ENGLISH 1102

Course Policies

 

M.Willis

Conger Hall 308

Telephone:  229.391.4966

E-Mail:  mwillis@abac.edu

Office Hours:  See website http://www.abac.edu/mwillis

 

REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS: 

         Current Issues and Enduring Questions, Barnet & Bedau (9th edition)

         A Writer’s Reference, Diane Hacker (6th edition)

         The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls (Simon & Shuster,2006)

       

         Three-ring binder

         Loose leaf notebook paper

         Flash drive (all work must be backed up on a disk)

         Pen – black or dark blue ink

 

 

REQUIREMENTS 

Read:  Because reading plays an important role in your development as a writer, you will read assigned

             Works from the class text and write responses to them.

 

Write:  To improve your skill as a writer, you must first of all write – and write a lot.  You must also

              become more aware of the process you use and the choices you make as a writer.  Therefore, it is

              necessary for you to complete all writing assignments whether they are graded or not.  I will read

              and respond to most of your writing.  I will record that you completed assignments appropriately

              and on time.  On workshop days, you must have copies of a completed draft and letter to readers

              for each member of your peer group and for me.  You will not be able to participate in workshops

              without a draft, and your grade on the essay will be lowered by 10 points for failure to complete

              your work in a timely manner.  I will not grade final drafts without accompanying preliminary

              writing. 

 

 

ATTENDANCE 

I will be in class and I expect you to be here.  Excessive absences will seriously hamper your ability to be successful in this class.  Attendance at any scheduled conference is mandatory. Absence from a conference indicates your lack of interest in course benefits.

 ATTENDANCE POLICY: 

 

When a student is absent, whether for official or personal reasons, the student must assume responsibility and provide notice to the instructor, preferably in advance, for making arrangements for any assignments and class work missed because of the absence. However, final approval for make up work remains with the individual instructor.  

 

A student who stops attending class without officially withdrawing from the course is subject to this attendance policy and will receive a grade of “F” for the course.

 

English 1101 and 1102:  Students whose number of absences is more than twice the number of class meeting per week will receive a grade of “F” for the course.  Fewer absences than twice the number of class meeting per week may result in grade penalties at the discretion of the instructor.

 

Students missing class are still responsible for work missed when not in class.  Likewise, assignments are still due at scheduled time even when a student is absent.  Make up work will not be assigned when a student is absent, and it is the student’s responsibility to complete material discussed in class.

Absence from class is not considered a legitimate excuse for not turning a paper in on time.

 

Reminder:  Absence from any scheduled writing workshop or peer review session will lower your final essay grade by 10 points.

 

In the event of a weather crisis, call 229-391-5225 for information.

 

In the event that the college campus is closed for any extended period of time, the coursework and assignments will be arranged through WebCT Vista.

 

Tardiness:  Three tardies will result in one absence.  I will check role at the beginning of class, and students who arrive late need to report to me after class and let me know they arrived late to avoid being marked absent. 

 

Etiquette:   We are all adults in this classroom, meaning we treat each other with respect and courtesy at all times.  Controversial topics may arise throughout the semester; even though we are all entitled to our own opinions, we should be open and accepting of others’ opinions.  Race gender, religious preference, and political standpoint are all excellent examples of how we may differ.  If a student is disrespectful at any point to classmates, he/she will be asked to leave the classroom and will be counted absent for that day.  I expect everyone to participate openly in classroom discussions and share ideas without disrespecting or humiliating others.

 

Participation:  Because this class is designed as a workshop, participation is essential to the learning environment.  Participating in class does not mean being merely a warn body in a seat; rather, participation involves coming to class having read the assigned material and being ready to discuss or ask questions about the assignment. Participation encompasses class discussions, freewriting, and peer reviews.  Failure to participate actively in class will adversely affect a student’s grade.

 

Late Work:  Assignments are due at the beginning of the class period on the due date.  Failure to meet the deadline will result in a penalty of one letter grade per calendar day the paper is late.  Do not wait for me to ask for your paper; place them on the front desk when you arrive.

 

Academic Honesty/Plagiarism:  There is nothing wrong with presenting someone else’s words and ideas in your own writing.  In fact, most non-practical learning occurs as people read each other’s ideas, and then synthesize and build on those ideas.  Some other cultures may not insist on documenting sources; however, American institutions do.  The key to properly using others’ ideas in your writing lies in acknowledgement and citation.  As a result, to avoid plagiarism, it is very important that you give credit where it is due.  Plagiarism is using others’ ideas and words without clearly acknowledging the source of that information. 

