Course Syllabus

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English 1A: College Composition

Section 1069

Fall 2017

Instructor: Lauren Nahas

Email: lnahas@santarosa.edu

Office: Jacobs 129 (PETALUMA CAMPUS)

Office Hours: Mondays 3:30-4:30 via Canvas Conference, or by appointment

Course Description

Critical reading and discussion of college-level texts with emphasis on expository and argumentative prose. Composition predominantly of analytical, reasoned, and reflective prose with particular focus on research as it pertains to supporting expository and argumentative essays.

Pre-Requisites

Completion of ENGL 100 or ESL 100 or ENGL 309; or Qualifying Placement from English Assessment. See Student Success & Assessment Services (assessment.santarosa.edu) for more information about the assessment process. 

Student Learning Outcomes

1.  Write a comprehensive, well-developed, and coherent expository essay with a focused thesis
and appropriate support.
2.  Recognize and correct errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
3.  Identify and analyze argumentative, stylistic, and narrative techniques.
4.  Locate, summarize, synthesize and employ research in a well-developed and documented research essay.
5.  Employ correct use of MLA format and formal citations.
6.  Read, annotate, summarize, and discuss all kinds of academic college-level non-fiction and fiction.
7.  Comprehend and use college-level vocabulary.
8.  Explain the conventions of advanced academic discourse, including style, tone, point of view, and the importance of original thought in developing oral and written arguments.

Objectives

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
 
Reading--From expository essays and full-length works of non-fiction:
1.  Identify the main idea or thesis.
2.  Identify the sequencing or order of the ideas presented.
3.  Explain how the writer supports and illustrates ideas and connects them to the thesis.
4.  Paraphrase and summarize paragraphs and essays.
5.  Annotate an essay with appropriate comments.
6.  Identify the stylistic features of an essay.
7.  Identify an essay's tone.
8.  Distinguish between literal and inferential information and identify.
9.  Identify argumentative techniques and recognize logical fallacies.
10. Articulate comprehension of complex, college-level texts in writing or in  class discussions.
11. Articulate opinions and assumptions in relation to reading material.

Required Textbooks and Materials

Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates (available at the SRJC bookstore)

They Say, I Say  second edition, by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein (available at the SRJC bookstore)

Reliable and consistent internet access

Webcamera (helpful, but not required)

Adobe Acrobat Reader (downloadable for free)

Important Dates

Last day to drop with a refund — Sept 3

Labor Day Holiday and Professional Development Day (No Class)— Sept 4-5

Last day to drop without a "W" — Sept 10

Veteran's Day Holiday — Nov 10

Last day to drop with a "W" — Nov 19

Thanksgiving Holiday — Nov 23-26

Final Exams — Dec 16-22

Final Grades due — Jan 5 

Methods of Evaluation

  • 3 Essays 
  • 1 "Final Exam" timed essay
  • 1 Summary
  • 1 written grade evaluation (during Final Exams)
  • Multiple weekly whole-class discussions
  • Small-group discussions and activities
  • Writing process activities
  • Quizzes
  • Short-answer assignments

Grading Policy

This course uses a contract grading system.  

You are guaranteed a B if you:

1.  Miss no more than 3 discussions (discussions are roughly the equivalent of attending class);

2.  meet due dates and minimum standards for all major writing assignments; the minimum standards are defined as:

  • Unity and Organization: The thesis is apparent and generally controls the direction and development of the essay.  For the most part, paragraphs are unified.  The essay has a logical progression of ideas.
  • Ideas and Support: The essay shows a basic understanding of the sources.  The essay develops its supporting points with adequate evidence and analysis.  The essay addresses the essay topic and meets the required length.
  • Style and Mechanics: The essay may contain some errors that distract the reader but to not impede understanding.
  • Documentation and Use of Sources: The essay displays awareness of MLA documentation and citations, though there may be a few errors.

3.  participate in all activities;

4.  complete all writing process assignments (e.g. outlines, brainstorming discussions, etc);

5.  give thoughtful peer feedback during peer review (e.g., post your drafts on time, commenting on drafts, responding thoughtfully to peer review-related discussions, answering peer questions, etc);

6.  make substantive revisions when the assignment is to revise—extending or changing the thinking or organization—not just editing or touching up.

Thus you earn the grade of B entirely on the basis of what you do—on your conscientious effort and participation. The grade of B does not derive from my judgment about the quality of your writing. Grades higher than B, however, do rest on my judgment of writing quality. To earn higher grades you must produce writing that I judge to be exceptionally high quality.  The minimum standards and rubric for each essay will explain the specific expectations for each essay.

About grades lower than B

I hope no one will aim for these grades. The quickest way to C, D, or F is to miss discussions and not turn in assignments. This much is non-negotiable: You are not eligible even for a passing grade of C- unless you have participated in 15 of the 17 weeks of class, completed 85% of the homework assignments, and completed all of the major essays. And you can't just turn in all the late work at the end. If you get behind on the work, please stay in touch with me about your chances of passing the course and to make a plan about how to catch up.

