Course Syllabus -- English 101
-- English Composition I (3 credit hours)
Fall 2011 -- M&W 1:30-2:45 -- Weld 109 Dr. Michael
McCord
Office: Weld 103 & Lommen 95 (Write Site) Phone: 477-5860
Course Website:
http://www.mnstate.edu/mccordm E-mail:
english@mccordmail.com
Office Hours &
Locations: (Change
effective 9/12/11)
M -- 9:30-11:00 & 12:00-1:30 Weld 103; 11:00-12:00 Write Site
T -- 10:00-11:00 Write Site; 11:00-12:00 Weld 103
W -- 11:00-12:00 Write Site; 12:00-1:30 Weld 103
F -- 9:00-10:30 Weld 103
If at any time you don’t find me in my Weld office as scheduled, please
stop by the Write Site; I sometimes have to go there with little or no
notice.
Course Texts:
1) Reinking and von der
Osten. Strategies for Successful
Writing, 8th Edition. Available at the MSUM Bookstore.
2) Hacker, Diana. A Writer’s
Reference, 7th Edition. Available at
the MSUM Bookstore.
Liberal Arts & Sciences Core
Objectives:
English Composition I is the foundation LASC
writing course; special attention is devoted to learning about and using
effective writing processes to create logical, engaging, and grammatically and
mechanically correct essays suitable for a variety of audiences and purposes.
In addition, you will read, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and integrate
appropriately and ethically information and ideas from diverse sources and
points of view in your writing. You will write during the semester four formal,
polished, edited essays, and another essay that will be your final exam. These
essays will comprise a total of at least 4,800 words. In addition, you will
have weekly opportunities to write informal, unrehearsed responses to topics
generated in class. Many of these informal writing opportunities will be based
upon exercises that appear in our textbook; others will be based upon your
explorations and/or reflections upon material that we discuss in class or
material we read.
English Composition I is,
as mentioned above, the foundational writing course. During this semester we
will work together to meet several important objectives. By the end of ENGL
101, successful students will be able to:
· Analyze particular audiences and select appropriate communication
strategies.
· Create a variety of essays using rhetorical frameworks
such as narrative, process analysis, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect.
· Identify a variety of organizational patterns and
techniques and choose appropriate patterns for particular essays.
· Understand and use the writing process, including
prewriting, writing, revising, editing, and proofreading.
· Use correct syntax, diction, grammar, punctuation, and
spelling.
· Adhere to conventions of format and structure such as
those that govern constructing effective paragraphs and using appropriate tone
and style.
· Consult effectively and appropriately with others.
Writing Intensive Competencies:
ENGL 101 also carries the
Writing Intensive designation. This means that we will begin working toward
meeting several important written communication competencies. You may not reach
all of these competencies by the end of this course, but successful students
will make substantial progress toward these competencies. Your later Writing
Intensive courses will also help you to reach these, and other, written
communication competencies:
· Use a coherent writing process including invention,
organization, drafting, revising, and editing to form
an effective final written product.
· Consult effectively and appropriately with others to
produce quality written products.
· Read, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and integrate
appropriately and ethically information and ideas from diverse sources and
points of view in their writing.
· Create logical, engaging, effective written products
appropriate for specific audiences and purposes.
· Use correct grammar and mechanics in writing.
English 101 Grading:
·Essay 1 -- 80 points
·Essay 2 -- 80 points
·Essay 3 -- 80 points
(Collaborative Essay)
·Essay 4 -- 80 points
·Final Exam Essay -- 80
points
·Class
participation/assigned exercises, (including Discussion Questions & Toward
Key Insights) -- 100 pts
Final Grade Breakdown:
465-500….A 365-407….B 265-307….C 165-207….D
440-464….A- 340-364….B- 240-264….C- 140-164….D-
408-439….B+ 308-339….C+ 208-239….D+ 139 and below….F
Ethics and Plagiarism:
1) Please come
to class on time and with all assigned readings, writings, exercises, and
discussion questions completed.
