English 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I
Dr. Mark Womack
e-mail: mark@drmarkwomack.com
website: http://drmarkwomack.com/engl-1301/
Office: LRNC 208
Campus Availability: MW after 1:30 (by appointment)
Spring 2010
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MWF 8:05-9:00 MWF 9:10-10:05 |
81004 81005 |
HSC 202 HSC 201 |
Placement by testing or ENGL 307 or 326 & ENGL 305 or 313 |
Catalog Description
A multi-paragraph composition course, including language study and the mechanics of writing, with examples from selected readings. Students may be required to achieve a departmentally approved score on a proficiency test before credit for the course may be awarded.
Course Learning Outcomes for English 1301
- Analyze a text according to purpose, audience, and other rhetorical concerns.
- Respond logically, rather than react emotionally, to texts that reflect the writers’ diverse backgrounds and values.
- Demonstrate an ability to use and analyze an effective individual writing process.
- Focus a topic appropriate to the audience, purpose, voice, and length of assignment.
- Formulate clear and concise thesis statement, main point, focus, or claim.
- Develop, evaluate, and use evidence to support a claim.
- Use effective organization strategies in support of a thesis, focus, main point, or claim.
- Write an essay that demonstrates a command of unity, coherence, continuity, and development.
- Write clear, correct, and appropriate sentences and paragraphs avoiding major grammatical and semantic problems.
- Incorporate appropriate oral and/or written media such as books, articles, interviews, visuals, and government documents.
- Avoid plagiarism when incorporating quotations, paraphrases, and ideas.
- Follow standard guidelines in documenting resources.
Computer Literacy
Students should expect to use computer technology while enrolled in classes, certificate, and/or degree programs within LSCS. Here are the specific requirements for this course: accessing materials on course website, using Blackboard Vista, and submitting assignments online.
Required Texts
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(12th Edition) Linda Peterson & John Brereton |
John Ruszkiewicz, Maxine Hairston, & Daniel Seward |
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Additional Materials
a two-pocket folder (for submitting your portfolio) a stapler in-class writing tools (pen/pencil & paper)
Course Policies
Attendance
You should attend all of every class. Failure to attend constitutes grounds for failing the course; if you miss nine or more days of class, you will receive an “F.” I make no distinction between “excused” and “unexcused” absences; an absence is an absence. I assign no grade penalty for your first two absences; starting on your third absence, however, each day you miss will reduce your final average by one point. Three tardies equal one absence. Leaving class before I dismiss you counts as two tardies. I will take role at the beginning of each class session; if you arrive after role call, check in with me at the end of class. It is your responsibility to find out, from your classmates, what you miss when you are not in class.
Writing Assignments
You will write 4 major essays (ranging in length from 2 to 5 pages) and 4 sets of peer critiques. You will also write about 20 one-page Writing Exercises (including 10 Creative Imitations and 10 Rhetorical Analyses). Twice during the semester, you will submit revised samples of your writing in a Portfolio for evaluation. I do not assign extra credit or make-up work. Failure to complete ANY assignment, graded or not, may result in a failing grade for the course. Hand in all assignments to me at the beginning of class on the designated due date. Papers not submitted directly to me will not receive grades. I do not accept late papers. I discuss grades only in private, and only forty-eight hours (at least) after I have returned an assignment.
Quizzes
I will frequently give a 5 minute pop quiz on the day’s reading assignment either at the beginning or the end of class; if you miss that 5 minutes of a class, you miss that quiz. Missed quizzes cannot be made up for any reason whatsoever. When calculating your quiz average, I will drop your 2 lowest quiz scores.
Professionalism
I expect you to participate in class professionally—arrive on time, meet deadlines, collaborate, and pull your weight. I expect you to have read and be prepared to discuss the assigned readings for every class period. Professionalism includes all of these as well as regular attendance, willing participation in all facets of classroom life, and a sincere effort to improve your own writing and that of your peers through peer critique, revision, and conferencing.
Manuscript Requirements
Make and keep a copy of every exercise, essay, draft, and peer critique you submit. Print out your final drafts on 8.5 x 11 inch paper. Use 1 inch margins, double space, paginate, and staple pages together. (NB: I will not accept, read, or grade any unstapled papers). Use only 12 point fonts and readable typefaces (such as Times New Roman, or Georgia). Always print with a good ink cartridge to ensure legibility. I will not grade papers I consider illegible. Edit and proofread everything you turn in; every assignment should be as error-free as your can make it.
