LAMAR STATE COLLEGE ORANGE SYLLABUS

Academic Studies

ENGL, 1301, Composition I, 85A

COURSE INFORMATION

Instructor Name	Andrew Preslar
Building/Office Number	Academic Center (AC), Room 210
Office Hours	M 8:30 AM-1:30 PM (AC 210) T 8:30 AM-11:00 AM, 12:30 PM-1:30 PM (AC 210) T 11:00 AM-12:15 PM (GSC, RLB 2nd floor) W 8:30 AM-1:30 PM (AC 210) R 8:30 AM-11:00 AM (AC 210) R 11:00 AM-12:15 PM (GSC, RLB 2nd floor) and by appointment Note on office hours: I welcome drop-ins, but because non-teaching duties may occasionally require me to be elsewhere during times when I am normally scheduled to be in my office, I urge busy off-campus students to make appointments. It may save time, expense, and irritation. When I must miss office hours, I will post an explanatory note on my office door and on the course Blackboard page indicating the reason, the times I will miss, and a make-up time (if one is applicable to the situation).
Virtual Hours	Online: MTW 1:30 PM-2:30 PM (email, and online synchronous meetings by request) Note on virtual office hours: As with FTF office hours, I may be required to miss virtual office hours without prior notice. In that event I will post an announcement on the course page with make-up time(s).
Office Telephone	(409) 882-3357
Email Address	andy.preslar@lsco.edu

Course Description

ENGL 1301 3-3-0 Composition I (23.1301) Principles and intensive study and practice in techniques of written, expository, and persuasive composition; expository and persuasive texts; and critical thinking. Prerequisite: Passing English placement test(s). AC.


Required Textbook & Materials
Achieve for Successful College Writing – Access. 8th edition. Kathleen McWhorter. Macmillan, 2021. Electronic Resource.  Barnes &Noble webpage.


Upon registration for classes, LSCO students are automatically charged $14 per semester credit hour for access to all required textbooks, lab manuals, lab codes, and electronic books on the first day of class through the Gator Book Pack. Information about the LSCO Gator Book Pack as well as responses to common FAQs can be found on LSCO's webpage. ALL STUDENTS WILL HAVE UNTIL THE SECOND DAY OF THE SEMESTER TO OPT-OUT OF THE GATOR BOOK PACK.

Every student MUST have access to the required textbooks by the week of class. The student will be responsible for all assignments given. Failure to have a text may result in being dropped from the class. Failure to follow instructions (written or oral) will result in penalties.


Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

Upon successful completion of this course, students will acquire the following course learning outcomes:

Core Objectives

Course Learning Outcome 1	Core Objective	Associated Course Activities/Assignments/Projects
Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes	Communication, teamwork	Students will learn and use the process approach to writing (including prewriting, drafting, revision, and preparation of the final document) to prepare a minimum of five essays in a variety of rhetorical and analytical styles and addressing a range of potential audiences and rhetorical dynamics; students will participate in collaborative activities involving invention, drafting, peer review, and presentation. Assessment measures will include the causal analysis project (a collaborative planning, composition, and teaching presentation; a persuasion essay peer review; and a critical thinking project (invention and planning for persuasion project).
Develop ideas with appropriate support and attribution	Communication, critical thinking	Student essays will review samples of well-developed and poorly developed essays and discern the distinctions; students will develop appropriately focused topics with authoritative, rich content organized effectively and supporting a college-level thesis; students will explore research options, selecting relevant and credible information, unambiguously distinguish source material from original content, and document sources properly using an approved documentation style. Assessment measures will include selected individual, collaborative, and reflective exercises from the text; the persuasion essay; and a library research project.
Write in a style appropriate to audience and purpose	Communication: critical thinking	Students will read sample essays from a wide variety of different publications and will discern target audiences and authors’ purposes; required essay assignments will address a variety of writing situations and purposes, from personal to informative to persuasive, at varying levels of formality and technicality and to varying audiences. Assessment measures will include the persuasion paper the one causal analysis presentation project.
Read, reflect, and respond critically to a variety of texts	Communication, critical thinking	Students will read sample essays from a wide variety of different publications and will discern target audiences and authors’ purposes; required essay assignments will address a variety of writing situations and purposes, from personal to informative to persuasive, at varying levels of formality and technicality and to varying audiences. Assessment measures will include the final essay exam; and reflective exercises from the course text.
Use Edited American English in academic essays	Communication	Students will complete an independent learning plan; students will correct nonstandard constructions in at least four essays; students will track deviations from standard Edited American English across a range of writing assignments. Assessment measures include an objective pre- and post-instructional achievement test; corrected essays; and student error logs.

