Expected
Student
Learning Outcome
Students will complete a research-based essay
that has been written out of class and undergone revision. The essay must use
multiple sources and be focused on a particular topic. It should demonstrate the
student’s ability to thoughtfully support a single thesis by integrating
sources using analysis and synthesis. Citations must be in MLA format and
include a works-cited page. The final draft should be organized and technically
correct in terms of paragraph composition, sentence structure, grammar,
spelling, and word use.
Course
Materials
Maimon,
et. al. A Writer's Resource: A Handbook for Writing and Research.
3rd Edition. ECC Handbook.
Madden,
David. A Pocketful of Prose: Vintage Short Fiction.
Vol. 1. Boston: Thomson,
2006.
---.
A Pocketful of Prose: Vintage Short Fiction.
Vol. 2. Boston: Thomson,
2006.
Course Requirements/Grading
Three Writing Projects, each
worth TWO letter grades
One Research Project, worth
THREE letter grades
One Take-Home Midterm Socratic Project, worth
ONE letter grade
One In-Class Midterm Socratic, worth
one letter grade
One Take-Home Final Socratic Project, worth
ONE letter grade
One In-Class Final Socratic, worth
ONE letter grade
Participation,
worth one letter grade
All outlines, drafts and papers are due on
the date assigned on the syllabus.
Midterm
and Final exams must be taken on the day that they are given, for classroom
participation is an integral part of these examinations. If you know that
you are going to be absent on the date of an exam, schedule an appointment to take the
test ahead of time. Makeup exams, while permitted, shall be marked down
one letter grade per class that they are late—no exceptions.
Quizzes shall be administered at the
beginning of classes. All quizzes
must be taken in class and on the time and date that they are assigned. I
do not publish the dates when you will be quizzed. As a result, it is
imperative that you keep current on class readings because you will never know
when I will bust out a pop quiz on you. Quizzes shall comprise the
majority of your final participation grade for the class.
There are no make up quizzes—no exceptions.
Essays handed in late shall be marked down
one letter grade per class that they are late—no exceptions.
If you know that you are going to miss class when an essay is due, make
sure that you hand it in early.
Late outlines and / or drafts shall not be
accepted. On the day that an outline or a draft is due, you will need to
be present in class, with a printed copy of your outline or draft, ready to work
in peer-editing groups. I shall initial each outline and draft that is
brought to class on the due date. When you turn in your final draft of an
assignment, you will staple behind it the initialed outline and draft for the
corresponding assignment. Any assignment turned in without the
corresponding outline and draft stapled behind the final draft shall be marked
down one letter grade per missing assignment. For example, if you turn in
your final draft of Essay #1, but you fail to turn in the initialed copies of
your outline and rough draft (even if you did them but unfortunately misplaced
them), the best grade you can hope for on this assignment is a C. If you
turn it in one day late, the best grade you can hope for is a D. Bottom
line: it is vitally important to be in class on the days when outlines and
drafts are to be turned in. Moreover, it is critical that you do not lose
your initialed copies of these documents, for you must turn them in with your
final draft of your Essay assignments.
Assignments shall be graded A through F for
turned in work. Assignments NOT turned in shall count as a ZERO;
consequently, any assignment not handed in will be averaged into your grade as
an F weighted TWICE AS MUCH as the value of the original assignment. For
example, if you turn in Essay #1 and receive an F on it, that will count as ONE
F in your final grade calculation. However, if you do not turn in Essay
#1, then that assignment shall be recorded as TWO Fs in your final grade
calculation. Simply put, it is better to turn in something and receive an
F on it than it is to turn in noting. At least an F means that you did
SOMETHING. As a result, your received a grade that is less than 60% of an
A on the assignment. If you turned in NOTHING, then you received a grade
that is 0% of an A on the assignment. Consequently, a ZERO assignment
counts as TWO Fs rather than just one for this assignment.
Participation
Consistent and faithful attendance and participation in this class is a
must. Regular exams and frequent quizzes
on readings shall be administered to ensure consistent in-class
participation. I will try to vary class
activities so that everyone will be able to actively participate.
It is crucial that you read all assignments
by the dates given to you so that you will be able to participate fully.
We may not always be able to cover everything assigned for
reading in our class discussions, but you will still be responsible for all of
them. At the beginning of every
class, you will be given approximately fifteen (15) minutes to complete a
journal assignment on the current reading due for that day of class.
Journal assignments cannot be made up.
