ENGL& 101 Syllabus – English Composition I

(Item # 1060)

Winter Quarter 2017

 

 

 

Time:                         7:30-8:20 (Daily)

Room:                       211

Instructor:                  Steven L. Kent

E-mail:                       Steven.Kent@BellevueCollege.edu

Office location:           R-230 (If scheduled in advance)

 

 

READ

WRITE

THINK

 

  Writing is translating your thoughts into print.  If you can think clearly, you can write clearly, but you still need to master the rules and mechanics.  Before you can express your ideas clearly, you may need to fine tune your thinking and writing skills.  

  In this class, we take the writing process back to its basics.  Once we have covered the fundamental skills of grammar, punctuation and vocabulary, students are tasked with writing instructions and analysis.  These are skills that will help you for the rest of your life. 

  The first few weeks of class will be a refresher in grammar and punctuation.  Once we have covered that material, we will read fiction and nonfiction.  We will discuss the tools authors use to make you laugh, to make scare you and to make persuade you to share their opinions.  You will learn about sentence structure.  We will discuss essays, journalistic leads, allegory writing, reviewing, and the elements of horror.

 Come to this class prepared to do a lot of reading and know that you will be quizzed.  

 The goal of this class is to provide you with tools you will need throughout your college career and professional life.

Course Information

Course Outcomes

  Thoughts expressed on paper are required to follow rules, mores and conventions such as grammar, spelling, punctuation, and the proper use of vocabulary.  The goal of this class is to arm students with the tools they need to read, write, and think on a college level.

  After completing this class, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate various invention practices: brainstorming, free writing; outlining, journaling
• Demonstrate ability to write in various modes: personal narrative, expository, analytical, descriptive, argument
• Demonstrate the phases of writing: draft, revision, final copy
• Explore sources of writing: reading, thinking, analyzing, discussion
• Create a thesis statement that suggests the focus of the paper; does not point out the obvious, and is written as a sentence.
• Develop and include enough details and examples to support the identified thesis and reinforce focus
• Demonstrate various patterns of organization and use the organization pattern that suits your identified purpose & audience.
• Illustrate the concept of Audience in your writing.
• Artfully combine Audience, Purpose, and Tone in compositions written in and outside of class
• Write in a vocabulary appropriate to your subject and identified audience.
• Begin and conclude a paper effectively.
• Show effective control of mechanics: paragraphing, punctuation, spelling.
• Differentiate between key ideas and supporting details in reading
• Locate the thesis statement in reading assignments
• Practice good group skills: how to give useful feedback, and how to make use offeedback you receive
• Develop self-assessment skills

 

My Course Requirements

  Attendance counts.  PER DIVISION POLICY, ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY.  MISSING EIGHT CLASSES WILL RESULT IN A FAILING GRADE.  You will not be allowed to make up missed quizzes or in-class assignments.

  Arrive on time. Quizzes are given at the beginning of class.  If you arrive after the quiz has been collected, you miss the quiz.(Quizzes are generally worth five points; missing one or two will have little effect on your grade.) 

  No texting.  No browsing.  No kidding.  This is a college-level class.  If you bring your cell phone, netbook, iPad, iPod, tablet, PSP, 3DS, notebook, or any other electronic distraction to class, switch it off and leave it under your desk.  

  Students requiring notebooks for disability reasons are encouraged to bring notes from the Disability Resource Center (DRC). The instructor honors all requests made through the DRC.

  No eating in class.  THIS INCLUDES BOTTLED WATER AND COFFEE.  

  Offer your ideas.  Class participation is not mandatory but it can impact your grade.  Silent observers will not receive points for participation. Students who participate and help other students are often rewarded for their leadership.

  Bringing your books to class is encouraged.  You do not need to bring all four books to class, just the one we are currently reading. 

  All essays and stories must be submitted on Turnitin unless other arrangements are made. 

 Your writing is fair game.  We will discuss student essays and stories in class. 

  A word about extra credit--I seldom offer it.

  Preventing sexual harassment.  Title IX of the education amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination against any participant in an educational program or activity that receives federal funds, including Federal loans and grants.  Title IX also covers student-to-student sexual harassment. 

  Further information about Bellevue College policy regarding Title IX can be found at Title IX web site. 

