Engl&
101: English Composition I
Winter 2013, Section
1091
6:00-6:50pm TTh, R205
Instructor: Jim Dicus
Email: jim.dicus@bellevuecollege.edu
Office Location: R230
Office Phone: 425-564-2119
Office Hours: TTh 1:30-3:30pm and by appointment
Required
Text and Material:
Hacker, A Writer’s
Reference W/Exercises (ISBN: 0312601476)
A flash drive or
other way to save and transport your work.
Course Objectives:
After completing this course, students will be able to:
Think and read critically: carefully read, analyze, interpret and evaluate claims, beliefs,
texts and/or issues.
·
frame questions, define problems, and position arguments.
·
consider multiple points of view and differentiate between
assumptions, beliefs, facts, opinions, and biases.
·
read and respond to various texts critically for purposes of
interpretation, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and/or judgment.
·
demonstrate an understanding of a text’s main point/thesis and its
relevant supporting details.
Compose and revise in context: shape written responses for different audiences and purposes.
·
consider flexible strategies for prewriting, drafting, revising,
and editing.
·
develop and support thesis statements that are appropriately
complex and significant.
·
construct unified paragraphs with topic sentences and supporting
details that advance the thesis.
·
apply various methods of development such as illustration,
comparison and contrast, and/or analysis.
·
balance their individual voices with those from other texts.
·
employ style, tone, and mechanical conventions appropriate to the
demands of a particular audience or purpose.
Reflect and evaluate: recognize and incorporate newly acquired skills.
·
develop the ability to critique their own and others’ work.
·
gain a clearer perspective of habits that may detract from the
effectiveness of their own writing.
·
respond to comments from their instructor and peers.
Evaluation
Procedures:
Grades
will be based on assignments, essays, and participation in class discussions
and peer group evaluations. Each
assignment, especially essay assignments, carries a certain grade
percentage. There will be individual
grading criteria listed with each major assignment in addition to what is
listed generally in the syllabus. If you have questions that lie outside the
scope of what either explicates, please ask me so I can specifically address
your questions.
Major Assignments:
This
course is designed upon the principle idea of a workshop-style approach to
developing writing. Throughout the quarter we will be having discussions on
readings in the book and online, doing short homework assignments and
discussion work in Canvas, and working on essays. The approach to the essay
writing is simple—multiple drafts and peer revisions will result in a better
quality final product.
Final
Grade Elements:
·
Essays
·
Homework
·
Participation/Online work
Paper
Format Guidelines (3 general rules):
1.
All papers will be written using MLA format.
2.
No assignment will be accepted if submitted
by email (we will be using Canvas).
3.
You must STAPLE any assignment with more than
1 page before you turn it in.
Expectations
for Assignments:
You must turn in all assignments complete and on time.
Complete means everything specified in the assignment guidelines. Incomplete
assignments may not be graded, or may receive a 0. This is especially true if
you email an assignment. It won’t be considered as turned in, so expect the
assignment to be graded with 0 for non-completion.
The grade for any late assignments will be reduced 10%
each day it is late. Late essays and assignments will only be accepted up to
one week following the due date. Essay and assignments over a week late will
not be accepted. No late in-class writing assignments or quizzes will be
graded.
EMAILED ASSIGNMENTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Prior
Assignments:
I
will not accept assignments written for another class as a final draft of an
essay in this course. Assignments
completed for another class often do not meet the requirements for this course,
and I will grade your papers on how well they meet the Engl
101 competencies.
Revision
Policy:
Revision
is a major part of the course. You will
be expected to revise each essay based on peer editing before you turn in the
final draft. With the pace of the
course, I don’t allow assignments to be revised after the final version for
credit. If you are worried about the grade you may earn on an assignment, feel
free to speak with me BEFORE turning it in. I will be happy to give any feedback.
Attendance:
You
are expected to attend class regularly, and your success in this class depends
on part on that attendance. Be warned: in accordance with the BC/Arts &
Humanities policy, you may receive a failing grade (F) for the class if you
have 10+ absences.
Punctuality is also mandatory: 2
tardies = 1 absence, and so on. That means be on
time and don’t sneak out early. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of
class and if you’re not there at that time, you will be considered absent.
Should
you know you’ll miss a session, please let me know by email. It is important
for you to know the material in order to keep up with the rest of the class.
Electronic
Devices:
Electronic
devices may be used in this classroom for class work only. Use of electronic
devices for anything other than class work is not permitted. Ringers should be
silenced.
Mutual
Respect:
We're all here for the same reason, to learn. Yes, me too.
Therefore, we will all respect each other in this class. If you choose not to
respect your fellow learners, then you choose not to be in this class. Repeated
acts of gross disrespect will result in removal from the class. It's okay not
to agree with others, but you must be civil about it. If you have any
questions, please ask me or refer to the college’s “Affirmation of Inclusion”
posted in this classroom and online at http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/about/goals/inclusion.asp
Student Code of
Conduct:
“Cheating,
stealing and plagiarizing (using the ideas or words of another as one’s own
without crediting the source) and inappropriate/disruptive classroom behavior
are violations of the Student Code of Conduct at Bellevue College. Examples of unacceptable behavior include,
but are not limited to: talking out of turn, arriving late or leaving early
without a valid reason, allowing cell phones/pagers to ring, and inappropriate
behavior toward the instructor or classmates.
The instructor can refer any violation of the Student Code of Conduct to
the Vice President of Student Services for possible probation or suspension
from Bellevue College. Specific student
rights, responsibilities and appeal procedures are listed in the Student Code
of Conduct, available in the office of the Vice President of Student
Services.” The Student Code, Policy
2050, in its entirety is located at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/policies/2/2050_Student_Code.asp
Disability Resource
Center (DRC):
The Disability Resource Center serves students with a wide array
of learning challenges and disabilities. If you are a student who has a
disability or learning challenge for which you have documentation or have seen
someone for treatment and if you feel you may need accommodations in order to
be successful in college, please contact us as soon as possible. If you
are a student with a documented autism spectrum disorder, there is a program of
support available to you.
If you are a person who requires assistance in case of an
emergency situation, such as a fire, earthquake, etc, please meet with your
individual instructors to develop a safety plan within the first week of the
quarter.
The DRC office is located in B 132 or you can call our reception
desk at 425.564.2498. Deaf students can reach us by video phone at 425-440-2025
or by TTY at 425-564-4110. . . Please visit
our website for application information into our program and other helpful
links at www.bellevuecollege.edu/drc
Final Notes:
We
are here together for 12 weeks, and I wish for all of you to succeed. In this
class we will operate from a platform of mutual respect. That being said, I
expect a difference of opinion, and welcome it for understanding the
perspective of others will allow us to grow as individuals. Of course that
doesn’t give any single person free reign to berate or belittle anyone, and I
will not tolerate that.
I’m
here for you. Ask me questions. Send me emails. Whatever you do, don’t wait to
the last minute to seek help.
Important Links:
Arts & Humanities Policies
page (Student Procedures and Expectations)
http://bellevuecollege.edu/ArtsHum/policy.html
Arts and Humanities Commitment to
Student Growth and Development
http://bellevuecollege.edu/ArtsHum/AHGdlns-StdntGrwth.htm
Reading and Writing labs
http://bellevuecollege.edu/asc/reading/
http://bellevuecollege.edu/asc/writing/