Note: This is the standard departmental classroom syllabus for English 1301 at ACC. You may notice some differences between this general syllabus and other specific course documents for your section of English 1301 PCM. In all cases, follow the guidelines, assignments, quizzes, and other activities that are provided by your instructor for your section of English 1301 PCM.



ENGLISH 1301

COMPOSITION I COURSE SYLLABUS



Course Description
ENGLISH 1301 is a study of the principles of composition with emphasis on language, the mechanics of writing, types of discourse, and research and documentation.


Course Objectives
The goals of Composition I are to promote
        • critical thinking, reading, and writing;
        • clear, coherent, confident, and effective communication;
        • collaborative writing and learning.


Course Outcomes
Upon completion of English 1301, students should be able to
        • identify rhetorical purposes and methods of organization appropriate to topic, thesis, and audience;
        • collect, read, analyze, and use information from a wide range of sources;
        • write a coherent essay observing appropriate grammatical, mechanical, and stylistic conventions;
        • evaluate, edit, and revise at all stages of the writing process.


Requirements
All students in all sections will write between five and nine essays over the course of the semester, including an essay written under supervision in the Testing Center, known as the Departmental Exam, which must be passed to pass the course with a minimum grade of "C." Of these essays, one will be a research paper of at least 1000 words, and one will be a textual analysis. The research paper will use MLA style and will require a minimum of three sources, including at least two different types of sources. The remaining essays will achieve at least two of the following rhetorical aims: expressive, literary, referential, and persuasive. Together, all papers will comprise a minimum of 3500 words. In writing each essay, students will use one or more of the following methods of development: cause and effect, comparison/contrast, classification, definition, description, illustration, narration, process analysis, and evaluation. They will also complete The Info Game, an online information literacy program. Instructors may also assign readings, quizzes, multiple drafts, and other activities that affect final grades. Instructors will provide specific written guidelines for each assignment and may require part or all of at least one paper to be written under supervision.

Your instructor will use one of two systems of grading, or a combination of the two systems.


System 1: Accept/Edit/Revise/Rewrite

Students must receive "Accepted" on four to six essays to be eligible to receive a permit for taking the Departmental Exam. Additional assignments are required for the grades of "B" and "A."

Your final grade will be determined by the grade level you complete. Each paper will be marked "ACCEPTED," "EDIT," "REVISE," or "REWRITE." (You may submit only one paper at a time; when one is ACCEPTED, you may submit the next one.) In addition, compliance with your instructor's point system for deadlines and activities may determine your eligibility for a grade of "B" or "A."

ACCEPTED: the paper fulfills the objectives of the assignment and is relatively free of grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors.

EDIT: the paper fulfills the objectives of the assignment but contains errors. You must avoid similar errors in subsequent papers in order to progress in the course.

REVISE: the paper needs improvement in style, organization, or development.
REWRITE: the paper does not fulfill the objectives of the assignment.


"B" Requirement: Write an essay according to guidelines provided by your instructor. Minimum length: 1000 words. Your instructor may provide an alternative assignment. The "B" paper will be evaluated "Accept" or "Rewrite" only.

"A" PAPER: Following guidelines provided by your instructor, write an essay using two or more sources on a similar topic. Minimum length: 1000 words. MLA Documentation required. The "A" paper will be evaluated "Accept" or "Rewrite" only.

System 2: Letter Grades

Your instructor will assign letter or number grades to some or all required essays. Students will be given the opportunity to draft and revise each assignment one or more times (instructor will determine how many times and how final grade will be awarded). Students will also be required to pass the Departmental Exam (see description below) in the Testing Center to pass the course with a minimum grade of "C." Your instructor's grading system will be explained in detail in his or her individual course syllabus.

The Departmental Exam

The Departmental Exam will be taken under supervision in the Testing Center. Given a selection to read, you will write an interpretive essay of at least 750 words analyzing the selection. This essay will be evaluated "ACCEPTED" or "RETEST" only. If you do not pass on the first try, you may retest twice. Your essay must include a summary, analysis, and evaluation and must demonstrate the following:

        • coherence, critical thinking, and an understanding of the selection's thesis,
         purpose(s), and method(s) of organization;
        • adherence to stylistic, grammatical, and mechanical conventions


Enrollment in ENGL 1302 requires credit for 1301, or its equivalent, with a least a grade of "C." Instructor will verify.

Your instructor may establish deadlines by which you must complete a specific number of assignments or be subject to WITHDRAWAL from the course. It is your responsibility to know whether your instructor will withdraw you if you do not meet such deadlines.

NOTE: You must provide your instructor with a Composition I File Folder (available in the bookstores) for your papers. Your instructor will keep your folder for one semester following your enrollment. You are responsible for making copies of any papers you want to keep for your files. [Students in Skrabanek's sections of English 1301 PCM do not need to provide this folder. I will keep all your papers on file or in electronic form.]


Learning Lab Policy for "B" and "A" Papers
Departmental policy allows students to receive only very general assistance writing "B" and "A" papers in Composition I and II. Examples of such assistance include pre-writing activities and review of writing principles and of grammar and documentation conventions in response to student questions. In addition, individual faculty are free to prohibit students from seeking specific kinds of or any assistance on the "B" and "A" papers and may do so by sending a memo to the learning labs and by stipulating the restriction in class syllabi.

Scholastic Dishonesty
Acts prohibited by the College for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty (e.g., cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work). Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research, or self-expression. Academic work is defined as (but not limited to) tests and quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations; and homework.

Student Freedom of Expression
Each student is strongly encouraged to participate in class. In any classroom situation that includes discussion and critical thinking, there are bound to be many differing viewpoints. These differences enhance the learning experience and create an atmosphere where students and instructors alike will be encouraged to think and learn. On sensitive and volatile topics, students may sometimes disagree not only with each other but also with the instructor. It is expected that faculty and students will respect the views of others when expressed in classroom discussions.

Students with Disabilities
Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes. Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the semester.

Withdrawal Policy
The Texas State Legislature has passed a bill stating that students who first enroll in public colleges and universities beginning in fall 2007 and thereafter may not withdraw from more than six classes during their undergraduate college career. See ACC Student Handbook for further information.

Last update: 15 January 2010