COURSE OVERVIEW

Catalog Description:
A multi-paragraph composition course, including language study and the mechanics of writing, with examples from selected readings. Students may be required to achieve a departmentally approved score on a proficiency test before credit for the course may be awarded.

Course Learning Outcomes:
• Analyze a text according to purpose, audience, and other rhetorical concerns.
• Respond logically, rather than react emotionally, to texts that reflect the writer’s diverse
          backgrounds and values.
• Demonstrate an ability to use and analyze an effective individual writing process.
• Focus a topic appropriate to the audience, purpose, voice, and length of assignment.
• Formulate clear and concise thesis statement, main point, focus, or claim.
• Develop, evaluate, and use evidence to support a claim.
• Use effective organization strategies in support of a thesis, focus, main point, or claim.
• Write an essay that demonstrates a command of unity, coherence, continuity,
          and development.
• Write clear, correct, and appropriate sentences and paragraphs avoiding
          major grammatical and semantic problems.
• Incorporate appropriate oral and/or written media such as books, articles, interviews,
          visuals, and government documents.
• Avoid plagiarism when incorporating quotations, paraphrases, and ideas.
• Follow standard guidelines in documenting resources.

GETTING READY

Prerequisites
• Placement by testing or completion of ENGL 0307 or 0326 and ENGL 305 or 0313
• necessary material for note-taking and research; pocket dictionary; course folder

Required Texts
• Peterson,Linda and John C. Brereton. The Norton Reader: An Anthology of Nonfiction. 12th ed.
         New York: WW Norton, 2008.
• Ruszkiewicz, John, et.al. SF Writer. Fourth Edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2008.

INSTRUCTOR GUIDELINES & POLICIES

ATTENDANCE POLICY
The LSC-CyFair English Department values student attendance because attendance:
• establishes basic classroom expectations
• promotes active learning
• encourages student engagement with a diverse campus population
• verbally reinforces written materials
• efficiently uses instructor time

Due to the nature of the course and the in-class exercises, after more than 3 absences, negative consequences will result to student’s grade. Communication with instructor is paramount.
Missing 9 days, or 20% of course, results in a student failing the course. No exceptions.
Emergency situations do happen, but keep in mind: an absence is an absence. For any medical or legal emergency that occurs the student will need to provide documentation.

ASSIGNMENTS
Students will write a minimum of six full essays, some of which will be started in class.
Likewise, students will compose an eight-page research paper as a final project.

There will be in-class assignments and occassional homework. We will have several reading quizzes as well. Completing these assignments earn you points. Since these are based on specific lectures, you must be present on the day the in-class assignment is given and collected.
No late work will be accepted for this category.

LATE PAPER POLICY
Since the progress of this class depends on essays turned in on time, late essays will be penalized ten points for each course day that they are late. If you miss class when an essay is due, your
grade will show accordingly. After a week (3 class days) late papers will not be accepted.

MISSED EXAMS POLICY
Depending on circumstances, missed examinations will be given within a week of scheduled test during a scheduled appointment.

CELL PHONE / TEXT MESSENGER / LAPTOP POLICY
Cell phones must be silent in class. If an important call arrives, take it into the hall quickly.
On the other hand, no text messengers in the classroom.
Laptops are permitted of course, so long as they are used without distractions.

PLAGIARISM POLICY
If clear evidence of academic dishonesty is found for any assignment, a 0 (0 points) for the
assignment will be recorded and the English Department Chair will be notified of the incident and the grade. If a second incident of academic dishonesty occurs, an F for the course grade will be recorded and the English Department Chair notified of the incident and the grade.

GRADE DETERMINATION

GRADE PERCENTAGES
In Class Exercises/Free-Writes/HW.....5%
     > Narrative, Description
Process or Exemplification ..................10%
Cause/Effect .....................................10%
Midterm ............................................10%
Comparison/Contrast .........................10%
Definition...........................................10%
Final Research Paper..........................25%
Final Exam (Definitions & Terms).........20%

You will be able to track your grades through an on line grading database:       http://www.engrade.com/davidglen64
Further information will be supplied at a later date.

GRADING STANDARDS
Essays will be graded based on a variety of skills. Content and organization are most important. All written work should show evidence of logical thought and strong concepts. Points will be deducted for errors on your essays.

Serious Grammatical Error: (lower grade point for each occurrence / 3 or more, revise)
i. fused sentence
ii. sentence fragment
iii. comma splice
iv. run-on sentence

Serious Grammatical Flaw: (point by point for each occurrence)
i. subject-verb agreement
ii. pronoun antecedent agreement
iii. indefinite pronoun reference
iv. case error
v. tense inconsistency
vi. dangling or misplaced modifier
vii. non-parallelism

Improper Essay Format (point by point for each occurrence)
i. lack of introduction or weak introduction
ii. less than 5 sentences per paragraph
iii. lack of topic sentence or weak topic sentence
iv. lack of unity within individual paragraphs
v. lack of logical sequence between paragraphs
vi. lack of conclusion or weak conclusion
vii. improper voice: academic papers formal, third person / personal essays informal, first person

Improper spelling (5 or more misspelled words, failed assignment)