take the Regents' Test.  

Additional Remediation (for students who have failed the Regents' Writing Test at least once)
If you have enrolled in RGTE 0199 more than once or if your previous Regents’ Essay indicated the need for more intensive remediation, you may be required to complete additional assignments prior to the test date. Please contact your campus’s tutorial center if this scenario applies to you.

ESL students and students with severe test anxiety
You may set an appointment to visit me at the Cartersville campus for a personal conference in order to go over your work on an individual basis. Please remember to bring essays and other writing samples.

Please e-mail me to make an appointment. An appointment will assure that I am at the Cartersville campus at the time we agreed to meet.

Key dates
Regents Test Dates
Registration deadline for Regents' Test: September 21, 2009 at 5:00 p.m.
Regents' Test workshops at the Tutorial Centers: To be announced - watch for them!

Class Policies

Absence Policy  
A student is allowed three unexcused absences (approximately 30% of the total class sessions). Use them sparingly because you cannot make up assignments in this class. 

Disability Accommodation  
Any student who feels he or she may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should make an appointment with the GHC Access Center (706-802-5003) to coordinate reasonable accommodations. Students may then contact the instructor privately to discuss specific needs.

Academic Integrity/Plagiarism 
All work submitted must represent the student's original performance. For RGTE 0199, no outside sources may be used in submitted essays.  Plagiarism and cheating are serious matters and may result in an essay not being counted in the total number submitted for the course.

The Georgia Highlands College Academic Integrity Code contains a detailed definition of plagiarism and other types of academic dishonesty, and it outlines the procedures and sanctions relating to violations of the Code.  These are in the College’s “Student Rights & Responsibilities” document, which can be accessed using the following URL:
http://www.highlands.edu/academics/academicaffairs/academicintegritypolicy.htm

For Students Receiving Financial Aid
Federal regulations state that if a student did not attend classes and received failing grades, then the grades were not earned and financial aid needs to be reduced accordingly.  Please be advised that any student receiving a 0.00 GPA will be required to prove that the 0.00 GPA was earned by attending classes or completing requirements for each class.  Students who have earned at least one passing grade for the semester will not be affected by this regulation.  If a student has properly withdrawn from all classes, the student’s financial aid should be adjusted from the time he or she signed the withdrawal form.

Personal Electronic Devices
Personal electronic devices such as cell phones and PDAs are to be put on a "vibrate" setting while in class.  No one should answer cell calls in the classroom or otherwise become a distraction to other students, by talking, texting, or other means.  

GHC Regents Test Dates
 

** I reserve the right to update the syllabus at any time. This includes, but is not limited to, assignment, schedule and class policy changes. **

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