Sharing Writing
By now, many of you have possibly taken
composition classes in which you have shared your writing with peer group
members and/or the entire class. However,
some of you may have reservations about sharing your writing with others.
I strongly believe, and I think you will find, that a key to developing
your writing skills is interaction with your peers.
As editors of each other’s work, you will learn to critique and improve
the texts of others, thus internalizing skills necessary for strengthening your own
writing effectiveness. From time to
time, I may choose to read one of your papers aloud to class, or—better still—to
have you read your paper aloud to the class.
This is not meant to embarrass you; rather, I choose papers that
demonstrate the landmarks of good college-level writing.
I will ask permission before I read from a paper, and you will not be
penalized for choosing not to have your paper read.
Special
Needs
If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss
academic accommodations please let me know. You may speak to me after class,
during my office hours, or by phone or email. Your privacy will be protected.
You are also encouraged to contact the Special Resource Center on campus
(310-660-3295) to discuss what accommodations and services are available.
Unless
I am provided with a signed note from SRC dated for this semester, I will assume
that you have no special instruction/testing needs for this class. I
expect any such note to be provided at the beginning of the semester, or at the
earliest possible opportunity. I am
not required to consider any such information not delivered to me in a timely
fashion. Please note: the day of the exam is not timely. I am more
than willing to accommodate you if you have special needs; however, you need to
identify your needs up front so that I can plan for them in my
instruction.
Attendance
In
order for you to maximize your understanding and appreciation of English 1A, you
must attend class faithfully. According
the El Camino College Catalog, an instructor has recourse to drop a student
after four (4) hours of instruction for a four (4) unit class.
Keeping this in mind, a total of two (2) absences—excused or
otherwise—are allowable without penalty; however, exceeding this limit may
result in your being dropped from the course.
This is meant as an incentive to keep you coming to class.
Do not expect me—under any circumstances—to automatically drop you
just because you quit coming to class. That
is not the intent of this rule. If
you wish to drop this course, you must be responsible for it yourself.
I will not be responsible for dropping you from this course.
If you have not withdrawn from class before the final drop deadline
requiring the Dean’s signature for withdrawal from this course, you will
receive a grade for this course—no exceptions.
Whether you come to class every day is your business; however, you should
remain aware that there are consequences to your actions.
Academic Dishonesty
Cheating on exams or
quizzes is considered academic dishonesty, and it is unacceptable. The use of someone else’s words or
ideas without acknowledging the source is plagiarism, another form of academic
dishonesty; it is likewise unacceptable. Because you will be working with many readings in your writing
assignments, you must be careful to cite other people’s words and ideas that
you incorporate—by way of quotation, paraphrase, and summary—into your
essays. If you fail to do this, it is
plagiarism. If you plagiarize on one of your assignments, you will receive
an "F" grade on that assignment. If you plagiarize on your
Research Project, you will receive an "F" grade for the course.
If I find you committing Academic Dishonesty (e.g., cheating on a test, turning
in someone else's work, or plagiarizing), I will immediately report you to the
Director of Student Development, and I will ask for the harshest sanction
possible, which may include: a notation of Academic Dishonesty on your
transcripts, removal from my class, or even expulsion from the college. I
have zero tolerance for cheating and plagiarism.
Cellular Phones
In an era of
increasingly prevalent mobile technology, cellular phones and other electronic
devices (laptop computers, PDAs, IPODs, MP3 players, etc.) have become an interruptive nuisance in
the classroom. As such, these devices are not allowed to be turned on or
used on in
our classroom unless you have cleared it with me first. Here are some
examples of inappropriate electronic activity (this list is not exhaustive):
your cell phone rings or vibrates in class; you answer your cell phone or leave
to make a call on it; you are text messaging in class; or you listen to your
IPOD or MP3 player in class. The first time
your electronic device interrupts the class, I will give you a verbal warning.
Upon the second interruption, I will remove you from the class for the day, give
you a written reprimand, and report you the Director of Student Development for
the appropriate disciplinary procedures. Upon the third interruption, I
will suspend you from class for two class periods (including the current one),
and I will file another report with the Director of Student Development.
Any subsequent interruptions, and I will seek your immediate and permanent
removal from my class. Depending on other Code of Conduct violations, this
may further result in your expulsion from the college. Please reference
the El Camino College Student Code of Conduct and Discipline for further
information. The bottom line is that I am attempting to create an
atmosphere in the classroom that is conducive to learning. If you cannot
discipline yourself, I will do it for you.
Code
of Conduct
We shall
adhere to the following rules in order to maintain a positive and productive
classroom environment:
