Composition I Syllabus for 2020-2021
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Instructor Information

Office Location

<p>Ordway Hall 102 (The Gnome&#39;s Den)</p>

Office Hours

Monday: 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.  Tuesday: By appointment. Wednesday, by appointment, reserved for online course. Thursday: 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.  Friday: no contact, my time. 

Course Information

COVID-19 Protocols

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

If you have a disability (learning, mental, physical) that affects your ability to participate effectively and have access to any program or service at Amarillo College please contact Disability Services at (806) 345-5639 . Our offices are located in the Student Service Center office 112. More information may be found at www.actx.edu/disability.
Disability Services facilitates access to all programs and services according to the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as well as other federal and state laws.

Amarillo College Web Accessibility Policy Statement

Amarillo College is committed to providing equal access to all programs and services, including all working, learning, and service environments that affect equal access for persons with disabilities. This commitment to provide equal access and opportunity for persons with disabilities is in compliance with federal and state law. Amarillo College also strives to provide Electronic and Information Resources (EIR) that are accessible to all authorized users.

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:

The Tutoring for Success policy applies to any student whose grade or performance in the course falls below a departmentally determined minimum threshold. In either of those cases, the instructor will direct the student to the appropriate tutoring service, which may be faculty-led, discipline-specific, and/or general. Under this policy, the instructor will follow specific departmental guidelines governing the use, duration, and grade component of the tutoring need.

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 course must complete all steps indicated on the Academic Withdrawal Request form by the course withdrawal deadline.

NOTE: Students who are 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. This withdrawal limitation does not include dual credit or developmental classes (Senate Bill 1231 Rule 4.10.) For more information on Drop and Withdrawal Policies, please visit the Registrar's Office Web site.

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-1301-011 Composition I

Prerequisites

Corequisite: INRW 0303 Prerequisite: 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 ResourcesStudent Resources Website

Department Expectations

STUDENT PRINTING PROCEDURES

For students to put money on their account, they must go to this website https://acprinthub.actx.edu/myprintcenter/ and either use PayPal account or their credit/debit card to add money, or they can go to the Student Services building to add money with credit/debit or with cash. Neither Writers’ Corner or the Writing Lab can add money to the account.

However, if the students need help adding money to their account, we can help them do that here in the lab. All students are responsible for adding money to their own account. But students need to have money on their own account in order to print anywhere on campus.

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.

Occupational License Disclaimer

Notice to Students enrolled in an educational program for preparation of issuance of certain occupational licenses:

Students enrolled in an educational program in preparation for obtaining certain occupational licenses are potentially ineligible for such license if the student has been convicted of an offense. For further information, please contact:

Melodie Graves
Justice Involved Advocate
Student Service Center 117
mgraves24@actx.edu
806-371-5995
Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me

You can also contact the Legal Clinic, or the faculty member in charge of the educational program that you seek to enroll in. The further information you will receive will include notification to you of your right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the licensing authority in order to clarify your particular situation.

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec, 1 lab)

Class Type

Online Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

 

Required Textbook

This class will use one required text:

A Rhetoric Handbook for English 1301, 1302, and 2311 4th ed. MacMilliam, 2019. 

Supplies

Students must have access to a computer and the internet.  If you don't have a computer, then you have access to a computer in the Ware Student Commons, or you can call the book store to see about renting a computer.

This course requires students to use a word processing program and Blackboard for course content and for submitting work, and Blackboard email for communication purposes. Students must submit work and communicate through these programs in order to pass this course. Work must be saved and submitted to Blackboard as Microsoft Word for first drafts or PDF documents for revised drafts. 

The college provides students with a Google G Suite Account.  These programs include email, document creation,and slide presentation programs, 

Late work is not accepted for this course. To pass, all work for this class must be turned in.

Other Supplies

Students need frequent access to:

  • a reliable computer with
  • Internet access
  • a flash/USB/Jump drive to save work (Optional if you work on computers to save/back up your work.)

If you have computer software difficulties, call 371-5000 immediately for help. As a back-up, computers are available in the Ware Commons on the Washington Street Campus. Bring a USB drive to save your work, or work in Google Drive so your work is not lost. 

