This document provides information about a Reading 12 course offered at Treasure Valley Community College in fall 2011. The 3-credit course emphasizes developing reading skills needed for college-level textbooks, including vocabulary, identifying main ideas, critical thinking techniques, and study strategies. Required textbooks and supplies include two books on reading skills and vocabulary as well as class supplies. Instruction will involve lectures, discussions, and hands-on assignments. The course objectives are to equip students with study skills, develop vocabulary skills, and improve comprehension. Student performance will be assessed through various assignments, quizzes, exams, and class participation. The policies outline attendance, late work, plagiarism, and classroom expectations.

1. TREASURE VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE - CALDWELL
READING 12 CC
Fall 2011 / Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2:00pm to 3:30pm
Instructor: Carol Billing Office Hours: 30 minutes after class
E-mail: cbilling@tvcc.cc Office Location: Classroom
Credits: 3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
READ 12 emphasizes the development of reading and study skills required to successfully comprehend college
textbooks. These skills include vocabulary development, recognizing implied and stated main ideas, using
critical techniques, employing efficient reading methods and being aware of metacognitive techniques for text
study.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS AND SUPPLIES:
 Ten Steps to Improving College Reading Skills (5th Edition)
Langen, John (Townsend Press)
ISBN: 13: 978-1-59194-100-2
 Improving Vocabulary Skills (4th Edition)
Nist, Sherrie (Townsend Press)
ISBN: 10: 1-59194-198-9
 3-ring notebook
 Dividers and/or plastic sheet covers
 3x5 cards
Optional: Dictionary, Thesaurus, 3-hole punch
METHOD OF INSTRUCTION:
A combination of lectures, class discussions, and hands-on learning will be used to cover the curriculum.
Throughout the course, there will be assignments related to textbooks and current topics, quizzes, a midterm
and a final to assess comprehension.
OBJECTIVES:
 Equip students with study skills for college work:
o Employ flexible reading according to purpose
o Apply pre-reading techniques
o Demonstrate the use of SQ4R study strategies
o Detect information organization and relationship of concepts through text overview
o Equip students to use the library and the internet as a resource
o Use various reference books from the library to locate materials
o Access various libraries and newspapers on the Internet to locate information
 Develop vocabulary skills to enable independent vocabulary building:
o Employ strategies for mastering technical vocabulary
o Demonstrate vocabulary improvement by identifying the meaning of a word through context
o Demonstrate understanding of unfamiliar words using information provided by the dictionary
 Develop and extend thinking skills for textbook comprehension:
o Locate the stated main idea in a passage

2. o Compose the unstated main idea in a passage
o Identify supporting details
o Recognize several writing patterns
OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT:
Student Performance Assessments
Students will complete the following assessments:
• Reading Plus
• Quizzes & Midterm
• Summaries & Projects
• Assignments (in & out of class), Participation & Notebook
• Final Exam
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Office Hours
I am willing to work with you individually during class or directly after class. My official ‘office hours’ are the
first 30 minutes after class, in the classroom. Additionally I am always available for questions via e-mail. If
you’d like me to call you to discuss an issue or assignment, please include your phone number in the e-mail. I
will return the e-mail or call within 24 hours. Lastly, appointments can be made to work with me individually.
Attendance Policy
Attendance is critically important for this class. We will cover skills not included in the book, in addition to
uncovering easier and quicker ways to achieve the desired results. I have high expectations for the work
submitted. In order to comprehend how assignments should be submitted for full credit, you must attend
classes.
As the instructor for this class I respect that college students are adult learners. With this respect comes the
obligation that students demonstrate the attributes that make for a successful college student.
Successful students
 attend class,
 make a point to be on time to class,
 come prepared for class,
 actively participate in the educational process.
The goal for our class is to provide a community of learners. A key question to ask yourself is: How much am
I contributing to our class? Our class should be a better place because you are in it!
Each week there will be activities that require active participation in class such as group discussions and
projects. You are usually required to hand in something that relates to these activities or will be graded on your
participation in discussions. My expectation is that you will attend class and be an active learner. Failure to do
so will have negative consequences for your grade. Missed information from class and missed opportunities to
participate in classroom activities will result in you falling behind and performing poorly on tests and
assignments. You will receive points for each class meeting.
In-class activities cannot be made up at a later date.
A class missed due to required participation in a verified school activity will not be considered an absence.
Students who miss class or are absent for any reason, are still responsible for completing all course

