THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT TYLER
COURSE SYLLABUS
FALL 2015
COURSE NUMBER: ENGLISH 1301.
COURSE NAME: Grammar and Composition I
HOURS: Lecture 3, Laboratory, 0, Contact Hours 48
SEMESTER CREDIT HOURS: 3
DESCRIPTION OF COURSE: Introduces the student to a range of writing strategies, focusing on the development of academic skills enhanced by their composition and documentation of papers. In addition, a module of career exploration will allow students to explore and evaluate career choices related to their chosen college major.
TEXTBOOKS: Strategies for Successful Writing , 10 th ed., Reinking and von der Osten
Half the Sky, Kristof and WuDunn
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: Writing is a fundamental skill that involves the mastery of correct grammar, mechanics, and appropriate documentation while communicating with selected audiences. It can be persuasive, informative, explanatory, or narrative in nature and a number of modes can be used to express the writer’s intent. In this class, the student will develop academic skills and learn to think critically and write effectively by using several styles and methods of writing, to be measured by the student’s submission of a satisfactory writing portfolio. In addition, at the end of the semester, the student will be required to successfully complete all of the learning objectives (see next page) with a minimum of 70 percent competency level, partly measured by the completion of a writing portfolio and a comprehensive final examination not to exceed two hours.
INSTRUCTOR NAME: ____Dr. Lethan Alan Barnes_________________________
TELEPHONE NUMBER: home (903) 894-6757; cell (903) 330-1279
OFFICE NUMBER: Adjunct English professors are not assigned an office at UT-Tyler.
OFFICE HOURS: I will meet with you in the Writing Laboratory by appointment
ELECTRONIC MAIL ADDRESS: lbarnes@uttyler.edu
or abar@tjc.edu
COURSE GRADE: Three essays of 300-500 words and four paragraphs/writing exercises of 75-150 words will account for one-fourth of the course grade. Two major tests and the average score on ten competency questions/grammar exercises/tests will account for one-fourth of the course grade. The
Writing Portfolio, which contains corrections to the returned competency tests, grammar exercises, essays and paragraphs, class and outside summary notes of reading assignments, and a vocabulary list of 250 words encountered in English class, with definitions to those words, will count for one-fourth of the course grade. The final examination will account for one-fourth of the course grade. Class attendance, arriving on time and participation in class are factors in the student’s course grade.
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION: Required readings, lectures, collaborative group work, class discussions, oral presentations, internet research, other required research, and other tasks to be determined by the professor will be used to conduct the classroom instruction.
METHODS OF EVALUATION: Examinations, take-home tests, written assignments, portfolio work, attendance, and class participation will be used in the evaluation of student work.

PERFORMANCE/LEARNING OBJECTIVES
(MINIMUM COMPETENCIES)
Upon the successful completion of the course, the student will have accomplished the following:
1. Demonstrate the ability to organize essays that are suitable for 300-500 words in length.
2. Effectively organize papers (themes, paragraphs, etc.) of various lengths, using a thesis statement and/or topic sentences when appropriate. Papers are kept in a personal portfolio.
3. Show the ability to create essays and paragraphs according to a specified rhetorical mode, effectively using introductory and concluding paragraphs or sentences.
4. Explored and evaluated career choices based on career assessment and aptitude tests and a visit to the
Office of Career Services in UC 2140/2150.
5. Recognize correct grammar and punctuation usage by completion of exercises and tests.
6. Revise and correct compositions previously written, replacing incorrect usage, kept in the portfolio.
7. Demonstrate an increased vocabulary by keeping a vocabulary/definitions list in the portfolio.
8. Demonstrate the knowledge of correct documentation of borrowed sources using MLA and APA
Guidelines, thereby showing the ability to do scholarly research rather than plagiarism.
Classroom Policies:
Attendance and Class Participation
Students are expected to attend class regularly, to be on time and to remain for the entire period.
Students are inconsiderate of their classmates when they arrive late and/or leave early. Be attentive and participate in class. While certain absences are unavoidable, if you miss more than 6 class days, you
will fail this course.
Late Work
All late work is accepted completely at the discretion of the professor. This means that it is totally at the discretion of the professor as to whether or not to accept late work as well as how much credit to assign to it. I give this word of advice: if you know something is going to be a problem, let your professor know beforehand . Excuses given after work was due rarely inspire professors to accept the work.
Expected Classroom Etiquette
The University of Texas at Tyler is committed to promoting a level of classroom etiquette that is conducive to maximum teaching and learning. Expected classroom etiquette that is expected of students is for students to refrain from talking while the professor is lecturing or another student is talking in response to a question or during a class discussion. Idle chattering and giggling are disruptive to the class and disrespectful to the professor and other class members. Also, without prior approval from the professor, students are not allowed to use cell-phones, beepers, computers, devices with headphones, or any other electronic device in class. Please refrain from eating and drinking in the classroom.
Show Respect and Civility to Others
Be respectful of your professor, your classmates, the assignments, and the work process of the class.
You may disagree with any of the above, but you may not be disrespectful.
If I see you being disrespectful, I will ask you to leave the class, which will be counted as an absence.
You may not return to class until you visit personally with me about the incident outside of class.
UT Tyler Judicial Affairs
Students are strongly advised to visit the Judicial Affairs website regarding matters of scholastic integrity, dishonesty, and students’ rights and responsibilities. That website is: http://www.uttyler.edu/judicial affairs/scholastic dishonesty.php
2

