As I am a part-time instructor, I do not have an office. You can reach me at any point using either AC email: carogers@actx.edu OR carogers@amarillocollege.com. If you go through our Blackboard class, the email will go straight to my AC account and will contain our class section number. Unless I notify you otherwise, I will check the AC email several times a day.
I will be at AC every morning at least 30 minutes before class begins to offer help as needed. Please feel free to come early. If I'm not in the room, check in the office or around in the tutoring center, as sometimes I need to go either place.
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 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.
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
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.
Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016
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.
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 .
ENGL-1301-0141 Composition I
Corequisite: INRW 0303 Prerequisite: Scores on a state-approved test indicating college-level reading and writing skills
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
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.
(3 sem hrs; 3 lec, 1 lab)
On Campus Course
Amarillo College's Rhetoric Handbook (obtained from the bookstore)
Working computer with access to Google Docs and, in addition, a standard word-processing program (preferably Word).
Access to the Internet is imperative.
Lost documents are not the responsibility of the instructor. (The “Dog (or computer) ate my homework” is not an excuse. If it’s on Google Docs, it’s there.)
You additionally should have pen/paper ready to write brief notes as we work. As the majority of this class is probably virtual, it is absolutely essential that you follow me as carefully as you would if we were in a face-to-face situation.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
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.
Departmental expectations:
6. Write a third person, argumentative research paper following the MLA format for citing sources.
7. Use the library's online databases and other computer resources for research and word processing.
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.
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".
Policy on Cheating and Plagiarism
Cheating will not be tolerated in this class.
Cheating includes but is not limited to: copying or leaving the test with a test or questions from a test, helping or attempting to help other students cheat on a test or plagiarizing on a paper. It additionally includes working on a test/essay AFTER the announced conclusion time. Because all our work is done in Google Docs, I can see when things have been edited.
The following is the official department policy on plagiarism:
English Department Plagiarism Policy (Revised 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.
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, examples of racism / discrimination, potentially offensive language, and political or religious viewpoints different from your own. If this is a concern for you, please meet with me.
50% Essays and Major Tests
10% Daily (peer editing, mechanics on the three major essays, ATTENDANCE, class participation)
20% Researched Essay
20% Final Exam/Semester Test (in-class essay)
90-100 = A, 80-89 = B, 70-79 = C, 60-69 = D, Below 60 = F
Late work is simply not acceptable. Any time an assignment is due, I expect it to be submitted at the beginning of the class period. Should an emergency arise that precludes your attending class that day, you must either get the paper to campus OR email it to me the day it is due.
I do NOT accept late work, so please understand that failure to submit an assignment on time will almost certainly create a huge hole in your average. When I check roll in the system, a grade enters automatically. In your grade book, the average of each grade will appear in the column marked "attendance." That average will be included in the "daily" grades which become 10% of your final grade. There will be only 9-10 of these "daily" grades total, so that attendance grade is really important to that category. We all should understand that if COVID gets bad enough to force us to go to a remote mode, we will meet via Google Meet. However, whether you are in class or watching the live broadcast of that class, your attendance is required. If there is an extenuating circumstance which prevents your attendance, you must contact me by email immediately. I am not interested in all the details of your absence, but I need more than "I can't come to class," especially if you miss more than one or two class periods in the semester. If you are diagnosed with COVID-19 and are physically unable to complete the class, we do not know what will happen. Please know that AC (and I) will do everything possible to help you.
IF WE HAVE TO MOVE TO REMOTE: For the most part, you would be "attending" class remotely. Being "present" means you are required to participate by either asking questions or making comments. That is the way we can ensure that you are actually "in class" and not off somewhere with the class just running at another part of your house. Just as I am required to broadcast the class live, you are required to attend.
We may talk about a variety of issues in this class that contain adult subject matter. Please remember to remain polite and respectful at all times to everyone in the classroom.
Student Withdrawal Procedures: Students who wish to withdraw from a class must initiate the request with their instructor before the withdrawal deadline.
