ENG 106 H – Freshman English Honors – section 01
Fall 2008 T- TH: 11:00 - 12:15 – MH 106
Professor Perry Glasser
Office: MH 228
perry.glasser@salemstate.edu
X 7032
www.salemstate.edu/~pglasser
Office Hours
Mondays: 10:00 – 11:00, 1:30 – 2:30
T & Th: 1:30 – 3:00
and by appointment – always best
Catalog Description
ENG 106H Freshman English Honors (Fall) 3 credits
Major emphasis will be placed on a significant issue, problem, or theme throughout the
history of ideas. Students will engage in a variety of readings, write two papers of
moderate length, present a class report, and do a research project or paper. Three lecture
hours per week. Open only to students in the Honors Program.
Time Commitment: Expect to devote 8 – 10 hours/week to this class.
Please bring your laptop computer to class for notes and research.
Goals and Objectives
Goals
Socialize first year students to Salem State
College.
Augment critical thinking skills.


identifying assumptions
construction of persuasive arguments
Augment writing skills



research and documentation
style
voice
Objectives
Students will keep an online writer’s journal.
Students will attend and report on several Salem
State College activities including but not limited
to the Creative Writing Series.
Students will write and revise



one analytical paper
one argumentative paper
one research paper
Comment on our readings
Comment on classmates’ work.
Revise to incorporate peer editing into revision.
Create a final portfolio of revised work for
assessment.
Confer with me at least once in Sep, Oct, and
Nov. Post-class lunch appointments are
encouraged.
Freshman English Honors 106-01
Perry Glasser, Fall 2008
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Policies
This syllabus/plan is subject to change with the needs of the instructor and the students. College
policies supersede any implied or direct conditions of this syllabus.
Special Provisions: Salem State College is committed to providing equal access to the
educational experience for all students in compliance with Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act
and The Americans with Disabilities Act. Any student who has a documented disability requiring
an accommodation, aid or adjustment should speak with me privately. Students with Disabilities
who have not previously done so should provide documentation to, and schedule an appointment
with, the Office for Students with Disabilities and obtain appropriate services.
Attendance: Absent students miss significant work that cannot be made up. Make every effort to
inform me of an unavoidable absence in advance.
 Three or more cuts will trigger a letter grade reduction of your final grade.
 Lateness by more than 15 minutes constitutes a full absence.
 Four absences mandate failure.
 Extensions of due dates cannot be granted retroactively.
 If your cell phone rings, you will be charged with a full absence and dismissed from
class.
Appeals of these objective criteria will require documented reasons for absence. By the end of
the 3rd class meeting, every student will have a "buddy" to contact in the event of absence.
Also use WebCT in the event you have missed class.
Plagiarism and Dishonest Scholarship: Students who present work not their own will be
dismissed from class with a grade of F and may be dismissed from the College.
Texts, Readings & Materials
A laptop computer equipped with wifi capability
A WebCT account – Salem State’s online teaching/learning interface
The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our
Future (Or, Don't Trust Anyone Under 30) by Mark Bauerlein (Tarcher)
Mill, John Stuart, On Liberty (any edition). — OR online at
http://books.google.com/books?as_brr=1&id=DO6OEMg8kwwC&vid=OCLC00982498&dq=O
n+Liberty&jtp=1
Strunk & White. The Elements of Style 1918 edition (online at
http://www.bartleby.com/141/ )
viewing of Fahrenheit 451 (possible)
various reprints and online readings ad hoc.
Freshman English Honors 106-01
Perry Glasser, Fall 2008
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Assessment – the attached Essay Evaluation chart is part of the syllabus
150 points
200 points
250 points
250 points
150 points
1,000 points
monthly drop-in conference
analysis paper – 1,000 – 1,200 words
argumentative paper – 1,000 – 1,200 words
writer’s journal – 3 entries/week – 300 – 500 words @
documented research paper – 1,500 – 2,000 words
TOTAL
Monthly drop-in conferences.
Students are REQUIRED to meet with me in my office, MH 241, at least once in September,
October, and November. Come prepared with coursework questions. Bring your journal. Lunch
together after class is always a welcome appointment. Attendance at a Red Skies Open Meeting
can serve in lieu of ne monthly meeting.
The electronic journal is maintained at WebCT/Blackboard.
 each entry is between 300 – 500 words
 until OCT 15, ALL ENTRIES MUST BE IN 3RD PERSON
 the first 3 topics will be assigned
Important Dates . Students are required to attend and report in their journals on at least 3
Arts/Sports performances at SSC. Students should study the Arts and Sports sections of Salem
State’s online Calendars for complete listings.
Schedule of Assignments
Readings are due on the date indicated.
