Harrisburg Area Community College: Gettysburg Campus
Spring Grove Area High School
College in the High School (CIHS)
ENGLISH 101 : English Composition I
SYLLABUS
Spring Semester 2016
Instructor: Steve Perago 225-4731 (x7322)
E-mail: peragos@sgasd.org
Google Classroom: peragos@springgrovesd.org
COURSE
Class
Meeting Times
ENGL 101
CRN _____
Period 9
Classroom
Room 322
Lab
Room 320
Required Materials:

Eschholz, Paul and Alfred Rosa. Subject and Strategy. 13th ed., Boston: Bedford

Hacker, Diana. A Pocket Style Manual. Sixth Edition. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008.

Launch Pad membership ($9.99)

A flash drive
Catalog Description:
English 101 is designed for the development of fluency in writing clear, forceful, effective prose.
Prerequisites:
Placement through College Testing and Placement Program or completion of English 051
with a grade of “C” or higher. English 003 is a pre- or co-requisite.
Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of English 101, students will be able to:

Respond appropriately to the needs of different audiences and rhetorical contexts in terms
of voice, tone, level of formality, format, and structure

Connect critical thinking with reading and writing activities by summarizing, analyzing,
critiquing, and synthesizing information from various texts

Integrate their ideas appropriately with the ideas of others in discussion and writing

Demonstrate flexible recursive writing strategies for generating ideas, planning, drafting,
revising, and editing drafts

Develop strong writing that focuses on a purpose and demonstrates clear organization and
coherence

Work collaboratively with others to develop written work or to respond critically to other
students’ work

Demonstrate the ability to write under pressure and with time constraints

Demonstrate the basic ability to locate, summarize, synthesize, critique, and cite collegelevel resources

Demonstrate a knowledge of writing conventions ranging from structure and
paragraphing to tone and mechanics

Demonstrate the ability to edit writing for clarity, style and adherence to conventions
POLICIES
Attendance/Absence:
HACC Administrative Policy 661 will be followed regarding attendance and absence. See your
Student Handbook for the full Procedure.

The policy states that “students are expected to attend all scheduled classes/laboratories
and are responsible for all class work and assignments.”

An excused absence is defined as “beyond the student’s control to prevent,” and
“significant enough to reasonably prohibit attendance in class.”

An unexcused absence is “within the student’s control to prevent, or “not significant
enough to reasonably prohibit attendance in class, even if controllable.”

A student’s course grade may be lowered after unexcused absences exceed 10% of total
class hours. (Approximately six 43 minute classes)

Additionally, students may be dropped from the course if unexcused absences exceed
15% of total class hours. (Approximately nine 43 minute classes)

Finally, “the determination of what constitutes an excused versus an unexcused absence
shall be made by the instructor.”
My Attendance Philosophy:

Prior arrangements for an excused absence are common courtesy. If you know that you
will be absent from class, it is your responsibility to inform me in advance by email
(peragos@sgasd.org) with your name, the date(s) you will be absent and the reason for
absence. Assignments due during that absence must be submitted early or on time despite
your absence (via email or otherwise).

Upon returning to class, it is your responsibility to be prepared for class that day. You
should contact me or another student for assignments.

I will accept valid medical substantiation accepted by the Spring Grove School District as
an excused absence. I will make the determination of what is or is not excused for
anything other than a medical reason. It is crucial that you discuss an absence with me in
advance or immediately upon your return. If I do not hear from you, I will consider the
absence unexcused. Acknowledgement of your absence on my part does not
automatically assume that the absence is excused.

Failure due to absence will result in an “F” although you may have the option of
withdrawing with a “W.” See your HACC Student Handbook for the following:
“W” eligibility
“I” eligibility and requirements
Absences resulting in an “F.”

The instructor may reduce the course grade after unexcused absences exceed 10% of the
total class hours that will take place throughout the semester (nine days).

Instructors may drop a student from a class with the concurrence of the division/campus
administrator when absences exceed 15% of the total class hours that will take place
throughout the semester and when excessive absences preclude the possibility of the
student attaining the stated learning outcomes for the course.

Students arriving late will be marked as tardy. Three tardy violations will be considered
as 1 day’s absence.

Students assigned to ISS (In-School Suspension) for a high school offense seriously
jeopardize their investment in this class as this will be considered an unexcused absence.

