INRW 0230 | Integrated Reading & Writing

Overview

This Departmental Syllabus, which applies to all sections of INRW 0230 across Austin Community College, supplements any section specific syllabus that the instructor may provide. The instructor’s syllabus will include specific class structure for your section, along with the instructors contact information, office hours, the location and time of the course, required books and materials, reading and writing assignments, grading and other policies (such as lateness and attendance), a course schedule of assignments and deadlines for the semester, and the instructor’s description of the course.

The following headings and information may be used in any order to align with the professor’s design, and may include information about the college credit course that is part of the INRW 0230 coreq pair. Following the heading and information explanations, there is a syllabus example.

Course Description (Credit Hours)

Emphasis on increased proficiency of comprehension skills, vocabulary development, and rate of reading. Ninth grade reading level required.

Course Rationale

Integrated Reading and Writing Strategies is designed to prepare students to deal successfully with college-level reading. Students who scored below the cut-off on the reading assessment must enroll and participate in a developmental reading course until they satisfy the TSI requirement. Students who do not comply with the TSI requirements may have a hold put on their transcripts and be required to see an advisor to register for classes.

Delivery Options

ONL, DLS, HYC — Distance Learning gives ACC students the opportunity to earn credit through non-traditional courses that are taught fully or partially online. Course content and transferability are identical to classes offered on campus.

Prerequisites

One of the following must apply:

TSI 1.0 Rdg >344; & Writing >340; Essay 3–5 or Writing <340 Essay 1–5
TSI 2.0 910–944; DT 4; Essay 3–8
TSI 2.0 910–944; DT 3; Essay 6 or higher
TSI 2.0 >945 Essay 1–4
A grade of C or better in INRW 0420.

INRW Objectives

Student will:

Locate the main ideas and supporting details in written text including the student’s own work.
Through inferencing, and deductive/inductive reasoning:
- Build vocabulary and determine the meanings of words and phrases,
- Analyze the relationship among ideas in written material to draw conclusions, and
- Use these critical thinking skills to evaluate written materials.
Identify and define a writer’s audience, purpose, point of view, tone, and intended meaning.
Apply study skills to written assignments.
Demonstrate cohesive sentence structure void of fragments, run-ons, and comma splices.
Explore the validity of sources needed for documentation.
Annotating college-level texts and textbooks through the use of note-taking strategies and summarization.

Learning Outcomes

INRW Course Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, students will:

Analyze the impact of reading and writing independently and using critical thinking, problem-solving approaches in college-level materials to learn, study, and communicate with diverse opinions and values in a free society to support life-long learning.
Select and monitor the effectiveness of reading strategies, including vocabulary building techniques, appropriate to purpose and text.
Select and monitor the effectiveness of writing strategies including a recursive vs. linear writing process, editing skills, transitions, thesis development, and paragraph development/cohesion.
Select and demonstrate various study skills and methods to meet the reading and writing demands of college courses.
Demonstrate ability to use reading and writing skills to participate in academic debate on issues of importance to the society and the world at large.
Write a well-organized, cohesive essay including a developed introduction paragraph, multiple body paragraphs beginning with topic sentences and support, and a conclusion.
Demonstrate academic ability to respond to types of assessments including graded assignments, compiling a portfolio, composing a short answer response for an in-class assessment, crafting a book review, analyzing primary and secondary sources, test preparation, and formal exams.

College Credit Specific Outcomes

INRW 0230 is an exit level course that is paired (coreq’d) with a college credit course. While most of our partners are ENGL 1301, the program pairs with other disciplines. College professors will include their specific partners’ information.

Student Technology Support

Students who do not have the necessary technology to complete their ACC courses can request to borrow devices from Student Technology Services. Available devices include iPads, webcams, headsets, calculators, etc. Students must be registered for a credit course, Adult Education, or Continuing Education course to be eligible. For more information, including how to request a device, visit austincc.edu/sts (opens in new tab) . Student Technology Services offers phone, live-chat, and email-based technical support for students and can provide support on topics such as password resets, accessing or using Blackboard, access to technology, etc. To view hours of operation and ways to request support, visit austincc.edu/sts (opens in new tab) .

