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Course Title: ENG 191 - Rhetoric and CompositionCRN: 20113Course Syllabus
Course DescriptionFocuses on skills required for effective writing in a variety of contexts, with emphasis on exposition, analysis, and argumentation, including introductory use of a variety of research skills; explores the analysis of expository essays and creative nonfiction about issues in the humanities and in society. The course includes a review of grammar and stylistic usage in proofreading and editing, with emphasis on the rhetorical function of these mechanics. Topics include writing analysis and practice, revision, and research. State standards available here: http://www.dtae.org/teched/standards/courses/eng191.html
Because this is a degree level class, you can expect the level of difficulty to be considerably higher than that of your high school courses. If you are in a developmental reading class, you should not take this class or any other reading-intensive class this quarter.
Competency Areas
Prerequisites Degree program admission level language competency.
Required Textbook and Materials Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell. Patterns for College Writing: A Rhetorical Reader and Guide. 10th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007. Online companion site: http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/patterns/
Glenn, Cheryl and Loretta Gray. Hodges' Harbrace Handbook. 16th ed. Boston: Thomson, 2007. Online companion site: http://www.harbrace.com
A college level dictionary (recommended, but not required); some form of portable electronic storage (cd, USB drive, etc.); note taking materials; your brain and common sense.
Access to ANGEL CLASSROOM PROCEDURES AND POLICIES
Attendance Policy Students are expected and encouraged to attend each scheduled class. Absences and tardies will become a part of the student's record through the work ethics grade (detailed in the College Catalog section on Work Ethics Procedures). It is recognized that there may be times when a student will not be able to attend class. In such cases, it is the student's responsibility to make arrangements with the instructor concerning the completion of work missed. All make-up work will be at the discretion of the instructor, under the guidelines of the work ethics policy and procedures.
A student may be dropped from a course in which the number of his or her absences, whether excused or unexcused, exceeds 20% of the total number of course meetings in the quarter, according to the following guidelines:
Students are expected to be in each class on time, to return from all breaks on time, and to remain in each class until the end of the approved schedule of attendance. All late arrivals to class and unexcused absences will be deducted from students’ work ethics grades and will affect the academic grade. Three tardies of 10 or more minutes will count as 1 absence. A late arrival of more than ¼ of the class (30 minutes) will be considered an absence. Leaving class early will be treated in the same manner as being tardy. Three or more incidents of leaving class early will count as 1 absence. Leaving class for more than ¼ of the class (30 minutes) will be considered an absence. Students who are consistently late or consistently leave early will be asked to correct attendance deficiencies or withdraw from the class.
If there are extenuating circumstances, the teacher's discretion will be considered in the final decision for an exception. The grade of withdraw passing (WP) or withdraw failing (WF) will be assigned after the midpoint of the quarter. The grade of WP is given only to students with extenuating circumstances.
Withdrawal If a student decides to withdraw from the class, he/she must complete the appropriate paperwork before an official withdrawal can occur. It is imperative that the student contact the instructor upon deciding to withdraw. Any student withdrawing before midterm will receive a grade of W. If a course is dropped for any reason after midterm, the student will receive a grade of WF (Withdraw Failing). WF has zero quality points and will be calculated in the GPA. WP is considered only as a result of withdrawal due to extenuating circumstances and academic performance is passing. Please refer to Academic Calendar on the College website for the specific midpoint date.
Work Ethics Procedures The work ethics program is designed to promote positive work behaviors and to prepare students to be better, more productive workers. Every student’s work ethics evaluation is assumed to be “Meets Expectations” at the beginning of each quarter. As a student interacts daily with the instructor in the classroom or lab, the instructor may observe behaviors that vary from those of a good employee. The instructor documents the positive or negative behavior. Your work ethics/behaviors will be measured in the following areas:
At midpoint of the quarter, you will receive a rating that reflects these documented situations according to the Work Ethics Evaluation Form. If you have been deficient in a certain area, you will be given the opportunity to bring your performance up to college standards before grades are issued at the end of the quarter. At the end of the quarter, you will receive a rating that reflects these documented situations according to the Work Ethics Evaluation Form. The final work ethics grade will be placed on your permanent record.
NOTE: The work ethics credits do not count toward graduation requirements or in calculating eligibility for financial aid.
Excused Absences No points are deducted from the attendance portion of the work ethics report if the student must be absent under any of the following conditions and follows the outlined procedures:
NOTE: Students are expected to follow individual instructors’ make-up policies, and the excused absences outlined above are included in the total allowable 20% of course absences. Absences above 20% of the total number of course meetings may result in the student‘s withdrawal from the course. (See individual course syllabi for attendance guidelines for Health Services or skills lab programs and for online or hybrid courses.)
