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Macomb Community College
Department of Communications/English
English 1180-S1603: Communications I
Winter Semester 2015 (1/13/15-5/14/15)
H 414
T/TH, 9:00 a.m.-10:55 a.m.
Dr. Jane Asher
Mail Box: F211
Email: asherj@macomb.edu
Office: F213-1
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays by appointment
English Department Phone: 586-445-3181
Course Blog: www.2014english1180.pbworks.com
Course Description: (formerly ENG 118) No credit after ENGL-1210. The focus of this course
is college-level expository and argumentative writing. This course places extensive emphasis on
organization and development of essays along with the study of grammar and mechanics. This
course develops competence in English sentence elements and skill in organizing, proofreading,
and revising essays. Students who have completed ENGL-1210 successfully should NOT take
ENGL-1180. Students will NOT receive credit for both. (4 contact hrs)
Course Outcomes
Outcome 1:
Outcome 2:
Outcome 3:
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to use various forms of
discourse, such as narration, description, exposition, and argument.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to write full essays that
incorporate a controlling idea stated in an introduction, developed in the essay, and
summarized in a conclusion.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to write clear, complete
sentences that are free of run-ons, comma splices, fragments, and agreement errors,
and will demonstrate a satisfactory mastery of standard spelling, diction, and usage.
Course Objectives
In the final essays written for the course the student should be able to fulfill the following
requirements:
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Include an introduction that coherently leads to a statement of the main idea (thesis) of
the essay.
Paragraph the essay by a logical plan (e.g. by general steps to a process, by causes, by
effects, etc.).
Link the body paragraphs by transitions, repetition, leading sentences, or parallelism.
Include topic sentences that accurately state the subdivisions or supporting
generalizations of the essay’s main idea.
Include in body paragraphs only that development which is governed by the topic
sentence.
Use examples, details, definitions, or comparisons to develop the paragraph.
Include a conclusion that either restates the main idea or summarizes the subtopics or
suggests the implications of the subject.
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Avoid sentence structure errors (awkwardness, comma splices, fused sentences,
fragments, misplaced modifiers, faulty parallelism, illogical subordination).
Avoid grammatical errors (agreement, case, pronoun reference, verb forms).
Maintain a consistent point of view.
Apply the conventions of punctuation (commas, semi-colons, colons, apostrophes,
italics, quotation marks).
Avoid misspellings.
Maintain an appropriate level of diction.
Use conventional manuscript form.
Abide by deadlines.
Required Textbooks (please bring to every session)
Kirszner, Laurie G., and Stephen R. Mandell. The Concise Wadsworth
Handbook. 4th ed. Boston: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2013. Print.
(designated as CWH on schedule)
Mangelsdorf, Kate, and Evelyn Posey. The World of Writing: A Guide. Boston:
Longman, 2011. Print. (designated as WOW on schedule)
Methods of Instruction
My goal in this course is to create a classroom community where everyone feels comfortable and
valuable. I also hope that each student will realize the importance of our endeavors
as he/she develops many critical reading and writing skills—skills that will prove to be beneficial
in other college courses and beyond the academic sphere. Our classroom sessions will consist of
lectures, class discussions, and group work.
Student input and participation will be the driving force of this course, so it is vital that you
contribute to classroom discussion. Furthermore, it is important that you contribute in focused,
enlightening ways. In other words, I discourage the sharing of stories or opinions that are not
directly related to the task at hand. Students will not successfully earn their participation points
through extraneous conversation. Indeed, personal experience and opinion are relevant and
welcome in this course, but please be mindful that our aim is to illuminate and expand the
proposed topic in a direct, scholarly manner.
Course Blog
Our course will feature the use of a blog: www.2014english1180.pbworks.com. You will want
to regularly consult our blog because it contains an updated schedule of studies with assignment
due dates, outlines of each class session/discussion, assignment and essay instructions, and a lot
of other helpful information.
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Assignments
Due dates for assignments can be found on the schedule of studies page, and I will provide you
with detailed instructions (in class and on the blog) for each assignment.
