Dr. Gavin Schulz
English 1301, HCC--Southwest
Fall 2012
PURPOSE OF THE COURSE
The purpose of this course is to prepare you for the short writing assignment one encounters in college.
Developing conscientious writing habits and mastering the various forms will provide a foundation for future
writing tasks, even when they demand alternative, or more sophisticated, forms. There will be an emphasis on
organization, pre-writing, and revision skills in order to teach you the connected and interactive process of writing.
This approach is intended to foster in the student the recognition that all writing, not merely poetry or fiction, is
craft.
CONTACT INFORMATION
E-mail address: gavin.schulz@hccs.edu (I will check email at least every morning but cannot
print at home)
Office Hours: I am available to meet with you on an appointment basis.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS
Glenn, Cheryl, and Loretta Gray. Harbrace Essentials. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage
Learning, 2012.
GRADING SCHEDULE
1] 3 semester essays (roughly 750 words each)
2] Revision Essay (roughly 1250 words)
3] Online Activities
4] Quizzes
5] Peer Evaluation Exercises
6] Take-Home Final Essay
10%
10%
10%
20%
20%
10%
10%
10%
GRADING SCALE
Grades will be assigned in accordance with the “Evaluation Rubric.” Grades will be assigned on a +/- scale
(point equivalents are 88/85/82 for a B+/B/B-, for example).
Note, however, that final grades are on an A/B/C scale. For the purposes of grade calculation, an average of
90-100 will earn an A for the course; 80-89 will earn a B; 70-79 will earn a C; 60-69 will earn a D, and 59 or below
will earn F’s.
PAPERS
Rough Drafts: I am willing to read complete or partial drafts of essays at any time until the Last Day for
Draft Check dates listed on calendar. You must hand me a typed, double-spaced copy in such situations (no online
versions).
Last Day for Draft Check: This is the last day that I will accept rough drafts for review.
Due Dates for Essays 1-3: Papers are due, in my hand, by the end of class on the day they are due. Failure
to submit your paper by this time will result in a 5 point penalty, with a further 10 points deducted for each 24 hours
it is late. You may submit an electronic copy by the end of class (i.e. by email), and submit the paper copy during
our next class.
Electronic Copy: Papers will not be graded without accompanying electronic copies.
Revision Essay and the Take-Home Final Essay: These must be completed on the date assigned—no
exceptions except for documented emergencies. Failure to submit the Revision Paper on the due date or submit the
Take-Home Final Essay on the final exam day will result in a 0 for the assignment.
Returning Graded Papers: It will take about one week to grade a stack of essays.
Grading Late Papers: All essays turned in (both hard and electronic copies) after class on the due dates,
for whatever reason, will be placed in a separate pile and will be graded only after all of the on-time essays have
been completed.
Lost Papers: Please keep a copy of your papers for your own file; should a paper be lost, it is your
responsibility to give me another.
OTHER ASSIGNMENTS
Quizzes: In-class Handbook/Policy quizzes will begin 5 minutes after class starts. You will have 10
minutes from the start of the quiz to finish, regardless of when you begin the quiz. No makeups will be allowed,
though I will drop your two lowest scores.
Peer Evaluations: You must have typed, double-spaced copies of your draft, with all of the paragraphs
requested, to participate. No partial participation will be allowed. Show on time; if you are late, and there is nobody
left to share drafts with you, you will lose the points.
NAMES
Any assignments submitted without your name will be given zeros (0).
EXCUSES
Broken computers, printers out of ink, car running out of gas, etc. These may be reasons why you cannot
turn in your paper on time, but they are not excuses. If you wait until the last minute to turn something in and fate
conspires against you, then you have only yourself to blame. Always keep a backup copy of your essay, and always
submit your essay by email as soon as it’s ready.
EXTRA CREDIT
There is none. Your grade in this class will be determined by how well you do on the assignments
themselves.
ESSAY REQUIREMENTS
Essays that have failed to fulfill the assignment’s requirements will be penalized 5 points for each
requirement that you have failed to fulfill, or 10 points for ignoring a requirement.
GRAMMAR
Essays that do not meet the minimum grammatical requirements for college level writing in this class will be
penalized; these essays will earn an average of two grades: the grade for the essay and an F (50 points) for grammar.
ATTENDANCE AND WITHDRAWAL POLICY
Absences: Attendance is required by the State of Texas and HCCS at all class meetings. Houston
Community College will now automatically drop all students who miss the first two days of class. **In addition,
should you fail because you have stopped attending, the State of Texas now requires that you be given an “FX”—a
failure for reasons of attendance.
Tardiness: Note, however, that showing up twenty minutes late to class each day does not mean that you
have perfect attendance; it means that you have missed one-fifth of the semester (almost 2 weeks). Therefore,
tardiness of more than 20 minutes will be recorded as an absence.
