ENGL& 101 - English Composition I
Spring 2012

Instructor: James Goldsmith

E-mail: jgoldsmi@bellevuecollege.edu

Only use this address if Blackboard is misbehaving and you need to contact me. Otherwise, all our communication will be on the course site.

Office Hours: I live in Vancouver, WA, so person-to-person conferences don't work. We will do virtually all our communication via email. In past quarters this has not presented any problems.

Books and Materials Required

Richard Marius. A Writer’s Companion, 4^th edition.

Donald McQuade. The Writer’s Presence, 7^th edition.

Grading

In order to remain eligible for a passing grade, students are required to complete every assignment in a timely manner. Failure to complete, at a basic satisfactory level, even one assignment means the student will no longer be eligible for a passing grade.

Late work is penalized by a 10% reduction the first 24-hour block. For each additional 24-hour block, the grade will be reduced an additional 20%.

For most assignments, if the work is not turned in within 7 24-hour blocks, the student is no longer eligible for a passing grade. There are exceptions to this, and they will be noted.

* NOTE: To figure out your grade at any time, simply divide the total points you have earned by the total points you have submitted to that point. I use standard percentage markings:

93-100% = A, 90-92% = A-, 88-89% = B+, 83-87% = B, 80-82% = B-, and so on. . .

Projected point totals (subject to change)

Intro Assignment 10

4 Essays preliminaries 5 each

4 Feedback exercises 10 each

4 Instructor drafts 100 each

3 Rewrites 50 each

18 Essay discussions 5 each

4 Writing skills modules 10 each

4 Marius Assignments 10 each

The link to the College Grading Policy is located on page 10 of the Course Catalog and also on the web at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/policies/3/3000_grading.asp.

Course Outcomes

--Demonstrate various invention practices: brainstorming, free writing, outlining, journaling.

--Demonstrate ability to writer in various modes: personal narrative, expository, analytical, descriptive, argumentative.

--Demonstrate the phases of writing: draft, revision, final copy.

--Explore sources of writing: reading, thinking, analyzing, discussing.

--Create a thesis statement that suggests the focus of the paper, but dies not point out the obvious, and is written as a sentence.

--Develop and include enough details and examples to support the identified theses and reinforce focus.

--Demonstrate various patterns of organization and use the organization pattern that suits identified purpose and audience.

--Illustrate the concept of “audience.”

--Artfully combine audience, purpose and tone in compositions written in and outside of class.

--Write in a vocabulary appropriate to the subject and identified audience.

--Begin and conclude a paper effectively.

--Show effective control of mechanics: paragraphing, punctuation, spelling.

--Differentiate between key ideas and supporting details in reading.

--Locate the thesis statement in reading assignments.

--Practice good group skills: how to give useful feedback and make use of the feedback received.

--Develop self-assessment skills.

Instructor’s Expectations

Please note that the first two can determine passing or failing.

I expect that you will complete every assignment, no matter how small, seemingly insignificant or unimportant. You must complete every assignment in a timely manner to remain eligible for a passing grade. "Timely manner" will vary. I'll keep you abreast. Late work loses credit rapidly. I'm deeply sympathetic to explanations for late work (I understand that stuff happens), but I'll never excuse it. Bottom line: late is late.

I expect that your essays will average at least a grade of C in order to move to English 201, 270, 271 or 272.

I expect that you have come to this class with a working usage of modern English grammar, as English 101 does not teach grammar. I may suggest additional non-graded work for students who struggle with grammar. I set aside a segment of our website to provide a grammar and mechanics help area, complete with exercises; use it if you have these problems. I encourage you to utilize BCC's excellent Writing Lab, either by way of the "virtual tutor" or in person on campus. All papers with major grammatical errors lose points in this class. See the Major Grammar Errors page in the Mechanics area under the Resources and Tool link for help in identifying these errors.

I expect that you will take care to back up your papers and other assignments on more than one disk and/or store them on your hard drive AND a disk. Never trust an instructor with the only copy of an assignment. If some computer catastrophe should occur, you will still be responsible for producing the work by the due date in order to get a grade. Be careful--save and back your work up regularly!

I expect that you will show respect to everyone by responding to e-mail and discussion postings in a way that is not judgmental, degrading, or derogatory. Even though we may disagree with the interpretations of others, please use some self-restraint and compassion in responding to others' ideas. Logical and questioning responses are encouraged. Choose your words and the tone of your message with utmost care. I also expect tolerance for others' abilities and learning styles.

I expect that you will try to the best of your ability to master the skills taught in this class. According to the English Department at BC, by the end of the quarter, you should:

--use a variety of prewriting methods to develop ideas and organize a writing plan.

--revise, edit, and proofread papers (both on and off the computer) until the final submitted draft shows the skill and effort you have put into it.

--write for a specific audience with a specific purpose, as assigned, using an appropriate voice and tone.

--build a complex, but coherent paper around your own thoughts and analyses.

--use a single, well-stated sentence that clearly expresses the central idea of your essay, focuses your topic, and controls ideas to the point of creating unity.

--connect paragraphs to the thesis and to each other; produce a smooth flow of ideas using appropriate coherence techniques.

--construct unified paragraphs that develop and support the main idea with specific examples and concrete details.

--analyze, evaluate and interpret complex material.

--write essays with effective introductions and conclusions.

--construct clear, grammatically correct sentences of precise and appropriate words.

--understand and apply subordination and coordination in sentences to emphasize important ideas.

--be able to differentiate your personal opinions and assumptions from another's.

--be able to self-assess. (Please see the Resources & Tools page for more help with the composition skills listed above).

