Composition I Syllabus for 2022-2023
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Instructor Information

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-1301-034 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

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

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

Amarillo College English Dept., eds. A Rhetorical Handbook for English 1301, 1302 and 2311, 4th ed., Hayden-McNeil, 2019.

 

Richard Bullock, Michal Brody, and Francine Weinberg. The Little Seagull Handbook with Exercises, 4th ed. with InQuizative, W.W. Norton and Company, 2017.

Supplies

A computer with reliable access to the internet and a word processing program, such as Word or Google Docs.  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.

 

Students must be able to save documents as either Word files  (.doc or .docx) or portable document format files (.pdf).

Student Performance

COURSE EXPECTATIONS:

State:

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.

 

Department:

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.

 

Instructor:

Upon leaving my course, it is my intention that you be able to:

• Understand the role genre plays in writing and be able to utilize specific genre conventions/forms to your own purposes.
• Demonstrate an appreciation for how rhetoric is used, where it appears, and how you can turn it to your own ends.
• Construct a clear, coherent, and unified written argument.

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

Students should act with decorum and maturity with both the instructor and with fellow students.

Grading Criteria

WARNING: If you fail to submit the rough and/or final draft of either of the essays, or if you fail to attend the associated writing conference, YOU AUTOMATICALLY FAIL THIS COURSE IN ITS ENTIRETY.  No paper, you get a 0 for the semester.  Communicate with the instructor if difficulties arise.

 

Grading Criteria

Essays (Final and Rough Drafts) 50%

 

Assorted Assignments, Discussions, In-Class Work, etc 20%

 

Final Exam 20%

 

Attendance 10%

 

Essay 1: A response to a “text” (film, narrative, poem, artwork, etc) of your choice in which you describe the work in question, identify an underlying meaning, and evaluation of the artist’s effectiveness.

 

Essay 2: A research essay based on your major/academic interests, and utilizing academic research.

 

Final Exam: A poetry analysis

Late Work

Beyond learning the specific content of a course, much of the college experience is about growth as an individual.  As such, time management and personal responsibility are important aspects of this course, and so no late work will be accepted.  Any reasonable person, however, must understand that sometimes life brings up obstacles that are beyond anyone’s control, so if extenuating circumstances occur, please contact the instructor and we can work something out.  I would much rather have your work come in late than not at all because of some random event.  Within reason, we can make suitable arrangements.

All assignments must be attached as docx, rtf, or pdf formats. Assignments submitted in odt, wps, or google docs cannot be opened and students will receive an email to resend in the correct format.

Attendance

Regular student engagement is absolutely necessary to realize success in an in-person class.  When you miss class, you miss out not only on the lecture content delivered, but on the activities which allow you develop practical skills and the interaction with your classmates that can aid comprehension.  With that in mind, attendance will account for a portion of your grade.  Therefore, if you miss more than 8 classes (1/4 of our time together), you automatically fail the course.  This policy is not enacted to be cruel, but rather because if you miss a full quarter of the course, can you be fairly said to have “completed” it in the same way that your classmates have.

Please note: exceptions can be made for extenuating circumstances, but you must communicate with the instructor.

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING COVID: If student is feeling Covid symptoms or feeling ill, the student is strongly encouraged to please stay home. Accommodations will be made as course will be broadcast live via Blackboard Collaborate and sessions will also be recorded.

ETIQUETTE: Students are expected to conduct themselves and exchange ideas, opinions and information in a respectful manner.  Good etiquette also includes respectful practices like not sleeping and not talking excessively to one's neighbor or friend when class activities are going on. If warnings are disregarded, the instructor reserves the right to count the student as tardy or absent AND/OR penalize the current assignment for which the behavior is continuing to occur.     

KEY DATES: You must physically attend class by the Census date on Monday, Oct 31 (10/31/2022) to avoid an automatic withdrawal from the course.
Final Date to Withdraw from the Course without a Failing Grade: Tuesday, Nov 22 (11/22/2022).

Calendar

Additional Information

Please note that this course may contain adult subject matter