HONORS ENGLISH COMPOSITION I
7156 ENG101-HON
Monday 1-1:50 (B301) and Wednesday12:00-1:50 (C108)
Instructor: Professor Ginger A. Hurajt
ghurajt@necc.mass.edu
(978) 556-3454
Office: C317B
Office hours: Monday 2-3; Thursday 9:45-10:45
Catalog Course Description
A required course to develop critical thinking and clear, effective writing. Students will demonstrate
their competence through a variety of writing assignments including essays and a research paper.
Successful completion of a research paper is required to pass this course.
3 Credit Hours
3 Lecture hours
Course Satisfies: Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open Elective
Prerequisites/General Requirements: Basic Reading proficiency and Basic Writing proficiency
Note: For the course to count towards the Honors Experience graduation requirements students
must receive a “B” or better in this Honors section.
What is an “Honors” class?
What is an Honors class, and how does it differ from other sections of English 101? An “honors” class
doesn’t necessarily mean “more” work; it means “different” work. You will be expected to think for
yourself rather than rely on information being handed to you. Honors students are usually more selfmotivated and often more independent learners; therefore the class will cover the basics of an English
Composition I class more through experiential learning opportunities (archival research, field research,
presentations) than traditional lecture. Honors students should be observant, curious, and able to ask
good questions and hold discourse. Intellectual abilities don’t always translate to social and group skills,
so we will also work on these dynamics. Honors Experience students should be model students in all of
their classes (see “Attendance/Engagement”).
Required Course Texts
Dubus III, Andre. Townie. New York: W. W. Norton & Co, 2011.
O’Malley, Patricia Trainor. Haverhill Massachusetts: From Town to City. Dover, NH: Acadia Publishing,
1997.
Note: This course has an online component (Blackboard) for reflections, workshops of writing,
PowerPoint presentations, and student support discussions. All students must access Blackboard at least
once a week outside of our computer lab time. All students have access to computers and printers on
campus (in the library, in the Student Center, and with a student I.D. in B216). You also have access to
the computer/printer in the Honors Student Lounge (Library A214)—just ask for the key at the
circulation desk (this room is for Honors Students ONLY).
Course Format
The theme of the course is Haverhill: City as Text. That means that we will be studying and “reading”
the city throughout the semester. Bernice Braid, creator of the National Collegiate Honors Council’s City
as Text component states: “Cities build themselves in many ways. They conform to existing natural
shapes, but they also alter those shapes, to create their own specific personality. [A city] is in some ways
a time capsule that reveals these aspects of urban growth to all of us who explore its parks and streets,
buildings and statues, food and art.”
There are three main components of the class.
 The first component of the class is “Haverhill: Then.” This will involve “reading” photographs of
Haverhill in the past and comparing them to their current location; it will also involve archival
research on a topic and field trips to the Haverhill Historical Society and the Special Collections
department of the Haverhill Public Library.
 We will read Andre Dubus III’s Townie, his memoir about growing up and living in Haverhill and
its environs. (We will also read some of his father’s—Andre Dubus II’s—work.) This will be a
model for a “chapter memoir” of a personal experience in your own city or town. Our class will
also host a Common Book Seminar discussion on our campus (Monday, November 5, 12:002:00) for the AP English class at Haverhill High School and the Life Long Learning book club, as
we have all read this common text,.
 The third component of the course is “Haverhill: Now,” which should have a connection to the
topic you chose for your “Haverhill: Then” research. This will be a profile of a community issue
using field research, compiling data through interviews, photographs and observations,
culminating in a Power Point presentation (and possibly field presentations).
 Other learning experiences will include collaborative activities, reflections, sharing of student
essays, and a student support group—a discussion of students’ writing (or other issues) using an
online discussion board.
Field trips
We will take several field trips over the semester. They will take place on Wednesdays during our twohour block. You should wear comfortable shoes and warm clothing as needed. We will car pool as
much as possible to our destinations, some of which have limited parking. Missing a field trip counts as
an absence, and you will be required to make it up on your own time.
Course Objectives
At the end of the semester, students will demonstrate the ability to:
 Read actively and reflect on the meaning of a variety of images and texts
 Recognize the strategies involved in essay and research writing through the careful reading and
analysis of essays and other written sources
 Use appropriate prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing strategies when composing an essay
 Compose articulate, organized, well-developed essays which reflect and/or anticipate the needs
of an audience and show an awareness of tone, purpose and focus
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Evaluate one’s own writing as well as the writing of peers creatively and critically
Fully participate in collaborative learning situations and work productively in diverse groups
Locate, evaluate, and interpret information from a full range of research sources, including
electronic and web-based sources
Conduct effective field research through observation and interview
Form effective research questions, create a thesis, find and use evidence to support it, and
document research in MLA format
Handle the conventions of effective and ethical research, including source evaluation and
accurate and honest documentation
Communicate research findings in focused oral presentations supported by simple visual aids
Consider issues from multiple perspectives
Develop a greater awareness of and respect for various community issues
Grading
Note: All of the long assignments must be completed in order to pass this course. You must also receive
a passing grade on the Archival Research Paper to pass this course.
