COURSE SYLLABUS
COURSE INFORMATION
Course Number: ENGL 1301
Course Title: Composition I
Course Description: Intensive study of and practice in writing processes, from invention and researching to
drafting, revising, and editing, both individually and collaboratively. Emphasis on effective rhetorical
choices, including audience, purpose, arrangement, and style. Focus on writing the academic essay as
a vehicle for learning, communicating, and critical analysis. Lab required.
Course Credit Hours: 3
Lecture Hours: 3
Lab Hour:
1
Prerequisite: Placement in ENGL 1301; College-Level Reading
Student Learning Outcomes:
 State-mandated outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes.
2. Develop ideas with appropriate support and attribution.
3. Write in a style appropriate to audience and purpose.
4. Read, reflect, and respond critically to a variety of texts.
5. Use Edited American English in academic essays.
 Additional Collin Outcome: Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to do
the following:
1. Demonstrate personal responsibility through the ethical use of intellectual property.
Withdrawal Policy: See the current Collin Registration Guide for the last day to withdraw.
Collin College Academic Policies: See the current Collin Student Handbook
 The College District may initiate disciplinary proceedings against a student accused of scholastic
dishonesty.
 Scholastic dishonesty may involve, but is not limited to, one or more of the following acts: cheating,
plagiarism, collusion, use of annotated texts or teacher’s editions, use of information about exams posted on
the Internet or electronic medium, and/or falsifying academic records.
 Collin faculty are required to report alleged violations of scholastic dishonesty to the Dean of Student
Development, who then investigates the case, and renders an administrative decision.
 Faculty are not allowed to assign a grade to the work in question until the Dean of Student Development
renders a decision
 Students found responsible for scholastic dishonesty offenses will receive an authorized disciplinary
penalty from the office of the Dean of Student Development.
 Additionally, students found responsible for scholastic dishonesty will be assigned a penalty in this class
that ranges from a grade of “F” on the assignment to a grade of “F” for the course
Americans with Disabilities Act:
Collin College will adhere to all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and guidelines
with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required to afford equal opportunity. It is
the student’s responsibility to contact the ACCESS office, SCC-G200 or 972.881.5898 (V/TTD:
972.881.5950) to arrange for appropriate accommodations. See the current Collin Student
Handbook for additional information.
Religious Holy Days: Please refer to the current Collin Student Handbook.
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Instructor’s Name: Eleanor Mack
Office Number: B-103
Office Hours: By appointment only.
Phone Number: 972-516-5090
Email: emack@collin.edu
Class Information: ENGL 1301
Section Number: S15 10553
Meeting Times: MWF 11 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.
Meeting Location: G219
Minimum Technology Requirement: Because you will need to submit your assignments online, please check to see if
you have the technology shown in the chart below. If you do not, let me know, and I can help you submit assignments
while you are on campus.
OS (Operating
System)
Access to the
Internet
Web Browser
Java Runtime
Environment
Windows
Apple
XP, Vista, 7
Mac OS 10.3 and higher
DSL, (High-speed is preferred) cable, satellite, fiber optic
Internet Explorer 6, 7, 8;
Mozilla Firefox 2 and higher
Required.
Java for Windows
Safari 2 and higher;
Mozilla Firefox 2 and higher
Required.
Java for Apple
Minimum Student Skills:
Students should be proficient in navigating the Internet, uploading, downloading files, using email, and be familiar with
the menus and routines in the Blackboard Learning Management System. Proficiency in word-processing software (i.e.,
MS Word) is considered fundamental.
Required Textbooks: Bullock, Goggin, Weinberg, The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings and
Handbook, 3rd ed. New York: Norton. ISBN: 978-0-393-91959-2
Escape from Camp 14: One Man’s Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West by Blaine
Harden. The ISBN for the book 978-0-14-312291-3
Attendance Policy: Attending class is extremely important in this course. If, however, you must be absent, you are
expected to be prepared for class in the same manner as those students who were present. Please contact a classmate for
assignments and class notes.
 You must stay in class until it is dismissed, or you will be counted as absent. If you are more than 15
minutes late, you will be counted absent.
 If you have more than 7 absences, your final semester grade will be dropped 10 points.
Method of Evaluation: Final grades for the semester are based on the following point system:
1. Short Writings (2)
100 points
2. Essays
450 points
3. Lab units (See below)
40 points
4. Group work/drafts
120 points
5. Final Exam
100 points
Total
810 points
A note about the lab units: “The lab component is an integral part of this writing course. Over the course of the
semester, you will need to complete a combination units.* These labs not the same as regular daily course work
that you must complete to stay on track in the class; they are, instead, designed as additional writing-focused
activities that will help improve your writing throughout the term. During the semester, you will need to track
and provide evidence of completing these lab requirements outside of class.”
