Freshman Composition I Syllabus for 2011-2012
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Instructor Information

Course Information

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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-1301-017 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

\N

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Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec, 1 lab)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

\ Carter, Judith, et al., ed. A Rhetoric Handbook for English 1301 and 1302. Mason: Cengage, 2010. Print.*

\ Faigley, Lester, and Jack Selzer. Good Reasons: Researching and Writing Effective Arguments. Custom ed. for Amarillo Coll. New York: Pearson, 2010. Print.*
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\ Kirszner, Laurie G., and Stephen R. Mandell. The Concise Wadsworth Handbook. 3rd ed. Boston: Cengage, 2011. Print. Enhanced InSite package. **
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\ *These books are available for purchase only at the AC Bookstore.

\ ** Students need to purchase their textbooks new in the AC Bookstore to receive the Enhanced InSite Brochure. This brochure contains a PIN that is essential for the course. (If you have questions regarding your textbooks call the AC Bookstore at [806] 371-5307.)

Supplies

\ A computer with a reliable internet connection is required for this class.

\ Students may use the computers in the English Writing Lab in Ordway 101, which are equipped with Word, during its regular hours of operation. See . This course

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:

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1. \ Understand basic rhetorical concepts: subject, audience, purpose, and appeals.
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2. \ Apply rhetorical concepts in analyzing and evaluating text.
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3. \ Use standard American English to write essays that are rhetorically effective: clear, organized, detailed, grammatically correct, and audience specific.
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4. \ Use the library's online databases and other computer resources for research and word processing.
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5. \ Write a third person, argumentative research paper following the MLA format for citing sources.
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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, 29):

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\ 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. The use of 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.
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\ 3. Missing or incomplete works-cited entries.
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\ Misdocumented plagiarism will receive a maximum 5 percent deduction for the first offense, and the student will be required to meet with the instructor.
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\ Undocumented Plagiarism:
\ 1. The use of 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. The use of someone else's research without citing it.
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\ Undocumented plagiarism will receive a minimum penalty of 5 percent for the first time and 1 percent off for all subsequent infractions. The student will be required to meet with the instructor and the English Department Chair.

Grading Criteria

\ Quizzes: 15%

\ Minor Assignments: 5%
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\ Drafts of the Works Cited for the Argumentation-Persuasion Essay: 5%
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\ Peer Review: 5%

\ Essays: 60%

\ Final Exam: 10%
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\ 90-100% = A
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\ 80-89% = B
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\ 70-79%=C
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\ 60-69%=D
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\ 59% and lower=F

\ Exact percentages may vary slightly because the number of minor assignments may change depending on the time available in class.

\ The policies for submitting late work are posted on the "Course Policies" page of the AC Online course. For further information, please contact the instructor.

Attendance

\ In previous semesters, students who attend every class and submit every essay are almost always succesful in this course. Students who do not attend almost every class and who do not submit each essay are far less likely to pass. To increase your learning and your chances of earning credit, come to class, write the four required essays, and take the final exam.

\ Although points are not awarded or deducted for attendance, per se, this class involves a number of in-class assignments that may not be made up for any reason. To allow for a rare but unavoidable absence, the two lowest in-class activity grades will be dropped.

Calendar

Additional Information

Policies Concerning Late Work:

     All assignments must be submitted according to the deadline schedule posted in the calendar section of our AC Online class.. Late essays,  minor assignments, contributions to the discussions, and peer review drafts are not accepted at all.

     The final exam must be completed on the day or days indicated on the course calendar.