ENGL 1321-09 Syllabus

Dr. Brent Gibson

Office: Heard 110

Office Phone: 295-4565

Office Hours: M2:00-4:00

WF2:00-5:00

TR9:30-11:00; 2:30-4:00

E-mail:

Required Textbooks and Supplies

Axelrod, Rise B., and Charles R. Cooper. The St. Martin’s Guide to Writing. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004.

Faigley, Lester. The Penguin Handbook. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2003.

Miller, Risa. Welcome to Heavenly Heights. Boston: St. Martin’s, 2004.

A college dictionary

One folder with two pockets (one on each side) on the inside

Course Objectives

Understand the function of language as symbolic of reality; understand the various levels of abstraction and the use of concrete details for support.
Understand the role of rhetorical situation in expository/academic writing and the importance of audience analysis.
Read critically, recognizing the characteristics of good writing; summarize and analyze texts.
Eliminate surface errors; write standard edited American English.
Evaluate and report information accurately.
Define and construct a logical argument.
Focus on expository writing so that the structure of an essay is clear.
Know and follow the conventions of presentation.
Understand and follow the writing process (generating ideas to multiple draft revision).

Attendance

Attendance is required. Regular attendance to class will improve your grade. Excessive absences will adversely affect your grade. A class participation grade of zero will be given to students missing class due to an unexcused absence. Excused absences include those due to illness, university sponsored events, or family emergencies. All excused absences must be documented.

Make-up Work and Late Work

Work that is missed due to an illness or family emergency may be made up for full credit. If you know in advance that you will miss class on the day a paper is due, you must either turn in the paper early or have someone bring it to class for you. Late papers will be lowered one letter grade for each calendar day that they are late.

Grades

Final grades will be determined in the following fashion:

Daily Work10 %(homework, quizzes, in-class work, and class participation)

Essays 1-660%

Grammar test10%

In-class essay10%

Final exam10%

Writing Assignments

All essays, including the in-class essay and the final exam (which will be another in-class essay), will be 500-700 words long (typically 2-3 typed pages). Specific requirements for these assignments will be given as we come to them.

Revisions

You may revise the out-of-class essays. Revision is not mandatory, but the grades received on these revisions will replace the original grades received on your papers. A revision is more, however, than a mere correction of grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Revision may involve drastic changes in content, organization, and style (see pages 19-20 in SMGTW). Each revision is due two weeks after I return the graded essay to you.

Homework Assignments

Typically homework assignments will be given in the preceding class meeting. For example, the homework assignment due Wednesday will be given in class on Monday. If you miss a class meeting, you will probably miss a homework assignment. Homework is given on a day-to-day basis so that I can adjust the homework to the needs of the class. It is your responsibility to find out any assignments you miss due to absence and to be prepared with your homework the next time you come to class.

Departmental Policy Regarding Academic Honesty

Give appropriate credit to ideas that are not your own through correct citation of quotations and paraphrases
Use your own intellect to complete assignments and not pre-written work found on the Internet or through ghostwriters
Refrain form giving, receiving, or obtaining information about examinations unless authorized by your instructor.
Refrain from using any material during examinations that has not been approved by your instructor.

The minimum penalty will be a zero on the assignment; repeated offenses could result in course failure or other disciplinary action.

Course Outline

Unit 1 — Remembering Events

Unit 1 Essay Due—R—7 September

Unit 2— Writing Profiles

Unit 2 Essay Due—R—21 September

Departmental Grammar Test—T—26 September (1st offering)

Unit 3— Explaining a Concept

Unit 3 Essay Due—R—5 October

Unit 4— Arguing a Position

Unit 4 Essay Due—R—19 October

Unit 5— Arguing a Position (continued)

Unit 5 Essay Due—R—2 November

Unit 6—Justifying an Evaluation

Departmental Grammar Exam—T—14 November—2nd offering)

Unit 6 Essay Due—R—16 November

Unit 7—Preparing for the Final Exam—Grammar Review and Test Essay Strategies

In-class essay—T—21 November

Final Exam—Thursday, 7 December 9:00 a.m.