Use and Retention of Student Work

Written artifacts from this course may be used for research and publicity purposes after the course has ended. Papers and anything used will have student names removed to maintain student confidentiality. If you do not want your written work used for these purposes, please send an email to your instructor that states you would like to opt-out. Opting out will have no effect on your grade. Professors will retain either electronic or physical copies of course work for one semester following enrollment. Students are responsible for making copies of any papers they want to keep for their files.

Section-Specific Policies

Required Texts & Materials

Individual professors will assign required texts and materials for their sections. Students are responsible for acquiring those texts and materials in a timely manner. The section syllabus will indicate if no textbook purchase is required (ZTC) or if open educational resources (OER) are used.

Instructional Methodology

Individual professors will indicate their most common methods for instructing students, including (but not limited to) lecture, discussion, small group activities, writing workshops, and service learning.

Distance Education Information (if applicable)

Sections with any distance education component will specify whether they are fully online, hybrid, or hy-flex and whether they are synchronous or asynchronous. They will also specify any technology requirements for students. This is only required for distance education sections.

Assignment Information

Individual professors will provide their own information on the types of assignments they will include (such as essays, in-class writing, quizzes, journals, homework, group work, presentations, etc.) and will provide an overview of major assignments or essays.

Grading Policy

Individual professors will provide grading criteria and explain their grading system in detail. Professors may use a range of methodologies to assign grades for individual assignments and for the course, but all assignments (such as essays, in-class writing, quizzes, journals, homework, group work, presentations, etc.) will align with course goals and learning outcomes.

Course Outline / Calendar

Individual professors will provide a course outline/calendar of important due dates for their sections. This outline may include any special themes, units, or guiding principles unique to certain sections.

Attendance / Participation

Individual professors will enforce their own policies for attendance and participation, including whether and how attendance is taken and whether and how participation is assessed. However, early in the semester, all professors are required to certify attendance by a deadline set by ACC. Students who have not attended class by that date will be withdrawn. In online sections, logging into the class learning system (i.e. Blackboard) or completing work may count as attendance.

Withdrawals

Individual professors will enforce their own withdrawal policies based on progress and attendance. However, it is important to know that The Texas State Legislature passed a bill stating that students who first enroll in public colleges and universities beginning in fall 2007 and thereafter may not withdraw from more than six classes during their undergraduate college career. See ACC Student Handbook for further information. The instructor may establish deadlines by which students must complete a specific number of assignments, amount of progress, or level of attendance in order to remain in a class. If students do not meet the instructor’s requirements, they may be subject to WITHDRAWAL from the course. It is the student’s responsibility to know an instructor’s withdrawal policies.

Missed Exams or Late Work

Individual professors will enforce their own policies for missing and late work. This may include whether or not late work is accepted, when it is accepted, and what penalty may be assessed.

Incompletes

Individual professors will have their own policies as to Incompletes as a final grade. Students should be certain that they know what their professor’s policy is.

Academic Misconduct & Plagiarism

Austin Community College values academic integrity in the educational process. Acts of academic dishonesty/misconduct undermine the learning process, present a disadvantage to students who earn credit honestly, and subvert the academic mission of the institution. The potential consequences of fraudulent credentials raise additional concerns for individuals and communities beyond campus who rely on institutions of higher learning to certify students’ academic achievements and expect to benefit from the claimed knowledge and skills of their graduates. Students must follow all instructions given by faculty or designated college representatives when taking examinations, placement assessments, tests, quizzes, and evaluations. Actions constituting scholastic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, collusion, falsifying documents, or the inappropriate use of the college’s information technology resources. Further information is available at austincc.edu/about-acc/academic-integrity-and-disciplinary-process (opens in new tab)

