English 1101: Composition I
MW
3:35-5:00; 308 Dunlap Hall
Fall
2009
SECTION: H
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Laura Getty
PREREQUISITE: NONE
OFFICE: 314 B Dunlap Hall
OFFICE HOURS: MW 12:30-3:00
OFFICE PHONE
NUMBER: 864-1772
(call during office hours)
E-MAIL ADDRESS: LGETTY@NGCSU.EDU
*It is the student’s responsibility to read this
syllabus and follow the policies of the class.
REQUIRED TEXTS (NOTE: A HANDBOOK and
DICTIONARY are also required in English 1102):
1. Detz, Joan. How to Write & Give
a Speech. 2nd revised ed. New York: St.
Martin’s Griffin, 2002.
2. Glenn, Cheryl, et al, eds. The Writer's Harbrace Handbook 3rd ed. Optional: Writer’s Resources Compact Disc.
3.
The American Heritage Dictionary or a reliable collegiate dictionary
4. PACKET, Section H (must be
purchased from Print Services in Hoag, not the bookstore).
CATALOG DESCRIPTION: A composition course focusing
on skills required for effective writing in a variety of contexts, with
emphasis on exposition, analysis, and argumentation, and also including
introductory use of a variety of research skills.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: Students will demonstrate
knowledge of the writing process by studying and practicing several kinds of
writing: expository, analysis, and argumentation. Students will demonstrate logic, coherence,
organization, development, and clarity of written material. Students will use appropriate grammar,
diction, punctuation and mechanics.
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION: All ENGL 1101 students will
write 5000 words during the semester of evaluated writing. Assignments will be distributed evenly
throughout the semester and will demand exposition, analysis, and/or
argumentation. If revision is a part of the 5000 words, it must be truly
revision–a “rethinking what you have written” (72)–and not just edited or
rewritten versions of earlier pages. There will be a significant research component to the
1101 class, including both the discussion of research methods and an assignment
(or assignments) that reflect application of those methods. The assignments
might include, but are not limited to, an annotated bibliography, a library
project, and/or a documented essay. A
minimum of two of the assignments will be in-class essays, requiring students
to demonstrate single-draft writing skills required by Regents’ essay
testing. In addition, the final
examination will include a two-hour in-class essay.
Students also will be given
frequent reading assignments and may be given tests on reading assignments as
well as on grammar and punctuation. Presentations may also be used to
demonstrate speech-writing skills.
EVALUATION:
The course grade is largely determined by performance on the various
writing assignments, tests, and homework assignments. Final essays will count no
more than one-third of the final grade.
Class participation may also be graded.
Grades:
In-class Essay #1 5% Policy
Speech Presentation Grade 5%
In-class Essay #2 5% Class
work/Homework Grade 20%
In-class Essay #3 10% Class Participation 10%
Encomium Speech 15% 100%
Job Research Project 5%
Policy Speech 15%
Final Exam (In-class Essay #4) 10%
Note: Speech grades will
include the satisfactory completion
of draft workshops, paper proposals, research
projects, and/or any other assignments requested.
Grading Scale
A+=
98, A = 95, A-=90 B+= 88, B = 85,
B-=80 C+= 78, C = 75, C-=70 D+= 68, D = 65, D-=60 F = 59 - 0
FORMAT GUIDELINES FOR ENGLISH
1101 ESSAYS: The format of all essays will
follow MLA guidelines.
MINIMAL REQUIREMENTS FOR
COMPLETION OF ENGLISH 1101
The
faculty of English has approved the following minimal standards for passing English 1101. Students
must demonstrate their ability to
1. Compose first-year level essays
that are logical, engaging, and informative;
2. Develop essays that include a
controlling idea or thesis, provide adequate supportive evidence, and make use
of effective organization;
3. Document and cite material taken
from sources;
4. Construct clear, precise,
grammatically correct sentences, avoiding awkward or confusing phrasing;
5. Recognize and use Standard
Edited American English;
6. Understand basic English grammar
and avoid errors, including but not limited to:
fragments, comma splices, run-on
sentences, subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent disagreement, faulty pronoun
reference, misuse of possessives, and misspellings.
[Note: Achievement above
the minimal passing level with a grade of A,
B, or C results from exceeding minimum expectations in terms of essay
development and quality of content.]
This class has been designed to meet NCATE Secondary English Language Arts Grades 7-12 Standards 3.4.1 (Candidates shall learn a variety of effective composing strategies) and 3.4.2 (Candidates shall learn to make appropriate selections from written discourse for a variety of audiences and purposes, and to assess the effectiveness of their products in influencing thought and action).
This
class has been designed to meet NCTE standards 3-9, 11 and 12: (3) Students will apply various strategies of
comprehension; (4) they will practice active and effective communication; (5)
they will employ a range of writing strategies; (6) they will apply detailed
knowledge of language conventions; (7) they will conduct focused research; (8)
they will use technological and information resources; (9) they will understand
and respect linguistic diversity; (11) they will participate in literacy
communities; (12) they will use language to accomplish their own purposes.
