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ENGL 1101: Rhetoric and Composition I
Course Syllabus
Perimeter College | Georgia State University, Alpharetta
Instructor: Rob Jenkins Office hours: MW 8:00 – 8:30 & 9:45 – 11:30
E-mail: MW 12:45 – 1:00
Office: RM 2210, Cubicle D TR 6:45 – 7:00 & 11:15 – 1:15
Prerequisites: Exit or exemption from Developmental Studies English,Reading, and ESL requirements
Textbook: There is no assigned textbook for this course. All readings are linked to the weekly class schedule at the end of this syllabus.
Course Description: This course focuses on skills required for effective writing in a variety of contexts, with emphasis on exposition, analysis, and argumentation, and also includes introductory use of a variety of research skills. Some sections of this course are taught with computer assistance in classrooms equipped with personal computers. Keyboarding experience will be useful but is not required. (Actually, it kind of is.)
Course Overview: The purpose of this course is to prepare students to write successfully for college and beyond. Students who complete the course will write a total of six graded essays—five of approximately 500 words each and one documented essay of about 750 words. Although much of the work that goes into those essays will be done in class—and at least one will be written fully in class—students should expect to spend a reasonable amount of time writing outside of class, as well. There will also be regular reading assignments, frequent class discussions, and occasional lectures dealing with various points of writing, including form, style, grammar, usage, and mechanics.
Course Policies (Departmental):
PROVISION FOR LATE WORK AND MAKE-UP EXAMS: Work is expected to be submitted on time. Each instructor will provide students with a policy regarding late work. When absolutely necessary, arrangements for late work and make-up exams should be made on an individual basis with the instructor.
WRITING LAB: Instructional Support Services provides academic help for day and evening students and serves as a convenient means of getting additional writing instruction. Instructors may assign lab work for those students who need or desire extra help.
AID FOR THE DISABLED: If you are a student who is disabled as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act and require assistance or support services, please seek assistance through the Center of Disabilities Services. A CDS counselor will coordinate those services.
CHEATING/ PLAGIARISM POLICY: Cheating includes any attempt to defraud, deceive, or mislead a professor in arriving at an honest grade assessment. Plagiarism is a form of cheating that occurs when students present as their own the ideas, language, or work of others. Giving unauthorized help to other students also constitutes cheating.
Unless specifically authorized by the professor, the following are examples of cheating or plagiarism, although this list is certainly not exhaustive:
1. Cheating on a test or quiz includes
· Looking at or copying from other students’ work.
· Allowing other students to look at or copy your work.
· Exchanging information with other students.
· Speaking or whispering (students may speak to professors at any time).
· Opening a textbook or notebook.
· Looking at notes.
2. Cheating on writing assignments, homework or other out-of-class assignments includes
· Copying work or answers from other students.
· Copying ideas or text from printed sources and from computer or other electronic sources without proper documentation.
· Having someone else do the assignments.
· Allowing other students to “borrow” work and present it as their own.
3. Cheating on late work or tests includes
· Providing false information or documents in order to be allowed to make up a missed test, quiz, or homework.
When source materials are used in the writing of papers, students must document the use of these sources by following the documentation style stipulated by their professor. Students who require clarification of any of the above concepts must consult with their professor.
Cheating of any kind may result in penalties ranging from a grade of F or 0 on the assignment to a course grade of F. Professors also may refer cases to the College Court for assignment of additional penalties that may include suspension or expulsion from Georgia Perimeter College. Such cases may be brought before the College Court regardless of whether or not the accused admits guilt when initially charged.
The accused should know that, at the sentencing phase, the Court may consider any previous record of cheating in determining the severity of the penalty. The Georgia Perimeter College Student Handbook section on “Academic Dishonesty” outlines the steps of due process in such cases.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY POLICY: No person shall, on the grounds of race, color, sex, religion, creed, national origin, age or disability, be excluded from employment or participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity conducted by Georgia Perimeter College.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION POLICY: Perimeter College adheres to affirmative action policies designed to promote diversity and equal opportunity for all faculty and students.
Special Flu Policies and Procedures: In compliance with Centers for Disease Control recommendations, students should NOT attend class or any public gatherings while ill with influenza. Students with flu symptoms should not come to campus and should remain at home during recovery. The illness and self-isolation period will usually be about a week. It is very important that individuals avoid spreading the flu to others. Students will be given a reasonable opportunity to make up missed work. Students with the flu do not need to provide a physician's certification of illness. However, ill students should inform their instructor by submitting the GPC Illness Notification Form as soon as possible that they are absent because of the flu or flu-like symptoms: http://www.gpc.edu/absence. Students who are absent because of illness will have a reasonable opportunity to make up missed work. Generally, it is inappropriate to substitute for the missed assignment the weighting of a semester's work that does not include the missed assignment or exam. Completion of all assignments and exams assures the greatest chance for students to develop content mastery and to achieve the best overall course average. The opportunity to complete all assignments and exams supports the college's desire to enable students to make responsible situational decisions, including the decision to avoid spreading a contagious virus to other students, staff, and faculty, without endangering their academic work. The most effective strategies for avoiding the flu are hand-washing along with cough and cold etiquette procedures. In the event that this course is no longer able to meet face-to-face for a period of time because of a wide-spread health emergency, students should continue to stay current with our schedule as posted in this syllabus. During this time, students will only be responsible for the material in the textbook (or posted on iCollege) and not for any additional material that would only have been presented in class. If we have an exam scheduled during this period of time when face-to-face meetings are suspended, the exam will be postponed until after classes resume. Information about the status of assignments and other course work due during this period will be addressed on the course iCollege site and by way of GPC email. This same notification system will also be used to announce any changes to the currently expected course of action. For additional resources, go to http://www.gpc.edu/library/index.htm.
