Steve Vinson

Tue 7:00- 9:40 p.m.

                                                                                      Fall 2013

 

                                                                              

Instructor’s Course Requirements

 

I.       Texts and Materials        

A.         Required Text books:

·                     Muller, Gilbert H. and Harvey S. Weiner. Short Prose Reader. 12th Ed.. ISBN-10:0073533149

·                     Hacker, Diana. The Writer’s Reference. Seventh edition.  ISBN-10: 0312470983

·                     …. Exercises to Accompany “A Writer’s Reference.” ISBN-13: 9780312452353

B.         Materials:

·                     A good English dictionary

·                     A Spanish/English dictionary (or other appropriate language/English dictionary)

·                     Pencils, pens, eraser, erasable ink pens, correction fluid, lined paper.

·                     Acquiring and bringing to class your textbook(s) is a mandatory requirement for this class. If the following applies to you, you may be dropped from the course: Failure to have with you in class your textbook on THREE separate occasions.

 

II.           Course Requirements

 

A.         Grading percentages and Late Work Policy

 

                              The writing projects/essays will account for 60% of the student’s grade. Daily work—shorter papers,

                            Exercises, and quizzes—will account for 40% of the grade. All grades are FINAL, unless you are granted

                               a “Re-do” (see below). No extra credit is given for this course. It is your responsibility to keep with all

                               work for the course and to earn a grade bases on the quality of your assigned course work.

 

                                 Late work will be accepted only by the instructor’s permission, and it will usually be due ONE class

                              days after the due date. Late work may be penalized with a loss of points earned.

 

·                     Essays (60% 0f grade)

               Essays should be turned in at the beginning of class. I may not accept earlier assigned work that

               is finished in class on the due date. Do not skip class or come to class late in order to finish due

               work. Essays should be typed, double-spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman, MLA style

 

                            In class-essays serve as practice for the final Exit Exam. You may only take a missed essay if

                            you contact me within a reasonable time to prepare a new prompt and to arrange a time.

 

                            For our first essays, you may be required to turn in other work, such as Prewriting or Revisions.

                            This work will be counted as part of the essay grade.

 

·                     Coursework and Quizzes (40% of the grade)

                       Homework is due at the beginning of class. I may not accept late work or work that does not

                       Meet required standards of appearance or form.

 

                      Quizzes may be given a formative assessment. These are daily work.

 

                       As part of the Writing Process, much work is necessary prior to finishing a writing assignment.

                        I may choose to grade some of this work separate from the essay grade.

 

                        The Exercises to Accompany a ‘Writer’s Reference’ is a valuable tool for review and practice

                        Principals of grammar or mechanics, and as preparation for the final Grammar Exam.

                        Exercises may be grades as daily work.

 

·                     Exit Exam/Appeal and Grammar Exam

                 In order to pass this course, you must pass BOTH of the following:

1.       The class coursework

2.       EITHER the Exit Exam or the Appeal Exam.

 

                              The Exit/Appeal exams are given the next to last week and during Finals Week. Both are

                              Essays written in class. Failure to achieve a passing grade in the course will disqualify anyone

                              from taking the Exit/Appeal exams. These exams are graded by two or three qualified

                              instructors, who will reach a consensus as to whether the Exit Exam or Appeal is a passing

                              exam.

 

III. Course Evaluation

               

              In order to earn a passing grade of “C” you must attend class regularly, participate in class activities,

              and complete assignments at a minimum level of proficiency.  Higher grades will require more effort as

              well as more skill.   Your grade will be the total number of points earned, after weighting the two

       categories, divided by the number of possible points. This assumes that you have also passed the

       required Exit/Appeal and Grammar exams. The grading scale is listed as part of the Syllabus Part Two.

 

 

IV.  Other Instructor’s Policies

 

1.Attendance: Attendance is expected and essential in any classroom environment. 

 

More than TWO absences will adversely affect your grade. 

After THREE absences I may drop you from the course.  Ultimately it is your responsibility to drop the course if you are not going to be able to complete it. 

If I do not drop you and you miss more than one-fourth of the class, your final grade will be dropped by one letter grade.  If you do not attend at least half of the classes before the Drop W/O Grade Date, you will be dropped.

The only excused absences are those students who must miss class for military duty, emergency services (EMS, fire department, police department), or college sponsored activities.  In order to be excused you must provide written notification of the reason and duration of your absence two weeks in advance, except in cases of emergency. 

I will take attendance every day.  Anyone not present when roll is taken will be considered tardy.  Each three sets of tardiness will count as one absence.

If you anticipate being absent from a scheduled class it is your responsibility to make up missed work, though group work, quizzes and other collaborative exercises cannot be recreated.  If you must miss class, arrive prepared at the next class meeting.

 

2. Do not bring children or headphones to class.

3. Turn cell phones off during class.  If you cell phone rings, I may not allow you to answer it.  Do not send or check text messages during class.

4. Refrain from sleeping or engaging in side conversations during class.

5. Do not do homework or study for other classes during this class.

6. Be respectful of your peers and instructor at all times. Avoid making prejudicial remarks regarding anyone’s race, ethnicity, social class, gender, sexual orientation, physical appearance, age, disability or any other kinds of differences. Avoid activities that could be perceived as sexual harassment.

