ENGLISH 1301: Composition I
Spring 2016 CRN: 88466
Dual Credit class taught concurrently with English IV on the North Houston
Early College High School campus in Houston ISD
713 696-6168 Ext 308
Online – Distance Education
Semester Credit Hours: 3 (16-week course)
Professor: Lucille Dew
MA English Texas Southern University Houston, Texas
MEd. Lamar University Beaumont, TX
BS English Ball State University Muncie, IN
Lucille.dew@hccs.edu
Office Hours: By Appointment
Course Description
ENGL 1301 is a course devoted to improving the student’s writing and critical reading. This course includes writing essays for a variety of purposes from personal to academic including the introduction to argumentation, critical analysis, and the use of sources. A practical application of the writing process as it relates to writing about literature, this course requires substantial reading, writing, and research.
Prerequisite(s): Must be placed into college-level reading and writing.
Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of the semester, the student who passes with a final grade of “C” or above will have demonstrated the ability to:
1.
Apply basic principles of rhetorical analysis.
2.
Write essays that classify, explain, and evaluate rhetorical and literary strategies employed in argument, persuasion, and various forms of literature.
3.
Identify, differentiate, integrate, and synthesize research materials into argumentative and/or analytical essays.
4.
Employ appropriate documentation style and format across the spectrum of written discourse.
5.
Demonstrate library literacy.

Student Academic Requirements for Composition I
1.
Complete and comprehend writing assignments. Assignments vary in length, but a typical assignment requires two to three hours in a reading-writing combination. Participate in online class discussions in which assigned literary works are analyzed and interpreted.
2.
Define and apply the concepts of critical thinking, critical reading, and critical writing.
3.
Write well-organized, well-supported compositions including a research paper.
4.
Follow the guidelines of Standard Written English.
5.
Read and analyze assigned essays and literary selections.
6.
Evaluate the effectiveness of arguments and develop sound, logical coherent persuasive arguments on their own.
7.
Write at least 5,000 words in completing written assignments of varying types and lengths that are relevant to course content. At least one written assignment will include information obtained through research that is related to one or more prominent literary works of the covered material and will be presented in current, correct MLA format.
8.
Maintain an overall average of 70 or above on written assignments and tests.
Teaching Methodology
This course is structured according to a writing workshop format, but the major emphasis will be on grammar and syntax. Mini assignments/lessons on grammar will be given frequently. Much of the time will be spent on perfecting paragraphs in the revision stage of the writing process. All work will require a rough draft and a final draft must show proof of revision. Note: Final drafts will not be accepted unless a rough draft has been previously submitted. Occasionally, students will be expected to share their writing for peer review before revision begins. All essay
assignments will be submitted via turnitin.com.
Distance Learning Requirements
All students are required to log on and check in to the class with a name and brief introduction on the first day of the class. Thereafter, weekly assignments must be submitted during the designated window. At 6:00 p.m. on the final day of the work window, the class will be locked. You have two time frames in which to submit your assignments; you may submit early or on the due date. You may not submit late. If your assignment is not submitted by the due date, it will not be accepted.
Required Texts: The Little Brown Compact Handbook 9 th Edition by Jane E.
Aaron
Arlington Reader – Contexts and Connections by Lynn Z. Bloom and Louise
Z. Smith
STUDENT ASSIGNMENTS:
Each of the essays are to be 2 pages long.
Narrative/Descriptive Essay (15% of course grade)

