New HampshireCommunityTechnicalCollege at Berlin

ENG120 College Composition

Course Outline

Instructor: Martha Creegan

Office: 201A Office Hours: as posted andby appointment

Course Number and Title: BENG120, College Composition

Catalog Description:

In this course students learn to write clearly and effectively for defined audiences through a variety of strategies. Emphasis is on the writing process through drafting, revising, and editing. A four-credit option is available with the permission of the department.

Prerequisites:

Placement by successful completion of competency assessment.

Textbooks Required:

Authors:Peterson et al., eds. Hacker, Diana

Titles:The Norton Reader A Writer’s Reference

Editions:current, short edition current

Publishers:W.W. Norton & Co., Ltd. Bedford/St. Martin’s

Recommended Supplementary Reading: As announced

General Objectives of the course:

  • Students will use the writing process.
  • Students will use various modes of discourse (narration, description, comparison-contrast, cause-effect, classification, process and definition) to write essays.
  • Students will edit their own work and the work of others according to the principles of Standard English.
  • Students will do research and document information.
  • Each student will produce a portfolio as described under “Grading Policy” to follow.

Learning Activities:

Most classes are workshops and demonstrations whose purpose is to help students draft essays for portfolio assessment at the end of the course. Essays are written in successive drafts, read, commented upon, and discussed in conferences with peers and the instructor.

Library Resources:

There are many library resources available, both in the library and online

(http:/ Please contact the library staff for more information.

Grading Policy:

Daily work and class attendance20%

Portfolio80%

Instructor’s Policies:

  • Attendance policy is as follows:
  • After two (2) weekly classes of absence, or four semiweekly classes of absence, the student will be withdrawn from the course with an Administrative Failure (AF). An AF will be counted as a grade of F for the course in the calculation of the student's GPA.
  • Students who fall behind in their work to the extent the instructor determines excessive also will be withdrawn from the class with an AF, which will be counted as an F for the course in the calculation of the student's GPA.
  • To avoid receiving an AF, the student can initiate the action to drop the course prior tothe published 'last day to drop classes' date, and receive a Withdrawal (W), which does not count in the calculation of the student's GPA.
  • Makeup work and assignments whose deadlines have been missed will not be accepted without the instructor’s approval. Makeup work must be completed within one week of an absence.
  • Students may be asked to supply multiple copies of their work for group editing sessions.
  • Students may be asked to read their work aloud.

Department and College policies:

  • A student whose portfolio does not earn C- or better must repeat the course.
  • Incomplete portfolios (lacking any of the three essays required or lacking successive drafts) are not evaluated, and students must repeat the course.
  • Submission of three or four essays in the portfolio does not guarantee a grade of B or A. The quality of the writing must be consistent with the desired grade, and the portfolio must document use of the writing process (multiple drafts, feedback, and revision).
  • Late portfolios are not accepted
  • Students who submit others’ work as their own, an act of plagiarism, will fail the course and be referred for disciplinary action. See the student handbook for more details.

Academic Honesty

Original thinking and intellectual honesty are central to a college education. Research projects require the ongoing use of existing works, but students must conduct themselves with proper regard for the rights of others and of the college, in a context of mutual respect, integrity and reason. Activities such as plagiarism and cheating are not acceptable and will not be condoned by the college. Students involved in such activities are subject to serious disciplinary action. The following are presented as examples of academic dishonesty:

1.Misrepresenting academic work done by someone else as one’s own efforts, with or without permission of the person.

2.Providing or using prohibited assistance in assignments and examinations.

3.Unauthorized communication in any manner with other students during an examination; collaboration in the preparation of reports or take-home examinations; copying, giving aid or failing to follow the faculty member’s instructions.

4.Tampering with or falsifying official college records.

5.Infringing upon the right of other students to fair and equal access to college library materials and comparable academic resources.

6.Falsification of data collected for and presented as part of course requirements.

7.Presenting as one’s own ideas, another person’s work or words without proper acknowledgement.

There may be other instances of academic dishonesty, which will be identified by a faculty member.

Tools or Equipment:

  • Collegiate dictionary
  • Manila folder
  • Handwritten drafts are not acceptable; students are expected to use word processing software to prepare all work that is to be submitted for peer or instructor review. Work should be double-spaced and in a font that is close in size to Arial 11 point.

Course Timetable:

  • Assignment schedules vary according to class. Students will receive a syllabus at the beginning of the semester listing assignments and their due dates. However, the instructor reserves the right to modify the syllabus as necessary. Throughout the semester, the instructor will conduct informal conferences addressing students’ progress as needed.
  • Assignments consist of textbook and supplemental readings, writing exercises, drafting, revisions, and conferences.

