Kerri Shaw ENG 101

ENG 101 - Syllabus

Kerri Shaw					E-mail: Kshaw@ednet.rvc.cc.il.us
Office CL 1 G46					Mail Box: CL1 103
Voice Mail 921-3309

Composition I teaches students to write effectively at the college level. Emphasizing writing as a process, this course requires students to write one or more essays of each type: exploratory, expository, and persuasive essays. Necessary attention is devoted to English grammar and usage. Students are required to write from 16 to 24 pages of finished text during the course. Prerequisites for the course include a sufficiently high placement test score or a grade of “c” or better in English 098, Developmental English.

Texts and Materials:

	Hunt, Christine A. and Thomas N. Huckin. The New Century Handbook. Revised 2nd ed. Boston:
		Allyn and Bacon, 2002.

	Glenn, Cheryl. Making Sense: A New Rhetorical Reader. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2002.

	Computer discs

	Pocket Folders for collecting and turning in assignments

Policies:

	Attendance:
	You are expected to attend every class meeting; failure to do so can and will negatively affect your performance in class and your grade. Missing 4 class meetings will constitute grounds for lowering your final grade by one letter; missing 6 class meetings will constitute grounds for failing the course. If you must be absent, you are responsible for checking for any handouts, updates, announcements, or assignments distributed in your absence. Students who arrive after attendance is taken will be counted absent.

	Deadlines:
	Late work of any kind is not acceptable in this course, without prior arrangement with the instructor. If you must miss a class during which an assignment is due, please turn your work in ahead of time; In-class work (quizzes, group projects, impromptu writing assignments) may not be made up. Students will receive a zero for any work not turned in on time.

	Format:
	To avoid confusion about margins and page lengths, and to help ensure that all student work is graded fairly, all assignments completed outside of class must be presented in the following style:

	1.on good quality white paper 2. in laser quality black print 3. in Ariel 12 point font 4. double-spaced 5. documented according to MLA style
	In class assignments must be completed in blue or black ink, on white or yellow paper, in a clear and readable style.

	Plagiarism:
	Plagiarism consists of submitting someone else's work as your own. If you have any questions about gray areas-- the what and the how of crediting information and documenting sources— see the college plagiarism policy included below or consult your instructor. As a check on plagiarism you will be required to keep and turn in all drafts, notes, and pre-writing exercises for each of your assignments. Your instructor will feel free to question you about work that does not seem to be your own.

College Policy on Plagiarism
	“The following policy on plagiarized material is published in the Student Handbook and is applicable to all assignments and classes at RVC:
	To plagiarize is to present someone else’s ideas or works as your own. You must give credit to the source in the following instances: *
		1. When you directly quote someone else
		2. When you use someone else’s ideas or opinions (unless they are common knowledge)
		3. When you use someone’s examples
		4. When you cite statistics or other facts compiled by someone else’s argument
		If you plagiarize, you will receive an “F” on the assignment.
		Berke, Jacqueline, Twenty Questions for the Writer*. 4th ed. New York:
			Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1985.

Assignments:

	Papers:
	For this course students will produce four finished essays on a variety of topics and in a variety of styles. The instructor will provide specific written instructions for each essay assignment, and students will be expected to participate in pre-writing and peer review exercises before turning in a final draft. Ample opportunities for revision will be provided, and students will be expected to keep and turn in all drafts, notes and exercises they generate.

	Reading Journal:
	Students will be asked to keep a journal over the course of the semester, in which they respond to specific selections from our textbooks. Detailed instructions for the production of journal entries, as well as a schedule of readings and due dates will be provided.

	Quizzes:
	The instructor reserves the right to administer unannounced quizzes over assigned readings as necessary over the course of the semester.

Grades:

	There are roughly 1100 points possible in the course. The point values are distributed as follows:

	Paper One Paper Two Paper Three Paper Four Reading Journal Edits, Quizzes, Writing Exercises, etc.			150 points 200 points 200 points 250 points 120 points 200 points

	Grades will be assigned on the basis of the following general criteria: presentation of an effective thesis; use of correct punctuation and grammar; use of correct MLA documentation; adherence to assignment guidelines; development of logical, coherent, and well supported arguments. They will be determined according to the following point scale:

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

	A description of the specific grading standards used in this course can be found in the RVC composition guidebook and will be discussed in class.
	You must complete all assignments in order to pass the course.
	NOTIFICATION OF SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
	“If you have a documented disability and would like to request accommodation and/or academic adjustments, contact the Disability Support Services Coordinator. You should contact the coordinator as soon as a need for accommodation is known so that implementation can occur as soon as possible. The coordinator’s office is 224, second floor of the Student Center. The telephone number for this office is 921-2356.”