  Expectations posted by the Arts and Humanities Division (bellevuecollege.edu/artshum/policy.html)
http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/artshum/student-information/ (Links to an external site.)

 

Attendance:

Attendance at all scheduled class meetings is mandatory.  This requirement is particularly meant to apply to courses that are designated for classroom delivery, although distance education courses may also have certain attendance requirements. This requirement is intended 1) to prevent instructors from having to adjudicate individual excuses, and 2) to recognize that excuses are ultimately irrelevant both here at BC and in the workplace.

While specific attendance requirements are up to individual faculty members, the Arts and Humanities Division recognizes that attending class and participating actively are perhaps the most important way in which students can set themselves up for success.  Conversely, not attending class almost certainly leads to failure.

Students in performance courses (Drama, Music, etc.) are reminded that attendance builds the professional relationship necessary between partners or in working groups.

In order for students to be eligible for a grade in a course, they must not miss more than ten classes, or 20% of the total class time scheduled, for any reason.  When absences go beyond ten, instructors may a) give a grade of "F" for the course, or b) lower the final grade as much as they see fit.  This does not imply that you may be absent fewer than ten times or 20% without seeing an effect on your grade; indeed, we wish to emphasize that any absence undermines your progress and will result in your having to work harder to catch up.  Ten absences or 20% is merely the figure beyond which you cannot go without risking your eligibility for a course grade.  In cases of legitimate hardship, students may also request that instructors grant a “HW” (hardship withdrawal), which is a non-credit grade. 

In summary, if you miss six classes or 20 percent of class time in any given quarter, you will receive a failing grade.  Whatever written policy an instructor has in the syllabus will be upheld by the Arts and Humanities Division in any grievance process.

 

Dropping A Course:

If you decide to drop a course, you are responsible for doing the required paperwork at the Student Services Center.  Should you fail to do so, your name will appear on the final roster and your instructor will be required to assign a grade for you—in most cases, that will be an "F."  Many instructors, in fact, feel strongly that students who take up seats in this unproductive way are keeping more serious students from getting an education, so they use "F" grades for "phantoms."

 

Classroom Environment:

The college's "Affirmation of Inclusion” is posted in each classroom and sets forth the expectation that we will all treat one another with respect and dignity regardless of whether or not we agree philosophically.  This expectation is in line with the principle of free speech in a free society:  we have the right to express unpopular ideas as long as we don't show disrespect for reasonable people who might believe otherwise.  In an on-line course, you will be expressing ideas through the medium of the course site rather than face to face in the classroom.  In that case, these expectations refer to the courtesy with which you communicate with one another through e-mails and e-discussions.

Part of this respect involves professional behavior toward the instructor, colleagues, and the class itself.  Disruptive behavior is disrespectful behavior.  The Arts and Humanities Division honors the right of its faculty to define "disruptive behavior," which often involves such things as arriving late, leaving early, leaving class and then returning, talking while others are trying to hear the instructor or their group members, doing other homework in class, wearing earphones in class, bringing activated beepers, alarm watches, or cellular phones into class, inappropriate comments or gestures, etc.  In on-line courses, “flaming’ anyone in the class is also considered disruptive behavior.  Such behavior interrupts the educational process.  When you are in doubt about any behavior, consult your instructor during office hours:  we recognize the judgment of the instructor as the final authority in these matters.

When disruptive behavior occurs, instructors will speak to or e-mail the students concerned.  Those students are then responsible for ending the disruptions at once.  Failure to do so may result in removal of the students from class.

 

Values Conflicts:

Essential to a liberal arts education is an open-minded tolerance for ideas and modes of expression which might conflict with one’s personal values.  By being exposed to such ideas or expressions, students are not expected to endorse or adopt them but rather to understand that they are part of the free flow of information upon which higher education depends.

To this end, you may find that class requirements may include engaging certain materials, such as books, films, and art work, which may, in whole or in part, offend you.  These materials are equivalent to required texts and are essential to the course content.  If you decline to engage the required material by not reading, viewing, or performing material you consider offensive, you will still be required to meet class requirements in order to earn credit.  This may require responding to the content of the material, and you may not be able to fully participate in required class discussions, exams, or assignments.  Consult the syllabus and discuss such issues with the instructor.