GENERAL EXPECTATIONS:
Academic Integrity: To plagiarize is to use anther’s words or ideas as if they were your own. The Writer's Harbrace Handbook notes that you must document all the following material derived from sources: direct quotations, summaries or paraphrases of material; ideas, illustrations, tables, graphs, and charts; and public electronic and personal communication (236-237). To avoid problems, please read the “Research: Finding and Evaluating Sources” and “Research: Using and Citing Sources” sections of The Writer's Harbrace Handbook.
You are also responsible for reading and following the guidelines on plagiarism presented in the North Georgia College & State University Undergraduate Bulletin: “Academic Integrity Policy” (74-77). The student who plagiarizes on ANY assignment in this class will be given an F for the class and should expect disciplinary action by the college.
Honor Code: The Honor Code states that "I will not lie, cheat, steal, plagiarize, evade the truth or tolerate those who do." Violation of this code constitutes grounds for suspension or expulsion from the university. Please recognize that violations include such actions as lying about an absence, allowing a friend to copy your homework, and looking the other way when you see cheating or other illegal activities happening around you (“tolerating those who do”).
Absence and Withdrawals: To allow for illness and other unforeseeable misfortunes, a student may be permitted a limited number of absences. If a student’s absences exceed 14% of the scheduled classes, the instructor may drop the student from the class with a “WF.” In this class, the student is allowed four (4) unexcused absences and is dropped from the course on the fifth (5th) absence. NOTE: an excused absence is defined as a documented absence ONLY, such as a University-approved absence (with advanced notice). Illness without documentation is not an excused absence, nor are family emergencies or car accidents without documentation. Excused absences apply only for the day(s) listed on the documentation; classes missed for days not listed on the documentation will be unexcused. I follow the attendance policy strictly.
At the discretion of the professor, a student is allowed a make-up examination or essay only for valid and documented reasons (e.g. sickness). If a student misses an essay or examination without a documented excuse, the student will receive a grade penalty (usually a “0”). Foreseeable problems must be discussed with the instructor before the absence.
Equal Access: North Georgia College & State University is committed to equal access to its programs, services, and activities for people with disabilities. If you believe that you have a disability requiring an accommodation, reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the instructor (within the first two weeks of classes) and the Office of Student Disability Resources. In this case, contact the Coordinator of Student Disability Resources in Barnes Hall, Room 122.
CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS:
Classroom Behavior: Use basic courtesy and common sense in the classroom. Do not speak to your friends and neighbors during class; it is both rude and distracting, and I consider it to be one example of “anti-participation.” Do not bring food to class; you may bring something to drink. If you fall asleep in class, I will mark it down as an absence for the day, which will count toward your absences for the semester. Do not come to the class tardy; it disrupts the class in progress. I reserve the right to count two tardies as an absence, especially when you miss a significant amount of class time. Do not leave early without permission, or I may count it as an absence or a partial absence. No laptop computers allowed in class; turn cell phones to vibrate and do not answer non-emergency calls during class (no text messaging at ANY time).
Any behavior that is “anti-participation” may result in a number of penalties, including but not limited to a zero for the participation grade, being asked to leave the classroom (which would count as an official absence for that day), and referral to the Discipline Committee.
Participation: Participation is an important part of this class. I define participation as SPEAKING in class discussions and doing your part in group work. If you are shy, make sure that you still find ways to participate vocally, such as volunteering to read passages in class or answering questions. Make sure that I am familiar with the sound of your voice by the end of the semester, since students who come to class prepared and awake but do not speak more than a few times will receive a “D” or lower for participation.
Reading Assignments: Just as you would expect to learn and use equations in a mathematics course, you should expect to learn and use the works that we read. Good writers read a lot, and they read well. Not everyone reads at the same level and/or speed, so if you have difficulty with the readings, SLOW DOWN and take more time. You could try taking notes or highlighting the text. If you don’t know a certain word, look it up! In the end, the more you read, the better your reading—and writing—skills will become (and reading skills will help you in all areas of life).
The Writing Center: North
Georgia has a staffed Writing Center in the Library. Writers working at any level and at any stage
of the writing process are encouraged to use The Writing Center. The staff will not write, revise, or edit
papers FOR students, but they will respond thoughtfully to students’ essays and
help students employ effective writing and revision strategies.
TURNITIN.COM GUIDELINES:
Students agree that by taking this course all required materials may be
subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the
detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source
documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of
detecting plagiarism of such papers. Use of the Turnitin.com service is subject
to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com site. All
students will be required to submit an electronic copy of their final paper
directly to the Turnitin.com website by MIDNIGHT of the day that the
paper is due. Failure to turn in an electronic copy will result in an ungraded
paper and, ultimately, a grade of “0” for the paper.
