Freshman Composition I Syllabus for 2011-2012
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Instructor Information

Course Information

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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.

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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-1301-049 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

Hybrid

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

\ Carter, Judith, et al., ed. A Rhetoric Handbook for English 1301 and 1302. Mason: Cengage, 2010. Print.
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\ 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. (Includes Enhanced InSite Card—2 semester card)

Supplies

• Access to computer with Internet
• Notebooks, pens, and pencils
• USB flash drive

Student Performance

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

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:
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\ 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:
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1. \ Using 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. \ Incomplete or missing 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.

\ Undocumented Plagiarism:

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1. \ Using 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. \ Using 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.
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\ CLASSROOM POLICY:
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\ 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:
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\ 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.

Grading Criteria

15%   Journals

60%   Paragraphs and essays (in-class and out) and revisions, totaling at least 45 words

15%   Final in-class essay

10%   Attendance and Participation

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

No late work will be accepted without prior approval. Absent students must still submit work on time.

Attendance

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. Three 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.

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 November 16, 2011.

Calendar

Additional Information

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