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Introduction to College Writing: English 091 BC
Semester: Winter 2018
Instructor: Dr. Geri Jacobs
Caveat: Please Note: The contents of this syllabus are subject to revision during the course of the semester.
Academic Honesty Policy: JC has an academic honesty policy that will be adhered to in this class. In essence, the policy requires that all work must be done by the student whose name it bears.
Please read the Academic Honesty Policy on pages 9-10 of this syllabus carefully. Plagiarized work receives a grade of 0.0.
Office: Bert Walker 243
Phone: 796-8587; English Department 517-796 - 8582
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: 9-2 Mondays and Wednesdays; and by appointment
Necessary Materials: Writing: Today—Third Edition by Richard Johnson-Sheehan ISBN: 13: 978- 0—321—98465-4 A digital version of this textbook is available. The college bookstore also has copies of this book that can be purchased or rented.
Access to a computer (with Internet access) and a printer Soft cover folders Flash Drive Official Course Description: “This is an intensive writing course in composition for students who need supplementary help in writing. A personal approach helps students enhance their writing abilities, resolve writing problems and explore writing strategies. An end-of-semester portfolio is required.” Prerequisite
ENG 080
Course Design
This is a workshop-focused composition course. You are expected to practice the recursive process that includes prewriting, drafting, and revising. You are also expected to think about your process as a writer and consider ways in which that process can be revised or enhanced. 2
You will be expected to complete formal and informal writing assignments, participate in small and large group discussions, and provide and receive feedback during workshop sessions. You will be expected to read and write about material that is moderate to difficult in complexity.
Writing as Process:
Where do we begin as writers? When we choose a topic, generate ideas, find the point we need to make, and decide on a plan of organization, we are in the early stage, often called the prewriting stage. Many writers do a lot of this early work in their heads; others go through a series of writing exercises as a way of preparing themselves.
Somewhere along the way, we will begin to engage ourselves in a more formal stage of the process, often called the writing or drafting stage. Here, among other things, we will work to create examples of effective writing that
Has a clear, personable, engaging, and believable voice;
Uses diction and syntax that are appropriate to the writing situation;
Is well developed with carefully chosen reasons, supporting details, examples, and source material;
Has a focal point (thesis) that is maintained throughout;
Moves smoothly;
Targets a specific audience;
Pays appropriate attention to the conventions (grammar, spelling, punctuation) given the audience and purpose;
Documents secondary sources, using accepted guidelines.
The final revising (revision) stage allows us to look back at what we have written and to make changes that will allow us to communicate more effectively with our audience.
Although this process appears to be linear, it is, in fact, recursive, since as we move forward through the process we are constantly looking back (and often revising) what we have written.
Instructor Role: I will instruct, demonstrate, and, in general, facilitate your learning in this class. Please refer to me as Dr. or Mrs. Jacobs. Learner Role: Independent and Collaborative Your success relies on your ability to plan, prepare, study, and engage phases of the writing process and to apply global and local essay strategies, critical thinking skills, research strategies, and peer response skills. 3
You will create three major essays. Essays will be accompanied by a title page and, when sources are used, a Works Cited page. Specific page lengths will be defined in essay assignments. You will apply active reading strategies to assigned course materials and can expect to encounter moderate reading assignments each week. You must plan to spend at least nine [9] hours a week on the course, including assigned readings, collaborative discussions, and individualized writing.
Course Policy: Please refer to me as Dr. or Mrs. Jacobs. Please try and maintain a positive, encouraging attitude in class. I ask that all members of the class be considerate and respectful. Do not speak while I am addressing the entire group. Please communicate with me and your classmates in a polite, professional manner. Please refrain from using profanity in your essays and in your conversations during class. Please turn off or silence all cell phones during the entire class session. Do not conduct telephone conversations or text during class. Please take note: Being involved with your cell phone while in class (unless instructed to do so) is not a wise choice. You will miss important information and instruction, and you will lose class points for lack of participation. Do not speak while a class member is addressing the entire group. Do not participate in any behavior that is distracting or unprofessional. Distracting and disrespectful behavior creates an unhealthy learning environment and will not be tolerated.
I am aware that some of you have young children. Unfortunately, I must ask that children not be brought to class since often they are a distraction both to the parent as well as the other members of the learning community.
Please listen carefully to my directions; if something is not clear, please ask. To avoid getting behind, please be aware of the pace of the class. If you have a problem regarding the class, please let me know during the break, after class, or during an office visit. Please keep all handouts and papers until the end of the semester. If you must leave or enter the room during class, please do so discretely. Please limit eating and drinking in class since these hinder your participation in class activities. Please come prepared to be in the classroom for the entire class period. Please limit the number of times you leave and re- enter the classroom. Not only is this behavior distracting 4 to other members of the class, it also places you at a disadvantage since you will miss important instruction and opportunity to practice your writing skills.
Please consult the JC catalog for information about withdrawal, audit, and incomplete policies. Please be aware that several places on campus provide academic and other help. These include the library, located in William Atkinson Hall, and the Center for Student Success and Student Services, located on the first floor of Bert Walker Hall.
EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES:
Critical thinking, reading, and writing processes
Students will be able to:
1. Practice discipline-specific active reading strategies 2. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences 3. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information according to specific academic genres and convention a. extended definitions b. concrete details c. examples d. quotations 4. Write narratives to develop real experiences or events using effective technique, well- chosen details, and well-structured event sequence 5. Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole, with a particular tone and a clear resolution 6. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative 7. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information 8. Use appropriate, varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the text and create cohesion 9. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone, according to discipline-specific conventions 5
10. Provide a focused thesis with appropriate support for articulating implications or significance of topic 11. Conduct research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject; and demonstrate understanding of the subject under investigation
Rhetorical knowledge and Conventions
Students will be able to:
1. Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters 2. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience 3. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection to develop experiences, events, and/or characters 4. Use domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic. 5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, for a specific purpose and audience 6. Practice correct grammar usage 7. Demonstrate communication skills such as listening carefully, respecting other viewpoints, sharing written work, and providing feedback in peer review groups In summary, you will compose texts that are focused, organized, and well-developed. Your writing must demonstrate awareness of purpose and audience as well as acceptable procedures for incorporating research material. Additionally, your compositions must reflect accepted conventions of essay-writing.
You will be placed in groups and be expected to show the ways in which you have helped class members in the revision process.
Electronic Environment
Students will be able to:
1. Use Microsoft Word to compose, revise, and save documents 6
2. Use college learning management system
a. use technology, including the Internet b. produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback 3. Use digital searches effectively a. gather relevant information from authoritative print and digital sources b. assess the strengths and limitations of each source c. integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas d. avoid plagiarism e. follow a standard format for documentation and citations
Grading Procedure
Your grade for the course will be assessed in the following ways:
Class Work: Revision of drafts, daily writing, and homework. 40% Each essay must be revised at least once before it is submitted in the portfolio. Portfolio: (40%)
Participation: Attendance, in-class participation, group work, conferences, and peer review
(20%)
Grading Scale:
95-100%=4.0
89-94%=3.5
84-88%=3.0
78-83%=2.5
72-77%=2.0 7
66-71%=1.5
60-65%=1.0
55-59%=0.5
0-54%=0.0
Here is an example of how to calculate your grade:
For a writing assignment, you got 20 points out of a possible 25. Divide 20 by 25:
20/25=.8
Multiply .8 by 100:
.8(100) =80%
80%=2.5
Course Requirements ENG 091 BC focuses on narrative and informative writing. Here are your major writing assignments:
The Memoir The Report The Profile Pre- and Post- Reflective Essays Each assignment will be discussed and explained as we progress throughout the semester.