A high school class or high school activity shall not supersede this class. This is a
college-level course that happens to be held in a high school; it is a wonderful
opportunity but should not be mistaken for the secondary level. When you are assigned to
English 101, you become a student of HACC. Exceptions may be made by the instructor
on an individual basis.
Academic dishonesty
Academic dishonesty is defined as an intentional act of deception in which a student seeks to claim
credit for the work or effort of another person, or uses unauthorized material or fabricated
information in any academic work. It includes, but is not limited to:
A.
Cheating – giving or receiving answers on assigned material, using materials or
aids forbidden by the instructor, unauthorized possession of examinations, or any
other intentional use or attempted use of unauthorized materials, information, or
study aid.
B.
Plagiarism – the offering of someone else’s work, words, or idea as one’s own or
using material from another source without acknowledgement.
C.
Interference – interfering without permission with the work of another student
either by obtaining, changing or destroying the work of another student.
D.
Buying or selling of term papers, homework, examinations, laboratory assignments,
computer programs, etc.
E.
Falsifying of one’s own or another’s academic records, or falsifying of admissions,
registration, or other related college materials.
F.
Knowingly assisting someone who engages in A-E above.
Faculty may impose the following disciplinary actions within the context of a course,
a. lowering of a grade or failure for a particular assignment,
b. lowering of a grade in the course,
c. failure and/or dismissal from the course.
Withdrawal Policy:
According to policy AP667: No grade will be recorded for students who withdraw during the
refund period.
The refund period ends the second Friday from the first day of class. This date will be 1/29/16.
A W grade will be granted by the instructor upon request of the student from the end of the
refund period until the midpoint of the course as defined in the College calendar.
In order to be eligible for the W grade, the student must have
1. attended class in a manner consistent with the instructor’s attendance policy
2. completed the required graded material
3. not been dishonest in completing the work
From the midpoint of the course through the conclusion of the course, which is the last class
period, the student will receive a grade of W or F, depending upon the instructor’s assessment of
the student’s performance, which may take into account extenuating circumstances.
Incomplete (I) Grades:
The instructor reserves the right to determine whether an I grade will be granted for incomplete
work. An I grade will only be considered for this course when extreme circumstances have arisen
which unreasonably limits the student’s ability to complete the course within the designated
terms of the semester.
Incomplete work must be completed within a time period determined by the instructor, not to
exceed eight weeks.
Class Expectations:
This is your education and your investment. Punctual attendance and active participation are
important factors in your academic success. Common sense dictates that it is in your own best
interest to remain current in your preparations. Your education is your responsibility. I expect
you to give a sincere effort.
Having materials necessary for class and meeting deadlines can only help your success.
Disregarding either will be considered as failure of thorough preparation.
All written work must be typed and should adhere to the MLA format unless otherwise specified.
Format models will be given within the first two weeks of class and can be found in the Pocket
Style Manual.
Students should check the syllabus on a regular basis for assignments and due dates. A DUE
DATE IS A DUE DATE; assignments will be considered late if they are not received at the start
of class on the day it is due. If you are not in school, the assignment is still due (via email) at the
time of the beginning of class. Assignments received after the class period but on the same
day will lose 5% of the total grade. Assignments received after the due date will lose 10% of
the total grade per day.
Since we have access to a computer lab, I expect that you will be using the computer for class
work. If you are not working on your class essays or other assigned work for this class, I will
assume that you have finished and reserve the right to ask you to submit your work for
evaluation at that time.
Students may not re-use materials completed and/or submitted for other classes—including those
from any previous semesters of this class—to fulfill requirements for this course.
OFFICE FOR DISABILITY SERVICES STATEMENT:
The Office of Disability Services (ODS) / (717) 337-3855 x 3021 determines what
accommodations are appropriate for students with disabilities. It is the student’s responsibility to
make any necessary contacts to the ODS and to notify me of any special needs.
EEOC Policy 005:
It is the policy of Harrisburg Area Community College, in full accordance with the law, not to
discriminate in employment, student admissions, and student services on the basis of race, color,
religion, age, political affiliation or belief, gender, national origin, ancestry, disability, place of
birth, General Education Development Certification (GED), marital status, sexual orientation,
gender identity or expression, veteran status, genetic history/information or any legally protected
classification. HACC recognizes its responsibility to promote the principles of equal opportunity
for employment, student admissions, and student services taking active steps to recruit minorities
and women.
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (‘PHR Act’) prohibits discrimination against
prospective and current students because of race, color, sex, religious creed, ancestry, national
origin, handicap or disability, record of a handicap or disability, perceived handicap or disability,
relationship or association with an individual with a handicap or disability, use of a guide or
support animal, and/or handling or training of support or guide animals.
The Pennsylvania Fair Educational Opportunities Act (‘PFEO Act’) prohibits discrimination
against prospective and current students because of race, religion, color, ancestry, national
origin, sex, handicap or disability, record of a handicap or disability, perceived handicap or
disability, and a relationship or association with an individual with a handicap or disability.
Information about these laws may be obtained by visiting the Pennsylvania Human Relations
Commission website at www.phrc.state.pa.us.
http://www.hacc.edu/StudentServices/DisabilityServices/Contact-Us.cfm
English 101 – Spring 2016 Course Syllabus
Course requirements may include (time permitting):
Usage Quizzes: 50-100 points each (weekly or biweekly)
Short Response Pieces: 50 points (reader responses/reactions/reflections)

