SOUTHERN MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
ENGL 100: English Composition
Fall 2014
Instructor: Dr. Chad Walls
Email: cwalls@smccme.edu
Course Description:
English Composition is the introduction to college writing across the curriculum. In addition to
any necessary review of grammar, sentence structure, and paragraph composition, this course
covers the writing of personal essays in several rhetorical modes, academic papers, and
research analysis. Emphasis will be placed upon writing multiple drafts with an eye toward
revising, rewriting and editing, as well as the utilization of close reading and critical thinking as
literacy tools. Prerequisite(s): ENGL-050, ENGL-075. Co-requisite(s): none.
Models for Writers, 11th Edition
Texts:
A Pocket Style Manual, Diana Hacker, 6th Edition
Course Objectives:
By successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
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Exhibit learning skills and conduct appropriate to a college-level student.
Write effectively with a specific purpose and to a specific audience, using
appropriate strategies for varying contexts.
Organize essays using thesis statements, logical and academic formats and
standard English conventions.
Write rough, exploratory drafts of papers, and then practice revision methods to
achieve polished final drafts.
Locate and evaluate legitimate research sources, electronic, print and other.
Show ability to use proper MLA documentation and an awareness of plagiarism
issues.
Use writing as a critical thinking tool for learning.
Utilize technology to enhance the learning experience.
Attendance Policy:
As stated in the SMCC College Catalog, after a student incurs three or more consecutive
absences from regular class meetings without communicating with the instructor, the instructor
must report the absences to Enrollment Services and assign the student a grade of “AF”
(Administrative Failure). This policy may be interpreted as three or more hours’ absence from
regular class meetings.
Active participation is necessary to find success in this course. This is a process-oriented course,
and as such it requires significant amounts of writing. You are still responsible for 1) submitting
work in on time, 2) reading the weekly assignments, and 3) contacting me if you have
questions. Please note-plagiarism is the greatest academic sin. Anyone revealed to be
plagiarizing work that is not fully their own will automatically receive a grade of F.
Submitting Assignments/Grading
Students will complete five 800-900 word essays, utilizing different rhetorical modes for each
and one research paper. Students will also complete various smaller assignments, all of which
work towards building your writing skills and papers. Students’ work should also be read for
spelling, capitalization and usage. All major and minor assignments must be submitted
through Blackboard as a .doc or .docx file (I cannot open .rtf, .pdf or .odt files.) You will need
to attach your essays to the appropriate dropbox and clearly indicate your last name and the
assignment in the subject line. For instance: “Smith Narrative Essay”. In the
“Assignments/Handouts” folder you will find other sub-folders labeled by week (Week 1, Week
2, Week 3, etc.). If there is an assignment due in “Week 1”, then the appropriate dropbox will
be available in the “Week 1” folder.
Grading
Narrative Essay
10%
Due: Week 2 (September 5th)
Persuasive Essay
10%
Due: Week 4 (September 19th)
Definition Essay
10%
Due: Week 6 (October 3rd)
Cause/Effect Essay
10%
Due: Week 8 (October 17th)
Compare/Contrast Essay
10%
Due: Week 10 (October 31st)
Research Essay:
30%
Participation/Attendance
20%
Due: Week 14 (December 5th)
Participation in the classroom environment, including attendance, a constructive attitude,
attentiveness, following instructions, getting to class on time, self-discipline and courtesy to
both instructors and students. The student will also be required to view College Skills
presentations, demonstrate knowledge of college resources and complete ongoing critical selfassessments.
End-of-Course Evaluation:
In order to gain access to final course grades, students must complete evaluations for each
course attended at SMCC. Evaluations are submitted online and can be accessed through the
student portal site. Students can access the course evaluation report beginning two weeks
before the end of classes. The deadline for submission of evaluations occurs 24 hours after the
last day of classes each semester. Instructors will announce when the online course evaluation
is available.
Nondiscrimination Statement:
Southern Maine Community College does not discriminate in its education or employment
programs on the basis of age, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability
or religion. The college complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX
Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990.
ADA Syllabus Statement:
Southern Maine Community College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution and
employer. For more information, please call 207-741-5798.
If you have a disabling condition and wish to request accommodations in order to have
reasonable access to the programs and services offered by SMCC, you must register with the
disability services coordinator, Mark Krogman, who can be reached at 741-5629. There will be
some documentation for your teachers that must be supplied before accommodations can be
given. Further information about services for students with disabilities and the accommodation
process is available upon request at this number.
SMCC Pay-for-Print Policy
Per Page Costs
Each semester students receive a $20 printing credit. The balance resets at the end of the
semester and any remaining credits are removed. The cost varies depending upon page size
and whether printing is done in black and white or color.
a. There is a $0.10 per page fee for standard 8.5" by 11" black and white documents.
b. The reverse sides of duplex (double-sided) documents are free.
c. There is a $.50 per page fee for standard 8.5" by 11" color documents.
d. There is a $.20 per page fee for 8.5" by 14" (legal) or 11" by 17" (tabloid) black and
white documents.
e. There is a $1.00 per page fee for 8.5" by 14" (legal) or 11" by 17" (tabloid) color
documents.
Duplex charges (printing on both sides of a page) work in the following fashion: One page is
$0.10, two pages are $0.10, three pages are $0.20, and four pages are $0.20, etc. The flipsides
are free, but another sheet of paper is $0.10. Please be aware that a document with any color
at all (when printed to a color printer) will by default be printed in color. You are responsible for
setting the print job to print black and white if you do not need color. For directions, please go
to the IT Help tab in My SMCC.
How does it work?
The College’s pay-for-print system monitors printing on all printers (including those in general
access labs, library printers, the Academic Achievement Center, Noisy Lounge and technology
labs). Students can check the number of pages they have printed by using the Printing Balance
tool available on SMCC computers (located in the lower right corner of the screen, near the
clock). Departments with work study students who need to print documents for the
department should contact the Help Desk at 741-5696 to have a special account set up.
Refunds
Print jobs are eligible for a refund in the event of mechanical or electronic error on the part of
the printer, print server, or software used to submit the job. Jobs are not eligible for a refund in
cases where the job was not set up correctly, was submitted multiple times, or the student is
not satisfied with the result. To request a refund, please bring the offending print to the IT
Department in the basement of the Ross Technology Center. Refunds will be granted in the
form of a credit to the student’s account.
Why is SMCC charging for printing?
The pay-for-print system is an effort to control escalating printing costs. Charging for printing
helps offset the increasing cost of supplies and encourages students to conserve resources. To
find ways to reduce your printing charges, please go to the IT Help tab on My SMCC. If you have
questions about the pay-for-printing policy or your printing charges, please contact the Help
Desk at 741-5696 or send an email to helpdesk@smccme.edu.
Be sure to log OUT of the system when you’ve finished your printing, to prevent unauthorized
access to your account.
Add-Drop Policy:
Students who drop a course during the one-week “add/drop” period in the fall and spring
semesters and the first three days of summer sessions receive a 100% refund of the tuition and
associated fees for that course. Please note any course that meets for less than the traditional
semester length, i.e., 15 weeks, has a pro-rated add/drop period. There is no refund for nonattendance.
Withdrawal Policy:
A student may withdraw from a course only during the semester in which s/he is registered for
that course. The withdrawal period is the second through twelfth week of the fall and spring
semesters and the second through ninth week of twelve-week summer courses. This period is
pro-rated for shorter-length courses. To withdraw from a course, a student must complete and
submit the appropriate course withdrawal form, available at the Enrollment Service Center (no
phone calls, please). The designation “W” will appear on the transcript after a student has
officially withdrawn. A course withdrawal is an uncompleted course and may adversely affect
financial aid eligibility. Failure to attend or ceasing to attend class does not constitute
withdrawal from the course. There is no refund associated with a withdrawal.
Plagiarism Statement:
Adherence to ethical academic standards is obligatory. Cheating is a serious offense, whether it
consists of taking credit for work done by another person or doing work for which another
person will receive credit. Taking and using the ideas or writings of another person without
clearly and fully crediting the source is plagiarism and violates the academic code as well as the
Student Code of Conduct. If it is suspected that a student in any course in which s/he is enrolled
has knowingly committed such a violation, the faculty member should refer the matter to the
College’s Disciplinary Officer and appropriate action will be taken under the Student Code of
Conduct. Sanctions may include suspension from the course and a failing grade in the course.
Students have the right to appeal these actions to the Disciplinary Committee under the terms
outlined in the Student Code of Conduct.
Cell Phone/Laptop Etiquette:
If you need to use the restroom please quietly excuse yourself. Turn off cell phones and IM
devices. These devices are a distraction to discussions and show a bit of disrespect for the
other students. If you need to make a phone call, do it before or after class. If you need to take
an emergency call, please step outside. If I see you using your phone to text or call someone I
will ask you to leave the class.
Class Cancellation:
If class is cancelled for any reason, material and assignments due that class will be due the next
time we meet. I will send you an e-mail on your campus e-mail if I plan to cancel class due to
illness. Announcements regarding class cancellation due to inclement weather can be found on
the main page of the SMCC website.
Late Work:
Normally, there will be no late work in this class. In an emergency, I will accept late work.
However, in order for work to be accepted late for credit, you must make an appointment to
come see me during office hours to discuss why you were unable to complete the work in on
time.
