Ms. Donna J. Meek
Office and Mailbox: R 230, Arts & Humanities Division
Telephone: (425) 564-2359
Office Hours: M – F ,
TEXTS: Primis, The Accommodating Reader, McGraw-Hill, Inc.
A Writer’s Reference, 4th Edition, Diana Hacker
A good portable college
dictionary (Webster’s, Random House, American Heritage). Bring it to class daily.
OTHER: SMALL STAPLER (LOADED).
____________________________________________________________
COURSE
METHODS AND GOALS
METHODS
1. Using the natural writing process:
2. Working on your essays together, in groups and pairs.
3. Sharing journal assignments in class. Note: often, work will be read aloud.
IMPORTANT GOALS
1. To write honest, powerful, vivid, and alive essays--not empty, dull, alienated baloney that makes even you yawn.
2. To write unified, coherent, and developed essays that explain your thoughts and feelings in clear, concrete, metaphorical, and/ or logical terms.
3. To improve the accuracy of your editing: for better grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
REQUIRED ESSAY
FORMAT
1. TYPED OR WORDPROCESSED/ DOUBLE-SPACED/ ONE-INCH MARGINS.
2. MINIMUM LENGTH REQUIREMENT: 500 - 750 WORDS [ABOUT 2-3 WORDPROCESSED OR TYPED PAGES]. YOU CAN WRITE MORE.
3. TITLE PAGE: SEE FORMAT ON PAGE 351, HACKER.
4. NOTE: AN ESSAY CANNOT BE GRADED
UNLESS THE DRAFT(S) THAT I HAVE
MARKED ARE TURNED IN WITH
THE FINAL ESSAY--STAPLED SECURELY TO THE TOP OF IT--> (continued)
PAGE 1 (101)
5. TYPE OR WORDPROCESS ALL DRAFTS!
6. ALWAYS KEEP A COPY OF YOUR ESSAY and
DRAFTS.
7. PAPER: INEXPENSIVE BUT STURDY BOND IS FINE. DO NOT USE PAPER THAT WILL SMEAR OR TOO EASILY TEAR.
8. NO FOLDERS, PLEASE.
REQUIRED JOURNAL FORMAT
1. All journal entries should be a minimum of 250-500 words, in 1-2 typed or wordprocessed, double-spaced pages. You can write more.
2. Journal assignments are given in the syllabus, week by week.
3. Some
journals will be read aloud in class--not necessarily by the author--for credit.
4. JOURNAL
HEADING: CLASS TIME, YOUR NAME,
JOURNAL NUMBER,
& DUE DATE.
·
Please
allow up to a week for work to be returned to you.
·
At times,
I can get assignments back to you in a few days;
·
At other
times in the quarter, I will need either several days or even the full week.
GRADING
1. Attendance, Participation (See Course Policies), and Journals 30%
2. Essays 70%
3. In-class writing and quizzes also count as participation.
4. No Make-ups.
5. All
essays and a
passing number of journals must be turned in for
completion of this course.
COURSE POLICIES
Log on @ http:// www.bcc.ctc.edu/ ArtsHum/ to read a complete copy of this important
document: the Arts & Humanities Division Policy. (Click on Student Information.) It spells out in clear, plain English (a) how the division supports each instructor’s course policies and (b) what constitutes mature classroom behavior in college. You are responsible for knowing the material in this policy statement.
PAGE
2 (101)
ATTENDANCE
1) 0-4 Absences (1-hour class) or
0-3 Absences (2- or 3-hour
class)
= NO EFFECT ON GRADE.
2) 5-7 Absences (1-hour class) or -4 Absences (2- or 3-hour class)
= FINAL GRADE MAY BE LOWERED 1/2 LETTER GRADE-->
3) 8-9 Absences (1-hour class) or -5 Absences (2- or 3-hour class)
= FINAL GRADE MAY BE LOWERED (1) LETTER GRADE.
4) 10+ Absences (1-hour class) or -6+ Absences (2- or 3-hour class)
= NO CREDIT (“F”)
FOR COURSE.
5) If
you come in too late or leave too early, you may not receive credit for
attending class; an absence will be recorded.
STUDENT’S
RESPONSIBILITIES IN ATTENDANCE
1.
