Houston Community College-Central Summer 2013
English 1301: Composition I
3 hour lecture course / 48 hours per semester / 5 weeks
Instructor: Kathleen Evans, Instructor CRN:44073
Office: FAC 319 Central Campus Phone: 713-718- 6671
Email: kathleen.evans@hccs.edu Class Times: 10:00 – 12:00 am; M-F
Office hours: Before or after class or by appointment
Web page: http://learning.hccs.edu/faculty/kathleenevans
Course Description: A course devoted to improving the student’s writing and critical reading.
Writing essays for a variety of purposes from personal to academic, including the introduction to
argumentation, critical analysis, and the use of sources. Core Curriculum course. Prerequisite: a
satisfactory assessment score, completion of ENGL 0310, or (for non-native speakers) ENGL
0349. 3 credit (3 lecture)
Student Learner Outcomes:
 understand writing as a connected and interactive process which includes planning, shaping,
drafting revising, editing, and proofreading;
 apply writing process to out-of-class writing;
 apply writing process as appropriate to in-class, impromptu writing situations, thus showing an
ability to communicate effectively in writing in a variety of writing situations;
 apply suggestions from evaluated compositions to other writing projects;
 understand and apply basic principles of critical thinking in analyzing reading selections, in
developing expository essays, and writing argumentative essays;
 apply concepts from and use references to assigned readings in developing essays;
 analyze (for such elements as purpose, audience, tone, style, writing strategy), in writing, essays
by professional writers;
 complete short writing assignments, journal entries, reading quizzes, and other activities to
strengthen basic thinking and writing skills;
 understand and appropriately apply various methods of development in writing;
 avoid faulty reasoning in all writing assignments
Required Texts:
Peterson and Brereton, Norton Reader, 13th edition Full edition to be purchased
http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/write/read12/
Bullock and Weinberg The Little Seagull Handbook.
http://books.wwnorton.com/books/detail-students.aspx?ID=17154
or http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
Other Required Materials:
College-level dictionary
Notebook with lined college-ruled paper
Blue or black pens for in-class writing
Blue books for exams (available in bookstore)
A flash drive or Dropbox.com account for saving and accessing your work
Attendance: Students must attend class regularly and punctually. Students are responsible for
material covered during their absence and must consult with the instructor about make up work.
Texas state law requires that students miss no more than 12.5% of instruction time (6 hours). If
you are absent four consecutive days without contacting me, I may drop you from this class by
the withdrawal deadline (April 9). After the withdrawal deadline, you will fail the course with a
grade of FX. I will not accept late essays. No make-ups are allowed for in-class essays or
quizzes.
Course Requirements
In class essays (at least 3)
Out of class papers (at least 3)
Instructor’s choice: reading responses,
collaborative/oral assignments, quizzes
Final in-class
40%
30%
20%
10%
Instructional methods: This course will incorporate reading, lecture, class discussions and
debates, in-class analysis in small groups, essay writing (in class and out), documentation in
proper MLA format, short writings, student presentations in class, and a final examination.
Student Assignments: Several different types of writing assignments comprise the bulk of your
work for this course; these submissions will be graded for appropriateness, unity and focus,
development, organization, sentence structure, word usage, and mechanics, as well as (for
research-based writing) proper citation and documentation of sources in current MLA format.
Assignments Before Class: Please read the assignments before coming to class, and bring your
dictionary to class. Reading prior to the class will give you the opportunity to participate in the
class discussions, journals and group assignments. Class participation will help your grade;
therefore, it is imperative that you are prepared for class each day. Out-of-class essays are due at
the start of class.
Paper Format: All papers are to be double-spaced. The mandatory heading, which follows
MLA, must be in the upper left-hand corner of first sheet, the title centered, the paragraphs
indented as follows:
Student’s name
English 1301, Assignment #
Instructor’s Name
Date
Title of Essay
Grading Scale
A 90-100% =exceptional work; superior in both style and content
B 80-89% =above average work; superior in content
C 70-79% =average work, good enough but not extraordinary
D 60-69% =below average work; mean mechanics, style, content
F 50-59% =failing work; deficient in mechanics, style and content
W (Withdrawn) may be given if a student misses more than 12.5% of instruction (6 class hours)
before the drop deadline.
FX will be awarded for those who discontinue coming to class after the drop deadine.
I= Incomplete
Scholastic Honesty: “Students are responsible for conducting themselves with honor and
integrity in fulfilling course requirements. Penalties and/or disciplinary proceedings may be
initiated by College System officials against a student accused of scholastic dishonesty.
„Scholastic dishonesty‟ includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and
collusion. . . .” See Student Handbook on HCCS website.
Phones and Beepers: Please turn off all cell phones, pagers and beepers before class begins.
Ringing cellular phones or sounding beepers disrupt instruction. Students must turn these off
before class starts.
Reasonable Accommodation: Any student with a documented disability (e.g., physical,
learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodation must
contact the Disability Services Office in SJAC 102 of the Central Campus or the Counselor at the
South Campus at the beginning of each semester. Faculty are authorized to provide only the
accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office. If you have questions,
please contact the Disability Counselor in LHSB106 of the Central Campus or at 713-718-6164.
EGLS3 -- Evaluation for Greater Learning Student Survey System: At Houston Community
College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is necessary to improve teaching
and learning. During a designated time, you will be asked to answer a short online survey of
research-based questions related to instruction. The anonymous results of the survey will be
made available to your professors and division chairs for continual improvement of instruction.
Look for the survey as part of the Houston Community College Student System online near the
end of the term.
Support Services
Tutoring: Free tutoring is available in FAC 321b of the Central Campus. Check door for spring
schedule. Other campuses have tutoring as well. Askonline is the online tutoring service.
http://hccs.askonline.net/
Library: HCC library is on the third floor of the Learning Hub of the Central Campus. The
librarians are dedicated to helping you find whatever you need.
Open Computer Lab: Computers are available for word processing in the Open Lab. Check for
hours.
Changes in this document: At his discretion, the professor may announce necessary changes in
this syllabus and assignment calendar at any time during the term.
English 1301 Course Calendar Summer 2013
Week One:
7/8: Diagnostic Essay; Introduction to course, textbooks, instructor, and classmates; syllabus,
strategies for critical reading
7/9: Read Norton Reader – Personal Account: Chang-Rae Lee, Eighner
7/10: Read NR – Personal Account: Goode, Walker,
7/11: Read NR– Portraits of People and Places: Sanders, Morrison
7/12: In Class Essay 1
WEEK TWO
7/15: Read Norton Reader – Human Nature: Quindlen, Theroux,
7/16: Read NR- Cunningham,
7/17: Read NR- Cultural Analysis: Carr, Gladwell
7/18: Out of Class Essay A due
7/19: Computer Lab
WEEK THREE
7/22: Read Norton Reader - Cultural Analysis: Kristoff, Staples
7/23: Read NR- OpEds: Ivins and Binge Drinking
7/24: Read NR- Education: Holt, Bird
7/25: Read NR – In Class Essay 2
7/26: Language and Communication: Kingston, King
WEEK FOUR
7/29: Read Norton Reader- Nature and the Environment: Steingraber, Williams
7/30: Read NR – Ethics: Levin, Ephron
7/31: Read NR – History: Franklin
8/1: Out of Class Paper B due
8/2: Read NR – Spoken Words: King, Gore
WEEK FIVE
8/5: Read Norton Reader – Literature, the Arts, and Media: McCloud, Sontag. Toth
8/6: Read NR – Philosophy and Religion: Hughes, Thoreau
8/7: In Class Essay 3
8/8: Review for Final Exam
8/9: Final Exam