Course Topical Outline

Unit One	Writing process, and narrative and descriptive writing (essay required)
Unit Two	Exemplification (no essay required)
Unit Three	Process Analysis (essay required)
Unit Four	Comparison and Contrast (essay required)
Unit Five	Research processes, methods, and acknowledgement (project required)
Unit Six	Classification (essay required)
Unit Seven	Definition (project required)
Unit Eight	Causal Analysis (project required)
Unit Nine	Persuasion (paper required)

Major Assignments Schedule

Major Assignment Schedule

Week 1: 08/21-08/27
          introductions all around; discuss syllabus, course policies, overview
          process approach to writing
          focus on five steps of prewriting
               reading: course files from Blackboard content:
                             syllabus
                             grading rubric
                             writing process: PowerPoint slides, outline (prewriting stage)
                             SKIM Chs. 1-3, pp. 2-100
          begin Achieve interactive learning plan
          grading criteria
          grading criteria (rubric)
               reading: SKIM chs. 4-7, pp. 102-180
                             course files from Blackboard content:
                             syllabus
                             grading rubric
                             writing process: PowerPoint slides, outline (drafting, revising stages)
Week 2: 08/28-09/03
           pretest results
           process approach to writing: focus on drafting, revising
           description, narration elements and strategies
                reading: SKIM chs. 8-9, pp. 181-222
                              READ Ch. 11, pp. 36-267
Week 3: 09/04-09/10
           preparing essay 1: descriptive narration assignment deployed
                reading: Ch. 12, pp. 268-304
          narration, description readings
          Q&A forum: essay 1 
            o assignment boundaries and requirements/strategic elements
            o manuscript conventions
            o mechanics, usage, perspective and syntax questions
                reading: Ch. 10, pp. 224-236
          essay 1 due: descriptive narration (early date)
          modes and strategies: four classes of writing: focus on exposition
          exemplification/illustration
               reading: Ch. 13, pp305-338
Week 4: 09/11-09/17
          essay 1 due: descriptive narration (final deadline date)
          exemplification strategy, readings
          strategies of exposition: process analysis
               reading: Ch. 14, pp. 339-345
          preparing essay 2: process analysis
          essay 2 assignment description distributed: process analysis
          process analysis readings
               reading: Ch. 14, pp. 346-377
Week 5: 09/18-09/24
          essay 1 returned
          corrections process
          set up corrections log
          process analysis readings
               reading: skim Chs. 21-22, pp. 570-605
          begin discussions of library projects
          virtual library tour
          reading: review Blackboard content files on revising
Week 6: 09/25-10/01
          essay 2 peer evaluations completed of essay 2: the peer
          review is a required, graded exercise
          Q&A: essay 2
          o assignment boundaries and requirements/strategic elements
          o manuscript conventions, mechanics, usage, perspective and syntax questions
          o revision strategies library projects distributed, formats described
               reading: no new reading
          essay 2 due
          discuss library project documentation, supplementary reading
          begin examination of comparison/contrast
          reading: Ch. 15, pp. 378-388
Week 7: 10/02-10/08
          comparison/contrast strategy, readings
          essay 3 assignment description distributed
          complete examination of library projects
          begin drafting essay 3
               reading: Ch. 15, pp. 389-417
           library projects due
           complete discussion of comparison/contrast readings
           Q&A: essay 3
           o assignment boundaries and requirements/strategic elements
           o manuscript conventions, mechanics, usage, perspective and syntax questions
           review for midterm exam
Week 8: 10/09-10/15
          midterm exam
          reading: Ch. 16, pp. 400-413