6 throughout the semester; 3 per marking period

These will often be based on one or more of the Subject or
Strategy questions that follow each selection in the book.

These will be due on the day we discuss the selection. These will
not be accepted late for reduced credit. I want your ideas to be
original, not influenced by our discussion in class.

Responses should be printed out and submitted on paper unless I
specify otherwise.
Essay #1 – Description
250 points
Essay #2 – Narration
250 points
Essay #3 – Argument
250 points
Essay #4 – Division and classification
250 points
Outline/prewriting for each essay:
10 points
First Draft for each essay:
50 points
In-class final exam:
50 points for grammar and usage
50 points for essay response
Grading Scale:
Grades will be determined by the following scale:
A = 90-100 B = 80-89 C = 70-79 D = 60-69 F = 0-59
Essay Requirements:
Adhere to MLA Papers format (A Pocket Style Manual 104-158)
Please use 12 point Times New Roman or Calibri font
Essays should be 5-8 pages unless directions specify otherwise; to ensure 5 complete pages you
should have at least one word on the 6th page.
Students will submit essay drafts in the instructor’s Completed Work folder on the SG common
drive or in Google Classroom.
(If you are not in school you can email the draft to me.)
General Activities – All Information Here is Tentative
Inclement weather may force changes to our schedule
Note: The weekly activities listed below are subject to slight changes if we should get ahead
or behind the proposed schedule.
Week One January 20-22
Syllabus Preview
Initial writing sample
Review and practice parts of a sentence, phrases, and clauses (to prepare for usage concepts)
Week Two January 25-29
Read and discuss Chapter 1: Reading Subject & Strategy pg. 3-21
Read and discuss Chapter 2: Writing Subject & Strategy pg. 23-35
Read, discuss and practice A Pocket Style Manual pg. 38 “Use Adj. and Adv. Appropriately”
Read, discuss and practice A Pocket Style Manual pg. 40 “Repair Sentence Fragments”
Read, discuss and practice A Pocket Style Manual pg. 42 “Revise Run-on Sentences”
Quiz on adjectives, adverbs, phrases, clauses, run-ons and fragments
Week Three February 1-5
Read and discuss Chapter 3 : Six Writers on Writing
“Sh*tty First Drafts” Subject & Strategy pg. 55
“Writing for an Audience” Subject & Strategy pg. 60
“Simplicity” Subject & Strategy pg. 64
“How to Say Nothing in 500 Words” (handout)
Journal response #1
Read, discuss and practice “The Comma” PSM pg. 55
Read, discuss and practice “Use Pronouns with Care” A Pocket Style Manual pg. 30
Read, discuss and practice pg. 2-3 in A Pocket Style Manual “Tighten wordy sentences”
Read, discuss and practice pg. 3 in A Pocket Style Manual “Prefer Active Verbs”
Practice pronoun and comma usage; practice finding and fixing run-on sentences and fragments
Quiz on commas
Week Four- February 8-11
Read and discuss Chapter 5: Description Subject & Strategy pg. 127 - 137
Read and discuss “Rock Dust” (handout) and “The Barrio” Subject and Strategy pg. 149
Journal Response #2
Begin prewriting and first draft for Essay # 1: Description
Discuss MLA format (heading, spacing, font, etc.) Pocket Style Manual p. 155-162
Read, discuss and practice Pocket Style Manual pg. 5 “Balance Parallel Ideas”
Read, discuss and practice A Pocket Style Manual pg. 20 “Make Subjects and Verbs Agree”
Read, discuss and practice A Pocket Style Manual pg. 24 “Be Alert to Other Problems With
Verbs”
Quiz on pronoun usage and active vs. passive verbs
Week Five and Six – February 17-26
Read and discuss
