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ENGLISH COMPOSITION I 

COURSE DESCRIPTION
English Composition I allows the student to study and apply rhetorical principles of writing in developing effective sentences, paragraphs, and essays, with particular emphasis on analyzing and writing expository prose. Students' essays will be based upon their readings of a variety of texts on various topics. The course includes the use of various computer applications, including word-processing and the Internet. Prerequisite: Successful completion of IVCC’s English Placement Exam or ENG 0900.

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 word-processing software and the Internet to assist in the writing process.
11. Understand documentation and plagiarism.

REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS
Barnet, Sylvan, Pat Bellanca, and Marcia Stubbs. A Short Guide to College Writing. 3rd ed. New York:
        Longman, 2008.
Radek, Kimberly M., and Rose Marie Lynch. IVCC Style Book. Oglesby, IL: Illinois Valley
        Community College, 2003. (Also available at www.ivcc.edu/stylebook)
College-Level Dictionary (Recommended)

GRADED ESSAYS (800 POINTS)
You will be required to write four essays this semester--three out-of-class essays and one in-class essay:
      Essay 1--200 points: Advertisement Analysis (3-4 pages) 
      Essay 2--200 points: Non-fiction Essay Analysis (3-4 pages) 
      Essay 3--200 points: Literary Analysis (3-4 pages) 
      Essay 4--200 points: In-Class Analysis Essay (2-3 pages)

You will have an opportunity to resubmit Essays 1-3. The due dates for the rewrites of these essays will be announced in class (typically, you will have two weeks to complete a rewrite). Each rewrite must be turned in with the original graded essay and grade sheet. The Essay 1 rewrite grade will replace the original grade. The Essay 2 and Essay 3 rewrite grades will be averaged with the original grades. You will not have an opportunity to resubmit Essay 4.

Essays 1-3 and their rewrites must be typed and turned in at the beginning of class on the scheduled due dates. For each calendar day (except for Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) that Essay 1, 2, or 3 is late, the grade will be dropped by five percentage points. The same penalty will apply to late rewrites of these essays. In addition, a late penalty on Essay 1, 2, or 3 will also be applied to the rewrite of that essay. Essay 4 may be written only on the scheduled date. 

Your essays will be graded according to the standards outlined in the IVCC Style Book and grades will be based on the following scale: 

Please note that you must turn in all four essays to pass this course (though doing so does not guarantee a passing grade). In addition, in the case of consistently below-average writing (D or F level), I do reserve the right to base your course grade solely upon the quality of your graded essays. 

ROUGH DRAFTS (75 POINTS)
Because we will be emphasizing the whole writing process, including rewriting, you will write a rough draft for Essays 1-3 (25 points each). A rough draft may be typed or handwritten and must be at least the equivalent of two typed pages. You will earn the points for each rough draft if it is complete by the beginning of class on the due date; late rough drafts will not earn any points.  

You will not turn in these drafts for a grade; rather, I will check them in class, and you will use your ideas and those of your classmates to improve your essays before turning in a final draft of each essay for a grade. You're also welcome to talk to me about your rough drafts before or after class or in my office.

QUIZZES AND EXERCISES (75 POINTS)
Quizzes may be announced or unannounced; missed quizzes may not be made up. Exercises may include discussion questions, grammar exercises, and other short assignments. Out-of-class exercises will be due at the beginning of class on the due date. Incomplete or late exercises will not receive credit. In-class exercises may be completed for credit only during the class when they are assigned.

FINAL EXAM (50 POINTS)
The final exam will be a cumulative, objective exam. Students with perfect attendance throughout the semester will not be required to take the final exam.

MAKE-UP POLICY
You may earn back up to 30 points for missed assignments, quizzes, essay points, and so forth. To earn these points, you must attend an IVCC cultural event or read an instructor-approved short story (up to three of them), provide evidence of your attendance or a copy of the short story, and turn in a typed, one-page summary/critique of the event or short story. Each summary/critique must be written carefully and thoughtfully and is worth 5 points. The last day to turn in a summary/critique is the last class meeting before the final exam (see semester schedule).

ATTENDANCE POLICY
Regular attendance is important to passing this course. When you are absent, you are still responsible for what is covered in class during your absence and for all assignments, regardless of why you are absent. Though I do not penalize you directly for missing class, being absent more than a few times will almost certainly affect your grade because of the material you will miss.

PARTICIPATION AND CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS
In addition to completing the course requirements discussed above, you are expected to participate regularly in all course activities, including the following:

• Reading a variety of college-level texts
• Reading and responding to one another's writing
• Contributing to class and group discussions
• Collaborating with other students at all stages of the writing process

Your course participation not only affects your learning, but that of other students, as well. In addition, your participation may affect your overall grade in the course if your grade is "borderline" at the end of the semester.

Finally, to give everyone an equal opportunity to learn, it's vital that your participation and actions in class contribute to an effective learning environment. Because the following activities detract from such an environment, they will not be tolerated:

• Coming to class late on a regular basis
• Allowing your cell phone to ring or using your cell phone during class
• Checking e-mail during class
• Playing online games or visiting non-course websites during class
• Studying for other courses during class
• Talking during class (unrelated to what is being covered in class)

At all times in class, your participation and actions should demonstrate respect for the class, your classmates, and the instructor.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Some of the work you complete this semester will include borrowing and documenting information from other texts, or sources. We will spend adequate time as a class discussing using and documenting sources. Proper documentation, that is, giving full credit to the original source, is an absolute requirement. Failure to do so is plagiarism, which can destroy your credibility as a writer and is grounds for failing an assignment or this course. See the IVCC Style Book for its statement on plagiarism and the current IVCC catalog and Student Handbook for the college's academic integrity policy. Please feel free to discuss with me any concerns you have about these issues.

WITHDRAWAL POLICY
You may withdraw from this course through April 8. Please see the current IVCC catalog for a full description of the IVCC withdrawal policy. Please note that in this class you must request a withdrawal from the instructor. Withdrawal from a course can affect financial aid, as can simply stopping coming to class. Students who receive financial aid should see an advisor in the Financial Aid Office before withdrawing from a course.

DISABILITIES AND ACCOMMODATIONS
You may be eligible for academic accommodations if you have a physical, psychiatric, or cognitive disability. If you have a disability and need more information regarding possible accommodations, please contact Tina Hardy at 224-0284, Jim Prendergast at 224-0350, or stop by office B-204.

OUT-OF-CLASS INSTRUCTION AND ASSISTANCE
One final but significant note: Please take advantage of my office hours and my availability before and after class to talk to me about a specific writing assignment or the class in general. Get your money's worth out of your instructor and this class. I'm available outside of class and I'm pleased to help you with the class in any way I reasonably can. If necessary, we can arrange to meet at my office during times other than my scheduled office hours.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

NOTE: SG = A Short Guide to College Writing