Reading a Photograph: Then and Now
Haverhill Then: Archival Research Paper
Townie reflections (Discussion Board)
Chapter Memoir
Haverhill Now: Field Research Profile
Paper
Power Point presentation
Discussion Board: Discussions, Drafts, Peer Reviews
Attendance/Engagement
10%
25%
10%
10%
20%
5%
10%
10%
Guidelines for Writing Assignments
All writing assignments must be typed and printed out before class. Computer issues and broken
printers are not acceptable excuses for late work. You have access to computers and printers on
campus (in the library, in the Student Center, with a student I.D. in B216, and the Honors Lounge).
DO NOT email your papers to me for printing.
Use MLA manuscript format. Your name, the assignment and, for essays, an original title (that is, not
the title of the work you are analyzing) should appear at the top of the first page. ALL essays must be
double spaced. I don’t mind if you “recycle” paper (paper with printing on back) or print back to back.
Please secure your work with a staple.
Late papers: All papers are due at the beginning of the class period. You will be given one grace period
for a late paper, one time. The paper will be due the next class period. After that all late papers will
lose 10 points. Peer evaluations of drafts are essential to the course; therefore a late draft will result in
a loss of 10 points for the essay grade. Late postings to the discussion board and late in-class
assignments will not be accepted for credit. If you must be absent on the day an assignment is due, try
to get it to my office or mailbox. You can e-mail it to me BEFORE the class begins to prove you have
completed the paper in order to avoid the late penalty, but I WILL NOT PRINT IT OUT. Bring a hard copy
to the next class.
Evaluation Criteria
The handout for each assignment will clearly explain the grading rubric. Essays are graded on a point
system. Each essay is worth 100 points. 10 points of each essay is based on the draft submitted on time
for peer evaluation. 90 points of each essay is based on the final paper, and includes the student’s
effectiveness in meeting the requirements of each paper (which will vary), as well as format, length, and
clarity of mechanics.
NUMERIC RANGE
GRADE
93-100
A
90-92
A87-89
B+
83-86
B
77-79
C+
73-76
C
70-72
C67-69
D+
60-66
D
59 or less
F
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined by the Random House Dictionary as “the appropriation or imitation of the
language, ideas, and thought of another author, and representation of them as one’s own work.”
Persons found to have committed plagiarism will fail the course and may be dismissed from the college.
Attendance/Engagement
You are expected to attend class at all times. If you accumulate absences of more than six class hours (4
classes or two weeks) your Attendance/Engagement grade will be dropped to 0. You may also be
dropped from the course for non-participation unless you contact me and keep up with assignments
faithfully. If you ever have to miss a class, yes, you missed something important. You can email me for
any handouts or assignments or see me in my office, but I also advise finding a partner in class that you
can depend on for class notes. Check the syllabus for reading assignments and due dates so you don’t
get behind. Reading quizzes cannot be made up for any reason. If you have been absent for a
documented medical reason, be sure to give me a copy of the medical excuse and I will take that into
consideration.
A successful class needs your contributions. Honors students especially are expected to display
exemplary conduct. Students are expected to complete all readings in order to participate in class
discussions in a thoughtful fashion during class meetings, contributing to the discussion without
dominating it. Students are expected to stay on track in group or collaborative activities. While a lively
atmosphere is valued, it is important to respect all students’ opinions. Nothing less than absolute
tolerance for all points of view is expected during class discussions.
While you’re physically in the classroom, you need to be mentally in the classroom as well—which
means engaged and participating. Your success in this class is dependent not only upon your effort, but
also your engagement. At a minimum, you are responsible for arriving to class on time with your
textbook, remaining for the entire class, and being prepared by completing the reading and writing
assignments on time. Do not get up and leave/come back in the middle of a class—this is extremely
disruptive. Please do not text during class and turn off your cell phone or set it to silent mode and put it
away before class begins. Be here now. Disruptions to the class or lack of preparation will result in the
lowering of this portion of your grade.
Accommodations:
If there is a student in this class who has needs because of a learning disability or other kind of disability,
please feel free to discuss this with me and/or directly contact one of the following:
 Learning Accommodations Center: Student Center SC111, (978) 556-3654
lacenter@necc.mass.edu
 Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services: Student Center SC110, call 978-241-7045 (VP/Voice)
deafservices@necc.mass.edu
Students please note: if you have been approved for testing accommodations through the Learning
Accommodations Center, remember to discuss this with me in advance.
 You can also get tutoring about the research process and help with writing in the Tutoring
Center (C210). Check their schedule for available times.
You are welcome to drop by my office, call, or send an e-mail message if you have any questions about
any of the assignments. My office hour time is time set aside to talk to you. (You can also make an
appointment to see me.)