2) All essay writing assignments must be
completed to successfully pass this course. There are no exceptions. You
must complete an assignment even if it is so late that it would receive a
failing grade (see #3 below).
3) The score
for any assignment that is turned in late will be reduced 25% for each class
meeting that it is late. I will not accept more than one late assignment from
any student unless you document a grave emergency through the Dean of your
college. If you do submit an assignment late for any reason, please understand
that it is extremely unlikely that I will be able to grade or provide comments
for that essay until after the end of the semester, though I will
read/evaluate/grade the essay before I submit final grades.
4) All paper
assignments must be computer-printed in laser-quality print of at least 300 dpi.
Most modern inkjet printers are capable of 300 dpi. Please do not submit material printed on broken printers that produce poor
output. While specific assignments may describe more complete formatting
requirements, please follow these general standards for all printed material:
Double spaced pages with 1” margins on both sides and top and bottom; Times New
Roman 12 pt font. Do not justify on the right margin. (In other words, allow
text to run ragged on the right.) Use a title page (with a limiting title) that
contains your name and date. While the title page is normally page 1, this page
does not count toward the length requirement if one is assigned. Nor does the
bibliography page. Include page numbers on each page except the title page. Do
not place your name, class information, or other identifying information at the
top of your first page of text. Do not place an indentation on the first line
of every paragraph; instead, place an extra space between each paragraph.
Please adhere strictly to MLA style for source documentation, if needed.
Deviation from the formatting requirements stated here will result in a minimum
of 25% score reduction. Repeated deviation from these requirements may result
in failure in the course.
5) All essays must be submitted as email attachments
to submit@mccordmail.com, generally by the afternoon of the same day on which
hardcopy is due in class. The assignment sheet or webpage will provide details.
6) Failure to bring a paper draft on assigned dates
for peer review will result in a 15% reduction in score on the paper grade. The
draft must be developed and it must be a serious draft -- not something that is
dashed off by hand prior to the start of class. It must be computer printed.
7) Get to know
at least one other person in class so you can work on the “buddy system” if one
of you miss class. You are responsible for all assignments, so if you are
absent you can get notes from your “buddy”. If you miss class, please do not
send me an e-mail asking what we did on that day -- I do not re-teach classes,
though I am always happy to discuss things that you do not understand. If I had
to summarize 75 minute class periods in e-mails to students, I probably would
not be able to do anything else!
8) Do not slide
papers under my office door. I only take responsibility for materials given to
me in person.
9) Put any
important communications to me in an e-mail message or in a memo. Keep a copy
for yourself.
10) We will devote
some class sessions to in-class work and workshops on various assignments. This
means just what it says: in-class work. Please organize your schedules
accordingly. Please do not work on assignments for other classes during this
time and do not ask to be excused to go to the library or anywhere else. Come
to class organized and prepared with materials you will need to use this time
effectively. Also, please understand that in-class work is not meant to
substitute for normal “homework.” This is a university writing course and you
should expect to do a large amount of out-of-class work to successfully
complete assignments.
11) Regular
attendance in this class is absolutely critical. Please schedule doctor
appointments, vacations, or special projects for other classes at times that do
not conflict with this course. I am aware that anyone can become ill or have
family emergencies, so you may miss four class sessions without penalty (two “lates” or “leave earlies” = 1
absence). If you have personal, work, or other academic
responsibilities that will interfere with your attendance, please consider
taking ENGL 101 at another time. If you have chronic attendance problems, your
final course grade will be reduced substantially. For example, if you have a
total of 5 absences, your final score will be reduced by 20%. 7 absences will
result in a final score reduction of 40%. 9 or more absences will result in
failure of the course. Note that there is no distinction between “excused” and
“unexcused” absences. Everyone may miss up to 4 class sessions with no
attendance penalty; this allows you the flexibility to tackle an unexpected
problem or attend to an emergency. And, after all, most everyone becomes ill
once in a while…
12) I will
expect the documents you submit to be completely free of major grammatical and
mechanical errors and substantially free of minor grammatical and mechanical
errors. You should understand that grammatical and mechanical correctness are
two of the major standards by which your documents will be judged in future
courses and in the workplace. Because this is true, the same standards will
apply in this course.