Credit breakdown for assignments is as follows:
Reflection Essay_____________
1-2 pages__________________ 20 points
Invention I________________________________
_
20 points
PRI____________________________________
_
20 points
Essay I: Narrative
2-4 pages__________________100 points
Invention II
20 points
Outline II
20 points
PRII
20 points
Essay II :Definition
2-4 pages
150 points
PR III
20 points
Essay III : Film Evaluation
3-4 pages
200 points
Essay IV : Position/Argument
2 pages
____________100 points
Responses (3)
90 points
Quizzes (5)
50 points
Evaluation Presentation
50 points
Argument Exercise
20 points
Participation
100 points
1000 points total
*It is your responsibility to keep track of your current grade in the course. All grades will be
recorded in ANGEL, so you may want to periodically check to see how you are doing in the
course.
Grading Scale
A
93-100%
A-
90-92%
B+
87-89%
B
83-86%
B-
80-82%
C+
77-79%
C
73-76%
C-
70-72%
D+
67-69%
D
63-66%
D-
60-62%
E
0-59%
A Note on Grades
Because you are here, pursuing a higher education, I assume that you want to learn, that as
Barbara E. Walvoord and Virginia John Anderson explain, you are “motivated by curiosity,
interest, and a desire to be well educated, to understand complex subjects, to do difficult things
well” (105 Effective Grading). As your instructor, it is my job to guide you in this learning
process; however, it is also my job to evaluate your performance—the papers and assignments
that result from applying what you have learned. Grades are based on final products (what you
turn in to me), not on how hard you work or on what you think you deserve. Therefore, I strictly
and fairly adhere to the following grading standards:
An “A” grade is a result of excellent and original final products (what you turn in to me). A “B”
designates good work, a “C” indicates average competency, and so on.
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Assignment Specifics
All drafts and final essays must use MLA style and format, and all assignments must be typed,
double-spaced with one-inch margins. They should not have a separate title page but should have
a running header as used in MLA format. Drafts and final essays that are not typed will not be
accepted for grading. Drafts and final essays that do not fulfill the format requirements will lose
points. For each essay and assignment, I will provide you with detailed instructions and a grading
rubric.
You will find MLA formatting instructions in the following locations (and we will also be
discussing MLA in class):
WOW chapter 20
CWH section 47
The Owl at Purdue website: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
When you submit a final essay, you must also submit your edited first draft, PR material, and any
other required documents. I will not grade the paper without all the necessary components that I
have requested.
Editing and Revising
It is important to note that an essay is rarely polished and strong after the first draft. Writing is a
process, and that is why we will be having writing workshops and peer editing days in this
course.
COMPLETE drafts of essays are required for in-class peer review workshops. Failure to
participate in the peer review workshop for an essay (by absence or by failing to complete your
rough draft and/or participate in the peer critique of a peer’s draft) will result in a “zero” for that
particular assignment. Peer reviews can only be completed in class during the allotted session.
Aside from relying on your peers to help guide you in editing and revising your essays, feel free
to contact me if you need further guidance or direction. I will not read and comment on entire
drafts before you submit them to me (therefore, do not email me your draft and ask me to "look
over" it), but I will answer specific questions that you may have about your essay. During peer
editing sessions, I am also available and more than willing to guide and assist you with your
writing. If you need assistance outside of class, you may email me with a specific question (i.e.:
“Is this a focused thesis?” or “Is my introduction well-organized?”), or you may set up an
appointment to meet with me.
Students will have the opportunity to revise and resubmit Essay I, Essay II, or Essay III if they
receive a grade of a "C" (75%) or lower. If the student wishes to take advantage of this, he/she
must schedule a meeting with me to discuss his/her work, and/or attend a tutoring session at the
Writing Center (get your paper stamped and signed) and then vigorously revise the essay and
resubmit it by the revision due date. In order for a student to receive a higher grade on the essay,
it must be evident that the student has done more than fix the simple errors that I have pointed
out. The resubmitted copy must show proof of extensive content and organization revisions.
Grade changes are certainly NOT AUTOMATIC! Essay IV cannot be revised and resubmitted for
a new grade.