3. requirements.
Students that cannot complete the course should drop the course. I cannot drop students.
Classroom Decorum:
I do ask that you follow some general classroom rules that will help to make everyone’s learning experience
positive and productive. Please be ON TIME and DO NOT leave early. It is disruptive to the rest of the class
(and rude) to arrive after class has begun or to leave before the session has ended. Please do not visit during
instructor lectures, guest, student, or group presentations. Please turn off your cell phone during class. Also,
IPods, MP3 players, etc. are not permitted in class. If you miss a class, YOU must get any information you
missed from a classmate. Because all students deserve a safe and secure learning environment, offensive
language of any kind, even meant in jest, will not be tolerated.
Required Assignments
Assignments are completed using information from the textbook and class lectures. All assignments will be
checked in class or submitted to Blackboard, unless directed otherwise by your instructor. If you do not see the
assignment link in Blackboard, the assignment is late and cannot be submitted. Unless required by the
assignment, I will not accept assignments that are e-mailed to me.
Notebook
You will be expected to maintain a notebook for this class. You need to have a 3-ring binder with five tab
dividers. Your syllabus should be on top. The five tab dividers need to be labeled as follows: class notes,
summaries, assignments, quizzes/exams, resources. All papers need to be in order with the most recent on top.
No loose papers will be accepted. The notebook will be turned in during the midterm and final exam.
Summaries
For each reading assignment you will be required to write a summary. Usually a half to a full page is
sufficient. Summaries are evaluated on your understanding and comprehension of the reading selection. These
assignments will be formatted in MLA. I will teach you how to do this in class. In addition, make sure you're
also following these guidelines:
 Capitalize the first letter of the main words in the title
 Capitalize the first letter of a word that begins a sentence
 Two spaces after every period
 Use spell check
 Before you turn in anything, read it aloud. You will hear if you’ve forgotten a word or the sentence isn’t
exactly conveying your thought
Quizzes/Exams
You will be asked to demonstrate you comprehensive knowledge of what you have learned through quizzes, a
midterm and final exam.
Late Work
Late work will not be accepted and students will receive a grade of “0” for assignments not submitted before or
on the due date. If an assignment is due at the start of a class, you must arrive on time with the assignment
complete to receive credit. If you are absent and an assignment is due, you must upload it to Blackboard before
the start of class to receive credit.
Late Attendance Policy
Attendance is taken at the beginning and end of class. You receive two points for being on-time and three
points for staying throughout the class.
Plagiarism
Students are expected to be honest in all aspects of their college education. All work is evaluated on the

4. assumption that the work presented is the student's own. Anything less is unacceptable.
Examples of dishonest practice include but are not limited to:
Cheating - The improper use of books, notes, other students' tests, or other aids during an examination.
It is the responsibility of the student to obtain approval for the use of such aids prior to the time of the
examination; otherwise, they will be considered improper. An "examination" is defined as "any testing
situation in which the score will be used for credit in a course."
Plagiarism – Submission or presentation of a student assignment as one’s own in which substantial
portions are paraphrased without documentation or are identical to published or unpublished material
from another source (including another student’s work). An assignment is defined as “any materials
submitted or presented by a student for credit in a course.”
Discovery of plagiarism can result in a failing grade for that assignment. If a student is caught a second time
that student will receive a failing grade for the class.
WHAT I EXPECT FROM YOU
I expect you to be on time
Class begins at the time specified. Any changes in the class schedule will be discussed in the first ten
minutes of class; if you are not there, it is your responsibility to get this information.
I expect you to listen in class.
This means, turn off the cell phone, stop talking to your neighbor, turn off the computer screen and pay
attention to what is being discussed. You may not work on assignments, answer or read e-mail, surf the
net or print during lecture time. Students who print during a lecture, will have the printout retrieved by
the instructor and will receive no credit for that assignment.
I expect you to ask questions
If you do not understand something, chances are others will be in the same situation. Ask! If I don't
know the answer, I will do whatever necessary to find the answer. If you don’t ask questions, I will
assume that you understand the information being presented.
I expect everyone to be treated with courtesy and respect
Please treat your classmates and me the way you would like to be treated. Your behavior must not
disrupt another student’s ability to be successful in class. Please be aware that this is an educational
setting and people are here to learn. You may not eat or drink in my class. You may not bring your
children, boyfriend, husband, friend or pet to class.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM ME
You can expect my help in reaching your educational goal.
You and I have a common goal, your success. I will do everything possible to help you reach that goal
and will do nothing to hinder you.
You can expect me to provide all information necessary for an assignment
You can expect me to be fair
Since I am a human being, I make mistakes. For example, I may have the wrong due date on an
assignment or may lecture longer than planned and not give enough lab time. If it is my fault, I will
make whatever changes necessary to be fair to you. If I discuss the changes in class and you are not
there, it is then your responsibility to find out what changes are made.
You can expect me to be available for help
I am always available after class for assistance. If I am not in class, I am available to help you via e-
mail. If you may e-mail me questions, I will contact you within 24 hours. Please include your phone
number if possible.
Class Cancelation Policy
If there is an emergency and I am forced to cancel class, I will post an announcement on Blackboard and e-mail
that announcement to you.