BEGIN READING WELL IN ADVANCE OF DUE DATES.
Graded assignments are in bold as are the dates those assignments are due.
This is a plan, not a contract, and may be varied to suit student and teaching necessities.
Sep 9 - Add-Drop Ends
Nov 20 – Last day to withdraw with a W
Dec 12 – Reading Day
Dec 15 – Final Examinations begin
Thursday, Sep 4
Sep 9
Sep 11
Orientation: WebCT, journals; the overall plan
online research Sleep deprivation and college studens. Find at least 3
sources, in addition to
http://sleepdisorders.about.com/cs/sleepdeprivation/a/depstudents.htm
research Glasser assignment
Orientation continued and sleep deprivation.
Mandatory journal topics—due Sep 16:
What’s Worth Knowing
Why Attend College
How Does College differ from High School?
distribute Chapter from “A Nation of Wimps” by Marano
WABASH PROJECT
Freshman English Honors 106-01
Perry Glasser, Fall 2008
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Sep 16
discuss Marano
Sep 18
View Fahrenheit 451 and arrange for weekend viewing.
HW: Memorize Hamlet’s To Be or Not.. soliloquy, OR Dover Beach,
OR To His Coy Mistress. All readings are online in public domain.
What is worth knowing? Memorization test.
Dumbest Generation – readings TBA
Analysis paper topics discussion
Analysis paper guideline distributed
Class canceled for religious observance
analytical paper: the writing process: groups or individual?
Dumbest Generation – readings TBA
analytical paper: the writing process
Dumbest Generation – readings TBA
analytical paper: the writing process
analytical paper due 1200-1500 words
John Stuart Mill: chapters 1 & 2
John Stuart Mill: chapters 1 & 2
John Stuart Mill: chapters 3, 4, & 5
distribute Mill Exercise and organize groups
John Stuart Mill: chapters 3, 4, & 5
argumentative paper: process
distribute “The Argumentative Edge”
argument topics
Mill and writing process
group reports on Mill
Veteran’s Day – no classes
Argument paper draft due revisions accepted until Nov 20
conferences re research paper topic
conferences re research paper topic
Beginning college research – Class meets at the new library,
ground floor, with Cathy Fahey
Thanksgiving – no classes
open date
conferences
conferences
Last scheduled class Research Paper due
Sep 23
Sep 25
Sep 30
Thursday, Oct 2
Oct 7
Oct 9
Oct 14
Oct 16
Oct 21
Oct 23
Oct 30
Tuesday November 4
Nov 6
Nov 11
Nov 13
Nov 18
Nov 20
Nov 25
Nov 27
Tuesday, December 2
Dec 4
Dec 9
Dec 11
Freshman English Honors 106-01
Perry Glasser, Fall 2008
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ESSAY EVALUATION
© Perry Glasser
Content
Organization
Mechanics
Expression
a strong, frequently
referred to controlling
idea; paragraph
sequencing that creates
clarity, focus and leads to
a strong conclusion
mss. is cleanly
typed and exhibits
general control of
language
A
clear thesis statement;
ideas appropriate to an
adult, educated audience;
key terms defined; ideas
adequately supported;
facts and judgments are
unconfused; appropriate
tone for the audience;
effective documentation
evocative, lean and
fresh language;
sentences vary in
structure and length;
engaging transitions;
effective subordination,
coordination, and
parallelism; integration
of quotes
B
clear thesis statement;
ideas appropriate to an
adult, educated audience;
most terms defined; most
ideas adequately
supported; facts, opinions
and assertions are
seldom confused;
effective documentation
a strong, frequently
referred to controlling
idea; inconsistent
paragraph sequencing
that frequently but not
always is effective;
presentation of a
conclusion
mss. exhibits few
typographical
errors, strong usage
and spelling,
insignificant
sentence structure
errors, no important
errors in syntax or
grammar
evocative, lean
language; sentences
vary in structure and
length; engaging
transitions; some
effective subordination,
coordination, and
parallelism; integration
of quotes
C
clear thesis statement;
ideas too often are
obvious; many ideas
presented at a single
level of generalization;
facts, opinions and
assertions presented as
equivalents; inconsistent
tone; inconsistent
documentation
a weak, seldom referred
to controlling idea;
paragraph sequencing in
no special order;
presentation of a weakly
prepared conclusion
mss. exhibits many
typographical
errors; weak
spelling; some
sentence structure
errors; occasional
errors in syntax or
grammar
arch and derivative
language; wordiness;
frequent use of passive
voice; weak
transitions; little
effective subordination,
coordination, and
parallelism; “scissors
and paste”
documentation
D
vague thesis statement;
obvious ideas; many
ideas presented at a
single level of
generalization; facts,
opinions and assertions
presented as equivalents;
inappropriate tone; poor
documentation
no discernible controlling
idea; paragraph
sequencing in no special
order; the essay “stops”
without a conclusion
mss. exhibits poor
spelling, gross
sentence errors and
frequent grammar
and syntax errors.
verbose, familiar
cliché-ridden prose,
plodding sentence with
little variation, vague
internal references;
irrelevant quotations
non-performance
F
Freshman English Honors 106-01
Perry Glasser, Fall 2008
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