University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Department of English

Pam Richardson

Fall 2002

                                                           

 

Course Prefix and Number:     ENG 101.16  Freshman Composition I

 

Contact/Credit:                       3 Hours

 

Course Description: This course is the required first course in a series of two designed to develop the ability to produce clear expository prose.  Emphasis is placed on the writing process including audience analysis, topic selection, thesis support and development, editing, and revision.  Upon completion, students should be able to produce unified, coherent, well-developed essays using standard written English.  In addition, students will be introduced to field and library research, including the skills of summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting source material. 

 

Prerequisites/Co-requisites: Appropriate Placement Test scores or completion of developmental reading and writing courses.

 

Instructor:                                                        Telephone Number:

Pamela S. Richardson                                         (office)  336-334-5507

                                                                        (home)  691-9290, BEFORE 9 pm, please

 

Office Location and Hours:                            Email Address:

Foust 200          M-F   8:30-11:30 am                  psrichar@uncg.edu

                        T-Th  3:00-4:00 pm

 

Required Textbook(s):

Axelrod, Rise B., and Charles Cooper.  St. Martin's Guide to Writing.  6th ed.  New York:  St. Martin's, 2001.

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
Bridges:  Literature Across Cultures

English Department Handbook

                    

Additional Materials Required:            A standard College Desk Dictionary

                                                3.5” Computer Disk (NEW)

 

Disability Access Statement:     If you have a disability that may affect your academic performance and are seeking accommodations, it is your responsibility to inform the Disability Access Services Director as soon as possible.  It is important to request accommodations early enough to give Disability Access Services adequate time to consider you request and recommend reasonable accommodations.  Instructors will provide necessary accommodations based on the recommendations of Disability Access Services.

 

Student Outcomes:

(These are in conjunction with the Department of English and Foreign Language Competencies and Guidelines.)

 

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

1.       Modify the steps in his/her own writing process using models as guides.

2.       Adapt writing to meet the rhetorical situation.

3.       Write a college-level essay with a clear thesis and supporting detail.

4.       Write a college-level essay using clear organizational strategy.

5.       Write at least three college-level essays in a timed setting.

6.       Use editing and proofreading comments to revise writing.

7.       Discover information using field research.

8.       Write a college-level essay incorporating field research.

9.       Discover information using library, Internet, and other resources.

10.    Incorporate print and other research into an essay or report including quotations, paraphrases, and summaries and using MLA documentation.

11.    Analyze writing.

12.    Defend/argue a position.

 

In addition, the student will be introduced to the following employability skills:

Come to work on time/regular attendance

Follow assigned schedules

Meet deadlines

Follow procedures

Apply basic mechanics to written documents

Select relevant and pertinent information

Organize and present facts

Identify information required

Determine information sources (people, print, electronic)

Gather information required

Modify search as required

Select, synthesize, and organize information

Learn new knowledge, skills, and jargon

 

Methodology:  lecture, small and large group discussion, workshops, conferences, field observations, and computer assisted instruction.

 

Evaluation of Performance:

Daily Assignments (short in-class/out-of-class                               10-20%

   writings, quizzes, journals, exercises, and

   participation)

Formal Essays                                                                           50-70%

Demand Writings                                                                       10%

Final Assessment (Exam, Portfolio, Project)                                  15-20%

 

 

College Grading Scale:

Grade               Explanation                 Numerical Points        Quality Points                        

A                      Superior                        90-100                          4.0

B                      Above Average              80-89                            3.0

C                      Average                        70-79                            2.0

D                     Below Average              60-69                            1.0

F                      Failure                           0-59                              0.0

 

Quality of Instruction Statement:

The UNCG Faculty members are committed to providing quality instruction.  If there is a concern about the instruction provided, treatment of an individual or a group of students, or professional conduct of instructors, consult with either the faculty member, department chair, division chair, or read the description of Students' Rights and Responsibilities which can be found in the Student Handbook.

 

 

 

College Attendance Policy:

Regular attendance in class is essential to receiving maximum benefit from the educational experience.   A curriculum student is to attend and be on time for all classes and lab/shop/clinic sessions.  A student who has missed more than the number of clock hours the class meets each week may not be permitted to continue in that class, shop, lab or clinic without permission of the instructor, and if you are late to class three times, that equals an absence…if you are absent or late excessively, the instructor will decide if you an continue in the class and will notify you of that decision.    In all cases of absence, the student is responsible for making up all missed class work and for coming prepared to the class following the absence.  If you stop attending class or are not permitted to remain in the class after excessive absences, you will get an F unless you officially withdraw from the class.

INSTRUCTOR NOTE:  The date of the 4th absence is the date after which you are not permitted to continue in this class.  However, you are responsible for processing the drop form to officially withdraw from the course.  I do not drop students from the class; students withdraw from the course.

 

Grades:

Letter grades and comments are given on the assigned writings.  You are given one rewrite opportunity on one paper—the first graded assignment only.  If you choose to rewrite Assignment #1, it must be revised, rewritten, and resubmitted for evaluation within one week of the teacher/student conference at which the paper was reviewed.  If this deadline is not met, the original grade the paper earned will be recorded and no other rewrite opportunity will be allowed.  The rewritten paper must be returned with all parts of the originally scored assignment.  If all parts are not returned, the rewritten paper will not be accepted.  In-class and demand writings are not eligible for rewriting.

 

Because of the nature of the class, no make up work will be allowed.  All papers are expected to be turned in promptly during class and in correct format.  Papers that are submitted late must be accompanied by a letter of notification from an appropriate source. There will also be no grade changes unless there is an error in computation.  No extra credit will be issued and there will be no early administering of any exams.

 

INSTRUCTOR NOTE:  Student papers will be evaluated and readied for conferences with the writers within one to two weeks, barring instructor illness.

 

Submission Requirements for Assignments

Writing assignments (except in-class, demand writings) that are graded MUST be turned in stapled or paperclipped to their preliminary rough drafts and any invention or planning notes you generated in working through the writing process.  NO Papers are accepted or graded without a rough draft (and written peer review, if required).  Final submission drafts for all major essays must meet MLA manuscript requirements (see St. Martin’s Guide for MLA manuscript guidelines)

¨       Word processed/printed  or typed

¨       Double spaced throughout (no empty line spaces)

¨       1” margin—top, bottom, left, right

¨       At top left justified on the 1st page only, type double-spaced                                                                                   Your name

            P. Richardson

            ENG 1301. Sect #    (i.e. 1301.04)

            Due Date

¨       Title of your essay centered on next line

¨       Paragraphs indented ½” from the left margin

¨       Header in upper right corner of all pages                    Header = Last Name & page #

                                                                                    Example                                   Jones 3

 

 

Special Notes:

Your best effort is required to do well in this class.  Help with writing assignments is available from your instructor, the Writing Center, and cooperative learning groups.  You are responsible for your learning.  No one is a mind reader; ask for help, ask questions, communicate your needs.  I am available for conferences by appointment here on the UNCG campus and on a drop by basis in my office—located on UNC-G campus, 200 Foust Building.  Additional hours can be arranged with me.  Also, some class time will be used for writing conferences.

 

The computer lab and the Writing Center, on the 1st floor of McIver Hall, offer free help to writers, and the free use of IBM compatible computers (with Microsoft Office ’97 software) and printers.  I encourage you to make use of these services.  The Open Lab and Writing Center hours are posted on the computer lab doors.  Writing Center appointments to work with the center’s instructors are recommended and can be made by calling or dropping by to make arrangements.

 

Some students may be required to work regularly in the Writing Center to correct writing deficiencies &/or work on computer skills.

 

Course Outline:

I.    The Writing Process

II.   Sentence Construction (correctness, variety, and clarity)

III.  Style (readability, conciseness, appropriateness)

IV.   Critical Reading (non-fiction/academic)

                        A.  Analysis and Discussion

                        B.  In-class and out-of-class writing

V.    Demand Writing (essay exams)

                        A.  The Exam Question (types, terminology, task)

                        B.  Procedure

                        C.  Evaluation

VI.   Essay Writing

                        A.  Thesis

                        B.  Format

                        C.  Development of Expository Essays

VII.  Introduction to Research

A.      Library Resources

B.      Field Research

C.      Integration of Sources (quotations, paraphrases, summaries)

D.     Documentation of Sources

 

 

 

Special Notice of Decorum and Behavior:

I will respect you in this classroom.  I do ask that you not only respect me, but also respect your peers as well as your classmates.  Therefore, please act accordingly.  I do ask that you dress appropriately to learn, and not take attention away from the class and learning environment.  This goes for both males and females.  Please, do not bring food into the classroom, and do not bring cell phones, pagers, or electronics  into the classroom, or turn them off or on silent mode.  I also ask that you keep movement in the class at a minimum.  We have a lot to accomplish in 50 minutes of time.  It is valuable to me, as well as you, to take advantage of the time we have so that you can be productive and successful.

 

 

 

STATEMENT ON PLAGIARISM AND DISHONESTY

 Plagiarism in any circumstance, as well as cheating, will not be tolerated.  We will have a session on plagiarism, but just so you know, these are my degrees and the consequences of such actions.

 

 

Action

Consequence

Cheating and Plagiarism that takes and idea, or specific sections of works and are used for student benefit without citation.

 

Failure on the assignment given up to failure of the course.

Plagiarism on the basis that the assignment is not your genuine work based on your research.  This is any work you have copied, copied and pasted, or received from an individual that is not your own research and words.

Failure of the course up to expulsion from the university.

 

It is in your best interest to take advantage and adhere to all prewriting assignments.  This will aid in non-plagiarism of works, as well as give you the best opportunity to correct your papers and get assistance and ideas.