Cell Phones
Keep your cell phone turned off and out of sight during class time. Notify me before class begins if there is an emergency situation that absolutely requires you to leave your cell phone on. I reserve the right to confiscate any cell phone visible during class and to answer or confiscate any cell phone that rings during class.
Laptops
You may use your laptop only for taking notes, accessing the class website, or other specifically class-related work. If you use it to IM, e-mail, play games, shop or any other such activity during class, you forfeit your right to bring a laptop to class for the rest of the semester. I reserve the right to confiscate any laptop being used inappropriately during class.
Website
I will make all course materials—including the policy statement, the syllabus, assignment sheets, and so on—available on the class website: http://drmarkwomack.com/engl-1301/. I expect you to check the site regularly so that you can keep up with class announcements.
Plagiarism Policy
If I find clear evidence of academic dishonesty for ANY assignment, I will record a 0 (0 points) for the assignment and notify the English Dept. Chair of the incident and the grade. If a second incident of academic dishonesty occurs, I will record an “F” for the course grade and notify the English Dept. Chair of the incident and the grade.
Assignments (Grade Determination)
Final Course Grade
Grading Scale
| A+: 100 | B+: 88 | C+: 78 | ||
| A: 95 | B: 85 | C: 75 | D: 65 | F: 55 |
| A-: 92 | B-: 82 | C-: 72 |
Tentative Instructional Outline
| Mon 1/18 | MLK DAY | |
| Wed 1/20 | ||
| Fri 1/22 | “Clear & Simple” (on-line) “Writing With Style” SFW 11 |
“Who Is…?” Essay |
| Mon 1/25 | In-Class Writing | |
| Wed 1/27 | “Shooting an Elephant” NR 852-57 | Analysis 1 |
| Fri 1/29 | “A Victim” NR 57-58 “Salvation” NR 1139-40 |
Imitation 1 |
| Mon 2/1 | “Once More to The Lake” NR 93-98 | Analysis 2 |
| Wed 2/3 | “Coming Home Again” NR 1-9 | Imitation 2 |
| Fri 2/5 | ||
| Mon 2/8 | “Writing Effective Sentences” SFW 10 | |
| Wed 2/10 | Peer Critique Workshop | Essay 1 |
| Fri 2/12 | “Politics and the English Language” NR 581-90 | Analysis 3 |
| Mon 2/15 | Assignment for Essay 2 | Imitation 3 |
| Wed 2/17 | “Under the Influence” NR 121-31 | Imitation 4 |
| Fri 2/19 | from An American Childhood NR 132-37 | Analysis 4 |
| Mon 2/22 | “My Father Leslie Stephen” NR 137-41 | Imitation 5 |
| Wed 2/24 | “Yeager” NR 148-57 | Analysis 5 |
| Fri 2/26 | Peer Critique Workshop | Essay 2 |
| Mon 3/1 | “George Washington” & “Abraham Lincoln” NR 142-48 |
Return Peer Critiques |
| Wed 3/3 | “I Have a Dream” NR 907-10 | Imitation 6 |
| Fri 3/5 | “Shaping Effective Paragraphs” SFW 12 | |
| Mon 3/8 | “‘This Is the End of the World’: The Black Death” NR 779-91 |
Analysis 6 |
| Wed 3/10 | “MLA Documentation” SFW 27 | |
| Fri 3/12 | Mid-Term Portfolio |
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| MID-SEMESTER BREAK: March 15 to 21 |
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| Mon 3/22 | Assignment for Essay 3 | |
| Wed 3/24 | “Little Lightnings” & “Moving Along” NR 1085-90 |
Imitation 7 |
| Fri 3/26 | “The Boston Photographs” NR 727-33 | Analysis 7 |
| Mon 3/29 | “From Realism to Virtual Reality: Images of America’s Wars” NR 810-25 |
Imitation 8 |
| Wed 3/31 | “Understanding Comics” NR 1091-96 | Analysis 8 |
| Fri 4/2 | SPRING HOLIDAY | |
| Mon 4/5 | Peer Critique Workshop | Essay 3 |
| Wed 4/7 | “Using Quotations Effectively” SFW 25 “Quotation Marks and Ellipses” SFW 40 |
Return Peer Critiques |
| Fri 4/9 | Assignment for Essay 4 | |
| Mon 4/12 | “Why We Crave Horror Movies” (on-line) | Analysis 9 |
| Tue 4/13 | Last Day to Drop & Receive a “W” | |
| Wed 4/14 | “Java Man” NR 329-34 | Imitation 9 |
| Fri 4/16 | “Enclosed. Encyclopedic. Endured: The Mall of America” NR 210-21 |
Analysis 10 |
| Mon 4/19 | “The Beatles Now” NR 1115-20 | Imitation 10 |
| Wed 4/21 | “Consider the Lobster” NR 75-87 | |
| Fri 4/23 | Peer Critique Workshop | Essay 4 |
| Mon 4/26 | Return Peer Critiques | |
| Wed 4/28 | “The Shape of Sentences” SFW 9 “Sentence Fragments & Run-ons” SFW 31 |
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| Fri 4/30 | “Declaration of Independence” NR 872-78 | |
| Mon 5/3 | Portfolio Revisions | |
| Wed 5/5 | Portfolio Revisions | |
| Fri 5/7 | Course Portfolio |
Lone Star College–CyFair Programs and Services
Early Intervention Program and Services: Your success is our primary concern! If you are experiencing challenges achieving your academic goals, please contact your instructor or an early intervention coach. We can provide assistance with academic needs, ADA accommodations, classroom difficulties, financial concerns, and other issues. Contact cfintervention@lonestar.edu for more information.
Tutoring: Lone Star College-CyFair is committed to student success. To facilitate this, free tutoring for most subjects is offered on the 2nd floor of the Learning Commons building. Please refer to http://www.lonestar.edu/tutoring.htm for more information regarding our tutoring services.
Tutoring in MATH, ENGL BIOL and ESL is also available at the Fairbanks Center.
Counseling Services: Counseling services are available to students who are experiencing difficulty with academic issues, selection of college major, career planning, disability accommodations, or personal issues. Students may contact Counseling, Career and Disability Services at (281) 290-3260, cyfair.counseling@lonestar.edu, or LRNC 110.
Students may contact counseling services at the Fairbanks Center at 832-782-5110, Fairbanks.counselor@lonestar.edu, or FBC120.
The Assistive Technology Lab: The Assistive Technology Lab is available for students who benefit from its various technologies to convert text to speech, magnify items, convert text to Braille, etc. To contact the Assistive Technology Lab directly, please call (281) 290-3207 or e-mail the lab at cfassistivetechlab@lonestar.edu. The AT Lab is located in LRNC 105.
Students may contact the IT dept, at FBC at 832.782.5072 or FBC 210 for assistance.
Library: The Lone Star College-CyFair Library is located in the Learning Commons building and contains information resources for both college students and community members. Librarians are available to assist with research. The Library contains over 125,000 books, online information databases, 185 computers, free wireless internet, and many more information/research related amenities to ensure student success.
For Library hours and contact information please visit http://www.lonestar.edu/library or call 281-290-3214.
Lone Star College-CyFair Campus and System Policies
Academic Integrity: Lone Star College-CyFair is committed to a high standard of academic integrity in the academic community. In becoming a part of the academic community, students are responsible for honesty and independent effort. Failure to uphold these standards includes, but is not limited to, the following: plagiarizing written work or projects, cheating on exams or assignments, collusion on an exam or project, and misrepresentation of credentials or prerequisites when registering for a course. Cheating includes looking at or copying from another student’s exam, orally communicating or receiving answers during an exam, having another person take an exam or complete a project or assignment, using unauthorized notes, texts, or other materials for an exam, and obtaining or distributing an unauthorized copy of an exam or any part of an exam. Plagiarism means passing off as his/her own the ideas or writings of another (that is, without giving proper credit by documenting sources). Plagiarism includes submitting a paper, report, or project that someone else has prepared, in whole or in part. Collusion is inappropriately collaborating on assignments designed to be completed independently. These definitions are not exhaustive. When there is clear evidence of cheating, plagiarism, collusion, or misrepresentation, disciplinary action may include but is not limited to requiring you to retake or resubmit an exam or assignment, assigning a grade of zero or “F” for an exam or assignment; or assigning a grade of “F” for the course. Additional sanctions including being withdrawn from the course, program or expelled from school may be imposed on a students who violate the standards of academic integrity.
