[Everything in brackets is a note for you; please follow the instructions in the note and then
delete it.]
Fall 2011
English Composition I with Workshop, ENGL 070-[Section Number] and ENGL 111[Section Number]
[Days, Times, and Room Locations]
Instructor Name:
Office Location:
Mailbox:
Email Address:
Catalog Description for English Composition I:
Prerequisites: Grade of A in ENGL 050 or ENGL 060, grade of B in ENGL 050 or ENGL 060
with corequisite of ENGL 070, or appropriate score on placement test. English Composition I is
the first in a two-course composition sequence. The central purposes of English Composition I
are to develop critical reading and thinking skills and to write thesis-driven, text-based essays.
The course takes a process-oriented approach to writing that incorporates prewriting, drafting,
reviewing, and revising. Students in English Composition I learn basic research skills and apply
them to at least one text-based research essay.
Catalog Description for English Composition I Workshop:
Prerequisite: Grade of B in ENGL 050 or Minimum grade of C in ENGL 060 or appropriate
score on placement test; Co-requisite: Each section of this course is linked to a single section of
English 111. English Composition I Workshop is linked to English Composition I and is
designed to enhance that course for students who need support in reading/writing. It takes place
in a word processing lab where students are coached in structured ways to use the computer as a
tool to improve reading and writing skills with an emphasis on process. The combined English
Composition I and English Composition I Workshop sections allow students to work on English
Composition I reading and writing assignments in a way that is paced, encourages full
comprehension of the reading, and provides guidance during revision.
Required Texts:
Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst, eds. They Say I Say with Readings. NY:
Norton, 2009. Print.
[You should use the one text listed above or the two texts listed below. Please delete whichever
one(s) you’re not using.]
Comley, Nancy, R., et al., eds. Fields of Reading. 9th ed. NY: Bedford, 2009. Print.
and
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Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic
Writing. 2nd ed. NY: Norton, 2010. Print.
Note about Required Books:
[Consider including the following statement about books:]
If you buy or rent your books from the college bookstore, make sure you are aware of the refund,
buyback, and rental policy. Your English instructor will likely encourage if not require you to
annotate, underline, and/or highlight your text. You are still able to do all of these activities, even
if you rent the book or want to sell it through buyback. The store’s policy states that “Writing,
highlighting and underlining are acceptable” when it comes to buyback and rented books. You
should check with the bookstore for more information, including problems that do impact the
book’s value.
Other Learning Materials:
[Create a list of any other materials that you require or recommend. Below is an example.]
 Multiple ways to back up your work on a computer because computer problems are not an
appropriate excuse for handing a paper in late.
 A notebook (any kind) for class notes.
 Several folders so you can organize handouts from class as well as your writing
Course Learning Outcomes:
At the completion of the course, students will be able to:
1. identify thematic connections among and between various texts.
2. compose and revise essays using responsible documentation and research (when
applicable).
3. write clearly, grammatically and fluently with focus and continuity in standard
American English in out-of-class and in-class writings.
4. exhibit the ability to organize information in order to develop and support a main idea
in both in-class and out-of-class papers.
5. explicate readings carefully in both written work and during class discussion and/or
group work.
Grading Policy:
English Composition I requires:
[The following list is from the course outline. Revise #2, #3, and #6 to suit your specific class,
but make sure you work within the options listed and clarify the relative weight of each item.
Keep the other items as they’re listed.]
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
25 pages of text-based, graded writing
4-5 out-of-class essays of 4-8 pages
A minimum of 3 in-class timed essays (including the final in-class essay)
At least one out-of-class essay involving text-based research
A common departmental final in-class essay synthesizing 2 or more texts
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6. Requirement that at least 80% of the student’s final grade be derived from graded essays,
with the following ranges: 45-55% of the final grade should be out-of-class essays, 2535% should be in-class timed essays, and 10-20% should be class participation and
preparation.
7. Class preparation and participation
Attendance Policy:
[Please include the following statement:]
Students enrolled for credit or to audit courses are expected to attend all classes for every course
in which they are registered. Only illness, observance of religious holidays, or serious personal
matters may explain an absence. To provide for these, a student is entitled, without question, to
absences amounting to the equivalent of one week’s class time. Any absences in excess of that
are handled individually by each instructor. It is the prerogative of the instructor to make
exceptions for valid reasons, provided the student will be able to fulfill the course requirements.
Because class participation is essential to success in college, absences amounting to one-fifth of
the semester will likely result in failure.
Make-up Policy:
[Consider the following statement:]
Make-up in-class essays will only be given if you have a documented emergency. If you are
absent when an assignment is due, drop it off or email it to me on the day it’s due so that it is not
counted late. Exceptions will be made in the case of an emergency.
College Classroom Etiquette:
[Consider using the following statement:]
As stated in the Student handbook, the College has a Code of Student Conduct. It states: “Faculty
members have the authority to take actions which may be necessary to maintain order and proper
conduct in the classroom. Students whose behavior disrupts the class will be subject to removal
and may be charged with a violation of the Code of Student Conduct. Code of Conduct charges
will be investigated by the Dean of Student Services. If the student behavior presents a concern
for immediate safety of the student or members of the community, the student may be suspended
until a hearing is held. Any student who is removed from a class against his/her will is entitled to
a hearing.”
Plagiarism Policy:
[Consider using the following statement:]
The Student Handbook states the following:
Raritan Valley Community College requires independent, honest work on the part of its
students, and students are expected to conduct themselves with scholarly integrity. Each
confirmed incident of academic dishonesty, cheating or plagiarism must be reported by
the faculty member, in writing, to the Dean of Instruction.
Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to:
1) Copying answers from a textbook to submit for a grade.
2) Quoting text or other works without citation when requested by the faculty member to
present one’s own work.
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3) Submitting a paper or essay obtained from a term paper service or taken from the
Internet.
4) Submitting a paper or report written by another student, a spouse, or a colleague as
one’s own.
5) Submitting another student’s project, essay, research paper, or computer program as
one’s own.
6) Submitting a paper wholly or in substantial part using the exact phrasing of source
material.
7) Submitting a paper closely paraphrased from source material, where the original
source material is simply edited with perhaps minor word changes occurring.
8) Submitting a paper closely paraphrased from source material, splicing together
sentences from scattered segments of the original.
RVCC email:
[Consider using the following statement:]
Every student automatically receives an RVCC email account (called Lion Mail, through Gmail)
in the website the Lion’s Den. You are responsible for checking this email account; otherwise,
you will miss crucial college information. If I need to reach you, I will email you at your RVCC
account, so it’s important that you check it at least several times a week. Don’t forget that
passwords need to be updated periodically.
Essay Requirements:
[Create a statement that includes some basic information about the rough draft and final draft
writing process and requirements. Below is an example.]
Essays should follow the assignment guidelines. All out-of-class essays (including rough drafts)
should be word-processed. Due dates for rough and final drafts are listed on the assignments.
Academic Support Center:
The Academic Support Center offers free drop-in tutoring and supports services for most
disciplines offered by RVCC. The hours are:
Monday-Thursday: 9:00am-8:00pm; Friday: 9:00am-3:00pm; Saturday: 10:00am-2:00pm
The Academic Support Center is located on the Lower Level of Somerset, room S020, and their
extension number is 8393. You can find more information about them in your RVCC Student
Handbook and their website at http://www.raritanval.edu/studentserv/asc/index.html
Reasonable Accommodation:
Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary
aids or services) for this course MUST provide documentation of accommodations from the
RVCC office of Disability Services, C143. No accommodations will be made without this
documentation.
Class preparation and participation:
[Create a statement that includes some basic information about how students should prepare for
class. Below is an example:]
Come to every class prepared. Preparation involves doing and bringing the assigned reading and
writing assignments; be ready to discuss and write about the assigned readings in class. Class
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participation involves paying attention in class, contributing to the discussion, and listening to
your peers. It can also involve free writing exercises, group work, and pop quizzes. Use of
technology unrelated to the course (cell phones, laptops, etc.) can negatively impact your
participation grade. Come to class ready to share your ideas, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Course Schedule:
[At minimum, create a week by week schedule of reading assignments and essay
assignment due dates (for both in-class and out-of-class essays) so students have a general idea
of what to expect. If you prefer, you can create a daily calendar schedule. The one below is an
example of a weekly schedule specific to Fall 2011. It does not specify any readings, aside from
the “how to” chapters from They Say I Say. Instructors are free to assign readings as they see fit,
provided they come from either Fields of Reading or They Say I Say with Readings.
Also, the example below assigns 4 in-class essays, even though only 2 are required; this
is not including the final in-class essay. In this model, you can then drop the student’s 2 lowest of
the 4 in-class essay grades, not including the final in-class essay. Also, this sample assigns a total
of 4 out-of-class essays, although you can do a 5th.
Before or at the beginning of the semester, you should arrange for a Library Instruction
session to be held at the library with a librarian. The library’s website has a form for you to fill
out to schedule it. (See “Services and Info” on the left column of the website.) This session needs
to be in advance of your out-of-class essay assignment that requires research, which will likely
be your Out-of-Class Essay 4.]
8/31 – 9/1;
9/5 – 9/9
Introduce course; distribute syllabus; diagnostic in-class writing; [specify
assigned readings]; TSIS Introduction and Chapter 1
9/12 – 9/16
[specify assigned readings]; prepare for In-Class Essay 1; TSIS Chapter 2
and 3
9/19 – 9/23
In-Class Essay 1; assign Out-of-Class Essay 1; [specify assigned
readings]; TSIS Chapter 4
9/26 – 9/30
Prepare for Out-of-Class Essay 1; TSIS Chapter 5; 1st draft Out-ofClass Essay 1 due for Peer Response/Instructor Response
10/3 – 10/7
Final draft of Out-of-Class Essay 1 Due; [specify assigned readings];
prepare for In-Class Essay 2; TSIS Chapter 6
10/10 –
10/14
In-Class Essay 2; assign Out-of-Class Essay 2; [specify assigned
readings]; prepare for Out-of-Class Essay 2; TSIS Chapter 7
10/17 –
10/21
[specify assigned readings]; 1st draft Out-of-Class Essay 2 due for Peer
Response/Instructor Response
10/24 –
10/28
Out-of-Class Essay 2 Due; [specify assigned readings]; prepare for InClass Essay 3; TSIS Chapter 8
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10/31 – 11/4
In-Class Essay 3; assign Out-of-Class Essay 3; prepare for Out-of-Class
Essay 3; [specify assigned readings]; TSIS Chapter 9 and 10
11/7 – 11/11
1st draft Out-of-Class Essay 3 due for Peer Response/Instructor
Response
11/14 –
11/18
Out-of-Class Essay 3 Due; [specify assigned readings]; assign Out-ofClass Essay 4; prepare for Out-of-Class Essay 4; In-Class Essay 4
11/21 –
11/25
11/28 – 12/2
[specify assigned readings]; prepare for Out-of-Class Essay 4;
Thanksgiving Break 11/23-11/27
1st draft Out-of-Class Essay 4 due for Peer Response/Instructor
Response; assign readings for Final In-Class Essay; prepare for Final InClass Essay
12/5 – 12/9
Out-of-Class Essay 4 due; Final In-Class Essay
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