Elahi
English 28
English 28: Intermediate Reading and Composition
Welcome to English 28! 
Professor Nadia Elahi
Los Angeles City College-FALL 2013
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30 pm - 6:40 pm, short term: 8/26-10/19, Section #431, Room JH313
Office: JH301-G Phone: EXT 2717
Email: elahink@lacitycollege.edu
Course Description:
Students will receive instruction in techniques of writing at the college level with an emphasis on
grammar and various essay writing modes. Students develop reading skills through an analysis of
fiction and non-fiction materials
Prerequisite: ESL 6A or English 21 or 73 or equivalent or an appropriate placement score.
Co-requisite: English 67, Writing Center JH318
.
Student Learning Outcomes and Objectives:
Throughout the semester, your performance on multiple student learning outcomes will be
evaluated. In particular, the outcomes which will be assessed this semester include the
following:
 Engage in active reading and understand a given college text’s important ideas;
 Read different texts and synthesize ideas from a variety of sources and backgrounds in
preparation for your own writing;
 Evaluate the quality of the support provided for different ideas in readings;
 Conduct some research the gather information on a particular issue or question from
several sources and perspectives;
 Craft planning outlines for your writings that help you identify and organize ideas and
supporting material;
 Develop draft thesis statements that express a leading idea for each of your essays, and
subsequently revise and refine these draft thesis statements as your essays develop;
 Support your ideas with appropriate examples, case studies, data, and expert opinions;
 Integrate material from readings or others sources into your own writing;
 Use MLA documentation;
 Edit your own work for errors.
Required Texts:
The Prose Reader, 10th ed. (Flachmann/Flachmann), Rules for Writers 7th ed. (Hacker/Sommers,
LACC bundled edition). Supplemental readings/text will be provided in class or uploaded to
Etudes. Also, two large green books will be needed for the in class essay and final exam.
Materials/Supplies: Any college dictionary/thesaurus, notebook or binder with loose leaf paper,
pens or pencils, stapler, and a flash drive to SAVE ALL WORK.
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Course Requirements:
Papers: There will be 3 out of class essays, 2 in class essays (using a green book); one of
the in class essays counts as the final exam. All out of class essays must be typed,
double-spaced, using Times New Roman or Arial with a 12 point font, and a 1-inch
margin all the way around—MLA format. Essays must be stapled and turned in on the
due date. Assignment Sheets for each essay will be uploaded to Etudes (throughout the
semester) with specific instructions and guidelines to follow. Students are responsible to
download and retrieve those assignments when announced. If an Essay is NOT turned in
on the due date, the essay may be accepted the next class day only, BUT with a 10 point
deduction; however, this does not include the in class essay and final, which may not
be made up if absent. The final exam is set for Thursday Oct. 17.
Peer Review Groups: Each student must bring in 4 copies of his/her rough draft of the
out of class essay. Peer groups are essential to the writing and revision process. This is
an in class activity and participation is mandatory. Of the 4 copies, one is presented to
the instructor and the other 3 are peer reviewed by classmates in groups of 4. Peer
Review Editing Sheets will be supplied to each group on the rough draft due date.
Writing Center/English 67 (JH318): Please sign up for English 67 as soon as possible.
English 67 is a co requisite of English 28. Using our Handbook (Rules for Writers) and
some additional materials, English 67 will help you improve all aspects of your college
writing, including your ability to edit your own work for issues with grammar and
conventions of standard college English. You must fulfill 15 hours in the Writing Center.
Since this class meets for 8 weeks, you should attend the Writing Center at least twice a
week.
Homework/Class Work: Class work: includes in-class writing & activities/class
participation and discussion. Basically, class work is anything that happens during 3:306:40 pm. Any work missed during class time cannot be made up. Reading and
grammar quizzes will be unannounced—there are no make ups for being absent or
late to class and missing a quiz. Each student is expected to contribute to class
discussion—aside from volunteering, you will be called upon at times—so be prepared!
 Homework: Homework assignments are listed on the Assignment Schedule, but will
be announced toward the end of each class IF there are any changes. Otherwise, follow
the calendar of assignments. ALL homework assignments will be typed and collected
for grading. Most of the homework assignments come from questions after assigned
readings (The Prose Reader). Each question should be answered in complete sentences.
The length of each answer depends on the question being asked. Usually, a well
developed paragraph or two is sufficient. You will be graded on each homework
assignment. Credit is not just given for doing the work. You will be evaluated on
content and grammar/mechanics. Some questions have more than one question to it—all
parts of the question should be answered. Be sure to number and title the homework with
the corresponding title of the work and question number. Homework is due at the start of
each class session. Late homework is NOT accepted. If you are absent, you do have
the opportunity to email your work BEFORE the end of class (6:40 pm); this
includes essay assignments as well.
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Attendance and Classroom Policy: It is imperative that you attend each session.
Students who fail to be present on the first day of class may be dropped from the course.
If you miss the entire first week, you will be dropped, and your spot will be given to
someone else wanting to add. Since this is a short term class, you may be dropped if you
miss more than 2 classes. Excused absences will only be allowed with a doctor’s note
which must include the class date of your absence. Tardiness will not be tolerated in
this class. If you are not in class when I call roll—you are late. I call roll promptly at
the start of class. Three tardies will be counted as an absence—no exceptions. If
you arrive after I’ve taken roll, it is your responsibility to tell me after class or you may
be marked absent. Also, if you leave class early for any reason, you will be marked
absent.
Classroom Etiquette: There will be no eating in class. You may drink
sodas/coffee/water, but please discard waste in trash bins when you leave the classroom.
Please turn off/silence (not vibrate) all electronic devices—no texting, no emailing, no
iPods or ear phones. Hide your phones—not in your lap.  If you are caught using
your phone, you will receive a warning; the second time, you will be dismissed from
the entire class and receive no credit for worked missed. Laptops may be used but
only for note taking. If I see the abuse of laptop usage in class—in other words—if
you’re NOT taking notes, then you will be asked to refrain from using the laptop again.
Please avoid too much walking in and out of class; be attentive, and show respect to the
instructor and fellow classmates. However, there will be a 15 minute break half way
through class. Do not begin packing up until class is dismissed. We are all here to
learn. No individual among us has the right to interfere with anyone else’s learning
environment. A student who is behaving inappropriately will be asked to leave and may
be dismissed from the class. Be the kind of student you would respect.
Email Etiquette: Keep in mind that this is an English class, and if you do need to contact
me through email, as your English instructor, I strongly advise you to put your best foot
forward. In other words, you should adhere to correct spelling, grammar and usage—no
text lingo, please. When you do email me, please include your name and class in the
subject line and be sure to sign your emails.
Office Hours: My office is located in JH302-F. If you need to speak with me outside of
class, you can come in on Monday and Wednesday between 1 - 1:30 pm or on Tuesday
and Thursday between 1 – 3:15 pm. If these times are not accommodating for you, I may
be able to meet at a different time or day. Just email me, and we can work something out.
YOU are required to be responsible for any work you miss when you are absent or tardy.
Therefore, I encourage you to exchange numbers/email addresses with at least 2 fellow
classmates:
1._______________________________________________
2._______________________________________________
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Breakdown of Grades:
Final Exam (in class essay) = 200 points
3 Out of Class Essays = 100 points each
1 In Class Essay = 100 points each
Homework and Class work = 100 points
Includes:
 Various reading and writing assignments from the homework (points vary for
each assignment)
 Rough Drafts (3 out of class essays at 20 points each)—must be present—do
not email or leave in mailbox if absent—in class activities.
 Quizzes (points vary depending on the quiz & some may be unannounced)
 Various class work assignments throughout each class session (points vary)
 Research Paper Topic (3rd out of class essay; 10 points)—must be present—do
not email or leave in mailbox if absent—in class activity.
 Annotated Bibliography (3rd out of class essay; 25 points)
 Attendance, discussion and class participation (30 points)
 Completion of E67 (100 points)
FINAL GRADE is determined by the following procedure: average of the essay grades (3 out of
class and1 in class) + average of homework and class work + final exam. The total is divided by
400, which equals the final grade
Grading Scale: Students must receive at least 70% or better to pass the course. The grading
scale is as follows: 100-90=A; 89-80=B; 79-70=C; 69-60=D, 59-below=F
*Extra Credit is not offered in this course.
Academic Dishonesty:
Violations of Academic Integrity include, but are not limited to, the following actions: cheating
on an exam, plagiarism, working together on an assignment, paper or project when the instructor
has specifically stated students should not do so, submitting the same term paper to more than
one instructor, or allowing another individual to assume one's identity for the purpose of
enhancing one's grade. Cheating and plagiarizing will earn you an automatic F for the
assignment and could be grounds to fail the entire course. If you need help, visit the Writing
Center (JH 318).
Office of Special Services:
Any student who feels she/he may need an academic accommodation based on the impact of a
disability should contact the Office of Special Services (OSS) at 323-953-4000, ext. 2270 or visit
their office in room SSV 100.
Important Dates and Information:
The deadline to drop without a “W” is the last day of Week 2 (of the semester), which is Sunday,
September 8th for Fall 2013. If you must drop a course, drop before the specified deadline for
dropping a class without a grade of "W." Dropping after Week 2 will result in a “W” on your
transcript. Effective since July 1, 2012 students now have just 3 attempts to pass a class. If a
student gets a "W" or grade of "D", "F", “I”, or "NP" in a class, that will count as an attempt. A
student’s past record of course attempts district wide will also be considered. Therefore, before
the end of Week 2 you should carefully consider if you can reasonably manage this course with
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the other factors in your life (e.g. work, family, course load). If you think you will not be able
to complete this course with a C or better, drop by Sunday, September 8th. If you have any
questions, please don’t hesitate to talk to me. You may also see a counselor in the Counseling
Center in AD 108.
Short-term classes: Drop dates for short-term classes are not the same as full semester classes.
For specific deadline dates, please contact the Admissions Office.
Note the following Dates:
Last day to add a class: September 9
Last day to drop a class with a full refund: September 8
Last day to drop a class without a “W” on record: September 8
Last day to drop a class with a “W” on record: November 18 online
Final Exam day: Thursday, October 17, 3:30 pm – 6:40 pm
If you need help paying for books and other college expenses,
call the Financial Aid Office at
(323) 953-4000 extension 2010,
or see them at Student Services Village room 117
http://www.lacitycollege.edu/stusvcs/finaid/
“Go confidently into the direction of your dreams! Live the life you always imagined.”-Thoreau
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