Department of English
York College/CUNY
Semester
Section #: Meeting Times
Room #
Heather Robinson
Office: AC-2A16A
E-mail: hrobinson@york.cuny.edu
Office Hours: T 11-12; TH 4-5 PM
Phone: (71) 262-2479
Course Outline
English 125
Composition I: Introduction to College Writing
Course Description:
ENG125 Composition I: Introduction to College Writing. 3 hr + 1 hr conference, 3 cr. This course
introduces students to academic reading and writing practices and strategies through close reading,
textual analysis, writing, and revision. Focusing primarily on expository, analytical, and academic texts,
students develop their critical thinking skills and are introduced to the fundamentals of college-level
research. Students will spend one hour per week in conferences, collaborative learning activities, or peer
review. This course may be offered as an online course. Preq: By placement exam.
Learning Objectives

Read and listen critically and analytically, including identifying an argument’s major assumptions
and assertions and evaluating its supporting evidence.

Write clearly and coherently in varied, academic formats (such as formal essays, research
papers, and reports) using standard English and appropriate technology to critique and improve one’s
own and others’ texts.

Demonstrate research skills using appropriate technology, including gathering, evaluating, and
synthesizing primary and secondary sources.

Support a thesis with well-reasoned arguments, and communicate persuasively across a variety
of contexts, purposes, audiences, and media.

Formulate original ideas and relate them to the ideas of others by employing the conventions of
ethical attribution and citation.
Course Title:
English 125, Introduction to College Writing
Section:
125:MN2
Meeting Times:
Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00-11:50 am.
Room:
AC-2B01
Course Instructor:
Dr. Heather Robinson
Email:
hrobinson@york.cuny.edu
Office:
2A16A
Office Hours:
Tuesdays, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm, unless otherwise announced. You are also
free to make an appointment at any time.
Required Texts
Comley, Nancy R., David Hamilton, Carl H. Klaus, Robert Scholes and Nancy Summers. Fields of
Reading. 10th edition. (Boston: Bedford St. Martins, 2012.)
Diana Hacker. The Bedford Handbook, 8th ed. (Boston: Bedford, 2009)
Grading:
Final grades ranging from A to F will be based upon completion of all course requirements (writing and
reading assignments, class participation and attendance) and the Final Examination. The three formal
papers will make up the bulk of your grade, as outlined below:
Assignment
1. Paper #1 (3-4 pages)
2. Paper #2 (3-4 pages)
3. Paper #3 (6-8 pages)
4. Department Final Exam
Percentage of final grade
15%
20%
30%
10%
5. Homework, Quizzes and In-class writing
6. Peer-review critiques
20%
5%
Attendance Policy: Your success in this class depends on regular and punctual attendance. The English
Department's policy for multiple section courses such as this one is:

Students in classes that meet twice a week may miss no more than five (5) sessions. Six (6)
absences are grounds for failure.

Missing 15 minutes of class—arriving late, departing early, or leaving during class–counts as half
an absence.
Classroom Courtesy
Please arrive on time and stay in the room throughout the entire class period. Perhaps once a semester
you may need to answer an emergency call of nature, but walking in and out during classtime is
distracting and rude to the rest of the class. Certainly there is no reason to do this regularly. Turn off all
cellphones when the class starts.
Communication
The best way to reach me is via email. I will try to respond in 24 hours; occasionally it may take a little
longer. One of the first things I’d like you to do after class is to send me an email from your York College
email address, to hrobinson@york.cuny.edu. This will get your email address in my address book, and it
will help you to work out any glitches with your York College email address. Blackboard sends emails to
York College email addresses, so you will miss out on a lot if you don’t check this email address.
If you’re having problems with an assignment, if something that I have asked you to do is unclear, if
you’re having personal issues – anything! – let me know as soon as you can, either in person, or via
email. I will try my best to help you, but I can’t know if you are having trouble if you don’t tell me. In a faceto-face class, the dynamic that I see in the classroom helps me to figure out who needs help, but we don’t
have that kind of indirect communication in this online class. The only way I know what’s going on is if you
tell me, or if you disappear. The first option is a much better one!
Information about Assignments
All assignments are due at the beginning of class. They should be appropriately printed and stapled.
Anyone who is missing from the beginning of class, or leaves class to go and print an assignment, will be
marked late. Do your printing before class starts.
No Late Assignments
I will not accept late assignments, except due to extenuating circumstances. You must tell me about any
problems that you are having before the assignment is due. I do give extensions under some
circumstances; I do not give extensions when they are requested after the assignment is due. If you know
that you will miss a class, please email me your work, at hrobinson@york.cuny.edu, before the
beginning of class. Work that is submitted via email after class starts will considered not to have been
submitted.
Format
All formal assignments must be submitted in a typed-document. I will accept documents in a .doc, .docx
.rtf, .txt, or .odt format. Many PCs come with Microsoft Works installed. I cannot read .wps files. Use
Microsoft Word, Open Office, NeoOffice, or Wordpad or Notepad if you don’t want to be bothered
changing the file type (all word processors can save files as .rtf and .txt). Written assignments that are
submitted via documents in the .wps format will be marked late, because it will take a little while for me to
email you, and for you to resubmit the file in the right format. If you need help, let me know (send me an
email or call) at least one day before the assignment is due, and I will help you.
Academic Integrity Statement
A violation of academic integrity is any instance when a student attempts to pass off someone else’s
words or ideas as their own, no matter where s/he obtained those words or ideas, and no matter where
these ideas are presented. We practice using quotation and citation in this course so you can benefit from
others’ ideas, while attributing them appropriately. There is nothing wrong with representing someone
else’s ideas in your work; you just have to give them credit. Additionally, there is nothing wrong with
getting help on an assignment, but the final product must be predominantly the result of your own work.
All academic integrity violations in English 270 will result in an F on the assignment, and/or, a failing
grade in the course, and/or referral to the English Department’s Academic Integrity officer.
York College gives four definitions of types of academic integrity violation (these definitions can be found
in the York College policy on academic integrity, which I have linked to below):




