Ms. Donna J. Meek
Office and Mailbox: R 230, Arts & Humanities Division
Telephone: (425) 564-2359
Office Hours: Monday - Friday,
TEXTS: Primis, The Accommodating Reader, McGraw-Hill, Inc.
A Writer’s Reference, 5th 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:
[Generating] [Drafting] [Revising] [Editing]
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 371, HACKER.
4. NOTE:
AN ESSAY CANNOT BE GRADED UNLESS THE DRAFT(S) THAT I HAVE MARKED ARE
TURNED IN WITH
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.
Title – Center.
WORK RETURN
·
Please
allow up to a week for work to be returned to you.
·
At times,
I can get assignments back to you in a day or two;
·
At other
times in the quarter, I will need either several days or even the full week.
GRADING
1. Attendance, Participation (See Course Policies)
2. Essays – Four (4)---------25% Each
Essay
3. In-class writing and quizzes also count as participation.
4. No Make-ups.
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.
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 (“Z”)
FOR COURSE.
5) Do not come in too late or leave too early:
it will count as 1 absence.
STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITIES
IN ATTENDANCE
1. Come to
class regularly. I understand that our
terrible
our congested BCC parking might make you miss attendance; therefore
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 have 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).
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. THE TABLE BELOW WILL BE APPLIED TO LATE
WORK:
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
draft is more than two (2) days late. (Weekends & holidays count.)
2. WORK LEFT FOR ME IN R230 WILL NOT
BE ACCEPTED !
Always bring work TO CLASS, whether on time or late. Late penalties will apply as shown above.
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 performance. Thank you.
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.
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, 318-20
+ 331-34.
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.