Composition I Syllabus for 2016-2017
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Course Information

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Disability Statement

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If you find you are unable to access material in an accessible format please contact the Disability Services Office at (806) 345-5639 . This office will work in conjunction with other campus resources to address and accommodate your issue in a timely manner.

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

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

Administrative Drop Policy

Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016

Student Withdrawal Procedures

Students who wish to withdraw from a class must:

• consult with their instructor to obtain a signed academic withdrawal request form to submit to the AskAC department for processing
• consult with the financial aid office if receiving financial aid
• consult with the Veterans Benefit Coordinator if receiving veteran benefits
• consult with their academic advisor to determine how withdrawing may affect their enrollment in future semesters
  • NOTE:  The Texas Education Code stipulates that students attending Texas institutions of higher education for the first time fall 2007 and later may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career, including courses from which transfer students have withdrawn at other Texas institutions of higher education. (Senate Bill 1231) Rule 4.10.

Privacy Statement

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-1301-021 Composition I

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 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

Intensive study of and practice in writing processes, from invention and researching to drafting, revising and editing, both individually and collaboratively. Emphasis on effective rhetorical choices, including audience, purpose, arrangement and style. Focus on writing the academic essay as a vehicle for learning, communicating and critical analysis.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

English Department Plagiarism Policy (Revised Spring, 2013):

The English Department takes plagiarism seriously.

Plagiarism is defined as the following:  the use of someone else’s exact words that are neither quoted nor cited; paraphrasing someone else’s words without citing them; or using someone else’s research without citing it.

Student plagiarism in the Amarillo College English Department is internally tracked.  To clarify, records will be kept in the Department of those students who have plagiarized.  At the beginning of each new semester, the names of students who plagiarized the previous semester will be sent to all English Department faculty. 

Plagiarism may receive a penalty of a zero.  A subsequent infraction will be deemed a reason for expulsion from the class. At this point, the case will be referred to the Vice President of Student Affairs.

Note: Self-plagiarism will be discussed with the class by each instructor and infractions for such are left up to the individual instructor’s discretion.

 

 

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Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec, 1 lab)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

Amarillo College English Department. A Rhetoric Handbook for English 1301 and 1302. 1st ed., Hayden McNeil, 2013.*

Bullock, Richard, Michal Brody, and Francine Wineberg. The Little Seagull Handbook with Exercises. 2^nd ed., W. W. Norton, 2014.

MLA Handbook. 8^th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2016.

*This book is available for purchase only at the AC Bookstore.

Supplies

One wide ruled 70 page spiral notebook- one subject for assignments and notes.  Pen: black or blue ink.

1 Jump/Flash/USB drive.

A computer with reliable access to the internet and a word processing program, such as Word. Notepad, and Wordpad are not acceptable word processing programs for this course because their formatting features do not work with other programs used in the course. The word processing program used must have the capability of saving documents to .doc, .docx, or .pdf.

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 https://www.actx.edu/english/pagesmith/10 .

This course will use material in AC Connect, otherwise known to AC students as Blackboard. To find this program, log in to http://www.actx.edu and click on the "AC Connect" link at the top of the page.

Student Performance

ENGL 1301 Composition I

Intensive study of and practice in writing processes, from invention and researching to drafting, revising, and editing, both individually and collaboratively. Emphasis on effective rhetorical choices, including audience, purpose, arrangement, and style. Focus on writing the academic essay as a vehicle for learning, communicating, and critical analysis.

1.     Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes.

2.     Develop ideas with appropriate support and attribution.

3.     Write in a style appropriate to audience and purpose.

4.     Read, reflect, and respond critically to a variety of texts.

5.     Use Edited American English in academic essays.

In addition to the learning outcomes listed, students will be expected to use the library’s online databases and other computer resources for research and word processing. Also, all students will write a third person, argumentative research paper that follows the MLA format for citing sources and utilizes peer review.

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

Amarillo College English Department Plagiarism Policy, revised Spring 2013

The English Department takes plagiarism seriously.