Plagiarism can be defined as using the words and ideas of another writer without acknowledging the debt. Plagiarism takes many forms, including the omission of parenthetical citations, the failure to place quotation marks around direct or modified content taken from another source, and another person writing the essay for the student. It is of utmost importance for students to understand that in academic and professional life, plagiarism of any kind is absolutely unacceptable. Therefore, acts of plagiarism, major or minor, may have serious repercussions, which could include a failing grade, expulsion from the class, and/or disciplinary action on the part of the College. Specific policies can be found in individual faculty syllabi; College policies can be found in the ACC Student Handbook. Plagiarism also includes collusion, a problem that happens when someone other than the student contributes a substantial portion of the essay for the student. Please note that having a friend or paid tutor contribute to a paper in the form of adding content or extensive revising or editing will be considered collusion, a form of plagiarism.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

While the firm expectation for all courses is that student work will reflect authentic (student-generated) effort and original critical thinking, the use of AI tools may support student learning and equip them to engage critically with artificial intelligence academically, professionally, and personally.

Introduction

The Composition and Literary Studies department recognizes that AI technology offers both risks and opportunities for writers. Individual CLS faculty have the freedom to set their own specific policies on whether and how students can use both types of AI in their classes. They may opt to disallow all AI or allow certain types within certain parameters. Please consult individual instructors’ syllabi for policies and information about the seven sections below that are specific to your course or section.

Definition

In setting policies, we think about two types of AI:

Instructive AI (Grammarly, Packback, etc.), which can help check existing writing
Generative AI (ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.), which can generate writing and images from scratch

Rationale

CLS expects students to put their own effort into each step of the writing process, including generating ideas, drafting, and revising. Even when AI is allowed, it should not substitute for a student’s critical thinking. Instructors may check for individual effort and originality in various ways, including in-class writing, conferences, and peer review.

CLS requires that all final assignments reflect a student’s unique ideas stated in their original words and sentences. Any ideas or phrasing that are not directly from a student must be properly attributed to their sources. Even when AI is allowed, it should not be used to generate content that will be graded as if it were a student’s own.

CLS requires that any use of Generative or Instructional AI, even as part of prewriting, must be documented. Individual instructors will explain their standards and methods for this documentation.

CLS requires that instructors’ individual policies discuss the data privacy, bias, accuracy, and plagiarism risks of Generative AI. Students must be able to make an informed decision before using this technology.

While the firm expectation for all courses is that student work will reflect authentic (student-generated) effort and original critical thinking, individual professors will enforce their own policies on the use and documentation of generative AI technology. Where generative AI technology is allowed, its use must be documented. Instructional AI tools (such as spelling and grammar checking tools, Grammarly, Quillbot, and Packback) are generally considered acceptable aids to writing. However, individual instructors may provide specific guidelines or place certain restrictions on the use of these tools.

Sample Syllabus Structure

The following is an example syllabus structure showing how an individual instructor might build a section-specific syllabus for INRW 0230 paired with ENGL 1301. It is reproduced verbatim from the source departmental syllabus document and is intended as a reference for instructors.

Course Header

Integrated Reading Writing Strategies

INRW 0230 Coreq with ENGL 1301

Instructor Name:
Course Name and Number: Integrated Reading and Writing Strategies
Section: Synonym: INRW 0240
How to Reach the Instructor:
Posted Office Hours (in-person and virtually):
Office Location and Number:
Phone:
Email:

Course Description and Rationale: INRW 0230 (2 credit hours)

This is a two-credit hours course that focuses on the integration of critical reading and academic writing skills. This course is not for college-level credit. Repeatable up to six-credit hours. INRW 0230 is a co-requisite course that will be paired with a college level course. Emphasis on increased proficiency of comprehension skills, vocabulary development, and rate of reading. Ninth grade reading level required. Integrated Reading and Writing Strategies is designed to prepare students to deal successfully with college-level reading. Students who scored below the cut-off on the reading and writing assessment must enroll and participate in a developmental reading course until they satisfy the TSI requirement. Students who do not comply with the TSI requirements may have a hold put on their transcripts and be required to see an advisor to register for classes

Prerequisites

TSI 1.0 Rdg >344; & Writing >340; Essay 3–5 or Writing <340 Essay 1–5
TSI 2.0 910–944; DT 4; Essay 3–8
TSI 2.0 910–944; DT 3; Essay 6 or higher
TSI 2.0 >945 Essay 1–4
A grade of C or better in INRW 0420.

