Foundation English 1 (10130.2)

Required texts

Facilities and resources

Students should purchase the following textbook for this unit:

• Mooney-Smith, P., & Goss, C. (2014). Key to EAP foundation: A complete English for Academic Purposes Program. Oxford: Oxford Univesity Press. Students will be provided with unit materials for this unit. 

You will also be expected to have:

• an English-English dictionary, such as the Collins Cobuild Students English Dictionary
• an English thesaurus, such as The Essential English Thesaurus
• an exercise book (A5) in which you will be expected to complete various tasks assigned by the lecturer and to submit them as required.
• An electronic device such as a laptop or a tablet to bring to classes when needed.
• Students must be able to access the internet both during and outside of class; and will be expected to regularly check Canvas, the UCC online learning platform.
• to complete various tasks assigned by your lecturer and to submit them as required.

You may also find it helpful to have your own copy of:

• Murphy, R (2015) English Grammar in Use. Fourth edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Oshima, A. & Hogue, A. (2007). Introduction to Academic Writing. Third Edition. NewYork: Pearson Longman.

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Students must submit ALL assessment items to pass this unit. Requests for extension of assignment deadlines must be accompanied by a documented, compelling reason.

Special assessment requirements

The allocation of marks and grades is a matter for the exercise of academic judgment by teaching staff.  This applies both to the marks awarded for individual assignments and to the grade for the unit as a whole.

Assessment will be based on:

• grades obtained for set tasks and assignments;
• contributions to tutorials;
• and in-class tests.

NOTE: To satisfactorily complete the unit, students must:

• satisfactorily attempt ALL assessment components, and
• achieve 50% overall, and
• achieve 50% on the combined scores of the test and exam.

End of unit results will be awarded on a five-point scale:

High Distinction - HD - (85 - 100)

Distinction - DI - (75 - 84)

Credit - CR - (65 - 74)

Pass - P - (50 - 64)

However, all test and exam scores will be moderated across each unit group to ensure consistency. In the event that the student receives a FAIL grade (below 50), one of the following may be used in the final grading:

NX -      Fail result based on failure to reach a pass grade in the unit having completed all assessment.

NC -      Fail result based on failure to complete one or more of the assessment requirements. 

NN -      Fail result based on non-participation.

Others include:

WH -     Withheld result

Additional information for assessment:

• Dates for submission of continuous assessment will be set by your lecturer. 
• Late Submission of Assignments: you will be penalised for handing in your assignments (Descriptive essay and Research Assignment) AFTER the due date.  For each day by which the assignment is late, 5% of the total mark available will be deducted.  Extreme lateness will result in assignments receiving a FAIL grade.
• Presentation of assignments: Please ensure that your assignments are typed using 1.5 line spacing and that on the first page of your assessment item you include your name, student number, course name, lecturer's name, assignment title, topic, and due date. You may use the cover page included in this outline or you can design your own.
• Please retain a hard copy of all assignments submitted. Do not rely on computer files, which can be lost or corrupted or emails which can be lost.
• Extensions will only be given for valid, documented reasons such as serious illness. An approval for an extension must be obtained from the lecturer in writing before the due date and must accompany the assignment when it is submitted.

Academic integrity

Students have a responsibility to uphold University standards on ethical scholarship. Good scholarship involves building on the work of others and use of others' work must be acknowledged with proper attribution made. Cheating, plagiarism, and falsification of data are dishonest practices that contravene academic values. Refer to the University's Student Charter for more information.

To enhance understanding of academic integrity, all students are expected to complete the Academic Integrity Module (AIM) at least once during their course of study. You can access this module within UCLearn (Canvas) through the 'Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism' link in the Study Help site.

Use of Text-Matching Software

The University of Canberra uses text-matching software to help students and staff reduce plagiarism and improve understanding of academic integrity. The software matches submitted text in student assignments against material from various sources: the internet, published books and journals, and previously submitted student texts.

Learner engagement

No additional information

Inclusion and engagement

Illness

In the event that illness adversely affects your formal assessment you must contact the University of Canberra College within 3 working days of the assessment date. You will be required to complete an Application for Special Consideration form and supply supporting documentation, such as a medical certificate which must state the nature of the illness and that the illness would have affected your performance in the relevant assessment task.

Participation requirements

Course participants on Student Visas are required to attend more than 80% of all classes. The College will check student attendance every fortnight and is required to inform the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) of any students who breach the attendance regulation. In cases where a student is unable to provide appropriate documentation and a satisfactory explanation, the Student Visa may be canceled.

All absences are counted over the three terms of the course. This means that if you had many absences in term 1 and less in the other terms (or none in the other terms) the absences in term 1 are still counted. This also means it is very easy to get below the 80% unless you are very careful.

In addition, there is a strong correlation between poor attendance and failure in a unit because students who have a poor attendance record find it difficult to keep up with the work being presented. Since Intercultural Communication includes a continuous assessment component as part of its overall assessment, poor attendance means that students will not be in class to participate and this will make it difficult for a student to fulfill the requirements of this part of the assessment.

Required IT skills

You must have the use of a computer to complete some of the assignments. 

In-unit costs

Please take advice from the UC College administration.

Work placement, internships or practicums

None

Additional information

Academic integrity

Students have a responsibility to uphold University standards on ethical scholarship.  Good scholarship involves building on the work of others and use of others' work must be acknowledged with proper attribution made. All assignments submitted must be your own work. 
 

Plagiarism includes

• reproducing (copying word for word)
• paraphrasing (without sufficient acknowledgement)
• summarizing (without sufficient acknowledgement) or
• otherwise presenting in altered or unaltered form, another person's ideas or arguments without acknowledgement.

This means that cheating, plagiarism and falsification of data from other sources, whether from published texts, Internet sources or from other students' work will result in FAIL grades. Please see UC's Academic Integrity Policy

To enhance understanding of academic integrity, students may complete the LearnOnline Academic Integrity Module (AIM). The module is automatically available as a listed site when students log into LearnOnline. The Study Skills Centre provides opportunities to enhance student understanding of academic integrity.Under normal circumstances, illness (with a medical certificate) is the only valid reason that will be considered for extensions for major written assignments and absences from oral presentations and examinations. In the case of illness, you will be given the opportunity to submit work at a later date or give oral presentations within the term dates, at a time convenient to both you and the lecturer. If you are unable to attend classes due to illness or other serious cause, you will need to obtain from the lecturer the material used, and to familiarise yourself with it before the next class you attend. In addition, you will need to contact the University of Canberra College to fill in a notification of absence form together with supporting evidence (for example, medical certificate). Please do not delay seeking medical advice in the case of illness because the sooner you receive treatment, the sooner you will be able to return to class. You will need to present a medical certificate to UC College as soon as possible to explain your absences from class.

Use of text-matching software

The University of Canberra has available, through LearnOnline (Canvas), text-matching software that helps students and staff reduce plagiarism and improve understandings of academic integrity. Known as URKUND, the software matches submitted text in student assignments against material from various sources: the internet, published books and journals, and previously submitted student texts. Click here for further information on the URKUND text-matching software

• UC College Trimester 2, 2023, On-Campus, UC - University of Canberra College, Bruce (215975)
• UC College Trimester 1, 2023, On-Campus, UC - University of Canberra College, Bruce (215977)