In some cases where a student has failed to meet basic requirements, I may return the essay to the
student without a grade and require the student to rewrite/revise and resubmit for grading.
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Extra Credit
Students always ask about extra credit, especially as the end of the semester approaches and they
realize that their grade is not satisfactory. I do not offer any official extra credit assignments. I
find them to be arbitrary.
On occasion, I may offer an extra credit question on a quiz. I have also been known to dole out a
few extra points when a student goes above and beyond the requirements of an assignment.
Deadlines
There are no make up assignments or quizzes. Late assignments will not be accepted for
grading. Late essay=zero points. Missed assignment=zero points. Missed quiz=zero points.
I cannot make this any clearer.
Therefore, if you are absent from class, do not contact me and ask me if you can make up a quiz
or get credit for the assignment that you missed.
If you do happen to miss an assignment, I do, however, encourage you to complete it and submit
it to me for feedback. You will not receive points for said assignment, but being that many of the
smaller point assignments (ie: pre-writing exercises) lay the groundwork for bigger point
assignments (ie: major essays), your efforts will help you in the long run.
Assignments/Essays are due at the start of class. If you turn something in after I collect it from
the rest of the class, it is technically late, and, once again, I do not accept late work. If you arrive
late to class, and I have already collected an assignment, do not disrupt the class and attempt to
turn in your work. Each student will be granted 1 late assignment pass. In the incident that you
arrive late to class (up to 20 minutes) and miss a deadline, you can use this single-use pass to turn
in your assignment/essay without penalty. Procedures and restrictions are explained on the pass.
If you need to miss class, make sure your work is turned in beforehand. Items may be dropped
off in my mail box (F211), but please send me an email indicating that you have done so. If I
don’t receive your work before class, consider it late, and, therefore, consider it a zero.
I DO NOT accept assignments via email unless I have given you prior authorization to submit an
assignment via email. Therefore, you should never email me your assignment as an attachment,
unless you have received permission from me to do so. In certain circumstances, if a student
makes an arrangement with me prior to the due date, I may instruct him/her to turn in an
assignment via email and then submit a hard copy at our next meeting. In these cases, it is vital
that you follow the proper email protocol; attachments should always be accompanied by a
formal email in which you call attention to the contents of the attachment and remind me why
you are sending it.
Attendance
Class attendance is regarded as an obligation as well as a privilege, and all students are expected
to attend regularly and punctually all classes in which they are enrolled. Regular attendance is
required as individual and group work and class discussion will form a significant part of
fulfilling the course objectives. Additionally, 10% of your final grade will be based upon
participation--and if you don't attend, you can't participate.
When you excessively miss class, you will not only lose participation points, but your grade will
also suffer because you will miss quizzes, deadlines, and valuable instruction. Your best bet is to
come to class, participate in classroom discussion, and turn in your work when it’s due.
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You are responsible for obtaining information and materials from missed classes. Do not email
me to ask me what you missed or what you need to do for the next class. This information is
readily available on the blog, or you may want to consult a fellow classmate. If you have
questions about missed information, consult the blog and/or the syllabus before you contact me.
Do not show up to the next class period unprepared and use your absence as an excuse.
If the college is closed due to inclement weather, we will not have class; if the college is open, we
will have class. If I should encounter a personal emergency and need to cancel class, I will send
an email to the class.
Tardiness
Arriving late interferes with other students' learning and is not acceptable. Traffic and other
problems are unavoidable on occasion, but it is each student's responsibility to plan carefully to
arrive on time and well prepared. Late students may be counted absent or locked out, and they
often miss a quiz or an assignment collection. Students will lose participation points after 2 late
arrivals.
Furthermore, you must be present for the duration of our class meeting. Do not schedule
appointments/activities/etc. that conflict with class time.
Classroom Etiquette
I know we are all adults, but this is a reminder to respect the opinions, comments, and work of
your fellow students. I will not tolerate students who are discourteous.
Furthermore, it is imperative that you treat me with the utmost respect as your professor.
During classroom discussions, I welcome your ideas and comments when they are both relevant
to the current objective and respectful to me and to your peers. However, I discourage you from
pursuing arguments in an effort to challenge the effectiveness of our endeavors or to insult those
around you. Such behavior derails the classroom discussion and does nothing to enhance our
daily tasks.
Please remember to turn off your cell phones before class begins. Do not text message, check
your email, or play games on your phone during class. Such activities are rude and distracting,
and I will ask you to leave class if you cannot refrain from them.
There will be no side-conversations while I am speaking, nor will I tolerate napping in class.
If your behavior does not reflect that of a mature adult, I will ask you to leave, and you will
receive a zero for that day’s work.
Communication with the Instructor*
To contact me, email me at asherj@macomb.edu (not through ANGEL or PBworks).
Occasionally, I may send out additional information/instructions to the class via email. I will use
Web Advisor, so make sure that your current email is on file with the college.
*Consult “Syllabus Supplement: Communication with the Instructor” handout for a complete
description of the professionalism that is expected of you.
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ANGEL REQUIREMENTS
1. Throughout the semester, you may be required to use ANGEL in order to submit essays for
plagiarism checks through TurnItIn.
2. Throughout the semester, you have the opportunity to consult ANGEL in order to access your
1210 grade.
3. As you continue taking courses at MCC, you may have other instructors who use ANGEL to
post grades/enhance their classes.
Therefore, you must take the time to get acquainted with ANGEL if you have not done so
already. You can access ANGEL through your MYMACOMB page or at
https://macomb.angellearning.com. If you have never used ANGEL before, please note that our
course (ENGLISH 1210-S1611) will not appear in your "Courses" tab until you complete the
ANGEL orientation and pass the exit exam with a grade of 70% or higher. After passing this
orientation exam, please allow 90 minutes for our course to appear.
Your login information is:
Username: Your MyMacomb User ID.
Password: Your MyMacomb password.
To find your user ID or password, or to change your password, visit: https://pwm.macomb.edu/
If you have questions or need assistance, email angelsupport@macomb.edu or call
1.877.362.2662.
Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism is the act of copying work from books, articles, and websites without citing and
documenting the source.
Plagiarism includes copying language, texts, and visuals without citation (e.g., cutting and pasting
from websites).
Plagiarism also includes submitting papers that were written by another student or
purchased from the internet.
Plagiarism is a serious academic offense: the minimum penalty for plagiarism is an F for the
assignment; the full penalty for plagiarism may result in an F for the course.
With the use of MLA documentation, there is no need to plagiarize. Always use MLA format
and style to cite quotes, information, and ideas that you borrow from the work of other authors
and students. You must also cite when you paraphrase information or ideas from a periodical,
book, journal, or internet reference. It is mandatory that you include citations and references as
you write your drafts (if you use research in your essay). This process minimizes your chances of
making unintentional (and costly) mistakes.
Throughout the semester, if I suspect that a student has plagiarized an essay, I may ask him/her to
turn in an electronic copy via ANGEL so that I can check it for plagiarism.
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Withdrawal Policy
If you suspect that you are not doing well in my class, please talk to me by appointment before
you withdraw. Please refer to MCC’s class schedule book for information pertaining to official
withdrawal from a class.
Students who are not officially registered for the course are not allowed to sit in. Students who
add the course after the start of the semester are responsible for the work they may have missed.
Additional Help/Information
Writing Tutors
Macomb College's Writing Tutors are available to assist students with improving their papers inperson by appointment and 24/7 via an online submission process. Call 586-445-7400 to schedule
an appointment or visit
http://www.macomb.edu/Current+Students/Student+Services/Learning+Center/Tutoring/Writing
+Help.htm#Appt
Special Services:
Learning Center:
Library Services
Library Reference:
MCC Library Homepage:
H-316
J-325
J-Building
(586) 445-7420
(586) 445-7400
(586) 445-7401 (press 2)
(586)445-7779
http://www.macomb.edu/Current+Students/Library/
If you have reason to believe that any of these policies are too harsh or that it will be difficult for
you to abide by them, I suggest that you drop my class and find a different 1210 section that
better suits you.