SYLLABUS
FOR ENGLISH 095A
Term: Fall 2005.1
Course Number: ENG 095A
Instructor:
Dr.
Office: 522
Office
Phone: 219-473-4273
E-mail:
rdamashek@ccsj.edu
Office
Hours: by appointment
Instructor
Background: After
an extended career as a professor of literature, I developed a strong interest
in teaching writing. Much of my teaching career has been devoted
to helping students learn to write acceptable academic English. This skill will
give you the basic writing competencies to succeed not only in Rhetoric 103 and
104, but will help you for success in your other college courses and in
your future careers or businesses. Another hat I wear at the college is to
direct the tutoring services through the Center for Academic Excellence.
Course
Time: T, FRI 12: 10-1:30 PM
Course
Description:
This course prepares the student for Rhetoric and Composition 103 by teaching
reading and writing skills necessary to succeed and excel in the higher level
writing course. Students in English 095 will learn how to write in the
same basic forms required in Rhetoric 103 and will develop their abilities to
write fully developed papers that reflect a grasp of mechanics, punctuation,
and good grammar. Because the class is limited to 15 students, students
will receive more attention to their individual writing challenges.
Cross-listed under ASP.
Prerequisites: NONE
Learning
Outcomes/ Competencies:
Students
in this course will:
Demonstrate their
communication skills
Demonstrate a strong, clear
voice in writing
Demonstrate writing skills
in coherent, well organized, imaginative and thoughtful essays
Identify the differences
between personal and academic writing
Employ technology as it
relates to writing essays and papers
Textbooks:
Gather
Together in My Name by
Maya Angelou
Writing Essentials, Rodrigues and Tuman
Other readings as assigned
Other
Materials:
Students
are required to have two computer disks: one to save your papers on and one
backup disk to be turned in with each paper. This backup disk will contain
copies of all your papers.
Learning
Strategies:
In-class
writing, group work, collaborative learning, teacher mentoring and instruction.
Assessment:
Final grades will
be based on:
progress and improvement in
writing as reflected in the student’s portfolio
submission of all writing assignments
timeliness of submission of first drafts and
revisions.
minimum of 3 pages per paper of acceptable
writing (including required revisions and rewrites (75%)
and passing the end of course competency writing essay)*
assigned quizzes (25%)
Late
papers and other written assignments lose one full grade.
The
criteria for acceptable writing are found at the end of the
syllabus. The end of course competency writing essay is evaluated
according to the same criteria. Students must pass the competency to take
Rhetoric 103.
Class
Policy for Assignments:
All assignments
must be handed in on time, or if late, with a proper explanation. No
more than one late paper (including rewrites and revisions) will be accepted
the last class period.
All papers will
be/have:
typed
double-spaced
stapled
pages numbered
12 point font in New Times
Roman
1.25 left margin and one
inch on the other three sides
a cover page with student’s
name, paper form and date turned in
an imaginative title on
page one of the paper
all papers a minimum of
three pages in length except Letter I ( 2 pages) and Letter of Introduction
(1.5 pages)
Papers submitted
in any other format will not be accepted.
Grading
Scale:
Letter
grades will be assigned according to the student’s fulfilling the requirements
listed above (See assessment and Class policy for Assignments, and Class policy
on Attendance.)
A: 92-100
A-: 90-91
B+: 88-89 B:
82-87 B-:
80-81 C+: 78-79
C:
72-77 C-:
70-71 D+:
68-69 D:
62-67 D-:
60-61 F: 59 & below
Class
Policy on Electronic Devices:
When
you enter the classroom, turn off cell phones and beepers. It is disruptive
to have them going off during class. If there is an important reason why
you must have your phone or beeper turned on (e.g. illness at home, work
situation), please inform me before class begins.
Class
Policy on Attendance:
Class
attendance is an important priority. Missing classes will impede your
progress. If you miss more than nine hours, English Program policy requires
that you either fail the course or withdraw. These absences include both excused
and unexcused absences, such as birthdays, sport events, illness, work,
etc. If you are more than 10 minutes late or leave anytime during a class, you
will earn ½ an absence. Class participation is a vital component to this
course.
