English 1101

English 1101: English Composition I

Fall 2005 English 1101 Syllabus HERE

Why write, and why write well? These are two questions that we will explore in English 1101, English Composition I. The CATALOG DESCRIPTION of this course defines it as “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.” In other words, English 1101 is a writing course designed to engage you in a critical exploration of the practical, intellectual, and communicative reasons why we write and to provide you with a greater understanding of how we write most effectively in different rhetorical situations. To that end we will be reading a variety of texts, participating in class discussions, completing a number of formal and informal writing assignments, and engaging in peer response and other collaborative projects.

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.” Therefore, our specific goals for the course will be as follows:

¨ That you will develop a vocabulary of key rhetorical terms that enable you to analyze and discuss your own writing process and the rhetorical strategies employed by your fellow students and other writers effectively and intelligently;

¨ That you will learn and practice effective composing strategies, including flexible strategies for generating and developing ideas, the ability to focus on and articulate a purpose/thesis, the ability to evaluate and respond appropriately to different audiences and contexts, and the ability to revise critically and thoroughly, so that you may become a more cogent, expressive, and persuasive writer;

¨ That you will learn to manage the basics of research, integrate your own ideas with those of others, and document sources accurately; and that you will understand and control writing conventions such as paragraphing and transitioning, as well as surface features such as syntax and grammar;

¨ That you will develop and improve your critical and analytical reading skills so that you can effectively evaluate written texts for their use of rhetorical strategies, identify key points of argument and discussion, and articulate your responses to readings both orally and in written form;

¨ That you will learn what makes for a good discussion and how to participate thoughtfully, provocatively, and considerately in peer response groups and whole class discussions.

REQUIRED TEXTS

English 1101 Course Packet, available at Print Services in Hoag SC under Dr. McGlaun

Glenn, Cheryl, Robert Keith Miller, Suzanne Strobeck Webb, and Loretta Gray, eds. The Writer's Harbrace Handbook. 2^nd ed. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace & Company, 2004. (with Infotrac access)

The American Heritage Dictionary or a reliable collegiate dictionary

*Please note that the WHHandbook and a dictionary are also required in English 1102!

METHODS OF INSTRUCTION

Writing Assignments: 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. Since revision is a part of the 5000 words, it must be truly revision–a rethinking of what you have written–not just lightly edited versions of earlier pages.

During the first week of the semester, you will be asked to write an in-class diagnostic essay. The writing assignments in this course will include a short self-reflection on your composing process, an NPR commentary piece, a narrative essay for the Newsweek “My Turn” column feature, a letter to the editor, an annotated bibliography and formal researched argument based on the letter, and a group-authored proposal. The final exam consists of a two-hour in-class reflective rhetorical analysis.

Reading Assignments: In this course you will read informative texts about the writing process and rhetorical strategies, as well as essays written by professionals and your peers. Some of these readings may be accessed through Infotrac or other web sources; some will be provided via the course packet or handouts; others will be authored by your classmates. The readings play an integral role in the course—make sure you keep up with them!

Participation: Our success as a class (and your success in it) depends upon your active presence and participation. This means reading carefully and critically, attending class faithfully, arriving on time and prepared, contributing to class discussions thoughtfully, enthusiastically participating in informal group works, and completing all writing assignments in a timely manner (Whew!). Please be here; we need you!

MINIMAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PASSING ENGLISH 1101

The faculty of English has approved the following minimal standards for passing English 1101. Students must demonstrate their ability to do the following:

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. Demonstrate and apply an understanding of basic rhetorical concepts including ethos, pathos, and logos, and the relationship among audience, purpose, and context;

4. Compose both single-draft and multi-draft essays, using prewriting, drafting, and revision, as well as editing;

5. Cite and document material taken from sources;

6. Construct clear, precise, grammatically correct sentences, using Standard Edited American English, and avoiding awkward phrasing and errors, including but not limited to the following: 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 of C results from exceeding minimum expectations in terms of essay development and quality of content. Please see the course objectives outlined on page 1 of the syllabus for a more detailed explanation of the course goals and requirements.

NCTE and NCATE Standards met by this course:

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. Also, this course meets NCATE standards 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, and 3.4.

EVALUATION

Evaluation in this course will be based on the following factors. Please note that you MUST COMPLETE ALL major assignments in order to receive a passing grade in the course.