Administrative Drop Policy: Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016
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 instructor must initiate all drops and that the drop date for this semester is Oct. 5
Tuesday Thursday
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Aug. 24—Introduce class, syllabus, calendar Introduce Personal Essay Style exercises Hand out partners for peer editing Assignment: Write rough draft for Thursday (daily grade). Share with me AND your partner by 9 a.m. that day. |
26 Discuss format /grading of all essays Peer edit personal essays (Note: daily grade) Discuss logos, ethos, pathos, Kairos Begin rhetorical precis Assignment: Complete personal essay for Sept. 2. Read sample essay (specific assignment to be given in class). Write rhetorical precis sentences 1 and 3. Share with only me BEFORE Monday at 3:00 p.m. |
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Aug. 31 Continue rhetorical precis by examining sample sentences from assignment. Begin instruction on analysis (VERY IMPORTANT) Assignment: Complete personal essay for submission by 9 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 2. Read sample analyses as assigned in class. |
Sept. 2 Submit personal essay for grading Continue analysis—Complete the sample essay Introduce Analysis essay—Assignment: Write rough draft for Sept. 9. (reminder: daily grade) Share with both me AND your partner by 9 a.m. that day. |
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Sept. 7 More work with analysis techniques Assignment: Complete rough draft of Analysis for Sept. 9. Share with me AND your partner by 9 a.m. |
9 Peer edit Analysis (daily grade). Final discussion on analysis. Remind about tutorials. Assignment: Write final copy of Analysis for Sept. 16. |
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Sept. 14 Discuss persuasive essays. Write sample thesis sentences during class time. Assignment: Complete Analysis. Share with me by 9 a.m. Thursday (Sept. 16). Read Sample Synthesis Documents for Thursday, Sept. 16. Print sample essays if desired. |
16 Submit Analysis for grading. Share by 9 a.m. Discuss sample synthesis essays. Discuss citations. Assign mini-research essay. Assignment: Read Documents for assigned mini-research. Determine your position and begin your rough draft. Peer edit—Th. 9/23. |
Personal essay assignment:
Choose at least three of the 14 words below to write an essay of at least 1 ½ pages (typed) to discuss yourself—your life, your attitudes, whatever you want to write. You need to make this as original as possible. That means, papers that are “I was born on . . .” will not get much of a grade, nor will “my 3 words are . . . .” This is your opportunity to truly introduce yourself. Put the word in bold type so that I can find it easily. These must go IN the paper; don’t just refer to them or list them at the top/bottom of your paper. That means you’ll have to use them correctly in a sentence.
Recalcitrant--stubborn
Pensive—dreamily thoughtful; meditative
Tenacious--determined
Rambunctious—crazily boisterous, difficult to control
Quixotic—idealistic, unrealistic and impractical
Fervent—intense, having and/or showing strong feelings; enthusiastic (about a cause)
Diligent—being sure that work is completed on time and effectively
Affable—Easy to talk with
Loquacious—talks a lot
Jocular—tending to be funny, habitually jolly
Versatile—capable of adapting easily
Capricious—given to sudden, unaccountable changes in mood or behavior
Pragmatic—practical, realistic, sensible Effervescent—vivacious, bubbly, enthusiastic
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Sept. 21 Complete mini-research discussion. Specific discussion on citations. Please come with questions prepared. Discuss the Works Cited and its purpose. Assignment: Complete mini-research rough draft for Sept. 23. (daily grade). Share with me AND your partner by 9 a.m. Thursday. You do NOT have to have a Works Cited done‼‼ |
23 Peer edit mini-research (daily grade) Discuss library databases and potential topics for research. Assignment: Complete mini-research for Sept. 28. Share with me by 9 a.m. Tues. morning. We will do the Works Cited in class, so be sure you have access to your computer. You can’t do this on your phones! Be sure to bring electronic copy of Works Cited forms. |
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Sept. 28-- Either email your research topic choice before today or come to class early to discuss it in person. Submit mini-research for grading . (Share with me by 9 a.m.) We WILL do the Works Cited together. Have access to your computer AND the Works Cited Forms (posted in Assignments folder) Discuss individual research process. |
30 Continue to research with personal computers. Assignment: Submit at least 4 Works Cited forms 3 p.m. Oct. 5 (Monday). Do this by sharing with me by that time.
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Oct. 5 Continue to work on papers. Assignment: Share your intro with me sometime Oct. 6 or 7. This is the last day to drop a 1st 8-week class‼‼! |
7 Review Works Cited and final copies. Assignment: Final copy of paper is due by Tuesday, Oct. 12, at noon. No exceptions. |
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Oct. 12 At 9:00 a.m., I will discuss the final exam process. Share your final copy of your research paper with me by NOON TODAY (Oct. 12). The final exam will occur between 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Thursday 11th. No exceptions. |
14 Write final exam—IN THE CLASSROOM 8:30-11:00 [ONLY] If we cannot do this in the classroom: The question will be released at 8 a.m. Thurs, Oct. 14. You will work on Google Docs, shared with me when you begin. You must be finished by 11:00. |
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Fall Break Oct. 18-24 |
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The Rhetorical Précis
Example: Type phrase about author author verb “that” clause
How he develops and supports his thesis
Author’s purpose
Relationship to audience type of audience
The “no-no” words (AKA first and second person pronouns). Except for the personal essay, you may NOT use these words on any writing assignment for this class. The penalty is a 10-point reduction in your grade for EACH one you use. Find these in a paper by using Command F (for Macs) or Control F (for PCs). Yes, these command functions work on Google Docs.
I, me, my, mine, myself [1st person singular]
We, us, our, ours, ourselves [1st person plural]
You, your, yours, yourself, yourselves [2nd person—singular and plural]
Contractions which contain these: I’ll, I’ve, I’d, I’m, we’ll, we’ve, we’d, we’re, you’ll, you’ve, you’d, you’re, let’s (especially dangerous: Let us), y’all (you shouldn’t be using this one, anyway—too informal).
There may be others, but I can’t think of any right now.
07/28/21 4:28 PM
07/28/21 5:12 PM