          supplementary reading for classification unit (in Bb content)
          midterm exam returned
          Essay 3 due: comparison (early submission date)
          midterms returned: discuss
          begin examination of classification/division
               reading: no new reading (Spring Break)
Week 9: 10/23-10/29
          essay 3 due: comparison (final deadline for submission)
          essay 4 assignment description distributed
               reading: Ch. 16, pp. 418-444
          discuss classification/division readings
          Q&A: essay 4
          o assignment boundaries and requirements/strategic elements
          o manuscript conventions, mechanics, usage, perspective and syntax questions
          prepare rough draft for peer review due 03/31
               reading: supplementary reading from Blackboard content files
Week 10: 10/30-11/05
          complete discussion of classification/division readings, composition
          peer evaluation of essay 4 (graded exercise)
               reading: Ch. 17, pp. 445-466
          essay 4 due
          strategies of exposition: begin discussion of definition
          essay 5 writing assignment distributed
               reading: Ch. 17, pp. 466-477
Week 11: 11/06-11/12     
          complete discussion of definition readings
          Q&A: essay 5
          o assignment boundaries
          o requirements
          o strategic elements
               reading: Ch. 18, pp. 478-498
          essay 5 due: definition exercise (early submission date)
          begin discussion of causal analysis and readings
          collaborative presentation assignment distributed
          organize teams and begin preparations for collaborative presentation projects
               reading: Ch. 18, pp. 499-514
Week 12: 11/13-11/19 
          essay 5 due: definition exercise (final deadline date)
          continue discussion of causal analysis readings
          workshop time allowed on collaborative presentations
          reading: no new reading
          Edited American English: post-test
          complete preparation of collaborative projects
          examination of causal analysis and readings
               reading: Ch. 19, pp. 516-541
Week 13: 11/20-11/26
          Edited American English: post-test returned
          collaborative presentations due: Signature Assignment presentation
          begin discussion of persuasion: strategies for organizing and developing
          persuasion: recognizing and evaluating the three appeals
               reading: Ch. 20, pp. 542-69
Week 14: 11/27-12/03
          review logical fallacies (file in Bb content)
          persuasion: emphasizing the rational appeal: Toulmin reasoning
          persuasion: audience considerations for tone: Rogerian strategies
          persuasion: recognizing and avoiding fallacies
               reading: review Chs. 21-22, pp. 570-605
          persuasion essay assignment description distributed
          Q&A: research activities for completing essay component of final exam
          o assignment boundaries and requirements/strategic elements
          o manuscript conventions; mechanics, usage, perspective and syntax questions
          complete discussion of persuasion readings
               reading: Ch. 23, pp. 606-647
Week 15: 12/04-12/10
          citation: citing expertly
          final questions on research, development and organization of persuasion essay
          assignment descriptions issued for essay component of final exam
          essay 6 due: persuasion essay (include prewriting,
          drafting, and revising)
          12/09 final exam deadline (Monday, 11:59 PM): essay, objective components
Week 16: 12/11-12/12
           Final submission of discussion postings permitted today only (3 postings maximum)

Final Exam Deadline Date: Proctoring required with BioSig (no fee) or approved proctor
       December 09, 2023
       By 11:59 PM
       online (link in Final Exam Unit learning module contents)
 



 


Final Exam Date

December 6, 2023 - 12:00 AM   Through  December 9, 2023 - 11:59 PM


COURSE POLICIES

Academic Honesty

Faculty who suspect violation of academic honesty, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, or abuse of resource materials may assign an academic penalty. Students must be notified of their right to appeal before the academic penalty is imposed.

