ENC 1101
English Composition I
CONTACT INFORMATION
Professor: Dr. Shari Koopmann
Office: 6-115
E-mail: Skoopman@ValenciaCollege.edu
Phone: (407) 582-2945
Text ONLY: (407) 620-8632
Office Hours: By request
COURSE INFORMATION
Session: Fall 2015
Credit Hours: 3
Course: Freshman English Composition I (ENC 1101)
Meeting Time/Location:
 CRN 17833 MW 7:00 – 8:15 in 7-129
 CRN 15884 MW 8:30 – 9:45 in 7-129
TEXTBOOK INFORMATION:
Bullock, Richard & Maureen Daly Goggin. The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings.
(3rd ed.). New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2013.
ENC 1101 COURSE DESCRIPTION
Welcome to English Composition I at Valencia College! In this section of ENC 1101, you will learn to
efficiently read and analyze varied written texts, to logically organize your thoughts, and to plan,
write, and edit your work. Specifically, we will focus on the following: development of essay form,
including documented essay; instruction and practice in expository writing; emphasis on clarity of
central and support ideas, adequate development, logical organization, coherence, appropriate citing
of primary and/or secondary sources, and grammatical and mechanical correctness.
This course aims to help you become a better reader and writer of academic and other nonfiction
writing. You’ll write several drafts of five essays: a personal narrative, a textual analysis, a movie/TV
show review, an in-class essay, and a documented position paper. Along the way, I hope that you
come to understand yourself as a writer and reader better than you do now and are able to assess
your own writing’s strengths and weaknesses.
In some courses, you must read and learn a certain amount of material that is fairly well-defined. In a
writing course, however, you can interpret writing activities as requiring a lot of time and effort, or a
little. Consistently interpreting assignments as something to dash off quickly, rather than as
something to think about, consider, and spend time on is likely to affect your performance and final
grade. Note, too, that in college, you’re expected to spend about two hours studying and working
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independently for every hour you spend in class.
Official Catalog Description: Development of essay form, including documented essay; instruction
and practice in expository writing. Emphasis on clarity of central and support ideas, adequate
development, logical organization, coherence, appropriate citing of primary and/or secondary
sources, and grammatical and mechanical accuracy. Gordon Rule course in which the student is
required to demonstrate college-level writing skills through multiple assignments. Minimum grade of
C is required if ENC 1101 is used to satisfy Gordon Rule and General Education Requirements
Major Learning Outcomes:
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Students will compose expository essays
Students will write in standard American English
Students will write a documented essay
Students will demonstrate information literacy
Students will develop critical reading skills
Prerequisites:
Score of 103 on writing component of PERT, and a 106 on the reading portion of the PERT, or
minimum grade of C in level two developmental writing and level two developmental reading, or a
minimum grade of C in both EAP 1640 and EAP 1620
Computer-Based Learning Activity in ENC 1101:
To demonstrate competence with the basic use of computers, the college’s Freshman Composition
course is designed to include a formal “computer-based” learning activity. For this particular course
the following assignments, assessment and percentage of final grade protocols have been
established.
Description of assigned computer-based learning activity:
You will demonstrate competence in the following areas: using a word-processing program
to type, revise, and edit your assigned out-of-class essays; navigating the electronic library
databases, evaluating Internet sources for credibility and reliability, and integrating outside
source material into the final research paper.
Description of method of assessment:
As part of each essay assignment, you will be expected to use word-processing tools
effectively; no papers will be accepted unless they follow the guidelines specified by your
instructor. As part of your final research paper project, you will be evaluated on your ability
to conduct, assess, and utilize electronic research.
Description of impact on percentage of the final course grade:
Your research project is worth 120 out of total 900 points available in the course.
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Valencia Student Core Competencies:
This course reinforces the following Valencia Graduate Competencies:
TO VALUE
 Recognize values as expressed in attitudes, choices, and commitments
 Distinguish among personal, ethical, cultural, and scientific values
 Employ values and standards of judgment from different disciplines
 Articulate a considered and self-determined set of values
TO THINK
 Analyze data, ideas, patterns, principles, and perspectives
 Integrate ideas and values from different disciplines
 Draw well-supported conclusions
TO COMMUNICATE
 Identify your own strengths and needs for improvement as a communicator
 Employ methods of communication appropriate to your audience and purpose
 Evaluate the effectiveness of your own and others’ communication
TO ACT
 Apply disciplinary knowledge, skills, and values to educational and career goals
 Implement effective problem solving, decision-making, and goal setting strategies
 Assess the effectiveness of personal behavior and choices
 Respond appropriately to changing circumstances
CLASSROOM POLICIES
No Show Policy:
Students who have not attended any classes by September 9th will be withdrawn by the instructor.
