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-LC1 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

Bullock, Richard, Michal Brody, and Francine Weinberg. The Little Seagull Handbook with Exercises. 4th ed., W. W. Norton, 2021.

*These books are available for purchase only at the AC Bookstore.  IF YOU GET IT FROM A DISCOUNT STORE, BE SURE IT HAS THE CODE FOR THE INQUISITIVE LABS.

If you have questions regarding your textbooks call the AC Bookstore at (806) 371-5307.     

Supplies

• Regular computer access with Internet.  I highly recommend the use of googledocs.  It is free and it will save all your information for you so you will never lose it.
• Something to write things down on.
• If you do not have a laptop, the AC Bookstore rents laptops for $65 per sixteen-week semester.

Student Performance

Minor Assignments 15%

Expository Research Assignment 15%

Journals 15%

Essay 1: Summary Rhetorical Analysis 15%

Essay 2: Researched Argument 15%

Midterm 10%

Final Exam 15%

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

Expected Teacher Behavior:

• At anytime you may contact me to see about your grades.
• The best way to get ahold of me is to text me through my Remind app.  I will get try to back with you within 2 hours between the hours of 7am-10pm on weekdays and 10am-7pm on weekends. 
• If you email me, I will get back to you within 24 hours, unless I otherwise note.
• I will grade everything generally within 72 hours of the due date, though I usually get to them before that.
• If you disagree with an evaluation or would like to have it explained to you, please contact me so we can discuss during tutoring hours or some other time that is convenient for us both.

Expected Student Behavior

• Communicate, Communicate, Communicate.  I cannot help you if I don’t know what is going on.  I can’t allow you grace on something if I do not know what is happening.  I really can’t help you if I do not know what the problem is.  PLEASE, please communicate with me…email me…text me…give me a call, come see me during my office hours: those don’t work for you?  Make an appointment and we can have a zoom meeting at a suitable time for you.
• Due to the short, intense nature of this course, students are expected not to miss class if they can help it.
• Please be courteous about using Air/earpods while we are trying to have a conversation or someone else is talking.
• Plagiarism will most likely result in a zero on an assignment, which may fail the student for the course.

Grading Criteria

Minor Assignments includes quizzes, short writing assignments, various assessments. All of these will account for 15% of your overall grade.

These assignments are due on the day it is expected.  Each week all work will be due at midnight of a specific day. It is traditionally my policy that no credit given for late assignments.  Of course, it is up to my discretion whether or not I excuse a late assignment.

Expository Research Assignment  You will be given a list of interesting topics and have to find three credible web sources that explains the topic.  You will compile a Works Cited n MLA, and the information from the sources into an interesting document.  This will account for 15% of your grade.

Journals  For six weeks you will be asked specific questions and need a response of at least 100 words on assignments centered around creative and descriptive writing. The writing in the journals are focused generally on preparing you for the final.  This will account for 15% of your grade.

Essays

Summary-Analysis You will read an article, and summarize it according to the rules set forth in class.  You will then determine uses of rhetorical appeals and how the use of these appeals determine the effectiveness of purpose in the text.  This is worth 15% of your overall grade.

Researched Argument You will research a topic of choice and write a unique argument for or against it using specific sources outlined in class.  This is worth 15% of your overall grade. 

Major essays will be penalized 15 points for each day it is late; a day is a 24 hour period. 

Re-write Policy  Any of the major papers turned in on time that score a 69 or below can be resubmitted for a better grade.  The student must first meet with the instructor and discuss the paper, and then the work can be revised and resubmitted within a week of receiving the grade. The highest grade achievable for resubmission is a 70.

Attendance

Come to class.

Calendar

Additional Information

Plagiarism/Cheating Policy: 

Plagiarism: the incorrect or intentional use of another’s intellectual property as one’s own original content. Using AI software to aid on any assignment for this class is considered plagiarism.

The AC English Department Plagiarism Policy (Spring 2013) describes cheating as including but 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 defines plagiarism as “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.”

The AC English department tracks plagiarism and records are kept of who plagiarizes and how. At the beginning of the semester, a list of names of plagiarizing students is sent to AC English dept. faculty.

Plagiarism may result in a zero on an assignment, which may fail the student for the course.