Academic Honesty
The University of Texas at Tyler supports the concept of intellectual property: Ideas belong to the people who come up with them. Students are expected to do their own work and/or give proper credit when using the words or ideas of others. Students are responsible for reading and adherence to the policies regarding academic integrity, cheating, and plagiarism found in the various publications of the university. Students are encouraged to explore other people’s ideas and develop the ability to present those borrowed ideas with integrity and responsible documentation. Students who do so are developing scholarly attributes and will find that a reliance on honest academic learning and research procedures is the surest way to success in both college and life. Plagiarism and collusion involve offering the ideas and/or words of others as your own without proper acknowledgement and violates academic integrity.
Academic Dishonesty
The University of Texas at Tyler has little tolerance for plagiarism, and any student who commits an act of scholastic dishonesty is subject to discipline by the Office of Judicial Affairs. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, and/or any act designed to give an unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts. For purposes of this class, scholastic dishonesty occurs if you:

Quote or paraphrase a source without properly citing it.

Misquote or misrepresent an outside source.

Pass off any portion of an outside source as your own.

Turn in for credit any paper that has been purchased through the internet, copied from the internet, or cut and paste a source from the internet.

Turn in a paper written by someone else or copy any part of an assignment written by another person.
The penalties for academic dishonesty vary, ranging from an F on an assignment, an F in the course, or expulsion from the university, depending on the severity of the incident. The Office of Judicial Affairs keeps records of any suspected case of scholastic dishonesty, and professors are required to alert them if we believe a student has plagiarized or cheated in any way.
Students with Disabilities
The University of Texas at Tyler does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission, access or operation of its programs, services or activities. If you have a disability, including a learning disability, please contact personnel in the Disability Support Services office so that appropriate arrangements can be made. In accordance with federal law, any student requesting accommodation must provide documentation of his/her disability to the Disability Support Services counselor. For more information, call or visit the Student Services Center located in the University Center, Room 282, or call 903-566-7079
(TDD 565-5579).
Grade Replacement:
If you are repeating this course for a grade replacement, you must file an intent to receive grade forgiveness with the registrar before the 12 th day of classes. Failure to file the intent to use grade forgiveness will result in both the original and repeated grade being used to calculate your overall grade average. A student will receive grade forgiveness (grade replacement) for only three undergraduate grades or for two courses repeated as a graduate student during his/her career at UT-Tyler (See the
Catalog for details).
3

Attendance Policy: If a student frequently misses class, fails to turn in assignments, exhibits a lack of interest in the class, is disruptive, and/or generally does not attempt to fulfill the requirements of the course, he/she may be prohibited from remaining in the class. Any student who is absent or repeatedly tardy to class will have points deducted in the manner described below. A student who is tardy two times will have points deducted for the same as one absence, if tardy for four times, he/she will be deducted for two absences, etc. A student is absent (but the record can be changed to tardy) if arriving after the class roll has been called. If a student leaves before the class has been dismissed or during the middle of the class he/she will be counted as absent unless permission is granted before class begins or unless he/she confers with the professor that day. Note: It is the responsibility of the student to notify the professor that he/she had arrived after the class began so that the attendance record can be changed from absent to tardy. Such changes will only be made on the day attendance is recorded.
Here are the rewards/penalties for attendance: a. 0-1 absence for the semester----5 points will be added to the student’s final average. b. 2-3 absences for the semester---3 points will be added to the student’s final average. c. 4-5 absences for the semester---0 points will be added to the student’s final average. d. 6-more absences for the semester---the student will fail the course.
Final Exam Date: The final examination date for this class is scheduled by the University on April 28-
30, and I will announce the specific date, classroom, and time as soon as it has been determined by the
University.
Last day to Withdraw from class without penalty (census date): September 4, 2015.
Last day to Withdraw from class and receive a grade of W: October 26, 2015.