Cheating: Cheating is the unauthorized use or attempted use of material, information, notes, study
aids, devices or communication during an academic exercise.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research or writings as your
own.
Obtaining Unfair Advantage: Obtaining Unfair Advantage is any activity that intentionally or
unintentionally gives a student an unfair advantage in his/her academic work over another student.
Falsification of Records and Official Documents
York College’s policies and procedures concerning academic integrity can be found here:
http://www.york.cuny.edu/president/legal-compliance/legal-affairs/cuny-legal-policiesprocedures/Academic-Integrity-Policy.pdf/. For more information about plagiarism, see The York
College Bulletin 2009-2010, “Definitions and Examples of Academic Dishonesty” (31-32),
http://www.york.cuny.edu/bulletin/2009-20010-YorkBulletin.pdf and Purdue University’s
Online Writing Lab resource, “Avoiding Plagiarism,”
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html
York College Resources
Computers with word processing software and internet access are available in the library and in
computer labs.
York College Library: http://york.cuny.edu/library
York College Computer Labs: http://york.cuny.edu/it/acet/computer-labs
York College Writing Center: http://york.cuny.edu/student/writing-center
Located in the Academic Core 1C18, The Writing Center assists students with writing skills. The Center
offers scheduled tutoring, drop-in tutoring and workshops. For more information, stop by, call (718) 2622494, or check the Writing Center Website.
English as Second Language (ESL) Tutoring Center
Tutoring is available for ESL students in Academic Core 3C08. Call (718) 262-2831 for schedule.
Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities may contact the STAR Program to learn about and gain access to resources
available to them at the college. See their website at http://www.york.cuny.edu/student-development/star
for more details.
Class Schedule (Subject to Change)
Week 1
Week 2
Thurs 8/29
Tues 9/3
Week 3
Thurs 9/5
Tues 9/10
Thurs 9/12
Reading Assignment 1: Amy Tan, Mother Tongue
Tan reading questions due
Reading Assignment 2: Gloria Anzaldúa, How to Tame a Wild Tongue
No classes scheduled
Anzaldúa reading questions due
Tomorrow is the last day to withdraw without a W
Reading assignment 3, Brook Gladstone, The Great Refusal
Week 4
Tues 9/17
Week 5
Thurs 9/19
Tues 9/25
Week 6
Thurs 9/27
Tues 10/1
Thurs 10/3
Week 7
Tues 10/8
Thurs 10/10
Week 8
Tues 10/15
Thurs 10/17
Week 9
Tues 10/22
Thurs 10/24
Tues 10/29
Week 10
Thurs 10/31
Week 11
Tues 11/5
Thurs 11/7
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16



