Syllabus

English 122: College Composition

Ann Rasmussen, Instructor

University of Northern Colorado

Fall 2015

Office: Ross Hall 1180 D Phone: 970 351-2475 Email: ann.rasmussen@unco.edu Textbooks: A Writer’s Reference 8th ed. by Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers and Learning Dynamics by Margaret and John Ford Blog: rasmussenwriting.blogspot.com

Office Hours: Tuesday 10:00-11:00 and by appointment

Course Description: From the UNC catalog: “Extensive practice in writing clear and effective academic prose with special attention to purpose, audience, organization, and style. Instruction in critical analysis and revision. (LAC, gtP)”

Students with disabilities who believe they may need accommodations in this class/program are encouraged to contact the Disability Access Center (970-351-2289) as soon as possible to better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.

Classroom Policies

Technology in the Classroom: The classroom serves as a learning environment where interruptions must be kept at a minimum. As a result, personal technology (cell phones, tablets, iPads, iPods, laptops) will not be allowed in class during lectures. Bring paper and pencil for taking notes.

Please turn off cell phones during class and refrain from texting during class; if texting persists students will be warned. After multiple warning, students’ final grades may be lowered by a full letter grade. 
Do not answer your cell phone during class. 
Do not leave class to answer your cell phone; if you do so, do not return to class. Leaving class to answer your cell phone will count as an absence.


Drinks in class are okay, but please, no food.

Attendance is required. Students will be allowed 2 absences without consequences. Please call the instructor or email her when you do miss class. After the 2 free absences, 3 points will be deducted from the students’ grades for each absence. If students have lengthy absences from class (serious illness, injury, family emergency, or other unforeseen situation), the instructor, and they should notify the Dean of Students and their course faculty. Dean of Students: University Center 351-2796.

Classroom Etiquette

Academia thrives on and requires stimulating discussion, even or especially in a writing course; therefore, students must feel free to express their opinions openly and honestly without fear of unfair, harsh, or cruel criticism. While healthy class discussion and disagreement can stimulate good discussion, students are expected to respond and to listen politely without fear of harsh and unhealthy criticism from classmates. All opinions deserve respect; therefore, disagreement must be offered and accepted in an intellectual and mature manner

Keep in mind that the classroom environment is an academic environment where eating sleeping, using cell phones, visiting, and other less than academic activities must be avoided.

Plagiarism/Cheating: All work for this class must be the students’ original work created specifically for this class. Work suspected of plagiarism will be challenged. Students whose work is suspected of not being original will face the strictest of consequences to include failing the assignment, failing the course, or expulsion from the university. One simple way to avoid plagiarism: document all borrowed ideas and material using MLA documentation. (See your A Writer’ s Reference handbook for MLA documentation.) Make sure that all of your writing is original and uniquely your own or accurately documented.

UNC’s Student Code of Conduct defines cheating as “the act of using or attempting to use, in examination or other academic work, material, information, or study aids which are not permitted by the instructor (pg. 8). Cheating comprises a number of different activities, including, “submitting large portions of the same work as part of the academic work for more than one course (unless such submission is permitted by the instructor)” (pg. 9).

The Department of English at UNC has adopted the following policy regarding plagiarism. Pretending that another’s work is one’s own is a serious scholarly offense known as plagiarism. For a thorough discussion of plagiarism, see the Dean of Students website.

Students who are caught plagiarizing will receive a final grade of “F” in the course. In addition, they will be reported to the Chair of the Department of English and the Dean of Students office for possible further disciplinary action.

Some but not all UNC instructors regard double or repeat submissions of one’s own work as a form of plagiarism. If you intend to use in this course written material that you produced for another course, you must consult with your instructor before doing so for each individual assignment. Otherwise, you may be guilty of cheating. Be safe and ask. A note on using assignments for more than course: Professors carefully construct their assignments to serve specific needs and requirements of the course, so adapting an assignment to serve double duty is often more work than it is worth.

All final drafts will be submitted to Safe Assignment on Blackboard by the deadline stated in the weekly assignment schedule, and hard copies will be turned in on the due date. Late papers will not be accepted. Essays not submitted to Safe Assignment will not be graded and

Important University Dates:

·      Sept. 4: Drop deadline for fall semester full courses

·      Oct. 15: Individual withdrawal deadline (last opportunity to drop a course that either students don’t need or are not performing well in. They may want to discuss this decision with their academic advisor)

Instructor’s Course Objective: Students will

•   Improve their written and oral communication skills 


•   Write clean, well-organized, well-supported essays using good grammar, spelling, and punctuation 


•   Develop editing and revision skills 


•   Work well with peers 


•   Learn to express their opinions about the world around them and be able to write about their opinions clearly 
and logically 


•   Develop critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, arguing techniques, and write good essays using these 
skills 


•   Learn proper documentation using MLA

•   Learn necessary library skills and how to use and navigate Michener Library 


Assignments: All assignments and handouts will be posted on Blackboard and on the course blog: <rasmussenwriting.blogspot.com>. Few hard copies will be handed out in class. Instead you will access course material on Black Board and the course blog. Blackboard files will be downloadable Microsoft Word documents or PDF files, so that students can bring materials such as assignment prompts and notes to class.

Assignments

Assignment	Description
Personal Narrative Essay 50 Points	Students will explore a personal event, favorite place, or influential person in their life to serve as a subject for a personal essay. 4 pages
Summary Response Essay 50 points	Students will be given an essay to read, evaluate, and then write a responsive essay.
Problem Solving Essay 100 points	Students will explore problems that college freshmen face their first year at college. The essay will develop the problem and present solutions to the problem. Students will be required to interview a campus expert or authority either in person, by telephone, or through email. Students will also use 1 Internet source. They must turn in a printout of their sources. 4 pages
Grammar Test 100 points	Four grammar concepts will be reviewed: Writing Good Sentences, Punctuation, Pronouns, and Active/Passive Voice. A grammar test will follow the grammar lessons
Argumentative Essay 125 Points	Students will develop an opinion about an approved social issue (a list of topics will be provided) and write an essay defending that point of view. This essay will serve as the final exam. It will require 3 sources on a Works Cited page using MLA documentation.
Conference optional, but highly recommended.	Students can meet with the instructor any time during the semester do discuss their the course work, their essays, and writing. Students can meet with the instructor as many times as they want to discuss problems or concerns about their grade, class in general, or school, or other problems or concerns. They will schedule their conference by signing up for an appointment in my grade book.
Grades Grading Scale 90-100           A 89-80             B 79-70             C 69-60             D	Essays will be graded in part on these standards: 3 pronoun errors, 3 punctuation errors, 3 other grammar or writing errors will equal a 70% on the final draft. Each essay will have its own set of grading criteria that the student must follow to achieve the best results.
Writing Center	Students should take advantage of the services offered at the Writing Center, Ross 1230, especially if they have specific writing problems such as sentence structure, pronoun use, comma use, passive voice, organization, paragraph development, writing a thesis, developing ideas, generating ideas. The instructor is always willing to meet with students, but sometimes students need more time and attention.
MLA Test 50 points	Students will use MLA documentation for all borrowed material and outsources used in their work. Exercise
Library 25 points	Michener Library Tour

Weekly Schedule

The instructor reserves the right to alter or change this schedule and assignments as necessary.  Check Blackboard or course blog for assignments and any changes.

Weekly Schedule

Week	Date	Assignment	Due Date
1	Aug. 25-27	Syllabus; Introduction to 122 New Beginnings:  College Writing; writing basics; What are Plagiarism and Cheating What is College Writing; Myths and Realities Writing the Personal Narrative Essay Readings from Learning Dynamics ·      “The Most Important Day of My Life” p. 3 by Helen Keller ·      “The Silent Girl” p. 22 by Maxine Hong Kingston ·      “Graduation” p. 52 by Maya Angelou
2	Sept. 1-3	Structure of an Essay: Hacker Section C: 1, 2, 3 Outline Thesis Paragraph Structure Purpose Audience Rhetorical Strategies: Logos, Ethos, Pathos
3	Sept. 8-10	Sentence Structure Hacker Section S: 1-7 Punctuation Hacker Section P: 1, 2, 3 and others	Narrative Essay Due: Sept. 8. Upload to Safe Assign. SA 11:55 AM and closes Sept 7 11:55 PM
4	Sept. 15-17	Pronouns Hacker Section G and others Passive Voice Grammar Test on Blackboard. Posting TBA
5	Sept. 22-24	Summary Response Essay Readings from Learning Dynamics: ·      “How Men and Women Use Language Differently” p.38 by Deborah Tannen ·      “Private and Public Language” p.63 By Richard Rodriguez Responsive Reading How to Do a Close reading Writing a Summary Writing a Response Group Project: Summary Group Project Presentation	Summary Response Essay Due Oct. 1 SA open 11:55 AM Sept. 29; closes @ 11:55 PM Sept. 30
6	Sept. 29-Oct. 1	Documentation MLA  A Writer’s Reference Library	MLA Test
7	Oct. 6-8	Problem Solving Essay: Freshman Adjusting to University Life Readings: Learning Dynamics “Keeping Close to Home: Class and Education” p. 75 by Bell Hooks and others TBA
8	Oct. 13-15	Worksheet and Outline Due. Review Outline Extra Credit Email permission to share with class	Worksheet and Outline due Oct. 22
9	Oct. 20-22	Rough Draft. In class revision. Bring printed copy of essay to work on in class. Rough Draft Revision : Revision Email permission to share draft with class for extra credit
10	Oct. 27-29	Library Week: Meet in Michener Library or Argument Essay: Theme: Approved Social Issue Rhetorical strategies of developing an Argument Readings: TBA
11	Nov. 3-5	Outlining an Argument Outline	Argumentative essay due Dec. 1
12	Nov. 10-12
13	Nov. 17-19	Rough Draft Due Revision
14	Nov. 24-26	Thanksgiving.
15	Dec. 1-3	Wednesday
Finals	Dec. 7-11	No Final Exam. Students will pick up essay and grade during their final period. 11:15 Final Exam @ 10:45-1:15 Wed, Dec. 9 12:30 Final Exam @ 10:45-1:15 Fri, Dec.11