Syllabus English 0301 (internet-based)

San Antonio College Fall 2009
Mr. Lennie Irvin

Office: GH223-D,  phone #210-486-0672, e-mail: llirvin AT gmail.com
Web: http://www.alamo.edu/sac/english/lirvin/ 

I. Catalog Description: 0301 Basic English II composition course provides practice in reading and writing effective paragraphs for short essays. Writing methods include paragraph/essay development, organization styles, construction of topic/thesis sentences, revision and editing and/or basic research skills. The course requires students to listen, receive, attend to, interpret, and respond to verbal messages and other cues.

II. REQUIRED BACKGROUND: This course cannot be substituted for any part of the regular courses English1301 and 1302. A student required to take English 0301 must receive a passing grade of at least a C before being permitted to take English 1301. (Catalog page 232)

III. TEXT AND/OR REFERENCE MATERIALS:

Anker, Susan. Real Essays: With Readings. 3rd Edition Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009.

Elbow, Peter. Writing Without Teachers.


IV. METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
These may include lecture, assigning frequent readings from required text(s), supervising class discussion(s), guiding collaborative learning, using various MAI (Media-Assisted Instruction, incl. Computer Classrooms and lab), laboratory/tutorial services (optional), library classroom instruction (optional). **Internet modifications--frequent posting of writing along with frequent responses to discussion prompts and peer writing. Online conferencing.**

V. COURSE CONTENT:
THE WORK OF THE COURSE

Portfolio (50%)
You will turn in a collection of your work in the form of a portfolio at the end of the semester.  As you write, you will not receive a grade on your writing pieces--you will receive feedback from me and your peers, but all writing during our semester is considered "in process." It won't receive a grade until the end of the semester when you select two of your essays to revise for inclusion in the portfolio. The graded portion of the portfolio will be these two revised essay, a special writing piece about your own writing and writing growth, and a final essay written during the final exam.  Portfolios are due at the final exam time. More details about this portfolio will be provided.     

Book Project (10%)
We will begin the class by putting together a collection of writing. This project is intended to get your started in the class. See "The Book Project" description for more information.

Attendance and On-Time Drafts (20%)
Regular participation is ESSENTIAL for your success in this class (and in college). Attendance is measured by replies to "Class Announcement" posts done within four days of the original post. You will also have drafts of essays turned in during the semester. Late drafts for any reason lose credit in this area. You get one missed attendance or draft with no credit off--after that, each one counts off -10 points in this category of your grade. Conversely, 100% in this category will earn you +10 points in this category of your grade.

Daily Work, Journals and Discussion Forums (20%)
After our initial project, we will be responding to a weekly topic in our Discussion Forum.  You will be graded on your participation in the discussion.  In addition, we will have various exercises, journals, homework assignments, and quizzes which will be counted within this daily work category.  Keeping up with your assignments and participating well should yield high returns in this area.  In addition, I may require you to work via a web site on grammar exercises. 

Departmental description of Course Content:

1. Determines purpose, audience, and occasion for the writing

2. Limits the topic for writing the topic/thesis/sentence

3. Develops ideas for the body, including methods of rhetorical development (examples,comparison/contrast, definition, persuasion, etc.) and selecting/organizing ideas

4. Writes effective introductory and concluding material for compositions

5. Writes and revises essays to improve unity, focus, coherence, and sentence effectiveness

6. Edits composition for correct standard English usage, including grammar, spelling, and vocabulary

VI. LEARNING OUTCOMES AND COURSE OBJECTIVES:

• Learning Outcome 1: The student will be able to recognize the importance of specifying audience and purpose and will be able to apply the principles of writing as a process, which includes pre-writing and invention, writing, revision, editing, and proofreading.
  Performance Objective and Measurement: The student will write a minimum of five essays, including the final, that demonstrate awareness of audience and purpose and writing as a process. (The compositions will constitute at least 60 percent of the course grade, and minimum competency requires a grade average of 70 or better.)

