Spring 2025 office hours will be from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. You can email me or send me a message through Blackboard at any time of any day of the week. Response times to emails are usually from 2 to 24 hours or possibly 48 hours on the weekend. I may not answer email on Sunday.
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-1301-005 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)
Online Course
Required Textbook
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This class will use one required text: A Rhetoric Handbook for English 1301, 1302, and 2311 4th ed. MacMilliam, 2019. |
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 or PDF documents.
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:
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.
Course Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
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.
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".
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
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
6 discussions (1.5 pts. each) 9%
5 grammar assignments (1.5 pt. each) 7.5%
Email assignment 5%
Personal Narrative Paper 12%
Midterm Reflective Assignment 8%
Comparison Contrast Essay 15%
Peer Edit Copy & Peer Edit Another’s Research Paper 6%
Argument Research Paper 16%
Final Reflective Essay Exam 16%
Grammar Final Exam 5.5%
* Discussions: For full credit in the discussion forums, your initial thread must be a minimum word count of 150 words, and you must respond to at least two classmates with a thorough response of 50 words for each response. Grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling count.
*Note that some assignments will be worth more points than others. For instance, the research paper, a lengthy assignment, will be worth 16% while other smaller assignments will be worth less.
Assignment Criteria
Most writing assignments will have a grading rubric that will set forth the criteria for grading.
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:
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.
This is an online class. The class begins on 5/23/22 and ends on 7/1/22.
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:
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 6/23/22. 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:
Online ENGL 1301 Summer I 2022
ENGL 1301 begins on 5/23 and ends 7/1. The last day to withdraw is June 23rd. To receive credit, some writing assignments, as per instructions, must be saved as PDF or MS Word and attached in Blackboard.
Required Text: A Rhetoric Handbook for ENGL 1301, 1302, and 2311, 4th ed., MacMillian, 2019. (Print only, purchase at AC Bookstore.)
Brief Weekly Calendar
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
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:
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.
04/06/22 10:14 AM
05/22/22 8:02 AM