Come to class regularly. I
understand that our notoriously bad
2. If you miss
the taking of attendance, then it is your responsibility--and yours
alone--to ensure that
your attendance is recorded,
by doing this:
3. SIGN THE ATTENDANCE ROSTER AT THE
END OF CLASS.
4. PLEASE DO NOT ...
--> Interrupt class to sign the roster
--> Pester me about attendance the next day or the next week:
It will be too late by
then--I won’t remember who was where!
5. As a professional courtesy, if you do have to leave a few minutes early--or if you wish to bring a guest or a child to class that day--always tell me about it before class begins.
PARTICIPATION
Good = You come to class, and you come prepared; you work productively in your group; you complete reading and writing assignments conscientiously and punctually; and you pay attention when either another student or the instructor is speaking.
Fair = Sometimes
you do the above--but neither as often nor as enthusiastically as you should.
Poor = Your attitude, behavior, and performance “suck” (to put it bluntly).
PAGE 3 (101)
Effects: If your final grade is a borderline grade (e.g., A-/B+), then...
1) Good participation could raise your grade.
2) Fair participation could not.
3) Poor participation could lower your grade.
LATE WORK**
1. LATE
ESSAYS & JOURNALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED UNLESS YOU TALK
TO ME, FIRST. NO EXCEPTIONS! IF WE HAVE TALKED, THEN THE TABLE BELOW WILL BE APPLIED:
One day late = Grade
will be lowered one letter grade
Two days late = Grade will be
lowered two letter grades
Three days late = Grade
will be lowered three letter grades
After three days = Work
will not be accepted: zero = grade
Weekends, etc. = Saturday,
Sunday, & Holidays
count as days missed
***** LATE
DRAFTS: ESSAY GRADE MAY BE LOWERED
IF
ROUGH
DRAFT IS MORE THAN TWO (2) DAYS LATE!
(This includes weekends & holidays.)
2. WORK
LEFT IN MY MAILBOX [R230] WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED UNLESS YOU-->
--Ask one of the secretaries in R230
to MARK ON THE FRONT OF YOUR PAPER the following:
--HER/HIS INITIALS + THE
TIME + THE DATE.
--ONLY work labeled with the
above information will be accepted!
3. Remember,
on the front of the syllabus is a phone number with a voice mail system that
operates 24 hours a day. If you are
struck down by either illness or emergency, please use it! It is your responsibility, as a
college student, to keep your instructors informed of any difficulties that may
affect your academic progress.
MISSED CLASSES**
1. You are responsible
for knowing what goes on in any classes that you miss-- including any changes in
assignments, due dates, etc.
2. If you do
miss a class, please do not ask me ‘what you
missed’ --until
you have
done the following, first:
(a) ASK
1-2 STUDENTS FOR THAT DAY’S CLASS NOTES.
(b) COMPLETE
ALL
Then, after studying the notes and finishing the readings, you should feel free to ask any questions you may still have. I will be happy, at that point, to answer them.
PAGE 4 (101)
PLAGIARISM**
1. Plagiarism is the use of another
person’s WORDS OR IDEAS--even if summarized
or paraphrased, rather than copied word for word-- without proper documentation.
2. SEE DIANA HACKER, A WRITER’S
REFERENCE, 83-5 + 76-8.
3. Plagiarism is a serious academic
offense:
--> Plagiarized work will
automatically receive a ZERO.
--> The college may take further
disciplinary action against you.
4. PLEASE SEE ME IF
YOU ARE EVER UNSURE OF PLAGIARIZING: I WILL HELP YOU.
(MY ROLE IS TO HELP YOU TO AVOID
PLAGIARISM--NOT TO “CATCH” YOU AT IT.)
5. “If you can’t do the time--don’t do the
crime.” (Street Folk Wisdom)
“If you require accommodation based on a documented disability, have emergency medical information to share, or need special arrangements in case of emergency evacuation, please make an appointment with Julie Freeman, Program Coordinator, BCC Disability Support Services, as soon as possible. Call (425) 564-2699.
If you would like to inquire about becoming a DSS student, you may call (425) 564-2498 or go in person to the DSS (Disability Support Services) program office in C210, the student union building. Thank you! “
** If you have a health problem or a learning
disability--or special circumstances of any kind--please speak to
your instructor immediately.
** If you have a health problem
or a learning disability--or special
circumstances of any kind--please speak to
me immediately. Thank you.
PAGE 5 (101)