English 120, Section 62868 – Reading and Comp 1, Spring 2016
Professor Lee Rosichan
Phone: 707-321-2375
Faculty secretaries: 256-7726
Email address: lrosichan@napavalley.edu
Office: 840A
Hours: Thurs 5:00-6:00PM
Online: Wed. 5:00-6:00PM
To log in to your class (save in your favorites):
https://napavalley.blackboard.com/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_1_1
Required Texts:
SMG - The St. Martin’s Guide to Writing 10th Ed. Axelrod and Cooper
BR - Bedford Researcher 4th ed. Palmquist WITH CompClass access
TTH - The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis, Vintage
Course Description:
This course introduces students to expository, analytical, and argumentative writing based on
reading and analysis of essays and other college-level texts. Emphasis is placed on critical
thinking and reasoned support of ideas. This course also guides students to develop proper
research and MLA documentation skills.
Student Learning Outcomes for this course:
1.
Think, read, and write critically about a variety of ethical, civic, and intercultural issues in
unified, coherent, well-supported, and grammatically correct documents.
2.
Demonstrate adequate research skills, including MLA citation and documentation,
evaluation of sources and search engines, use of electronic databases, and proper incorporation of
outside sources (including quotation, paraphrase and summary).
Online Requirements:
The use of Blackboard will include accessing the Bedford component, and, as the semester
progresses, may be used to post assignments and notices to you. See below for the requirements
of the Bedford component. It will be a good idea to check Blackboard at least a couple of times a
week.
How to Cope When Your Computer Breaks:
Have a back up in place! You can access the class and textbook sites on as many computers as
you like via a normal web browser and you should always have extra copies of your work on a
flash drive or other storage. Be sure to bookmark the URL for our class (above) in case the Napa
Valley College website goes down. A broken computer (or printer) is NOT a valid excuse
for missing deadlines; you need to get in to campus if you don’t have access to a working
computer or printer elsewhere and NOT wait until the last minute to find out you lost your files.
You must actively learn how to submit assignments, send email, etc. in the online class as “it
didn’t work” is also not a valid excuse for not turning in work. Be sure to contact me
immediately so I may help you with any software issues BEFORE the assignment is due.
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Academic Integrity and Honesty:
Any student who violates the Napa Valley College Academic Honesty Policy (please read) will
be subject to the discipline mentioned therein. Cheating of any kind, copying someone else’s
work, allowing someone to copy your work, and plagiarism, whether intentional or accidental,
are offenses punishable by failure of this course.
Having someone extensively edit and revise your writing is also dishonest and a form of
plagiarism. All essays must contain the student’s original work, or else they must be
scrupulously documented/cited. You will be required to submit your essays to www.turnitin.com
for plagiarism review.
• Harassment of any kind (implied, written, oral or physical) toward any member of the class or
the instructor will not be tolerated (see pgs. 19-20 of the NVC Catalog).
Communication:
You are urged to contact me via email at any time, particularly if you have a question or would
like feedback on an essay. ALL emails I receive will be answered within 48 hours. DO NOT
CONTACT ME 12 HOURS BEFORE AN ESSAY IS DUE, HOPING FOR LAST MINUTE
HELP BECAUSE THERE IS NO GUARANTEE I WILL GET YOUR EMAIL AND BE ABLE
TO RESPOND IN TIME--PLAN AHEAD.
Course Requirements:
All students will be expected to write a series of essays in which skills in organization and
development of ideas are demonstrated. Final drafts of essay assignments must be wordprocessed double-spaced and MLA formatted.. Papers must include one-inch margins and must
have page numbers. Each student must also submit rough drafts for peer review. Students must
submit other assignments related to final drafts of essays. Writing is a process, and we will be
taking a journey in discovering our writing strengths through practice, practice and more practice.
Each student is responsible for the assigned readings and/or activities. Reading passages
assigned for a particular week should be read before the week is over or according to
deadline.
• Assignments are due at the exact time given on indicated days. Late assignments are NOT
accepted; under extraordinary circumstances if I receive a late paper, a full letter grade
will be deducted. You must have documentation to support a claim of emergency.
Note: Failure to complete an essay assignment will significantly affect your grade as it results in
a loss of 100 to 200 points each. You will likely not pass the class if you miss any of the major
writing assignments.
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Essays
There will be five major essay assignments for the semester. Essays will vary in length from
1000-2000 words (4-8 typed pages, double-spaced, MLA format). The essays are: 1) Narrative,
2) Profile, 3) Explaining a Concept, 4) Argumentative/Research, and 5) Compare/Contrast. The
Concept and Compare/Contrast Essays will be in a timed format as the midterm and final
examinations. You must be present in class for the timed, in-class writings to get full credit.

You are allowed an optional revision of each of the first two essays contingent upon
communicating with me via email. Your revision(s) must be turned in within two
weeks of the essay’s having been returned to you. Revision grades are averaged with
the originals.