Life Happens:
We all juggle demands of work, school, and personal lives. Don’t expect to pass if you don’t
attend or do the work. If personal or professional obligations intervene, we may be able to
work something out. However, you may need to drop the class and take it again when you have
more time to give.
ENG Comp
MWF Weekly Schedule
Fall 2014
Week 1
August 25th
Introductions/Syllabus Review/Grading/Expectations/Blackboard
HomeworkRead: What’s in a Name?, by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (p. 376).
Momma, the Dentist, and Me, by Maya Angelou (p. 386).
The Story of an Hour, by Kate Chopin (p. 395).
August 27th
Discuss assigned essays using Questions for Study and Discussion.
HomeworkRead: Motorcycle, a student essay found in Week 1 of Blackboard.
Watch: How to Write a Narrative Essay by clicking on Additional Information in the Week 1 folder on
Blackboard.
August 29th
Read (in class): Narration (p. 372)
Discuss how to construct a narrative essay.
Week 2
September 3rd
Discuss final research paper.
Discuss persuasive essay topics.
HomeworkRead: Argument (p. 539).
What Pro Sports Owners Owe Us, by David Zirin (p. 560).
In Praise of the F Word, Mary Sherry (p. 564).
September 5th
Narrative essay due on Blackboard.
Discuss assigned essays using Questions for Study and Discussion.
Week 3
September 8th
In class readings:
Condemn the Crime, Not the Person, by June Tangney (p. 569)
Marketing Ate Our Culture…, by Terry O’Reilly
HomeworkRead:
Student persuasive essays in the Week 3 folder.
A Whole Lotta Cantin’ Going On, by Roger Ebert (Week 3).
September 10th
Review: Argument (p. 539).
Discuss student persuasive essays and A Whole Lotta Cantin’ Going On.
September 12th
Introduce definition essays.
In class reading: Definition (p. 444).
Discuss final research paper
HomeworkWhat Is Crime?, by Lawrence M, Friedman (p. 447).
What Happiness Is, by Eduardo Porter (p. 456).
Week 4
September 15th
Discuss assigned essays using Questions for Study and Discussion.
September 17th
Persuasive essay writing workshop: Peer reviewing
Bring your persuasive essay draft.
September 19th
Submit your persuasive essay on Blackboard.
Introduce definition essays and discuss possible topics.
Sign up for student conferences.
HomeworkRead: Student definition essays in the Week 5 folder on Blackboard.
Watch: Extended Definitions by clicking on Definition Essay Instructional Video in the Week 5 folder on
Blackboard.
Week 5
September 22nd
Discuss student definition essays.
Read (in class): The Company Man, by Ellen Goodman (p. 451).
Discuss this essay using Questions for Discussion.
September 24th
Student Conferences
September 26th
Student Conferences
HomeworkRead: Cause and Effect (p. 517).
Why We Crave Horror Movies, by Stephen King (p. 524).
Stuck on the Couch, by Sanjay Gupta (p. 535).
Week 6
September 29th
Discuss assigned readings using Questions for Study and Discussion.
October 1st
Definition essay writing workshop: Peer reviewing
Bring your definition essay drafts.
October 3rd
Submit Definition Essay on Blackboard.
Review final research paper: research methods.
Week 7
October 6th
Read (In class): Writing Cause and Effect Essays (Week 7 folder).
Student Cause/Effect Essays (Week 7 folder).
Why and When We Speak Spanish in Public, by Myriam Marquez (p. 531).
Watch:
Cause and Effect Essay by clicking on Additional Information in the Week 7 folder.
October 8th
Discuss assigned readings.
October 10th
Movie: It Might Get Loud
Week 8
October 15th
Movie: It Might Get Loud
October 17th
Submit cause/effect essay on Blackboard.
Movie: It Might Get Loud
HomeworkRead: Comparison and Contrast (p. 483).
Two Ways of Seeing a River, by Mark Twain (p. 488).
Two Ways to Belong to America, by Bharati Mukherjee (p. 493).
That Lean and Hungry Look, Suzanne Britt (p. 499).
Week 9
October 20th
Discuss assigned essays using Questions for Discussion.
Discuss It Might Get Loud.
Discuss possible compare/contrast topics: Nancy Sinatra vs. Jessica Simpson
October 22nd
In class readings:
The Exorcist, a movie review by Roger Ebert
Compare/Contrast Student essays (Week 9)
HomeworkWatch: Comparison/Contrast Essays by clicking on Additional Information in the Week 9 folder.
October 24th
Student Meetings (by appointment): no class
Week 10
October 27th
TBA
October 29th
Cause/Effect Writing Workshop: Peer Reviews
Bring your cause/effect essay drafts.
October 31st
Submit your cause/effect essay on Blackboard.
Review final research paper: research methods.