English 1101: Composition I
Fall 2014
CRN: 348 Section J3 112 Academic Building
TR 11:00-12:15
Dr. LaRonda Sanders-Senu
Office: 103G Academic Building
Office Hours: MW 8:30-9:30,1:15-2:00, TR 8:00-10:45, and F 12:00-1:00
Phone: 678-359-5444
Email: lsanders-senu@gordonstate.edu
Website: http://www.gordonstate.edu/Faculty/lsanders-senu/
Welcome
Greetings and welcome to Composition I. If you take full advantage of this course, it can be of infinite value to you. No matter what
your major or ultimate career plans, you will never be able to escape writing. Learning to present organized, well-reasoned arguments
is a skill that will be of great benefit to you throughout your life. This course will involve a great deal of discussion, presentation of
different perspectives, and peer activities. Ultimately, it can be as enjoyable and beneficial as you make it. This is an environment
where we will all learn from each other, and I am very excited about this semester.
Course Description
A composition course focusing on skills required for effective writing in a variety of contexts, with emphasis on exposition, analysis,
and argumentation and including the use of research skills
Course Objectives
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Students will be able to write simple, compound, complex, and complex compound sentences in Standard English.
Students will be able to make their thinking visible by organizing a series of Standard English sentences into
coherent, unified paragraphs.
Students will be able to use the stylistic conventions expected by an academic and professional audience.
Students will be able to cite the ideas and words of others using a formal system such as M.L.A. style or A.P.A.
style.
Students will be able to articulate and use a set of strategies for creating, reading, comprehending, and analyzing a
variety of electronic and traditional texts.
Prerequisite
In order to be eligible to enroll in English 1101, students must have completed or must have been exempted from Learning Support
courses in Reading and English. Be aware that a grade of C or higher in English 1101 is required in order for students to move on to
English 1102.
Required Texts
Selected Texts will be on my website (http://www.gordonstate.edu/Faculty/lsanders-senu/) and Desire2Learn. Students will be
responsible for reading, printing out, and bringing to class material from either my website or Desire2Learn as indicated on the
syllabus or by the instructor. I have not assigned a reading textbook for this class. This means that the material that is online is your
textbook. If you will not be able to print out materials and bring them to class, this is not the course for you. I reserve the right to
ask students to leave who do not have their reading material with them in class.
Prentice Hall Reference Guide 9th Edition, Muriel Harris, Jennifer L. Kunka ( Boston: Prentice Hall 2011) ISBN-13: 978-0-32192131-4
You will also need to purchase a magazine.
Grading
General Scale
A = 100—90
B =89.9— 80
C = 79.9—70
D= 69.9—60
F = 59 and below*
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Paper Scale
A = 95 A- = 92 B+ = 88
F = 58 and so on.
B = 85
B- = 82
Homework and Class work Grading Scale
√+ = A (100-90) √ = B (85) √- = C (75)
C+ = 78
√- - = D (65)
C = 75
C- = 72 D+ = 68 D=65
D- = 62
NC= No Credit
Assignments
Paper One: In-Class Rhetorical Analysis
Paper Two: Contextual Analysis
Paper Three: Comparison and Contrast
Paper Four: In-Class Issue Based Position Paper
Participation, Homework, Class Work, Quizzes
Grammar Exam
10%
20%
20%
20%
15%
15%
Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, I will only discuss grade information with students in person. Grades are
calculated on a percentage basis. Therefore, it would be inaccurate for me to speculate about a student’s overall grade until the end of
the semester. There is a worksheet on the website designed to help students to estimate their own grades. Also, I will not discuss
specific absence information over email.
Be aware that this course is back loaded. Most of your assignments will be due after midterm. This means that you may not
have an accurate picture of where you stand until after midterm. It also means that you will have ample opportunity to do
well after midterm.
***Be advised that students who fail to submit one or more major assignments usually
exit the class with a grade of D or F.***
Outside of Class Paper Guidelines
 All papers should have one-inch margins and 12point Times New Roman font. They should be
properly formatted in MLA Style. See the
example on pages 434-440 of the Prentice Hall
Guide.

All papers that are written outside of class must be
submitted to the appropriate D2L drop box as a
MS Word attachment.

Peer Review is a required activity that is
beneficial to both you and your classmates.
Absence on peer review day, incomplete drafts,
and inadequate peer reviews will result in a sixpoint deduction from your paper grade.


Make sure you complete your papers in advance
to avoid tardiness and late papers due to
technological issues.

