Syllabus for English Comp 1301 Spring 2016 Tue / Thurs
CRN: 87775
Professor: Ms. Cathy Clay Email : cathy.clay@hccs.edu
Office Hours: Monday / Wednesday 4:00-5:00 PM and Tuesday / Thursday
1:00-4:00 PM and by appointment.
Please turn all cell phones, computers, pagers, and other devices off before class begins and put them out of sight. Your attention is required in this course, and progressive disciplinary actions will be taken if you fail to adhere to this requirement. Ex: Your participation will be deducted by two letter grades per offense. From there further disciplinary action will be taken.
Office and mailbox are located at Northline in room 320. Phone 713-
718-2447.
Course Description:
English 1301 meets the HCC core curriculum requirement for basic competencies in reading, writing, speaking, listening, critical thinking and computer literacy.
English 1301 Student Learning Outcomes:
1.
Demonstrate knowledge of writing as process.
2.
Apply basic principles of critical thinking in analyzing reading selections, developing expository essays, and writing argumentative essays.
3.
Analyze elements such as purpose, audience, tone, style, and strategies for essays and/or literature by professional writers.
4.
Write essays in appropriate academic writing style using varied rhetorical strategies.
5. Synthesize concepts from and use references to assigned readings in their own academic writing.
Required Textbooks (textbooks available as package in the bookstore):
1) The Arlington Reader, 4th Edition.
2) The Little, Brown Compact Handbook 9 th Edition.
3) College pocket dictionary.
Required Materials:

Notebook for in-class writing and blue or black ink pens.
Reading assignments:
You will frequently be assigned reading assignments from the textbooks.
The readings should be completed BEFORE you arrive in class the day that they appear on the syllabus. Readings with an * require written answers to the Questions for Discussion and Writing.
In-Class Writing (written on notebook paper)
In-Class journal assignments will be assigned during class and should be completed within 20 minutes. In class assignments cannot be made up; therefore attendance is important.
Major Assignments
Over the course of the semester, you will write 1 essay outside of class, 1 inclass essay, and a research paper. All components of the research paper must be typed and formatted according to MLA and essays completed outside of class must be typed, double spaced, in a 12-point font / Times
New Roman. You will also be required to complete a final essay.
Grading Scale
Essays (1 & 2)----------------------- 30%
Term paper -------------------------- 25%
Participation-------------------------- 10%
Journals--------- 10%
Presentation ----------------------------- 10%
Final Essay--------------------------- 15%
Letter Grade Final Average in Percent
A 100-90%
B
C
89-80%
79-70%
D
F
69-60%
Below 60%
Late Work
1.
Late and make-up assignments are not permitted . You know the due dates for every assignment in this class. Workshop assignments will not be accepted late (meaning after class has begun). No credit will be given for workshop assignments that have not been peer reviewed. If you do not participate in workshop, no credit will be given for that assignment. All assignments must be

submitted to me.
2.
Assignments: Failure to attend one class does not excuse a student from preparing for the following class. Also, I may modify assignments on the syllabus. Therefore I encourage you to exchange contact information with at least two classmates, so that you can stay abreast of all assignments.
3. Plagiarisms and Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this course. Plagiarism is the intentional use of someone else’s work as your own. This can include copying a friend’s homework, copying directly from a secondary source without proper documentation, or copy and pasting from an Internet source. If you plagiarize, you will receive a zero on the assignment and you may fail the course. You should be aware that plagiarism could even result in the expulsion from the college. If you feel you might be plagiarizing, or are not clear of what exactly constitutes plagiarism, please see me for more information.
You will be required to sign and turn in a plagiarism contract with each essay.
4. Attendance and participation:
It will be most difficult to produce successful documents without actively participating, since we will determine the nature of the products collaboratively. Additionally, attendance is a component of participation and your final grade, and it will suffer accordingly if you do not attend class.
College policy stipulates that any student who misses more 12.5% of instruction is subject to administrative withdrawal (four class meetings).
Excessive absences, three or more, may result in one letter grade deduction from your final grade in the course. Six absences of any kind will force me to assign an “F.” In addition, excessive tardiness, running in and out of class and early departures from class may count as unexcused absences. Please note that students can be administratively withdrawn after four absences.
You are required to arrive on time.
I will take attendance at every class meeting, and I expect you to excuse yourself by email or telephone if you cannot make it to class that day. If an assignment is due and you arrive late, take your seat and turn your work in at the end of class.
The last date for withdrawal is April 5, 2016.
Please note: Any student missing six class meetings who does not drop

