COURSE SYLLABUS:  ENGLISH 101

 

Summer 2004                                                               Instructor:  Clay Cooper

M-TR 11:30-1:20                                                        Office:  R230L

R204                                                                                        Tel (425) 564-4185

                                                                                    Email:  ccooper@bcc.ctc.edu

                                                                                    Office Hours:  by appt. only

 

Required Textbooks:  Short Takes, Penfield

The Little, Brown Compact Handbook, 5th edition

Accompanying Exercise Booklet

 

Course Description

 

Welcome to English 101.  This college-level composition course is designed to help you become a more skilled and confident writer.  Working closely with the texts, we will approach writing as a process, and attempt to make writing essays less intimidating by breaking down this process into elements. These individual elements will be topics for classroom discussions and in-class exercises.  The elements (or steps) are as follows:

 

--Critical reading

--Understanding the assignment

--Prewriting and the stimulation of ideas

--Organization of ideas into a thesis or main point

--Outlining

--Drafting (includes sentence and paragraph construction)

--Revising

--Proofreading

 

We will also use these elements of writing to build your writing assignments as we move through the course.  For instance, one week we may be working on freewriting or thesis development, the next week you will receive feedback on your drafts, and the following week the final papers will be due.   

 

There will be a short mid-term exam and a final exam, although both will resemble quizzes more by their length.  We will cover some basic grammar and style topics in preparation for those quizzes.  You are also responsible for any vocabulary words assigned in class.  You will write three short essays for the class.  By short I mean 3-5 pages.  We will talk about each essay in class and I will issue a handout outlining the requirements of each assignment in detail.   We will also write extensively in class, and you will have writing assignments to take home on a weekly basis. 

 

 

 

 

My expectations are that you will learn a lot from participating in this class.  You will learn to write with precision and power in a number of styles, each one fitted to the specific requirements of various college writing assignments that you may encounter in the future.  We will read fiction and non-fiction covering a vast array of interesting topics.   You will become sensitive to social, political, and cultural context; in other words, you will read between the lines to find subject material for your essays. 

 

No matter what your career goals may be, you can enhance them by becoming a more effective writer.  Writing is a tool that can create opportunities and enrich your life experience.  It can also be rewarding and fun.  I look forward to working with you all this quarter and sharing my passion for the written word. 

 

GRADING

 

Attendance (see below for grading guidelines)                                                   10%

Quizzes                                                                                                                        10%

Participation                                                                                                                 10%

Written responses or “thinking papers” and in-class writing                                            20%

Three essays                                                                                                                 50%

 

 

  • I will give you a more detailed breakdown of how I grade the essays when I pass out the assignment sheets. 
  • Participation grade evaluates contributions to class discussions, group exercises, peer review, and assignments outside of class other than “thinking papers.”
  • Attendance is crucial to successful completion of this class.  We have limited class periods in which to accomplish our learning goals, and after loss time for holidays, etc. our time becomes even more valuable.  Chronic tardiness will also count against your attendance grade.  If you come to class after I have taken attendance, it is your responsibility to make your presence known.  Here are the guidelines, as outlined by the English department:  

0-2--A             2---B               3--C                4-5—D            6+F and you fail the class

  • After two absences your participation grade is affected adversely.  At four absences, your participation grade drops to zero. 

 

GROUND RULES

 

Out of respect for everyone in the classroom, I ask that you follow these ground rules.

1.                  Turn off pagers and cell-phones

2.                  Do not talk or whisper while I am talking, or when another student is talking

3.                  Be constructive in your comments and respect the opinions of your classmates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

DISABILITIES:

 

If you have a disability that affects you as a student in this class, you are encouraged to let me know.  It’s also a good idea to contact the Educational Access Center so that appropriate accommodations can be made.    

 

Syllabus, Essay Assignments, and other important information can be found at the “Course Materials” website.  The URL for this site is bcc.ctc.edu/ArtsHum/studentinfo.asp.  Click on Course Materials.  Click on Summer Quarter.  Click on English.  Scroll down until you get to our section, 1171.  Click on my name.  If you do not have a printer, you can print forms from the site at the Writing Lab (see below).

 

All papers and outlines for this class should be typed or word-processed.  Please make yourself familiar with the various computer labs on campus (D221, NWCET) if you are not already.  Limited instruction is available in the Writing Lab.

 

 

A Final Note:  I am here to serve as your guide and then ultimately to evaluate your work.  I am interested in helping you do as well as you want in this class.  My schedule permitting, I’ll assist you in any way I can.  If you’re having difficulty, speak to me about it, and I’ll see what I can do to help.  If life interferes with school, as it has a habit of doing, let me know.  I am not judgmental, and if you show me that you’re concerned with doing good work in this class, I’ll do what I can to help you around the obstacles.  Communication is the key here.  Keep me informed of your circumstances, and you should do fine.   Talk to me after things fall apart, and there’s nothing I can do.   You are the one who will determine your grade for this class, not me.