I expect honesty. Plagiarizing is cheating, as is copying answers on a test, glancing at nearby test papers, swapping papers, buying papers, using ideas from other sources without proper documentation, writing papers for others, or having them written for you. BCC utilizes a plagiarism detection software, and I use it for random spots checks. Plus, if I even remotely suspect your paper sounds plagiarized, I will submit it to this site.

If you cheat or plagiarize, the following actions will be taken:

You will receive a grade of "0" on the work (period).

A second instance means an F for the course.

A report of the incident will be filed in the Dean of Students' Office. This report may become part of your permanent record or the Dean may choose to pursue further disciplinary action.

English 101 is a completely online class; you are not required to attend classroom sessions. However, English 101 is NOT a course completed on your own timetable. You must participate in an ongoing, timely manner to successfully fulfill the requirements of the course.

This online course will require you to have some particular attributes and skills:

--college level reading and comprehension skills

--good self-motivation

--good problem solving skills

--the ability to communicate clearly in writing

--the ability to learn well in a totally visual medium

--the ability to follow written direction

--the ability to use your computer to complete various tasks, including (but not limited to) uploading and downloading files as well as attaching files to e-mail messages as required

-- the ability to ask questions as needed.

Many students mistakenly believe that writing is a talent, given to everyone else. But writing is not a single task, accomplished in isolation. Writing is a skill, developed with practice in reading texts, analyzing texts, thinking through the texts and then lastly, writing these ideas down. Anyone with enough determination and effort can learn to communicate effectively in writing. This class is designed to use writing, in the form of an academic college essay, to improve your written communication skills as well as your critical reading and thinking skills. Some students probably have a measure of these skills already. Some students may be better at some skills and feel less comfortable with the others. Whatever your abilities before now, I ask you to approach the class with compassion and tolerance for each other.

If you signed up for this course thinking that it would have less work than a course in the classroom, you were mistaken. Any online course has more writing work than a class in the classroom as all of our communication must be written. Please be advised that the workload may be very difficult for you if work and/or family demands do not allow you a minimum of two to three uninterrupted hours every weekday to work on the assignments for this class. I have tried to focus and space assignments to facilitate as many learning styles as possible, but you may need to schedule extra time, especially around paper writing/editing time, depending on your ability to read or write.

Student Responsibilities

Because of the special method of course delivery:

First and probably most important, you MUST have a computer and required software and services.

In order to use our class website effectively, you MUST set up your computer to the appropriate specifications. Check out that information by clicking on the "Run a Browser Check" link on the "Log In" page, to the right of the box where you enter your username and password.

Affirmation of Inclusion

Bellevue College is committed to maintaining an environment in which every member of the campus community feels welcome to participate in the life of the college, free from harassment and discrimination.

We value our different backgrounds at Bellevue College, and students, faculty, staff members, and administrators are to treat one another with dignity and respect. http://bellevuecollege.edu/about/goals/inclusion.asp

Division Statements

Information about Bellevue College's copyright guidelines can be found at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/lmc/links/copyright.html

A good resource for Plagiarism is the Writing Lab: http://bellevuecollege.edu/writinglab/Plagiarism.html

Student Code

“Cheating, stealing and plagiarizing (using the ideas or words of another as one’s own without crediting the source) and inappropriate/disruptive classroom behavior are violations of the Student Code of Conduct at Bellevue College. Examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to: talking out of turn, arriving late or leaving early without a valid reason, allowing cell phones/pagers to ring, and inappropriate behavior toward the instructor or classmates. The instructor can refer any violation of the Student Code of Conduct to the Vice President of Student Services for possible probation or suspension from Bellevue College. Specific student rights, responsibilities and appeal procedures are listed in the Student Code of Conduct, available in the office of the Vice President of Student Services.” The Student Code, Policy 2050, in its entirety is located at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/policies/2/2050_Student_Code.asp

The instructor reserves the right to use any and all plagiarism-checking resources. Penalties for plagiarism range from automatic F (zero points) for a give assignment, to course failure.

Important Links

Bellevue College E-mail and access to MyBC

All students registered for classes at Bellevue College are entitled to a network and e-mail account. Your student network account can be used to access your student e-mail, log in to computers in labs and classrooms, connect to the BC wireless network and log in to MyBC. To create your account, go to: https://bellevuecollege.edu/sam.

BC offers a wide variety of computer and learning labs to enhance learning and student success. Find current campus locations for all student labs by visiting the Computing Services website.

Disability Resource Center (DRC)

The Disability Resource Center serves students with a wide array of learning challenges and disabilities. If you are a student who has a disability or learning challenge for which you have documentation or have seen someone for treatment and if you feel you may need accommodations in order to be successful in college, please contact us as soon as possible.

If you are a person who requires assistance in case of an emergency situation, such as a fire, earthquake, etc, please meet with your individual instructors to develop a safety plan within the first week of the quarter.

The DRC office is located in B 132 or you can call our reception desk at 425.564.2498. Deaf students can reach us by video phone at 425-440-2025 or by TTY at 425-564-4110. . . Please visit our website for application information into our program and other helpful links at www.bellevuecollege.edu/drc

Public Safety

The Bellevue College (BC) Public Safety Department’s well trained and courteous non-commissioned staff provides personal safety, security, crime prevention, preliminary investigations, and other services to the campus community, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Their phone number is 425.564.2400. The Public Safety website is your one-stop resource for campus emergency preparedness information, campus closure announcements and critical information in the event of an emergency. Public Safety is located in K100 and on the web at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/publicsafety/

Final Exam Schedule

No final exams in this course.