• Learning Outcome 2: The student will be able to develop, select, and organize ideas for the body, including methods of rhetorical development (examples, comparison/contrast, definition, persuasion, etc.).
  Performance Objective and Measurement: The student will write a minimum of five essays that show awareness of paragraph development and coherently organized ideas. A grade of 70 or better on these essays will demonstrate competency.

• Learning Outcome 3: The student will be able to create writing responses to varied short readings. The student may be introduced to research and documentation techniques used in written assignments (optional).
  Performance Objective and Measurement: The student will demonstrate his/her understanding of the short readings through writing responses or essays and/or class discussion and will be able to demonstrate a mastery of an accepted documentation method. A grade of 70 or better on these assignments will demonstrate competency.

• Learning Outcome 4: The students will be able to recognize the importance of using correct, effective grammar and/or language skills in compositions.
  Performance Objective and Measurement: The student will demonstrate his or her competency by utilizing the department English Learning Lab on a regular basis, according to instructor’s specifications (optional). Each instructor will determine the percentage of this assignment.

• Learning Outcome 5: The student will be able to achieve competency in edited, standard American English as expected in local and national communities, to include the conventions of grammar, spelling, coherence, appearance, patterns of development, introductions, and conclusions
  Performance Objective and Measurement: The student will demonstrate his or her competency through essays and examinations (including the final examination) with a grade of 70 or better. The in-class final exam will include an essay, and the final exam grade will account for at least 10% of the semester grade.

VII. COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

1. College Requirements:

   1. A written, comprehensive final exam, not to exceed 2 ½ hours in length, will be given at the end of each semester at the regularly scheduled time. Any exceptions to these requirements must be approved by the appropriate dean. Other exams are given at the discretion of the instructor.

   2. A student who must be absent from a final examination should petition that instructor for permission to postpone the examination. A student absent without permission from a final examination is graded "F." Postponed examinations result in a grade of "I". The final exam must be taken within 120 calendar days from the end of the semester or the grade automatically becomes an "F". (San Antonio College Bulletin, Faculty Handbook - January 1995)

2. Departmental Requirements: An in-progress "IP" grade may be assigned if the student needs more than one semester to achieve the competencies. The "IP" grade is assigned if the student meets the following criteria:

   • Turn in all assignments;

   • Takes the final exam;

   • Attends classes regularly with no more than two weeks of absences;

   • Makes substantial progress toward accomplishing the departmental competencies of the course for that semester.

   Tutoring assistance is available in the San Antonio College Writing Center in GH 203.

3. Instructor Requirements/ Instructor defined Course Policies:

   Attendance:
   As an internet-based course, you will be required to post messages and turn in work on a regular basis.  Attendance will be taken by responses to "Class Announcement" posts within four days of posting. Not replying in this time period will count as an absence. Each absence counts -10 from your Attendance and On-Time Drafts portion of your grade, and non-participation for more than two weeks may result in you being dropped.

   Late Daily Work: 
   Late work in just about everything except essays will not be accepted, unless otherwise stated. Late work gets not credit.

   Late Essays Drafts :
   Essays and essay drafts are due anytime during the date they are due.  Late drafts lose -10 points in the "Attendance and On-Time Drafts" portion of your grade.
   
   Essay Rewrites:
   I reserve the right to require you to rewrite an essay draft if you have not turned in acceptable work. These rewrites will be due no later than one week after the required rewrite (due date specified by instructor)

   Online Conferences
   You will be required to attend two online conferences.  These will be announced a week ahead of time. We likely will have four to six of these conferences where we get together to talk about our writing and work in the class.

   Final Exams
   This exams will be conducted on campus. You will turn in your Final Portfolio at this time. See on campus dates for more details. NO PROCTORED TESTS WILL BE PROVIDED AT DATES AND LOCATIONS OTHER THAN THE SCHEDULED EXAM TIMES. Make-up exams will not be available unless set up in advance with the instructor.