Student
Responsibilities:
1) Problems
in the Course: I expect students who are having difficulty for whatever
reason (e. g. difficulty with writing, difficulty with reading, difficulty with
the teacher) to let me know so that we might work together to correct the
problem. If you don’t seek to resolve an issue, the burden of failure rests
with you. I don’t want to be blamed at the end of the semester for your failure
to address an issue. If I fail to address your issue, then that is my
responsibility.
2) Attendance:
I expect that all students will be present for all classes. Realistically,
that is not always possible. As a courtesy, if circumstances prevent your
attendance, you should notify me in advance either by phone or email. No matter
what your educational background, life/work experiences, you have something to
offer that will enrich our class. As your instructor, I not only
encourage your participation, but also rely on it and you should demand it, not
only of yourselves, but also of your classmates. Our class is only as
good as we make it.
3) Reading
Assignments: Students are expected
to have read all assignments prior to the discussion of the material. Without
that prior reading, class discussion will be very dull for you and for me. My
teaching style depends on interaction with my students. I prefer the give and
take of ideas to lecture. I learn more from such encounters and so will you.
4)
Revisions of Papers: Revisions of papers are optional. If you choose to
revise a paper, you must submit it within one week of its return to
you. The grade for the paper will then be the average of the first and the
second draft. Only one revision will be accepted.
Classroom
Behavior:
Classroom
decorum will be maintained at all times. Students have the right to study and
learn in an environment conducive to those ends. You instructor also has the
right to engage in the teaching and learning process without hindrance because
of the disruptive behavior of one or more students. The student is expected to
treat the instructor and his/her fellow students with respect and courtesy at
all times. This means giving your full attention. No private
conversations, no catching up on homework assignments, no use of the
computer for any purpose other than class assignments.
Open
Door Policy
Since
your learning is my primary concern, it is imperative that anything preventing
you from learning be discussed. Please feel free to make an appointment
with me or call me so that I can help you keep on track. Please remember that
it is your responsibility to left me know that you need help and to seek
it out.
Free
Tutoring Services:
Tutoring
assistance is free to all students of Calumet College of St. Joseph. Students
who wish to excel in this, or any other, class are urged to sign up to receive
tutoring assistance. Call the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), 473-4287,
to make an appointment. The Center has experienced and well-trained tutors in
most subject areas to help students do their best work in their courses.
Regular weekly tutoring sessions are likely to improve your grade.
Statement
of Plagiarism:
Citation
Guidelines:
Calumet College
of St. Joseph adheres to citation guidelines as prescribed by the particular
discipline (i.e., MLA, APA, and Chicago Manual of Style or Turabian.).
All of these guidelines are available in the Calumet College of St. Joseph
library or bookstore. These texts outline how to cite references from a
variety of sources, including electronic media.
Withdrawal
from Classes Policy:
After the last
day for class changes has passed (see College calendar), students may withdraw
from a course in which they are registered with permission from the faculty
member conducting the course. A written request detailing the reason(s) for the
withdrawal must be filed with the Registrar. Written request for withdrawal
must be received by the Registrar by the last day of classes prior to the final
examination dates specified in the catalogue. Written requests may be mailed to
the Registrar or faxed to the College fax number 219-473-4259. Students are to
make note of the refund schedule when withdrawing from courses. The request is
forwarded to the faculty member, who makes the final determination to accept or
deny the request. If the request is honored, the student will receive
notification of official withdrawal; if denied, the notification will indicate
why the withdrawal is disallowed. Note: Degree Completion Division (DCD)
students should consult the DCD Student Handbook for information on DCD
withdrawals.
An official
withdrawal is recorded as a "W" grade on the student's transcript.
Dropping a course without written permission automatically incurs an
"F" grade for the course (see Refund Schedule).