5. GRADING PRACTICES:
Testing Procedure
Quizzes will be administered using our Blackboard virtual classroom
You must be in class to take the midterm and final. If you miss the midterm, you will need to call me to make
arrangements to take the midterm before the next class. If you haven’t taken the midterm before the next class
begins, you will receive a score of 0. Anyone missing the final must contact me to make arrangements to come
to the testing center before Friday of finals week and take the final.
Grading
In order to successfully complete this class, the student must show evidence of 80 percent mastery or better.
80% and above = Satisfactory 79% and below = Unsatisfactory
94-100% = A
87-93% = B
80-86% = C
70-79% = D
Below 70% = F
Letter grades will be given for this course. If you would rather have an S/U grade, let me know before the
deadline to request S/U grading.
The final grade will determined as follows:
20% Reading Plus
20% Quizzes & Midterm
20% Summaries/Projects
20% Assignments (in/outside of class), Participation, Notebook
20% Final Exam
As a general rule I do not give Incompletes. However, to be eligible for an Incomplete, a student must have at
least 90 percent of the course work completed. I will only consider awarding an Incomplete if a student meets
the above criteria and has some extreme emergency situation. In such cases, a student requiring an incomplete
must submit a written appeal with full rationale to the instructor by Monday of finals week.
DROP POLICY
It is the student’s responsibility to drop the course. Students are responsible for adding and dropping courses.
Students who stop attending a course without filing a drop request will receive a grade of F.
TVCC E-MAIL AND BLACKBOARD ACCOUNTS
E-mail is the primary source of written communication with all students. Students automatically get a TVCC
e-mail account when they register for courses. Messages from instructors and various offices will be sent to the
students’ TVCC accounts (NOT their personal e-mail accounts). It is the students’ responsibility to check their
TVCC e-mail accounts regularly. Failing to do so will result in missing important messages and deadlines.
Students use the same username and password to login to all TVCC technology: computers, email, Blackboard,
and MyTVCC.
For details about how to log on, visit http://www.tvcc.cc/ISS/student_login.cfm. TVCC uses a Microsoft email
product, so the login page is the same for Hotmail. You MUST add “@students.tvcc.cc” to the end of your
username in order to reach the TVCC server.
CAMPUS COMPUTER USE

6. **Coming
NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT:
It is the policy of the TVCC that there will be no discrimination or harassment on the grounds of race, color,
sex, marital status, religion, national origin, age, or disability in any educational programs, activities or
employment. Persons having questions about equal opportunity and non-discrimination should contact the
Human Resources Director located in the Student Services Center on the south side of the Four Rivers Cultural
Center Building. Telephone (541) 881-8822, ext. 226 or TDD (541) 881-2723.
SPECIAL NEEDS CONTACT STATEMENT:
Persons having questions about or requests for special needs and accommodation should contact the Disabilities
Services Coordinator at Treasure Valley Community College, 650 College Blvd., Ontario, OR 97914.
Telephone (541) 881-8822, ext. 234 or TDD (541) 881- 2723.
See Course Calendar in Bb