Distance Education

This course has an online learning component. It means that this course meets synchronously one day a week through ZOOM. The meeting time is the same as the on-campus class time, but you do not need to come to campus for ZOOM. It is important that you have a computer, laptop, or tablet, and access to the Internet, and ZOOM. Attendance is required and taken daily.

Students must remember that online learning will require more independent and self-directed learning. Success in an online learning environment will depend on students creating a study space, managing their time more efficiently, checking their email and signing into their course often, motivating themselves, and reaching out for assistance when needed.

Students will use the Blackboard Learning Management System (BB) for assignment instructions, acquiring reading materials, submitting assignments, taking quizzes and exams, and checking grades. ZOOM is used for meetings and collaboration.

Course Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, students will:

Locate explicit textual information, draw complex inferences, and describe, analyze, and evaluate the information within and across multiple texts of varying lengths.
Comprehend and use vocabulary effectively in oral communication, reading, and writing.
Identify and analyze the audience, purpose, and message across a variety of texts.
Describe and apply insights gained from reading and writing a variety of texts.
Compose a variety of texts that demonstrate reading comprehension, clear focus, logical development of ideas, and use of appropriate language that advances the writer’s purpose.
Determine and use effective rhetorical strategies for reading and writing.
Generate ideas and gather information relevant to the topic and purpose, and incorporate the ideas and words of other writers by using informal documentation and/or established formal documentation strategies, such as Modern Language Association (MLA) or American Psychological Association (APA).
Evaluate relevance and quality of ideas and information in recognizing, formulating, and developing a claim.
Develop and use effective reading and revision strategies to strengthen the writer’s ability to compose college-level writing assignments.
Recognize and apply the conventions of standard written English.
Consider arguments and conclusions of self and others
Construct well-reasoned arguments to explain phenomena, validate conjectures, and support positions and gather evidence to support arguments, findings, and lines of reasoning
Support and modify claims based on the results of an inquiry
Use effective pre-reading strategies
Use a variety of strategies to understand the meanings of new words
Identify the intended purpose and audience of the text
Identify the key information and supporting details

ENGL 1301 (Comp 1) Specific Outcomes

After completing this course, students will:

Demonstrate ability to read a variety of texts from essays, articles, academic research papers, and college textbook chapters.
Perform a close reading of texts for annotative and interpretive purposes
Use inferencing skills to bring tacit ideas into explicit knowledge or ideas about textual meanings.
Close readings and annotations may include: major topics, important main ideas, supporting details that support the topic of the essay, strong lines and weak lines, and vocabulary building.
Compose a variety of texts that exhibit characteristics of various writing patterns and purposes
- expressive, compare contrast, persuasive, argumentative, referential, literary, narration, evaluation, etc.
Demonstrate the writing process as a tool to improve as a writer.
Reflect on self-performance through writing.
Condense results of annotation to a summary.
Compose a well-organized essay including the following:
- Introduction (hook, lead-in/background information, thesis)
- Body Paragraphs (topic sentence, support sentences, concluding sentence)
- Conclusion (summary, call to action, lasting impression, tie up loose ends, etc.)
Apply study skills to simulate exams and assignments in introductory college courses to prepare for future course success:
- Recognize appropriate study skills based on task objective(s).
- Identify the basic steps of the study skills needed for the task objective(s).
- Demonstrate time management for the study based skills prior to the task’s due date.
- Demonstrate decision-making ability under similar pressure to the experience during the task objective(s).

INDS: African and African American Diaspora Studies Student Learning Outcomes

The following outcomes are developed in this literature course section. Upon completion of the course, students will demonstrate competence in:

Sociopolitical Systems — Analyze sociopolitical systems and their impact on people of African descent.
Historical Developments — Describe historical development of the African and African diaspora experience that reflects continuity and change, and the different component parts of the human experience.
Interdisciplinary Analysis — Analyze the experiences of people of African descent using the perspectives, data, and interpretations from two or more disciplinary fields (e.g., historical studies, cultural studies, social studies).
Disciplinary Analysis — Identify the interconnection of historical, legal, literary, and artistic analyses in order to pursue advanced studies in African American Studies, and/or in other related disciplines in the humanities and the social and behavioral sciences.