Student Performance

Course Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

  1. Recognize, analyze, and accommodate diverse audiences.
  2. Produce documents appropriate to audience, purpose, and genre.
  3. Analyze the ethical responsibilities involved in technical communication.
  4. Locate, evaluate, and incorporate pertinent information.
  5. Develop verbal, visual, and multimedia materials as necessary, in individual and/or collaborative projects, as appropriate.
  6. Edit for appropriate style, including attention to word choice, sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling.
  7. Design and test documents for easy reading and navigation.
  8. In addition to the learning outcomes, students will discuss topics on producing work in the technical writing and business communication field.

 

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.

 

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

Behavior

CODE OF STUDENT CONDUCT: All rules and regulations set forth in the “Student Code of Conduct” section in the current edition of the Students’ Rights and Responsibilities publication will be followed in this course (see link above).

Disrespect will not be tolerated.  While students are expected to express their own ideas and opinions in the discussion section of this course, students are also expected to use words that are appropriate for a classroom situation. No cursing, personal insults, or disrespectful language will be tolerated. Violation of this rule will result in the student being barred from using the discussion portion of the course, which will result in the loss of points for discussion contributions

The discussion forums in this class provide a great opportunity for you to practice your writing style.  Proofread and spell-check your discussion posts, and check your posts and replies for clarity and accuracy. As with emails, avoid using text-message style abbreviations, and use proper capitalization and grammar. In addition, proofread your posts for tone. A successful writer is ever-mindful of his/her audience, and your posts should be courteous and professional—even if you are disagreeing with a classmate. Discussion posts with numerous spelling and grammar errors and inappropriate tone will not receive credit.

Other Responsibilities

  • Check your grades regularly in Blackboard. If you have any questions or concerns about your grades, please talk to me as soon as possible.
  • If you have questions or concerns about any assignment grade, you must contact me about your concerns BEFORE the week of finals.
  • Read the plagiarism policy on the top of this syllabus. Plagiarism is a serious offense and will result in a zero on the assignment. If you are concerned about plagiarism or are not sure whether you’ve cited sources correctly, please schedule a visit with me or with the Writers’ Corner.
  • Attend Class. The college attendance policy is that they expect you to attend all classes.  In this online class, attendance is participating in the class, communicating with the instructor and other students, and turning in all assignments on time. 

Grading Criteria

Grade Determination

Grades will be based on the following system:  
                A             90-100= high achievement
                B             80-89= above average achievement
                C             70-79= satisfactory achievement
                D             60-69= unsatisfactory achievement
                F              0-59= unacceptable

Grade Percentages of Assignments

Grade Breakdown

Personal Narrative  essay                                                            15%

Rhetorical Analysis essay                                                             15%

Research Paper essay                                                                             20%

Reflective Final exam                                                                     15%

Quizzes                                                                                           15 %

Daily -work peer reviews, reflective writings, syllabus quiz              20%

  Tutoring

TUTORING:  You can use SMARTHINKING (see link in Blackboard), online tutoring available through the AC website.  Be advised that the Smartthinking tutoring service may a 2-3 day turnaround, so you need to submit work well before the due date to be sure to receive timely feedback from a tutor.

While on the AC campus,  visit the Success Center in Ware Commons or the Writers' Corner to get help with your assignments. You may also submit work online. A link is in your Blackboard course.

 

Assignment Submission and Late Work

Assignment Submission:

  • Please submit each assignment in its designated place in Blackboard. Please follow instructions for naming each file before submitting it in Blackboard.
  • I will not accept assignments submitted through email unless I have specifically told you to email an assignment to me.
  • Assignments must be submitted in Microsoft Word (.doc/.docx)or Adobe (.pdf) format. I will not accept work submitted in a format other than .doc/.docx or .pdf. (Blackboard requires these formats for grading/grade book functions.)
  • Save your work carefully and diligently. If you do not have a thumb drive, you may want to create your documents in Google Docs so you don’t have to worry about saving. If you work in Google Docs, you can save your work in .pdf or .doc/.docx before you submit it in Blackboard.

