ENGLISH 120 #62093 / TTh 8:00-9:20am / RM 1631
Instructor: Rachel Barney
Office hours: TTH 9:30-11:00am
Email: rbarney@napavalley.edu
Phone: 253-3112
Office: 1031 B
Website: http://www.napavalley.edu
Texts:
Hall, Donald and D.L. Emblen. A Writer’s Reader. 9th ed.
Palmquist, Mike. The Bedford Researcher. 3rd ed.
A dictionary
Other Materials:
Blue books
Black/Blue ink pens
Paper for note taking & in-class essays
PC with Internet access
COURSE EXPECTATIONS: READING AND COMPOSITION 1
Course Description
English 120 develops expository, narrative, and argumentative writing based on reading and analysis of
essays and other college-level texts. The course emphasizes critical thinking and reasoned support of ideas
and reinforces the connections between reading and writing. Students will also apply advanced research
and documentation skills. 6,000 to 8,000 words of writing are required.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to
 Think, read, and write critically about a variety of ethical, civic, and intercultural issues
 Write a unified, coherent, well supported, and grammatically correct document while also
demonstrating adequate research skills, including locating, evaluating, integrating, and
documenting sources using discipline appropriate styles such as MLA.
Assignments and Points:
Essays 1 – 4
40%
Class work
20%
Research Lab
20%
Research Paper
20%
Essays
You will write three essays outside of class, one in-class essay, and one research paper, written in several
drafts, all of which are graded. All essays and drafts must be adhere to MLA formatting guidelines.
Paper copies of all essays are due by end of the day on the date posted on your assignment sheet and
syllabus. If turning the essay into my mailbox, you must have the faculty secretary initial and date the
paper. Late essays will receive a 10% reduction for each day it is late. Electronic copies accepted only
for late work. All major assignments must be completed within a week of the due date in order to
pass the course. In other words, if you skip a major assignment, you will fail the course.
Attendance
Because of the complex nature of this course and the heavy workload, regular attendance is mandatory. If
you miss two consecutive classes without prior notification, you will be automatically dropped from the
course. Upon your fifth absence, I will drop you from the class roster provided that the deadline to
do so has not passed. If the deadline has passed, you will receive a failing grade in the course. If you
choose not to complete the course, you should complete the paperwork to drop; otherwise, you risk
receiving an F. Additionally, you are expected to arrive on time to class and to stay for the entire session.
Habitual tardiness is rude and unacceptable.
Dropping the course
It is the student’s responsibility to know the last day to drop in the session and to file the appropriate
paperwork or receive a failing grade. I will drop any student who has exceeded the allotted absences if no
prior arrangements have been made with me.
Make-up Exams
Make-up exams may be offered if you have notified me in advance or have a documented emergency.
Plagiarism
Every student is required to give credit to any material that is not original; this includes summarized and
paraphrased text. Recently, the NVC Board of Trustees adopted an academic honesty policy designed to
aggressively detect and punish violators. (See NVC Catalog) Please be advised that instructors also have
access to a comprehensive plagiarism site turnitin.com that often requires only a word or a phrase to
detect an incident of plagiarism. Students are required to submit electronic copies of their work to
turnitin.com at the instructor’s direction. Failure to comply will result in a debit of 10 points per
assignment.
Services for Students with Disabilities
If you think you have a physical, psychological, or learning disability, please contact the Office of Special
Services (OSS). OSS can provide you with any necessary accommodations in the classroom and during
exams, which students with disabilities are entitled to receive. Call 253-3080 (voice) or 253-3085 (TDD)
for more information and assistance.
If you think you have a learning disability and need to be tested, please call 253-3284 for an appointment
at the Diagnostic Learning Services located next to the Testing and Tutoring Center. DLS will be able to
evaluate you for learning disabilities and/or screen for dyslexia.
Students with accommodations must provide written documentation from the appropriate authority at
least two weeks in advance of using them.
Student Conduct
Students will treat the instructor and each other with respect; in addition, students are expected to attend
class regularly, to arrive on time and prepared for class, and to behave as adults. Late arrivals or early
departures, rude or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. (The instructor retains the right to determine
what constitutes “rude and disruptive.”)
Personal Electronics
It is my hope to teach students how to think and write critically about important themes and topics. Cell
phones, pagers, blackberries, iPhones and the like affect your concentration, resulting in unfocused and
superficial thinking. They are wholly distracting. Please turn off all electronic equipment before class.