ENGLISH 1101 English Composition I Fall 2008 Syllabus Time Place Instructor Office Office Hours Office Phone Email Website 12 00 1 15 MW 303 Classroom South Dr Baotong Gu 906 General Classroom Building 10 00 11 00 MW and by appointment 404 413 5845 bgu gsu edu http www rhetcomp gsu edu bgu Textbooks 1 2 Georgia State University Department of English 2009 First Essays A Peer Approach to Freshman Composition Plymouth Michigan Hayden McNeil Lunsford Andrea 2005 The Everyday Writer 3rd Ed Boston Bedford St Martin s Official Catalog Description This course is designed to increase the student s ability to construct written prose of various kinds It focuses on methods of organization analysis research skills and the production of short expository essays readings consider issues of contemporary social and cultural concern A passing grade is C Course Goals By the end of the course you are expected to be able to Engage in writing as a process including various invention heuristics brainstorming for example gathering evidence considering audience drafting revising editing and proofreading Engage in the collaborative social aspects of writing and use writing as a tool for learning Use language to explore and analyze contemporary multicultural global and international questions Demonstrate how to use writing aids such as handbooks dictionaries online aids and tutors Gather summarize synthesize and explain information from various sources Use grammatical stylistic and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate for a variety of audiences Critique your own and others work in written and oral formats Produce coherent organized readable prose for a variety of rhetorical situations and Reflect on what contributed to your writing process and evaluate your own work Academic Honesty No plagiarism or any other forms of academic dishonesty will be tolerated in this class Any plagiarism as defined by GSU s Policy on Academic Honesty available online at http www2 gsu edu wwwdos codeofconduct conpol html will result in a grade of F at least for the assignment and most likely an F for the entire course at the instructor s discretion In addition all university policies related to academic honesty apply English 1101 Syllabus 1 Attendance Participation Blunt Version Attendance is mandatory You are allowed a total of three EXCUSED absences There s no such thing as unexcused absences For example absence due to sickness will be considered excused if your explanation is accompanied by a written note from your doctor Important For any absence you are required to notify me in writing either in hard copy or through email to provide a convincing explanation for the absence Your explanation should be as persuasive as possible You should make every effort to inform me before your absence Be punctual Tardiness affects not only yourself but also your group and the whole class For this reason every third tardiness will count as an absence If you were late and missed my roll call it s your responsibility to check with me at the end of the class to make sure that you re not marked as absent You may NOT make up for missed quizzes or in class assignments Reasoned Version In a writing class much of the work is done in class whether it s group work or class discussions If you re not there you re not contributing In most cases if you have a legitimate reason for your absence you ll be excused To be fair anytime you miss a class you get an exciting writing opportunity to showcase your superior persuasive writing skills to explain and justify your absence Bonuses and Penalties Each excused absence beyond 3 will result in a penalty of 20 points out of 1000 Every third tardiness counts as an absence On the other hand a perfect attendance will give you a bonus of 40 points 0 absence 40 points 1 2 tardiness 30 points 1 absence 20 points 2 absences 10 points 3 absences 0 points each additional absence 20 points each unexcused absence 30 points Assignments The course work consists of reading assignments in class exercises and individual sometimes group essays The total possible points are 1000 Reading Assignments Peer Editing and In Class Exercises not graded Carefully read each assigned chapter on time so that you can participate meaningfully in the discussions and contribute your insights Although these activities are not graded they are essential to effective learning and the efficient use of class time The combination of the readings and discussion will thus prepare you for the more serious work analyzing the methods and processes and genres of writing These analyses are best conducted in a group where you each have the benefit of each other s individual perceptions and insights For most of your writing assignments you ll peer edit each other s papers and provide feedback so that you can improve your writing English 1101 Syllabus 2 Grammar Presentation 100 points You will work in pairs to research into one particular aspect of grammar or mechanics summarize and synthesize the information in a written handout and present your findings in class in an interactive format Essays 900 points You will complete four essays over the course of the semester For virtually all of your writing assignments you will write two drafts first and final Your first draft will be reviewed by at least one of your classmates You should turn in both the first draft with your classmate s comments and the final draft Following are the specific essay assignments and a brief description of each More detailed instructions will be provided for each assignment during the semester Regent s Essay 100 Points This assignment helps to prepare you for the Regents Exam in writing which everybody must pass in order to receive your degree unless you re exempt from it The assignment consists of three parts a one hour in class essay responding to one of four questions given a peer editing session and a revised essay Narrative Essay 200 Points This assignment gives you a chance to describe a personal experience that has had an impact on your life Expository Analytical Essay 250 points For this assignment you will demonstrate your abilities to analyze anything from literature music film television etc and to describe your analysis in detail providing your own comments and critiques Persuasive Essay 350 Points Your practice in essay writing in this course will culminate in this persuasive essay assignment where you will choose a topic that interests you and that you can