Attendance:
Regular attendance is expected and will count for 50 out of the 900 total points available in this
course. Five (5) points will be deducted for each absence following the first two from the total
attendance points available (50). Sometimes—very seldom, but sometimes – things come up that
may force you to miss class. If they do, call, text, or email me ahead of time. I’m more inclined to be
flexible if you talk with me than if you stop coming to class or simply disappear. Acceptable reasons
for absence with instructor requested written documentation will be excused. Acceptable reasons for
absence include jury duty, medical emergency or ongoing medical condition, death of an immediate
family member, or religious observance.
Chronic tardiness is disruptive and rude to your classmates and me; thus, you should make every
effort to arrive on time. If you come to class late, it is your responsibility to see me after class to
ensure that I have noted your arrival in the grade book. If you arrive after I have taken attendance
and you fail to tell me that you were present, you will be marked as absent in my grade book. During
tests, quizzes, presentations, and in-class writing assignments, all cellular phones and Wi-Fi enabled
devices must be out of sight.
Along with your attendance and punctuality, I will also expect your participation in class discussions
and writing workshops.
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Please be aware that we will go over the answers to quizzes in class. If you come to class late on the
day that we are taking a quiz and I have already begun going over the answers, you will NOT be
permitted to make up that quiz. If you are absent on the day that we took a quiz or completed an in
class essay, you will be granted the opportunity to arrange a time to take the quiz or complete the
essay in the Testing Center. However, it is YOUR responsibility to make those arrangements with me,
and those arrangements MUST be made by the class following your absence.
Submitting Papers:
All out of class writing assignments must be typed, double-spaced, in a standard font (Times New
Roman) and type size (12) with 1-inch margins. A creative and interesting title (in plain text) should
be centered at the top of the page. Final drafts must be submitted through the Blackboard course
page, https://learn.valenciacollege.edu/ , as MS Word attachments. Instructions on submitting
assignments will be provided in class.
Late Work Policy:
Assignments in ENC 1101 are organized sequentially; therefore, they are to be submitted by the
deadline. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to make up the work and/or to make
arrangements with me to complete a quiz, test, or in-class writing in the Testing Center. Even if you
are absent from class on the day that a writing assignment is due, you are still required to submit the
assignment through the online Blackboard course (http://learn.valenciacollege.edu/ )on that day in
order for the assignment not to be considered late. Ten percent (10%) will be deducted for each day
that a writing assignment is late. After seven days, the assignment will receive a grade of 0%. In the
interest of fairness, exceptions to this policy will be made only when instructor-requested written
documentation is provided. In-class writing assignments may not be written out of class and
submitted; such papers must be made up in the Testing Center.
Writing Requirements:
To satisfy the requirements of the Gordon Rule in ENC 1101, you will be required to demonstrate
college-level writing skills through multiple assignments.
Grading:
Writing Assignments (5): 520 points (WA 1 – 100, WA 2 – 100, WA 3 – 100, WA 4 – 100, WA
5 -- 120)
Attendance: 50 points
Peer Review/Writing Workshop Assignments (8): 80 points
Quizzes (11 quizzes at 10 points each with lowest score dropped): 100 points
Final Exam: 150 points
TOTAL: 900 POINTS
Final Grades:
Your final course grades in ENC 1101 will be calculated according to the following scale:
A 810 – 900
B 720– 809
C 630 – 719
D 540 – 629
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F 0 – 539
Withdrawal:
This semester’s withdrawal deadline (for a grade of W) is November 13th. I do not withdraw
students for anything other than NO SHOW (see No Show policy above). It is your responsibility to
withdraw from this class.
Per Valencia Policy 4-07 (Academic Progress, Course Attendance and Grades, and Withdrawals), a
student who withdraws from class before the established deadline for a particular term will receive a
grade of W. A student is not permitted to withdraw after the withdrawal deadline. A faculty member
MAY withdraw a student up to the beginning of the final exam period for violation of the class
attendance policy. A student who is withdrawn by faculty for violation of the class attendance policy
will receive a grade of W. Any student who withdraws or is withdrawn from a class during a third or
subsequent attempt in the same course will be assigned a grade of F. If you do not intend to complete
the course, you must withdraw yourself prior to the withdrawal date. For a complete policy and
procedure overview on Valencia Policy 4-07 please go to:
http://valenciacc.edu/generalcounsel/policydetail.cfm?RecordID=75.