Instructional Methodology

This is a hybrid course. You will meet on the Highland Campus on Tuesdays and online on Thursdays. It is a discussion inquiry course using videos, writing assignments, power points, and other reading materials to build and strengthen critical literacy skills.

Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

Generative AI is not permitted in this course. GAI is a type of artificial intelligence that can learn from and mimic large amounts of data to create content such as text, images, music, videos, code and more, based on inputs or prompts (Harvard University Information Technology). GAI is prohibited in this course because the course objectives include practicing reading, writing and thinking skills that are foundational to understanding future college level materials, composing original written assignments and thinking for oneself. Generative Artificial Intelligence may not be used to complete the pre or post assessments, daily homework assignments, Discussion Posts or Daily Question Cards, practice essays for the Content Tests, or any item included in the portfolio. Students suspected of using AI to complete assignments may receive a zero for the AI produced work. For crossover work with ENGL 1301, I will be following the guidelines of your professor in that course (please consult that syllabus) and be sure to follow all citation guidelines.

Student Technology Support

Required Texts & Materials

Zero textbook costs. Faculty will provide text and students will be responsible to print them

Grading Policy

Grades will be earned on the following basis:

A 100–90
B 89–80
C 79–70
D 69–60 Student must repeat the course.
F Student did not complete course requirements or has an average below 60

Assignments / Descriptions

Specific assignments are generally reading responses and essays but may include additional articles and textbook excerpts, tutorial, supplemental readings, comprehension questions, vocabulary, and independent research. Please read all materials and complete assignments in the weekly folders.

Exams

There may be up to three exams in this course. Exam design may include but is not limited to an essay, multiple choice, presentation, an original creation or a combination of the aforementioned. Each exam will reflect or cover information learned leading up to the exam. Quizzes, readings, activities, and discussions aid the understanding, analysis, and synthesis of the material and prepare for examination. There are no makeup exams. They must be completed by the due date at 11:30 pm or presented in class on the due date if there is a presentation. Notes and text are encouraged on all ONLINE exams.

Class Participation & Discussion Boards

Class participation is a necessary way to learn. It keeps you motivated, engaged, and improves your academic performance. You will learn from your peers, most likely to remember a greater portion of the information, support your ideas, and expand existing knowledge.

BB discussion entries will occur with most of the required readings. They are most advantageous when completed before class discussions. This is another method to facilitate instruction, evaluate your understanding of the materials and critically respond to your peers.

Attendance

Attendance for this course is required to facilitate growth, comprehension, and connection to the college. Attendance is taken daily at the beginning of the course and is part of your overall grade. It is your responsibility to inform me to change your absence to tardy at the end of the course. Three tardies constitute an absence. So please be on time.

Quizzes

There will be short quizzes that cover the assigned readings and/or concepts. Quizzes are not accepted late. They must be completed by the due date. It is your responsibility to be prepared when taking the quizzes. You may use your notes and texts to assist you.

At A Glance Tentative Course Outline / Calendar

Please see Folder(s) for specific assignments and due dates. Note that schedule changes may occur during the semester. Any changes will be announced in class and posted in the current weekly folder.

Week 1 — Introductions, Course Design, Setup & Purpose — Syllabus & Syllabus Assignment

Course Policies

Attendance / Class Participation

Attendance is expected for all meetings times. All assignments and activities outlined in the BB folder must be completed by the identified due dates. Regular and timely class participation in discussions and completion of work is expected of all students. Students who miss more than three hours of class (2 days) will be at risk of being withdrawn. If attendance or compliance with course policies is unsatisfactory, the instructor may withdraw students from the class. Please be mindful that if you are TSI complete and are taking this course, you are required to complete the course. If you drop this course, you will be dropped from English 1301.

Missed Exam and Late Work Policies

Unless otherwise noted, assignments, quizzes, and exams are due by 11:30 PM of the due date. Only assignments are accepted late. They are accepted 1 week later than the due date at 11:30 PM. However, 10% is deducted. Discussion Boards, Quizzes and Exams must be completed on or before the deadline at 11:30 PM. No exceptions!