Tues 11/12
Thurs 11/14
Tues 11/19
Thurs 11/21
Tues 11/26
Thurs 11/28
Tues 12/3
Thurs 12/5
Tues 12/10
Tues12/12
Formal Assignment #1 distributed: How does our language shape our
reality?
Peer collaboration on gathering and organizing ideas for formal paper #1?
Rough draft of paper #1 due
Peer review workshop
Final draft of Paper #1 due
Reading Assignment 4: Ann Jurecic, Mindblindness
Jurecic reading questions due
Reading assignment 5: Gould, On Women’s Brains
Gould questions due
Formal assignment #2 distributed: How much is our behavior shaped
by our biology, and what, if any, other factors come into play?
Peer collaboration on gathering and organizing ideas for formal paper #2
Researching sources (reading assignment #6): finding another text to work
with for paper #2
No class- classes will follow a Monday schedule
Rough draft of paper #2 due
Peer review workshop
Final draft of paper #2 due
Reading assignment #7: Gary Gutting, “What is College For?”
Gutting questions due
Reading Assignment #8: Mark Edmundson, “On the Uses of a College
Education”
Edmundson questions due
Finding your own research topic
Tomorrow is the last day to withdraw with a W
Draft of research paper topic due
Library visit: finding your own source to work with
Finding a second research source
Peer collaboration on gathering and organizing ideas for formal paper #3
(research paper)?
Rough draft of research paper due
Peer revision workshop
Thanksgiving
Second draft of research paper due
Final paper due
Practice Exam
UNIT I. Reading to Write (Weeks 1-4)
In-class writing #1: Diagnostic essay (program-wide, Blackboard).
Foundations of Research component #1: MLA documentation style
Formal, revised essay #1: emphasizes close reading and analysis of a given analytical /
expository text or texts.
Week 1: Introduction to the Course: Reading, Writing, and Thinking About
Contemporary Culture
Introduction to course, academic writing, and citation conventions
Diagnostic essay submitted through Blackboard
Learn how to use The Bedford Handbook
Reading and Writing Assignments for Week Two:
Read Jonathan Rowe’s “Reach Out and Annoy Someone” (23-28). Answer Question # 2 of the
“Questions on Rhetorical Strategy and Style.” This article presents an extended argument against
cell phone use in public. In discussing the prevalence of cell phones on trains, Rowe argues that
the rights of cell phone users to talk in public should not prevail over the rights of non-users to
have peace and quiet. Write a paragraph expanding Rowe’s discussion of the rights of non-users.
Following instructions on page 2 under BLACKBOARD COURSE SITE, register for a
CUNY portal account, log on to Blackboard, and post answer to Question #2. Respond to at least
one classmate’s paragraph in four complete sentences.
Week 2: Reading Skills: Interpretation, Annotation, Thesis Identification, and Structure
Use oral and written discussion of “Reach Out and Annoy Someone” to introduce
interpretive and metacognitive reading strategies, such as annotation, thesis identification,
analysis of structure, and content summary. Practice using The Bedford Handbook.
Reading and Writing Assignments for Week Three:
Read Gloria Anzaldúa’s “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” (244-255), Richard Rodriguez’s “Public
and Private Language” (258-269), and Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” (271-277). Answer
Question #2 of the Questions on Meaning (270), and Question #2 of the Writing Assignments
(256) and post on Blackboard. Consider the way you identify yourself in your answer and
response. Respond to at least one classmate’s answers in four complete sentences.
Week 3: Reading and Writing About Language, Meaning, and Identity
Use oral and written discussion of “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” “Public and Private
Language,” and “Mother Tongue” to practice reading and writing skills such as summary,
annotation, paraphrase, and comparative analysis.
Formal Assignment #1
Draft Formal Paper #1 in response to the following: How important is language to one’s sense of
identity? Is it necessary for individuals to cling to a private or family language, or should
linguistic assimilation be the goal of every American? Why or why not? Refer to at least two (2)
of the essays we have read.
Week 4: Writing Workshop: Writing about Reading
Introduce thesis statement formulation and how to support a thesis with evidence
Introduce peer review principles
Students complete peer reviews for assigned partners to practice thesis identification,
summary, and analysis.
Review MLA documentation style, exercises for students to practice.
Writing Assignment for Week Five: Revision of Formal Paper 1. Post on Blackboard.
Include check for correct MLA documentation.


Unit II. Writing Arguments (Weeks 5-9)
In-class writing #2: Mid-term exam (instructor’s choice)
Foundations of Research component #2: Principles and practices of ethical citation and

