ENGL 1013
English Composition I                                                                                                                                                         Spring 2008

                                                                                                 Course Syllabus

Instructor: Linda Lovell, Ph.D.                                                                                          Telephone:     (479) 619-4327

Office Hours:  10:00-11:00 M/W
                          2:00 - 5:00  M/W                                                                                        E-Mail:            ljlovell@nwacc.edu
                          4:00 - 5:00  T/TR

                        

English Department Chairperson:    Dr. Audley Hall       BH 1058        phone:   619-4277
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Course Description:
Guiding the student through the process of writing with regular practice and analysis of effective writing, this first course of the composition sequence emphasizes the writing of clear, concise, developed academic prose. Generally students are expected to follow the rules of Standard Edited English, to understand paragraph development, and to write a research assignment involving the integration of sources.

 

Prerequisite: minimum placement score (19 ACT, 75 Compass), completion of ENGL 0063 Intermediate Writing (Formerly ACSK 0063 Intermediate Composition), or CIEP 0063 with a C or better.


Course Objectives:  Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to

1)  Write a clear, coherent, college-level essay substantially free of errors

2)  Increase awareness of other cultures through reading and class discussions

3)  Evaluate reading material, formulate a thesis, and develop support for that thesis

4)  Know how to research a topic and integrate that information into a synthesis

5)  Write in future composition or technical writing classes

Textbooks:  1.   Richard Bullock and Maureen Daly Goggin
                           The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings
                      2.  Jane Aaron, The Little, Brown Brief Handbook, 3rd ed.
                      3.  Dictionary (access via computer acceptable)
                      4.  Thesaurus (recommended; via computer, fine)
                      5.  Expressions, NWACC essay anthology

Course Methods:  The course will involve class writing workshops with group work and peer review of essays. You will have exercises and reading homework. Each student will write and work to revise four essays. The instructor and classmates will give frequent feedback on writing and offer suggestions for ways to improve.

Essays: You will write 4 essays during the semester and will spend much time revising your work to create essays of which you can be proud. Textbook chapters and readings from The Norton Field Guide to Writing along with written assignments from me will provide ideas and guidelines for each essay. The additional Little, Brown Brief Handbook text provides guidance on writing skills, grammar, and mechanics. Essays should be revised multiple times and final drafts included in your Mid-Term and Final Portfolios. Individual essays will not be graded. I will provide extensive comments on your essays and am happy to meet with you to discuss your work. If you want to know what grade you have in the course, you can request a conference with me at any time during the semester where I will give you an informational grade.

 

Mid-Term Portfolio (20%): The mid-term portfolio is due on Wednesday, March 5. It should include all drafts of the first two essays in addition to the final versions for those two essays. Other work to include will be any class/homework exercises. Only date-stamped work will be credited. Include a two-page reflection in which you introduce your portfolio by discussing challenges and improvements made to your two essays, along with your own assessment of your writing progress thus far in the course. The Mid-Term Portfolio will not be graded but I will comment on your writing at that time. Submission of the Mid-Term Portfolio is mandatory. An incomplete portfolio will be unacceptable.

 

Final Portfolio (50%): The Final Portfolio will be due at the end of the term. The portfolio should include your choice of two revised essays from the first three assigned essays. These two essays should be revised beyond the Mid-Term Portfolio versions. Also submit the revised 4th essay, the research paper. And all course exercises/homework (date-stamped) should be included. I will provide more specific guidelines for the portfolios later in the term.

What are the advantages to portfolio grading?

·         encourages students to see revision as an ongoing process.

·         provides students with opportunities to reflect on their work and writing process.

·         allows students to apply to their papers the knowledge and writing skills they develop throughout the semester.

·         gives students more control over their own grades.

·         enables the teacher to separate commenting from evaluating.

·         helps students to become better readers and critics of their own work.
 

Final exam: A final paper assigned for the final exam will be added to the Final Portfolio.

 

Grade Distribution: 

 

20 points  Mid-Term Portfolio 
40 points  Final Portfolio         
25 points  Class Participation  (Involvement in Reading, Writing, Workshop, Revising)
15 points  Class Attendance and Promptness

100 points    

 

A = 90-100 pts.; B = 80-89 pts.; C = 70-79 pts.; D=60-69 pts.; F = below 60 pts.

Required Format for Essays
See a model of the proper format on page 522 of Little, Brown Handbook (Brief Version). All lines are double-spaced, with no triple or single spacing. All citations to sources should be in MLA Style with a Works Cited page.

Late Work: Late work is not accepted unless the student has a dire emergency. Students must have my prior permission to submit late work. Phone, e-mail, or speak to me for such permission. It is not sufficient to simply leave me a message; I must actually respond by giving you an extension. For this reason, you must contact me at least a day before you intend to miss an assignment deadline. Otherwise, all late work is penalized 10 points per day late.

Students who do not submit a draft on time during the drafting and review process will lose a letter grade from the final portfolio. This is a course in revision, so all students must participate in the draft stage.

Extra Credit: This instructor does not give extra credit. It is required that students complete the assignments given rather than extra, negotiated new assignments.

Attendance and Promptness: Students who miss class too often will not do well in the course. Do not schedule other activities during class time. Students who are late to class are disruptive. Class attendance and promptness are graded at 15% of the final course grade. I take attendance every day and take a deduction from this grade every time a student is late.

Incompletes: Faculty at NWACC may not initiate a grade of incomplete. If a student hopes for a grade of incomplete, he or she must initiate the process by completing the appropriate paperwork. The policy and procedures are explained on page 31 of the NWACC College Catalog. For information about the form needed, inquire at the college's Office of Admissions.

Academic Integrity: Students are expected to do their own work on papers, assignments, and quizzes and to avoid plagiarism in any written work. Those who do not do their own work or who plagiarize writing assignments will be subject to college sanctions as outlined on pages 156-157 of the 2007-2008 NWACC Course Catalog  Such sanctions may include a grade of zero on the plagiarized assignment, lowering of the course grade, failure of the course, or suspension or expulsion from the college.

Inclement Weather: College closings due to bad weather are announced on the NWACC student weather line at 619-4377.

Disability Services
If you have a documented disability and would like to request accommodations, please contact Amy Robertson-Gann, Coordinator of Disability Services. Appropriate aids will be recommended, and you and I will then discuss and agree upon the arrangements. No accommodations will be made for any student who chooses not to register with Disability Services.

Amy Robertson-Gann
Global Communities Center at the Student Center Bldg. Room 225, on the 2nd floor
phone: 619-2660
email:
arobertsongann@nwacc.edu

Who is Eligible for Disability Services?

Services are available to any admitted and enrolled student who has a documented disability. Individuals eligible for services include those with mobility, orthopedic, hearing, vision, or speech impairments, as well as those with other health-related disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, learning disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities.

Strict confidentiality is maintained for all information and records accrued by the
Office of Disability Services.

 

College Resources for Writing

The NWACC Writing Center, Library, and Information Literacy Online Lab are available for student use. The Writing Center is in Burns Hall 1108 or can be emailed at write-in@www.nwacc.edu. Expect at least a 48-hour turnaround time for work emailed to the center. Writing Center hours are as follows:

Monday

8:30 – 7:00

Tuesday

8:30 – 8:00

Wednesday

8:30 - 4:30

Thursday

8:30 - 4:30

Friday

9:00 - 1:00

Best access to the Library is through My NWACC Connection. Then click on the Library tab. Remember, the library offers thousands of articles through online databases, in addition to the full text of more than 27,000 books online through netLibrary.