 

Academic Honesty:

The principle of academic honesty underlies all that we do and applies to all courses at Bellevue College .  One kind of academic dishonesty is plagiarism, which may take many forms, including, but not limited to, using a paper written by someone else, using printed sources word-for-word without proper documentation, and paraphrasing or summarizing the ideas of others without acknowledging the source.  Plagiarism can also occur when non-written ideas are taken without documentation--using someone else's design or performance idea, for example.  In short, plagiarism is passing off someone else's ideas, words, or images as your own; it amounts to intellectual theft--whether or not it was your intention to steal.  Bellevue College instructors have access to commercial plagiarism detection software, so please be advised that any work you submit may be tested for plagiarism.

Participating in academic dishonesty in any way, including writing a paper or taking a test for someone else, may result in severe penalties.  Dishonestly produced papers automatically receive a grade of "F" without the possibility of make-up.  The Dean of Student Services will also be notified of such conduct, and repetition of the behavior will result in progressively more serious disciplinary action (for example, an instructor may recommend that the student fail the course for a second offense or even that a student be expelled for a serious offense, such as stealing an exam).

Grades lowered for plagiarism or other forms of dishonesty may be appealed through the regular channels, and any further disciplinary action taken by the Dean may also be appealed through existing processes.

Students in English 201 should note that documentation is a major objective of that course, so failure to scrupulously document supporting material in your papers may result in a failing grade for that entire course.  Students in all courses requiring research papers should also note that matters of documentation form go beyond editing; they are closely related to the content of the paper.  Improper form in research papers is grounds for failing the paper.  Individual instructors will clarify documentation requirements for specific assignments.  If you have any doubts as to whether you are documenting properly, do not hesitate to consult your instructor.

 

Reading Level:

Reading skills are absolutely essential for your success in any college program.  The following reading levels are recommended for our courses.

most 100 level courses:                                 high developmental , or college level

200 level courses:                                         106 or college level

 

Our experience shows that students reading three levels below the level of a course text can expect to fail the course.

 

Writing Level :

Writing skills are equally essential for your sucess in any college program.  The following writing levels are recommended for our courses.

most 100 level courses:                                    ENGL& 101 placement

200 level courses:                                             ENGL& 101 completion

Our experience shows that students writing below the level of a course text can expect to work much harder than prepared students and may even still perform poorly on exams and papers.

 

The First Week of Classes:

 It is important to attend classes from the very beginning.  If you cannot do so, you are responsible for notifying your instructor.  Your instructor is in no way responsible for re-teaching material that you missed because of your failure to attend the first classes.  Indeed, missing crucial introductory material may affect your performance during the remainder of the course.

 

Classroom Materials:

Students are responsible for consulting the course syllabus daily and bringing to class the appropriate texts and materials.  Failure to do so does not constitute an exception from the daily work.

 

Late Work:

Individual instructors make their own rules on accepting or grading late work.  The Arts and Humanities Division believes strongly that honoring deadlines is essential for student success. Consult your instructor regarding any late work.  In general, late work may be  a) downgraded as severely as the instructor chooses,  b) given no credit, but still be required for passing the course, or  c) not accepted at all.  The extent to which late work affects grades is up to the instructor.  Instructors may also elect not to give feedback to works in progress if required drafts or plans are not turned in on time.

Failure to attend class on the day a paper is due does not constitute an excuse for lateness.  Similarly, missing an exam does not oblige the instructor to give a make-up.  Your instructors will inform you about their individual penalties for late papers and missed exams.

All lateness or absence on due days or exam days should be arranged with the instructor well in advance

 

Auditing:

Auditing a course does not excuse students from doing the work of the course.  All auditors need to meet with the instructor during the first week to sign a contract specifying the level of participation that is expected.

 

Waiting Lists:

Bellevue College uses an automated waitlist process that offers students a fair and consistent method of being enrolled in a full class if openings occur.  If a class is full, you can choose to be put on the waitlist; you will automatically be enrolled in the class when a space becomes available and you are first on the list.  Students move up on the list as others are enrolled.  It is your responsibility to check your schedule daily to find out if you have been enrolled into the class.

After the open enrollment period ends, instructors may admit students using blue “Special Permit to Enroll” cards, at their sole discretion.

 

Retaining Student Work:

Students are welcome to contact the instructor to pick up past assignments.  Any assignments left with the instructor will be disposed of at the end of the semester.  

 

Student Responsibility:

Instructors may, at their discretion, agree to accept student work that is submitted in various ways, including in person, to the division office, or via e-mail.  It is the student’s responsibility to verify that all assignments are actually received by the instructor, whether they are submitted in person or electronically.

It is the student's responsibility, not the instructor's, to initiate communication about progress or concerns with the course.  Instructors are under no obligation to inform students that work is overdue, to nag students to complete assignments, or to call students who fail to attend class.  Similarly, students need to keep themselves informed about syllabus changes that may have been made in class.  We suggest finding a partner the first week of classes and keeping each other up to date if one is absent.

 

Students With Special Needs:

Students with disabilities who have accommodation needs are required to meet with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) , room B132 (telephone 425.564.2498 or TTY 425.564.4110), to establish their eligibility for accommodation.  The DRC office will provide each eligible student with an accommodation letter. Students who require accommodation in class must review the DRC accommodation letter with each instructor during the first week of the quarter.

Students with mobility challenges who may need assistance in case of an emergency situation or evacuation should register with the Disability Resource Center, or review those needs with the instructor as well.

 

Students Observing Religious Holidays:

The Arts & Humanities Division of Bellevue College, committed to advancing pluralism, recognizes its students’ diverse religious beliefs.  Those students who wish to observe a religious holy day should not be penalized for doing so. Whenever feasible, students should be allowed to make up academic assignments that are missed due to such absences. However, the student must notify the instructor in writing at the beginning of the quarter (no later than the end of week 2). Because religious holidays are scheduled in advance, instructors have the right to insist that course work be completed prior to an anticipated absence for religious observances.

 

Grading: 

You will be graded on the following:                                                            

Quizzes                                                                                               20% of your grade 

Essays and writing assignments                                                         50% of your grade

Mid-term exam                                                                                   15% of your grade

Final                                                                                                   15% of your grade

  

The link to the College Grading Policy is located on page 10 of the Course Catalog and also on the web at:http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/policies/id-3000/ (Links to an external site.).

 

Books and Materials Required

Title:                                                                                         Author:                         Publisher:

Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips...                                    Mignon Fogarty            St. Martins/Griffin

The Green Mile                                                                       Stephen King                Pocket Books

The Autobiography of Malcolm X                                            Alex Haley                    Norton Publishing

 

               

  

Classroom Learning Atmosphere

Instructor’s Expectations

Affirmation of Inclusion:

Bellevue College is committed to maintaining an environment in which every member of the campus community feels welcome to participate in the life of the college, free from harassment and discrimination.

We value our different backgrounds at Bellevue College, and students, faculty, staff members, and administrators are to treat one another with dignity and respect.  http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/policies/id-4000/ (Links to an external site.)

 

Student Code

“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://www.bellevuecollege.edu/policies/id-2050/ (Links to an external site.)

 

Important Links
Bellevue College E-mail and access to MyBc

All students registered for classes at Bellevue College are entitled to a network and e-mail account.  Your student network account can be used to access your student e-mail, log in to computers in labs and classrooms, connect to the BC wireless network and log in to MyBC. To create your account, go to:   https://www.bellevuecollege.edu/netid/ (Links to an external site.)

BC offers a wide variety of computer and learning labs to enhance learning and student success. Find current campus locations for all student labs by visiting the Computing Services website. (Links to an external site.)

 

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 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 (Links to an external site.)

Public Safety

The Bellevue College (BC) Public Safety Department’s well trained and courteous non-commissioned staff provides personal safety, security, crime prevention, preliminary investigations, and other services to the campus community, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.  Their phone number is 425.564.2400.  The Public Safety website is your one-stop resource for campus emergency preparedness information, campus closure announcements and critical information in the event of an emergency. Public Safety is located in D-171 (accessible through the Print Center Lobby at D-175) and on the web at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/publicsafety/ (Links to an external site.)

 

Academic Calendar

The Bellevue College Academic Calendar is separated into two calendars. They provide information about holidays, closures and important enrollment dates such as the finals schedule.

• Enrollment Calendar - http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/enrollment/deadlines/ (Links to an external site.). On this calendar you will find admissions and registration dates and important dates for withdrawing and receiving tuition refunds.
• College Calendar - http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/enrollment/holidays/ (Links to an external site.). This calendar gives you the year at a glance and includes college holidays, scheduled closures, quarter end and start dates, and final exam dates.

 

Course Calendar

(My apologies.  As I adapt to each class and its needs, I often break away from this schedule.)

 

 

January 2017
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri		Sat
		3) The first week of this class is very fast paced with very little time for discussion.  Students will begin the class by taking "The Beginning Final Exam." Reading assignment: Grammar Girl, Pages 1-52.	4)  In-class video analysis.  Students will be given a writing assignment.	5)  There may be a surprise quiz. Short assignments due at the beginning of class. Class will watch another video and be given a slightly longer writing assignment.	6)  There may be a surprise quiz. Essays due at the beginning of class. Class will discuss the previous assignment.
	9) Beginning finals will be returned and discussed. Class goals and policies will be discussed as well.   ALL STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO HAVE READ THE SYLLABUS.  Reading assignment: Grammar Girl, Pages 52-128.	10)  First major essay assigned. Inevitable argument about the unfairness of the first topic followed by the teacher pretending he is sympathetic to your concerns. Discuss careers for writers. Discuss writing tools.	11) Analysis of a great essay. Discuss things that make writing stronger or weaker.	12) Discuss the rules and reasons of Grammar.	13) Discuss the Writing Lab. Discuss the Donkey and the Fox. Discuss Grammar Girl.
	16) THERE WILL BE NO CLASS TODAY.	17) Discussion about outlining and research. Reading assignment: Finish Grammar Girl.	18) Discuss Stephen King and The Green Mile. Discuss the setting and people of The Green Mile. What we learn about the author from his writing	19) Essays due at the beginning of class. Final discussion about Grammar and Grammar Girl.  From this point on, students will be expected to understand the rules of grammar and punctuation.	20) Review examples from essays.
	23) Review examples from essays. Graded essays will be returned.  Students may correct errors and return original essays with corrected essays for points.	24) Review examples from essays.	25) Discussion: careers in writing.	26) In-class exercise: technical writing	27) Corrected essays due at the beginning of class.
	30) Discuss tools that writers use. Discuss analysis versus editorial. Reading assignment: The Green Mile,  pages 1-160	31) Begin class discussion of the "Elements of Horror."

 

 

 

 

February 2017
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri		Sat
			1) Continue discussion about the "Elements of Horror."	2)  Continue discussion about the "Elements of Horror."	3) Continue discussion about the "Elements of Horror."
	6) Complete discussion about the "Elements of Horror." Discuss and assign second essay.  Reading Assignment: The Green Mile pages 161-332.	7) Begin watching film	8) Continue watching film	9) THERE WILL BE NO CLASS TODAY	10) In-class discussion about the difference between analysis and review. In-class exercise.
	13) Discussion of journalism—History, significance, and future. Discuss editorial, opinion, and review writing.  Reading assignment: Finish reading The Green Mile.	14) Midterm examination.	15) Second essay is due at the beginning of class. Discuss inverted pyramid and Wall Street Journal leads.	16) Discuss review writing. In-class exercise on review writing.	17) Review examples from essays.
	20) THERE WILL BE NO CLASS TODAY.	21) One-on-one conference with students to discuss their grades.	22) Review examples from essays.	23) Review examples from essays.	24) Review examples from essays.
	27) Second essays will be returned.  (You will not be allowed to resubmit this essay.) Midterm returned and results discussed.  Reading assignment: The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Introduction and chapters 1-4.	28) The tools of fiction. The differences between horror, romance, suspense and science fiction. Discuss books about redemption.

 

 

March 2017
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri		Sat
			1) Discuss allegory, analogy, irony and satire. Third essay assigned.	2) Discuss differences between fact and fiction writing. Discuss creative nonfiction.	3) Decoding allegories, parodies and parables. In-class exercise--group allegories. (If time permits.)
	6) Third essay is due at the beginning of class. Review of outlining and editing.  Reading assignment: The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Introduction and chapters 5-9.	7) THERE WILL BE CLASS TODAY.	8) Begin discussion of the methods of persuasion.	9) Continue discussion of the methods of persuasion.	10) Complete discussion of the methods of persuasion. Fourth essay assigned.
	13) One-on-one conferences. Reading assignment: Finish reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X, including the epilogue.	14) Discussion of the evolving world of writing.	15) Discussion of the evolving world of writing.	16) Final discussion of the rules of grammar.	17) Final Exam.