models of excellent writing from sources
Formal, revised essay #2: emphasizes the development of a student’s own argument and
presentation of evidence
Week 5: Assessing America’s Past and Present
Use discussion and analysis of student essays to debate content focusing on effectiveness of
thesis and argumentation. Also use student essays to review grammar, proofreading techniques,
and citation conventions. Continue practicing using The Bedford Handbook.
Formal Assignment #2
Read bell hooks’ “Straightening Our Hair” (67-75). Write an answer to the following and post
on Blackboard. Respond to at least one classmate’s answer in four complete sentences. Do you
think attitudes about “ethnic” hair are the same now as they were during the period hooks
describes? How do you feel when you see Beyoncé’s or Rihanna’s straightened and lightened
hair? Does it matter?
Week 6: Connecting the Past and the Present: Rituals, Laws, and Social Change
Use oral and written discussion of “Straightening Our Hair” to practice communication skills,
thesis formulation, and citation conventions. Focus on ethical citation and models of excellent
writing from sources.Continue practicing using The Bedford Handbook.
Reading and Writing Assignments for Week Seven:
Read Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (78-97). Answer
Question #2 of the “Writing Assignments” (99) and post on Blackboard. Respond to at least one
classmate’s answer in four complete sentences.
Week 7: Persuasive Argumentation
Use oral and written discussion of “Letter from Birmingham Jail” to practice reading and writing
skills such as use of evidence, integration of quotations, and citation conventions. Continue
practicing using The Bedford Handbook. Exercises on Blackboard about telling the difference
between plagiarism and excellent writing from sources.
Reading and Writing Assignments for Week Eight
Read Patricia J. Williams “The Death of the Profane” (106-113). Answer the following questions
and post on Blackboard. Respond to at least one classmate’s assessment in four complete
sentences. Summarize Williams’s argument in a four-sentence paragraph. Then discuss in
paragraph two precisely how Williams constructs the argument. Be sure to pay attention to how
she structures the essay and uses evidence.
Week 8: Structuring a Persuasive Argument
Use oral and written discussion of “The Death of the Profane” to practice reading and writing
skills such as structuring an argument, using evidence, integrating sources, and preparing a
works cited list. Continue practicing using The Bedford Handbook.
Reading and Writing Assignments for Week Nine. Read Zora Neale Hurston’s “How It Feels
to be Colored Me” (100-104). Draft Formal Paper #2 in response to the following: Considering
the essays we have just read and discussed on race and racism in America, as well as your own
opinions and experiences, discuss whether you believe race matters to be the most important
concern of American life. Is racism as ubiquitous and obvious as it was in King’s day, or do you
believe its appearance is a rare event in America? Refer to no more than two (2) of the essays we
have read as you formulate your answer. This draft must be a minimum of three (3) pages. Post
draft on Blackboard.
Week 9: Writing Workshop: Formulating an Effective Argument
Review thesis statement formulation and how to support a thesis with evidence; work on creating
transitions within and between paragraphs; practice editing and proofreading techniques.
Students complete peer reviews for assigned partners to practice thesis identification, summary,
and analysis.
Writing Assignment for Week Ten: Revision of Formal Paper 2. Post on Blackboard.

Unit III. Entering the Conversation: The Research Project
(Weeks 10-14)
Foundations of Research component #3: Information Literacy session introduces students
to library resources such as databases and use of RefWorks to track citations, discusses
basic search strategies, and gives students practice in accessing library materials working
backward from a citation.
Formal essay #3: a research project that has students identify references from an assigned
essay, obtain some of these materials, and incorporate the referenced articles into their own
research paper.

In-class writing #3: Final exam (program-wide)
Week 10: Participating in Cultural Debate
Intensive focus on information literacy: sessions in library (see above). Follow-up exercises, inclass and on Blackboard. Introduce research project.
Reading and Writing Assignments for Week Eleven:
Read Roberta Seid’s “Too ‘Close to The Bone’: The Historical Context for Women’s Obsession
with Slenderness” (161-175). This will be our principal essay for this assignment. Working
collaboratively in research groups, students will find and read selections from Seid’s references
and obtain selected materials from the library.
Week 11: Reading and Writing About Bodies and Embodiment: Theories and Applications
 Use oral and written discussion of “Too Close to the Bone” to practice reading and
writing skills such as summary, annotation, and application of theoretical concepts to
personal experience.
 Use material derived from Seid’s references to analyze HOW she uses sources to build
her own argument. Discuss how students may use similar techniques to develop their own
essay on a related topic.
 The focus will be on writing from sources: what does academic writing sound like? What
should be the tone? What are the different types of relationships that a writer can develop
to a source, beyond agree/disagree: e.g. question underlying assumptions, develop points
only mentioned in passing, apply pattern of thinking to another context, use as foil to
develop own argument, etc.
Reading and Writing Assignments for Week Twelve:
Students work on their own contribution to the weight debate, incorporating both Seid and some
of her references. Part of the assignment is to analyze how Seid uses those sources.
Week 12: Focus on student research papers
Use workshops on student drafts to focus on structuring an argument, using evidence, integrating
sources, and preparing a works cited list.
Writing Assignment for Week Thirteen: Complete draft of research paper on weight debate
and post on Blackboard.
Week 13: Writing Workshop: Making Your Own Case when Writing from Sources
Review thesis statement formulation and how to support a thesis with evidence; work on creating
transitions within and between paragraphs and effective conclusions. Practice editing and
proofreading techniques. Students complete peer reviews for assigned partners to practice thesis
identification, summary, and analysis.
Writing Assignment for Week Fourteen: Revision of Formal Paper 3. Post on Blackboard.
Week 14: Final Reflections
Use discussion and analysis of student essays to debate the role of language in selfrepresentation, and to reflect on what students have achieved as readers, writers, and thinkers as
they complete the course.
Final exam (during finals week): department-wide final based on reading distributed on last day
of class.