Effective Date of this
Description/Syllabus: Fall 2015
Prepared by: Dr. Rhonda Wilcox
678 359 5296
Fall Office hours: TR 12:30-1:45,
3:30-4:30;
W 12:30-2:00; 3:00-5:00
Course Description/Syllabus
Course Designation
(discipline abbreviation & number): ENGL 1101
Course Title:
Composition I
Class hours per
week: 3
Laboratory hours
per week: 0
Credit hours: 3
Division offering
course: Humanities
Course description
for college catalog:
A composition
course focusing on skills required for effective writing in a variety of
contexts, with emphasis on exposition and analysis and including the use of
research skills.
Prerequisite: Placement in ENGL 1101 or exit from
Learning Support English and/or Reading. If you are presently enrolled in any
Learning Support English or Learning Support Reading course, you are not
eligible to take any regular English (ENGL) course. In order to enter English
1102, you must earn at least a C in this course. For most institutions, a C or
better is required to transfer.
ADA and 504
If
you have a documented disability as described by the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, you may
be eligible to receive accommodations to assist in programmatic and/or physical
accessibility. The Counseling and Accessibility Services office located
in the Student Center, Room 212 can assist you in formulating a reasonable
accommodation plan and in providing support in developing appropriate
accommodations to ensure equal access to all GSC programs and facilities.
Course requirements will not be waived, but accommodations may assist you in
meeting the requirements. For documentation requirements and for
additional information, contact Counseling and Accessibility Services at
678-359-5585.
Title IX
Gordon State College is committed to providing an environment
free of all forms of discrimination and sexual harassment, including sexual
assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. If you (or
someone you know) has experienced or experiences any of these incidents, know
that you are not alone. All faculty members at Gordon State College are
mandated reporters. Any student reporting any type of sexual harassment,
sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence or stalking must be made
aware that any report made to a faculty member under the provisions of Title IX
will be reported to the Title IX Coordinator or a Title IX Deputy
Coordinator. If you wish to speak with someone confidentially, you must
contact the Counseling and Accessibility Services office, Room 212, Student
Life Center. The licensed counselors in the Counseling Office are able to
provide confidential support.
Gordon State College does not discriminate against any student
on the basis of pregnancy, parenting or related conditions. Students
seeking accommodations on the basis of pregnancy, parenting or related
conditions should contact Counseling and Accessibility Services regarding the
process of documenting pregnancy related issues and being approved for
accommodations, including pregnancy related absences as defined under Title IX.
The Humanities Department’s formally stated general
objectives for all English 1101 classes are listed below:
English 1101
Course Objectives
In
order to successfully complete ENGL 1101, the student should fulfill these
objectives:
Literacy Objective
Students
must read, comprehend, and respond to college-level writing.
Critical Thinking Objectives
Students
should develop or improve their ability to engage in the following:
Process Objectives
Students
should develop or improve their ability to recognize and apply complex writing
processes, including but not limited to the following:
Product Objectives
Students
should develop or improve their ability to produce an organized, coherent, and
developed essay demonstrating a mastery of Standard Written English. Successful demonstration of these skills
include the following:
Course content for
our English 1101:
Personal Narrative
Essay
Revision*
Basic Expository
Essay
Revision*
Comparison/Contrast Essay
Revision*
Classification/Illustration Essay (documented)
Final Exam Essay
All essays for
this class should be a minimum of 500 words.
*A student who makes a C or below on any of the first three
essays must revise it. A student who makes an A or B on an essay may omit its
revision, though each student must
revise at least one essay (even if only to aim for an A+).
Any student who
fails to turn in any of these papers (including required revisions) will fail
the course.
A student must
pass the in-class final exam essay to get a C or better in the course.
Students will be required to produce
revisions, the Classification Essay, and possibly other assignments, on a
computer (available in the Instructional Complex and the library; or students
may use their own).
Class participation, brief writing
assignments (e.g. in-class paragraphs), pop quizzes (usually on reading
assignments), and exercises will make up the remainder of the student's grade.
The kinds of instruction may include
class preparation for writing, small-group critiques of finished essays or
preparatory work, oral presentation and evaluation of papers, lectures,
discussions, and other activities.