Response Papers
You will be asked to submit frequent (almost once a week), short (1 pg) response papers in the
course of our reading. These papers should NOT be a summary of what you read in our book
even though they may bring up aspects of the reading; rather, they should be your critical
response to what you’re reading (what surprises you and why, questions that came up, an
exploration of ideas that might interest you to write about, etc.) The best way to get into the flow
of writing these short responses is to annotate while your read (either in the margins or on sticky
notes) and simply put those thoughts and responses together into a cohesive few paragraphs right
after you are finished with the reading. These papers must be typed and properly formatted
according to MLA including standard 1’’ margins, double-spacing, name, date, class, and
indentions (see the Pocket Manual). You will also be asked to respond critically to other student
responses.
St. Martin’s Guide to Writing:
You will be responding to activities and exercises in the assigned chapters throughout the
semester, sharing your responses with your classmates and discussing them. These assignments
will complement the planning and drafting stages of your essays, providing guides, suggestions,
and instructions as you progress. These conversations will be the basis for a lot of your discovery
and success as writers as you move through the course, so take them seriously.
Workshops:
There will be semi-weekly “workshops” on basic skills that will help to strengthen the structure,
format, and clarity of your writing. The idea is to make it easier for you to think, plan, and
execute the extensive writing demands in the course.
Group Presentation:
There will be a group research presentation project on a theme from the novel The Twelve Tribes
of Hattie. Topics will be selected, groups will be formed, and those groups will “meet” to divide
up tasks, put together the presentation, and assign parts for the actual presentation. Peer
responses will also be included in the grading for the project.
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Online Research Unit:
English 120 is a 4-unit course, including a unit dedicated to research practices offered in an
online format. Students can expect to spend an average of at least 12 hours each week (3 hours in
class and 9 or more hours outside of class) on work for this course, with an average of at least 3
hours each week dedicated to the required online Research and Documentation Unit.
The Research and Documentation Unit is offered through NVC’s Blackboard Learning
Management System (LMS) and in connection with the textbook The Bedford Researcher and
Bedford’s LaunchPad Solo online learning materials for Readers and Writers. Students will
work on a variety of lessons, videos, quizzes, discussion forums, journals, etc., in Blackboard to
master research skills. These skills will also be integrated into classroom instruction and applied
to a research project, essay, or series of essays. The lab has 13 research lessons which require 2 –
4 hours of work each. If you do not complete 9 (nine) of the Research Lab lessons by final
withdrawal date, you may be dropped from English 120 with a W.
Again, the online component is required. You must complete the online Research Lab to
get credit for the course. To complete the Research Unit, you must review the lessons and
take the corresponding quizzes by the due dates outlined on the course calendar. You must
earn a 70% average on the quizzes to pass. You may miss up to two quizzes as long as you
maintain a 70% average.
Dear Students,
The online portion of our course is open for student registration.
To register for the course go to:
http://www.macmillanhighered.com/launchpadsolo/readwrite/2861909
PLEASE bookmark the page to make it easy to return to.
You have three options to enroll in the course: you can purchase direct access, you can buy an access
code, or you can get free 21 day access while deciding. Your registration options are explained here.
Visit the NVC Online Education home page for information about accessing Blackboard and for
tutorial help for understanding the Blackboard system.
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Grading:
Grades are based on all of the above, as well as class participation. Note that response papers,
reading, and participation count as a significant part of your grade (20%). You can easily get an
“A” for this 20% if you are an active and consistent participant in the class and do the
assignments, or you can easily get an “F” if you consistently fail to keep up with the reading and
participate in the class.
Response Papers/participation
Essay #1 (4 pgs)
Essay #2 (4 pgs)
Midterm (timed essay 4-5 pgs)
Essay #4 (6-8 pgs)
Final (timed essay 4-5 pgs)
Group Presentation
Bedford Unit
20%
10%
10%
10%
15%
15%
10%
10%
Final Exam
The final will be the last day of class, May 26. However, please note the time change: instead of our
regular time of 6:00pm-8:50pm, the final will be from 5:00pm-7:00pm. Attendance is mandatory.
Campus Policy on Disability Access for Students:
Please note that I cannot make special arrangements for a disability unless you have documentation from
DSPS. If you feel you may need an accommodation based on the impact of a learning disability,
schedule an appointment with Learning Services in the Library and Learning Resource Center (LLRC),
room 1766, phone (707) 256-7442. A Learning Disability Specialist will review your needs and
determine appropriate accommodations. If you need accommodations for physical or other types of
disabilities, schedule an appointment with DSPS Counselor, Sheryl Fernandez, in the Counseling
Department located in the 1300 building, phone (707) 256-7220. All information and documentation is
confidential. Please feel encouraged to make an appointment with me privately to discuss your specific
learning needs in my class.
Add/Drop Dates:
Late add – January 20 to February 3
Last day to drop w/refund – February 5
Last day to drop w/o “W” – February 5
Last day to request P/NP grading – February 5
Last day to drop w/”W” – April 8
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(Please copy/print/scan this section and return in the area provided in week 1)
English 120 Online Spring 2016, Section 66230
I have read and understood the contents of this syllabus, and I understand the consequences
of not following the assignments and rules. It is my responsibility to complete the
assignments of this course, to study the course material and to attend each class meeting on
time. I also understand that it is my right to ask the instructor, at any time, for clarification of
any assignment, rule or my responsibilities for this course.
Signature_________________________
Print name___________________________________
Date_______________________
Cellphone___________________________
Email address (print very neatly)__________________________________________
Anything I should know?_____________________________________________________
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