English 1301: Composition I Policy Statement Fall 2011 Instructor: Natasha Newsom Office/Office Hrs: LIB 333; MW 11am-1pm; TR 12:15-1pm; 2:15-3:15; F 11:00-12:00 Phone: 894-9611 ext 2481 Email: [email protected] SPC English Dept. Fax #: (806) 894-5932 Purpose of Course: The purpose of English 1301 is to help students understand and apply the standards of correctness in formal thought and the written English language. Our goal is to help students think well by teaching them to read and write. The focus will be the writing process, the use of grammar and diction, the use of logic, and on different methods of essay development. Research skills will be applied. Supplementary readings may also be included. Required Texts: Kirszner and Mandell. Patterns for College Writing. 11th Ed. Diana Hacker. A Writer’s Reference. 7th Ed. **Possible supplemental readings by various authors. Any extra readings will be provided. Recommended Texts: Any college level dictionary and thesaurus. Requirements: Students will write a minimum of two formal essays and respond to a number of discussion board postings, in addition to a midterm, final and daily work. The Argumentative essay will be a research-based assignment. The essays will be graded according to standards set forth in this syllabus. It is the responsibility of the student to complete all required readings upon the assigned dates, and be prepared to respond to reading assignments in class. Students will be expected to participate in class discussion and activities throughout the course. In other words, be prepared when you come to class. Have assignments completed by due date. Late work is not accepted. If you have a special situation, you are expected to contact the instructor prior to class. Methods of Evaluation: Student work is evaluated in terms of A, B, C, D, and F: Superior, Good, Average, Poor, and Unacceptable. All assignments must be completed and turned in on the due date before a student will receive credit for an assignment. Essays will be evaluated according to the criteria below: Use of structure and grammarUse of appropriate development, narration and description Use of logical, factual elements to advance the thesis of the assignment **Please note: This is a college course. In college, a “C” is an average paper; it does not have anything “wrong” with it; it simply does not go above and beyond the average. Instructional Objectives: By the end of the course, the student should be able: 1. to understand writing as a process; that is, writing as a connected and interactive process that 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 and essay that is unified, coherent and well-developed in terms of narration, description, process/analysis, comparison and contrast, and argumentation/persuasion; 4. to write and essay in standard, accepted English; and, 5. to understand and apply basic principles of critical thinking, logic and research in the development of a written argument. Grading Policy: Short Essay (500 wds) 20% Argumentative Research Essay (1500 wds) 25% Discussion Topic Postings 15% Journals, in-class writing responses; class participation (including peer reviewing, presentations, and in-class assignments) 10% Midterm 10% Final Exam 20% Absence Policy: Punctual and regular class attendance is a requirement of all students attending courses with South Plains College. There are no excused absences, except in extreme circumstances (severe illness, family death). Any student who must miss a class must notify the instructor ahead of time. The student is responsible for any work missed. In-class work cannot be made up. Any assignments (essays) must be turned in prior to the class to be missed. Any student who is more than ten minutes late will be counted absent. Any student who misses more than six classes in a MWF class, or four classes in a MW or TTh class, will be dropped from the course. Plagiarism and Cheating: Academic honesty is a must. If a student is suspected of plagiarizing another within any portion of his/her work, it will result in an F for the assignment and can ultimately lead to an F in the course. In other words, do your own work. Plagiarism includes sharing work/answers with another student in non-group work situations.Students With Disabilities: Any student with physical, psychiatric or learning disabilities who needs special accommodations should notify the Special Services Office early in the semester so that appropriate arrangements may be made. The instructor should also be notified. Students requesting accommodations must provide acceptable documentation of the disability to the Special Services Coordinator. For more information, call or visit the Special Services Office in the Student Services Building, 894-9611 ext. 2529, 2530, in Levelland, or the Special Services Office in rooms 113C and 112, Reese Center building1, 885, 3048 ext. 4654 for students at Reese or the Byron Martin Advanced Technology Center (ATC). Statement of Nondiscrimination: It is this instructor’s policy not to discriminate on the basis of color, age, gender, ethnicity, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation or veteran status. Moreover, harassment based on individual differences is inconsistent with my instructional mission, and such behavior will not be tolerated from any student. All students will be expected to display respect and courtesy for the instructor as well as their peers. To that end, the instructor will approach all students with equal respect. Language: This is a professional college environment, and a certain standard is expected. In the professional market, base, coarse or profane language is unacceptable. Keep in mind that this is also an issue of general respect; while something might not offend you, it might offend others around you. What’s more, I will not accept direct language that will potentially be offensive to any given racial, religious or other group. Generally speaking, be considerate of those around you. Privacy Policy: You are considered a college student. To that end, you and you alone are responsible for your assignments, and your grades can be disclosed only to you. Parents may not obtain grades from the instructor. ITV/Dual Credit CALENDAR: