ENGLISH 1301 HCCS-CENTRAL FALL 2011 SYLLABUS
Tuesday/Thursday 3:00-5:00 P.M.
Instructor Julie Garza
Office: FAC 319
julie.garza@hccs.edu
CRN 54522
Phone: 713-718-6665
Office hours: By appointment
Course Description: A course devoted to improving the student’s writing and critical reading.
Writing essays for a variety of purposes from personal to academic, including the introduction to
argumentation, critical analysis, and the use of sources and how to cite them within the text and
also bibliographically. Core Curriculum course. Prerequisite: a satisfactory assessment score,
completion of ENGL 0310 or (for non-native speakers) ENGL 0349. Three credits (3 lecture)
Required Texts: The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings, 2nd ed., by Richard Bullock
and Maureen Daly Goggin [FG]
The Little Seagull Handbook, by Richard Bullock and Francine Weinberg [LS], OR The
McGraw-Hill Handbook, 2nd ed. [MHH]
A good print dictionary (Oxford recommended)
Texts may be rented from bookstore and are also on Reserve in the Library.
Attendance: Students are expected to attend every class. You are responsible for all materials
covered during absences. Please check with instructor for make-up assignments—not all
assignments may be made up. No more than three absences permitted.
By the end of ENGL 1301 students should be able to
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write essays in appropriate academic writing style using varied strategies employed in
argument, persuasion, and various genres;
analyze various genres of writing for form, method, meaning and interpretation;
apply basic principles of critical thinking in analyzing reading selections, in developing
expository essays, and in writing argumentative essays;
analyze elements such as purpose, audience, tone, style, strategy in essays and other
literature by professional writers;
employ research in academic writing and use appropriate MLA documentation style,
especially MLA formatting for in-text citations and Works Cited entries;
communicate ideas effectively and appropriately through discussion.
Students must be able to write satisfactory in-class essays to pass this course.
STUDENTS: Please keep all parts of the writing process for each assignment; failure to produce
them may result in a failing grade for the assignment.
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Course Requirements
5 essays
Journals
Discussion Assignments
Attendance
Participation
In-class Assignments/Groupwork/Homework
Midterm essay exam
Final essay exam
50%
15%
10%
5%
5%
5%
5%
5%
The five essays - are of distinct genres: narrative, compare and contrast, argumentative or
persuasive, literary analysis - with sources, and analytical argument – with sources.
Journals – from October 11th – November 10th (10 journals written outside of class –1.5
points a piece)
Discussion Assignments – from November 15th - December 8th (5 discussion based
assignments written during class–2 points a piece)
In-class Assignments/Groupwork – in-class assignments based on lecture, textbook, or essays
and are written each class meeting. Some assignments are groupwork, while others are
homework assignments.
All written work must be formatted according to MLA requirements, which are found in both
handbooks mentioned above and on the MLA and Purdue OWL websites as well.
Header/Heading: Number your pages and include the following heading (mandatory) for each
paper, including in-class writings. For the five formal essays a proper header is mandatory in
addition to the heading.
Student’s full name
Instructor Garza
ENGL 1301
Month/Day/Year
Scholastic Honesty: Students are expected to conduct themselves with honesty and integrity.
Plagiarism (attempting to pass off another’s work as your own) will result in a ZERO for the
assignment (no recourse). Consult the HCCS website for all policies and procedures pertaining to
course work and conduct.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION: Any student with a documented disability (e.g.,
physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, or other) who needs to arrange reasonable
accommodation must contact the Disability Support Services Office at the beginning of each
semester. Faculty are authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability
Support Services Office—Room 106 on the first floor of the Learning Hub—or call the
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counselors at 713-718-6164. To visit the ADA website, log onto www.hccs.edu, click Future
Students, scroll down the page and click on the words Disability Information.
SUPPORT SERVICES:
Tutoring: Free tutoring is available in 321b. Check door for schedule.
Library: The library is on the third floor of the Learning Hub. The librarians are dedicated to
helping you find whatever you need. GET YOUR FREE HCCS STUDENT I.D. for Library
privileges.
Open Computer Lab: Computers are available for word processing in the Computer Writing
Lab in FAC 302 and in the Library. Check for open hours.
IMPORTANT NOTICES:
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Students who must repeat a course face significant tuition/fee increases at HCC and other
Texas public colleges and universities. If you are considering course withdrawal because
you are not earning passing grades, talk to your instructor/counselor about your study
habits, tutoring or other assistance that might be available.
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IF YOU INTEND TO WITHDRAW FROM THIS COURSE YOU MUST DO SO BY
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17th at 4:30 p.m., OR I WILL BE FORCED TO
GIVE YOU AN FX FOR THE FINAL GRADE (if you stop attending) WITH NO
POSSIBILITY OF APPEAL. I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO WITHDRAW YOU AT THE
END OF THE SEMESTER. THIS POLICY IS MANDATED BY THE TEXAS STATE
LEGISLATURE.
PLEASE turn off all electronic devices before entering class, and kill the vibrate
function on your cell phone or any other such device and put it into a zippered
compartment before class starts. Using such a device during a written assignment may be
construed as an attempt to elicit outside help and will result in a failing grade for the
assignment. Going in and out of class to use any such device will be considered
disruptive and may cause you to be asked to leave for the day. Place your phone on my
desk if you intend to leave class during an in-class writing assignment to avoid getting a
zero for that assignment.
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o Instructor reserves the right to make changes to syllabus.
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