Syllabus for English 0300
ENGLISH 0310 SYLLABUS
English 0310: Fundamentals of Grammar and Composition II
Text: 75 Readings: Anthology 11th Edition
Instructor: R. Burnett
Office Number: 713-718-7109
Email address: ronald.burnett@hccs.edu
class
Conferences by appointment
Office Hours: After
Campus: SE / S. Gay Hall
Course Materials:
1) A Three Ring, Hardback Notebook, six dividers, a highlighter, 250 sheets of loose-leaf
paper, 2 Scantron Sheets; 2) A pocket dictionary; thesaurus recommended; 3) flash
drive; 4) $2-3 for printing in labs/library. The text for the class is 75 Readings: Anthology
11th Edition.
Attendance: Texas State Law designates 87.5% minimum attendance for college
courses. This requirement allows a 12.5% absence maximum in a 3-hour course which
computes as 6 hours. MW and TR classes have 4 absences; MWF classes have 6
absences. A student who exceeds the maximum is dropped from the course.
Tardies: A student who is tardy may sign the roll at the end of class. A tardy student
who fails to sign the roll will be counted as absent. Excessive tardies, either individual or
as a class, are an interruption of instruction. Official tardy count is recorded as follows:
three tardies (or early leaves) count as one class absence.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
ENGL 0310 is designed to prepare students for ENGL 1301. It provides a basic review of the principles of
grammar, usage, and mechanics and utilizes the writing process to teach students to write short essays
(350500 words).PREREQUISITES: Successful completion of ENGL 0300 or appropriate score on placement
test.
COURSE REQUIREMENT: The base course requirements necessary in order for a
student to receive a grade are as follows: 4-6 Major Writing Assignments, Daily
Grade / Class Participation, Quiz Bank Grade, and Final Exam. The minimum
passing criteria for base course requirements is a grade of 70+ (a C or higher) on the
Final Writing Assignment and a 70+ average in the course. The grade distribution is as
follows:
Grade percentage: Writing Assignment 50%
Quiz 10%
Daily Grade / class participation 10%
Final 30%
By the time you have completed English 0310, you should be able to:
* Use a variety of sentence patterns in writing.
* Comprehend and respond to assigned readings.
* Employ the writing process (planning, drafting, editing, revising, and
developing thesis and topic
sentences) in assigned writings.
* Write a variety of essays using appropriate rhetorical modes.
**In-class writing: All students must demonstrate competence in in-class writing to
pass English 0310.
Essays: In preparation for ENGL 1301, the majority of essays written for this class
will argue a specific, direct point. The essays will be built from different types of
paragraphs (introduction, body, transition, dialogue, conclusion), and always
require a directly stated thesis. In your own essays and in other writers' essays, you
will discuss elements of essays such as topic, purpose, audience, thesis, style, tone,
strategy, etc. The essays you write in and outside of class should be at least 350
words long and follow the five paragraphs prescribed formula. All papers will be
graded based on the attached rubric in this syllabus.
GRADING SCALE: 90 - 100 A
70 - 79 C
Below 60 U/IP
80 - 90 B
60 - 69 IP
(U=Unsatisfactory)
IP (In Progress grade) is given to students who do not meet the minimum grading
standards but who are otherwise in good standing (complete all assignments on a timely
basis, attend class, participate, etc.) An IP does not affect a student's GPA but does
require the student to re-take the course. A student may receive an IP grade only once in
any developmental course. When repeating the course, the student must receive a letter
grade (A, B, C, or F).
W (Withdrawn) is given to a student who exceeds the 12.5% maximum absence or to a
student who withdraws from the course before the last drop date. F may be given in
cases of poor performance, scholastic dishonesty, or other severe academic violations.
An F or W grade requires that the student repeat the course.
Scholastic Dishonesty: The Houston Community College System Student Handbook
1999/2000 defines the following criteria: "Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not
limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion." Please refer to the Handbook
for the specifics of cheating on a test. "Plagiarism means the appropriation of another's
work and the unacknowledged incorporation of that work in one's own written work
offered for credit. 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 to F for the particular assignment, failure in the course, and/or
recommendation for probation or dismissal from the College System."
