Freshman Composition I Syllabus for 2011-2012
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Instructor Information

Course Information

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Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact disAbility Services (Student Service Center room 119, phone 371-5436) as soon as possible.

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As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

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Course

ENGL-1301-013 Freshman Composition I

Prerequisites

RDNG 0331 and ENGL 0302-minimum grade of C or scores on a state-approved test indicating college-level reading and writing skills

Course Description

Principles of effective writing, emphasizing organization of materials to produce a unified essay which supports convincingly a thesis statement. Review of conventional elements of writing and introduction to rhetorical analysis.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

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Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec, 1 lab)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

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\ Carter, Judith, et. al.  A Rhetoric Handbook for English 1301 & 1302.  OH: Cengage Learning,  2010.

\ Faigley, Lester, and Jack Selzer.  Good Reasons: Researching and Writing Effective Arguments.  NY: Learning Solutions, 2010.

\ Kirszner, Laurie G., and Stephen R. Mandell.  The Concise Wadsworth Pocket Handbook with

\ Insite Card (2 semester card).  3rd Edition.  MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning,  2011. 

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Supplies

\ A word process program and a computer with reliable Internet access would be useful.  Students may use the English writing Lab in Ordway Hall, room 101, on the Washington Street Campus during regular hours of operation.

\ Flash disk

Student Performance

After studying the material presented in this course of study, the student will be able to do the following as evaluated by the faculty in the department/program:

1.  Understand basic rhetorical concepts: subject, audience, purpose, and appeals.

2.  Apply rhetorical concepts in analyzing and evaluating text.

3.  Use standard American English to write essays that are rhetorically effective: clear, organized, detailed, grammatically correct, and

      audience specific.

4. Use the library's online databases and other computer resources for research and word processing.

5.  Write a third person, argumentative research paper following the MLA format for citing sources.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

\ English Department Plagiarism Policy (Revised January, 2009):
\ Plagiarism:
\ According to the Amarillo College Student Code of Conduct, plagiarism is the "appropriating, buying, receiving as a gift, or obtaining by any means another's words and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of it in one's own written work."
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\ Misdocumented Plagiarism:
\ 1. Using someone else's exact words that are quoted but not cited or cited but not quoted.
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\ 2. Using a citation at the end of a block of prose without clarifying which material is borrowed.

\ 3.  Incomplete or missing work cited entries.
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\ Misdocumented plagiarism will receive a maximum 50 percent deduction for the first offense, and the student will be required to meet with the instructor.
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\ Undocumented Plagiarism:
\ 1. Using someone else's exact words that are neither quoted nor cited.
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\ 2. Paraphrasing someone else's words without citing them.
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\ 3. Using someone else's research without citing it.
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\ Undocumented plagiarism will receive a minimum penalty of 50 percent for the first time and 100 percent off for all subsequent infractions. The student will be required to meet with the instructor and the English Department Chair.

Grading Criteria

20% Quizzes and homework

60% Paragraphs and essays (in-class and out) and revisions, totaling at least 4500 words

20% Final in-class essay

90-100 = A, 80-89 = B, 70-79 = C, 60-69 = D, Below 60 = F

LATE WORK:  Late work means "work turned in after the due date."  Work turned in late will receive point deduction: 1 day late - 15%, 3 days late - 30%, one week late - 50%, and anything turned in after one week will not be graded and will receive a zero.

Attendance

\ Regular Scheduled Classes:

\ Regular attendance is required and is necessary for satisfactory achievement. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the student to attend class and to complete all assignments. Three or more absences in a class will be considered excessive and could contribute to a failing grade. It is imperative that you communicate with me when an emergency arises.   If you must stop attending, withdraw officially by the deadline; otherwise, I must record an F for the semester.  Students with no absences will receive additional points at the end of the semester.

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\ If during the semester you consider dropping, please check with me first for an alternate plan, one that protects your investment in the course and gives you an opportunity to complete it.  Remember that the deadline for drops this semester is  November 16,   2011.  

Calendar

Additional Information

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