SYLLABUS
for
English Composition I
ENG176
3 credit hours
Instructors
English Faculty
Text
McWhorter,KathleenT. Successful College Writing: Skills/ Strategies/Learning Styles.
4th ed. Boston: New York, 2009. ISBN #10312-623-933
DIVISION OF ARTS AND SCIENCE
English
Pratt Community College
Pratt, Kansas
2010-2011
I.
COURSE TITLE, NUMBER & CREDIT HOURS
ENG 176, English Composition I, 3 credit hrs.
II.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Students in English Composition I develop the skills and concepts that enable a
writer to control the mechanics and ideas of expository writing. Students also
learn to organize their ideas and create structured essays. In addition, students
learn basic research and essay test techniques. Readings in the class include a
variety of materials. Prerequisite: Appropriate placement scores.
III.
DIVISION OF ARTS AND SCIENCE
Arts and Communications Department
English Discipline
IV.
COURSE AS VIEWED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE TOTAL CURRICULUM
English Composition I is required for the Associate in General Studies,
Associate in Arts, and Associate in Science degrees. It is also required for some
Associate in Applied Science degrees and one-year certificate programs.
V.
TEXT
McWhorter,KathleenT. Successful College Writing: Skills/ Strategies/Learning
Styles. 4th ed. Boston: New York, 2009. ISBN #10312-623-933
VI.
REFERENCES
Various library and instructor texts and materials will also be used as references.
If necessary, such references will be put on the reserve shelf in the Learning
Resource Center (library) for student use. In addition, students will be expected
to use the Learning Resource Center as assigned and as necessary.
VII.
EXPECTED LEARNER OUTCOMES
Students will write a minimum of five themes, excluding the final. These themes
plus one essay test will constitute approximately 70% of the course grade.
Library skills and other assigned work will constitute approximately 10% of the
course grade. The final exam comprises approximately 20% of the course
grade.
The final exam will be a theme written in class from the instructor’s choice of 3-5
previously submitted plans. At the beginning of the final test period, the
instructor will return to each student 1 of the previously submitted plans.
Students will not be informed which plan was chosen before the final exam
period. The final will be evaluated using the department’s rubric. Copies of
each student’s graded final and grading rubric will be sent to the chairperson of
the English Department.
VIII.
ASSESSMENT OF OUTCOMES
All work in English 176 will be evaluated in three major areas: content, format,
and mechanics.
Grading Scale:
A = 100 – 92%
B = 91 – 82%
C = 81 – 72%
D = 71 – 62%
F = 61% or below
The final and the library exercises are the basis of the common assessment
used to evaluate Graduate Profiles #2 and #9 (see below). In order to
successfully complete Graduate Profile #2, students must earn 21 out of 30
points on the rubric used to evaluate the final. Students must average a C or
better on library work to successfully complete Graduate Profile #9.
Graduate Profile #2 -- Express themselves in grammatically correct and logically
written English.
Graduate Profile #9 -- Utilize library or other educational resources.
While students are encouraged and expected to search for outside sources of
information, especially during research, students must write their own papers.
Proper citation of outside ideas and information is required in student writing.
Incidents involving student plagiarism are documented and reported to the
appropriate administration.
Plagiarism is an issue that continues to be an academic and professional
concern. In order to improve student understanding of plagiarism and its
ramifications, students enrolled in English classes at Pratt Community College
will have access to a computer site called turnitin.com. This site is an additional
instructional tool which expands instructor explanations and discussions about
plagiarism as well as allows students to review what constitutes plagiarism and
how to avoid it. Students may be required to access this site in and out of class
and may be asked to submit their papers to both turnitin.com and to their
instructors. The site will generate a report which will be sent to each student’s
instructor for each paper submitted. The report will provide information as to
whether any or all of the student paper has been plagiarized. The report
highlights sections of the student’s paper which are plagiarized and indicates the
source of the original writing.
Should issues over plagiarism arise, the instructor will conference with the
student to again emphasize what plagiarism is, why it should be avoided, and
how to write without plagiarizing someone else’s work. Minimal plagiarism will
result in an incident report and consequences as indicated by the instructor
during the conference. Should a second incident or overt plagiarism occur, in
addition to filing an incident report, the instructor will determine the student’s
course standing. The student may receive a failing grade or a zero on the
assignment, fail the class, or be withdrawn from class with a W.
IX.
ATTENDANCE
College-Wide Attendance Policy
This policy applies to regular session classes. Attendance policies for short
term, mixed term, hybrid, and online classes will differ. Attendance policy for
these classes will be included in all individual class syllabi and filed on the Pratt
Community College web site.
Students are expected to attend all classes, laboratories, shop sessions and
other scheduled class activities and have full responsibility for accounting to
their instructor for absences. Make-up work will be provided when prior arrangements
have been made for the absence with the instructor. Make-up work may be
allowed at the discretion of the instructor for absences without prior
arrangement.
Students may withdraw from a class with a guaranteed “W” until 75% of the
class has been completed. No withdrawals will be permitted after 75% of the
course has been completed. After 75% of the class is completed, the instructor
will assign a letter grade unless the course was originally taken as a Pass/Fail
course.
At midterm of each semester, if a student is not maintaining a minimum
grade point of 1.0 for that semester, regardless of cumulative GPA, the
following process will be initiated:
1.
Student Success Center staff will counsel with the student: a) To determine if
corrective action can be taken to raise the GPA above 1.00, b) To review the
College-Wide Attendance Policy with the student.
2.
After this consultation, students whose GPA remains at 1.00 or less, will be
required to comply with the following attendance requirements:
If the student has been absent without prior arrangement for more than 10
percent of the remaining scheduled class time after mid-term for a course(s),
Student Success Center staff will take appropriate intervention action after
discussing the student’s academic status with the instructor(s) of the course(s)
and the student’s academic advisor .
If a student has been absent without prior arrangement for more than 15 percent
of the remaining scheduled class time after mid-term will receive an Attendance
Warning.
If a student has received an Attendance Warning and been absent without prior
arrangement for more than 20 percent of the remaining scheduled class time
after mid-term for a class (es), the student will be administratively withdrawn
from the class. If the class is 75% or less completed, the student will receive a
“W”; if more than 75% of the class has been completed, the student will receive
the grade of “F”.
3.
Students who received an attendance warning and are absent for more than
15% of the remaining scheduled class time after mid-term in three or more
classes will be subject to Administrative Academic Suspension from the
college. Before the suspension action is taken, the student will have the
opportunity for a hearing before the Academic Progress/Attendance Committee
to determine if an exception recommendation should be made and, if so, what
requirements will be imposed.
4.
Attendance Policy monitoring will end after 75% of regular, semester long
classes has been completed so that appeals do not occur near or at the end of
the semester.
5.
Students have the right to appeal this dismissal decision subject to the Academic
Due Process procedures found the current Student Handbook. The Academic
Progress/Attendance Committee will act on the appeal as quickly as possible.
While the appeal is pending, the student will remain enrolled and should attend
all classes.
Each curriculum department can be more stringent, but cannot be more lenient
than the college-wide attendance policy. A consistent policy for each department
is expected. Both the College-Wide Attendance Policy and any department
attendance policy shall be included in each class syllabus.
As with all decisions or actions taken by the college, the student has a due
process right to appeal the decision or action.
Department Policy
Students may be subject to removal from the course if they have 4 absences
from a course meeting 52 minutes per session, 3 absences from a course
meeting 82 minutes per session, or 2 absences from a course meeting longer
than 90 minutes per session. (These absences do not include the PCC
sponsored activities for which students miss class IF students have notified the
instructor in advance of their absence and made appropriate course assignment
arrangements.) Make-up work may be allowed at the discretion of the instructor
for non-PCC sponsored activity absences.
Cell phones, iPods, etc. are to be turned off and placed out of sight during class.
Laptops may be used for classroom purposes. Students exhibiting
inappropriate behavior will be held accountable and may be removed from the
class.
X.
CONTENT
To successfully complete the course, students should show evidence of
meeting the following writing proficiency standards:
A.
B.
C.
Structure/Organization
1.
Pre-planning
a.
Restriction of subject according to knowledge, audience,
time, and length requirements
b.
Thesis sentences, inc. a central idea and points of proof
c.
Topic sentences, including transitions
2.
Theme writing
a.
Effective introductions, including thesis
b.
Developmental paragraphs, including topic sentences
c.
Conclusion (summary or evaluative)
Mechanics--Voice, Word Choice, Written Conventions, Sentence
Structure
1.
Voice
a. Third person for objectivity (as required by instructor)
2.
Sentence Structure
a. Declarative sentences for effectiveness
b. Effective sentence structures (avoid comma-splices, run-ons,
and fragments
3.
Word Choice & Written Conventions
a. Correctly spelled words
b. Effective punctuation
c. Effective diction
Content/Ideas
1.
Understanding the subject matter through use of correct facts and
details based on objective personal experience or current issues
2.
Demonstrating a degree of original thinking
XI. ADA STATEMENT
Please refer to the Special Needs Policy in the PCC Catalog.
XII.
Stephanie Voss
Office 8D