Final Examination and Exiting Requirements
To receive a passing grade in ENC 1101, you must earn a C or better as your final course grade. The
final examination in this course is worth 150 points of the total 900 points available; failure to take
the final exam will negatively affect your grade.
Student Ethics:
You are expected to abide by college policy 6Hx28:8-11 as stated in the catalog.
Policy Statement:
A. All forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited at Valencia College. Academic dishonesty
includes, but is not limited to, acts or attempted acts of plagiarism, cheating, furnishing false
information, forgery, alteration or misuse of documents, misconduct during a testing
situation, facilitating academic dishonesty, and misuse of identification with intent to
defraud or deceive.
B. All work submitted by students is expected to be the result of the students' individual
thoughts, research, and self-expression. Whenever a student uses ideas, wording, or
organization from another source, the source shall be appropriately acknowledged.
C. Students shall take special notice that the assignment of course grades is the responsibility
of the students' individual professor.
I expect that the ideas presented in your essays were authored by you and that all borrowed sources,
oral or textual, have been cited appropriately. Plagiarism will result in an automatic 0% on that
assignment. Two instances of plagiarism will result in an automatic F in the class. Plagiarism includes
copying information or paraphrasing ideas from outside sources without properly citing that
information by using quotation marks (when appropriate) AND including a parenthetical reference,
as well as a Works Cited page. All papers will be submitted through SafeAssign (a service that checks
for plagiarism). If SafeAssign finds that your paper is partially or wholly plagiarized, your paper will
receive the appropriate penalties.
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Students with Special Needs:
Students with disabilities who qualify for academic accommodations must provide a Notification to
Instructor (NTI) form from the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) and discuss specific needs
with the professor, preferably during the first two weeks of class. The Office for Students with
Disabilities determines accommodations based on appropriate documentation of disabilities.
Student Assistance Program Information:
Valencia College strives to ensure all our students have a rewarding and successful college
experience. To that purpose, Valencia students can get immediate help with issues dealing with
stress, anxiety, depression, adjustment difficulties, substance abuse, time management as well as
relationship problems dealing with school, home or work. BayCare Behavioral Health Student
Assistance Program (SAP) services are free to all Valencia students and available 24 hours a day by
calling (800) 878-5470. Free face-to-face counseling is also available.
Links to the Catalog, Policy Manual, and Student Handbook:
College Catalog - http://www.valenciacollege.edu/catalog/ (includes a full description of all VC
policies)
Policy Manual - http://www.valenciacollege.edu/generalcounsel/
Student Handbook - http://valenciacollege.edu/studentdev/CampusInformationServices.cfm
IMPORTANT DATES:
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Regular Classes Begin:
Withdrawal Deadline:
Final Examinations:
Final Grades Viewable
College Closed
August 31
November 13
December 14 – 20
December 22
September 7, October 8, November 25 - 29
See College calendar for other important dates: http://valenciacollege.edu/calendar
Course Schedule
ENC 1101
Disclaimer: The course schedule that follows is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion. You
will be notified of any and all changes. The homework should be done prior to the class meeting date,
as the content will be covered in class.
Date
Homework
Class Activities /
Assignments
M 8/31
Buy your textbook
Course Introduction and
Icebreaker
W 9/3
Study for Quiz 1
Quiz 1: Syllabus
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Read Part 1: Rhetorical Situations (p. 1 – 24).