Papers should be submitted by our class time on
the day that the paper is due. If the paper is not
submitted in MS Word or in the correct drop box
by class time on the day it is due, it will be
considered one calendar day late. I do not accept
papers via email. Six points will be deducted for
each calendar day the paper is late. After one full
week, I will not accept late papers

Turn in all preliminary work. (Including First
Drafts, Worksheets, Peer Review Sheets, and
Outlines) It is the student’s responsibility to
Late Peer Review, class work, and homework will
not be accepted.
keep up with supplemental assignments and to
submit them in class on the day that the paper is
due. I will not list, for each assignment, what
needs to be submitted; students should know
that everything, with the exception of sources,
should be submitted.
In-Class Paper Guidelines
The division requires a portion of your grade to be based on in-class writing. To fulfill that requirement, students will be required to
write two in-class papers. The topics of those papers will be announced in advance. Only authorized material is allowed during the
writing process. Students are not allowed to draft the paper or write any portion of the paper outside of class. I will treat all drafts of
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the paper that are written outside of class, in whole or in part, as violations of academic integrity. Students who violate this rule will
receive a zero on the paper.
I will grade these papers with the same rigor as papers written outside of the classroom. They should reflect students’ skills as writers.
They should be fully developed. They should include an introduction, multiple body paragraphs, and a conclusion. They should
adhere to MLA guidelines and contain sufficient analysis. These papers should be written in print, skipping lines between each line of
text. Use blue or black ink. Illegible text will negatively impact your grade Students should bring sufficient paper or a bluebook to
class. Students will have approximately seventy five minutes to write each paper. The dates are on our course schedule. Students who
are late on in-class writing days will not get additional time to complete the assignment. Students who miss the in-class writing
assignment will only be able to make it up if they have a legitimate excuse. I reserve the right to decide if an excuse is legitimate or
not. A ten-point deduction will be assessed if a student is allowed to makeup the in-class paper within a two week period. If the paper
is not made up within a two week period, the student, even with a legitimate excuse, will not be allowed to makeup the assignment.
Revisions
Students will have the option to revise one of the first three papers this semester. This opportunity will be extended only to
students who submit the assignment within one week of the due date. Students who fail to complete an assignment within one
week of its due date will not have the opportunity to then submit the assignment for revision. All revisions will be due at the
beginning of class two weeks after the paper is returned to students who submitted their material on time, no exceptions no excuses. I
will not accept revisions that are not submitted by the start of class two weeks after the paper is returned. All revised papers should be
typed, printed out and submitted in person. These papers should be substantial revisions of the previous assignment, not just topical
revisions that reflect surface level changes. Because this is a revision opportunity, my comments on the revised paper will not be as
extensive as my comments on the initial assignment. Students who make a grade below a C- on any paper are strongly urged to
make an appointment with me to discuss strategies to improve papers.
Grammar Exam
You will have an exam that will test your grasp of grammatical, mechanical, and documentation concepts that we will discuss during
the semester. You will have seventy-five minutes to complete the exam. This exam will take place on Tuesday, September 30th.
Students will not be allowed to keep exams. We will review the material in class. Students are welcome to visit during my office
hours if they would like to take an extra look at the exam.
Participation
In order to earn an average participation grade (in the C range), you must fulfill five basic requirements:
1. Arrive on time
2. Be ready to discuss readings when called on
3. Be prepared with the book or readings in class
4. Complete class work and have homework completed
5. Listen respectfully
To earn a B, you must consistently fulfill requirements 1-5, and:
1. Volunteer questions or points of interest from readings to generate discussion
2. Willingly offer ideas in class; make sure your contributions are topical and thoughtful
To earn an A, you must consistently fulfill the above criteria and:
1. Show leadership in class discussions (break uncomfortable silences; respond to open-ended questions; challenge received
opinions; ask difficult questions)
2. Respond to other students’ ideas (not just mine) by asking questions or building on their points
You will receive a failing participation grade if you are excessively and/or frequently: (1) tardy; (2) unprepared for class; (3)
disruptive during class; or (4) occupied with activities other than those related to English. Please remember to turn off all cell phones
and to be respectful of other students and the instructor during discussions or lectures.
At the end of the session, you will receive a grade for all of the homework and class work that you have submitted. (All class work,
homework, and quizzes will be averaged together to form that grade.) You will also receive a grade that is based on my perception of
your participation in the course. These two grades will be averaged to form your final participation grade.
Attendance
Students may have up to four absences without penalty. All absences are considered the same, whether the absence is due to a
legitimate illness, a family emergency, or a desire to have an early weekend. No excuse is necessary for absences one through four.