“Once More to the Lake” Subject and Strategy pg. 156
“A Woman on the Street” Subject and Strategy pg. 138
“Remembering Lobo” Subject and Strategy pg. 143
Finish and submit 1st draft (Due _______________)
Revise and write 2nd draft of Description Essay
Read, discuss and practice A Pocket Style Manual pg. 6 “Add Needed Words”
Quiz on parallel structure, verbs, and subject/verb agreement
Week Seven- February 29-March 4
Peer edit and revise 2nd drafts
Write Final draft of Description Essay (Due ____________)
Read, discuss and practice A Pocket Style Manual pg. 8 “Eliminate Confusing Shifts”
Quiz on needed words and confusing shifts
Week Eight – March 7-11
Read and discuss Chapter 4: Narration Subject & Strategy pg. 79-91
“Crime Family” Subject & Strategy pg. 98
Prewriting and first draft for Narration Essay
Read, discuss and practice A Pocket Style Manual pg. 9 “Untangle Mixed Constructions”
Quiz on mixed constructions
Week Nine and Ten – March 14-24 (end of MP 1)
Read and discuss “Not Close Enough for Comfort” Subject & Strategy pg. 103
“Stranger Than True” Subject & Strategy pg. 109
Finish and submit 1st draft (Due _______________)
Revise and write 2nd draft of Narration Essay
Read, discuss and practice A Pocket Style Manual pg. 10 “Repair Misplaced and Dangling
Modifiers”
Week Eleven – March 29-April 1
Peer edit and revise 2nd drafts
Write Final draft of Narration Essay (Due __________)
Read, discuss and practice A Pocket Style Manual pg. 13 “Provide sentence variety”
Read, discuss and practice A Pocket Style Manual pg. 62 “The semicolon and the colon”
Quiz on dangling and misplaced modifiers
Week Twelve – April 4-8
Read and discuss Chapter 6 : Argumentation Subject & Strategy pg. 489-508
Formulate a research question and find sources
Discuss MLA format and using sources
Read, discuss and practice A Pocket Style Manual pg. 15 “Find an Appropriate Voice”
Read, discuss and practice A Pocket Style Manual pg. 71 “Other marks”
Quiz on punctuation: semicolon, colon, dash, etc.
Week Thirteen and Fourteen – April 11-22
Read and discuss “A Modest Proposal” Subject & Strategy pg. 648
“I Have a Dream” Subject & Strategy pg. 522
Submit thesis for approval and draft an outline
Prewriting and first draft for Argumentation Essay
Read, discuss and practice A Pocket Style Manual pg. 82 “Spelling and the hyphen”
Week Fifteen - April 25-29
Read and discuss “In Defense of Dangerous Ideas” Subject & Strategy pg. 529
“Two Cheers for Sweatshops” Subject & Strategy pg. 539
Finish and submit 1st draft (Due _______________)
Revise and write 2nd draft of Argumentation Essay
Peer edit and revise 2nd drafts
Quiz on the hyphen and verbs
Week Sixteen – May 2-5
Write Final draft of Argumentation Essay (Due _________________)
Read and discuss Chapter 9: Division and Classification Subject & Strategy pg. 331-343
Read and discuss “Chaos Theory: A Unified …” Subject & Strategy pg. 344
“The Queen Bee and Her Court” Subject & Strategy pg. 349
Prewriting and first draft for Division and Classification Essay
Week Seventeen – May 9-13
Read and discuss “The Truth about Lying” Subject & Strategy pg. 363
Read and discuss “Beam Us Up …” Subject & Strategy pg. 375
Finish and submit 1st draft (Due _______________)
Week Eighteen and Nineteen- May 16-27
Revise and write 2nd draft of Division and Classification Essay
Peer edit and revise 2nd drafts
Write Final draft of Division and Classification Essay (Due _________________))
Week Twenty- May 31-June 1
Final Exam –
1. in-class literary analysis
2. multiple choice usage questions
3. finding and correcting usage errors