Freshman Composition I Syllabus for 2011-2012
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Instructor Information

Course Information

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

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.

Statement for Mental Health and Advocacy & Resource Center:

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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Administrative Drop Policy

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The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students.  If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .

Course

ENGL-1301-030 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

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.

Kirszner, Laurie G., and Stephen R. Mandell. The Concise Wadsworth Handbook. 3rd ed. Boston: Cengage, 2011. Print. (Includes Enhanced InSite Card—2 semester card)

Supplies

SUPPLIES: 

·         Access to computer with Internet

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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

Student 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

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Grading Criteria

10%   Journals

70%   Paragraphs, essays (in-class and out) and revisions

10 %   Final Exam (In-class essay)

10%   Attendance and Participation

 

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

 

LATE WORK:    Avoid it! I dock 10% for each day late (not just each class meeting). If you cannot turn an assignment in on time, call or come see me as soon as possible.

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.  Four 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.

Calendar

Additional Information

CLASSROOM POLICY:

I cherish my cell phone as much as you do, but it has no place in the classroom. Cell phones must either be turned off or silenced during class.  Consequently, students who use their phone in ANY capacity may be asked to leave. 

 

***E-MAIL ETIQUETTE:*** 

E-mails sent to your instructors must be addressed and signed. E-mails, like all academic work, should be carefully scrutinized by their senders, as the senders’ professionalism is reflected in the grammar, spelling and structure of the e-mail.  E-mails should never look like text messages that contain slang words or heavily abbreviated terms.  E-mails that do not meet the aforementioned criteria will not be answered.

 

WEEKLY JOURNALS

You will be writing a weekly journal (usually 5-8 sentences) that you will post under “Lessons” at AC Online. I will not accept hard copies. Each journal is worth ten points and I dock 1 point for each day late. After 10 days, I will not accept late journals. ***All journal entries are due on Wednesday before class begins.*** Also note that during some of our meetings you will discuss your journal entries with the class.

 

PEER REVIEW

For each of your four major essays, you will bring two additional drafts to be peer edited by your classmates. I will provide guidelines for each session. This is an important part of the writing process and will make up a significant portion of your Attendance and Participation grade.

 

QUIZZES/IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS

I will frequently assign quizzes and in-class writing. Generally I will notify you in advance of these assignments to allow you some preparation time.

 

 

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 work and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of it in one’s own written work.”

 

Misdocumented Plagiarism:

1.         Using someone else’s exact words that are quoted but not cited or cited but not quoted.

 

2.         Using a citation at the end of a block of prose without clarifying which material is borrowed.

 

3.          Incomplete or missing works cited entries

Misdocumented plagiarism will receive a maximum 50 percent deduction for the first offense, and the student will be required to meet with the instructor.

 

Undocumented Plagiarism:

1.         Using someone else’s exact words that are neither quoted nor cited.

 

2.         Paraphrasing someone else’s words without citing them.

 

3.         Using someone else’s research without citing it.

 

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.

 

 

DISABILITY STATEMENT:

Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact disAbility Services (Student Services Center Room 125, Phone 371-5436) as soon as possible.