English 101, First Year Composition
Fall 2015
Course Syllabus
Instructor:
Ms. Sasha Litzenberger, MA
Room 224
Office Hours:
7:15-8:00a.m.; M,T,Th,Fri
By appointment preferably.
2nd Lunch by appointment ONLY
Email:
sdlitzenberger@mpsaz.org (please arrange appts by email only)
Phone:
480.472.7004
Class Meeting
Class Days:
Mon-Fri
August 12 to December 17, 2015
Class Time:
1st, 2nd, 3rd
Course Information
Credit Hours:
½ Mountain View; 3 MCC
Course Title:
English 101
Course Description:
English 101 emphasizes rhetoric and composition with a focus on expository writing
and understanding writing as a process. The course encourages the development of
effective college-level writing through the writing of at least four or more writing
projects comprising at least 3,000 words in total.
Text Book
Roen, Duan, Gregory R. Glau, and Barry M. Maid. The McGraw-Hill Guide: Writing for
College, Writing for Life. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2013.
Materials
Writing utensils-pencils black and/or blue pens
Colored Pencils or Highlighters (for editing)
Composition Book
Loose-leaf paper – NO SPIRAL; COLLEGE RULED ONLY
Course Competencies
MCCCD Official Course Competencies
ENG 101: First Year Composition
1. Analyze specific rhetorical contexts, including circumstances, purpose, topic, audience, and writer, as
well as the writing’s ethical, political, and cultural implications. (I, III)
2. Organize writing to support a central idea through unity, coherence, and logical development
appropriate to a specific writing context. (II, V)
3. Use appropriate conventions in writing, including consistent voice, tone, diction, grammar, and
mechanics. (I, V).
4. Integrate sources through summarizing, paraphrasing, and quotation from sources to develop and
support one’s own ideas. (III, IV)
5. Use feedback obtained through peer review, instructor comments, and/or other sources to revise
writing.(II)
6. Assess one’s own writing strengths and identify strategies for improvement through instructor
conference, portfolio review, written evaluation, and/or other methods.(II)
7. Generate, format, and edit writing using appropriate technologies. (II, V)
After completing this course, you should be able to:
1. Understand that writing and critical reading is interrelated to critical thinking.
2. Understand the rhetorical situations of communication (including purpose, audience, and role of writer)
and respond to them effectively in their writing tasks.
3. Use appropriate conventions of format, structure, voice, and tone according to the rhetorical situation.
4. Critically read and respond to texts.
5. Use multiple strategies to explore and develop ideas.
6. Compose in several genres.
7. Understand that writing is a process that involves multiple drafts, including prewriting, composing,
reviewing, revising, and editing.
8. Understand the collaborative value of the peer review process to help writers address the needs of
readers.
9. Compose a focused and clearly stated thesis for a paper or presentation.
10. Develop an informal outline for organizing an academic paper or presentation.
11. Use electronic environments to develop their essays and projects, research their topics, and present
their texts.
12. Use Standard English in your own academic writing.
Course Requirements/Expectations
1. Class participation: A large part of understanding the concepts comes from discussing them with others
and engaging in in-class activities. Therefore, participation is essential to success in class. To effectively
participate, you will need to complete the assignments before class begins.
2. Reading assignments: You will be responsible for completing the reading assignments prior to the class
period. If there is any material that you do not understand, please see me, email me, or make a note so
that it may be discussed in class. Remember that other students may have similar questions, so sharing
your questions is as important as sharing your ideas.
3. Quizzes: In-class quizzes make up a portion of your final grade. These quizzes will be based on reading
assignments, class discussions, and homework assignments. They will be given at any time with or
without notice.
4. Writing assignments: Throughout the course, you will write at least four formal assignments/projects. All
formal assignments must be typed and formatted according to MLA style guidelines. You must save all
writing assignments on a computer, flash drive, Google Docs, or any other method in which they are easily
retrieved again. All papers must be completed to pass this class with a grade of C or better.
5. Group work: There will be group exercises and peer reviews of all formal assignments. In all activities,
please be helpful, honest, and respectful in all comments to your classmates. Please know that all rough
drafts and peer review sheets are submitted with final drafts, and are graded separately from the class
participation grade.
6. Classroom Behavior: Be respectful and mindful of others and the space you are using.
7. Plagiarism & Turnitin.com: Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the use of paraphrase or direct
quotation of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment. It
also includes the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the
selling or sharing of term papers or other academic materials. Information gathered from the Internet and
not properly identified is also considered plagiarism. We expect every student to produce his/her original,
independent work. Any student whose work indicates a violation of the MCCCD Academic Misconduct
Policy (including cheating and plagiarism) can expect sanctions as specified in the college catalog (2.3.11),
or online at the following site:
http://www.maricopa.edu/publicstewardship/governance/adminregs/students/2_3.php
Plagiarism, cheating, or other forms of academic dishonesty on any assignment will result in failure (a
grade of zero) for that assignment. You are required to submit all writing assignments to Turnitin.com.
Failure to do so will result in a grade of zero.
8. Turning in Assignments: Unless specified otherwise, all assignments are due at the beginning of class
on the due date. If it is turned in later in the hour, it is late and will receive half credit. If an assignment is
one day late, it will receive half credit; after one day late, the assignment cannot be turned in. If you have
an EXCUSED absence, you have the same number of days missed to make up the work. If you miss a
quiz, it must be made up the next class period. If you have an UNEXCUSED absence, you cannot make
up the work. Remember that this is a college class. If you are not going to be here on the day a major
assignment is due, have someone turn it in for you; otherwise, it will be considered late.
