COMPOSITION I COURSE SYLLABUS

ENGLISH 1301, Section 023

Fall 2010

CYP 1109

Instructor: Susan Patterson

Course: English Composition I (ENGL 1301)

Office Hours: Thursdays, 6PM to 7PM; Saturdays, 8AM to 10AM and by appointment

Email: spatter2@austincc.edu

Course Description

ENGLISH 1301 is a study of the principles of composition with emphasis on language, the mechanics of writing, types of discourse, and research and documentation.

Required Texts and Materials

Lennis Polnac’s Purpose, Pattern, and Process, eighth edition

Kennedy’s (ed.) Brief Bedford Reader, tenth edition

Composition I folder available at the ACC bookstore

Suggested: current edition of a dictionary

Requirements

All students in all sections will write between five and nine essays over the course of the semester, including an essay written under supervision in the Testing Center, known as the Departmental Exam, which must be passed to pass the course with a minimum grade of “C.” Of these essays, one will be a research paper of at least 1000 words, and one will be a textual analysis.  The research paper will use MLA style and will require a minimum of three sources, including at least two different types of sources. The remaining essays will achieve at least two of the following rhetorical aims:  expressive, literary, referential, and persuasive.  Together, all papers will comprise a minimum of 3500 words.  In writing each essay, students will use one or more of the following methods of development:  cause and effect, comparison/contrast, classification, definition, description, illustration, narration, process analysis, and evaluation.  They will also complete The Info Game, http://library.austincc.edu/infogame.htm, an on-line information literacy program.  Instructors may also assign readings, quizzes, multiple drafts, and other activities that affect final grades.  Instructors will provide specific written guidelines for each assignment and may require part or all of at least one paper to be written under supervision.

Letter Grades

Your instructor will assign letter or number grades to some or all required essays.  Students will be given the opportunity to draft and revise each required essay assignment one or more times (instructor will determine how many times and how final grade will be awarded).  Students will also be required to pass the Departmental Exam (see description below) in the Testing Center to pass the course with a minimum grade of “C.”  Your instructor’s grading system will be explained in detail in his or her individual course syllabus.

A= 90 to 100

B= 89 to 80

C= 79 to 70

D= 69 to 60

F = 59 and below

Essays: 55%

Homework, Quizzes, etc.: 15%

Research Paper: 25%

Class Participation: 5%

To be reviewed, papers must conform to class format guidelines, and pages must be stapled together. Identify each assignment with your name, the time and date of the class meeting, and the assignment number. You must submit any revised, edited, or rewritten paper stapled to the original paper assignment. Edits or revisions without originals will not be read.

Submitting Assignments

You may submit no more than one paper (original, edit, rewrite, or revision) per submission and per day. Papers must be submitted in sequence, #1 before #2, for example. Students are encouraged to turn in assignments before due dates. Please submit any papers in person to me in class or during my office hours.

I will not accept papers via email; however, you can bring late papers to the faculty mailroom and request mailroom staff to place papers in my mailbox. They will time and date stamp your assignment. If you leave your papers in the classroom on the desk, they may not reach your instructor. You are responsible and will receive no credit if papers are lost.

When you submit an assignment to me, I will grade it and return it to you within two class meetings. I will accept not papers written during lecture, discussion, or class presentation. If you write your papers or complete assignments for another course during class presentations, you will be asked to leave the class.

Attendance

I expect regular attendance, careful class preparation, and regular progress on written assignments. Roll will be taken at the beginning of every class meeting. I do not withdraw students from class for non-attendance, but failure to attend class regularly will affect your course grade. Handouts describing assignments will be distributed in class. If you do not attend, you must obtain copies of handouts from classmates.

The Departmental Exam

The Departmental Exam will be taken under supervision in the Testing Center.  Given a selection to read, you will write an interpretive essay of at least 750 words analyzing the selection. This essay will be evaluated "ACCEPTED" or "RETEST" only.  If you do not pass on the first try, you may retest twice.  Your essay must include a summary, analysis, and evaluation and must demonstrate the following: 

• Coherence, critical thinking, and an understanding of the selection's thesis, purpose(s), and method(s) of organization;

• Adherence to stylistic, grammatical, and mechanical conventions

Enrollment in ENGL 1302 requires credit for 1301, or its equivalent, with a least a grade of “C.”  Instructor will verify.

Your instructor may establish deadlines by which you must complete a specific number of assignments or be subject to WITHDRAWAL from the course.  It is your responsibility to know whether your instructor will withdraw you if you do not meet such deadlines.

Incomplete

Occasionally, an incomplete grade may be given if the student has a compelling reason and has already completed at least 50% of the coursework with a C average or better. In order to obtain an incomplete, the student must work with the instructor to complete the Incomplete Grade Form. This is essentially a contract between the student and the instructor in which the student promises to complete and hand in the work before the given date, usually one month after the start of the next semester. Please see me if you wish to be considered for an incomplete in this course.

NOTE:  You must provide your instructor with a Composition I File Folder (available in the bookstores) for your papers.  Your instructor will keep your folder for one semester following your enrollment.  You are responsible for making copies of any papers you want to keep for your files.    

Scholastic Dishonesty

Acts prohibited by the College for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty (e.g., cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work).  Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research, or self-expression.  Academic work is defined as (but not limited to) tests and quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations; and homework. 

Student Freedom of Expression

Each student is strongly encouraged to participate in class.  In any classroom situation that includes discussion and critical thinking, there are bound to be many differing viewpoints.  These differences enhance the learning experience and create an atmosphere where students and instructors alike will be encouraged to think and learn.  On sensitive and volatile topics, students may sometimes disagree not only with each other but also with the instructor.  It is expected that faculty and students will respect the views of others when expressed in classroom discussions.  

Students with Disabilities

Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities.  Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes.  Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the semester. Additional information about support services available to ACC students can be found online at www.austincc.edu/support/advising

Semester Course Calendar

You are required to keep up with the reading assignments and quizzes will be given. Readings appear in Purpose, Pattern, and Process (PPP) and in The Brief Bedford Reader (BBR). Additional reading material may be distributed in class.

Withdrawal Policy

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.

Semester Course Calendar

You are required to keep up with the reading assignments and quizzes will be given. Readings appear in Purpose, Pattern, and Process (PPP) and in The Brief Bedford Reader (BBR). Additional reading material may be distributed in class. THE COURSE CALENDAR IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE, AS NEEDED, TO COVER THE MATERIAL SUFFICIENTLY. Students will be asked to read additional essays from the appendices of Purpose, Pattern, and Process throughout the semester.

Semester Course Calendar

You are required to keep up with the reading assignments and quizzes will be given. Readings appear in Purpose, Pattern, and Process (PPP) and in The Brief Bedford Reader (BBR). Additional reading material may be distributed in class. THE COURSE CALENDAR IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE, AS NEEDED, TO COVER THE MATERIAL SUFFICIENTLY. Students will be asked to read additional essays from the appendices of Purpose, Pattern, and Process throughout the semester.

Course Objectives

The goals of Composition I are to promote

• Critical thinking, reading, and writing;

• Clear, coherent, confident, and effective communication;

• Collaborative writing and learning.

Course Outcomes

Upon completion of English 1301, students should be able to:

• Identify rhetorical purposes and methods of organization appropriate to topic, thesis, and audience;

• Collect, read, analyze, and use information from a wide range of sources;

• Write a coherent essay observing appropriate grammatical, mechanical, and stylistic conventions; and

• Evaluate, edit, and revise at all stages of the writing process.