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For Friday, October 13, read the essay on page 186 in your book.
Syllabus
Students successfully completing ENGL 1101 should--
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Employ Standard American English |
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Employ the writing process in various types of writing assignments, employing the modes of
discourse |
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Understand the five domains of writing: content and organization, style, sentence formation,
usage, and mechanics |
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Pass the Regents' Essay Exam |
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Evaluate and edit others' writing |
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Utilize writing and research technology |
I pursue the above objectives through--
| Lessons in grammar, usage, and punctuation--I spend the first two weeks covering the
fundamentals of grammar, usage, punctuation, and style. These lessons will involve lectures,
lessons from the handbook, and handouts. At this end of this section, you will be tested on the
material. You must score at least 70% to move to proceed to the course's next stage. |
| In-class writing--These exercises duplicate the Regents' Essay Exam, which you should take
before accumulating 45 semester hours. |
| Multi-stage writing assignments--These assignments are the "meat" of the course, entailing the
stages of writing: pre-writing, writing, revising, editing, and publishing. We will spend time
developing these assignments through in-class discussions and conferences. |
| Technology--You will submit drafts of your final essay via e-mail. For this essay, you will also
learn research strategies, both on the internet and on GALILEO, and you will incorporate
these sources into this project. |
General class policies:
| You must bring required materials for that class period. |
| After five absences, I will lower your final grade by a letter. Two tardies count as an absence.
After nine absences, I will fail you. If you see that you are going to be out of class for more
than a couple of days, please get in touch with me. I take attendance seriously. Learning is a
cooperative effort, and if you do not show up, you are not pulling your weight in the class.
(Read the university policy on absences in the Undergraduate Bulletin.) |
| No withdrawals after midterm. |
| Word processing must be done in MS Word. You will need a 3.5-inch, high-density disk.
(You cannot store information on the hard drives of the writing center's computers.) |
| Late assignments will be penalized 20 points if submitted within one week of due date. No
assignments will be accepted later than one week past the due date. |
| Any missing major essays at quarter's end will automatically result in a failing class grade. |
| I allow one miss for in-class work. After that, misses will count as zeros. |
Your final grade will be calculated in three categories:
| Major essays (1000+ words) -- 75% of total grade -- These five + essays comprise the largest
percentage of your grade. We will work on drafts of the essays in class, and you should have ample
time to revise them. I will grade your final draft. (Your final exam will also count as a major essay.) |
| Daily grades -- 15% of total grade -- These can be anything from in-class essays, grammar
worksheets, and critiques of other students’ work. |
| Grammar exam -- 10% of total grade -- This exam will entail both objective, fill-in-the-blank
answers and essay answers. |
Grading scale:
90-100 - A
60-69 - D
80-89 - B
Below 60 - F
70-79 - C
Evaluation and Grading
Admittedly, assigning grades is always subjective. Except for some grammar rules, there are few
absolutes in evaluating writing. Although everyone wants to make an "A," such grades are given only
to clearly superior work.
An "A" paper is largely free of any minor errors and completely free of serious errors. It has an
obvious and clearly stated thesis that is logically supported throughout the paper, and the points are
addressed in the order in which they are presented in the thesis. However, competent organization
and lack of errors alone do not guarantee an "A." An "A" paper must also employ mature syntax,
vocabulary, humor, and voice. By syntax, I mean that the writer uses a variety of sentences:
compound, complex, and compound/complex. For example, instead of saying "My grandfather is
old and wise. He also collects things from World War II," you could say, "My grandfather, who is an
elderly but wise gentleman, collects World War II memorabilia." Both sentences express the same
idea, but the second sentence employs a dependent clause to add texture.
"B" papers contain many of the "A" qualities, but they might have some grammatical errors, or the
narrative might be less sophisticated in vocabulary and voice.
"C" papers are competent in that they are organized and argued cogently, but they are generally
undistinguished in style and/or content. They may also contain some grammatical or spelling errors,
and they may even contain a serious error.
"D" papers usually have several serious errors, or they may lack organization or a discernible thesis.
They may also fail to support the thesis.
"F" papers contain many serious errors. They may also be deficient in organization, development, or
unity.
In addition to the above criteria, each of your essays will have individual grading guidelines. For
example, part of your final essay's grade will be determined by the quality of your research.
Incidentals--
| The university writing center (WH 204) is available to help with writing problems. Although I do not require you to seek tutoring, I encourage you to make appointments with writing center tutors whenever you feel that you need extra help. |
| Students with special disabilities should visit the Special Services Program: |
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Dr. Mark Smith