Communications

It is very important that students use their ACC email to communicate to the professor. Usage of Non-ACC emails can delay or prevent a response to inquiries. Using your ACC email, students may communicate with the professor via direct email, email through Blackboard, or calling the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays before 3:30 pm. Response to student inquiries will occur within 24 hours except on the weekends. Inquiries made after 12 pm Friday will receive a response the following Monday.

Withdrawal Policy

It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that his or her name is removed from the rolls should they decide to withdraw from the class. The instructor does, however, reserve the right to drop a student should he or she feel it is necessary. If a student decides to withdraw, he or she should also verify that the withdrawal is recorded before the Final Withdrawal Date. The Final Withdrawal Date for this semester is Day Month Date. The student is also strongly encouraged to keep any paperwork in case a problem arises.

Students are responsible for understanding the impact that withdrawal from a course may have on their financial aid, veterans’ benefits, and international student status. Per state law, students enrolling for the first time in Fall 2007 or later at any public Texas college or university may not withdraw (receive a “W”) from more than six courses during their undergraduate college education. Some exemptions for good cause could allow a student to withdraw from a course without having it count toward this limit. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with an advisor when making decisions about course selection, course loads, and course withdrawals.”

Incompletes

“An incomplete (grade of “I”) will only be given for extenuating circumstances. What constitutes “extenuating circumstances” is left to the instructor’s discretion. If a grade of I is given, the remaining course work must be completed by a date set by the student and professor. This date may not be later than two weeks prior to the end of the following semester. A grade of I also requires completion and submission of the Incomplete Grade form, to be signed by the faculty member (and student if possible) and submitted to the department chair.

Students may request an Incomplete from their faculty member if they believe circumstances warrant. The faculty member will determine whether the Incomplete is appropriate to award or not. The following processes must be followed when awarding a student an I grade.

Prior to the end of the semester in which the “I” is to be awarded, the student must meet with the instructor to determine the assignments and exams that must be completed prior to the deadline date. This meeting can occur virtually or in person. The instructor should complete the Report of Incomplete Grade form.
The faculty member will complete the form, including all requirements to complete the course and the due date, sign (by typing in name) and then email it to the student. The student will then complete his/her section, sign (by typing in name), and return the completed form to the faculty member to complete the agreement. A copy of the fully completed form can then be emailed by the faculty member to the student and the department chair for each grade of Incomplete that the faculty member submits at the end of the semester.
The student must complete all remaining work by the date specified on the form above. This date is determined by the instructor in collaboration with the student, but it may not be later than the final withdrawal deadline in the subsequent long semester.
Students will retain access to the course Blackboard page through the subsequent semester in order to submit work and complete the course. Students will be able to log on to Blackboard and have access to the course section materials, assignments, and grades from the course and semester in which the Incomplete was awarded.
When the student completes the required work by the Incomplete deadline, the instructor will submit an electronic Grade Change Form to change the student’s performance grade from an “I” to the earned grade of A, B, C, D, or F.

If an Incomplete is not resolved by the deadline, the grade automatically converts to an “F.” Approval to carry an Incomplete for longer than the following semester or session deadline is not frequently granted.

Statement on Academic Integrity

Austin Community College values academic integrity in the educational process. Acts of academic dishonesty/misconduct undermine the learning process, present a disadvantage to students who earn credit honestly, and subvert the academic mission of the institution. The potential consequences of fraudulent credentials raise additional concerns for individuals and communities beyond campus who rely on institutions of higher learning to certify students’ academic achievements and expect to benefit from the claimed knowledge and skills of their graduates. Students must follow all instructions given by faculty or designated college representatives when taking examinations, placement assessments, tests, quizzes, and evaluations. Actions constituting scholastic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, collusion, falsifying documents, generative A.I. or the inappropriate use of the college’s information technology resources. Further information is available at austincc.edu/about-acc/academic-integrity-and-disciplinary-process (opens in new tab)

Statement on Artificial Intelligence (AI) — Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

Use and Retention of Student Work

(See BB for Detailed College-wide Policy Information)

Last updated August 18, 2026

Related Resources

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