him/herself from this course will receive a performance grade of “F” or
“FX”.
5. Consultations and assistance:
I am available to discuss your difficulties and to provide as much assistance as possible. To ensure I am available to assist you, contact me as soon as you feel like you need more explanation or assistance.
6. Students with disabilities
Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, developmental, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Support Services
(DSS) Counselor at the beginning of each semester. Faculty members are authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the DSS office.
Contact the DSS Counselor at (713) 718-8420.
7. Tutoring
English composition tutoring is available free of charge in the
Learning Center. If you need additional help with assignments, please take advantage of this service. Your essay must be typed before a tutor can assist you. Tutors are available during the day and night and on the weekends. Check for hours of operations. Also, online tutoring is available at www.hccs.askonline.net
; students can self-register.
Familiarize yourself with the abundant information available to writers on the Internet. Some interesting and helpful sites are: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/ -the best online writing center resource page
(Purdue University) http://www.m-w.com/netdict.htm
-online dictionary http://www.chompchomp.com/ -grammar review and exercises.
8. Participation is required in this course. You will receive a participation grade.
9. Classroom decorum consists of only one person speaking at a time.
There will no conversations during the instructor’s lectures.

1/21
1/26
1/28
2/2
Profanity is unacceptable in this classroom.
10. Do not under any circumstances interrupt lectures and classroom activities in any class taught by me. If you have an issue, schedule a conference. You may schedule a conference in person before or after class or by email or phone. Use the mailbox to turn in documents.
EGLS3—Evaluation for Greater Learning Student Survey System at
Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is necessary to improve teaching and learning.
During a designated time, you will be asked to answer a short online survey of research-based questions related to instruction. The anonymous results of the survey will be made available to your professors and division chairs for continual improvement of instruction. Look for the survey as part of the Houston Community
College Student System online near the end of the term.
I reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus as needed.
Course Calendar
Date Lesson topic/Assignments due
1/19 Intro to course and syllabus/diagnostic writing
Diagnostic Essay
The writing process . “Mother Tongue” and “The Joy of Reading and Writing.” Journal.
The thesis statement: LB pp: 14-18.
The Comma and the semicolon. LB pp: 282-301.
“Write or Die,” “Freewriting,” and “Listening.”
The Colon. LB: pp: 301-04. “Stranger in the Village” and “Being
Country.” Journal.
Class activity.

2/25
3/1
3/3
2/11
2/16
2/18
2/23
2/4
2/9
Descriptive assignment. Point of view. LB pp: 416-17. Misplaced and dangling modifiers. LB pp: 258-64.
Descriptive analysis.
Assign Term Paper Topics. Have Read Chapter 58 in LB. The
Outline.
“From Fighting Words” and “On Keeping A Notebook.” Journal.
Library Orientation.
Typed thesis statement and sentence outline of research paper are due for peer review.
Capital letters. The Comparison and Contrast essay style. “Divided
We Eat.”
‘Boys and Men Must Be Included’ and “Professions for Women.”
Transitions. LB pp: 45-47. Bring LB text.
Journal. Documenting sources and avoiding plagiarism.
In-class Essay 1.
The typed introduction and sources for the research paper are due (1 st two pages of the research paper and works cited page).
Peer review.
Run-on sentences. LB pp: 269-73. “The Human
Cost of an Illiterate Society,” and “Against School: How Public
Education Cripples Our Children.” Journal.
The Definition Essay. “Faux Friendship.” Verb tense. Sentence fragments. Complex sentence structure. LB: pp: 203. Journal.
Essay 2 assigned.

3/8 Film
3/10
3/14-
3/18
Film continued.
Spring Break
3/22 “Bonfire of the Disney Princess.” In-class assignment. The
Apostrophe. LB pp: 304-10. Cause and Effect essay style.
3/24
3/29
3/31
Introduction to argument and persuasion. “Is Google Making
Us Stupid?” and “How Computers Change the Way We Think.”
LB: CH.11. Journal. Essay 2 is due.
The typed rough draft of the research paper is due (1 st three pages). Peer review. Preparation for presentations. LB: pgs.
121-25.
Student conferences. Surnames: A-L. Journals are due.
Student conferences. Surnames: M-Z. Journals are due.

5/5
4/19
4/21
4/26
4/28
5/3
4/5 “Letter From Birmingham Jail.” Journal. The research paper is
Due. Late papers will not be accepted.
4/7
4/12
Presentations.
Presentations. Read LB pp: 415-22. Introduction to literary analysis. Readings assigned.
4/14 Introduction to Literary Analysis. Readings assigned or provided.
Literary analysis. View film adaptation.
Literary analysis. View film adaptation.
Literary analysis.
Literary analysis. Readings provided. Writing about literature.
Literary analysis.
In-class essay.