Write a narrative essay (one story told to make a point); the entire essay is devoted to elaborating this one story. Make sure to specify for the readers the point of the narrative in the introduction and remind them of it again in the conclusion
Comparison & Contrast Essay (15% of course grade)
Write an essay comparing and contrasting only two people, places, things, or ideas.
Make sure to specify for the readers the point of the comparison in the introduction and remind them of it again in the conclusion.
Division/Classification Essay (15% of course grade)
Write an essay that clarifies a vague concept or that adds new information to the readers’ understand of the concept. As with other essays, be mindful that the point of the essay should appear in the introduction and again in the conclusion.
Definition Essay (15% of course grade)
Write a definition essay that clarifies a vague concept or that adds new information to the reader’ understanding of the concept. Be mindful that the point of the essay should appear in the introduction and again in the conclusion.
Journal (5% of course grade)
Follow directions given by professor for writing 10 journal entries.
Midterm Exam (15% of course grade)
TBA: An essay 750 words in length that exemplifies a mode of writing from the class
Final Exam (20% of course grade)
Essay TBA
Grading Criteria
15% Narration/Description Essay
15% Comparison/Contrast Essay
15% Division/Classification Essay
15% Definition Essay
15% Midterm Essay Exam
20% Final Essay Exam
5% Journals
Total – 100%
Houston Community College Grading System
A=100-90
B=89-80
C=79-70
D=60-69;
F=59 and below
COURSE CALENDAR – Note: This is a sketch of your assignments; your class work on Eagle Online is the final word on what is due.
Week One (January 19-22)
Introductions, Read Section 58c MLA Handbook Format (TLBCH) page 478-479.
You must use this format for all work assignments in this class!!!
Write an essay about yourself. Include your goals, likes/dislikes, and future plans.

Week Two (January 25-29)
TLBCH: Read page 13 (2f Asking Questions) – 14 (Questions about patterns); page
47 read 7d (Developing paragraphs) and read to page 51. Keep these pages tabbed for future reference. Using the examples on the page as a guide, write two paragraphs of narration and two paragraphs of description.
Week Three (February 1-5)
Read pages 14-18 (TLBCH) – The Thesis Statement. After reading, develop a thesis question (see page 16) and an Explanatory thesis statement. Be sure to list your
Topic and your Claim from your statement. Set yours up just like the example on page 16. Then repeat the process and make an Argumentative thesis statement
Week Four (February 8-12)
Due: Narration and Description essay – Read: “Being Country” from the Arlington
Reader (p. 137-139). Then write a narrative/descriptive essay which answers question 4 or 5 on page 140.
Week Five (February 15-19)
Comparison and Contrast: Read Example 7(TLBCH) on comparison/contrast. Using the example as a model, write a paragraph organized subject by subject and then one organized point by point. (You can choose any subject to compare and contrast, but be sure to use a different topic for each paragraph.)
Journal #1 due
Week Six (February 22-26)
Read section 9f (TLBCH). Consider the following scenario: You have received a grade on an assignment which you don’t understand. You got a zero on an assignment and a notice that you plagiarized an assignment. Both you and Ana
Parks submitted the same paper to the professor. Ana was a guest at your home this weekend, and both of you worked on your assignments. Your paper was done prior to Ana coming over, but hers wasn’t finished. When she left your home, she still hadn’t done her assignment, and she borrowed a copy of your paper for reference. Receiving a zero on this assignment drastically lowers your grade in this class and bumps you from the honor roll. Explain yourself in an e-mail to your
professor and ask for a conference (Use page 79 as an example of format).
Read Sections 35 and 36 (TLBCH) beginning on page 264. Complete exercise 35.2 on sentence fragments on page 278 and 36.3 on fused sentences on page 273.
Journal #2 due
Week Seven (February 29- March 4)
Due: Comparison and Contrast Essay – From the Arlington Reader read, “Boys and
Men Must be Included in the Conversation on Equality.” Compare and contrast how girls and women are portrayed in literature and on television (what they are expected to do/say/believe) versus how men and boys are portrayed in literature and on television.

Week Eight (March 7-11)
Mid-term Essay Exam
Journal #3 due
Week Nine (March 21-25)
Read Section 39 TLBCH – page 282. Complete exercises 39.3 (p.285), 39.7
(p.290), and 39.10 (p. 292).
Journal #4 due
Week Ten (March 28- April 1)
Due: Division Classification Essay – Re-read section 6 on page 49 (TLBCH). See page 273-290 of the Arlington Reader for your reading (“A Boy’s Life”). Use as your topic, “Transgenders”, “Homosexuals/Gays” or “Homophobes”
Journal #5 due
Week Eleven (April 4-8)
Read section 45 (TLBCH). Choose 20 commonly confused word groups from the list on page 326 and write a sentence for each word in the group. (You will have at least 40 sentences). Include the their/there/they’re group and the loose/lose group in your 20 groups.
Journal #6 due
Week Twelve (April 11-15)
Due: Definition Essay – Read “Notes of a Native Speaker” in the Arlington Reader
(p. 100-105) and write a definition essay entitled, What Does it Mean to be
“American?”
Journal #7 due
Week Thirteen (April 18-22)
Read TLBCH section 15 on pages 139-148. Complete Exercise 15.4 on page 147
Journal #8 and 9 due
Week Fourteen (April 25-29)
Read Part 24-26 TLBCH (p. 202-222; Complete Exercises 24.1 (p. 203), 25.2 (p.
207), and 26.1-26.2 (p. 220).
Journal #10 due
Week Fifteen (May 2 - 6)
Due: Picture, graph, statements of fact for the final exam
Week Sixteen (May 9-11– Not a full week)
Due: Final Exam – The Arlington Reader page 377-382 “Second Chances, Social
Forgiveness, and the Internet.” Use the picture, graph, and statement of fact
that you turned in last week within this paper.

Evaluation
60% - Weekly Compositions
5% - Weekly Grammar Assignment/Journals
15% - Midterm
20% - Final (exam) paper
MATTERS OF POLICY FROM HCCS STUDENT HANDBOOK
Reasonable Accommodations
“Any student with a documented disability (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Services Office at the respective college at the beginning of each semester. Faculty members are authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office.”
Contact a Disability Support Services counselor at the Northwest College: 713-718-
5422 or at the Spring Branch Campus. For more information or assistance, contact the ADA Coordinator for the system: 713-718-5165. Give written verification to the instructor after following HCCS procedures.
Students Repeating a Course
According to HCC’s Annual Schedule of Classes, “For both Academic and Workforce courses, students who enroll in most courses for a third or more times will be charged an additional tuition of $50/hour.” In addition, according to the Distance
Education Department, “Beginning in Fall 2007, the Texas Legislature passed a law limiting first time entering freshmen to no more than SIX total course withdrawals
throughout their educational career in obtaining a certificate and/or course degree.”
Academic Honesty
The Student Handbook has included cheating, plagiarism, and collusion as scholastic dishonesty.
As Lester Faigley states in The Penguin Handbook, “Plagiarism means claiming credit for someone else’s intellectual work no matter whether it’s to make money or get a better grade” (329). The Houston Community College Board Policy Manual under “Student Rights and Responsibilities: Student Conduct,” states:
1.‘Scholastic dishonesty’ includes but is not limited to cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion.
Cheating on a test includes: a.
copying from another student’s test paper; using during a test, materials not authorized by the person giving the test; b.
Collaborating with another student during a test without authority; c.
Knowingly using, buying, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole or part the contents of an unadministered test; d.
Bribing another person to obtain a test that is to be administered.
2. ‘Plagiarism’ means the appropriation of another’s work and