Specific Directions or Recommendations:

  • All drafts, including instructor comments, will be kept by the student and resubmitted with the final copy to be graded.
  • Because this course is process-oriented, drafts, revisions, and peer reviews are considered part of the essay packet and are to be submitted along with the final copy for grading. Essays that are not submitted with prior drafts and reviews will not be accepted. The suggestions supplied for each draft are intended to help students improve the quality of their writing.
  • If you have a documented disability that may affect your performance in this course, please advise the instructor immediately so appropriate accommodations may be put in place. Accommodations may be arranged through the Disability Services Coordinator in room #104. Accommodations and assistive technology are available to students at no additional cost, and should be accessed at the beginning of each semester.

Portfolio Evaluation:

Essays 1, 2, and 3 are required to pass the course. The highest possible grade for a portfolio submitted with the three required essays is a B.

  • Essay 1 - personal essay (3 to 5 pages in length)
  • Essay 2 - analytical essay (5 to 7 pages in length). Photocopies of outside sources used must be included. See description of essays involving researchbelow.
  • Essay 3 – textual analysis (4 to 6 pages in length), outside sources optional, comparison of texts optional, one of the texts must be found in the The Norton Reader

Students hoping to earn a grade of Afor the portfolio will include all threerequired essays and:

  • Essay 4 - argument essay (4 to 6 pages in length), stating a thesis and addressing opposing points of view. Photocopies of outside sources used must be included. See description of essays involving research below.

Essay topics are to be acceptable for a college atmosphere. Essays are non-fiction. Fictional stories and poetry are not accepted.

All essays are evaluated according to the Evaluation Criteria form attached to this outline.Essays 1 and 2 are evaluated by the instructor during the semester, assigning up to 15 points for each essay. Essays 3 and 4 are evaluated by the department during the end of semester portfolio review. All evaluations are averaged for a final portfolio grade.

The student may request a second review of any essay without explanation, and it will be evaluated independently.

For essays involving research:

  • Students must attach photocopies of pages from which they have quoted, summarized, or paraphrased information.
  • Photocopies of source documents must indicate author, publisher, date of publication or date of last update, and any other information to account for source credibility.
  • The portions of the sourcedocuments which are incorporated in the essay or used for summary or paraphrase must be highlighted or blocked.
  • Two (2) to three (3) sources are required for the Analytical Essay, with one (1) to two (2) found using the library database.
  • Four (4) sources are required for the Argument Essay, with three (3) found using the library database.

New HampshireCommunityTechnicalCollege at Berlin

BENG120 College Composition

Spring 2007 Syllabus

Monday 6 pm – 8:30 pm

Instructor: Martha Creegan Contact Info:

Office: Room 201A Phone: 752-1113 ext. 2010

Office Hours: as posted and by appointment

January 29

Readings: Graduation, by Maya Angelou, and On Dumpster Diving, by Lars Eighner

February 5

Reading and exercises to be assigned

Draft of Personal Essay due

February 12

Reading and exercises to be assigned

Rewrite #1 of Personal Essay due

February 26

Reading and exercises to be assigned

Rewrite #2 of Personal Essay due for instructor’s comments

Review process for preparing Analytical Essay

March 5

Reading to be assigned

Outline or Topic summary for Analytical Essay due – prepare to discuss in class

Continue review of Analytical Essay

March 19

Draft for Analytical Essay due without source material incorporated

Final Personal Essay due for grading

March 26

Reading and exercises to be assigned

Rewrite #1 of Analytical Essay due with source material incorporated

(Bring source material to class)

Four-credit Journal #1 due

April 2

Rewrite #2 of Analytical Essay due for instructor’s comments

(With source material attached or essay will not be accepted)

Review process for preparing a Textual Analysis Essay

April 9

Draft of Textual Analysis Essay due

April 16

Rewrite #1 of Textual Analysis Essay due

Final Analytical Essay due for grading

Draft of Argument Essay due (optional essay – required to earn an A)

April 23

Rewrite #2 of Textual Analysis Essay due for instructor’s comments

(If source material referenced in Textual Analysis, it must be attached)

Rewrite #1 of Argument Essay due (optional – required to earn an A)

April 30

Review class for Textual Analysis Essay and Argument Essay

Final four-credit conference if necessary

May 7

Complete Portfolio due

Completed Four Credit Journal due (parts I and II)

1

CreeganBENG120-012007