1. Come to class with a good attitude, a sense of humor, and a willingness to work and learn.

2. I will drop you for disorderly conduct or disruptive behavior as defined in the student code of conduct, or if your behavior disrupts the learning environment.  This includes but is not limited by items on the list above.

 

V.     Cheating, Plagiarism, and Collusion: Cheating, plagiarism, and collusion are both intellectual theft and academic dishonesty.  They will not be tolerated in this class. See the Student Handbook  for a definition of plagiarism. Consequences may include the following:

·                     Failing the assignment

·                     Failing the course

·                     Referral to school authorities

·                     Probationary status

·                     Expulsion

VI.   

 

CALENDAR (Note: The extra week in the semester is for catch-up work.)
Week	Info, Reading(s)& Demonstrations	Graded Assignment(s)
1	·         Syllabus & clarification/discussion ·         View PPT: The Writing Process
2	·         Review paragraphs ·         Read WR pp 24-37-paragraphs ·         Read SPR 203-212-“In the Kitchen” ·         Paragraph prompt        Write Paragraph	Paragraph
3	“What is an Essay” discussion Emblematic Essay instructions	Essay 1
4	·         Review Parts of Speech P of S functions in sentences Review subjects and predicates	Grammar Pre-test Exercises: Parts of Speech Exercises: Subjects and Predicates
5	Powerpoint: Writing Arguments ·         Read SPR pp 143-145 “The Struggle to be an American Girl”     Persuasive/ Argumentative Essays ·         “Prewriting” discussion         First Draft Discussion ·         Argument Essay Prompt	Pre-write (Ideas and outline) Argument essay First  draft essay
6	·     Review sentences, fragments, runons     “Revision” & “Proofreading” Powerpoints ·         Recopy revised draft	Revise first draft Proofread and edited final draft Exercises: Sentences, run-ons, Fragments
7	·         Review commas ·         Read WR pp 259-272- commas ·         Review apostrophes ·         Review parallelism ·         Read WR pp 3-23 & 31-37-parallelism	Commas exercise Apostrophes exercise Parallelism exercise
8	·         Preview word choice ·         Read WR pp 123-137 --------------------------------------------------------- ·         Essay 1:Invention techniques ·         Write a first draft essay 2 ·         Powerpoint :Revision ·         Powerpoint: Editing	Word choice exercise Copy entries for your confusing words (5 sets) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Write a better introduction Revised notes on Word "Review" function Edited final draft
9	·         Preview mixed construction ·         Powerpoint: Writing an In-class essay ·         Handout: Essay 3 w/ Prompt ·         Handout: Evaluation rubric ·         Write Essay 3	Mixed construction exercise Essay 3 In-class Essay
10	·         Preview sentence variety ·         Sign up for conferences ·         Essay #4 Prompt ·         Write first draft Essay #4	Sentence variety exercise First Draft Essay #4 First draft essay #4
11	·         Group strategies presentation for peer editing ·         Revise and edit essay	Peer assisted revision and editing  Revised and edited draft
12	·         Essay #5: In class essay w/ prompt	Essay #5
13	·         Review essays
14	·         Grade review         In class make-ups        Last day make-up work	All late work due
15	·         How to prepare for exam ·         Exit Exam	Exit Exam
16	·         Appeal Exam	Scheduled Exam
OMNIBUS	One week’s lessons is reserved to account for holidays, catch-up work, etc.

# All readings and assignments are tentative and subject to change

ENGL 0310; Revised Fall 2013

.Revised by Discipline: Fall 2012

El Paso Community College

Syllabus

Part II

Official Course Description

SUBJECT AREA English

COURSE RUBRIC AND NUMBER ENGL 0310

COURSE TITLE Basic English Composition

COURSE CREDIT HOURS 3 3 : 0

Credits Lec Lab

I. Catalog Description

Emphasizes practice in all stages of the writing process. Focuses on effectively written short compositions, with appropriate attention to grammar and mechanics. May not be counted toward graduation requirements. A grade of a "C" or better is required in this course. The student may be exempted, without receipt of credit, from ENGL 0310 by achieving the minimum scores on one of the state approved testing instruments, as required by the Texas Success Initiative. Prerequisite: ENGL 0309 with a "C" or better or by placement exam. (3:0).

II. Course Objectives

Upon satisfactory completion of this course, the student will be able to accomplish the following:

A. Develop writing processes that are appropriate for timed and untimed situations and that include effective strategies related to prewriting, writing, and rewriting.

B. Write well-structured short essays that are unified, coherent, and adequately developed, and that contain an introduction, at least two body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

C. Develop various types of short essays that are rhetorically appropriate for a variety of subjects and audiences and that meet the following purposes: relating personal experiences, informing, and persuading.

D. Compose and edit sentences so that they are correct in grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.

E. Develop an understanding of and be able to apply basic rules of grammar and mechanics appropriate to this level of writing.

