ENGL 101: Introduction to College Writing

 

Section 5447--Spring 2022

Instructor: Dr. Dexter L. Booth 

Office: (not available this term)

Email: dexter.booth@bellevuecollege.edu (please see communication policy below)

 

Office Hours 

Tuesday-- 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. / 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Wednesday--11 a.m. to 12 p.m. / 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Thursday-- 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

 

NOTE: All appointments are in 15-minute increments (ex: 10- 10:15, 10:15-10:30, etc). Please log in to office hours using your BC Zoom account. If this is not done you will be denied access by the system. All appointments are in 15-minute increments (ex: If you are not sure how to access your BC Zoom account please see directions here (Links to an external site.). You can also schedule an appointment with eLearning for assistance. 

 

Notes

1) Office hours by appointment via Zoom. You should shoot me a message in the Canvas Inbox to set up an appointment.  Once the appointment has been verified, simply navigate to the Module tab in Canvas at the time of your meeting--->Office Hours (in your 0.0 Start Here module)--->click the link or use the phone number/password--->show up when it's time--->Done!

 

2) Please be sure to check your Announcements tab regularly for class updates. If you click on "Account"---> "Notifications" you can set up both email and SMS text notifications to stay on top of any announcements, grades, etc. Further instructions on this process are in your Modules.

 

Downloadable Syllabus

 (Links to an external site.

Communication Policy:

You may contact me via the Inbox tool within Canvas. I will respond to all questions within 24 hours, excluding weekends and holidays. If you email after 5 p.m., please expect a response the following day. There may be exceptions, but please note my typical reply time will be sooner. If you have not received a response within 24 hours please feel free to send a follow-up message. 

 

Required Materials:

• Notebook: for in-class activities, reflections, notes, etc.
• Text: All readings for this course are OER materials and will be provided by the instructor.

 

Course Description

Prerequisite: Placement by assessment or ENGL 092 or 093 with a C- or better.

English 101 is a college-level writing class. The focus of this particular writing course is twofold: emphasizing your transition from “writer-centered” writing to “reader-centered” academic writing, while at the same time focusing on “writing process” rather than “writing product.” So while you will be required to write some college-level essay, this course will also focus on acquainting you with the writing process: a process that works. Effective academic writing, to that end, requires the following skillset: the willingness to think critically, inquire, accept complexity, and understand the importance of audience, voice, and other academic writing conventions.

 

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. 

 

Assignment Points:

• • Canvas Discussions / Responses (12): 10pts ea.= 120pts
  • Short Analysis Papers (2): 50pts ea.= 100pts
  • Rough Drafts / Outlines (5): 20pts ea.= 100pts
  • Literacy Narrative: 100pts
  • This I Believe Essay: 50pts
  • Halfway Reflection: 50pts
  • Final Reflection: 100pts

  TOTAL POINTS= 620

 

Assignment Policies:

• Assignments close at 11:59 PM, after which Canvas no longer allows submission. Plan well ahead to avoid submitting assignments near their closing time to avoid any technical problems that may prevent submission.
• Late responses will be penalized 10% for each day they are not turned in (unless prior arrangements have been made and agreed upon). 
• Assignments must be submitted correctly from their Canvas Discussions pages. Do not use BC email or other Canvas functions to submit assignments.

 

Grades on Canvas

Your complete course grade is posted on your Canvas class site. See Grades in the left toolbar of your class site.

 

Grading Scale

Final course grades at Bellevue College are posted as letter grades. For ease of calculation, grades are based on a percentage system throughout the quarter.  Enrollment in ENGL 201: The Research Paper requires a minimum grade of C- (70%).

A             93-100%                 A-           90-92

B+           88-89                     B             83-87                     B-        80-82

C+           78-79                     C             73-77                     C-         70-72

D+          68-69                     D             60-67                     F              59-

 

Canvas Learning Management System (LMS)

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

It is important, and ultimately your responsibility, to follow all directions for using the Canvas online learning system successfully.  Canvas by Instructure also offers a free mobile application (app) version of its learning management website that you may find useful. It is important to note, however, that as with any mobile app, it is not the same as the full site, and some important functions will not work on the app. You will still need to use a desktop computer for most functions, especially submitting assignments and reading instructor grading feedback.

• Know your system requirements and software capabilities, such as your word program and browser choices.
• Log on to Canvas regularly to check for announcements, due dates, and more.
• Make contingency plans for computer use if your computer and/or Internet service is unavailable.
• Ask for help in a timely manner by contacting either the Canvas Help Desk.

 

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. Information about Bellevue College's copyright guidelines can be found at: College Copyright Policy This link provides a good, short summary of how to avoid plagiarism: Avoiding Plagiarism

  

Student Code of Conduct and Academic Integrity

Any act of academic dishonesty, including cheating, plagiarism (using the ideas or words of another as one’s own without crediting the source), and fabrication 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 Dean of Student Success for investigation.  Specific student rights, responsibilities, and appeal procedures are listed in the Student Code of Conduct at: Student Code 

 

Classroom Behavior

 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 an online 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 online 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.”

 

 

STUDENT PROCEDURES AND EXPECTATIONS

 VALUES CONFLICTS: 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 artwork, 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.

 

ATTENDANCE: Student attendance for this online class is marked by submitting assignments by the deadline. You are expected to attend all scheduled class "meetings" whenever possible. While attendance requirements are up to individual faculty members in the Arts & Humanities Division, active participation and regular attendance are essential to students’ success. Unless students have accommodations regarding attendance that have been approved through the Disability Resource Center, they should not be absent more than 20% of the total class time scheduled. When absences go beyond 20%, instructors’ policies may result in one of the following:

• Students may earn a grade of "F" for the course.
• Students may earn a lower final grade.

 

Students should carefully review each instructor’s syllabus to make sure they understand the attendance policy and the consequences for missing class. In some classes, even a small number of absences (less than 20%) can affect students’ grades, undermine their progress, and make it difficult to catch up. In cases of legitimate hardship, students may also request that instructors grant an “HW” (hardship withdrawal), which is a non-credit grade.

 

Students with accommodations regarding attendance must actively communicate with the instructor (and consult with the DRC) about each absence to determine if the accommodation applies.

 

PARTICIPATION: It is not enough to come and simply be a body in class. This course requires heavy participation and you will be evaluated on your attempts to present and work through ideas with others.

 

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.

 

Religious Holidays

Students who expect to miss classes, examinations or any other assignments as a consequence 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. 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 a disagreement arise over what constitutes an unreasonable burden or any element of this policy, parties involved should consult the department chair or Dean.

(Diversity Calendar link)

 

College Anti-Discrimination Statement (Title IX)

Bellevue College does not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity; color; creed; national origin; sex; marital status; sexual orientation; age; religion; genetic information; the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability; gender identity or veteran status in educational programs and activities which it operates.

 

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.  

 

The DRC office is located in B132 or you can call our reception desk at 425.564.2498. Deaf students can reach us by Skype: the address is DRCatBC (NOTE: There is no @ sign...it is actually DRCatBC).

DRC Website

 

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.

If you are a student with a documented autism spectrum disorder, there is an additional access program available to you. Contact Autism Spectrum Navigators. ASN is located in the Library Media Center in D125.   

ASN Website 

 

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.

 

Public Safety and Emergencies

Public Safety is located in D-171 and can be reached at 425-564-2400 (easy to remember because it’s the only office on campus open 24 hours a day—2400).  Among other things, Public Safety serves as our Parking Permits, Lost and Found, and Emergency Notification center.  Please ensure you are signed up to receive alerts through our campus alerting system by registering at Rave Alert Registration 

 

If you work late and are uneasy about going to your car, Public Safety will escort you to your vehicle. To coordinate this, please phone ahead and let Public Safety know when and where you will need an escort.

 

Please familiarize yourself with the emergency postings by the door of every classroom and know where to go in the event of an evacuation.  Your instructor will be asked if anyone might still be in the building, so check in before you do anything else.  Emergency responders will search for anyone unaccounted for.

If a major emergency occurs, please follow these three rules:

• Take directions from those in charge of the response: We all need to be working together.
• Do not get in your car and leave campus (unless directed to): Doing so will clog streets and prevent emergency vehicles from entering the scene.  Instead, follow directions from those in charge.
• In an emergency, call 911 first, then Public Safety.
• Please do not hesitate to call Public Safety if you have safety questions or concerns at any time. You may also visit the Public Safety web page for answers to your questions. Public Safety

 

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://www2.bellevuecollege.edu/netid/

 

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. 

 

Final Exam Schedule: Final Exam Schedule
In case of an emergency during finals your grades will be based on what you have earned to date.

 

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 On this calendar you will find admissions and registration dates and important dates for withdrawing and receiving tuition refunds.

 

• College Calendar This calendar gives you the year at a glance and includes college holidays, scheduled closures, quarter-end and start dates, and final exam dates.