Administrative
Withdrawal
To protect a
student from failing a course, a faculty member may initiate an administrative
withdrawal of a student who misses two or more consecutive weeks of classes.
Academic
Alerts
In an effort to
keep you informed of serious problems affecting your ability to pass this
course, students who are in jeopardy of not passing may receive an Academic
Alert to notify them of the situation and the remedial actions they should
take to put them in good academic standing.
Writing Competencies
Upon
completion of this course, a student should be able to write a clear, well
organized essay.
The
criteria for assessing your essays include the following:
1) A clear and
thought-provoking thesis or statement of purpose;
2) Assigned topic addressed
in logical progression that supports the thesis;
3) Substantive material to
support the thesis and main ideas;
4) Relevant introduction
and conclusion;
5) Clear focus (no
irrelevancies);
6) Appropriate use of
paragraphing and transitions;
7) Diction (word choice)
and sentence structure appropriate to the assignment;
8)
Mastery of mechanics: grammar, punctuation and spelling.
Course
Outline:
Writing
Assignments
Due Dates
|
Unit
I Letter
I
|
9/6 |
|
Revised Letter 1 |
9/20 |
|
Unit
II Compare/contrast |
9/20 |
NO CLASS |
10/4 |
|
Revised Compare/contrast |
10/11 |
|
Unit
III Cause and Effect |
10/18 |
|
Cause and Effect Revised |
11/1 |
|
Unit V Persuasion |
11/15 |
|
NO CLASS |
11/25 |
|
Revised
Persuasion |
11/29 |
|
Writing
Exam (Competency) |
|
|
Competency
Results |
|
Reading Assignments
|
Gather
Together in My Name |
Due
Dates for Quizzes |
|
Chapters
1-11 pp. 1-37 |
9/6 |
|
Chapters
12-16 pp. 37-71 |
9/13 |
|
Chapters
17-24 pp. 71-117 |
9/20 |
|
Chapters
25-27 pp. 117-147 |
9/27 |
|
Chapters
28-end pp. 147-181 |
10/4 |
|
|
|
Revision
Marks
|
Marking |
Explanation |
|
(
) |
Check to see whether you
need this word or words |
|
O |
Punctuation missing or
word misspelled |
|
|
Word usage. Use a more
appropriate word |
|
? |
Reconsider for sense. In
other words, I don’t understand what you mean. A word missing. |
|
[
] |
Sentence fragment. Look
up in A Writer's Reference how to avoid writing fragments. Usually,
fragments are parts of the sentence immediately preceding or immediately
following the fragment. |
|
|
Subject-verb or pronoun
agreement error. Consult A Writer's Reference for information about
how to avoid such problems. |
|
/ |
Consider whether you have
used capitalization correctly. |
|
¶ |
Consider beginning a new
paragraph |
|
^ |
This carrot indicates a
word is missing |
Student’s Name:
Paper Assignment:
Date Due:
Date Submitted:
# of pages:
Essay Evaluation Checklist
Rubric
|
Excellent 5 |
Very Good 4 |
Satisfactory 3 |
Needs improvement 2 |
Needs serious revision 1 |
|
1. Content and Ideas (Max. 30 pts.) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
clear focus 10pts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
relevant supportive material 20pts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2. Organization (Max. 25 pts.) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
b. effective conclusion 5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
c. clear thesis or statement of purpose 5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
logical order of main points 5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
effective transitions 5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3. Paragraphing and supportive material ( Max 15 pts) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
c. coherent paragraphing 5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4. Form (Max 10 pts) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Effective use of rhetorical form (letter, narrative, process, compare/contrast, etc.) 10 pts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
5. Style (max. 15 pts) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
word choice 5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
sentence structure 10 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
6. Mechanics (max. 15 pts.) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spelling 5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Punctuation 5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
c. Grammar 5 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total Possible Points: 100
Points Required for Passing
(D-): 60
Total Points:
Comments:
Suggestions for
Improvement:[1]