Late work will not be accepted. Because this is a fast-paced 6-week course, you must complete assignments by the due date. Any assignment turned in after the due date at midnight is late. I understand that technical problems occur and life issues sometimes interfere with assignments, but I am counting on your commitment to this class despite life's setbacks. When you can, work on assignments ahead of their due dates. If a situation arises that interferes with your turning in work in a timely manner, please email or call me.

Assignment Due Dates:    Exact due dates for assignments are not specified on this syllabus. Please check your lessons and Blackboard course calendar for exact assignment due dates.

Attendance

This is an online class. The class begins on 5/24/21 and ends on 7/1/21

 

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

Keeping up with changes in an online course

Log in every day or at least every other day. Class schedules may change or important class information may be shared. Participation is extremely important. All assignments, quizzes, and discussions are due by midnight of their due dates (See Blackboard Calendar for exact dates).  Lack of communication,  participation, and submission of assignments in a timely manner will be taken into account when the final grade is determined. You hurt yourself when you fall behind schedule.

Students are expected to participate actively in this online course. Participation means:

  • Logging in to the course every day or every two days, at least to check email and read announcements. I watch when students last logged in.
  • Checking email regularly in your Amarillo College GMail account. I frequently send emails that explain course updates or include course notes, so check your AC Gmail account as often as possible.
  • Reading chapters from the textbooks when assigned.  You must read the textbook to pass quizzes and do well on assignments!
  • Complete and submit weekly assignments by due dates.
  • Read and post discussion messages as assigned.
  • Take online quizzes and the final exams as assigned.

Withdrawal

A 6-week, online course can be demanding for students. Since you are not in class, you must discipline yourself to read text, participate in discussions, and complete other assignments on time.  I hope you are committed to this process.  If you are, you should succeed in this class.  That said, I also hope you know that a real person is here to grade your assignments, monitor your progress, adjust due dates and assignments accordingly, and answer any questions you may have.

If during the semester you consider dropping, please check with me first for an alternate plan that protects your investment in this course and gives you an opportunity to complete it.  Remember that the deadline for drops this semester is 6/24/21.  All paperwork concerning the withdrawal must be signed and turned in by the close of business on the the last date of withdrawal.

Withdrawing early from a class could affect scholarship or financial aid monies.  Check with a counselor or advisor before you withdraw from any class.

 

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 (which must be signed by the instructor, the student, and the student's advisor before being turned in)
  • 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.

Calendar

ENGL 1301 Summer I 2020 Weekly Calendar

Brief Weekly Calendar

Week 1

  • ____ Review syllabus and submit syllabus quiz Monday, May 24.

    _____Read "Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset: What's the Difference and Why Does it Matter?" Submit a reflective writing on this essay Monday May 24.

    _____Read “English Dept Plagiarism Policy “ and “Steps in Avoiding Plagiarism” (RH 3-4),  “How Purpose Determines the Structure of an Essay” (RH 20-22), “The Basic Structure of an Essay” (RH 45-46) “"Descriptive Writing" (RH 49) "Narrative Writing" (RH 50)

    _______Complete Diagnostic Writing by Tuesday, May 25

    ____Review grammar lessons and take ONE grammar quiz by Sunday May 30

    ____Review Narrative essay assignment, including example of a narrative essay, and post in peer review forum by Friday, May 28. Comment on two other papers in forum by Sunday May 30.

Week 2


  • _____Read “MLA Manuscript Preparation”  (RH 6-7)

    _____Review MLA format in MLA Information folder

    _____Essay #1 Due Thursday to BLACKBOARD by 11:59 PM

    _____Review grammar lessons  and take TWO grammar quizzes   by Sunday

    ____Read "The Most Important Factor in a College Student's Success"

    Short Answer reflective writing, 100-150 words, on how this information can help you succeed in college.

Week 3

  • _____ Read “The Rhetorical Situation” (RH 34-35); “What is Rhetorical Analysis” (RH 36-39); “Identifying Rhetorical Appeals in Written and Visual Arguments” (RH 39-40); “Ethos,” “Pathos,” “Logos,” and “Kairos” (RH 76-85).

