ENGLISH 1301 – English Composition I Hello students! I am Leslie Downs, a full-time instructor here at South Plains College, Levelland Campus. I have been teaching literature and English courses for more years than I care to reveal, both in Oklahoma and in Texas. I have a B.S. in secondary education, a Master's degree in English (both from Texas Tech University), and am A.B.D. in American Studies from the University of New Mexico. My area of specialization is American Indian Literature. I hope you will feel comfortable about emailing or calling me whenever you have a question or idea you want to discuss. You will find me to be a fair and supportive teacher. My goal for you is not just the completion of a requirement, but to give you confidence in your ability to communicate well in writing. If you will approach the assignments with an open-minded curiosity, determination, and patience, you will be rewarded with success as a student and as a writer. HOW CAN I CONTACT MY INSTRUCTOR? Phone: 806-894-9611 806-894-9611 ex. 2430 Office: CM 103A Office Hours: M & W: 10:30 to 12:00; 2:15 to 2:45 T & Th: 12:30 to 1:00; 2:15 to 2:45 Friday: by appointment Email: [email protected] <NOTE: Whenever possible, you should contact me through the course email system; this system is called WebCT. If you have technical trouble with the course, please contactIf you have technical problems, please contact Jessica Tucker at [email protected] or extension 2180. WHAT IS THE CONTENT AND PURPOSE OF THIS CLASS? English Composition I is designed to review basic writing requirements in general and within the essay form in particular. The techniques and practices reviewed and taught in the course should provide the student with knowledge and skills transferable to the demands of writing within the educational setting as well as the business and professional world. COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of the course, the student, as evaluated by the instructor, should 1. Write a clear, concise, coherent 5-paragraph essay which substantially conforms to the following criteria: 2. Is 400-600 words long; C. Is thesis or specific purpose oriented: D. Contains effective introductory and concluding elements; E. Has adequate, clear support or development within the body of the essay; F. Is logically organized in its support or body paragraphs, all of which should exhibit the following: 7. unity 8. coherence 9. specific or concrete development J. Is relatively free of the following: 11. ineffective sentence fragments 12. subject-verb agreement errors 13. pronoun-antecedent agreement errors 14. comma splices 15. fused or run-on sentences 16. excessive vague or imprecise diction 17. excessive misspelled words18. pronoun reference errors 19. Correct errors in usage, mechanics, and organization on written assignments; 20. Have a fuller awareness of language and communication through the writing process. WHAT SUPPLIES DO I NEED FOR THIS CLASS? The College Writer: A Guide to Thinking, Writing, and Researching, 3rd edition. Edited by Randall VanderMey, Verne Meyer, John Van Rys, Dave Kempter, and Pat Sebranek. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2004. You should have an access code that comes with your book. Make sure to keep it; it is the site we will use this semester for grammar and other rhetorical concepts. You may purchase your books through the SPC bookstore Levelland: 806-894-9611 806-894-9611 ex 2399; Reese, 806-894-9611 806-894-9611 ex 4609 . They can also be purchased online at www.sp-lev-bookstore.com or at www.sp-reesebookstore.com You need a computer that connects to the Internet and allows you to browse the World Wide Web with appropriate hardware and software resources. See the “Internet Courses” section in the current Schedule of Classes for further information . Computer Skills You Need: You should know how to send and open e-mail, how to write in a document and then attach it to a message (or on the bulletin board), how to click on links I provide for you, how to post on a bulletin board, and how to check your work through a spell/grammar program before submitting it. Knowing how to scan and how to compose a power point presentation is helpful, but not necessary. WHAT DO I DO IF MY COMPUTER CRASHED? Computer problems: If you have a real emergency, you must negotiate a new deadline with me individually, and you may incur a heavy penalty, even if I agree to accept the assignment late. Students who seem to make a habit of asking for extensions will be asked to drop the course. Please contact technical support ([email protected] ) immediately if you are having technical difficulties with your computer that might interfere with yourmeeting deadlines; we will work out an alternate method of getting the assignments in on time if such an event occurs. Options include (in order of preference) 1. Work in the computer labs on campus until your computer is repaired. 2. Work in a public library until your computer is repaired. 3. Fax your work to me (894-5932) 4. Mail your work to me (Leslie Downs/Communications/1401 s. college Ave/Levelland, TX 79336 ) If your computer problems persist for longer than two weeks, I urge you to work on a computer either in one of SPC’s labs or in a public library. If that isn’t possible for you, you should consider dropping the course, or negotiating with me for an “Incomplete.” WHAT ARE THE CLASS POLICIES AND RULES? Attendance : check in at least three times per week. Submitting assignments, emailing me questions, or replying to others can fulfill this requirement; it isn't necessary to email me and tell me you are "checking in" Always look at the homepage first, as I often put timely reminders or new messages in the text boxes on that page. Subject headings : Please pay strict attention to the subject headings I ask you to name particular assignments. Doing so helps so much in keeping your grades ordered and organized. Currency of submitted assignments: You must stay current with the class! I do not accept work later than three days past the due date. Late work will incur a 10 point penalty for each day it is late. SPC policy states that students will be dropped from an internet class when they have not submittedassignments for two