Academic Integrity Academic dishonesty is an act by a student to use or to represent the work (research, writing, examination answers, etc.) of another person as his or her own production. The work of another person represented as one’s own is dishonest and does not fairly measure the competence, knowledge, and achievement of the individual. Academic dishonesty is contrary to the standards, ethics, and goals of higher education and is unacceptable in the technical college community and in this course.
The Student Code of Conduct (see the Student Handbook) is enforced for traditional, hybrid, web-enhanced, and online classes. Students must not assist or accept assistance from classmates with exams or assignments. Students caught engaging in such activity will automatically fail the course and may be subject to further disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism; you should be aware that plagiarism is prohibited. Plagiarism involves taking and using as one’s own the thoughts and writings of another. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, using other peoples' ideas and words without their permission and taking credit for the work as your own; excessive collaboration (having too much help insofar that the work is no longer exclusively your own); copying or buying a paper online and turning it in as your own (this includes cutting and pasting parts and pieces of any work, text, photo, etc., from the Internet into a document you claim to be your own without giving credit). Every assignment must be the work of the student submitting it. The student must document all direct quotations and paraphrases of ideas of others (cite when in doubt). In the world of academics, plagiarism is a serious crime. In many instances, legal action can be taken with criminal consequences. In fact, I consider plagiarism to be personally offensive, and I take it as a direct insult to me and my profession. Plagiarism will result in a grade of zero (0) and possible expulsion from this or other academic institutions. For more information, consult your student handbook. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in any form. Do not fool yourself into thinking a grade received through cheating is as good as one earned through honest work. Even if you are not caught this time, you will be eventually. Worse still, your own ignorance will catch you. Put forth your own honest work and you will be rewarded for the effort. Remember, it is not plagiarism until you turn it in - ask questions if you have concerns about your use of outside information. General Rules Always consult the syllabus first. If you have a question, ask it. If you are not sure about something, ask for clarification. Accommodations may be made with enough prior notice. Asking for something after the fact or at the last minute rarely yields the desired result. All college policies and rules as outlined in your Student Handbook and College Catalog apply.
Disabilities Services Disabilities Services provides students who have a documented disability with accommodations to aid them in the learning process at West Central Technical College. If a student has any physical condition or disability and would like accommodations in class, please notify the Coordinator for Special Needs. During the first two weeks of the course, students should contact the Coordinator for Special Needs at 770.824.5247 and schedule an intake counseling session.
Student Warranty
To demonstrate confidence in and commitment to
quality technical education programs which are relevant, current, and
responsive to the stated expectations of Georgia’s businesses and
industries, the Technical College System of Georgia will warrant every
graduate from programs offering a technical certificate of credit,
diploma, or associate degree. Please refer to the Student Handbook for
more information and stipulations. A Note on Modern Technology Please turn cell phones, pagers, or other items of personal technology that go beep in the night off or to silent operation during class. Please store these items out of sight while in class. You are not to use any of the aforementioned devices during class, unless you are receiving a phone call informing you of an available organ transplant or you are being called to put out a fire; otherwise, any student whose techno gadgets make noise during class will have something thrown in his or her general direction. Our classroom is equipped with computers. These are for class use only. Do not use them during class to surf the web, check email, instant message your friends, do work for other classes, or any other assorted thing. Do not print in the middle of class. DO NOT DOWNLOAD ANY PROGRAMS ON CLASS COMPUTERS. Such misuse of the computers will go against your work ethics grade and incur my wrath.
Email Policy You are required to use your West Central student email account for this class (see link in resources section); use your private email only as a last resort. I check email continually through the day while I am in my office (see office hours posted at top of syllabus). I check email only once during the weekends. I will generally respond to email received during office hours or the week within 24 hours. I will respond to email received over the weekend sometime during the first day back at the office. This is my general policy, though circumstances might arise preventing quick response. If you communicate with me via email, check your email for the response. You will know that I received your email when you get a response from me. Do not add my email address to your personal mailing lists for the purpose of sending forwarded messages. Do not expect instant response. Lastly, nothing about technology bothers me more than receiving emails that are formatted like text messages. Email is the new form of the letter. When you write an email to me, make sure you have a subject line that includes your class (i.e. ENG 101), use proper grammar and mechanics, write in complete sentences and words, use a greeting line and a salutation line with your name, and check your spelling.
Providing this syllabus and detailed instructions are my responsibilities as an instructor. However, keeping up with reading and writing assignments, even when you are absent, is your responsibility as a student. It works like a contract - I agree to do my part, you agree to do your part - and everyone goes home happy. If you miss class, you must take the initiative to get assignments from a classmate and arrange to make up any allowable work. Lectures will not be repeated.
Course Work and Grading Guide Grades will be based on a percentage of the total possible as follows:
As a college student, you are expected to read and study textbook or other assignments before you come to class so that you have an understanding of the material to be covered and can ask specific questions about what you do not understand.