Performance Alert for Student Success (PASS): Academic success is a top priority at GPC. Activities have been designed to alert both instructor and student in a timely manner if sufficient progress on certain core concepts is not being made. A performance alert for student success (PASS) will be sent to academically struggling students throughout the semester to inform students of their status in the course and to provide additional resources for assistance. The notification enables students to address any academic weakness that could affect their successful completion of the course. If a student receives a PASS, the student should meet with the instructor to discuss their performance in the course and to design an improvement plan. PASS messages will be sent via email and by SMS text messaging.
Tobacco and Smoke-Free Campus Policy: EffectiveOctober 1, 2014, Perimeter College prohibits the use of tobacco products on any property owned, leased, or controlled by GPC. All faculty, staff, students, visitors, vendors, contractors, and all others are prohibited from using any tobacco products while on GPC property. “Tobacco Products” is defined as cigarettes, pipes, cigars, all forms of smokeless tobacco, clove cigarettes and other smoking devices that use tobacco such as hookahs or simulate the use of tobacco such as electronic cigarettes.Violations of the smoking policy will be handled under the GPC Student Code of Conduct.
Statement on discrimination/harassment: Perimeter College seeks to provide an environment that is free of bias, discrimination, and harassment. If you have been the victim of sexual harassment/misconduct/assault, we encourage you to report this. If you report this to a faculty member, he or she must notify one of our college’s Assistant Title IX Coordinators / Student Deans about the basic facts of the incident (you may choose whether you or anyone involved is identified by name). For more information please refer to our sexual misconduct website – http://depts.gpc.edu/gpcmisconduct/index.html
Course Policies (Instructor’s):
ATTENDANCE: I will not withdraw you from the course for any reason, nor will I fail you solely because of absences. If you wish to withdraw from the course, you must officially withdraw yourself by submitting the appropriate documents to the Office of Enrollment and Registration (you can do this online).
However, you are responsible for all reading assignments and all material covered in class, whether you are present or not. You should not expect me to go back over material that you missed due to absence, although I may be willing to help you catch up if I believe that circumstances warrant. Regardless, I recommend that you form a network with other students in the class to share e-mail addresses and other contact information and help each other out in case one is absent.
LATE/MAKE-UP WORK: I generally accept essays submitted after the due date; however, I reserve the right to deduct up to 10 points per class meeting, up to 50 points total. I also reserve the right not to accept essays that are more than five class meetings late.
RETURN OF ASSIGNMENTS: I will do my best to return graded essays within three class meetings, when they are submitted on time.
PARTICIPATION GRADES: Participation grades depend on your being in class and having completed your assignments. There are two types of participation grades: rough drafts and quiz questions over your assigned reading. Both are worth up to 100 points—the same as a regular essay grade. In order to receive credit, you must be present, have completed your assignment, and participate when the grades are assigned. You may not make up participation grades.
GRADES: Your final grade will be determined as follows:
Documented essay 20%
Final exam 20%
Participation 20%
Other essays 40%
Day
/ Topics and Activities / Reading assignments1
March 7 / Course introductionThe Writing Process / “The Liberal Arts ARE Workforce Development”
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March 9 / Discussion: Narration and descriptionInvention activities / Excerpt from In Cold Blood
“Shooting an Elephant”
“Everyday Use”
3
March 21 / Rough drafts dueEditing workshop
4
March 23 / Essay #1 Due (Personal Narrative)Discussion: Cause and effect
Invention activities / “Accordions, Frogs, and the 5 Paragraph Theme”
“Cushioning the Blow”
“Teaching as Un-Teaching”
5
March 28 / Grammar review / Purdue OWL6
March 30 / Rough drafts dueEditing workshop
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April 4 / Essay #2 Due (Cause and Effect)Discussion: Process and examples / “How Our Skins Got Their Color,”
“Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain,”
“8 Ways to Appear More Attractive”
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April 6 / Rough draftsEditing workshop
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April 11 / Essay #3 Due (Process)Discussion: Comparison / “Consumer Reports Rates Family Sedans”
“Kobe, LeBron: Who’s Better?”
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April 13 / Rough draftsEditing workshop
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April 18 / Essay #4 Due (Comparison)Discussion: Argumentation / “Thoughts on the Present State of American Affairs”
“An Enlightening Trip to the Countryside,”
“Zen and the Art of Community College Bashing,”
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April 20 / First draft of Essay 5 dueDiscussion: Research
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April 25 / Discussion: MLA-style documentation / Sample MLA research paperCite Your Sources (GPC Library)
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April 27 / Final draft of Essay 5 dueFinal Exam