English 1301



English 1301

Course Syllabus

Fall 2007

INSTRUCTOR: Deva Arumugam

DIVISION OFFICE: A341 (Leave written work or messages for my mailbox here.)

TELEPHONE: (214) 860-2239

EMAIL: A_deva@dcccd.edu

Course Prerequisite:

One of the following must be met:

1) Developmental Reading 0093 AND Developmental Writing 0093

2) English as a Second Language (ESOL) 0044 AND 0054

3) The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Reading and Writing standards.

Course Description

This course focuses on student writing. It emphasizes reading and analytical thinking and introduces research skills. Students practice writing for a variety of audiences and purpose.

Texts

The Composition of Everyday Life: A Guide to Writing, 2nd Ed., John Mauk and John Metz, Thompson Wadsworth.

Simon and Shuster Handbook for Writers, 8th ed., Lynn Troyka and Douglas Hesse, Prentice Hall.

A Long Way Gone, Ismael Beah (reader will be provided)

Materials

Some form of portable storage (floppy disks, flash drive, email)

Access to e-campus

A ring binder for storing all graded materials

An e-mail address

Learning Outcomes

After successfully completing this course, the student will :

• write with greater confidence

• understand the writing process

• value writing as a way to learn, record, communicate, and understand

• write under different time constraints

• write for a variety of purposes and audiences

• develop a personal voice and style and the ability to vary it appropriately

• produce effective, mature papers of several paragraphs

• read analytically and write in response to reading

• develop greater understanding of cultural diversity

• gain maturity of thought by analyzing, questioning, and reelecting on ideas

• practice locating, using, and crediting sources of information.

Evaluation of Learning Outcomes

Students’ performances will be measured by student writing, process review in the classroom, class discussion, and written exercises. To successfully complete this course, students must complete all assignments and make at least a C on the final exam. Those who do not take the finals will not get a passing grade.

Course work

Students will be required to write a minimum of six graded, multi-draft writing assignments of 500 to 750 words (specific lengths are given for each assignment) for a specific purpose and audience as well as a final paper written in class during the time scheduled for final exams. The papers will be graded according to departmental grading standards that are included in the syllabus and on your handout that describes criteria.

Course calendars

Assignments will be made via course calendars in increments of 4 to 6 weeks. I expect that you will have done the work by class time on the date indicated. Essay assignments will be made in writing.

Late Paper Policy:

All papers are due on the Friday of the week that the papers are due. Any paper received after the last class for the week the papers are due is subject to a 5-10 point deduction depending on the lateness. No papers will be accepted after the day the graded papers are turned in.

Peer Edit Policy:

Papers that are not peer edited and reviewed will be considered as partial assignments. If turned in on time, the paper will be subjected to a 15 point deduction. You are, therefore, encouraged not to miss any peer edit/ peer review session. All peer edits are due before rewrites. If peer edits/reviews are posted late, the edits/reviews would not be of any benefit to the author and would, therefore, be considered as missing edit/review. Missing edits/reviews will cause the editor 15% of his/her essay grade.

Final grade:

By semester’s end, students will have a minimum of seven major grades, which will be averaged along with other grades (described below) to determine the final grade. The final grade, however, may be affected by our department’s attendance policy, which is described in the syllabus. Notice: the final grade may also be affected by the final exam because students must make a “C” or above on the final paper (written in class) in order to pass the course.

Grade breakdown:

Six essays plus in-class essay 70%

Book Project 10%

Discussion Boards/ Online Journals 10%

Quizzes 10%

Grading criteria:

A: The A paper displays the writer’s imagination and curiosity about the subject, so the reader is engaged. Clear, insightful, original, and mature thinking by the writer provokes/teaches the reader. The essay treats the subject thoroughly. It has been written (and rewritten) with an awareness of style; neither over-written not under-written, it is graceful. In choices of words, phrases, and sentence-form and in organization of ideas from clearly focused and supported thesis to ending, the excellent essay shows signs of careful revision and editing. It has been worked on to remove the “worked on” quality; the A essay is pleasurably readable.

B: The level of writing is good, above average. It reveals the writer’s having explored the subject carefully and completely. The writer has conformed to the cardinal principles of subject/thesis development: focus on subject, unity, coherence and support. The language used is clear, and its level of usage is appropriate for the assignment. The B essay shows some originality of thought and expression since it has been revised and edited and is easily read. A and B work will be basically error free, particularly in terms of serious problems in diction, sentence construction, grammar and usage. There will be virtually no careless errors in spelling, punctuation mechanics, and typing.

