Fall 2011

Course: ENG 1113  Principles of English Composition I                                                                   3-0-3

Instructor:  KELLI MCBRIDE                                      E-mail:  k.mcbride@sscok.edu

Office Phone:  405-382-9274                   Office Location:  Tanner Hall LA&HUM Division, #612

Office Hours and Class Schedule: 

Additional office time is available by arrangement.

Other classes:

Catalog Description: Principles of English Composition I is a study of correct usage and writing modes. The class places particular emphasis upon writing short expository and persuasive essays. Prerequisite: ACT of 19 or higher or 40 or higher on the ASSET Writing Skills Exam. The student must receive a grade of “D” or better to advance to ENG 1213. (Fall, Spring) OSHRE Matrix: E002     Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring

Rationale:  This class stresses the components of scholarship: thinking, research, communicating, editing.  Students will write a minimum of four essays, demonstrating college level thinking and communications skills. This course is required for all associate degrees.

Mission Statement: Seminole State College empowers people for academic success, personal development, and lifelong learning.

Instructional Outline: The following is a TENTATIVE weekly outline of this course. CCD=Campus Cruiser Day (instead of coming to class, you will find activities to do in the class’s CampusCruiser site)

Campus Cruiser Days (CCDs): Throughout the semester, we may have several CCDs, which will require you login to the class site and complete some assignments online either in addition to regular course work or instead of attending regular class for that day. If the school or I cancel class, for reasons such as weather or a personal emergency, I will usually create an assignment on Campus Cruiser, and I will definitely leave instructions on what you should do. For days when I must cancel class for personal reasons, you will usually see a sign posted on the class door instructing you to go to Cruiser during the regular class period for assignments. If you do not see this sign, you should check the class site and your Cruiser email for instructions, especially for early morning classes when it may be impossible for me to find someone to post a note on our door.  I will also regularly post class activity summaries in the announcements area of our Cruiser page. These will list what was due that day, what we did in class, and what we will be doing and what is due the next class meeting. If you miss class, you should check here within 24 hours of class for this information so you can come to the next meeting prepared.

You should get in the habit of checking your Cruiser Student email regularly. Even if we do not meet as a regular class, you must complete your Cruiser assignments by the deadline for that activity as specified in the instructions for that assignment. If you do not complete the Cruiser assignments by the set deadline, you will earn an absence for that day, losing participation/attendance and assignment points.  Cruiser days are not “free” days; they are an integral part of the semester’s coursework.

Teaching Methodology: The instructor uses lecture, discussion, group work, and one-on-one conferencing in class.

Grading Scale:  This class uses the standard 10-point scale.

A=90+     B=80+     C=70+     D=60+     F=1+     N/A: 0 (plagiarism or does not follow the assignment)

Evaluation Procedures

Grading Policy: The grade for each assignment will depend on coherent and organized use of grammar, mechanics, essay structure, rhetorical appeals, argument strategies, and other aspects of good writing as covered in each unit. Students who turn in all assignments on time will usually find enough practice and enough instruction that both their grades and their abilities will prove satisfactory.  Students earn points toward a final grade as follows:

A.      First Draft Essays (10%): Students will write four essays. The first draft of these they submit for a grade. Work not resubmitted for revision will retain the original grade as both the first draft and revised grades. Each essay will be worth 100 points. Every essay unit will have an accompanying handout that details each assignment.

B.      Revised Essays (60%):  If wishing to improve their first draft grade, students may revise any or all of their first drafts for a revision grade. Plagiarized or unsubmitted first drafts are not eligible for a replacement grade. These zero grades will stand. Revisions are due the week of finals.

C.      Class participation (10%): Participation is a combination of attendance, attentiveness and contributions to classroom discussion. Students lose points for lateness, absence, lack of participation, and lack of preparation. See the attendance policy above for a detailed description of the point-system.

D.      Homework (10%): This includes in-class, take home and CampusCruiser assignments.

E.       Exams (10%): This class has a required MLA/Plagiarism exam component. The open book pre-test is worth 35 points. The open book post-test is a 100-point exam. Students will also take a pre-/post-writing exam. The pre-writing counts as 10 points, and the post-writing (during the final exam period) is a chance to revise the pre-writing for a 100-point grade.  There may be other quizzes and exams as needed.