Students subject to penalty due to academic honesty have the right to appeal the decision. Refer to the current LSCO Catalog for details on the appeal process.
Unauthorized collusion, plagiarism, use of internet resources on quizzes and tests, and use of artificial intelligence agents to create an essay for submission are all examples of breaches of academic honesty. 

Faculty who suspect violation of academic honesty, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, or abuse of resource materials may assign an academic penalty. Students must be notified of their right to appeal before the academic penalty is imposed.

Students determined to be in violation of the course's and college's academic honesty by cheating, plagiarizing, colluding, misusing internet resources during quizzes or other assignments, or misrepresenting the work of others as one's own will receive a grade of "F" on the assignment in question for the first. A second offense will result in the student's expulsion from the course with a final course grade of "F."

Students subject to penalty due to academic honesty have the right to appeal the decision. Refer to the current LSCO Catalog for details on the appeal process.
 


Electronic Communication

LSCO students are required to use either their LSCO Blackboard account or their LSCO email account (Office 365 / Microsoft Outlook) for all electronic communication. In order to ensure the privacy and identity of the student communicating via electronic methods, LSCO faculty will direct students to use their LSCO email accounts rather than personal accounts. If a student has trouble accessing their LSCO email account, they should contact the LSCO Help Desk at (409) 882-3033 or helpdesk@lsco.edu.




Attendance Requirements

Federal regulations require students who receive financial aid to have begun "attending" and participate substantially in each course for which they are enrolled on or before the official census reporting date outlined on the LSCO Academic Calendar. Students documented as "not attending" a course upon the census date are assumed (for financial aid purposes) to have not begun attendance for that course, negatively affecting their financial aid eligibility and disbursement.

Attendance in an ONLINE course is verified by substantial participation in the course on or before the census date published in the LSCO Academic Calendar. Substantial participation in this online course is defined as logging in and completing/participating in at least one requirement of the course. Note: Simply logging in to your online course does not constitute attendance.

Hybrid classes are a mix of face-to-face and online environments. Students will be expected to attend a certain number of classes as required by the instructor. (Include the policy on absences and tardiness.) In addition to classroom attendance, your weekly active participation in the online component (Blackboard and/or homework software) will be considered and expected.

Attendance is mandatory and will be monitored by the instructor. Failure to log in and complete required work for more than one calendar week will prompt an inquiry and may result in the levying of a penalty of one point deducted from the student's final average for each calendar week missed.  

The conscientious student will confer by phone with the instructor on or before periods of absence.

It is the responsibility of the student to initiate a drop or withdrawal, even if the student is seriously ill or has been injured. It is furthermore the responsibility of the student who chooses to drop a class to personally verify that the drop form is completed and processed on or before the deadline dates. Students who do not attend class and who fail to drop or withdraw from the course will receive a final grade of “F” for the course.
 


Make-up Work Policy

Make-up Work (No Penalty Assessed):

Due dates are important elements of most major college assignments. A student who misses or submits late work with prior approval make up the missed work according to a schedule determined by the instructor. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor BEFORE THE deadline for submission of the assignment in question. Appropriate documentation may also be required. A student who fails to communicate with the instructor prior to the deadline being missed or who fails to give an acceptable reason for the late submission WILL be penalized as late work (see below). NOTE: Discussion postings cannot be made up. 

Late work (penalty assessed):

Assignments are due on the due date, at the time stipulated in the syllabus and/or in Blackboard to be the assignment or test deadline. Major projects (research, writing, or presentation projects, tests) submitted after the deadline without prior authorization will be considered late and will be penalized 5 points per calendar day late. Homework and quizzes will not be accepted late without instructor permission.

 NOTE: Discussion postings cannot be made up.

Emergent or exigent circumstances could mitigate the application of this policy.

After a deadline has passed BUT with prior approval, missed work may be rescheduled, but only with the instructor’s permission. See section entitled “Make-up Work” for further information regarding penalty-free submission of late work.
 


Classroom Etiquette

• Face-to-Face - No food, drink, tobacco, cell phones, etc.
• Online - Since face-to-face meetings in the classroom may be replaced by online meetings through discussion boards, emails, and/or Blackboard Collaborate, students are expected to follow the rules of netiquette in these forums.
• Hybrid - When face-to-face meetings in the classroom are replaced by online meetings through discussion boards, emails, and/or Blackboard Collaborate, students are expected to follow the rules of netiquette in these forums. 

Exam Policy

Quizzes, the midterm exam, and the final exam will be administered online. Proctoring will be required for all objective assessments. Proctoring will be facilitated by BioSig (no cost to students) or may be conducted with prior approval and by appointment at the LSCO Testing Center or another instructor-approved site.





Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Students should use AI technology responsibly and ethically. This includes refraining from using AI to engage in harmful or unethical activities, such as generating false information, spreading misinformation, or engaging in malicious behaviors. The use of AI should align with the principles of academic integrity, honesty, and respect for others. Students are responsible for adhering to LSCO's Academic Honesty policy found in the Student Handbook. LSCO's full AI policy can be found at AI Policy | Lamar State College Orange (lsco.edu)


Expected Time Requirement for this Course

For every hour in class (or unit of credit) taught in a 16-week session, students should expect to spend at least two to three hours per week studying and completing assignments. Example: For a 3-credit hour class taught in a 16-week session, students should prepare to allocate approximately 6 to 9 hours per week outside of class studying and completing assignments. For a 3-credit hour taught in a 10-week summer session, students should prepare to allocate approximately 10 to 15 hours per week outside of class studying and completing assignments. For a 3-credit hour taught in an 8-week session, students should prepare to allocate approximately 12 to 18 hours per week outside of class studying and completing assignments. For a 3-credit hour taught in a 5-week summer session, students should prepare to allocate approximately 20 to 29 hours per week outside of class studying and completing assignments.


Grading and Evaluation Method

The student's grade will be determined by compiling scores on the following assignments:
       • 4 compositions with prewriting and corrections as directed           400 points
       • definition activity                                                                                   100 points
       • composite quiz score*                                                                           100 points
       • midterm exam                                                                                       100 points
       • library skills assignment                                                                        100 points
       • ACHIEVE interactive learning plan OR post-test                                  100 points
         (for enhancement of proficiency
           in grammar, mechanics, and usage)
       • Causal Analysis collaborative project with strategic                              100 points
          (planning, research, revisions and
           submission of presentation): SIGNATUE ASSIGMNENT
       • online discussion postings (25 @ 4ea.) **                                             100 points
       • final exam: objective test                                                                       100 points
       • final exam: essay (2 parts)                                                                    100 points

*Quizzes will be given over assigned readings and study notes. Scores will be averaged together at the end of the semester for a composite quiz score. Each student’s lowest quiz grade will be dropped prior to averaging.

**Students are expected to post two (2) postings per week to course discussion boards until a total of twenty-five approved contributions to class discussion topics have been posted. Topics will open and close as we progress through the course material. A student may submit as many postings as he or she pleases, but no more than 3 postings per week will be counted toward the required total, requiring that postings be spread out over the course of the semester. Grading for postings will be completed on a pass/fail basis according to a scale described in the rubric included in the Unit 0 learning module in the Bb content section. Discussion posting grades for progress reports, if applicable, will be based on a two-postings-per-week possible point total. (i.e., if by Week 7 a student has contributed 9 acceptable postings, the grade will be the percentage determined by dividing the number of postings contributed (9) by the required number (14).


 

Instructor Response Time

The instructor will respond to emails within 24 hours, excluding weekends and holidays. On weekends and holidays, the instructor will respond to emails from students within 24 hours of the first business day following the weekend or holiday.