Revision of drafts, daily writing, and homework. Each essay must be revised at least once before it is submitted in the portfolio. You will be assigned daily writing assignments/exercises that must be completed in class. Points will be assigned to each of these assignments. Homework assignments must be handed in on the due date in the format required. To receive credit, homework assignments must be done outside class and handed in on the assigned date.
Portfolio Submission 8
Your ENG 091-BC portfolio is the same as your ENG 131 portfolio. It contains revised, polished drafts of your major essays. Essays that I have not read during the semester cannot be placed in the portfolio. The Department of Language, Literature, and the Arts has outlined guidelines and requirements for the Writing Portfolio. You will receive a copy of this handout the first week of class.
The ENG 131-091 BC portfolio requires a minimum of ten full pages; in addition, each paper must be at least two full pages. Keep in mind that a substantial grade reduction is given to a portfolio that does not meet the minimum page requirements. Please consult the Department’s guidelines.
Attendance, in-class participation, group work, and peer review
You will be asked to participate in group and individual activities while in class. Please note that class participation points cannot be made-up. Failure to be present or to participate will result in a deduction of points.
On assigned days, you will also be required to read each other’s essays and provide feedback.
Please have available soft cover folders for the following assignments:
1. Homework and in-class writing assignments 2. Class handouts; peer-critiqued drafts 3. Revised drafts 4. The Portfolio
Attendance Policy and Course Rules: Please note that class attendance enhances your chances of being successful in this class! I expect you to be present at all class sessions, arriving on time and remaining until class officially ends. This is especially important since class participation points cannot be made-up. If you arrive late for class, please enter the classroom, but do so without interrupting the students and the teacher. However, do not use this leniency as a reason for being habitually late. HQV Grading: Additionally, on assigned due dates—mandated by federal law— I will send an attendance report to Student Services. If you are not attending class, you will receive a Q grade (withdrawn from the class); if your attendance is spotty, you will receive an H grade. If I am able to verify your attendance and participation in class, you will receive a V grade (satisfactory attendance). Additionally, if there are concerns regarding your being successful in this class, I will submit a Retention Alert to your Navigator. Withdraw: After the Add/Drop period, a student may withdraw from a course in accordance with the dates published in e-services. Incomplete Policy: In accordance with JC policy, an Incomplete or “I” grade is only issued to students who have demonstrated good standing in the class and hold a 9
passing grade at the time of an extenuating circumstance that precludes completion of the class. Documentation validating the circumstance may be required. In-class Writing: You must be prepared to write, share, and revise your writing in class. You must be able to transport your electronic text to the classroom. Please consider purchasing a flash drive or e-mailing your compositions to your JC account.
During class, you will use the computers for composing and research. You may not use the computers for other activities including non-course related e-mailing and playing games. I will warn individuals who participate in such activities during class. After the initial warning, I will deduct class participation points.
You must remain in class during class participation activities to avoid losing participation points.
All assignments must be typed. Please note that using a word processor facilitates the revision process.
Late Work Policy: Assigned work must be handed in on time and in the format required. All assignments must be handed to me.
Please do not leave assignments in my mail box unless I have given you prior permission to do so.
Please do not e-mail assignments to me.
Plagiarism Policy: “ Plagiarism, the submission of another’s writing, whether directly copied or paraphrased, will result in a failing grade for the assignment and can be grounds for removal from the class. Cases of plagiarism are dealt with by the instructor on an individual basis; the instructor will make decisions regarding the student's ability to correct the problem. All cases of plagiarism are reported to the Office of the Academic Dean.”
Failure: Plagiarized work will be assigned 0.0.
Below you will find Jackson College’s Academic Honesty Policy as it is stated in Jackson College’s Student Handbook: 10
ACADEMIC HONESTY Academic Honesty is expected of all students. It is the ethical behavior that includes producing their own work and not representing others’ work as their own, either by plagiarism, by cheating or by helping others to do so. Faculty members who suspect a student of academic dishonesty may penalize the student by taking appropriate action up to and including assigning a failing grade for the paper, project, re-port, exam, and the course itself. Instructors must document all instances of academic dishonesty beyond those of a very minor nature, in writing to the Academic Dean. The Office of the Academic Deans will record and track students who have been reported as having cheated. If the same student cheats in other courses, the Dean will enact sanctions appropriate to level of infraction. The sanction will be selected in consultation with the involved faculty. The Dean can administer consequences up to and including suspension.