Course Overview: The dominant focus of English 0310 is on the Writing Process,
reading and thinking critically for evaluation purposes, and the production of writing
products that demonstrate both provocative reading and effective presentation. Students
will have ample opportunities to learn, apply, practice, and refine their writing skills.
EVALUATION FOR GREATER LEARNING STUDENT SURVEY SYSTEM (new as of FALL 2011)
At HCC, thoughtful student feedback is necessary to improve teaching and learning. At a designated time,
you will be asked to answer a short online survey of questions related to instruction. The anonymous
results will be made available to your professors and division chairs. Look for the survey as part of the
HCC Student System online near the end of the term.
Student Conduct: The guidelines for student conduct are specifically defined in The
Student Handbook 2002-2003. [As] "mature, responsible adults . . . they will voluntarily
observe these rules as a matter of training and habit. Students [will] not interfere with or
disrupt the orderly educational processes of the College System." Students are expected
to demonstrate both courtesy and cooperation in the classroom. A student who either
cannot or will not extend both courtesy and cooperation may not continue the course.
HCCS Policy: Ringing cellular phones or sounding beepers constitute an interruption of
instruction. Students must remember to TURN OFF phones and beepers when they are
in class. A student who does not cooperate may be dismissed from class.
Developmental Studies Program
Syllabus Statement Policy Addendum
Course Prerequisites and Placement: Students are responsible for registering and taking the
correct courses to meet department, system, and state requirements. A student who is taking
developmental English, reading, or math to meet state requirements is responsible for taking the
correct courses. A student who registers for a class without meeting the state and/or HCCS
requirement will be dropped from the class. Example: a student registers for English 1301 (credit
level freshman composition). However, the student has not passed the Reading and Writing
Sections of the THEA or a THEA Alternative Test (Asset or Compass). The student has not
completed GUST 0342 and ENGL 0310 (or ENGL 0349 for second language speakers). These
course requirements were determined by the student’s test scores. The student will be dropped
from ENGL 1301 without a refund.
GUST 0342 and ENGL 1301: Students taking developmental English and reading courses for
state purposes must complete GUST 0342 (Reading) and English 0310 before taking 1301.
In Progress Grade – IP: Beginning in the Fall 2000 semester, students taking developmental
courses may only receive an In Progress or IP grade one time for each course. If a student must
repeat a developmental course, the student must receive a letter grade only in the second attempt
(A, B, C, F).
Note: Students who repeat a course three or more times may soon face significant
tuition/fee increases at HCC and other Texas public colleges and universities. If you are
considering course withdrawal because you are not earning passing grades, confer with
your instructor/counselor as early as possible about your study habits, reading and writing
homework, test-taking skills, attendance, course participation, and opportunities for
tutoring or other assistance that might be available. If you are attending on a student
visa and withdraw from the class, your grade report will reflect a W not an IP or F.
Grade Reports: Students may get their grades online at www.getgrades.com or at the HCCS
homepage at www.hccs.edu. Students who require a paper or hard copy of their grades must
obtain an unofficial transcript from the Records and Admissions Office of their campus or
college.
Attendance Policy: Although it is the responsibility of the student to drop a course for nonattendance, the instructor has full authority to drop a student for excessive absences. A student
may be dropped from a course for excessive absences after the student has accumulated absences
in excess of 12.5% of the hours of instruction (including lecture and laboratory time). Texas
State Law requires students to complete 87.5% of hours of instruction in order to receive a grade.
American Disabilities Act and ADA Compliance
HCCS is compliant with the ADA and Sec. 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. “Any
student with a documented disability (e. g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing,
etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability
Service Office at the respective college at the beginning of each semester. Faculty are
authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support
Services Office.” The Disability Services Office number for Southwest College is 713718-7910. Dr. Becky Hauri is the ADA counselor.