Participation Requirements

Continual active participation and engagement in the course are critical for student success. Students are required to complete assigned weekly discussion postings, actively and meaningfully participate in assigned group work, and monitor announcements and emails daily. Assignments should be completed by the due date. Students should also refer to the instructor’s attendance policy for additional information. (See LSCO Student Handbook, Class Attendance.)


Review of Test Grades

Students wishing to review or contest a grade for a major assignment should contact the instructor within three (3) calendar days of the class period in which the student receives the grade, and no later than three (3) class periods prior to the end of the term.


Student's Responsibility

This syllabus contains information, policies, and procedures for a specific course. By enrolling, the student agrees to read, understand, and abide by the rules, policies, regulations, and ethical standards of Lamar State College Orange as those contained in the current LSCO Catalog and schedule of classes.


Syllabus Content

The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus if deemed necessary. All changes will be provided to the students orally or in writing before the implementation of the change.


Textbook and Required Materials Access

Every student MUST have access to the required textbooks by the second week of class. The student will be responsible for all assignments given. Failure to have a text may result in being dropped from the class. Failure to follow instructions (written or oral) will result in penalties.


STUDENT SUPPORT RESOURCES

Mental Health Resources

TimelyCare is a virtual health and well-being platform that is available 24/7 for all non-dual credit enrolled LSCO students. There is no cost to eligible students for this service. TimelyCare’s providers offer emotional support, mental health counseling, health coaching, psychiatry, and basic needs support. Non-Dual Credit students enrolled in classes can log in to the TimelyCare website or app available at timelycare.com/LSCO.


Advocacy Information

Any student who faces challenges securing their food or housing and believes this may affect their performance in the course is encouraged to contact the advising office for guidance on how to identify possible resources. Please notify the instructor of your circumstance if you are comfortable doing so.


Affirmative Action

LSCO is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution which provides educational and employment opportunities on the basis of merit and without discrimination or harassment in full compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 503,504); Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972; the Vietnam Era Veterans Assistance Act of 1974; Article 522lk V.A.C.S.; and Executive Orders 11246 and 11758.


Title IX of the Education Amendments

LSCO prohibits discrimination, including sexual harassment and retaliation, against any student on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability, or any other basis prohibited by law. Any student who believes that he or she has experienced prohibited conduct or believes that another student has experienced prohibited conduct should immediately report the alleged acts to the Title IX Coordinator, Patty Collins, at patty.collins@lsco.edu.


Blackboard Resources

LSCO students will access Blackboard through the MyGator portal. Login credentials will use the following format: username@my.lsco.edu and Password. For help in identifying your Username/Password, visit https://www2.lsco.edu/sspr/.

Blackboard student resource videos and help-sites are available at https://www.lsco.edu/distanceed/blackboard-student.asp.


Career Coach

Lamar State College Orange provides career advising services to all students and alumni through Career Coach, an online career planning tool. Career Coach assists students through all phases of developing, initiating, and implementing career plans.

Information regarding employment opportunities and career options are provided along with access to live local job postings. Full-time and part-time employment opportunities, as well as internships, are available through Career Coach. Visit https://www.lsco.edu/advising/career-planning.asp for more details on how to use LSCO's Career Coach to plan for and learn more about your future career.


Gator Assistance Services

Lamar State College Orange provides currently enrolled technical students support for daycare costs as well as other services.

Visit https://www.lsco.edu/advising/gator-assistance.asp for details on assistance services.


Gator Success Center

Students are encouraged to make an appointment or walk in to receive tutoring, support services, or access to an open computer lab. Face-to-face and online supplemental instruction sessions are available to help students through any LSCO course. Reach out to learning.center@lsco.edu for more information on how students can receive academic support.