Each student will have a minimum of
three required conferences with the instructor. Either the student or the
instructor may schedule additional conferences. Students MAY NOT MISS OTHER
CLASSES in order to attend a required English conference. If a student is found
to be missing another class in order to attend a conference for this class, the
relevant essay will be penalized five points. Any student who has genuine
difficulty scheduling a conference should discuss the problem with the
instructor outside class.
Required Texts:
The Gordon State College Writing Handbook. Written by Gordon professors Dr. Mark
King and Dr. Wesley Venus as of 2015.
Literature and Ourselves: A Thematic Introduction for Readers
and Writers. 6th
ed. Ed. Gloria Mason Henderson et al. New York: Addison-Wesley Longman, 2009.
Print.
Required folder: Place papers (essays and revisions) in a paper/cardboard
folder, earliest assignments on the bottom (reverse chronological order). AT THE
END OF THE SEMESTER, TURN IN THE FOLDER. Write your name visibly on the upper
right corner. We will be passing this folder back and forth all semester.
Recommended Text:
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, newest
edition. Print. (Plan to bring a
dictionary for in-class essays; you may not use an electronic dictionary,
cell phone, or other “smart” device during in-class essays.)
Grading:
Essay 1--10%
Essay 2--10%
Essay 3--15%
Essay 4--15%
Revisions=Essay 5--20% (Average of the student's revision
grades=20% of the course grade.)
Exam=Essay 6--20%
Pop tests, class participation, etc.--10%
Standards:
A=90-100; B=80-89; C=70-79; D=60-69; F=below 60; B+ =88; B =85; B- = 82; C+
=78, etc.
The following
description of grade standards (composed by the faculty of Elon College)
further explains the evaluation process:
A: This indicates
clearly superior work. The A theme has significant content and a clear purpose
that it successfully accomplishes without major errors of any kind. Its
organization and style are appropriate to the subject, which is so restricted
that it can be intelligently treated within the limits of the paper. It handles
the mechanics of punctuation, sentence and paragraph construction, and the choice
of diction and idiom logically and appropriately.*
B: This indicates
writing that is clearly of good quality. Although the B theme will probably
lack some of the insight and tight control of superior work, it demonstrates
the same ability of handling significant content according to a clear purpose.
Its organization and mechanics are free of major errors.*
C: This represents
average college work, but it possesses few distinguishing qualities. It may
show some breakdown in logic and organization, careless proofreading, and a
deficiency in writing mechanics.
D: This grade
indicates a piece of writing that falls below average college work. Although
the D theme may show a potential for average achievement, it is flawed by
mechanical errors, such as those of spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
It does manage to convey its ideas to the reader, but its
organization is probably weak.
F: This indicates
unacceptable college writing. It is likely to be marred by serious errors of
punctuation, spelling, diction, sentence and paragraph construction. The
subject is likely to be incoherently presented.
*Unlike the Elon College faculty, I might allow one or two
major errors in a standard length A or B paper, respectively; and I do consider
length in terms of the proportion of errors.
Some examples of serious errors are: sentence fragments; comma splices; fused
sentences
Some examples of lesser errors are: capitalization mistakes; inappropriate (vs.
inaccurate) diction; hyphenation errors
Student evaluation
of instruction (Your
chance to grade the teacher!)
Near the end of
this course, you may be asked to evaluate the instruction of the course by
filling out a standard form that is used college-wide. Your honest responses on
the form will assist the faculty of the college in providing the best possible
educational experiences for Gordon students. In other words, your evaluation of
my work can help me to improve, just as my evaluation of your work can help you
to improve.
Plagiarism,
Cheating:
The English
faculty of Gordon College views any form of cheating as a serious violation of
commonly accepted standards of honesty. All student work must be solely that of
the person submitting the work. Any giving or receiving of unauthorized help
from others or from notes or other materials during the course of taking a
quiz, test, or exam or in writing a paper will result in an F on the work; any
use of forbidden materials such as rough drafts during the course of in-class
writing will also result in an F for the assignment. Note that an F on the work
involved in cheating is the minimum punishment; if justified by aggravating
circumstances, the matter may be referred to the Academic Dean and/or the
Judicial Committee or (according to a rule approved by the full faculty in
Spring 2010) the Dean of Students.