Plagiarism is defined as the following:  the use of someone else’s exact words that are neither quoted nor cited; paraphrasing someone else’s words without citing them; or using someone else’s research without citing it.

Student plagiarism in the Amarillo College English Department is internally tracked.  To clarify, records will be kept in the Department of those students who have plagiarized.  At the beginning of each new semester, the names of students who plagiarized the previous semester will be sent to all English Department faculty. 

Plagiarism may receive a penalty of a zero.  A subsequent infraction will be deemed a reason for expulsion from the class. At this point, the case will be referred to the Vice President of Student Affairs.

Note: Self-plagiarism will be discussed with the class by each instructor and infractions for such are left up to the individual instructor’s discretion.

 

Etiquette of the Classroom

1.  No talking while the instructor or other students are talking.  It is rude and annoying, and it results in class members (including yourself) not hearing the instructions for our assignments.

2.  Avoid coming in to class late.  Students who come in late make noise and disturb others. It is disrespectful and annoying and rude.  Besides, it makes you unprepared for what we are doing in class, resulting in frustration for you and the instructor. Two tardies will be counted as an absence for toward your grade.

3.  No leaving the classroom unless it is absolutely necessary.  It is distracting.  Go to the bathroom and get a drink of water before you come to class. Do not leave to answer a cell phone. If you do get up to answer, or answer in class, you will be counted absent for the day, and will be asked to leave.

4.  Turn off cell phones, pagers, beepers (including those on your watch).  Also, cell phones will not be allowed on desks.  Keep you cell phone in your pocket, backpack, or purse, and put it on silent or vibrate.  If you answer your cell phone in class, you will be asked to leave and not return for the day. Exceptions to this rule are emergencies. No music devices of any kind will be allowed during class time.

5.  No sleeping in class.  Your snoring may bother others.

6.  Bring all supplies to class.  (This includes pencils, pens, highlighters, books, etc.)  Borrowing supplies takes up time and is distracting.

7.  Do not take vacations during the semester.  You will be far behind in work, and most of it is not available for make-up.

8.  Class is not dismissed until the I dismisses it.  Do not pack up belongings, do not stand up, and do not leave until the instructor dismisses the class.

9.  Create an atmosphere of respect in the classroom.  People should feel comfortable in their classrooms.  There will be no arguing, snickering, belittling, harassment, or making fun of any other people in this classroom.  (By the way, the instructor can see you laughing or rolling your eyes, etc.)  Encourage each other.

10.  Smile.

11.  Participate in the class discussions.   You're getting a grade.

12.  Don’t cheat.

Grading Criteria

Tentative and Subject to Change

45% Essay Works (in-class and out-of-class writings)

10% Journal

10% Homework Assignments, Rough Drafts and Critiques (anything not essay)

10% Exams

10% Attendance and Participation

15% Final in-class Essay

The final grade is affected positively by class participation as well as the grades made on assignments.  These may be based on class rules given to students at the same time as the syllabus and thus become part of the syllabus. Each absence is treated as a percentage of your attendance grade.

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

No late work will be accepted after one week unless there is a valid reason.  After the due date, there will be a penalty of  10 points per day subtracted from the grade given for the paper when graded. If you are absent the day an assignment is due, email your work to me through AC Connect on, or before, its due date or upload it to the appropriate location.

Attendance

Regular attendance is necessary for satisfactory achievement. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the student to attend class and to complete all assignments.

Attendance is reflected in your grade. Each absence is treated as a percentage of your attendance and participation grade.

No late work will be accepted after one week. After the due date, there will be a penalty of 10 points per day subtracted from the grade that would have been given if the paper were not late. If you are absent the day an assignment is due, upload the paper to InSite if that is required for the assignment, or email your work to me through AC Online on or before its due date if it is not due on InSite.

If you are absent with cause, talk to me immediately.

Two tardies will count as an additional absence and be reflected in your grade.

 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 Nov. 22, 2016.

Calendar

Additional Information

All students will be required to seek tutoring either in the Writers’ Corner, with InSite’s Personal Tutor, or with SmartThinking for one essay. All homework assignments will be submitted via InSite.