M 9/7
Happy Labor Day! – No Class
W 9/9
Read Part 15 on Memoirs (p. 183 – 190)
Discussion of Essay Writing
Discussion of Narration /
Memoir Writing
Topics Discussion – Serial
Testimony
M 9/14
Read David Sedaris’s “Us and Them” (p. 798 – 805)
Discussion of Fragments, Runons, and Comma Splices
Discussion of Sedaris’s
Narrative
W 9/16
Quiz 2: Fragments, Run-ons,
and Comma Splices
Study for Grammar Quiz 2
Prepare Draft of introduction, first body
paragraph, and THE POINT of WA 1, Personal
Narrative, for Writing Workshop 1
WA 1 Rough Draft of Personal
Narrative Assignment (bring
introduction, first body
paragraph, and THE POINT to
class – Do not include your
name)
M 9/21
Read Part 8 on Analyzing Texts (p. 52 – 86)
Discussion of Text Analysis
M 9/23
Discussion of Subject-Verb Agreement
Discussion of “A & P”
Read John Updike’s “A & P”
WA 1 Final Draft of Personal
Narrative Assignment
(submit online by midnight)
Prepare Final Draft of WA 1
W 9/28
Quiz 3: Subject-Verb
Agreement
Study for Grammar Quiz 3
Prepare Draft of thesis one body paragraph of WA
2, Textual Analysis, for Writing Workshop 2
M 9/30
Read Chapter 48 on Acknowledging Sources,
Avoiding Plagiarism” (p. 475 – 479), Chapter 49 on
“Documentation” (p. 480 – 483), and Chapter 50 on
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WA 2 Rough Draft of Textual
Analysis Assignment (bring
body paragraph & thesis to
class – Do not include your
name)
Discussion of using and
documenting primary sources
W 9/24
“MLA Style” (p. 484 – 521)
MLA Activity
Read Chapter 47 on Quoting, Paraphrasing, and
Summarizing” (p. 462 – 474)
Discussion of Misplaced and
Dangling Modifiers
Discussion & Activity –
Paraphrasing / Quoting
M 10/5
Quiz 4: Misplaced and
Dangling Modifiers
Study for Grammar Quiz 4
Prepare Rough Draft of WA 2, Textual Analysis
Paper, for Writing Workshop 3
W 10/7
Read Chapter 13 on Evaluations (p. 164-172)
WA 2 Rough Draft of Text
Analysis (bring to class – Do
not include your name)
Discussion of film/TV
evaluations
Prepare Final Draft of WA 2, Text Analysis Paper
Movie Review in Class Activity
WA 2 Final Draft of Text
Analysis (submit online by
midnight)
M 10/12
Prepare Draft of thesis & one body paragraph of
WA 3, Movie/TV Show Evaluation, for Writing
Workshop 4
WA 3 Draft of Thesis and First
Body Paragraph of Movie / TV
Show Evaluation (bring draft
to class – Do not include your
name)
W 10/14
Prepare Draft of Thesis & Conclusion of WA 3,
Movie/TV Show Evaluation for Writing
Workshop 5
Discussion of Pronouns
Study for Grammar Quiz 5
Quiz 5: Pronouns
Read Chapter 10 on Arguing a Position (p. 119 –
149)
Discussion of Argument &
Persuasion
Prepare Final Draft of WA 3, TV/Movie Review
WA 3 Final Draft of Movie /
TV Show Evaluation (submit
online by midnight)
Read Sample Arguments Provided
Discussion of Adjectives and
Adverbs
M 10/19
W 10/21
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WA 3 Draft of Conclusion of
Movie / TV Show Evaluation
(bring draft to class– Do not
include your name)
Discussion of Arguments
M 10/26
Quiz 6: Adjectives and
Adverbs
Study for Grammar Quiz 6
Groups Assigned
Groups meet and discuss topics
W 10/28
Discussion of Commas
Group Time – develop thesis
Library Orientation – Go
directly to the library (Rm.
4-203)
M 11/2
W 11/4
Study for Grammar Quiz 7
Quiz 7: Commas
Bring library articles to class
Group Time – develop works
cited list
M 11/9
Discussion of Apostrophes
Group Time – develop outline
and assign each group member
a point/reason
W 11/11
M 11/16
Study for Grammar Quiz 8
Quiz 8: Apostrophes
Bring your paragraph(s) to class for Writing
Workshop 6 (in groups)
Group Time – develop
introduction and conclusion
Bring your group’s introduction and outline to
class for Writing Workshop 7
Discussion of Colons and
Semicolons
WA 5 Draft of Introduction and
Outline (bring draft to class)
W 11/18
Quiz 9: Colons and
Semicolons (online)
Study for Grammar Quiz 9
Discussion of Capitalization
Discussion of Timed Writing
9
M 11/23
Prepare for in-class writing (purchase a Blue Book
at the Bookstore)
In Class Writing Assignment
(WA 4)
W 11/25
Happy Thanksgiving! No Class
M 11/30
Study for Grammar Quiz 10
Quiz 10: Capitalization
Prepare Rough Draft of WA 5, Documented
Position Paper (Group Assignment) for Writing
Workshop 8
WA 5 Rough Draft of
Documented Position Paper
(bring draft to class)
Discussion of Homonyms &
Commonly Confused Words
W 12/2
Prepare Final Draft of WA 5, Documented Position
Paper
Study for Grammar Quiz 11
WA 5 Final Draft of
Documented Position Paper
(submit online by midnight)
Quiz 11: Homonyms &
Commonly Confused Words
Group Time – Prepare
presentation
M 12/7
Prepare for Presentations
Group Presentations
W 12/9
Prepare for Presentations
Group Presentations
Discussion of Final Exam
M 12/14
FINAL EXAM CRN 17833 7:00 – 9:30 in 7-129
W 12/16
FINAL EXAM CRN 15884 7:00 – 9:30 in 7-129
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