Introduction to College Writing I RHT 095-001

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RHETORIC 095-003 – Fall 2010

Introduction to College Writing I – RHT 095-001

Ms. Maureen Musker

Office # – E102D / 708-456-0300 ext. 3954 / E-mail -

Faculty webpage (for homework assignments) - go to the Triton home page at www.triton.edu, type “English Department” in the search box, when the page comes up, scroll down and click on my name. Make this page a “favorite” or “bookmark.”

Office Hours – M/W 7:30-8am and 12-2pm, M 6-7pm, T/Th 8-9:30 (via email), F 12-1pm

Class Meetings – M 7:00-9:45pm, E209 / Computer Classroom E146 – often the second half of class

COURSE OBJECTIVES

• To understand writing as a process and be able to reflect on and evaluate your own process.
• To demonstrate mastery of the stages of the writing process—pre-writing, writing, and rewriting—by composing academic paragraphs and essays.
• To be able to express ideas in writing which are clearly organized and logically conveyed to the reader.
• To master language skills that make communication more effective: grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
• To become familiar with the computer as a tool for writing.

COURSE MATERIALS

Required Texts(to be brought to each class meeting)

• RHT 095 Writing Reference– to be purchased at the Triton bookstore (IF YOU CANNOT BUY THIS BOOKLET, YOU CANNOT TAKE THIS CLASS!)
• Portable dictionary

Required Supplies

• Current Triton ID

• 8 ½ x 11’ notebook and folder
• Stapler
• Pens
• PC flashdrive

Required Technology (all available on Triton campus)

• Word processing
• Internet access
• Email account

COURSE WORK

Major Writing

• Portfolio

You will create a writing portfolio consisting of multiple draft paragraphs and essays. All drafts—prewriting, outline, rough draft, revision plan, rewritten draft, post-grade reflection—for each assignment will be collected in your portfolio folder until the end of the semester. All drafts must be typed and double-spaced. In order to receive full credit, drafts must be turned in on time. Most drafts will be EMAILED and turned in on paper.

Class Participation

• Daily Homework

Short homework assignments will be accepted only at the beginning of class. I will NOT give credit for incomplete or late homework, even if due to an absence or tardiness. Consult my faculty website—NOT the class schedule—for these assignments.

(OVER)

• In-Class Activities

You will be completing individual and group work during class. Sometimes this will be handed in at the end

of class; sometimes the results will be shared with the class. All students are required to participate in these activities in order to get credit for attending class that day.

• Quizzes

If it seems that concepts are not being understood or the book isn’t being read, there will be quizzes scheduled.

PLEASE NOTE: You are expected to turn in presentable work. This includes STAPLING an assignment (BEFORE YOU GET TO CLASS) if it consists of multiple pages. You are NOT allowed to borrow another student’s stapler. Points will be deducted for substandard presentation.

Attendance

• Absences

You are allowed five absences. Upon the sixth absence, you can be dropped from the course.

• Tardiness

Three tardies (more than 5 minutes late) equal one absence. If you are tardy, please enter the room quietly and begin the work in progress. You CANNOT turn in homework for credit.

Please Note: Once you are in class, you are expected to stay in class. If you need to leave during the course of the class, you are free to do so but it counts as a 1/3 absence. If you are gone for more than five minutes, you must take an absence.

Make-up Policy

Short quizzes and other homework may not be made up for a grade. If you are absent, check my faculty website before the next class to find out the homework you missed, so that you can stay on schedule. If you email work to me, in order to receive credit, it must be sent before our next scheduled meeting time. Also, if you email me, you must follow up with a phone call to make sure the email was received. It’s up to you to get on track before you return from your absence. Please do not interrupt me during class to catch up on what you missed.

To receive full credit, papers must be turned in on the due date in proper format. Final draft packets of essays will only be accepted one class past the due date. Any such late papers will be lowered by one full grade. After the deadline, you will receive a 0 for that paper, even if you turned in previous drafts.

Conferences

Any time you want to discuss your progress in the class or spend one-on-one time reviewing any concepts you’re having trouble with, I encourage you to schedule a conference with me. Either talk to me at the end of class or phone me at ext. 3954 to schedule. Also, if you fail more than three quizzes or are falling behind in your work, you may be required to schedule a conference with me.

Tutoring

Based on your writing level, you may be required to go to the Academic Success Center (Room A-106, ext. 3361) for tutoring or to see me for individual tutoring in order to receive grades on writing assignments.