Moreover, when source materials are
used in the writing of papers, the student must document such use of sources
both by clearly indicating material being used as quotation and by giving
proper recognition when ideas or information has been paraphrased or
summarized; the following principles enunciated in the section on avoiding
plagiarism in James D. Lester's Writing
Research
Papers: A Complete
Guide, 8th
edition, should be scrupulously observed:
1. Acknowledge borrowed material by
introducing the quotation or paraphrase with the name of the authority. This
practice serves to indicate where borrowed materials begin.
2. Enclose within quotation marks all
quoted materials.
3. Make certain that paraphrased
material has been rewritten into your own style and language. The simple
rearrangement of sentence patterns is unacceptable. [It is unacceptable to
simply rearrange sentence patterns.]
4. Provide specific in-text
documentation for each borrowed item. For example, MLA [Modern Language
Association] style requires name and page for all in-text references.
Requirements differ for other fields.
5. Provide a bibliographic entry on the
Works Cited page for every source cited in the paper.
6. Omit sources consulted but not cited
in [your paper]. This point is important. You do not want your instructor
leafing back through the paper trying to find your use of a source that, in
truth, was not cited. (140-41)
Note
that the indention of the six rules above is another method of indicating that
material is quoted from someone else; when you have a long section to quote, then instead of using quotation marks, you
indent. My indention of the six rules indicates that they are the exact wording
by James D. Lester on pages 140-41 of his book.
Furthermore, you must avoid collusion. Here
is a definition from the head of the Humanities Department:
Collusion
is defined as receiving excessive help to the point that a work can no longer
be considered the product of a single author and therefore cannot be accurately
assessed an individual grade. If I suspect a submitted work to be the result of
collusion, I reserve the right to refuse credit for that work if the claimed
author is unable to demonstrate sole authorship. A good way to avoid this
problem is to get help from the Student Success Center rather than from family
or friends.
I may or may not decide to have you submit
some of your work to Turnitin.com. Terms and Conditions of Use may be found at
http://www.turnitin.com/static/usage.html.
LIBRARY HOURS: Because Hightower Library is undergoing
renovation this year, we will not have the usual access. Instead of going to
the library proper, you will go to IC 117 and/or 112 and 116. Librarians will
have to take books from storage, so you will need to give them extra time to
work with you. Hours (as most recently announced) will be Mon-Thu 8:00
am--10pm; Fri 8:00 am--5 pm; Sun 2--10 pm; Saturday 10 am—2 pm
Business
procedures
Attendance: You may receive a WF if you
fail to attend regularly. If you receive a WF, you will be ineligible for VA
and other financial assistance.
As a matter of courtesy, you should
explain your absences to me. However, you should realize that even
"excused" absences count against you--not as a moral judgment, but
simply as a matter of getting business done. As a college student, you are responsible for all class and assigned
work whether you are present or not. Whenever possible, you should notify
me ahead of time (in person, by phone, by email, or by a note slipped under my
office door) if you must miss a class, so that we can try to make appropriate
arrangements. Some work, such as in-class essays, can only be made up (at the
teacher’s discretion) under extenuating circumstances (work not made up gets a
zero). Students who miss more than nine MWF or six TR or MW classes normally
fail the course. Three tardies equal one absence. If you believe yourself to be
contagious, email or telephone me before the class you expect to miss; then
bring documentation from a physician when you return to class.
In general, it is a good idea to save
your cuts because (1) you may get deathly ill towards the end of the quarter,
and not have enough allotted absences left, and (2) things actually do happen
in class.
If you must miss a class and are unable
to contact anyone to discover the assignment, then prepare the assignment indicated on the tentative schedule.
Cell phones, Blackberries, and other electronic
devices: So that we can make the best use of our limited time together, silence your cell phones and any other electronic devices before class begins,.