*This course includes 10 lab units for a combined total of 40 points. They will be graded on timeliness, accuracy,
completeness, and quality of writing. Labs may include but are not limited to the following:
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Conference with professor
Writing Center visit and/or workshop
Raps session with reference librarian
Library workshops
Online student tutorials
Online library tutorials
Study skills seminars
Group tutoring
ACCESS tutoring
Grammar and writing exercises and/or quizzes given through the testing center
Additional writing assignments from an optional list outside of regular assignments (examples:
annotating an article or keeping a journal of regular writing that can be turned in at the end of the
semester for lab credit)
Optional revision activities (a listing of possible revision strategies and choose one to be completed
outside of class as part of an essay process)
College resource lab
College familiarity completion assignment (find the library, the counseling center, the writing center,
etc.)
Online Collin website familiarity completion assignment (ELC, exam schedule, library resources, etc.)
Outside of class peer review
A full listing of assigned lab units appears online in the course. Each lab will be graded separately. If it is not
submitted, it will receive zero points.
Grading Scale:
A=
B=
C=
D=
729 - 810 points
648 - 728 points
567 – 643 points
486 - 566 points
F = Below 485 points
All assignments are to be submitted within the course via turnitin.com
Writing Assignments Evaluative Criteria:
Essays and written assignments are evaluated according to the criteria stipulated in the standardized writing
rubric, which will be distributed in class. In this course, students will be given a letter grade and an
accompanying percentage grade, based on the instructor’s evaluation of each assignment.
Delivery Method of Instructor Feedback and Turn-around Time for Submitted Work:
 Writing assignments will be graded and evaluated approximately within 7 days after the submission deadline
date. A student’s grade, along with instructor comments, will be available in My Grades.
 A letter grade and an accompanying percentage grade are given on all assignments for the course–for example,
“A” (95%). The percentage grade enables students to track their points earned progress during the semester and
report this progress to their academic advisors, if required.
 *All grades and grading comments are treated confidentially. This information falls under the purview of the
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law which assures students’ privacy to their
grades, transcripts, and other educational records at Collin College.
 Instructor Response: Students are encouraged to ask me questions or email me at any time using Collin email.
As an instructor, I respond to all such emails usually within a twenty-four-hour period.
 All student written responses and/or threads are due by midnight on the due date, except for the working drafts,
which are required in class on the due date.
 A student will earn a “0” for all unexcused late work, unless one of the exceptions documented below
apply. Exceptions: Medical reasons (validated by a physician’s written note) will excuse late work for a
student’s illness or that of a dependent child. Other reasons warranting excusal of late work include personal
or family situations (not work-related) over which the student has no control. (These situations, however, will
be considered on a case-by-case basis.) Job-related commitments are accepted with prior approval.
 ***All written assignments must be submitted to the Blackboard courseware, as specified in the assignment
directions. STUDENTS SHOULD NOT EMAIL ASSIGNMENTS since they cannot be accurately
documented in the Blackboard courseware and your grade book.
Peer Review of Essays:
As a student, you are required to share drafts of your written essays. Dates for these are shown on the Assignment
Calendar. Research validates that effective peer reviewing and collaborative sharing of ideas during each phase of the
writing process increases a student’s performance on essays.
Grade of Incomplete (“I”)
Students who are prevented from completing this course because of extenuating personal circumstances (documentable
illness or emergencies) may qualify to petition the College for a grade of “I” or “Incomplete” if they have completed 80%
of the assigned course work and are able to come to the Spring Creek campus to sign the Incomplete Contract. The
Incomplete Grade Contract requires the student to complete the remaining work in the course by a certain future deadline
agreed upon by the student and the instructor in the contract. Failure to submit assignments without authorized excusals
does not validate the requirements of an Incomplete Contract (See the College Catalog, linked on Cougar Web, about
Incomplete Grades and Contracts).
English 1301: Rhetoric & Composition
Condensed Calendar: Fall 2014
August 25 to December 14, 2014
Last day to withdraw from class with grade of "W" is Friday, October 17, 2014.
[Important: A student must initiate a withdrawal from a course. Instructors cannot drop students. After this date,
students will receive a performance grade.]
DUE DATE
ASSIGNMENTS
POSSIBLE
POINTS
Wed. 9/3
Draft review by peers (Draft=5,
review=15)
20
Fri. 9/5
Lab unit 1 and 2 complete
8
Mon. 9/8
Short Writing 1 Narrative
50
Wed. 9/17
Draft review by peers
20
Mon. 9/22
Short Writing 2 Précis
50
Wed. 10/1
Draft review by peers
20
Fri. 10/3
Lab units 3 and 4 complete
8
Fri. 10/10
Essay 1 due
100
Wed. 10/15
Draft review by peers
20
Wed. 10/22
Essay 2 due (Comparison)
100
Fri. 10/24
Lab units 5 and 6 complete
8
Fri. 10/31
Draft review by peers
20
Fri. 11/7
Essay 3 due (Profile)
125
Mon. 11/17
Draft review by peers
20
Fri. 11/21
Lab units 7 and 8 complete
8
Wed. 11/24
Thanksgiving Break
Wed. 12/3
Essay 4 due (Response)
Fri. 12/5
Mon. 12/8 to Fri. 12/12
Lab units 9 and 10 complete
Final Exam Week
Total pts.
The instructor reserves the right to change this calendar.
125
8
100
810