English 1A Course Information

REQUIRED TEXTS:

The McGraw-Hill Guide Writing for College, Writing for Life (Second Edition) (Duane Roen, JGregory Glau, Barry M. Maid)
You Gotta have WA (Robert Whiting)

Course Description
This general education requirement is a transfer-level, college freshman English composition course comparable to those courses offered by private and state college and university systems.

Course Objectives
Written Communications I will develop the student's ability

• to read critically,
• to think logically, and
• to write clearly and effectively.

Written assignments are based on college-level readings. This course requires

• a minimum of eight thousand words (8,000) of expository writing,
• the study of the rhetorical principles of writing, and
• the study of the methods and materials of research.

Writing Skills

The ability to generate ideas about which to write;

The ability to formulate a single statement that clearly expresses the central idea of one's essay;

The ability to construct a paragraph that develops and supports the main idea of the paragraph;

The ability to organize paragraphs into a logical sequence so that the central idea of the essay is developed into a logical conclusion;

The ability to use varied sentence structures and types effectively in order to indicate the meaning, the relationship, and the importance of ideas;

The ability to write sentences with precise and appropriate words, to distinguish between literal and figurative use of language, and to avoid inappropriate jargon and cliché;

The ability to vary one's choice of words and sentences for different audiences and purposes;

The ability to present one's own ideas as related to, but clearly distinguished from, the ideas of others, which includes the ability to use documentation and avoid plagiarism;

The ability to support one's opinions and conclusions, including the appropriate use of evidence;

The ability to use dictionaries and other reference materials for the purpose of checking words and facts used in one's writing;

The ability to proofread one's essay for errors and omissions of both form and substance, to revise and restructure where ideas are poorly organized or where evidence is lacking, to correct the draft for errors in capitalization, spelling, and punctuation, and to produce a finished paper relatively free of sentence fragments, comma splices, agreement errors, and improper pronoun reference.

Students' Obligations
Because English 1A is a transfer-level English composition course comparable to those courses offered by the state college and university systems, students are expected to approach the course with a mature outlook and the desire to learn and utilize the material being studied.

Success in this course calls for three essentials:

1. to attend and participate actively in the class,
2. to follow directions, and
3. to meet deadlines.

Each student is expected to do the following:

1. to be prepared for each class meeting;
2. to have assignments finished by due date:
   • readings, exercises, and assignments must be completed by the dates specified;
   • drafts must be completed on the due date so that they can be edited and discussed in workshops;
   • revisions and rewrites (See instructor).
3. maintain an acceptable attendance record; assignments and exercises are due for almost every session of class; many classes follow a workshop format, in which we edit and discuss the writing done by you and your colleagues; regular attendance and active participation in class discussion are, therefore, mandatory.
4. maintain a satisfactory level of scholarship;
5. follow college policy for behavior. For each unexcused absence beyond three, ten points will be subtracted from your semester "in-class participation" point total..

• Each student's progress and development will be evaluated by the instructor on the basis of the student's ability to utilize the subject matter of the course in written and oral work.
• Each student should meet with the instructor periodically for an analysis and discussion of the student's work.
• Each student will be graded on individual assignments and will earn a final grade based on overall performance and improvement and the fulfillment of the course assignments.

On the basis of the instructor's evaluation, each assignment in this course will be evaluated in one of three categories:

A or B
An essay that meets composition requirements: worthwhile content; sensible organization; readable style; and appropriate style, and mechanics.

C
An essay that satisfies most of these requirements, but has a few easily correctable deficiencies.

D or F
An essay that needs extensive revision to meet all the requirements or has the type or number of mechanical errors that would distract reader comprehension.

C & D/F
The first three out-of-class essays may be rewritten for a higher grade. Revisions for a better grade must be resubmitted by the next immediate class meeting. A Grade of B is the highest grade possible on any rewritten essay.

 
A	4.0	100 - 93  	C+	2.3	79 - 78
A-	3.7	92 - 90		C	2.0	77 - 73
B+	3.3	89 - 88		C-	1.7	72 - 70
B	3.0	87 - 83		D+	1.3	69 - 68
B-	2.7	82 - 80		D	1.0	67 - 60
				F	0.0	59 - 0 

The final course grade will be determined by the following:

		


	65% Essays					


	15% Homework, In class Work, Quizzes, & Tests 					

			
	20% Final Exam			 
 

English 1A  Final Exam Schedule

DAY__________________ DATE__________________ TIME ____________

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