      To avoid plagiarism, you must give credit whenever you use

·         another person’s idea, opinion, or theory;

·         any facts, statistics, graphs, drawings-any pieces of information-that are not common knowledge;

·         quotations of another person’s actual spoken or written words;

·         a paraphrase or summary of another person’s spoken or written words.

 

Penalties for Plagiarism:  Since one of the goals of this class is to teach you how to use the tools of proper documentation to acknowledge others’ ideas in your work, plagiarism is broken into the following two categories:

  • Inadvertent Plagiarism:  If you make the attempt to use the tools of documentation, but fail to do so correctly, this is considered unintentional – a part of the learning process.  Consequently, errors of this sort as determined by the instructor will be considered as major errors during the grading process, and will affect the assignment’s grade accordingly, but may not automatically result in a failing grade for the assignment or the course.
  • Intentional Plagiarism:   When you sue material from an outside source without any attempt at proper documentation (such as “cutting and pasting” passages from one or more sources), this is considered to be intentional plagiarism.  This includes using material from a source without documenting it, even when you document other material from  the same or different sources, so be very careful.  Submitting an assignment that you did not write, whether obtained through purchase from or other arrangement with ANY person or source, will be considered cheating on the assignment, even if you make some changes to the obtained source.  The type and seriousness of plagiarism will be determined by the instructor and may result in a grade of zero (0) points for the assignment of failure of the course.

 

 

Cheating on a writing assignment is a violation of the college’s policy in the Student Academic Code of Conduct.  If you have plagiarized on an assignment, the procedures for dealing with Academic Dishonesty are set forth in the Academic Policies and Procedures section of the ABAC catalog.

 

 

Manuscript Format:  All out-of-class papers must be produced on a word processor.  All papers are expected to follow MLA format.  MLA format requires typed, doubled-spaced papers with one-inch margins and 12 pt. font.  I expect the font to be Time New Roman.  Any assignment not submitted in accordance with proper MLA format will automatically receive one letter grade lower on the assignment.  In the upper left margin of the first page arrange identifying information in this fashion:

 

Your Name

Willis

English 1102

Date

 

 

Identify each additional page by placing your last name and the page number in the upper right margin.  Ex:  Smith 2

Do not fold; staple all pages together before you come to class.  Do not include a cover sheet.

 

Response Papers:  You will write a one page response to most readings on the syllabus.  Your response must be related to the reading and indicate your understanding of it.  At times I will give you specific directions for kinds of information that must be included in the response.  The responses are to be word-processed, double spaced.  Please head each response with the name of the selection and the author. Papers are due at the beginning of the hour.  I do not accept late response papers.

 

Grades:  Out-of-class essays – 60%

                In-class essays – 10% 

                Response papers/ weekly discussions/reflective writing/participation/conferences/quizzes – 25%

                Final exam – 5%

 

 Out-of-class essays:   Students will write three out-of-class essays.  When each essay is assigned, students will receive a detailed handout explaining the nature of the essay, including the length, topic, and other details.  Students will engage in the writing process, writing a series of drafts and revisions.  Peer review workshops will guide students’ revisions.  When the final draft of each essay is due, students will include in their essay packets all drafts from peer review and conferencing, prewriting, and a final, clean copy or the essay.  Materials must be in an envelope.  I do not accept loose papers.         

  Turnitin:  Students will submit all out-of-class essays to Turnitin.  This program will be used by the instructor.  You may be asked to submit other papers to Turnitin throughout the semester. 

               

Cell Phones/Pagers:  Ringing cell phones and pagers disrupt the learning environment of the classroom.  Out of respect for classmates and for the instructor, all cell phones and pagers must be either turned off or in a silent mode upon entering class.  Should a cell phone or pager ring or vibrate during class, the student may be asked promptly to leave the class and not return for the remainder of the class period.  Students disrupting class with ringing phones or pagers will be counted absent for the class period. 

 

Grammar:  Any student enrolled in a college-level English course should have a working knowledge of grammar.  Poor grammar and careless grammatical mistakes will affect an essay’s grade.  The grammar sections in A Writer’s Reference will serve as a reference guide, and we will have exercises on grammar throughout the semester.

 

Academic Assistance Center:  The Academic Assistance Center is staffed by faculty as well as student consultants.  You can go to the Academic Assistance Center for additional assistance with every phase of the writing process.  I strongly encourage you to do so.  However, The Academic Assistance Center is not a proofreading service, and tutors will not “fix” problems for students.  It is free for all ABAC students.

 

Special Needs:  Students requiring classroom accommodations or modifications because of a documented disability should discuss this need with the instructor at the beginning of the semester.  Students not registered with Student Support Services should contact the Student Support Services office in Conger Hall.

 

**I reserve the right to alter the syllabus if circumstances warrant.