the unacknowledged incorporation of that work in one’s own written work offered for credit.
3. ‘Collusion’ means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work offered for credit.
Possible punishments for academic dishonesty may include a grade of 0 or F on the particular assignment, failure in the course, and/or recommendation for probation or dismissal from the College System. A recommendation for suspension or expulsion will be referred to the College Dean of Students for disciplinary disposition.
These policies are available online by accessing www.hccs.edu, clicking on About
HCCS, and clicking on “Policies.” Please read the subsequent section on “other offenses” as well. Note that professors have anti-plagiarism software, and a student’s work may be subject to submission at any time.
NHECHS Policy on Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism is a punishable offense. Any student who turns in work which has been copied or is the work of another student is subject to disciplinary action from the administration. You will be required to meet with your administrator and myself, and you will NOT be able to hand in additional work until this conference is completed. You will not be able to make up the assignment and you will receive a grade of zero for the assignment.
Attendance and Withdrawal Policies
As the Student Handbook (online) states:
You are expected to regularly attend all lecture classes and labs. You are also responsible for material covered during your absences. Instructors may be willing to consult with you for make-up assignments, but it is your responsibility to contact the instructor. Class attendance is checked daily. Although it is the responsibility of the student to drop a course for nonattendance, the instructor has the authority to drop a student for excessive absences in excess of 12.5 percent of the total hours of instruction [. . .]. For a three credit-hour lecture class [. . .] a student may be dropped after six hours of absences. Administrative drops are at the discretion of the instructor. Failure of a student to withdraw officially could result in the student receiving a grade of ‘F’ in the course (1). In addition, the following information comes from Distance Education:
HCC has instituted an Early Alert process by which your professor may “alert” you and counselors that you might fail a class because of excessive absences and/or poor academic performance.
• Students should check HCC’s Academic Calendar by Term for drop/withdrawal dates and deadlines.
• If a student decides to drop or withdraw from a class upon careful review of other options, the student can drop online prior to the deadline through their HCC Student Service Center: https://hccsaweb.hccs.edu:8080/psp/csprd/?cmd=login&languageCd=ENG

The Spring 2016 Calendar (online) lists the “Last day for administrative/student withdrawal”. (Date will vary from semester to semester) Faculty cannot give a W to any student who does not withdraw by the above date.
Attendance also includes punctuality and participation, as follows:
1. Keep up with writing assignments.
2. Contribute to the class by answering and/or asking questions and participating in online discussions.
3. Contribute proportionally to group discussions and projects.
4. When assignments are scheduled for group discussion, quizzes, and/or peer analysis, students must post assignments on time and be prepared to analyze others’ work.
Journal responses will be assigned throughout the semester and may vary in length or format. Participation may include individual and small group activities, including
Peer Review.
Final Examination 20%
Extra credit work is not normally offered in this class. Each essay assignment will include specific written instructions that will be posted electronically. It is the student’s responsibility to download and/or print all parts of the assignment.
According to the English Department’s system-wide discipline committee ruling, a student must receive a grade of 70% or better on the average of the Mid-Term and
Final Essay, written in class, in order to receive a grade of “C” (or better).
Late Papers
Late papers will not be accepted . All essays must show proof of the writing process: free writing/ mapping, rough draft with editing and peer analysis, and a published “final” draft.
Tutoring and Web Resources
Tutoring hours will be posted as soon as they are available. The tutors are fully qualified instructors. Take hard copies of your textbooks and assignments to the
Writing Lab. Sign in and out to verify your presence.
Student E-Mail
Every student has an e-mail account through HCCS. If you do not have an account, go to the Current Students webpage from www.hccs.edu Call the Help Number if you have any difficulty setting up this account, after reviewing the FAQs and the tutorial: 713-718-8800.
Class Expectations
All students are expected to check their HCC e-mail every day. Important information and changes will be communicated via e-mail and you are responsible for checking your e-mail to obtain the information. Failure to check e-mail will not

extend the time for assignments or excuse you from completing any task communicated to you
Assignments are due by 6:00 p.m. on Friday of every week. EXCEPT FOR FINAL
EXAM WEEK. You may post your assignment earlier than that, but no later. The course will be locked for submission at 6:01 p.m. If you miss your submission time, please DO NOT E-MAIL YOUR ASSIGNMENT TO ME. This is time sensitive course, and all of your assignments should be on time for accurate timely grading