Library Services

Students are encouraged to visit library.lsco.edu to find the library's current operating hours, access the catalog to locate print materials, and access GatorSearch to explore the vast electronic collection. The library provides over 77 electronic database collections that include eBooks, newspapers, magazines, academic journals, and streaming video. The physical library contains a specialized collection of research materials specifically chosen to support the degrees and courses offered. Additionally, Students with research questions or questions about library services are encouraged visit the library in person, call 409-882-3352, access the chat on the library webpage, or to email their question to lscolibrary@lsco.edu.


Student with Disabilities

Under the Texas State System, Lamar State College Orange complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, pertaining to the provision of reasonable academic adjustments/auxiliary aids for students with disability. We strive to provide reasonable academic adjustments/auxiliary aids to students who request and require them.

Students who believe they have a disability requiring an academic adjustment/auxiliary aid are encouraged to contact the Special Populations Advisor at (409) 882-3393 or visiting the Advising Office located on the first floor of the Ron Lewis Library Building (RLB) room 113. Students are encouraged to apply before the start of the semester when at all possible. The Accommodation Request Form and details regarding the appropriate documentation needed can be found here: https://www.lsco.edu/advising/disability.asp. Once approved, the signed accommodation form provided by the Special Populations Advisor must be submitted to the instructor at least two business days in advance of need.


Upswing 24/7 FREE Tutoring Services

Lamar State College Orange provides currently enrolled students with access to online tutoring through a partnership with Upswing, an online tutoring platform. Tutors are available 24/7 online in almost every subject.

Visit https://www.lsco.edu/tutoring/online-tutoring.asp for details on how to log-in to the FREE services.


INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES

Campus Closure

In the event of an emergency campus closure in excess of three class days, Lamar State College Orange's classes will continue via the use of Blackboard. In such an instance, the college website, www.lsco.edu, will have information concerning the event and anticipated re-opening plans.


Civility

Please be considerate of other classmates' feelings, ethnic background, cultural differences, situations, and level of maturity. Students will be asked to leave the course if disruptive or inappropriate behavior is exhibited in any of the course requirements. If your instructor feels that you have not contributed appropriately to course requirements, your final course grade may be reduced accordingly.

The instructor reserves the right to manage a positive learning environment and will not tolerate inappropriate conduct in the course. Rude correspondence (discourteous or impolite, especially in a deliberate way) in e-mails, telephone calls, in person, or comments made to other class members, the instructor, or the office staff.


Contingency Plans

Students should develop a backup plan should their computer system or their Internet provider fail. Computer or internet connectivity issues are not valid excuses for missing a deadline. The College provides many opportunities for using computer equipment, as do many public libraries. Refer to the LSCO website for operational hours of the Library and Success Center.


COVID Notification Policy

Students who have been diagnosed with COVID 19 are required to report their condition to their instructor and to the College via the COVID Notification Form. Guidance on how to proceed will be delivered to the student's email after completing the required notification form.


Credit Transfer

Students should check in advance with the institution to which they plan to transfer credit to confirm transferability.


Criminal Background Policy

LSCO awards some certificates and degrees in which a criminal history MAY disqualify candidates from becoming licensed, certified, and/or employed upon degree/certificate completion. Students with a criminal background enrolling in courses leading to a degree/certificate in Criminal Justice, Cosmetology, Emergency Medical Technology, Massage Therapy, Medical Assisting, Vocational Nursing (VN), Registered Nursing (RN), Pharmacy Technician, Real Estate, or Teacher Preparation program are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to discuss the certification and/or licensing regulations of the program with the program director listed in order to learn more about the current guidelines related to criminal history as well as the right of individuals to request a criminal history evaluation letter.


Drops and Withdrawals

Never attending or ceasing to attend classes DOES NOT constitute a drop or withdrawal. You remain registered until you request a drop from the instructor. Failure to act in a timely manner will result in an "F" grade for the course. It is the student's responsibility to follow up with the LSCO advising office to ensure that all drops/withdrawals are processed as desired.