F.       Proper use of MLA style: Essays and other formal assignments must follow MLA style. The guidelines for your essays come from the handbook’s MLA section. I have also created an MLA template you can download from my website at http://kellimcbride.com/docs/mla09_essay_template.doc. Any essay that fails to fully document all outside uses of resources will receive a zero. Technical plagiarism will still be eligible for revision. Intentional plagiarism will not be eligible for revision.

G.     Each assignment handout will designate a minimum page length requirement for the final essay.  Essays may be longer with no penalty, but essays that fall short of the minimum length will not receive a passing grade.

Texts:

Aaron, Jane E. LB Brief. 4th ed. The Power of Language / The Language of Power. Ed. Christian Morgan, et al. 3rd ed. Boston: Pearson Custom, 2010. Print.

Morgan, Christian, et al., eds. The Power of Language / The Language of Power. 3rd ed. NY: Learning Solutions, 2010. Print.

Note: Some readings are available online at the Pearson MyCompLab web site. The address is http://www.pearsoncustom.com/ok/ssc_mycomplab/.

ADA Statement:  Under SSC policy and federal and state laws regarding Americans with Disabilities Act, students with documented disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodations to ensure the student has an equal opportunity to perform in class.  Students who are in need of assistance in dealing with any special needs that affect their ability to deal with the physical and/or learning environment required in this course, or in the classroom setting, need to advise the instructor immediately after the first class.  It is the student’s responsibility to notify the instructor on the first day of class.

Tobacco and Food Policy:  In order to protect the health of students, faculty, and staff of SSC, and to comply with HB 2529, the use of any tobacco product is prohibited in all campus buildings and on the grounds.  The policy does allow for tobacco use only in parking areas and on campus roads.  Students may have food and drink in the classroom during class time as long as neither are distracting. You must also clean up after yourself.

Academic Honesty:  The instructor and the instructor’s academic superiors have final authority over the grades given to students or the lowering of grades because of cheating or plagiarism.

Plagiarism:  As defined by Seminole State College, plagiarism is the use, without acknowledgement, of a person’s ideas and/or materials, either in whole or in part, to fulfill course assignments. This includes taking work from the Internet or having another student complete the work. Even getting too much assistance with revision can count as plagiarism if the tutor rewrites work for the student rather than offer suggestions that the student incorporates personally. Simply do your own work, and you will not have a problem with this issue. Consequences of plagiarism will comply with those listed in the Seminole State College Handbook.

Special Warning: This class is designed for a college-level, mature audience, which means some reading and discussion materials will be challenging to understand. Be prepared to read with a dictionary handy and a pen or pencil to take notes or jot down questions for class discussions. Please ask questions about materials you do not understand. Learning is a collaborative endeavor, and we need outside input to understand fully what we encounter. Also, be aware that some readings and discussion topics may include material that some people consider offensive, such as racism, sexism, and offensive language. Part of college is learning how to handle challenging topics, and students should see these as learning opportunities. This class does not include materials purely for shock value, and all will have an educative purpose that the class explores in lecture and discussion.

Electronic Devices / Cell Phones: Do not text or accept texts or phone calls during class.  You may be withdrawn from class if your texting or phone usage or other electronic device usage (iPods, laptops, etc.) causes a disturbance to me or to others.  Turn your cell phone off during class.  In case of emergencies, you should notify your friends and families of your class schedule and SSC’s main telephone number: (405) 382-9950. If you must be on call for special circumstances, please inform me beforehand. In these limited cases, if a call comes, simply leave the room and take it.

Changes to the Syllabus: If necessary, I can make changes to this syllabus. I will inform students of any changes and provide a revised copy of the syllabus online if that happens.

Syllabus Contract: To show you have understood the policies and information contained in this syllabus and agree to abide by those policies, you must post an acceptance message in Cruiser’s message board area under ASSIGNMENTS>>SYLLABUS CONTRACT. This post is due no later than 1 week from the first day of class by the beginning of class.