Sexual Harassment: It is a violation of HCCS policy for an employee, agent, or student of the
college to engage in sexual harassment as defined in the EEOC guidelines (EEO/AA Compliance
Handbook 47). Consult the 1999-2001 Student Handbook (p. 25) for specifics.
IMPORTANT CLASSROOM POLICIES & PROCEDURES
Besides the HCCS policies already mentioned, please be aware of the following
policies and procedures which will apply to this class. These will be discussed
during the first week of class, however, you are responsible for knowing these,
regardless of when you entered class.
PLEASE TURN OFF AND PUT AWAY ALL CELL PHONES AND OTHER
TECHNOLOGICAL DEVICES, INCLUDING LAPTOP COMPUTERS, UPON ENTERING
CLASS.
Courtesy and Respect:The rules of decorum and behavior in a college classroom are similar to
those of any public space or work place. You share the classroom space with a diverse group of
individuals, of varying ages, ethnicities, and beliefs. Since this class involves discussion and
interaction among students, it is essential that the common rules regarding courtesy and respect
for one another be followed. Everyone is entitled to share his or her views on subjects discussed.
An important part of the learning process is to listen and consider these views even when they
are contrary to your own. It is important that one person speaks at a time during class
discussion and that everyone has the chance to share his or her viewpoint. The classroom is a
place of learning and expanding your awareness of self and others, so considering the
viewpoints of others is essential to your learning experience.
All students have the right to benefit from instruction provided by the professor, so when I
speak, I have the floor. Please refrain from conducting extraneous conversations when
instruction is being provided as this interferes with your fellow students’ ability to hear what is
being said and to benefit from instruction. If you are confused or do not understand what is
being said, please ask for further clarification from me, or see me after class for further
explanation.
As a college professor, I am a partner in your learning experience. Your success as a college
student is a source of great pleasure for me, and I will assist you, to the best of my ability, to
achieve your learning goals. However, the work required to reach those goals is your
responsibility. As adults, each of you is responsible for your academic success and
appropriate behavior in a shared group space.
As a college professor, I am responsible for maintaining a cooperative, pleasant and
emotionally positive classroom atmosphere in which ideas can be expressed freely by
all.
Attendance Policy Addendum:
Once the instructor takes roll, all who are marked absent are marked absent. Roll will be taken
15 minutes after class starts for weekly courses and 30 minutes after weekend courses. If a student
is absent four or more days during a week day course, he or she may be dropped. If a student
misses two or more days in a weekend course, he or she may be dropped. The class process will
not be interrupted to accommodate late arrivals or early departures.
Make-up Policy: You are responsible for all materials and information covered in
class when absent. You are expected to be prepared for class, with the assignments
listed on your syllabus for the day of your return. I suggest you exchange phone
numbers with one or two reliable classmates and arrange for your “buddy” to take notes
for you and pick up extra copies of any handouts on the days you are absent. You, of
course, should do the same for them. I am also available to be contacted regarding
information on assignments. Unless there is a verifiable event beyond your control, there
is no make up for assignments missed. If you know that you will be absent the day an
assignment is due, you should forward your work to me via email. Please use the
ronrburnett@yahoo.com address for this so that I will get it instantly.
Semester calendar is subject to change:
Week 1Four


Review Syllabus
Multi-Sensory Grammar
Week 2
 Sentence types
 Conjunctions (subordinating / coordinating






When to use commas
Semicolons
Conjunctive adverbs
Run on sentences
Comma splices
Fragments
Week 3
 The Writing Process
 Writing Model
Week 4
 First writing assignment due
 Readings
Week 5
 Second writing assignment due
 Readings
Week 6
 Third writing assignment due
 Readings
Week 7
 Fourth writing assignment due
 Readings
Week 8
 Test
 Readings
Week 9
 Video documentary
 Discussion
Week 10
 Present papers over documentary
Week 11
 Independent study
Week 12
 Finals