Each subsequent absence (after four) will result in a five-point deduction from the student’s final grade. NO EXCEPTIONS. Use
your absences wisely. You are responsible for all missed material. Do not email me to ask what we discussed in your absence. If
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you are absent, you are welcome to visit me during my next scheduled office hours. I am happy to discuss material, but I will not reteach all of the material that was covered during your absence, and I will not send an email recap of what we discussed in your
absence.
Please Do NOT come late to class. I understand that sometimes late arrival is unavoidable; however, chronic tardiness will adversely
impact your grade. Attendance will be called at the beginning of each class. Students who arrive after I have called roll must sign in
after class. If a student fails to sign in immediately after class, he or she will not be afforded that opportunity later. If chronic tardiness
occurs, I will begin to close the classroom door after I take roll. Students who are not inside the classroom when I close the door
should not enter the classroom. He or she will be marked absent for that class period. Three tardies will result in one absence.
Students who miss fifteen or more minutes of class will be counted absent for that class period.
You will have two out of class face-to-face conferences this semester. Conferences are required and you will be informed in advance.
I expect you to be on time and prepared. Face-to-face conferences are held in my office. Failure to attend an individual conference
will count as two absences.
Academic Integrity
The 2014-2015 Gordon State College Academic Catalog states that
Plagiarism is prohibited. It is assumed that the written work submitted for evaluation and credit is the student's own unless
appropriately acknowledged. Such acknowledgment should occur whenever one directly quotes another person's actual
words, appropriates another's ideas, opinions, or theories even when they are paraphrased, and whenever one borrows facts,
statistics, or other illustrative materials unless the information is common knowledge. (321)
Be mindful of this in your academic work. Academic integrity is a serious matter.
Types of Plagiarism:
Lack of Citation- Quotations that do not have proper citation or quotations that do not have accurate citation information.
Inadequate Paraphrase- A paraphrase that shares the same sentence structure and word choice with the original text (Quotation), a
paraphrase that changes the meaning of the original text, or a paraphrase that is not properly cited.
Patchwork Plagiarism- A text that is comprised, either entirely or in part, of improperly cited material from multiple sources.
Wholesale Plagiarism- A text that is submitted by a student that is comprised of work that was written by someone other than the student.
This includes papers or sections of papers that are taken from the internet, purchased, retrieved from reference books ,or written by an
acquaintance, friend, or family member.
Self-Plagiarism-A text, either in its entirety or in part, that was written by the student and submitted for another course (or the same
course).
Using Unauthorized Material for In-Class Papers- Any drafts of papers, portions of papers, or other unauthorized material that is used
during in-class paper assignments is considered plagiarism.
Collusion- A text with which a student receives so much help from others that the assignment can no longer be considered a valid
representation of the student’s work. This includes excessive help from friends, family members, tutors, or other classmates. All work
should be an indication of the student’s ability. I reserve the right to refuse to accept an assignment that reflects collusion between a
student and any other person.
At my discretion, the penalty for plagiarism of any type may range from a lower grade, to a zero on the assignment, to a failure of the
course. I will inform the Vice President of Student Affairs of cases of plagiarism. Egregious instances of plagiarism or repeated
instances of plagiarism will result in referral to the Academic Judicial Committee. Please review the Student Code of Conduct.
Students, who have previously taken this course with me, may not use the same texts, select the same paper options, or use any
portion of papers that they used in the previous version of the course. I will consider any violation of this rule an act of
plagiarism.
ADA Services:
To qualify for ADA Services, you must see Counseling Services. Contact Counseling Services at 678-359-5585 if you have any
questions.
Friendly Notes
Please ask if there is ever anything that you do not understand. Please come during my office hours or make an appointment with me.
I am here to help, and I want to help! I would also encourage you to utilize the Students Success Center, which is located in room 235
of the Student Center. The tutoring staff there can help you in most of your courses. ( http://www.gdn.edu/successcenter/ )
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Students are responsible for all written and verbal material that I introduce in class, post on the website, send through email, and place
on Desire2Learn. Make sure that you check your Gordon email frequently. I will use your gordonstate.edu address to communicate
frequently.
Students are expected to always follow the schedule without being prompted by the professor, unless notified of specific changes.
I do not respond to emails after 5:00 pm or on weekends. If I do respond via email during those times, you should consider it a
courtesy. I will try to respond to all emails in a timely manner.
I will return paper grades within two weeks of submission. Please do not ask when papers will be returned prior to this two week
period.
Students are required to wait at least twenty-four hours to ask questions about their paper grades. During that twenty-four hour period,
students should review both my comments and their paper to make sure that they fully understand their grade. Those questions should
be asked during my office hours.