*The policies in this syllabus
cannot cover every detail of classroom experience. Students should use common
sense approaches to matters not covered above and demonstrate a “good faith”
effort to follow the intentions of the policies; attempts to find “loopholes”
will be seen as negative behavior. Do NOT follow the idea that it is easier to
ask forgiveness than to obtain permission; I consider that type of behavior to
be a deliberate attempt at manipulation and refuse to grant permission after
the fact. For example, if you lose your syllabus, that is not an excuse for not
reading the assignment. You could have looked at my faculty webpage (which has
links to my syllabi), emailed me for the page numbers, asked another student in
the class, or stopped by my office hours. Please be proactive when faced with a
problem.
COURSE CONTENT: This is a working syllabus only. There will be regular reading and homework assignments not listed below, and the syllabus may be altered as the semester progresses. Readings will be discussed on the days they are listed, and books should be brought to class when there are readings and assignments from them that are due. In particular, most readings from the Packet (and many from the Handbook) will involve the completion of some kind of homework or in-class assignment.
8/19 W Introduction and Overview
8/24 M How to Pass the Regents’ Test; Handbook
Chpt. 5, e-f; PACKET (Grammar Guide; Ethos,
Logos,
Pathos; Gettysburg Address)
8/26 W In-class Essay #1 (Regents’ Test
Questions); Handbook Chpt. 3, b-c
8/31 M Grammar Quiz (PACKET); Rhetoric
of Speechwriting; PACKET (Monroe’s Motivated
Sequence;
Patrick Henry); Handbook Chpt. 1, a-e
9/2 W Grammar Quiz
(commas); PACKET (Patrick Henry; Ethos, Logos, Pathos); Handbook Chpt.
11, d-e
(Quotation; Paraphrase; Plagiarism)
9/7 M LABOR DAY
9/9 W In-class Essay #2 (Regents’ Test
Questions); Handbook Chpt. 3, f-g
9/14 M Detz Chpt. 11 (Delivery); Short Speeches assigned for Wednesday;
Handbook Chpt. 2, a-d
(Reading
Rhetorically); PACKET (Dr. King, “Letter”)
9/16 W Short Speeches presented to class (all);
PACKET (Dr. King, “Letter”)
9/21 M Detz Chpt. 1 (What to Say); PACKET (Dr. King, “Letter”); Handbook
Chpt. 8, a-d (Argument);
Sign-Up
Sheet for In-class Essay #3
9/23 W Detz Chpt. 2 (Audience); PACKET (Dr. King, “Letter”); Handbook
Chpt. 8, e-f (Evidence)
9/28 M In-class Essay #3 (Movie Review);
Detz Chpt. 3 (Setting)
9/30 W Detz Chpt. 4 (Research); PACKET (Norman Cousins); Handbook
Chpt. 9, a-e (Research)
10/5 M Library Assignment (meet in
Library, Room 163)
10/7 W Library Assignment DUE;
PACKET (Barbara Jordan); Handbook Chpt. 12,
a-b (MLA style)
10/12 M Detz Chpt. 5 (Writing); PACKET (JFK Inaugural Address); Encomium
Speech assigned;
Handbook Chpt. 8, g-h (Arrangement; Logic)
10/14 W Detz Chpt. 6 (Simple); PACKET (Dr. King, “Dream”); Handbook
Chpt. 4, a-b (Revision;
Introductions
and Conclusions)
10/19 M Encomium Workshop; Handbook
Chpt. 11, d-e again (Quotation; Paraphrase;
Plagiarism);
PACKET
(Elizabeth I)
10/21 W Detz Chpt. 7 (Style); PACKET (Nehru); Quotations and Citations
10/26 M Encomium Speech DUE; Detz Chpt. 13 (International);
PACKET (Nehru); Handbook Chpt. 4,
c-d
(Paragraphs; Transitions); Policy Speech discussed
10/28 W Detz Chpt. 8 (Humor); PACKET (Churchill); Handbook Chpt. 8, i-j (Rhetorical
Fallacies)
11/2 M Interview Skills Workshop; Job
Research Project assigned (Informational Interview)
11/4 W Policy Speech Workshop; PACKET
(Churchill); Informational Interviews
11/9 M Resumes, Cover Letters; Handbook
Chpt. 19, d-e; PACKET (Churchill); Interview Skills
11/11 W Job Research Project DUE; PACKET
(Catton); Charity Letters (Persuasion)
11/16 M Policy Speech Presentations (Written
Speeches DUE)
11/18 W Policy Speech Presentations (Written
Speeches DUE)
11/23 M Policy Speech Presentations (Written
Speeches DUE)
11/25-11/27 THANKSGIVING
HOLIDAY
11/30 M Rhetorical Concepts Test; EXIT
SURVEY
FINAL EXAM: In-Class Essay #4 on Monday, December 7, from 3:30-5:30
Class Evaluations: Class evaluations at NGCSU are now conducted online through Banner. Evaluation of the class is considered a component of the course, and students will not be permitted to access their course grade until the evaluation has been completed. The evaluations will be accessible beginning one week prior to Final Exam week. Specific instructions will be made available when the surveys are activated.