ENGLISH 080/085 COLLEGE READINGSUE FALEY, INSTRUCTOROFFICE HOURS AFTER CLASS AND BY APPTHILLSDALE CENTERJACKSON COMMUNITY COLLEGE(517) 437-3343REQUIRED TEXT AND MATERIALS :AN INTRODUCTION TO CRITICAL READING, FIFTH EDITIONBY LEAH MCCRANEYCORNERSTONE BUILDING ON YOUR BEST, CONCISE FOURTH EDITIONBY ROBERT M. SHERFIELD, RHONDA J. MONTGOMERY, & PATRICIA G. MOODYRECOMMENDED: ANY PAPERBACK DICTIONARY AND THESAURUSOVERVIEWThe primary goal of English 080/085 is that you will learn to get more from what you read, especially from college level texts. There are two ways we will work toward this goal. The first is to learn as much as possible about how the writing itself is structured. The second is to focus on how to think your way through a piece of writing so that it is more meaningful. Related to that second focus is making connections between this new information and what you already know, as well as learning strategies such as appropriate underlining, note taking, paraphrasing, summarizing, etc., which we will also cover in class.Since narrative, or story, is the most familiar and basic form of communication, we will begin there. In the first three weeks, we will look at narrative closely to examine the language used, the "presentation" of the story, and the reader's role.After the narrative, we will work with expository text. I will bring in excerpts from textbooks currently in use in JCC classes. The overriding topic of that part of the course will be memory.This semester you will be reading one book outside of class. As you read your book, you will be keeping response journals which will be handed in weekly. I will give particular assignments forthese journals as well as final writing topics. This is an extremely important part of the coursework you will be doing. GRADING AND RELATED CONCERNSYour grade in English 080/085 will be figured as follows:30 % TESTS30 % ASSIGNED WRITINGS AND QUIZZES20 % UNGRADED ASSIGNMENTS20 % FINAL EXAMBecause writing will improve your reading and reading will improve your writing, your coursework will include many writing opportunities. In the interest of your accomplishments as a writer, I will give a revision option for assigned writings during the first half of the semester. That is if you receive less than a 2.0 on an assignment, you may revise it according to my comments and submit it for re-grading.I will also give daily assignments which I will evaluate according to a system of minus, check, orcheck plus.Late work will not be accepted unless you and I have discussed the situation beforehand. It is essential that the coursework be completed as it is assigned. This is because this course is not information based; we are concerned in English 080/085 with the development of a complex and sophisticated process. In order to accomplish this goal, it is essential that you do the coursework as it is assigned over the semester.A 2.0 or “C” is a passing grade. Only courses with passing grades count toward graduation. Other colleges transfer in only courses with passing grades. Many financial aid sources, including most employers, require passing grades. Additionally, earning less than a 2.0 in a classresults in being unable to participate in the next level of courses in a discipline which requires this course as a pre-requisite. Registering for the next course sequence without passing the pre-requisite course may result in you being dropped from that class.Attendance is absolutely necessary. You will be unable to make up in-class writings, tests orquizzes.At the end of the semester, you will take a form of the Nelson-Denny Reading Test. This is the only way we determine whether you have achieved the level of reading comprehension that has been designated as necessary to succeed at JCC. A Nelson-Denny pre-test is also administered at the beginning of the semester. The other means we use to measure your performance is the final exam. These two measures will be the indicators of whether you will be required to take a second semester of College Reading. Your grade for the course, however, has nothing to do withyour score on the Nelson-Denny Reading post-test.Smarthinking provides and offers students outstanding online academic learner support and tutoring and is available to all JCC Students. Eight hours are available per year per student.The website is www.smartthinking.com. Please take advantage of this opportunity.Tutorial assistance is available for this course as well as every course at JCC. If you would like to work with a tutor for this class or for any other class you are taking here, please contact me.If I see that a student is struggling and needs support, it is a requirement that the studentattend tutoring through the Student Success Center.The Board of Trustees has determined that all JCC graduates should develop or enhancecertain essential skills while enrolled in the college. Several of these Associate DegreeOutcomes are addressed in this class, including communicating clearly, concisely, andintelligibly, using writing skills; and comprehending and using information includingoral and written forms.All JCC student e-mail will be limited to the campus community. For our communicationwe must use JCC e-mail. My e-mail address is: [email protected], February 7, 2006 is Project Success Day. Attendance and a written paper will be required. Updated schedule will be given to you closer to the date. If I can do anything to help you feel more comfortable at JCC, please let me know.You are on your way to