Student Behavior Expectations: Students are expected to conduct themselves appropriately while on College property or in an online environment. Students may receive disciplinary action up to and including suspension, if they violate System or College rules, disrupt classes, or interfere with the opportunity of others to obtain an education. Students who pose a threat to the safety of others will be subject to immediate withdrawal from the classroom, campus environment, and/or online environment, as well as face subsequent criminal charges, as appropriate. Please refer to the Student Code of Conduct located online at http://www.lonestar.edu/3579.hym for additional information.
Americans with Disabilities Act Statement: Lone Star College-CyFair is dedicated to providing the least restrictive environment for all students. We promote equity in academic access through the implementation of reasonable accommodations as required by the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title V, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) which will enable students with disabilities to participate in and benefit from all post-secondary educational activities.
If you require reasonable accommodations because of a physical, mental, or learning disability, please contact the Counseling Office to obtain the necessary information to request accommodations. Upon completion of this process, please notify your instructor as soon as possible and preferably before the end of the first two weeks of class to arrange for reasonable accommodations.
Computer Virus Protection: Computer viruses are, unfortunately, a fact of life. Using removable devices on more than one computer creates the possibility of infecting computers and diskettes with a computer virus. This exposes the computers of the college, your personal computer, and any others you may be using to potentially damaging viruses. The college has aggressive anti-virus procedures in place to protect its computers, but cannot guarantee that a virus might not temporarily infect one of its machines. It is your responsibility to protect all computers under your control and use and ensure that each diskette you use, whenever or wherever you use it, has been scanned with anti-virus software. Since new viruses arise continually, your anti-virus software must be kept current. And, since no anti-virus software will find every virus, keeping backup copies is extremely important.
Equal Opportunity Statement: It is the policy of the Lone Star College System to provide equal employment, admission and educational opportunities without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, gender, age, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, or disability.
Lone Star Colleges strive to provide an excellent learning environment free from harassment or intimidation directed at any person’s race, color, creed, national origin, gender, age, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, or disability. Any form of harassment will not be tolerated.
Guaranteed Graduate Policy: Under certain circumstances, Lone Star College System will provide graduates of its Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of Applied Science, or Certificate programs additional education and training tuition free in order to achieve appropriate mastery of specified competencies. For specific guidelines and information please refer to the LSCS catalog at http://www.lonestar.edu/departments/curriculuminstruction/10Graduate.pdf.
Internet and E-mail: The System provides computing and network resources to students. You are encouraged to use the computers, software packages, and electronic mail (e-mail) for educational or System-related activities and to facilitate the efficient exchange of useful information. However, the equipment, software, and network capacities provided through the district computer services are and remain the property of the System. Use of the equipment and networks is to comport with the policies and procedures of the System and access may be denied to any student who fails to comply with the System’s policies and procedures regarding its use.
Access to the System’s e-mail and similar electronic communications systems are a privilege and certain responsibilities accompany that privilege. All users are expected to demonstrate the same level of ethical and professional manner, as is required in face-to-face or written communications. Threatening, anonymous, or forged messages will be treated as a violation of this policy.
Software Piracy: Law strictly prohibits unauthorized copying of software purchased by Lone Star College-CyFair for use in laboratories. Lone Star College-CyFair administration will take appropriate disciplinary action against anyone violating copyright laws.
Evaluation of Instruction: Lone Star College-CyFair is committed to student success. As part of its’ institutional effectiveness efforts, our instructors are assessed in several ways. For the continuous improvement of our instruction, all students are required to provide input for each course they take each semester using the Course Evaluations Questionnaire, which can be accessed online for each course. This occurs approximately half way through your course and your instructor will provide you more information on this process. Once you evaluate your course, print and turn in the receipt of completion to your instructor. The college deans review these evaluations each semester. The deans, and/or department chairs may visit each instructor’s class at some time during the semester to observe the instructional environment being provided, and complete an assessment of the instructor.
Final Examinations: A final evaluation activity will occur during the published final evaluation period. The appropriate dean, director, or department chair must approve any variation to this schedule.
Withdrawal Policy: Withdrawal from the course after the official day of record and prior to “W” Day, (see current catalog for this date) will result in a final grade of “W” on your transcript. Instructor approval is necessary if you want to withdraw after official day. No credit will be awarded for a course earning a “W.” If you stop attending class, you must withdraw at the registration office prior to “W” day. If you stop attending class and do not officially withdraw, you will receive an “F” for the course.
Six Drop Rule: Students who enrolled in Texas public institutions of higher education as
Your instructor, Mark Womack, reserves the right to amend any policies listed here with sufficient written and verbal notice.
