TULSA COMMUNITY COLLEGE SOUTHEAST CAMPUS
COURSE SYLLABUS
ENGLISH 1113
Composition I
Fall 2009
Instructor: Lesa Dickson
Sec. 346 Call #12155
Room/Meeting Times: Room 7250 T 4:00pm-6:50pm
TO CONTACT ME:
Director of Academic and Campus Services: Leanne Brewer
Mail Box: Evening Operations, Room SE 2202
Phone: 595-7673 (leave message)
E-mail: ldickson@baschools.org
TO CONTACT THE DIVISION OFFICE:
Communications Division, Room SE 1202
Communications Associate Dean: Judy Leeds, 595-7694
Course Prerequisites: Appropriate CPT or ACT score, or completion of ENG 0923 and
ENG 0933 with a “C” or better, or permission of the Associate Dean. For more
information, see the Composition Prerequisites in your Student Manual.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Composition I guides students through the writing process
with regular practice and analysis of effective writing. It is the first in a sequence of two
freshman composition courses. Lecture 3 hours. Self-paced laboratory may be required.
Course work will include paragraphs, major essays, in-class essays, miscellaneous
grammar assignments, reading questions/discussion, group work, and a final exam essay.
NEXT COURSE IN SEQUENCE: English 1213, Composition II
TEXTS:
The Little, Brown Handbook, TCC Custom Edition, Fowler & Aaron
The Longman Reader, TCC Custom Edition, Nadell, Langan, Coomodromos
GENERAL EDUCATION GOAL STATEMENT: The General Education Goals are
designed to ensure that graduates of Tulsa Community College have the skills,
knowledge, and attitudes to carry them successfully through their work and their personal
lives. General Education Goals relevant to this course include Critical Thinking,
Effective Communication, Engaged Learning, and Technological Proficiency.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: See Longman Reader, pages XX.
TEACHING METHODS: Each class period will involve a variety of activities
including lecture, discussion, group work, and writing. Outside of class, you are expected
to read every week from one or both of the required texts and to complete various writing
assignments and exercises.
 The syllabus outlines reading assignments, which are subject to announced
changes.
 Credit will be given for oral presentations, class discussion, quizzes, in and out of
class assignments as well as major essays and preliminary writings.
.
FORMAT FOR COURSE WORK: All essays must be typed on a word processing
program—no handwritten essay will be accepted. For the final draft of major essays,
you should follow MLA format as described in the Handbook. All other work should be
completed in pen on loose-leaf paper or typed. Do not use pencil or spiral paper, please.
ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING:
You will write a great deal in this class and not all of it will be graded. In addition to four
major essays and a research project, you will write several shorter paragraphs and essays
both in and outside of class. These assignments will be read but may not always be
graded. You will be assigned points simply for doing them in an adequate manner.
However, notice also that you can significantly lower your grade by not doing them. You
will receive full credit for these assignments if they reflect a solid understanding of the
skill being addressed. Incomplete assignments and sloppy or hastily completed
assignments may not receive full credit. A point system is used for grading. All major
out-of –class essays are worth 100 points and paragraphs 50 points. The final exam is
worth 200 points. Miscellaneous assignments such as grammar and punctuation
assignments, in-class writings, reading assignments and quizzes range in point value from
25-100 points. You cannot make up missed in-class writing assignments. Such
assignments missed due to an absence will be a zero.
Final grades will be determined based on the following TOTAL POINTS scale:
Essay 1
100 points
Essay 2
100 points
Essay 3
100 points
Essay 4
100 points
Midterm exam
100 points
Paragraphs
100 points
Misc. assignments and
in-class essays
300 points
Final exam
100 points
TOTAL
1,000 points
1000-900 A; 899-800 B; 799-700 C; 699 – 600 D; 599- 0 F
**The final total points scale may vary depending on additional assignments
deemed necessary by the instructor.
LATE WORK: All assignments must be submitted when called for. All work to be
submitted must be completed BEFORE class, not during or after. NO ASSIGNMENT
WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE UNLESS YOU HAVE MADE
PRIOR ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE INSTRUCTOR. You have one week
following an absence to turn in make-up work. In case of an absence, electronic
submissions will be accepted via e-mail for work due the day of the class or for make-up
work. Send all electronic submissions to the following e-mail address:
ldickson@baschools.org
INSTITUTIONAL STATEMENT: Each student is responsible for being aware of the
information contained in the TCC Catalog, TCC Student Policies & Resources
Handbook, and semester information listed in the class schedule. All information may be
viewed on the TCC website: www.tulsacc.edu
ATTENDANCE/WITHDRAW POLICY: Because work completed in the classroom
cannot be duplicated outside the classroom, you must plan to attend class regularly. If
you are unable to attend class, contact either the instructor or a student from the class to
find out what you missed. Missing more than three hours of class, whether due to
skipping, illness, family emergencies or work-related conflicts, will affect the final
grade. If you stop attending and do not withdraw, you will receive an “F” as your final
grade in this course.