Essays: You will write three essays, including an argumentative research paper. You will be given specific guidelines for each essay throughout the quarter. Essays of less than the required minimum page count are unacceptable and will receive an automatic fifteen (15) points deduction per page short. Essays that are received after the published due date will be penalized five points for each day that they are late.
Essay Grading Criteria Several criteria will be used to evaluate essays, as well as other writing assignments. Essays must, minimally, adequately demonstrate the following elements:
You will start with a score of 100. Points will be deducted generally as follows:
I will not proofread an entire essay before it is graded. I am happy to help you with specific questions or specific sections of your writing, but please do not ask me to read and mark an entire paper before you submit it for grading (also known as handing me an entire essay and asking, "Will you read this to see if I am on the right track?"). I encourage you to utilize the tutor in the Learning Resources labs on each campus.
Deadline Penalty Policy Written assignments are due at the beginning of the class session listed on the assignment sheets. Written assignments not turned in at that point begin the five point per day deduction. Once 24 hours has elapsed from the submission time and date and the written assignment has still not been submitted, another five points is deducted. Hence, a student who fails to submit an assignment on the due date who waits until the next class meeting to submit will have lost ten points as a late penalty. I do not include Saturday and Sunday in the penalty count, but I highly recommend not letting a weekend elapse between the due date and the submission of the late assignment. Quizzes are not included in this policy; a missed quiz will automatically earn a grade of 0 unless it is due to an excused absence or tardy according to the attendance policy.
Make-up Policy Students are responsible for keeping up with all written assignments, even during absences (excused and unexcused), and must make arrangements to make up any work missed. Any work not made up within one week of the absence or tardy will receive a grade of 0. Missed quizzes may be made up only when absence or tardy was due to an excused reason as outlined earlier in this syllabus. The student is responsible for arranging any make-up work by contacting the instructor. I typically expect missed quizzes to be made up at the end of the next class day; do not take a quiz outside of the classroom, and do not take a missed quiz without authorization from the instructor. All make-up work must be completed within a one week time frame from the original absence or tardy. No make-up work, regardless of excuse, will be allowed beyond one week from absence or tardy. Extensions for written work are available but only after a discussion of reasoning and justification for granting extension has been established prior to due date.
No late work will be accepted without grade penalty (see penalty policy above) except for those due to excused absences (as per the previously stated attendance policy). These assignments will not be graded unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor and proper documentation is provided. Illness requires doctor’s official work/school release form provided on the first day of return. Missed work must be made up within one week of the absence; if not, the grade is 0. Again, the only make-up work allowed is for excused absences as defined in the WCTC Catalog. Work scheduling, sleeping in, faulty alarm clocks, lack of transportation, car trouble, speeding tickets, traffic, family vacations, lack of childcare, forgetfulness, hectic nature of life, etc. are not causes for excused absences. Quizzes are given at random during a class meeting and late students will not receive extra time to complete quizzes; students who are late enough to miss the entire quiz, no matter how long the class meets, will not be allowed to make the quiz up without a documented excuse.
Revision Policy I will accept one substantial revision (not a mere correction) of Essays #1 and #2 only. Please consult with me prior to beginning your revisions. Revisions must be turned in for consideration no more than one week from the date it was returned (e.g. Returned on Monday, due by next Monday - No revisions will be accepted after one week). The original graded draft with my comments must accompany any revision. There are no revision opportunities for other assignments. Revised grades of Essays #1 and #2 will averaged with the original grade 50/50 for a final grade on the particular essay (e.g. An original grade of 75 and a revised grade of 85 will be added and divided by two, 75 + 85 = 160/2 = 80 for the final essay grade). Revisions that are only corrections or unsubstantial will retain the original grade. There is the possibility of earning a lower grade on a revision than what was earned on the original. There is no revision option for Essay #3 or any other assignments. Lastly, revisions are optional, not required.
Grade Distribution 90 – 100 A 80 – 89 B 70 – 79 C 60 – 69 D 0 – 59 F *A minimum grade of 70 is required for occupational courses.
NOTE: Course grades will be posted on Banner Web at the end of the quarter. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act prohibits grade release in certain forms, so please do not call or email me for your grades.
Class policies, etc., are guaranteed not to change. The requirements, policies, and grading scale for this class are the terms upon which the class will be conducted and upon which your grades will be determined. They are not subject to negotiation. If you do not understand them, ask for clarification before signing your syllabus contract.
COURSE SCHEDULE
What follows is the basic course schedule. A more detailed and updated version is available on the course site; always follow the detailed schedule on the course site and the information on assignment sheets. Specific reading assignments, assignment due dates, and daily schedule are all on the detailed schedule. The schedule is subject to change.
Deviation The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this course schedule. It is the student’s responsibility to make note of these changes as announced in class or to be aware of these changes as they are posted on the class website.
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