   GRADING SCALE:  A=  90-100; B=  80-89; C=  70-79; IP/D or F = <70

Online Appropriateness/Privacy:
I will expect that you communicate with your peers and your teacher in a respectful and decent way. The general guideline we will follow is that anything that would be considered inappropriate in a face-to-face encounter is just as inappropriate online. I will also expect you to honor the privacy of your classmates by not sharing without their permission any personal information (including their email address or writing). Problems with online behavior could result in your being asked to leave the class.

Special Note about using a Social Netorking site for our class: My hope is that you may feel a bit more socially connected to this class and each other by using this interface for our class. I will ask you to respect that this is an academic as well as a social space for us and to act appropriately.

VIII. College Policies:

1. San Antonio College does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability with respect to access, employment programs or services

2. Students are urged not to bring children to either a class or a lab. Minors under the age of twelve (12) must not be left unattended on campus

3. ADA Statement: "As per Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, if accommodation is needed contact the Office of DisABILITY Support Services, CAC 124C, Phone: (210) 733-2347.

4. A Rapid Response Team responds to emergencies. If you have a disability that will require assistance in the event of a building evacuation, notify Disability Support Services, Chance Academic Center 124C, Phone: (210) 733-2347.

5. Academic Dishonesty:

   1. Students may be subject to disciplinary proceedings resulting in an academic penalty or disciplinary penalty for academic dishonesty.

   2. Academic Dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism and collusion. For additional information refer to the "Student Code of Conduct" in the San Antonio College Bulletin.

   3. Students found guilty of an act of collusion may be subject to an academic penalty, including one or more, if not inconsistent:

   • A requirement to complete additional academic work not required of other students in the course

   • A reduction in grade

   • Assignment of a grade of "F"' in the course

   • A requirement to complete grammar lab work will not be allowed if students are caught cheating on lab tests.

   Academic dishonesty (cheating on a test or other class work, plagiarism) and collusion (the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing college work offered for credit) are serious offenses. Credit will not be given to any work suspected of exhibiting evidence of either or both.

6. Students are required to silence all electronic devices (e.g., pagers, cellular phones, etc.) when in classrooms, laboratories, and the library.

7. San Antonio College Attendance Policy:

1. Regular and punctual attendance is required. A student absent for any reason is responsible for all work missed.

2. Absences are recorded from the first day of class. A student absent the equivalent of two weeks of instruction, may be dropped by the instructor with a grade of "W."

3. Both tardiness and early departure from class are forms of absenteeism. The instructor establishes the policy with regard for each.

4. For an evening class meeting once a week, the students may be dropped upon their second absence.

5. For eight week Flex Term classes, students may be dropped upon their second absence.

6. Students with excessive absences who are withdrawn from the course may be withdrawn from ALL other courses for which they are registered.

8. San Antonio College is a smoke free campus.

9. ACCD DPS Emergency Phone Numbers:
   ACCD DPS Emergency Phone (210) 222-0911
   ACCD DPS General Phone (210) 208-8099
   ACCD DPS Weather Phone (210) 208-8189 (For information on college closures)

10. Students must also abide by the policies, procedures, and rules set forth in the "Student Code of Conduct" and all other policies set forth in the San Antonio College Bulletin. (http://www.accd.edu/sac/sacmain/schedule/SAC_Bulletin_05-06.pdf)       

On being a student: 
College is not high school.  You have to take responsibility for yourself. As much as I as your instructor wish for you to succeed, you are the one who will succeed or not. Expect no second chances, and a lot more homework.  

One of the biggest challenges students face is time management:  expect that you may have from six to twelve hours of work PER WEEK for this class (perhaps more if you have a particularly weak background in writing).  Your success is not dependent as much on your ability, your intelligence, your desires or your goals as it is on your discipline to do your work.  I urge you to look at this class as if it were a job.  Take it seriously, and you will get good results. 

I will require that you indicate that you have read and fully understand the course syllabus and its policies.

Last updated August 17, 2009