13) It is always possible that we will have to deal
with campus or community emergencies, such as a pandemic flu or a catastrophic
flood or major blizzard during any given semester. If that happens, I will do
everything possible to arrange alternate methods of course delivery. I may, for
example, have you email me your responses to assignments. Or, I might have you
read independently and then send questions about our reading to a course
listserv. It is possible that some assignments that appear on the syllabus as
collaborative assignments might have to be completed individually if I or
university administration determine that group meetings are impractical or
dangerous.
Students
with disabilities who believe they may need an accommodation in this class
should let me know as soon as possible. Students with
disabilities are
also encouraged to contact Greg Toutges, Coordinator
of Disability Services at 477-5859 (Voice) or 1-800-627-3529 (MRS/TTY), CMU 114, as soon as possible to ensure that
accommodations are quickly arranged.
NOTE ABOUT HACKER’S A Writer’s
Reference (WR): The Diana Hacker text, one of the required books for the
semester, will be a very important element in our work together. A couple of
the sections (C, A, S, W) of this text appear in the daily reading assignment
schedule, above. However, some of the sections (G, P, B, R, MLA and, if
applicable, M) do not appear on the schedule. That’s because I expect you to
read these sections independently and more or less at your own pace, though
your reading should be completed prior to submission of the first essay
assignment. While all of the material in these sections is important, a great
deal of it can be skimmed rather than read. I expect you to understand the
material that appears in these sections and, if you don’t understand something,
to ask me for clarification. You should be familiar with the Hacker text so you
can use it as a reference/resource when you have issues in your writing upon
which you need to work.
Grading
Criteria for ENGL 101
70-80 -- A paper in this range represents exemplary work and
completely fulfills the requirements of the assignment. This essay responds to
the topic in an innovative way, with a clear sense of audience and purpose, an
insightful thesis, and with appropriate and effective organization. The
structure is thoughtfully planned and each section of the essay develops the
thesis with logical arguments and specific, conclusive evidence that has been
carefully interpreted and is clearly related to the writer's point. The style
is energetic and precise with sentence structure that is varied and words that
are carefully chosen. How the writer says things in this essay is as
excellent as what the writer says. The essay has been carefully edited
since it contains few grammatical or mechanical errors. If necessary, the essay
is correctly documented using MLA format.
60-69 -- A paper in this range is clearly above average and
solidly meets the requirements of the assignment. It has a clear thesis and
organizational strategy and each paragraph provides unified, coherent, and
developed support for its thesis and assertions. If necessary, this essay
properly documents sources using MLA format. While this essay takes some
"risks," attempts complex strategies of development, and pays
attention to audience, it falls short of the essay in the highest point range
in one or more of the following ways: the thesis may not be as interesting or
insightful; there may be weaknesses in organizational strategy; the support may
not be uniformly conclusive and convincing; and the style may not be as energetic
or the diction as carefully crafted. The essay shows strong evidence of editing
since there are few grammatical or mechanical errors.
50-59 -- A paper in this range represents average work that
meets the requirements of the assignment. This essay has a thesis and
organizational plan that demonstrate thought on the writer's part, a clear
style, and adequate documentation using MLA format, if required. Almost all of
the paragraphs contribute to unified and coherent support, but the writer may
have difficulty with any of the following: the thesis may be too general; the
evidence may be predictable, may not be comprehensively interpreted, or may not
be clearly related to the
writer's point; some paragraphs may be uneven in development and transition.
This essay shows evidence of editing since there are not enough grammatical or
mechanical errors to interfere with readability.
40-49 -- A paper in this range represents below average work that demonstrates
a fair attempt to fulfill the assignment and shows promise but does not
completely meet the requirements of the assignment. This essay may have one or several of the following
weaknesses: It may have a general or implied thesis, with a main idea that is
too broad, vague, or, at the other extreme, obvious. The organizational plan
may be inappropriate or inconsistently applied. Evidence may be too general, or
it may be missing, not interpreted, irrelevant to the thesis, or overly
repetitive. Documentation may be incomplete or inaccurate, though no evidence
of intentional plagiarism is evident. The style may be compromised by
repetitive or flawed sentence structure or inappropriate diction and confusing
syntax. Grammatical and mechanical errors may interfere with readability and
indicate an inadequate attempt at editing or unfamiliarity with some aspects of
Standard English.