Grades

All work will be assigned a point value. Your final grade will be calculated based on a point percentage system. Depending on what we accomplish, the tentative breakdown is as follows:

• 70 % = Writing Assignments – This includes both Final Draft Packets, Rewrite Packets, and recurring writing assignments such as journals, outlines, revision plans, and reflections.
• 25 % = Class participation - This includes in-class activities, daily homework assignments, and quizzes.
• 5 % = Final exam

Exit Exam / Final Grades

• If you score a 3 on the exit exam and maintain at least a C (70% or above) course average, you will progress to RHT 096 and will receive a final grade of P.
• If you score a 4 on the exit exam and have maintained at least a B average, you will receive a grade of A (90-100%) or B (80-89%). You will have fulfilled the writing requirement for entry into RHT 101 and will be allowed to register AS LONG AS YOUR READING PREREQUISITE HAS BEEN MET.
• If you have not progressed in your writing skills OR earn less than a C course average, you will receive a final grade of R and be required to retake RHT 095.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

Triton College closely adheres to principles of academic honesty and integrity. Violations of academic honesty include:

• Copying someone else’s work or answers
• Turning in the same paper to two different classes without permission from both instructors
• Plagiarism – Putting your name on someone else’s words, whether all or part of an essay, is an act of plagiarism and will not be tolerated. Acts of plagiarism will result in serious consequences, ranging from the receipt of a “0” on an assignment to dismissal from the class. Please consult your student handbook for Triton’s policy regarding plagiarism.

CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE

The success of this class requires that all of us be respectful of one another. That means when someone is speaking, whether it’s me or another student, no one else should be talking or making noise of any sort. Use common courtesy and common sense. For example, if you want to throw away a piece of paper, do not get up in the middle of class to toss it and distract everyone; wait until class is over. In addition, cell phones must be turned off or switched to “vibrate” before class. Any cell phone use, including text messaging or message checking during class will result in dismissal from class that day.

With everyone’s cooperation, we can create a welcoming, non-threatening classroom atmosphere that promotes learning. Behavior that in any way detracts from this goal may result in removal from a class session and loss of any points earnable during that session.

TRITON RESOURCES (for hours & contact information, see next page)

As Triton students, you have the right to use many facilities on this campus, including the Library/Learning Resource Center, Center for Access and Accommodative Services, Academic Success Center (tutoring and ESL practice tables), ETRC (computer lab), Counseling Services, Transfer Center, Career Services Center, and more. Check your catalog for additional information or feel free to ask me if you have any general questions about the campus and services offered. While I won’t be able to answer all questions, I’ll at least point you in the right direction. In order to take full advantage of all campus resources and to fully participate in this course, you must obtain a Triton ID.

FALL 2010 - ACADEMIC SUPPORT RESOURCES

The following resources are available to support your academic success at Triton College. Some require a current Triton ID. To obtain one, visit the Welcome Desk in the College Center. Two forms of ID are required: current class schedule and a picture ID. M-Th 8-7:30 / Fri 8-4 /Sat 9-1pm. $5 replacement fee.

Academic Success Center (ASC)- Services include individual and small-group tutoring, academic study skills and college life skills workshops.
Location: Room A -106, on the lower level of the Learning Resource Center (Library)
Contact: To schedule an appointment, call: (708) 456-0300, Ext. 3361.

Educational Technology Resource Center (ETRC) – Resources include computers for
drafting/printing papers, color printers, MSOffice 2007 and internet access. Limited tutoring available, please contact the ETRC for more detailed information.

Location: A Building (Room A-100)
Contact: For more information, call: (708) 456-0300, Ext. 3361.

Library - Resources include books, dvds, periodicals, e-books, and online databases.

LAPTOP LOAN - Mac laptops*and printers are available for use in-house with both current Triton and State IDs. Wireless access and group study rooms for student use.

Location: The northern end of the Learning Resource Building - A Building

Contact:Reference Desk: (708) 456-0300, Ext. 3698 or 3154 / Circulation Desk: Ext. 3215

The ASC, ETRC and Library Operating Hours (NEW HOURS):
Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Friday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Sunday Closed

*HP laptops are available for loan at the Office of Student Life in the “B” building.

Counseling Department - Counselors assist students to identify interests and skills for the selection of major/career, to develop an academic plan, and to address personal concerns. Location: College Center - Room B-100

Contact: To schedule an appointment with a counselor, call (708) 456-0300, Ext. 3588, or come to the College Center during walk-in counseling or e-mail at .

The Counseling Department Hours(fall and spring semesters):
Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. / Friday 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. / Saturday 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

The Center for Access and Accommodative Services: Academic accommodations and campus accessibility services are available for students who have medical, physical, sensory or learning disabilities and are participating in academic and continuing education programs. Location: A-125 and A-141 (in the Learning Resource Center building) Contact: To request services, call the staff: (708) 456-0300, Ext. 3854 or 3917.

The CAAS hours (fall, spring and summer semesters):

Monday-Tuesday • 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Wednesday-Thursday • 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Friday • 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

IMPORTANT NOTE:You are expected to keep the following schedule (page 5) throughout the semester for reference. It is a basic guide to the order in which material will be covered but is TENTATIVE or subject to CHANGE. Note that regular homework exercises are not included here but will be assigned on a class-by-class basis. If you lose this schedule, print a replacement from my webpage

RHT 095 / FALL 2010

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE