ENGL101-1.Spring19.docx

 

 

Spring 2019 ENGL 101 Syllabus

Instructor: José A. Aparicio 

E-mail: jose.aparicio@bellevuecollege.edu   

Phone: 713-701-7439

                                               

Office Location: R 230 G    

Office Hours: Mon.- Thurs: 9:00am -  10:00am; Fri. 11:30-12:30;  or by appointment

 

Course Information

 

ENGL 101: English Composition    Section: HYG

Room: R205    Days: Tues. & Thurs.   Hours: 11:30 – 12:20

 

This course will help you develop clear, effective writing skills and emphasizes writing as a process. Students practice writing in a variety of forms and modes. Prerequisite: Placement by assessment or ENGL 092 or 093 with a C- or better.

 

Course Outcomes

After completing this class, students should be able to:

• Think Critically and Read Analytically: carefully interpret and evaluate claims, beliefs, arguments or issues, reading various texts critically for purposes of interpretation, analysis, synthesis, or evaluation.
• Compose and Revise in Context: shape written responses for--and employ style, tone, and mechanical conventions appropriate to--the demands of different audiences and purposes, using various methods of development such as illustration, comparison and contrast, and analysis, and balancing their individual voices with those from other texts.
• Reflect, Collaborate & Evaluate: incorporate newly acquired skills, both individually and with peers, to critique their own and others’ work, to gain a clearer perspective of habits that may detract from the effectiveness of their own writing, and to develop flexible strategies for revising, editing, and proofreading in response to comments from their instructor and peers.

How Outcomes Will be Met:

These outcomes will be met through the various writing assignments, class discussions,on-line discussions through Canvas, and various brainstorming/prewriting activities.

 

Class Theme:

This course will focus on eating and food and your relationship to eating and food, including relationships you might not even realize. The idea of food—how we eat it, what we eat, why we eat it, how we cook it, how we grow it, take care of it, and bring it to the table—will govern everything about this course. However, the course is a composition class, so, of course, first and foremost, you will have a great deal of reading and writing. As an ENGL course, you will learn how academic writing begins as a seed, becomes planted, nurtured, and grows. A writer, like a good chef, plants fresh ingredients and takes care of them while they grow. The writer will then take the ingredients and let them speak to him/her until the writer figures out what he/she wants to say.

 

Once that seed becomes a plant, writing must be prepared and cultivated in order for it to be consumed. Once those ingredients are ready to eat, the writer/chef must put them together in a tasty manner for consumption. You will become writing “chefs.” You will learn about different ingredients, you will water and take care of those ingredients; then you will create a “feast” or essay.  All the writings we read and all the writing that you do will somehow center on food. As the course progresses and you write an assortment of essays, you may consider the ethics of marketing junk food to children or the practicality of Chipolte’s business model or the idea of “farm to table.” You may decide to research agribusiness, genetically modified foods, the ethics of eating animals, or obesity and food-related health issues. You may explore the role of food in a novel, a theology of eating, or the ethics of local meat. The possibilities are just about as endless as the many ways we prepare plants and animals for our dinner tables.

 

Grading

You will be able to access your grades on Canvas throughout the semester. You will be graded on a point system where you earn points towards your grade. At the end of the term, all points in the course (1,000 points total) will be added up and grades will be distributed as follows

Arts & Humanities grading procedure:

1,000-930        A

900-920           A-

890-870           B+

860-830           B

820-800           B-

790-770           C+

760-730           C

720-700           C-

690-670           D+

660-630           D

620-600           D-

590---              F

 

Participation/class work (200 points + 10 points for class work): 210 points

Discussion Boards (10 post x 20 points each): 200 points

Presentation (2 x 100 points each):  200 points

Peer Review (3 reviews x 30points each):  90 points

Three Major Projects (3 x 100points each): 300 points

Total: 1000 points

You can get more details about Bellevue College’s grading policy here. You will have detailed rubrics for all your major projects. The over all quality of ALL your work will be compared to the grading policy.

Books and Materials Required

1)You will need reliable and readily available access to the internet. If you do not have it at home, you need to make time to do work in the computer labs, spots on campus, or public library.

2) You will need notebook/paper and a pen or pencil.

3) A flash Drive to back up ALL your work

4) Access to http://writingcommons.org/

 

-- Supplemental readings posted on Canvas

 

Participation (200 points)

This class is yours, and your class will grow out of your own experiences with identity/subjectivity and with how experiences have helped shape your lives, which is reflected in our readings; therefore, this class requires that you participate in sharing your thoughts and ideas. (Note that participation counts MORE than your individual papers). If everyone is prepared for class, then we can have a classroom environment in which all students feel totally free to say what they think, ask questions, object, criticize, request clarification, return to previous subject matter, respond to someone else's response, etc. Students who are clinically shy, or those whose best, most pressing questions and comments occur to them only in private or outside of class, should do their discussing with me outside of class during office hours or set up an appointment. Your ideas are good, so don’t be afraid to voice them or to use class discussion to think out ideas. Don’t be afraid to ask the class questions—questions are always welcomed since they usually spark great discussions.

 

In participation, as in the class as a whole, I follow David Foster Wallace, who says  “This [participating in class in a respectful manner] does not mean we have to sit around smiling sweetly at one another for [an hour every day] … In class you are invited (more like urged) to disagree with one another and with me—and I get to disagree with you—provided we are all respectful of each other and not snide, savage or abusive. … In other words, this class is not just a Find-Out-What-The-Teacher-Thinks-And-Regurgitate-It-Back-at-Him course. It’s not like math or physics—there are no right or wrong answers (though there are interesting versus dull, fertile versus barren, plausible versus whacko answers).”

 

You are encouraged to engage the class material in a critical, thoughtful manner and to consider all sides of an interpretation. When I disagree with you, I might be playing devil’s advocate and disagreeing just to engage in a Platonic dialogue in order to get you to think about your stance and come up with a more critical approach, or I might genuinely disagree—the outcome to my pushing back on your comments are the same: I want you to think critically and creatively about the works we read, and I want to see that critical thinking in your writing.

 

Class discussion will help you develop your critically thinking. Most people believe that clear thinking translates to clear writing. Discussions in class about the material we cover will allow you to understand that material better, and will help your classmates and me to understand them better, and will help you in general become more skilled at articulating yourself verbally and constructing verbal arguments, beliefs, and ideas. Students will be evaluated over the course of the semester.  At the end of the semester, the evaluations and the overall performance are considered in terms of improvement or change.

 

Here is a very general idea of a range of performance evaluations:

C-/C: Student contributes (rarely), but comments show weak or no preparation or understanding of topic

C+/B-/B: Comments show satisfactory or adequate preparation and understanding

B+/A-: Comments show above-average ability to prepare, comprehend; comments are critical or informative; comments are pertinent to the topic or advance the topic

A/A+: Comments significantly enhance or advance the topic of discussion

 

• Don't hold back if you have something to offer or ask; active participation is desirable.
• Good or excellent contributions are clear, pertinent, coherent, well-phrased, interesting, informative, or connect or advance ideas expressed by others, or pose thoughtful or insightful questions.
• Good contributions usually reveal that the student is engaged in the subject (beyond basically reading the assignment) and has devoted some reflection or even investigation prior to the class discussion.
• Showing appreciation and respect for peers is part of participating well and contributing to a supportive academic setting.
• Improvement: students showing marked change in performance will see that reflected in the final grade.
• Thus, careful preparation, regular attendance, and participation are essential to success in this course. If all you do is show up (but don’t participate, don’t ask questions or engage in class discussion, are unprepared for group work and peer reviews), then you havre done the minimum and will receive no better than a 70/100 points. Attendance/participation not only counts for 10% of your final grade, but also enhances all other grade components.

 

If you show up to class and play on your phones, sleep, disrupt class, are unprepared to discuss the day’s readings or the homework, or generally do not pay attention, you will be marked as absent and you will get a zero for that day’s participation.

 

Class Work (10 points):

You will be asked to write in your notebook on a regular basis in class. You will write reflections, reading responses, invention exercises, or whatever else might inspire you in these journals. I will not grade this journal for grammar or correctness. I will not even read what is in the journal (unless you want me to). These journals are for you to free-write ideas and to use as pre-writing, idea starting, reflections on the class. I will merely look to see that something is written in it. You cannot do this work on your computer. You need to put pen to paper.

 

Attendance Policy

Attendance is mandatory. This class will have very little lecture. Furthermore, you are required to be present a minimum of 80% of the time, which means if you miss more than 80%, you will not be able to pass the class. I cannot stress this enough: YOU WILL FAIL THE COURSE IF YOU MISS TOO MANY DAYS (including days marked absent for illegal phone use, lateness, and not paying attention in class). In a class that only meets twice a week for 11 weeks for a total of 22 days, that means you can only miss 3 days of class. If you miss 4 class, you will fail the class. As this course is in “seminar style,” and is thus based on discussion, attendance is very important. Students are expected to be in class, to read or view all relevant materials in advance, and to contribute to the discussion. Note that “attendance” is defined as physical and mental presence, which means if you are here but not paying attention, disrupting, or otherwise not engaged in the class, you will be marked as absent. A sign-in sheet will be passed around during every class period; it is the student’s responsibility to keep up with signing the attendance sheet. If you “forget” to sign the attendance sheet, you will be marked absent. If students leave class early, they will not get credit for attendance on that day.

 

Late/Tardiness:

When you walk in to class late, you disturb me and your classmates, who will probably be in the middle of something. Please walk in quietly and try to catch up. If you are 10 or more minutes late, you will be counted as half absent for the day. If you are late twice, that equals one absence. Students who anticipate the necessity of being absent from class due to the observation of a major religious observance must provide notice of the date(s) to the instructor, in writing, by the second week of classes. Should an examination or the due date for an assignment fall on one of these dates, YOU will make arrangements with me for a make-up exam or an alternate date for submission of written work; otherwise, I will count it as a zero. In the end, there is no excuse for missing any work since you are responsible for completing that work. If it is a presentation, then YOU have to set up a time to come to my office and present that work. If it is an essay or other homework assignment, then YOU are responsible for turning it in before the due date if you forsee an inability to have internet/computer access. Aside from these extenuating circumstances, I do not make a distinction between excused and unexcused absences. You are allowed to miss days for whatever reason you want without having to explain it to me, but if you are not here, then you are not learning.

 

Discussion Boards (10 post x 10 points each for 100 point):

As a hybrid class, you will be responsible for completing work on Friday that we would have completed during the face-to-face time; therefore, you will have a discussion post due every single Friday. You will be asked to write reflections on topics, stories, journal entries, reading responses, or other types of writing to help you reflect on what we are discussing in class. The point of the discussion board is to keep the conversations we begin in class going after class. In some cases, we might use your initial thoughts from the discussion board to spark in-class conversations. These entries will not be graded for grammar or “correctness,” just for making a good faith effort.

 

Presentation (Two presentations at 100 points each for 200 points):

Group Presentations: As a group, prepare a 10-15 minute presentation on your reading selection. In a powerpoint, google slide share, prezi, or other entertaining and engaging manner the group should present the following:

Each group member should contribute a favorite direct quote or two from the text (make sure to include page numbers and know the context; the group should have five different quotes—everyone can’t pick the same exact line). Summarize and explain the significant points. Evaluate the text; in other words, what is Foer’s point? To inform? To Argue? To persuade? And how effective is he in doing so?

The group should summarize and respond to the selection:

The Summary:

A summary is a concise presentation of all the main ideas in a text. It cites the author and the title; it contains the text’s thesis and supporting ideas; it uses direct quotation of forceful or concise statements of the author's ideas; it will NOT usually cite the author's examples or supporting details unless they are central to the main idea. Most summaries present the major points in the order that the author made them and continually refer back to the text being summarized (i.e. "Foer argues that ..." or "Foer also points out that ... ").

The Response:

A response is a critique or evaluation of the author's writing. Unlike the summary, it is composed of YOUR opinions in relation to the article being summarized. It examines ideas that you agree or disagree with and identifies the essay's strengths and weaknesses in reasoning and logic, in quality of supporting examples, and in organization and style. A good response is persuasive; therefore, it should cite facts, examples, and personal experience that either refutes or supports the article you're responding to, depending on your stance.

The group should end with thoughtful questions for the class to discuss (at least five and no more than 10). What ideas or concepts did the group find challenging? And challenging here means: did the text challenge any long held, personal beliefs? What questions linger? What was confusing? What did the group find difficult to understand? The group should help lead a class discussion.

EACH group member will write up a short explanation to me describing what he/she did to contribute to the group presentation. This summary essay MUST BE SIGNED by each member and turned in after the presentation. No one will receive a grade until I have this summary.

(A detailed assignment sheet for group presentations is posted in Canvas).

 

Peer Review (3 reviews x 30 points each for 90 points):

Peer review has always been an important part of the writing process. Using language is inherently a social process. Many people find discussions with trusted colleagues to be an invaluable way to develop and polish ideas. Professionals in most disciplines, for example, attend conferences so that they can discuss ideas with colleagues and leading researchers. Writers in business and scientific contexts commonly work in teams with individuals responsible for their areas of expertise, such as marketing language, audience, finance, research, and editing.  Some authors do not feel comfortable beginning a new project until they have discussed their ideas with others.  Successful writers do not wait until they have completed a project before seeking constructive criticism.  Instead, they share early drafts with critics.

 

As a peer reviewer, you can't just say, "I liked it," or "I didn't like it." Instead, you want to give the writer information that will really help to improve what the writer has written. What is important to remember is that while you should not be harsh or personal, you should be honest. Saying something works when it really does not will not help anyone. 

 

Three Major Projects (3 projects x 100 points each for 300 points):

You will write three major essays in multiple genres and complete a digital project. Detailed assignment sheets and rubrics will be posted in Canvas.

 

Project One—Rhetorical Analysis (100 points):

In Project One, you will analyze our course reader, Eating Animals or one of the other texts we have read thus far. You won’t argue a position, but will identify, analyze, and evaluate forms and strategies in a persuasive text and discuss how it is that a writer advances a position.Ask yourself: How does Foer assemble an argument?

Your essay should be between 850-1,000 words (not including the header, title, and works cited page), use MLA format, and use a minimum of two sources (the primary text and one other one of your choosing).

Your essay should analyze J.S. Foer’s use of rhetoric (ethos, logos, pathos, kiaros), and how effective he was in using it. Once you establish the author’s purpose (how is he or she trying to persuade the reader?), decide whether or not the essay is successful in accomplishing it by analyzing the rhetorical elements used.  How did one or more of the author’s rhetorical choices work towards or against the purpose?  Analyze the essay multiple times per above, then pose an answer—this will be your thesis. Then find evidence from the text to support it.

 

Project Two—Food Narrative/Informative (100 points):

For Project Two, you will narrate your food story/memory. This essay requires you to both narrate a story that helps shape your identity (much like Foer’s Grandmother’s chicken story). Using Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals as a sample, you will write an autobiographical narrative that revolves around food. As Foer does, you are required to creatively integrate at least two outside sources. The sources can be anything that relates to your narrative, but the narrative absolutely MUST have food as its theme/content and be between 850 – 1,200 words in length. Your narrative will tell your story or experiences as an eater, consumer, or cook of food. Your narrative should end on a thoughtful reflection on how what you wrote about influences some aspect of culture or identity. We all have some experience with food in some manner. Your goals here, as Franz Kafka said of literature, are to entertain and inform your readers and also to think critically about the role that food and stories play in your life

Project Three: Mutli-Modial Argument (100 points):

This project asks you to think of how the information you have read has engaged you and helped form your stance on a position; then, you need to do the same for some specific audience.

To reach unengaged stakeholders, students—as rhetors—will select a target audience and focus their argument specifically on that group. The success of this project is largely dependent upon knowing who the audience is, why they are unengaged, what can be done to get them to care about the issue, and how they can become involved. In both the formal essay and the website, the identity of the target audience should serve as a catalyst for the rhetorical choices that are made to create a persuasive argument. The topic of your essay should revolve around a food issue (if we have not directly discussed the food issue, then you need my approval). This final project has three parts, a written assignment and a remediation of that written assignment, and the presentation of your remediation.

Assignment:

The project is comprised of three parts that will be graded proportionally:

1. Formal Essay: Students will compose an argumentative essay (850-wordminimum - 1,000-word maximum) that (a) educates an audience of non-engaged stakeholders about the issue or topic; (b) convinces them that they should care about this issue or topic; and (c) argues that the audience should take action in some way.
2. Multimodal digital component: Students will produce the same argument put forth in the formal essay in the form of a persuasive website. This argument in a multimodal format should spark dialogue amongst audiences, convince non-engaged stakeholders to get involved, and solicit some kind of positive action. The website should include a home page that introduces the audience to the site and three other pages that educate, engage, and empower the audience to act. The sources used in the written argument may also be used to support the website’s multimodal argument.
3. Presentation: On the last day of class (June 11^th and 13^th), students will present the links to their websites for an audience of their peers. The goal of these websites is to display students’ awareness of audience, their ability to tailor their communication for maximum impact on their audience, and their ability to leverage the strengths of textual and digital media to motivate their audiences to take action. Furthermore, the presentations will give students a chance to employ rhetorical appeals to an audience of their peers and present their topics and show off the work they have been doing. 

 

Criteria for Accepting Assignments

1) Students will turn in major project assignments to Canvas, and they will be expected to complete a majority of all other assignments through Canvas. Essays that are turned in after the assigned due date will receive a grade penalty.

 

2) Be sure that all documents:

• are typed;
• use 12 point font size;
• use Times New Roman font;
• are double-spaced;
• follow MLA style requirements for all other formatting issues (see the Purdue OWL for guidelines);
• have been spell-checked and edited for grammar and syntax problems;
• are properly uploaded as a WORD doc or docx file (you can download Microsoft word for free by using your Bellevue College sign in at the Microsoft webpage).

 

3) Late assignments will be accepted but will incur a penalty. Weekly assignment will get half credit if turned in late, and you will be able to turn in late assignments from week one through week six no later than the end of week six. Then you will be able to turn in late work from week seven to week ten at the end of week ten, You will be responsible for figuring out what you missed and turning it in and letting me know that the assignment has been turned in (late).

 

Major essays will be accepted late but will suffer a half a grade deduction for every DAY that it is late. If the assignment is due on Tuesday, it will suffer a complete grade deduction when it is turned in Thursday so that an “A” paper becomes an “A-“ on Wednesday and a “B+” on Thursday, and so on. Major essay will not be accepted more than three weeks late. The final essay must be on time because there is no time left at the end.

 

4) If your major paper gets a “C-“ or lower, you will be responsible for setting up a meeting with me in my office so that we can discuss the essay and how to improve moving forward. If you do not schedule this meeting with me, your “participation” grade will suffer.

Instructor’s Expectations

Required Reading

Reading assigned articles, appropriate passages, and Web pages from the course eText and other online resources are required as part of the weekly assignment modules. Additionally, all course emails and announcements are considered required reading. Failure to read this material may compromise the student’s ability to successfully complete or submit course assignments.

Students are responsible to access and read all sample course files and documents to support success with weekly assignments. Blocking out sufficient time for coursework, setting personal completion goals, and checking off each assignment when completed is strongly recommended.

Course Expectations

Being a successful student requires that students take responsibility for their learning. Becoming a better writer and more critical thinker requires that students practice writing and critical thinking. It requires that when I question you, you question me back. It requires a curious mind that wants to seek answers to the questions that interest you, and the ability to accept answers and views that you might not agree with. Being successful also means putting in the work for the class, which requires planning ahead to have time to read and think about the reading, to write and revise, and to let that writing sit so that you can go back to it with fresh eyes. The following suggestions are designed to make your experience this quarter as productive as possible.

 

Work offline, post online, and complete assignments

• Write ALL assignments in a word document off-line first. You want to craft your writing before submitting it, and you don’t want to be in the middle of crafting a response just to have Canvas or your computer time out and lose all of your work. Once you have written the assignment and are satisfied with it, then copy it and paste it into the correct spot or upload it in the right spot. (Technical problems are not an acceptable excuse for late work or missed work.)
• Complete reading assignments before due dates. Self-discipline is essential for succeeding. You are expected to use the textbook as a guide to your writing, so I will know if you completed the readings or not. Failing to complete assignments will result in a zero for that assignment which will make it much harder for you to pass the course. I expect you to read EVERYTHING that is assigned, even if we don’t explicitly discuss it in class. I will expect for you to use those readings when crafting your writing.
• Check your course messages and emails every day. I will use course announcements as my primary manner of keeping in touch with you and providing updates. Every week I will track your work. I, generally, do not read Canvas “Course Messages”—if you need to contact me, text me or email me at my Bellevue College email, and you should use your Bellevue College Email to do so.
• Devote at least an hour a day to completing ALL assignments (not including the time you spend in class and the extra time you will need to complete major essays). Just be sure that you are dedicating enough time to do all the work and turn it in on time. I will consider work that is a single minute late, as late. I will not accept “technical” problems as an excuse, so make sure you give yourself ample time just in case any problems arise.
• Keep up with deadlines for posting Blog posts (part of weekly assignments). Since the blog post and readings form the base of knowledge you will need to write the papers, and since your blog posts are worth 10% of your grade, it is essential that you keep up with posting and remain active in class discussions. I do not expect you to have complete comprehension of the material in advance of your posting, but I do expect you to be familiar with the material and make a good faith effort at answering all questions in complete, thoughtful sentences.
• Plan ahead for drafting essays and revising them well in advance of the due date. You do not want to run in to an unresponsive website because the entire class is trying to upload the paper at the last minute.
• I expect you to conduct yourself as adults. You are free to disagree with me and your classmates as long as you are respectful and we all discuss the work, the writing, the ideas, and not the person.
• Proofread and edit and revise ALL your writing that you turn in to this course. HOW you say something is as important as WHAT you say.
• Take advantage of the Writing Center.
• Take advantage of my office hours. Being confused about an assignment and turning in work that fails to follow the assignment expectations because you didn’t understand something will not be a valid excuse for poor work. If you do not understand something, you need to come talk to me during office hours.

 

Communication

Bellevue College email is the official form of communication between the college and its students. I will not read email that is not from the official Bellevue College email system. If you are not clear about an assignment or have any concerns about the class, please feel free to contact me. You have my phone number where you can call or text message me: 713-701-7439; you have my e-mail address: jose.aparicio@bellevuecollege.edu; you have my office number and hours: R230G (hours: Monday through Thursday 9 am – 10am, and Fri. 11:30- 12:30pm) If you come see me during office hours, you don’t need to make an appointment, but it will guarantee that I am in my office and available if you do, so you don’t have to wait. Come see me and I will help you in any way I can or direct you to someone who can help. Also, you don’t have to have a “problem” to drop by. We can discuss the stuff we are reading, your paper, or anything else you feel will be helpful. My door is always opened (when I’m there).

 

Don’t be scared. I know that during class I am questioning you, challenging your opinions, wondering aloud if your argument, your reasoning, your thought process makes sense, and I am annoying you, frustrating you, and questioning everything you say and do—the point is not to tell you that you are wrong; instead, I am trying to get you to think about what you think and to question why you think it. In other words, this class attempts to challenge your critical thinking so that you can support your beliefs with evidence and logical reasoning. If you come to my office hours, I can help you ask the right questions about your logic so that you can write better papers that engage in better thinking.

 

Text Messages:

 You have my number (713-701-7439) so feel free to text message me. Please remember that I do not know your number, so when you do text me a quick question that is easily answerable through text, make sure to identify yourself and the class you are in so that I know how to better respond. Text messages will be answered within 24 hours, but keep in mind that I might be in class or busy in a meeting when you text, and it might take me some time to get back to you. Use common courtesy, only text or call between 9am-9pm. Text and calls not within these hours will go ignored.

 

 

Email Etiquette

• Check your Bellevue  College email at least once daily; twice a day is strongly recommended. (You MUST use your Bellevue College Email for communication and to check on updates).
• Email is a good way of contacting me (or through text messages between 9am-9pm at the number provided; I DO NOT READ Canvas messages, so don’t use it).
• Emails will be answered within 48 hours (or less in most cases). If you do not receive a response within 48 hours, please resend your email or text me to let me know I need to check for your email, as technology is not foolproof.
• As the Subject of your email, put the course and section number.
• Begin with a salutation (Dear Instructor Doe), and then clearly state the reason for your email. Be sure to relate your question(s) to a specific assignment, project, or activity.

• Keep the tone of your email positive, and proofread your text before submission.

• Use correct grammar, spelling, and capitalization. An email is not a text message.

• End the email with a sigh off (Thank you, all the best) and your name (You ABSOLUTELY MUST include your name and the course and section number).
• Here’s a link you should read before e-mailing any of your professors: https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2015/04/16/advice-students-so-they-dont-sound-silly-emails-essay

 

Classroom Learning Atmosphere

Essential to a liberal arts education is an open-minded tolerance for ideas and modes of expression that 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. Again, the goal here is to form a better, deeper, and more critical understanding of topics and arguments. Here’s a cartoon to help you understand the open-minded attitude that will help you succeed in college.

 

What follows is the Arts & Humanities Division’s policy on classroom behavior:

 “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 the on-line component of this 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.”

 

Accessibility

The online elements of this course are designed to be welcoming to, accessible to, and usable by everyone, including students who are English-language learners, have a variety of learning styles, have disabilities, or are new to online learning. Be sure to let me know immediately if you encounter a required element or resource in the course that is not accessible to you. Also, let me know of changes I can make to the course so that it is more welcoming to, accessible to, or usable by students who take this course in the future.

 

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.

Affirmation of Inclusion (https://www.bellevuecollege.edu/inclusion/)

 

Religious Holidays

Students who expect to miss classes, examinations, or any other assignments because of their religious observance should be provided with a reasonable alternative opportunity to complete such academic responsibilities. It is the obligation of students to provide faculty with reasonable notice of the dates of religious holidays on which they will be absent, preferably at the beginning of the term. The Request for Accommodations for Reasons of Faith or Conscience Form provides more information about and the steps to request this accommodation.

 

Students who are absent on days of examinations or class assignments should be offered an opportunity to make up the work without penalty (if they have previously arranged to be absent), unless it can be demonstrated that a makeup opportunity would constitute an unreasonable burden on a member of the faculty. Should disagreement arise over what constitutes an unreasonable burden or any element of this policy, parties involved should consult the department chair, or Dean.

Policy 2950 Accommodations for Reasons of Faith or Conscience (http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/policies/id-2950p-2/).

 

Annual Notice Non-Discrimination

Bellevue College does not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity; creed; color; national origin; sex; marital status; sexual orientation; age; religion; genetic information; the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability; or veteran status in educational programs and activities which it operates. Bellevue College is prohibited from discriminating in such a manner by college policy and by state and federal law. All college personnel and persons, vendors, and organizations with whom the college does business are required to comply with applicable federal and state statutes and regulations designed to promote affirmative action and equal opportunity.

Equal Opportunity (http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/equal/)

 

Confidentiality and Mandatory Reporting

As an instructor, one of my responsibilities is to help create a safe learning environment on our campus. It is my goal that you feel able to share information related to your life experiences in classroom discussions, in your written work, and in our one-on-one meetings. I will seek to keep information you share private to the greatest extent possible. However, I am required to share with the Title IX Coordinator any and all information regarding sexual assault and other forms of sexual misconduct (e.g. relationship violence, stalking) that may have occurred on campus or that impacts someone on campus. Students may speak to someone confidentially by contacting the BC Counseling Center at (425) 564-2212. The Title IX Office can be contacted at 425-564-2641 and more information can be found at Title IX (http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/titleix/).

If you have any concerns, you may report to: Report Concerns (https://www.bellevuecollege.edu/reportconcerns/).

Plagiarism:

Plagiarism, or academic dishonesty, is the act of using another writer’s words or ideas as your own. According to the BCC Arts & Humanities website, plagiarism “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.” Plagiarism in this course may result in a paper’s failing grade, or further disciplinary action from the Dean of Student Success. Consecutive acts of plagiarism may result in a failing grade for the class.

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://bellevuecollege.edu/samLinks 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.

 

Help with Canvas

Students can find help with Canvas by following the link here: Student Canvas Help

All your papers will be put through a plagiarism program in Canvas.

 

Disability Resource Center (DRC)

The Disability Resource Center serves students with disabilities. Common disabilities include physical, neurological (e.g. Autism, ADD/ADHD), and mental health (e.g. depression, anxiety). If you are a student who has a disability or if you think you may need accommodations in order to have equal access in your classes, programs, activities, and any other services, please contact the DRC.

 

If you require assistance in an emergency, please meet with your individual instructors to develop a safety plan for while in class and contact the DRC to develop a safety plan for while you are elsewhere on campus.

The DRC office is located in building B Room 132. You can contact the DRC by stopping by the office at B132, calling our front desk phone number (425) 564-2498, emailing drc@bellevuecollege.edu. Deaf students can reach us by calling TTY: (425) 564-4110, or by Skype (account name DRCatBC). For more information about the services we offer, including our Initial Access Application, visit our website at Disability Resource Center (http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/drc).

Service Animals are allowed in this classroom. Emotional Support Animals need to be approved through the DRC. All other animals will be asked to leave.  If you believe you need your animal with you, please connect with the DRC and refrain from bringing your animal until a decision has been made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Calendar

Assignment and Test Schedule: (Instructor reserves the right to modify this schedule as needed during the course. Make note that the schedule is NOT the syllabus, and as such, I can change the schedule as I see fit to fulfill the needs of the class. Any changes made will be posted with 24 hour notice, so you absolutely must check your canvas announcements and modules for any changes made).

 

Week One: 4/3 – 4/6

• 4/4:

In-Class:   Review Syllabus, introduce class expectations

Diagnostic essay.

Homework: Review the syllabus and Assignment Sheet one

Read: “On the Difference Between Cats and Dogs” by Galen Leonhardy

 

• 4/9

In Class: Ice Breakers/Review Assignment Sheet

            Discuss homework and course expectations

 

• 1/4

Fridays are Canvas days, where, as a hybrid class, you will be responsible for completing readings and homework. All work is due before you walk in to class on Tuesday.

Do:

Read: Active Reading

Read Safran Foer’s Eating Animals (Read from the opening and stop at “Words Meaning” pdf page 23).

Complete Discussion Post One

 

THE SCHEDULE WILL POPULATE AS WE MOVE ALONG THE QUARTER. LOOK UNDER THE “MODULE” LINK FOR EACH WEEK’S DETAILED SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS AND WORK DUE.