39 and below --
A paper in this range is substantially below average. It exhibits one or more of the following problems:
It may be off-topic. It may be an attempt to meet the requirements of the assignment,
but it may have no apparent thesis or a contradictory one. The essay's point
may be so general or obvious as to suggest minimal
thinking about the topic. This essay may display little or no apparent sense of
organization; it may lack development; evidence may be inappropriate or
off-topic or it may consist of generalizations, faulty assumptions, or factual
errors. This essay may fail to handle borrowed material responsibly and/or to
document appropriately, though there is no evidence of intentional plagiarism.
This essay’s style suggests serious difficulties with fluency that may be
revealed in recurring short, simple sentences and/or ineffective diction.
Grammatical and mechanical errors likely interfere with reader comprehension or
indicate problems with basic literacy or a lack of understanding of Standard
English usage.
ENGL 101 --
ASSIGNMENT 1: INTRODUCE A CLASSMATE
Due, Wednesday, August 31 at the beginning of class
Assignment Objectives: This assignment has several important objectives: 1)
to help you get to know one another; 2) to give you practice in information
gathering, and; 3) to give you practice in selecting details to enhance your
writing.
Assignment: This assignment asks you to write a descriptive
introduction of one of your classmates and to then orally present your
introduction to the rest of the class. At the same time, your partner will be
interviewing you so you’ll need to work closely with each other in order to
write accurate introductions of one another.
1. I will assign you a partner who you do not
know. If you know your partner, please let me know and we will make some
adjustments.
2.
In your first meeting, take turns interviewing one another. Of course you will
want to take notes. Each of you will have 10 minutes to interview the other.
Ask questions that you believe are pertinent and that will be important for the
class to know when you make your oral presentation. While you will develop your
own questions, you might want to ask about:
Age
Social organizations Professional
interests
Family
details
Home
town
Professional experience
Major
Hobbies or athletics Writing experience
Class
standing
Political
preferences
3. Try to find out a bit more than surface
responses. For example: "What got you interested in astronomy? What do you
like best about it? Where would you like to go once you get your degree and
become an astronomer?" The answers to these questions will help you
develop some details for your paper and for your oral introduction.
4. Use your notes to write a 1 page draft of
a descriptive introduction of your partner. If you could sum up what you’ve
learned about your partner in one sentence, what would it be? Is he or she an
affectionate spouse or daughter? A serious student? A loyal friend? A skillful musician?
A dedicated hunter? A computer nerd?
You will likely discover more than one trait or interest that you want to write
about, but try to stick with only two or three or you’ll end up writing a book.
5. Bring this draft to the next class meeting
for your partner to check and correct if necessary. Discuss with each other
what you feel comfortable having the other use in the description and in the
introduction. Make revisions.
6. On September 1, present to your classmates
a 2-3 minute oral introduction of your partner. Keep in mind that it can take
more than 3 minutes to read a page, so ask your partner to time your
presentation.
What I’ll Look For in Oral and Written
Descriptions:
Your oral and written presentations should
include a clear, positive image of your partner. The material you provide
should be interesting and should also be the kinds of things your audience will
remember. Provide concrete details about your partner. Your paper should be
carefully proofread for grammar and mechanics. You’ve got a partner -- let him
or her review your paper and provide suggestions about these issues. Do the
same for your partner.
Length and Format:
1 page, following the formatting requirements
as described on the syllabus; however, do not use a
title page. Instead, simply include your handwritten
name in the upper right hand margin.
Submit this hardcopy to me at the beginning of class on Wednesday, August 31.
You will not need to submit an email copy of this document. You should have a
separate copy for yourself if you intend to use it during your presentation.