Withdrawal: It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw; so, should you decide to drop the class, do not
merely stop coming. Note that we no longer have the option to assign "W"'s at the end of the semester, so all
students still on my roll at the end of the semester will receive grades.
Missed Schoolwork: You are, in any event, responsible for any material assigned or collected on those
days that you are absent or tardy. Be sure to get the notes from somebody who was in class. If a paper is due on a
day that you are going to be absent, it is your responsibility to find a way to turn it in. Missed exercises/quizzes may
not be made up.
* TEXAS WITHDRAWAL RULE *
Students who repeat a course three or more times, or who accumulate 6 or more “W”’s during their college
career, face significant tuition/fee increases at HCC and other Texas public colleges and universities. If you are
considering course withdrawal, confer with your instructor/counselor as early as possible about your study habits,
reading and writing homework, attendance, course participation, and opportunities for tutoring that might be
available.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Receiving a “W” or an “FX” in a course may affect the status of your student visa. Once a “W” or an “FX”
is given for the course, it will not be changed to an “F” because of the visa consideration. Please contact the
International Student Office at 713-718-8520 if you have any questions about your visa status and any other transfer
issues.
BOOKSTORE
Please note that the bookstore is not run by HCC. It is a Barnes and Noble facility. We, therefore, have no
say in how it is run, what books they stock, how many copies of each book they stock, or what they claim you will
need for any specific class.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES
Use of recording devices, including camera phones and tape recorders, is prohibited in classrooms and other
locations where instruction, tutoring, or testing occurs. Inappropriate use of a recording device will be reported to
the police and may be a felony offense.
NEW 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.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS/CIRCUMSTANCES
Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychological, vision, hearing, etc.) who
needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Services Office at the beginning of each
semester.
INCLEMENT WEATHER
During inclement weather conditions, monitor major local channels for updates on school closings. You can also
check for school closing information on the HCC homepage.
MENINGITIS IMMUNIZATION REQUIRED FOR SPRING REGISTRATION
Texas Senate Bill 1107 passed in May 2011, requires that new HCC students and former HCC students returning
after an absence of at least one fall or spring semester who are under the age of 30 are required to present a
physician-signed certificate showing they have been vaccinated against bacterial meningitis. Beginning with Spring
registration, November 7, students will have to satisfy this requirement prior to enrollment. For more information
and a list of exemptions please go to
http://www.hccs.edu/hccs/admissions-registration-center/new-student-general-admissions-steps/submit-meningitisdocumentation
VIRTUAL CLASSROOM CONDUCT/BLACKBOARD & EAGLE ONLINE LMS
As with on-campus classes, all students who log into Blackboard or Eagle Online courses are required to follow all
HCC Policies & Procedures, the Student Code of Conduct, the Student Handbook
(http://www.hccs.edu/hccs/current-students/student-handbook ), and relevant sections of the Texas Education Code
when interacting and communicating in a virtual classroom with your professor and fellow students. Students who
violate these policies and guidelines will be subject to disciplinary action that could include denial of access to
course-related email, discussion groups, and chat rooms, or even removal from the class.
POLICY ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Scholastic Dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:
1] “Plagiarism”--the appropriation of previously written work and the unacknowledged incorporation of that
work in one’s own written work for credit.
2] “Collusion”--the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work for credit.
A student guilty of a first offense will earn a grade of 0 on the assignment involved. For a second offense,
the student will earn an F for the course.
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ENGLISH 13O1 COURSE DESCRIPTION
English 1301 is a course devoted to improving the student’s writing and critical reading. The course involves writing
essays for a variety of purposes from personal to academic, including the introduction to argumentation, critical
analysis, and the use of sources. English 1301 is a core curriculum course.
COURSE PURPOSE
English 1301 is designed to help students write multi-paragraph expository, analytical, and argumentative essays
that have the following qualities:
· clarity in purpose and expression,
· appropriate and sensible organization,
· sound content, including applications of concepts from and references to assigned readings,
· completeness in development,
· unity and coherence,
· appropriate strategies of development,
· sensitivity to audience,
· effective choice of words and sentence patterns,
· grammatical and mechanical correctness, and
· appropriate MLA citations format.
EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES (COURSE OBJECTIVES) FOR ENGLISH 1301:
By the time the students have completed English 1301, they will:
· understand writing as a connected and interactive process which includes planning, shaping drafting, revising,
editing, and proofreading;
· apply writing process to out-of-class writing;
· apply writing process as appropriate to in-class; impromptu writing situations, thus showing an ability to
communicate effectively in a variety of writing situations (such as essay exams and standardized writing tests
like the TASP);
· apply suggestions from evaluated compositions to other writing projects;
· understand and apply basic principles of critical thinking in analyzing reading selections, in developing
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expository essays, and writing argumentative essays;
apply concepts from and use references to assigned readings in developing essays;
analyze elements of purpose, audience, tone style, and writing strategy in essays by professionals writers
complete short writing assignments, journal entries, readings quizzes, and other activities to strengthen basic
thinking an writing skills
understand and appropriately apply various methods of development in writing assignments;
avoid faulty reasoning in all writing assignments;
fulfill the writing requirements of the course, writing at least 6,000 words during the semester.