Late Work

I do not accept late homework.  You can turn it in to at least get feedback on it, but you will not recieve credit for it.  This is because often our assignments are time-sensitive and you miss out on aspects of the purpose of the assignment if you don't submit on-time.  

You are allowed to turn in 1 of the major essays late.  You get a full-week's more time on that essay.  I suggest that you use that time wisely to speak with me, visit the Writing Center, or use SmartThinking Tutor or Net Tutor to get extra feedback on the essay.  Submit any late essays to the "Late Essay" assignment, which is at the top of the course's Module's page.

Revisions

You may revise all major essays.  I will announce due dates for those revisions as soon as I finish evaluating all of the first-drafts.  I may not evaluate those revisions until the end of the semester, so don't expect quick feedback on your revisions.  

Feedback

My goal is the update grades on Homework the week after it is turned in.  At times I get behind though.  For major essays, my goal is to return them to you with feedback within 2 weeks.  If I get behind in grading, I will inform the class. 

Instructor Communication

I will be responding to multiple methods of communication (email, Canvas messages, and Question and Answer discussion posts) Monday-Thursday.  You can expect a response from me within at least 24 hours.  

Discussions

The discussions in a online class serve the exact same function that they do in face-to-face classes—they are there to help you work through the course's content, and bounce ideas off of other students.  Therefore, I often do not respond to each individual student's posts.  I always monitor the discussions and I will usually respond to your discussion posts via an Announcement to the whole class, commenting on that discussion in general.  However, some discussions require individual feedback, and that is noted in the discussion prompt. 

Attendance and Participation

During the a regular semester, college policy requires me to drop students who do not attend more than two weeks of the course. If I do not see you actively participating in the course for more than two week, I will drop you. However, if you decide not to complete the course, be sure to drop yourself so that you don’t receive an F in the course.

Behavior

In face-to-face classes, I expect students to behave professionally and with respect towards me and other students in the class. I have the same expectations for our interactions in the online course. However, I think it is much easier to slip into rude behavior in an online course where we cannot see each other. If something that comes up in one of our discussions disturbs or angers you, please take a moment before responding. Stop, reflect, and respond as calmly as you can. Please refrain from being rude or dismissive towards other people’s ideas—we are all trying to learn here (including me), so let’s be gentle with each other.

Plagiarism

Basically, plagiarism is taking the writing (the actual phrases and sentences) or ideas of another author and presenting them as if they were your own.  So, cutting and pasting ANY text (that is not placed in quotations marks) into your essays is considered cheating, or plagiarism.  We will cover plagiarism in the course, and you might also read about SRJC's Academic Integrity Policy, and the in the SRJC Catalog, Policy 2.8.2.

If I find plagiarized writing in any of your assignments, I will report it to the college, and I will give you an F for that assignment.

Helpful Resources

Disability Services

If you need disability related accommodations for this class, such as a note taker, test taking services, special furniture, etc., please provide the Authorization for Academic Accommodations (AAA letter) from the Disability Resources Department (DRD) to the instructor as soon as possible. You may also speak with the instructor privately during office hours about your accommodations. If you have not received authorization from DRD, it is recommended that you contact them directly. DRD is located in the Bertolini Student Center on the Santa Rosa campus, and Jacobs Hall on the Petaluma Campus.

The Writing Center

The Writing Center offers free, individual assistance for any writing assignment you have in any class.  English instructors and instructional assistants are available for drop-in conferences to help you with any writing-related work, including: brainstorming essay ideas, developing a thesis, essay organization and development, using correct documentation format, and how to edit for grammatical and mechanical errors.  The Writing Center also offers the use of computers for writing, research, and completing online learning modules.  Students may print for free one copy of their own written work, such as drafts of essays, college transfer applications, scholarship applications, and other college writing tasks.

Check the Writing Center's hours on their website.

Smarthinking Tutorial Center

You can use SRJC's online tutoring system, Smarthinking, to get extra help with your essays.  To connect with a tutor, follow these steps:

    1. Login to your SRJC Student Portal.
    2. Go to the Quick Links section.
    3. Click the Smart Thinking Online Tutoring link towards the bottom of the Quick Links.

Smarthinking Drop-in Tutoring:

In the live tutoring sessions, tutors can help you with questions about grammar, style (APA or MLA), organization, or any general questions about writing. Just choose "Writing (All Subjects)" in the Drop In Tutoring area. This option can also support you with pre-writing activities such as brainstorming, outlining, or thesis development.

Smarthinking Essay Center

If you have a completed draft of your paper ready to submit for review, submit it to the SMARTHINKING Essay Center by selecting the Essay Center choice under Writing Center. A professional writing tutor will give you the help that you need to improve your paper and your overall writing skills. The tutor's response will arrive in your Smarthinking Inbox within about 24 hours.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due