PLAGIARISM Plagiarism is the failure to give credit for the use of material from outside sources. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to: Using data, quotations, or paraphrases from other sources without adequate documentation Submitting other’s work as your own
CHEATING Cheating refers to obtaining answers/material from an outside source without authorization. Cheating includes, but is not limited to: Plagiarizing in all forms Using notes/books without authorization Copying from someone else’s work Submitting others’ work as your own or submitting your work for others Altering graded work Falsifying data Exhibiting other behaviors generally considered unethical
Collaboration: While JC encourages students to collaborate in study groups, work teams, and with lab partners, each student should take responsibility for accurately representing his/her own contribution.
Obstruction or disruption of teaching, lecturing, research, administration, disciplinary procedures, or other authorized activities on College premises is not allowed.
You will be required to use the Internet (as well as other conventional methods) for research purposes.
You are expected to follow accepted ways of documenting research material in your writing. In this class, you will follow the MLA (Modern Language Association) guidelines. 11
Writing Help: When opting for help with your writing, bring the following: A copy of the assignment Your draft or work thus far Specific areas with which you need help
Instructor Support: Please schedule a conference with me to discuss each of your major essays. Writing Fellows: Writing Fellows can help you on all stages of the writing process including prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and citing sources—no matter what JC class you are enrolled in. You may drop in during their working hours, generally 9-4 Monday through Thursday, or set up an appointment in advance. Students may also submit a draft for review online via the Writing Fellow link in the Student Union on JetNet. Bring or submit a copy of the assignment requirements, work completed on the assignment so far, and writing related questions. Center for Student Success (CSS) Writing Tutors: Located in Bert Walker Hall, first floor. For more information about the CSS go to http://www.jccmi.edu/success/ . Message from the Center for Student Success: 1"Tutors and additional free services for academic success can be accessed by calling (517) 796-8415 or by stopping by the Center for Student Success, Bert Walker Hall. Faculty and tutors in the CSS will help you with writing, study skills, test anxiety, math, and reading. 2. Students requiring special assistance (including those affected by the Americans with Disabilities Act) should contact the Center for Student Success. This is the first step in acquiring the appropriate accommodations to facilitate your learning.”
If you require accommodations for this course, please schedule an office visit with me. Together, we will plan teaching and learning strategies intended to support your learning and success.
Calendar (Subject to Change): Weeks 1-4—The Memoir Areas addressed include: Practice of descriptive and narrative writing conventions Maintaining central impression 12
Development of central impression, using concrete, sensory details, examples Essay-writing support—paragraphing, cohesion strategies, transitions Dialog conventions Grammar and mechanics support Individual conferences
Weeks 5-9—The Report Areas addressed include: Reading comprehension strategies Finding and evaluating sources Practice with maintaining the focus of informational writing Documentation strategies, following MLA guidelines Paragraphing, cohesion strategies, transitions Organization strategies Voice and tone Grammar and mechanics support Individual conferences
SPRING BREAK March 12-18, 2018
Weeks 10-12—The Profile Areas addressed include: Organization strategies Review of descriptive and narrative writing conventions Maintaining focus Documentation strategies, following MLA guidelines Voice, tone, and style Grammar and mechanics support Individual conferences Essay-writing support
Week 13-14—Revision, Reflective Essay, Conferences Week 15 Portfolios are due. ENG 131.BC 04 Portfolios are due Wednesday, April 25, 2018. ENG 131.BC 13 Portfolios are due Thursday, April 26, 2018. Week 15 Final Reflection, Return of Portfolios, and Final Grade