English Professors assign "AW" or "I" grades only when genuine emergencies prevent a
student from completing the class and/or from withdrawing before the deadline and only
when the student is earning a satisfactory ("C" or better) grade.
PLAGIARISM POLICY: Please see “Plagiarism” on pages xxv-xxvi in your Little,
Brown. Work that contain plagiarism, whether accidental or intentional, will receive a
“0.”
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY OR MISCONDUCT: Academic dishonesty or
misconduct is not condoned nor tolerated at campuses within the Tulsa Community
College system. See the college’s Academic Integrity Statement:
http://www.tulsacc.edu/page.asp?durki=2984&site=16&return=126.
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE: Students should show respect and courtesy to fellow
classmates and participate earnestly in class activities. Entering class late, talking during
lectures, sleeping during class, making fun of or attacking another's viewpoint, and/or
behaving in a disruptive or combative manner are all considered inappropriate and may
be grounds for dismissal from class. Cell phones or pagers must be turned off during
class; if an emergency arises, the campus police can phone our classroom. Finally, school
policy does not permit students to bring children to class.
DISABLED STUDENTS/ADA POLICY: TCC provides accommodations for
qualifying students in compliance with the Americans with disabilities Act. If you feel
you have a disability that may require special accommodations, please se the Disabled
Student Services/ADA Policy in the “Disables Student Services/ADA Policy” section
(p.xxiv) of your Little, Brown and contact the disables Student Resource Center, 918-
595-7115, or the Resource Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, 918-595-7428V,
918-595-7434TTY.
EMAIL: All TCC students receive a designated “MyTCC” email address (ex.
Jane.doe@mail.tulsacc.edu). All communication to you about TCC and course
assignments will be sent to this address. You must use MyTCC email to send email to
and receive email from me.
INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY: TCC rarely closes. If extreme weather
conditions or emergency situations arise, TCC always gives cancellation notices to radio
and television stations. This information is also posted on the TCC website
(www.tulsacc.edu).
OTHER: Occasionally, when genuine emergencies or problem situations occur, the
course policies outlined here can be modified to help a student complete the course if the
student has been attending regularly, has completed most assigned work, and is earning at
least a "C." It is always in your best interest, therefore, to contact me immediately if a
crisis situation prevents you from attending class or completing assignments.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
LB = Little, Brown Handbook LR=Longman Reader
*LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW FROM CLASSES:
Aug. 18– Intro. to course syllabus; notes Chapter 1-2 Longman Reader; grammar review
H.W. LB exercises
Aug. 25 -Notes Chapters 1-2 cont. Longman Reader
H.W. Read Longman Reader Chapter 4 and “Shooting an Elephant.” Answer Close
Reading questions 1, 2 and Writer’s Craft questions 1-4; paragraph assignment;
Longman Reader “Tweens: Ten Going on Sixteen.” Answer Close Reading
questions 1-4 p. 206 and Writer’s Craft questions 1, 2
Sept. 1– Homework discussion; in-class descriptive writing; paragraph development
H.W. Paragraph #1exemplification; LB exercises
Sept. 8 - Cont. descriptive writing; process writing
H.W. Read Longman Reader Chapter 9 and “Why We Crave Horror Movies.”
Answer Close Reading questions 1,2 and Writer’s Craft questions 1,2; paragraph #2
Cause/effect
Sept. 15 - Homework discussion; cause/effect writing; review parts of the essay
H.W. Paragraph #3 cause/effect; Essay #1; exercises from LB chpt. 38
Sept. 22- Essay writing techniques cont.; comparison/contrast writing
H.W. Comparison/contrast paragraph; read Longman Reader chpt. 10 “Definition”
Sept. 29 - Peer evaluation essay #1;Comparison/contrast writing cont.; in-class
definition writing
H.W. Final draft essay #1
Oct. 6 – Midterm exam; Essay #1 due; “Style” handout /exercises; in-class writing
H.W. LB exercises
Oct. 13 –Notes paraphrasing, summarizing, quoting; parallel structure
HW. Parallel structure; Essay #2
Oct. 20 –Peer evaluation essay #2; MLA documentation; cont. paraphrasing,
summarizing, quoting
H.W. Final draft essay #2; Essay #3; LB exercises; read Longman Reader “Rape: A
Bigger Danger Than Feminists Know” and Close Reading Questions 1, 2 “Common
Decency” and Close Reading Questions 1-4
Oct. 27–Essay #2 due; peer evaluation essay #3; ethos, pathos, logos ex.;
LRC orientation
H.W. Final draft essay #3; parallel structure assign.; prepare for in-class essay
Nov. 3–Essay #3 due; in-class essay; argumentation/persuasion
HW. – Essay #4; LB Exercises
Nov. 10–. Peer eval. essay #4; MLA format cont.; LB exercises
H.W. – Final draft essay #4
Nov. 24 – NO CLASS – THANKSGIVING BREAK
Dec. 1 – Final exam; essay #4 due