¨ Composing Process Analysis 10%

¨ NPR Commentary: Sensory Tour 12%

¨ “My Turn” Narrative Essay 12%

¨ Letter to the Editor 12%

¨ Anno. Bib. and Researched Argument 22%

¨ Proposal 12%

¨ Participation/Homework 10%

¨ Final Exam 10%

100-point Standard Grading Scale

A+= 98, A = 95, A-=90 “Excellent”

B+= 88, B = 85, B-=80 “Above Average”

C+= 78, C = 75, C-=70 “Average”

D+= 68, D = 65, D-=60 “Below Average”

F =59 – 0 “Uh-Oh”

COURSE POLICIES

Basic Etiquette: Be sure you have the correct books/readings, pen, and paper in every class. Coming to class unprepared will hurt your participation grade. Turn off all cell phones and pagers while in class or put them on silent. Keep them out sight—yours and mine. Drinks in class are fine, but no food, please.

Paper Format: The format of all essays will follow current MLA guidelines. Briefly, this means that all of your essays AND DRAFTS will be typed or word-processed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins, and possessed of an imaginative title. No creative use of white space or oversized fonts, please. Your name, my name, the course name, and the date should appear in the upper left-hand corner of the first page of your essay. No title pages—save the trees! And no binders or folders, please; you should simply staple your pages together.

If you are more comfortable brainstorming and drafting in longhand to, please do so, but be aware that by the time you bring a draft to class to share, it must be typed and correctly formatted. Additional information on MLA format and documentation guidelines can be found in the course packet and The Writer’s Harbrace Handbook. USE these resources, please.

Attendance, Tardiness, and Withdrawals: We need you in class every day for you and the class to be successful. To allow for illnesses and other unforeseeable misfortunes, you are permitted a limited number of absences. If you must be absent, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed and what assignments, if any, will be due at the next class, so that you might turn them in on time. Foreseeable problems must be discussed with me before the absence. Make-up essays and exams will be permitted only for valid and documented reasons. Please note that university policy states that if your total absences exceed 14% of the scheduled classes (4 classes for us), you may be dropped from the class with a "WF."

Late Assignments: All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due dates specified on the syllabus. Late papers as a rule are unacceptable. In order to account for emergencies, you will have ONE “Late Paper Coupon” that you may use for ONE assignment this semester. More details are on the coupon. Note that it does not apply to workshop drafts: not having a draft on your scheduled workshop day will result in an “F” on the finished assignment. If you know you will be absent on the day something is due, you must make arrangements with me to turn it in ahead of time. Do not ask me to make exceptions to this policy—it makes me cranky.

Incompletes: Incompletes are awarded only when a student is doing satisfactory work, but for non-academic reasons beyond the student’s control, is unable to meet the full requirements of the course.

Academic Integrity: North Georgia College & State University will not tolerate plagiarism. To plagiarize is to use another’s words or ideas as if they were your own. The first edition of 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 “Using Sources Responsibly” and “Citing Sources and Submitting Final Papers” sections of The Writer's Harbrace Handbook. You are also responsible for following the guidelines on plagiarism presented in the North Georgia College & State University Undergraduate Bulletin: “Academic Integrity Policy” (74-77). The student who plagiarizes will be given a zero for the assignment, typically an F for the class, and should expect disciplinary action by the college.

RESOURCES

Conferences: I encourage you to seek out, and may require, group or individual conferences with me over the course of the semester. Conferences are a great resource for you, and my pleasure. If you cannot make my office hours and would like to schedule a conference, please let me know and we will make arrangements.

Writing Center: North Georgia has a staffed Writing Center in Dunlap 111. I encourage writers working at any level and at any stage of the writing process to visit the Writing Center; it is always helpful to have a dialogue with someone about your work. The staff will not write, revise, or edit your papers for you, but they will respond thoughtfully to your essays and help you discover and employ effective writing and revision strategies. When you visit the Writing Center, please take your work AND the writing assignment prompt.

Office of Student Disability Resources: North Georgia College & State University is committed to equal access to its programs, services, and activities for people with disabilities. If you will need accommodations in this class, reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the instructor, and you will need to register with the Office of Student Disability Resources. Please contact the office at 867-2782, 221 Barnes Hall.