Grade of "Incomplete"

The grade of "I" may be given when any requirement of the course, including the final examination, is not completed. Students seeking an incomplete should have completed 75% of the course requirements and be passing the course at the time of the request. Arrangements to complete deficiencies in a course should be made in advance of the end of the semester with the instructor. The instructor will process the Incomplete form online, and a confirmation will be sent to the student's LSCO email.

Incomplete work must be finished during the next long semester. If not, the Office of Admission and Records must change the "I" grade to the grade of "F." The course must then be repeated if credit is desired. An "I" grade also automatically becomes an "F" if the student registers for the course prior to removing the deficiencies and receiving a grade change. The instructor may record the grade of "F" for a student who is absent from the final examination and is not passing the course.


Grade Appeals and the Academic Grievance Process

Grade determination and awarding of grades in a course are the responsibility of the instructor and should be calculated according to college policy, procedures, and written details provided in the course syllabus. NOTE: Final grades are available to students within 48 hours of the instructor posting the grade in Banner. Students may view final grades by logging into MyGator and then accessing Gator Self-Service.

An academic appeal process is afforded to students who desire to dispute a grade or any decision that affects the student's ability to complete and earn a grade for the course provided it is not related to a violation outlined in the LSCO Student Code of Conduct. If an informal conference with the faculty member regarding an academic complaint fails to reach the outcome requested by the student, the student may initiate the formal process outlined below. Even after initiating the formal complaint process, students are encouraged to seek informal resolution of their concerns. A student whose concerns are resolved may withdraw a formal complaint at any time.

Refer to the current catalog or for details on the formal grade appeal process.


Institutional Educational Goals

Lamar State College Orange has identified seven educational goals to specify the knowledge and skills that students should gain from completing academic and technical programs with the College. These goals are:

1. Critical thinking (General Education, Technical) - Students will be able to demonstrate creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information.
2. Communication (General Education, Technical) - Students will be able to effectively develop, interpret and express of ideas through written, oral and visual communication.
3. Empirical and quantitative skills (General Education, Technical) - Students will be able to manipulate and analyze numerical data or observable facts and create informed conclusions.
4. Teamwork (General Education, Technical) - Students will be able to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal.
5. Social responsibility (General Education, Technical) - Students will be able to recognize and acquire a sense of intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national and global communities.
6. Personal responsibility (General Education, Technical) - Students will be able to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making.
7. Professional competency (Technical) - Students will be able to recognize or demonstrate skills and that depict professional values and employability. If the career has licensure or certification requirements, students may prepare for the licensure and certification in a capstone course and sit for the licensure or certificate at the end of the program.

MyGator and Log-In Credentials

Current students will access many LSCO applications through the MyGator portal. Login credentials will use the following format: username@my.lsco.edu/Password. For help in identifying your username/Password, visit https://www2.lsco.edu/sspr/.

It is a violation of College policy, state laws, and federal laws for anyone to gain or help others gain unauthorized access to MyGator or any LSCO application or service. All accounts shall be for use by a single individual - the person for whom the account was approved or assigned. This includes Blackboard accounts as well as any application within MyGator. Sharing or loaning accounts is strictly prohibited, can be construed as a form of cheating, and violates College policy, state laws, and federal laws.


Policies and Procedures

LSCO adheres to the policies and procedures established in the Texas Education Code, Texas State University System Rules and Regulations, LSCO Faculty Handbook, LSCO Student Handbook, and LSCO Catalog.


Prohibited Items in the Classroom

No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. It is inappropriate for minor children to be on campus due to the potential liability to the College, the risk of harm to the children, and decreased employee productivity due to distractions and disruptions.


Student Privacy

The privacy of all students, including Distance Education students, is protected through strict adherence to the rules of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. LSCO's statement regarding the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act can be found in LSCO's Student Handbook, page 70. Additional information regarding privacy for Distance Education students can be found in the Distance Education Handbook, appendix D.