    _____Read the link "Modes of Persuasion" below.

    _____Post Rhetorical Analysis essay in the peer review forum by Thursday and do two peer reviews by Sunday
     

    _____Write Essay 1 Reflection

    _____Read "Factors that Influence a Student's Success in College" and write a reflection on this reading.

    _____Complete grammar lessons and take grammar quizzes by Sunday

    THIS IS THE HALFWAY POINT IN THE SEMESTER

Week 4

  • Submit Final Copy of your Rhetorical Analysis Assignment by Wednesday

    _____ "Rhetoric, The Rhetorical Appeals, and the Academic Argument," p. 22-27 in Rhetoric Handbook

    _____Review grammar lesson and take grammar quiz, plagiarism lesson and quiz, MLA style and documentation lesson and quizzes by Sunday

    ______Read "The 5 Most Common Barriers for Community College Students" and write a reflection on the information.

Week 5

  •  

    _______Read argument assignment instructions and choose topic

    _____Using the library’s databases and locate sources for argument essay

    _____Read "How to Find and Document Sources Using MLA Style” (RH 12-18) and "Incorporating Quotations, MLA Parenthetical Citations, How to Paraphrase"  (RH 12-20)

    _____Make an outline of your research paper by Wednesday June 23

    _____Submit first draft of research paper (no peer reviews) as a Word document or upload Google Docs as a Word docx. by Saturday June 26

     

Week 6

  • ____Submit revised draft of Research paper by Wednesday July 30

    ______ Write reflective essay final exam by Thursday July 1 (No work accepted after July 1).

Assignment Due Dates:    Exact due dates for assignments are specified in the Blackboard 1 course calendar. All dates in the calendar are subject to change.

Assignment Criteria

Late work will not be accepted. Because this is a fast-paced 6-week course, you must complete assignments by the due date. Any assignment turned in after the due date at midnight is late. I understand that technical problems occur and life issues sometimes interfere with assignments, but I am counting on your commitment to this class despite life's setbacks. When you can, work on assignments ahead of their due dates. If a situation arises that interferes with your turning in work in a timely manner, please email or call me as soon as possible.

Most writing assignments will have a grading rubric that will set forth the criteria for grading.

Assignment Submission:

  • Please submit each assignment in its designated place in Blackboard.
  • Assignments submitted through email will not be accept unless you  have specifically been told to email an assignment.
  • Assignments must be submitted in .doc, .docx (Microsoft Word) , or pdf (Adobe) format. Work submitted in a format other than .doc, .docx, or .pdf will not be accepted.
  • Save your work carefully and diligently. If you do not have a thumb drive, you may want to create your documents in Google Docs so you don’t have to worry about saving. If you work in Google Docs, you can save your work in .pdf or .doc, .docx, before you submit it in Blackboard.

Additional Information

Final Exams:

Information about final exams will be posted in Blackboard.

Course Content and Work

This course requires students to use a word processing program (Microsoft Word, Google Docs, etc.) and Blackboard for course content and for submitting work, and Blackboard email for communication purposes. Students must submit work and communicate through these programs in order to pass this course. Work must be saved and submitted to Blackboard as Microsoft Word or PDF documents. 

The college provides free Google G Suite accounts for its students. With G Suite students can create documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and calendar appointments and save them to the Google Cloud platform. 

Late work is not accepted for this course. To pass, all work for this class must be turned in.

Most minor work is graded and returned in 3-7 days. Major work, such as essays, can take up to 7-14 days to be graded and returned. 

College Content:
In the college experience, students will encounter diverse views and new subject matter, which expand their knowledge and perspective.  In this college English class, we might read and discuss some literary works with subject matter that could include (but not be limited to) death, violence, sexuality, potentially offensive language, and political or religious viewpoints different from your own.  If this is a concern for you, please meet with me.

Syllabus Created on:

05/16/21 8:29 PM

Last Edited on:

05/17/21 8:03 PM