C: Satisfactory writing performance is indicated by the C. The writer of such an essay conducts the reader through a satisfactory exploration of the subject matter but only minimally engages the project. Minor problems in the writing (which could have been avoided by more careful revising and editing) do not obstruct the reading of the paper, but the reader has only slight interest because the writer has achieved little originality of expression or depth of thought. If one only writes to the criteria for passing the ICE (exit standard for DW091) or the minimum standards for passing the final writing assignment for English 1301, the C grade is assigned.

D: The D indicates below-average achievement. (D’s on the transcript are not transferable as passing grades.) Thorough development of the subject, organization of ideas, and clarity of language are missing from most D papers; these attempts reveal little effective revision and proofreading although they may be “long enough.” The level of language is generally unacceptable in academic writing.

F: F’s are given to essays failing to state and develop a thesis. These essays may also reflect serious problems with grammar, among which are usually these kinds of errors: many comma splices or fused sentences, sentence fragments, and verb form errors including the lack of subject-verb agreement. Generally, three or more of these errors will result in an F. The F essay is unreadable. NOTE: The brilliantly written essay which is plagiarized will also earn an F, as will the essay which is too brief to meet the assignment’s specifications: length DOES matter!

Drop Policy

To drop this class, you must obtain a drop form from the Admissions or Counseling Office and follow the prescribed procedure. It is the student’s responsibility to drop (I can’t do it for you), and failure to do so will result in your receiving a performance grade (usually an F). The last date to drop a course is April 12. Students who drop by that date will receive a W (withdraw).

Don’t, however, drop the course without speaking with me. I want you to succeed, and I will both work with you myself and help you find other learning resources within our community.

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance is imperative because this course involves a good deal more than simply reading a text; further, you cannot receive credit for a class you have not regularly attended. You may not miss more than six consecutive class hours or nine cumulative class hours; there are no excused absences. Students who miss more hours than are allowed are advised to drop, as they will not receive a passing performance grade. Those who miss too many classes and do not drop the course will receive an ‘F’ for the course. Three tardies of 14 or fewer minutes constitute one absence, while any tardy of 15 or more minutes counts as an absence.

Classroom Format:

In this class, all of us will treat each other as colleagues, demonstrating respect in all discourse. We will also refrain from talking when someone else is attempting to make a point. Anything which annoys classmates or disrupts the learning process is taboo. This includes any electronic devices; turn off all players, phones, and pagers. If you answer a phone in class or leave to answer your phone, you will be asked to leave, and you will be marked absent for the day.

Plagiarism:

Don’t do it; there are serious consequences; I will do my best to see that you receive the maximum punishment (which is far less than what I deem sufficient) that is allowed by the school. Punishment for plagiarism may range from an ‘F’ in the course to expulsion from the college. For specifics regarding academic dishonesty, see the Academic Honesty Contract.

New ‘Third Attempt’ Policy

Effective for Fall Semester 2005, the Dallas County Community Colleges will charge a higher tuition rate to students registering the third or subsequent time for a course. All third and subsequent attempts of the majority of credit and Continuing Education/Workforce Training courses will result in higher tuition to be charged. Developmental Studies and some other courses will not be charged a higher tuition rate. Third attempts include courses taken at any of the Dallas County Community Colleges since the Fall 2002 semester.

More information about this policy can be found at the following link:



Religious Holy Days Statement

A student who is absent from classes for the observance of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence if, not later than the fifteenth day after the first day of the semester, the student notified the instructor of each class scheduled on the date that the student would be absent for a religious holy day. A “religious holy day” means a holy day observed by a religion whose places of worship are exempt from property taxation under Section 11.20, Tax Code. The notice shall be in writing and shall be delivered by the student personally to the instructor, with receipt acknowledged and dated by the instructor or by certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the instructor. A student who is excused under this section may not be penalized for the absence, but the instructor may appropriately respond if the student fails to satisfactorily complete the assignment or examination.

Disability Accommodations

Any student who may need accommodations due to a disability should contact the Disability Services Office, Room A110, phone number (214) 860-2411.

