English 1301 Syllabus South Plains College Improves Each Student's Life South Plains College: Reese Center Course Title: English 1301: Composition I ENGL 1301._________________________ Instructor: Ed Sears Office: RC 316 H Phone: 806-716-4691 FAX: 806-885-1783 Email: [email protected] Office Hours: Monday through Thursday 12:15 –1:00 Monday & Wednesday 5:15 – 5:30 Tuesday & Thursday 3:45 – 4:30 Friday 9:00 – 12:00 I. General Course Information A. Course Description: The purpose of English 1301 is to help students understand and apply the standards of correctness in formal thought and the written English language. English 1301 helps students to think well by teaching them to read and write well through its focus on the writing process, on the use of appropriate grammar and diction, on the use of logic, and on the different methods of essay development. B. Course Objectives: By the end of English 1301, the student should have written the equivalent of six 500-word papers that reflect the ability: 1. to understand writing as a process, that is, writing conceived as a connected and interactive process which includes prewriting, writing, and revision; 2. to apply the principles of writing as a process and the analysis of audience and purpose to writing assignments; 3. to write an essay that follows the principles of unity and coherence and that is appropriately developed to support a thesis by means of narration, description, illustration, definition, process analysis, cause and effect, comparison and contrast, classification and division, argumentation, and/or persuasion; 4. to write an essay in standard American English, the criteria for standard American English being those described in the current required handbook; 5. to understand and apply basic principles of critical thinking in the development of exposition and argument. C. Course Competencies: To be eligible to pass this course, each student must complete the following minimum requirements: 1. Turn in to the instructor at least one of the assigned papers. 2. Complete the Skills Assessment Exam. Any student not meeting all these minimum requirements will receive a course grade of F. D. Academic Integrity: 1. "It is the aim of the faculty of South Plains College to foster a spirit of complete honesty and a high standard of integrity. The attempt of any student to present as his or her own any work which he or she has not honestly performed is regarded by the faculty and administration as a most serious offense and renders the offender liable to serious consequences, possibly suspension." (South Plains College General Catalog). 2. Except in extreme cases, disciplinary action in cases of cheating or plagiarism will be handled by and at the discretion of the instructor and, if necessary, in consultation with the departmental chairperson. Depending on the nature and the severity of the problem, individual instructors may assign penalties ranging from a score of zero for the assignment to a grade of "F" for the course. Extreme cases may result in disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from South Plains College. II. Specific Course/Instructor Requirements A. Recommended textbook: Hacker & Sommers, A Writer’s Reference, 7th Ed., Bedford/St. Martin’s—13:928-0-312-60146-1. B. Attendance Policy: 1. ―Punctual and regular attendance is required of all students attending South Plains College. There are no excused absences.‖ – South Plains College Student Guide.English 1301 Syllabus South Plains College Improves Each Student's Life 2. Students do not need to provide any kind of doctor’s note, police report, funeral notice, etc. to document the reason for an absence. 3. Students will receive no credit for any in-class work missed due to absence, arriving late, or leaving early. This includes but is not limited to quizzes, exercises, or essays. 4. Absence is not an acceptable excuse for turning in papers late. The final draft of each paper will be turned in as an attachment to email. 5. Students are responsible for any and all lectures and discussions covered in class and assignments made during class whether they are present or not. The instructor will not repeat lessons missed because of absence. Lecture recordings are available by request through Blackboard ™. C. Assignment Policy: 1. Students will be assigned 5 papers of 500 to 750 words each. 2. All papers will be typed using the format specified in class. In-class work will be handwritten. Electronic versions of the papers will be required for grading. 3. All papers are due on the date and at the time specified in class. 4. Technical difficulties (computer problems, printer malfunction or out of ink, software errors, saving errors, Internet connection problems, etc.) and scheduling problems are not valid excuses for failure to have papers ready when they are due. 5. Students will read selections from the textbook throughout the semester. 6. In-class and homework assignments may include but are not limited to writing exercises, papers, and grammar exercises. 7. The writing assignments may consist of guided essays, letters, or other types of assignments. 8. Late Homework and Assignments: Late papers will be penalized 25 points for each calendar day after the assigned date. The last paper will not be accepted late under any circumstances. D. Grading standards: 1. The papers for this class will be grade holistically except absence of any of the following will lower a paper’s score 10 points: rough draft, peer review, completed invention exercise, and subject approval. The following are descriptions of criteria used to evaluate papers written for this class: A score between 100 and 90 equals a grade of A. An "A" essay is one that makes a clear and perceptive point, is well supported with reasoning and detail, is well organized, is written in a mature and appropriate style, and contains very few minor mechanical and spelling errors. A score between 89 and 80 or 79 and 70 equals a grade of B or C respectively. A "B" or "C" essay is one that is well conceived and shows considerable evidence of planning, but which does not succeed in executing one or more of the areas listed in the definition of an "A" essay -- that is, in terms of support, organization, style, or mechanics and spelling. A score between 69 and 60 or 59 and 0 equals a grade of D or F respectively. A "D" or