I expect you to read the syllabus, your assignments, and any supplemental documents that I supply thoroughly. I am happy to answer
any questions that you have, but please make sure that your questions do not reflect your failure to read the materials that I supply.
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English 1101: Composition I
Fall 2014
CRN: 348 Section J3
112 Academic Building
TR 11:00-12:15
****We will discuss what is listed on the day that it is listed. Have texts read, printed, and with you.
****Schedule subject to chance with notice
****On specified days, we will meet in the computer lab. Be mindful of the lab locations.
Thursday, Aug. 14
Introductions and Discuss Arguments; HW: Read PH 1-32, 435-440, Read Syllabus
Tuesday, Aug. 19
Discuss the Writing Process, Audience, Parts of an Essay, and Rhetorical Analysis;
HW: Read MLK’s Letter from Birmingham Jail
Thursday, Aug. 21
Discuss Rhetorical Analysis, Discuss MLK, Construct MLK Outline; HW: Read
Kimmel’s “Bros Before HOs”
Tuesday, Aug. 26
Discuss Kimmel and the Reading Process; HW: Read PH 145-202, Read LBJ’s We
Shall Overcome Speech”
Thursday, Aug. 28
Do Group Activity as Outlined/Analysis of LBJ
Tuesday, Sept. 2
Discuss LBJ, Construct Outline; HW: Complete Outline
Thursday, Sept. 4
Write Paper One: In-Class Rhetorical Analysis; HW: Read Solomon’s “Masters of
Desire,” Read PH 235-281
Tuesday, Sept. 9
Introduce Paper Two, Discuss Solomon, Do Group Advertisement Analysis; HW: Get
Advertisement; HW: Read PH 99-122, 283-296
Thursday, Sept. 11
Complete Group Activity, Discuss Grammar and Style; HW: Finish Grammar Exercise,
Bring Advertisement to Class, Read 368-388, Bring Advertisement to Class
Tuesday, Sept. 16
Grammar and Style Discussion Continued, Discuss Plagiarism and Incorporating
Quotations
Thursday, Sept. 18
Library Orientation ; HW: PH Read398-408
Tuesday, Sept. 23
Citation Exercise; HW: Review Grammar
Thursday, Sept. 25
Review Grammar and Paper Workshop
Tuesday, Sept. 30
Grammar Exam
Thursday, Oct.2
Conference (Withdrawal Deadline October 6th)
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Tuesday, Oct. 7
Conference
Thursday, Oct. 9
Peer Review; HW: Read Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet,” Bring MLK’s Letter
from Birmingham Jail? to class
Tuesday, Oct. 14
Fall Break
Thursday, Oct. 16
Paper Two Due, Introduce Paper Three, Comparison and Contrast; HW: Read Elizabeth
Cady Stanton’s “Address on the Rights of Women” and Kate Millett’s “Sexual Politics”
Tuesday, Oct. 21
Discuss Comparative Essays
Thursday, Oct. 23
Meet in the Computer Lab; HW: The outline, introduction, and first body section of
paper three should be submitted in the Paper Three Outline,
Introduction, and First Body Section Drop Box in D2L by 5:00pm
Tuesday October 28th . The material must be in MS Word.
Tuesday, Oct. 28
Meet in the Computer Lab
Thursday, Oct. 30
Meet in the Computer Lab
Tuesday, Nov. 4
Peer Review; HW: Read Heath’s, Kruttschnitt’s, and Ward’s “Television and Violent
Criminal Behavior: Beyond the Bobo Doll” and Kaplan’s “Violence in the Media: What
Effects on Behavior
Thursday, Nov. 6
Paper Three Due, Introduce Paper Four, Discuss the Media Violence Debate; HW: Read
Citrin’s “Language Politics and American Identity” and Espinosa-Agulier’s “Analyzing
the Rhetoric of the English-Only Movement”
Tuesday, Nov. 11
Thursday, Nov. 13
Discuss the English-Only Debate and View English Only In America; HW: Read
McCormick’s “Juvenile Offenders Should Not Be Treated as Adults” and Stolba’s
“Some Juvenile Offenders Should Be Treated as Adults
Discuss Juvenile Offender Debate
Tuesday, Nov. 18
Thursday, Nov. 20
Work on Annotated Bibliography;
Conferences
Tuesday, Nov. 25
Conferences
Thursday, Nov. 27
Thanksgiving Break
Tuesday, Dec. 2
Write In-Class Issue Based Position Paper
Final Exam: December 10th 10:15-12:15
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