HCCS CORE CURRICULUM INTELLECTUAL COMPETENCIES AND EXEMPLARY EDUCATIONAL
OBJECTIVES -- ENGLISH 1301 AND 1302
I. BASIC INTELLECTUAL COMPETENCIES IN HCCS CORE
· READING: Reading material at the college level means having the ability to analyze and interpret a variety of
materials -- books, articles, and documents.
· WRITING: Writing at the college level means having the ability to produce clear, correct, and coherent prose
adapted to purpose, occasion, and audience. In addition to knowing correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation,
students should also become familiar with the writing process, including how to discover a topic, how to
develop and organize it, and how to phrase it effectively for their audience. These abilities are acquired through
practice and reflection.
· SPEAKING: Effective speaking is the ability to communicate orally in clear, coherent, and persuasive
language appropriate to purpose, occasion, and audience.
· LISTENING: Listening at the college level means the ability to analyze and interpret various forms of spoken
communication.
· CRITICAL THINKING: Critical thinking embraces methods of applying both qualitative and quantitative
skills analytically and creatively to subject matter in order to evaluate arguments and to construct alternative
strategies. Problem solving is one of the applications of critical thinking used to address an identified task.
· COMPUTER LITERACY: Computer literacy at the college level means having the ability to use computerbased technology in communicating, solving problems, and acquiring information. Core-educated students
should have an understanding of the limits, problems, and possibilities associated with the use of technology
and should have the tools necessary to evaluate and learn new technologies as they become available.
II. EXEMPLARY EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES: FRESHMAN ENGLISH
· To understand and demonstrate writing and speaking processes through invention, organization, drafting,
revision, editing, and presentation.
· To understand the importance of specifying audience and purpose and to select appropriate communication
choices.
· To understand and appropriately apply modes of expression (descriptive, expository, narrative, scientific, and
self-expressive) in written, visual, and oral communication.
· To participate effectively in groups with emphasis on listening, critical and reflective thinking, and responding.
· To understand and apply basic principles of critical thinking, problem solving, and technical proficiency in the
development of exposition and argument.
· To develop the ability to research and write a documented paper and/or give an oral presentation.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR ENGLISH 1301
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, strategy in 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.
Class Assignment/Reading Schedule
(* Assignments are to be completed for the class they are listed under *)
Week 1
Aug. 28] Course Introduction / Intro to Essay 1 (Critical Analysis)
-Online Assignments: Diagnostic / Syllabus Quiz / Read one article from list
30] Reading Quiz / Focused Freewriting / Analyzing Articles / Group Analysis
- Online Assignments: Paragraph Analysis Exercise / Quiz 1 / Plagiarism Exercise
Week 2
Sep.
4] Introductions / Group Introduction Exercise (Must bring introduction) / Testing Claims
- Online Assignments: Drafting / Quiz 2 / Sample Paper Exercise
6] Grammar Workshop / Submission of Rough Draft
- Online Assignments: Peer Evaluation
Week 3
11] Essay 1 due/ Intro to Essay 2 (5 paragraph)
- Online Assignments: Read and freewrite about an article / Quiz 3
13] Logos-Pathos-Ethos / Appeal Group Exercise / Brainstorming
- Online Assignments: Audience Exercise / Quiz 4
Week 4
18] Types of Evidence / Evaluating Evidence / Evidence Group Exercise
- Online Assignments: Drafting / Quiz 5 / Sample Paper Exercise
20] Grammar Workshop / Submission of Rough Draft
- Online Assignments: Peer Evaluation
Week 5
25] Essay 2 due / Intro to Essay #3 (opposition)
- Online Assignments: Read and brainstorm about an article / Quiz 6
27] Clustering / Responding to Opposition
- Online Assignments: Opposition Exercise / Quiz 7
Week 6
Oct.
2] Using Quotations / Documenting Quotations / Quotation Group Exercise
- Online Assignments: Drafting / Quiz 8 / Sample Paper Exercise
4] Grammar Workshop / Submission of Rough Draft
- Online Assignments: Peer Evaluation
Week 7
9] Essay 3 due / Intro to Essay 4 (Revision)
- Online Assignments: 5 W’s Exercise / Quiz 9
11] Library Visit / Research
- Online Assignments: Annotated Bibliography Exercise / Quiz 10
Week 8
16] Revising for Unity & Coherence / Revision Group Exercise
- Online Assignments: Revision / Quiz 11 / Quiz 12
18] Essay 4 due / Intro to Take-Home Final Essay
- Online Assignments: Take-Home Final Essay