Children in Class and Unaccompanied Children Policy

The institution strives to protect an environment most conducive to teaching and learning for all enrolled students. Children who are taking part in organized scheduled activities or who are enrolled in specific classes are welcomed. Minor children, however, should not be brought to the college. This practice is disruptive to the learning process. In the case of an emergency where the student-parent has no alternative but to bring the child to campus, classroom faculty or the administrative heads of other units have full discretion as to whether a child may be allowed to quietly stay in the location. These individuals may require that children be removed by the student-parent from the setting if, in their opinion, the presence of the child is deemed to be disruptive to the learning process. For reasons of security and child welfare, the institution will not permit unattended children to be left anywhere on the premises. Parents who have problems with childcare should visit the advisement/counseling center to receive referrals to childcare services in the area.

FINANCIAL AID STATEMENT:

Students who are receiving any form of financial aid should check with the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from classes. Withdrawals may affect your eligibility to receive further aid and could cause you to be in a position of repayment for the current semester. Students who fail to attend or participate after the drop date are also subject to this policy

TSI Information

If you are enrolled in a developmental or ESOL course because you failed a section of an approved assessment test, you are expected to attend and participate in the course. If you do not attend, you will be solely responsible for any financial aid obligations that you may have incurred.

I reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus and the course calendar if doing so becomes necessary during the semester.

COURSE SCHEDULE:

Week 1 (Aug 27-31)

• Intro to the concept of Collaborative/ Team work

• Review Course Schedule

• Writing Sample

• HW: Read Chapter 1

Week 2 (Sept 3-7)

• UNIT 1: Remembering Who You Were

• Review: Parts of Speech and Sentence Structures

• Journal 1

• Assign Essay 1: Handout

• Outline Essay 1

• Write 1st draft for essay 1

Week 3 (Sept10-14)

• Chapter 1: Remembering Who You Were

• Review: Parts of Speech and Sentence Structures

• Fragments

• Quiz 1

• Journal 2

First draft of Essay 1 is due

• Introduction to Peer Edit/ Peer Review

• In Class Review Session

Week 4 (Sept17-21)

• Journal 3

• Fragments

• Creating Groups

• Choosing Topics

• Creating a Working Plan

• Essay 1 due

• HW: Read Chapter 3

Week 5 (sept 24-28)

• Chapter 3: Observing

• Comma Splices and Run-on Sentences

• Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

• Quiz 2

• Journal 4

• Assign/Discuss Essay 2

• HW: Draft Essay 2

Week 6 (Oct 1-5)

• 1st draft of essay 2 due

• Shifting and Mixed Sentence

• In Class Review

Essay 2 is due

HW: Read Unit 5

Week 7 (Oct 8-12)

• Chapter 5: Analyzing Images

• Understanding Punctuations

• Quiz 3

• Journal 5

• Assign/Discuss Essay 3

HW: Draft Essay 3

Week 8(Oct 15-19)

• Chapter 5: Analyzing Images

• Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

• 1st Draft of Essay 3 due ( 2 copies)

• Journal 6

• In Class Review

• Essay 3 due

• HW: Read Chapter 9

Week 9(Oct 22-26)

• Chapter 9: Searching for causes

• Agreement

• Quiz 4

• Journal 7

• Assign/Discuss Essay 4

• HW: Draft Essay 4

Week 10(Oct 29-Nov 2)

• Chapter 9: Searching for Causes

• Coordination and subordination

• Quiz 5

• Journal 8

• Draft 1 for Essay 4 due (2 Copies)

• In Class Review

Week 11 (Nov 5-9)

• Final Draft for Essay 4 due

• Impact of words

• HW: Read Chapter 10: Proposing Solutions

• Essay 5: In class first draft

• HW: 2nd draft for Essay 5

• Quiz 6

Week 12(Nov 12-16)

• Chapter 10: Proposing solutions

• MLA: Primary Sources

• In Class Review

• Quiz 7

• Journal 9

• 3rd Draft of Essay 5 due

• HW: Read Chapter 6

Week 13 (Nov 19-21)

• Chapter 6: Making Arguments

• MLA: Secondary Sources

• Journal 10

• Quiz 8

• Assign Essay 6

• Plan Essay 6

• HW: Ist Draft of Essay 6

• Thanksgiving Break

Week 14 (Nov 26-30)

• Book Project

Week 15( Dec 3-7)

• Chapter 6: Making Arguments

• In Class Review: Self Edit

• Quiz 9

• HW: Final Draft of Essay 6

Week 16 (May 10-14)

Final Exam Week.

ALL STUDENTS MUST PASS FINAL EXAM TO PASS THE COURSE

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