F. Improve and vary sentence structure by using subordination and coordination.

G. Use the dictionary as an aid for improving vocabulary and word choice.

H. Analyze model essays or other types of writing to enhance critical thinking, improve vocabulary, and generate ideas for structuring and developing an essay.

III. THECB Learning Outcomes (ACGM)

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

1. Compose a variety of texts that demonstrate clear focus, the logical development of ideas,

and the use of appropriate language that advances the writer’s purpose.

2. Determine and use effective approaches and rhetorical strategies for given writing

situations.

3. Generate ideas and gather information relevant to the topic and purpose, incorporating the

ideas and words of other writers in student writing using established strategies.

4. Evaluate relevance and quality of ideas and information to formulate and develop a claim.

ENGL 0310; Revised Fall 2013

.Revised by Discipline: Fall 2012

5. Develop and use effective revision strategies to strengthen the writer’s ability to compose

college-level writing assignments.

6. Edit writing to conform to the conventions of standard English.

IV. Evaluation

A. Pre-assessment

There is no challenge exam for English 0310. Students with questions regarding their placement in this course should contact the appropriate Dean.

B. Post-assessment

1. The instructor will require students to write both in-class and out-of-class essays, all of which will be between 400-500 words in length.

a. Students must write at least 3 out-of-class essays. Instructors may allow students to peer-edit and revise as appropriate.

b. Students will also write at least 3 in-class essays, exclusive of the Exit/Appeal exams. The in-class essays should be appropriately spaced throughout the semester and resemble those typically used in the Exit/Appeal Exam so that students are prepared for the experience of the Exit/Appeal exam. Opportunity for revision of these essays is up to the individual instructor.

2. The instructor has the option of requiring more writing, including paragraphs, memos, letters, journals, and other types of writing that the instructor deems appropriate.

3. By the end of the course, students will demonstrate the ability to formulate and complete writing assignments from beginning to end within a period of 50 minutes, as is required during their Exit Exam.

4. The instructor will maintain a continuous record of each student's progress in an institutionally accepted manner. The percentage breakdown for determining a student's course average may vary from instructor to instructor, but in all cases, writing assignments will represent at least 70% of the overall average.

5. The student must take two in-class grammar skills tests, the higher grade of which will count 10% of the student’s overall course average.

6. The other 20% of the course average may come from other activities related to the course objectives, such as reading comprehension, writing skill exercises (journals, summaries, sentence structure practices), and quizzes.

7. In order to pass the course, students must meet the following requirements. If any of these

requirements is not met, the student will receive a non-passing grade of “F.”

a. have a passing average in the course (which will be assigned as the final course grade if

item “b” is also satisfied);

b. pass the exit exam on one of two attempts.

C. The Exit Examination

1. All instructors are required to administer a timed, in-class exit exam to each English 0310 student on a prompt devised by the English Discipline. The prompt may take a variety of forms, but will generally require the student to narrow down a larger topic in order to explain a personal opinion or perspective related to it. All instructors must attend a special grading session during which the exams will be graded holistically. Faculty members will not be solely responsible for determining the success of their own students' exit exams.

2. Students who do not pass the Exit Exam will be allowed a second chance during an Appeal Exam administered during the final exam period. The same grading procedures will apply to the Appeal Exam.

3. Plagiarism is both intellectual theft and academic dishonesty and will not be tolerated. Any

work that is plagiarized could result in failure of the course. See the Student Handbook.

D. Remediation

1. In-class or out-of-class revisions of essays and other writing assignments are strongly encouraged so students can learn by minimizing their weaknesses and maximizing their strengths. Students are encouraged to use the Writing Centers, located at most campuses, for this purpose.

ENGL 0310; Revised Fall 2013

.Revised by Discipline: Fall 2012

2. Make-up work and retakes of quizzes may be provided at the instructor's discretion.

3. Students needing assistance with problems related to English 0310 should contact their instructor.

E. Grading Scale

Note: This course must be passed with the grade of “C” or better before it can be used as a prerequisite for English 1301 (beginning Fall 2005).

A= 90 - 100 I= Incomplete

B = 80 - 89 W= Withdrew/Withdrawn

C = 70 - 79

F = below 70 in coursework and/or not passing the Exit Exam

V. Disability Statement (American with/Disabilities Act [ADA])

EPCC offers a variety of services to persons with documented sensory, mental, physical, or temporary disabling conditions to promote success in classes. If you have a disability and believe you may need services, you are encouraged to contact the Center for Students with Disabilities to discuss your needs with a counselor. All discussions and documentation are kept confidential. Offices located: VV Rm C-112 (831-2426); TM Rm 1400 (831-5808); RG Rm B-201 (831-4198); NWC Rm M-54 (831-8815); and MDP Rm A-125 (831-7024).

VI. 6 Drop Rule

Students who began attending Texas public institutions of higher education for the first time during the Fall 2007 semester or later are subject to a 6-Drop limit for all undergraduate classes. Developmental, ESL, Dual Credit and Early College High School classes are exempt from this rule. All students should consult with their instructor before dropping a class. Academic assistance is available. Students are encouraged to see Counseling Services if dropping because exemptions may apply. Refer to the EPCC catalog and website for additional information.