9. Printing Requirements: It is your responsibility to print your assignments. I will not print them for you or
write you a pass to go the library. We do have a working computer lab in the library (that is offered to
students before school, at lunch, or after school), and there are always public libraries imbedded within this
community that provide such services. Please note that there will be a .05 charge per page in our library for
printing.
As well, I do not accept emailed assignments without prior approval (usually only granted to students who
will not be in class that day due to an excused absence). If you do email me an assignment, it must be in
an attachment, not in the body of an email. It must be in a file compatible with Microsoft Word, preferably
.pdf. If you have an excused absence on the day an essay is turned in, you may turn it in the next day for
full credit.
10. Attendance: Daily attendance is essential to the successful student. The Mesa Public Schools
attendance policies and procedures will apply. Students will be dropped from MCC's roll at 10 unexcused
absences Again, this is a college class; I expect punctuality. It is the student's responsibility to find out and
make up missed work. You are expected to be in the class and seated at the bell – you are not to be just
passing through the doorway unprepared as the bell rings.
Grading Information and Scale
The majority of your grade will come from the writing projects that you produce. Writing projects will be
assessed on a rubric that corresponds to the task. In-class and self-motivation are required to properly prepare
for the requirements of this course. A lack of preparation directly affects class success.
Grades will be calculated on the following scale for the entire semester:




Daily Assignments, including classwork and homework - 25%
Performance grades, including Tests, Quizzes, Presentations – 20%
Writing Projects – 45%
Final Exam – 10%
Grading Scale
A
B
C
D
F
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
59 or below
To earn college credit, students enrolled with MCC must fulfill all admission requirements and
earn a C or higher. This is a regular, unweighted grade for Mesa Public Schools.
The first quarter grade will carry over to the second quarter, and the combination of the two quarters, along
with the final, will determine the final semester grade. Grades will not “start over” at the second quarter.
MPS/MCC Policies
The district and college policies can be found in the MPS Student Handbook and the MCC Student handbook.
These policies include, but are not limited to: disciplinary standards, civility policies, and withdrawal
procedures. It is your responsibility to understand the policies detailed in the catalogue and handbook.
Extra Credit Policy: Extra Credit is not available for this class. It is the belief of MCC that all work done for a
class should receive regular credit and is more than sufficient to assess the understanding of material
presented in the course.
Refund Policy: Refunds are not automatic. Students who drop courses within the refund period are eligible
for a reimbursement of appropriate tuition and fees. Please see the refund policy online for deadlines and
details.
Disability Statement: MCC as well as Mountain View High School will make reasonable accommodations for
persons with documented disabilities. Students with disabilities must have an equally effective and equivalent
educational opportunity as those students without disabilities. Students experiencing difficulty accessing
course materials because of a disability are expected to contact the course instructor so that a solution can be
found that provides all students equal access to course materials and technology.
Information for Students with Disabilities: If you have a documented disability, including a learning disability,
and would like to discuss possible accommodations, please contact the MCC Disabilities Resources and
Services Office at 480-461-7447 or http://mesacc.edu/students/disability/.
Civility Policy: The faculty of MCC places a high value on the importance of general ethical standards of
academic behavior and expects that communication between students and instructors or among students shall
maintain the level of formality and mutual respect appropriate to any college teaching/learning situation.
Language or behavior that is rude, abusive, profane, disruptive, or threatening will not be tolerated. Activity of
this type is Academic Misconduct as defined in MCCCD Policy AR 2.3.11. Students engaging in such behavior
will be removed from the course with a failing grade. Additional sanctions may be applied pursuant to AR
2.3.11.
Technological Devices
During class, you should use electronic devices only to further your work in the class with permission.
Students who use electronic devices for other purposes will have their devices confiscated.
Student Responsibility for Syllabus
As a registered student in this class you are responsible to know and understand the syllabus. I am willing to
answer any questions you may have concerning the syllabus. It is recommended that you keep this syllabus in
the front of your notebook for this class to have easy reference. In order to be successful in this class, it is
required that you read and understand the syllabus and class schedule of assignments. It is also required that
you successfully complete all of the formal writing assignments in order to pass the class. If you have
questions or are unclear about any of the information here or at any point in the course, you are responsible for
seeking out answers. As a Mesa Community College member, you are automatically responsible for knowing
and understanding college policies, the policies of this class, and adhering to the MCC Code of Conduct at all
times. If you require assistance obtaining this information in another form, please contact Disability Services
(see above).
Please be advised that the information included in the syllabus may/will be subject to change, and
students will be notified by the instructor of any changes in the course schedule, requirements, or
policies.
Photocopy/Backup Assignments
It is important to keep a copy of all assignments that are submitted. This is for your protection. If any work is
lost, you can submit a copy for grading. Keep all graded assignments until the end of the semester. Do not
turn in your only copy of brainstorming and outlining homework assignments.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Please sign this sheet, detach from the syllabus, and return it to Ms. Litzenberger to signify that you have read
and understand the course policies and procedures.
Student Name (Print):
________________________________________________________________
Student Signature:
_______________________________________________
Date: _________
Parent/Guardian Name (Print):
________________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature:
_______________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian e-mail address:
________________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian telephone contact number:
________________________________________________________________