Exception: Emergency personnel may leave theirs on and slip out of class to
take phone calls in the hall when necessary. If you have a job as an EMT (or similar work), notify me during the
first week of classes and be sure to sit near the door. Also, if you have
some other sort of emergency situation for which you wish to stay in cell phone
contact, speak to me about the problem before the relevant class period in
order to be granted an exception. All students should remember that they will
receive a class participation grade, and cell phone interruptions disturb
discussion. Furthermore, texting during class implies that you don’t really
think our class is worth your full attention. What kind of impression do you
think that will make on the teacher?
Late
papers: Late
papers, including revisions, are penalized five points per calendar day. I am
very strict about this policy. On the other hand, I am very reasonable about
giving extensions (without grade penalty) for good cause IF you arrange the
matter in a timely fashion before the due date. If you do not get an extension
beforehand, then the penalty will stand unless you can produce evidence of
flood, earthquake, avalanche, or other natural disaster intervening in the
composition process. (I.e., you must provide evidence of a serious problem).
My office is in Honors House 104. My
fall office hours will be: TR 12:30-1:45, 3:30-4:30; W 12:30--2:00, 3:00—5:00.
Feel free to visit me to talk about the course (whether you have a problem or
just an interest). You may also leave messages on or under my door. You may
call me at my office at 678-359-5296. My email address is rhonda_w@gordonstate.edu. If you find yourself
involved in an English Emergency, you may also call me at home (404-373-5328).
I kept my land line for my students’ convenience. In general,
LET ME KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON! And –ASK
FOR HELP IF YOU NEED IT!
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Read the italicized paragraph about the author before any
assignment in Literature and Ourselves.
Week 1 (8/13) Diagnostic writing; course introduction; READ
SYLLABUS
Week 2 (8/18-20) Language history;
grammar review; modes of writing; invention; “A Domestic Dilemma,” 64
Week 3 (8/25-27) Narrative structure; “And of Clay Are We
Created,” 1001; “Desiree’s Baby,” 269; “A Temporary Matter,” 301
Week 4 (9/1-3) “The Man I Killed,” 799; sample narrative
essays; subject choices
Wed. 9/2, 2:00 pm: President’s Convocation, required for all
freshmen
Week 5 (9/8-10) Personal
Narrative Essay (10%, in-class); conferences
Week 6 (9/15-17) Descriptive technique; Narrative Revision due; thesis; expository structure
Week 7 (9/22-24) “Beyond the Cult of
Fatherhood,” 247; “Happiness Is . . .,” 453; “Professions for Women,” 233;
Week 8 (9/29-10/1) Expository paragraph qualities; library
orientation and quiz
10/5: Last day to drop classes without
WF
Week 9 (10/6-8) Expository paragraph qualities, continued;
subject choices
Week 10 (10/13-15) Fall Break Mon-Tues; Expository paragraph qualities, continued; Expository Essay (10%, in-class);
Week 11 (10/20-22) Conferences;
Comparison/contrast structure; “Because My Father Always Said He Was the Only
Indian Who Saw Jimi Hendrix Play ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ at Woodstock,” 121
Week 12 (10/27-29) “The Yellow Wallpaper,” 274; “Hills Like White Elephants,” 297; Expository Revision due
Week 13 (11/3-5) Comparison/contrast discussion; quotation; Comparison/Contrast Essay (15%,
in-class)
Week 14 (11/10-12) Conferences; Classification/illustration
structure; avoiding plagiarism
Week 15 (11/17-19) Comparison/Contrast
Revision due; research basics, bibliography basics; paraphrase;
Week 16 (11/24-26) Style; “If,” 755 ;
“Future Connected By,” 141; "Phenomenal Woman," 321; Thanksgiving holiday Thu-Fri
Week 17 (12/1) Classification/Illustration Essay due (15%, out-of-class); exam
preparation
Dec. 3 will be a campus-wide study day.
Final Exam (20%, in-class):
For the 11:00 TR class: Wed. Dec. 9, 10:15 am—12:15 pm
For the 2:00 TR class: Tues. Dec. 8, 12:30 pm—2:30 pm
Throughout the semester, additional readings and writing may
be assigned.
Any variation in syllabus policy is strictly at the
instructor’s discretion.