Springfield College in Illinois
New Horizons

posted: 01-10-2005
revised: 02-14-2005

ENGLISH 111-70 -- COMPOSITION and RHETORIC (3 Credit Hours)

Course Description: English 111 Composition & Rhetoric is a course in which students will learn and use different reading, thinking, and writing strategies basic to academic writing; they will interact with different texts; they will learn to use conventions of standard English and conventions for documenting sources.. NOTE: Four-day-a-week sections of ENGLISH 111 are available for students who need more assistance with their writing skills. A student must earn a grade of "C" or better to receive credit toward graduation.

ENG 111 learning outcomes basic to IAI requirements:

Students who have successfullly completed English 111 will be able to . . .

1. Use invention, drafting, and revising/editing strategies.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of how reader, writer, language, and subject matter interact.
3. Establish a voice appropriate to the topic selected and rhetorical situation.
4. Clarify major aims, arrange material to support aims, and provide sufficient materials to satisfy reader expectations.
5. Demonstrate satisfactory control over standard English conventions and conventions for documenting sources.

Objectives:
1. To create essays with specific thesis statements that are supported with effective evidence, using both their own ideas and information gathered from other sources.
2. To use the steps of the writing process to write assignments.
3. To use libraries, the Internet, and the community of research.
4. To use unity, coherence, and specific support in their writing.
7. To review and practice standard English for editing and proofreading.

Textbooks:

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

Hacker, Diana. A Writer's Reference. 5th ed. Boston and New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003.

Online resources:
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/theguide/
http://dianahacker.com/writersref/

Textbooks available at SCI's Bookstore

SCI's Academic Resource Center: http://www.sci.edu/academicresourcecenter.html
SCI's Resource Director: Nereida Avendano: navendano@sci.edu

Other materials:

A good dictionary, blue/black pens, highlighter, lined paper, computer disk (or USB storage device).

Teaching Methodology:

The classroom is considered a discourse community in which students collaborate in the learning process. Students will be involved in peer work, group discussions, pre- and rewriting activities, and conferencing. There will be intervention in students' writing process, and response to student writing, by both the instructor and other students. To be successful, students must come to class prepared, which means having all reading and writing assignments done before they are due.

Course Requirements:

Attendance: As in every other class, absences will negatively affect your grade. To avoid class disruption, students must be seated by 6:00. Arriving between 6:00 and 6:05 will be considered a "late" (three lates equal one-half hour absence); between 6:05 and 6:30, one-half hour absence; between 6:30 and 7:00, one hour absence; etc. Missing an entire class session equals 4.0 hours. Missing six hours is an automatic F, regardless of a student's current grade.

Your goal should be to attend all classes and to have an absence only when it is a true emergency. If you know you are going to be absent (or late), you should contact the instructor as early as possible. This will not "excuse" the absence, but it is considered the appropriate behavior in college. College is like a job in this respect: If you were going to miss work, you presumably would call your supervisor in advance -- you would not simply fail to come to work, then wander in the next time you were scheduled (if so, you would not be scheduled a next time).

You are responsible for making multiple copies to share with the instructor and your classmates when the syllabus requires it. Failure to do so will result in your receiving a zero for the assignment. If providing multiple copies of your work is a problem, speak to me in advance (NOT the evening they are to be distributed).

Behavior: Be attentive to the instructor and your classmates. Private conversations and jokes are rude and disruptive. Turn your cell phone on silent, too.

Work:

1. Completion of all assigned readings and writings according to given deadlines.
2. In-class and out-of-class assignments (approximately 25 to 30 pages of written work).
3. Participation in peer activities, sharing of written work, and group discussions.
4. Active involvement in mechanics of all writing projects.

Evaluation Criteria:

There are numerous required activities for this course, and not all of them will be graded. Work (generally described as "homework") that does not receive a numerical score, may be given one of three grades: A check mark indicates an assignment was completed in an acceptable and timely manner; a plus signifies that an assignment was completed with special thoroughness and accuracy; a minus signifies that an effort was substandard. Each check is worth one point; a plus 1.5 points, and a minus .5; the total will be multiplied by an appropriate number determined by the instructor to establish a homework grade. Students are expected to complete all assignments, graded or not.

Assessment will be an on-going part of the course. In addition to providing feedback on essays and homework assignments, the instructor will ask that you complete a Quick Response form at the conclusion of each class period. Your responses may be shared with the class if the instructor determines that it would be useful to do so.

Instructor assessment: You are invited to visit RateMyProfessor.com, and give your instructor an informal evaluation. This is purely for the instructor's own use; your rating has no bearing on his employment with the college; nor will it affect your grade since it is completely anonymous.

On formal essays, points will be deducted for issues of misspelling and nonstandard mechanics according to the SCI English/Speech Department Guidelines for the Evaluation of Formal Composition (unless the departures from standard written practice are knowingly done for creative effect).

Late papers will not be accepted, and each will be scored as a zero. Assignments are due even if you are not physically in class.

Plagiarism -- presenting the ideas or words of another as if they are one's own -- is literary dishonesty and will not be tolerated. Nor will others forms of academic dishonesty be tolerated. If the instructor deems that the plagiarism is the result of innocent but faulty documentation, the student will receive a zero on the paper until it has been revised to avoid plagiarism. If the instructor deems that the plagiarism is a willful attempt to cheat, the student will receive a zero for the paper with no opportunity to revise, and the SCI administration will be notified. Note: A Writer's Reference provides a helpful and easy-to-follow explanation of plagiarism and how to avoid committing it (pp. 331-34); AWR's companion Website also has some useful exercises pertaining to plagiarism (see above for URL link).

Final Grade will be based on a percentage of the total score: A- to A+ = 90 to 100%; B- to B+ = 80 to 89%; C- to C+ = 70 to 79%; D- to D+ = 60 to 69%. Note that plus and minus will be affixed to the letter grade as deemed appropriate by the instructor based on various factors, including attendance, work ethic, attitude, and overall participation.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):

Springfield College in Illinois provides individuals with disabilities reasonable accommodations to participate in educational programs, activities and services. Students with disabilities requiring accommodations to participate in college-sponsored programs, activities, and services or to meet course requirements should contact the Dean of Student Affairs as early as possible.

Directions for Written Work:

Keep all assignments, formal and informal, prewriting, revisions, and final drafts until final grades are received.

Students must turn in copies of all research used for Documented Papers, and the copies must be properly arranged and cross referenced. The assignment is considered incomplete (and potentially late) until all the material is turned in, arranged and cross referenced.

Assignments will be shared with the class for the purposes of critique (i.e., "workshop").

Each paper must conform to MLA style guidelines. (See A Writer's Reference). Failure to conform to the proper guidelines will result in point deductions.

Three Keys to Success:

* Attend all classes and be on time.
* Turn in all assignments on time.
* Ask for help when you need it.

One or More of the Following Will Lead to Failure:

* Miss class and/or consistently be late.
* Fail to turn in assignments or to turn them in on time.
* Not asking for help when you need it.

Weekly Assignments: (All reading assignments refer to The St. Martin's Guide to Writing unless noted otherwise. AWR refers to A Writer's Reference.)

Writing Assignments and Other Requirements: