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ENG 1001-English Composition I             Spring 2008    

***This course outline and schedule is tentative. It will change. The policies contained on this outline are not exhaustive; other guidelines will be announced for specific assignments***

Course Objectives:

In this class, we will read, write, and re-write.

Read: In his book On Writing, Stephen King writes, "The real importance of reading is that it creates an ease and intimacy with the process of writing...It also offers you a constantly growing knowledge of what has been done and what hasn't, what is trite and what is fresh, what works and what just lies there dying (or dead) on the page. The more you read, the less apt you are to make a fool of yourself with your pen or word processor."

Write: William Zinsser writes in his book On Writing Well, "Writing is hard work. A clear sentence is no accident. Very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. Remember this in moments of despair. If you find that writing is hard, it's because it is hard."

Rewrite: In her book Bird by Bird: Some Lessons from Writing and Life, Anne Lamott writes, "Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something--­anything--down on paper. A friend of mine says that the first draft is the down draft--you just get it down. The second draft is the up draft --you fix it up. You try to say what you have to say more accurately. And the third draft is the dental draft, where you check every tooth, to see if it's loose or cramped or decayed, or even, God help us, healthy. "

Each of these steps is as important as the next. My goal is that by the end of the semester, you will be confident writers who make wise writing choices to convey strong arguments to your audience. I will base our approach to writing on these five elements of my writing philosophy:

1. To write clearly, one must think clearly

2. Have something to say

3. Writing is more a craft than an art.

4. To write better,  you cannot write the same.

5. Aim for complexity of ideas and simplicity of style.

Expected Learning Outcomes:

1.      Read a variety of texts with understanding and appreciation.

2.      Understand invention as a part of the writing process.

3.      Organize and develop ideas effectively and logically in essays.

4.      Develop effective, logical, and well-supported arguments.

5.      Understand and use a variety of rhetorical methods for developing ideas.

6.      Maintain a consistent and appropriate viewpoint, tone, and voice.

7.      Strengthen essays through the revision process.

8.      Write essays free of common stylistic weaknesses.

9.      Write essays free of excessive errors.

10.  Use interactive word-processing software as a writing tool.

11.  Understand documentation and plagiarism.

Texts:

Hacker, Diana. A Pocket Style Manual. Boston: Bedford St. Martins, 2005.

Various other texts available electronically. When asked to read an online selection, print it and bring it to class.

Materials:

Computer storage device, stapler and/or paper clips, IVCC student ID card, and an active email address. You may obtain a free email address from the IVCC computer services.

Assignments:

Total Course Points: 750

All assignments as well as the final grade will be determined on this grading scale:

90%- A;  80%- B;  70%- C;  60%- D   You must complete all major assignments to pass this course.

Course Policies:

Disability Statement- If you need support or assistance because of a disability, you may be eligible for academic accommodations through the Special Populations Office. Stop be Office B-204 or call (815) 224-0284.

Attendance- Attendance is mandatory. If you accumulate more than five unexcused absences, you may be dropped from the course. You cannot make up work missed for an unexcused absence. IVCC-related activities are considered excused. To have an absence excused for a school activity, you must notify me. Other absences, such as illness, funerals, etc. will be excused with written documentation, such as a doctor’s note. Any time you know you will be absent, you must request your assignments ahead of time.  It is always your responsibility to make up work missed.

Late assignments: Assignments may be turned in up to one week late and will lose one letter grade.

In-class draft work-You will be notified at the beginning of each assignment about what days drafts are due and how long they must be. These drafts must be the required length and must be clearly written or typed at the beginning of class to receive points. You will not have time to print drafts at the beginning of class.

Dropping the class- The last day to withdraw is April 8, 2007. If you do not plan to complete the course, it is your responsibility to request withdrawal from the course. I reserve the right to drop any student from the class who consistently fails to turn in assignments or attend class. Withdrawal from a course can affect financial aid. Students who receive financial aid should see an advisor in the Financial Aid Office before withdrawing from a course.

Plagiarism- The IVCC Student Handbook, section V of Student Rights and Responsibilities, defines plagiarism as, “using the words or ideas of another as one’s own either on purpose or unintentionally. This includes, but is not limited to, copying whole, portions, or the paraphrasing (rewording) of passages or information from any source in any academic exercise (written or oral) without giving credit to the author or source using an appropriate citation style. Students must be able to prove that their work is their own.” I have a zero-tolerance policy on plagiarism. If you violate the school’s policy on plagiarism, your essay will fail. In severe cases, you will receive a failing grade in the course.

Computer Lab- This class will have meetings in a computer lab. When in the computer, do not turn on the computers until instructed to. When given instructions to use the computer, use it only for the assignment given, unless given permission to do otherwise. Any student using a computer other than instructed will be asked to turn off the computer and/or leave class.

Attitude- Writing classes depend heavily on all participants maintaining a positive attitude. Respect is extremely important to this course being beneficial to you and me. I will act respectfully towards everyone at all times and I expect that you will act respectfully towards me and your classmates. If you do not, I will ask you to leave. One particular issue about respect I must mention—please turn off your cell phone!