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The Composition Program

English 100

Sample Syllabus and Course Calendar

English 100 Syllabus/Fall 2006

Dr. Hoogeveen/484-365-7516 or lucomposition@yahoo.com

ENG-100.04 UH 205 T R 09:30AM 10:50AM

ENG-100.05 UH 205 T R 11:00AM 12:20PM

ENG-100.07 UH 205 T R 01:00PM 02:20PM

Office Hours: Tue 2:20-4:00; Thur 2:20-3:00; Mon/Wed 1:30-2:00, Mon/Wed 3:20-3:45, and by appt.

Course Description (from the Bulletin):

ENG-100 Basic Writing Skills I 3 credits

This course reviews basic writing skills, concentrating upon syntax and grammar. It provides an introduction to college-level writing.

English 100 Course Objectives

English 100 teaches grammar and syntax, so students will understand basic requirements for composing college-level expository writing. The course emphasizes the structure and components of the sentence within the context of the paragraph, leading to the essay.

The main activities of the course are learning:

Topic sentences, transition sentences, sound sentence structure, and the following sentence components: modifiers, verb forms, pronouns, expanding vocabulary/diction, punctuation, mechanics, and spelling. Other areas of concern will be addressed as needed.

These skills should lead to competent writing at the paragraph and essay level. Course activities aim to develop the writing skills needed for success in subsequent English Composition courses. Although narratives, essays, and other compositions certainly can be assigned in ENG 100, faculty members are encouraged to keep the course focused on the sentence and paragraph, and the skills necessary for writing competent college level sentences and paragraphs. Competence at the sentence and paragraph levels are required for advancement to ENG 101, where the focus moves to paragraph and essay level instruction.

Required Texts:

Kirszner, Laurie G. and Stephen R. Mandell. Foundations First: Sentences and Paragraphs. 3rd Ed., Boston: Bedford, 2007.

Penfield, Elizabeth. Point Taken: A Brief Thematic Reader. NY: Longman, 2004.

Class Requirements:

Active participation in class activities. Students should be prepared for all classes, and for all collaborative activities, such as group exercises and peer evaluation. Simply attending class does not count as participation.

Reading of all assigned texts. Primary readings will come from the essays in Inside Writing and Hurricane, and attention will be paid to student writing.

Writing. A minimum of six graded compositions, three composed in class, constitute the primary factor in determining your final grade for the course. Quizzes and exams that test students' knowledge of mechanics, grammar, and usage will also be a component of your grade.

Writing Lab. As of Spring 1999, all faculty members should include on their ENG 100 syllabus the Department requirement of twelve hours (six before mid-term, and six after mid-term) that all ENG 100 students must put in at the Writing Lab in Dickey hall

Mid-term and final exams. The mid-term and final will be held during their respective weeks. Classes will be held during mid-term week.

Attendance. The Department adheres strictly to the University policy, which permits three absences ("excused" and otherwise); after which, the final grade will be lowered. Three late arrivals are equal to one absence.

Portfolios for advanced students. When a faculty member believes that a student was "mis-placed" (with the scores from the ACT or SAT) into ENG100, then the faculty member may recommend that the student be advanced into ENG101 or 102. A portfolio (containing a minimum of four graded compositions and a letter of recommendation from the student's professor) must be submitted to a special committee, composed of the Writing Program Administrator (Dr. Hoogeveen), and other Department members. If the special committee concurs with the faculty member's recommendation, then the WPA will make a recommendation to the Department Chair (Dr. Button), who will decide if the student will be advanced.

Assignment Descriptions:

In this course, every one of you will develop a portfolio that consists of short, handwritten paragraphs written in and out of class, mostly based on the pre-writing from the textbook. You will revise, expand, and develop these paragraphs until they are written as well as you can get them.

You will need to create, on average, two paragraphs twice a week, so that you have a minimum of 14 paragraphs at mid-term and fourteen more at the last week of class. After you initially handwrite the paragraphs, you will need to type, (probably) expand, and correct them, so that the two paragraphs, in 12 point, standard font and spacing, are at least one page long. For those of you who want to submit your portfolio (only with my recommendation), you will need to develop the paragraphs into longer texts, probably five paragraph essays. I will help you develop your portfolio assignments if you submit your portfolio to jump English 101 and go to English 102.

Assignments are due in class. After class, they are one day late. Failure to complete any of the paragraphs and the two typed revisions will severely harm your final grade. See the grading scale for more information.

All paragraphs must arrive with a minimum of two other earlier drafts; both must be typed, and, if assigned, both must have the appropriate class exercise on them.

The two typed drafts must demonstrate a considerable revision. Simply changing a few problems (unless your in-class paper received a grade of an A) does not qualify as a revision. Copies or missing drafts will cause a grade of zero out of ten points.

You must also hand in any worksheets from your textbook when you hand in the portfolio.

Late work will be accepted with the penalty of one third of a full grade deducted off of the work’s final grade for each calendar day that the work is late, including weekends. (If you don’t already, you must learn how to email your final draft to me, over the weekend, if your papers are late.) Thus, a B paper handed in 6 days late will receive a D. Only late papers can be submitted to my email account (no attachments ever; cut and paste them into the body of the email, and I will reply), and must be handed in the next class without any changes from the email version.

After they are due on the first day of the mid-term exam week, the first portfolio papers will not be accepted for course credit; although to continue to attend class, with the hopes of possibly passing the course, you must complete the assignments at a passing level.

The “Faculty Statement on Academic Dishonesty,” which is available online under the Registrar’s link, defines plagiarism and penalties. Plagiarism will be dealt with severely.

Grading of writing:

All of your written work in English 100 will be evaluated based on three areas:

4)         The use of standard Academic English,

5)         The rhetorical organization of the essay, and

6)         The depth and content of your ideas.

Serious deficiencies in any one area can cause overall failure.

Your work in the exercise (Grammar) book will be graded according to correctness.

Definition of a portfolio: 14 two-paragraph texts, with two typed revisions and one handwritten draft, demonstrating any in-class exercises and all assigned work from your textbook.

Final Grades:

Your final grade (and your mid-term—using a weighted scale) will be based on the following scale:

Portfolio 1:             40%

Portfolio 2:            40%

Homework/Quiz/Participation:

(7, 6, 7 points)            20%

Final exam:             5 extra credit points

_______________

Final grade = Possible 105%

Deduct 1/3 of a grade for each absence over 3: final grade =

English 100 Fall 2006 Course Calendar:

Create a weekly calendar, with all reading and writing assignments, with their due dates.

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