ENGL 151 - Davis - Fall 2008

ENGL 151: Freshman Composition

Fall 2008

Instructor:	Ron Davis
Phone:	KCC voice mail available at (269) 964-3931 ext. 2284
Office Hours: Online:	Arranged. It is best to contact me via davisr@kellogg.edu I will respond to student e-mail within two working days.
Course Prerequisites:	COMPASS writing score of 78 - 100 or "C" or higher in ENGL 120.
Textbook	Required: Between Worlds: A Reader, Rhetoric and Handbook, 5th edition.
Online Course Features and Requirements	Number of tests: 0 of which 0 must be proctored Required on campus sessions: 0 Special labs or practicum: 0 Number of assignments: 32+ Estimated time per week: 3 - 4 hours Group interaction required: Yes Scheduled activities or self paced: Weekly assignments with deadlines. Requirements: Students must have access to the following Equipment: You will need a computer that is able to access and interact with the Web. For best results, a Pentium or PowerMac with a 56 Kbps or faster modem and 256 MB or more of RAM should be considered the minimal system. Software: You will need one of the following Internet browsers: Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or higher; Firefox; Mac users may use Safari or Firefox. Internet connection: Home users need Internet access through an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that offers a reliable connection to the Internet. Other requirements:
Course Site:	http://bb.kellogg.edu
Curriculum Statement:	Upon completion of this course, students should be able to complete the kinds of practical writing projects often required in both the academic and the professional world. How do the following compare to when you teach the course? How do you know student's learned? Successful students will: 1. Demonstrate the ability to write essays that utilize thesis sentences, idea development, unity, coherence, patterns of exposition, and educated usage. 2. Construct thesis representative of the essay's content 3. Use transitions and other strategies to achieve continuity and coherence. 4. Write various kinds of essays for a variety of specific audiences. 5. Write a researched essay (min. 2 sources) with appropriate documentation. 6. Give and receive feedback from multiple readers. 7. Develop individual style, self-confidence, and voice 8. Exhibit an understanding of the implications of a culturally-diverse society 9. Demonstrate written, verbal, nonverbal, computer, and listening communication skills.
Description	English 151 is designed to develop your critical reading and writing skills--skills you will use throughout your life, not only in this class. The course focuses on the writing process, essay writing, oral presentation, and basic research. Within the majority of written assignments, the emphasis is on thesis statement, idea development, unity, continuity, coherence, patterns of exposition, and grammar usage. Upon successful completion of the course, students will exhibit understanding and mastery of the writing process and the five-paragraph essay format. In addition, students will exhibit a basic understanding of the guidelines for college research papers.
Objectives	KCC General Education Outcomes and Core Abilities 1. Demonstrate critical thinking skills in gathering, analyzing, interpreting facts, and problem solving using scientific inquiry. 2. Demonstrate writing, listening, computer, verbal and non-verbal communication skills. 3. Distinguish between the positive and negative implications of physical, mental, and community health principles on individual and community wellness. 4. Evaluate knowledge of the implications of being a citizen in a global community. 5. Demonstrate knowledge of creative process and the ability to appraise the significance of the visual, literary, or performing arts. As a student at Kellogg Community College, success in your courses, including English 151, that help you achieve the following skills and core abilities 1. Think critically and creatively 2. Select and use appropriate strategies for writing 3. Demonstrate an ability to work cooperatively with peers in groups. 4. Demonstrate an understanding of the role of diversity and social interaction in society 5. Communicate effectively utilizing reading, writing, speaking and listening skills 6. Communicate clearly and coherently using written and spoken formats which fulfill the purpose and meet the needs of audiences 7. Demonstrate an ability to read and comprehend at the college level 8. Demonstrate the ability to write clearly, accurately and effectively in a variety of contexts and formats. 9. Demonstrate the ability to express ideas verbally in a coherent, organized and effective way 10. Demonstrate the ability to comprehend spoken messages using active listening skills. 11. Demonstrate understanding of the creation, retrieval, processing, and delivery of information. 12. Demonstrate an understanding of a variety of non-verbal communication behaviors.
Grading	ENGL 151 is a course in English composition. Consequently, the grades your writing assignments receive represent your instructor's estimate of how well each assignment demonstrates your mastery of the composition skills appropriate at that point in the course. The following briefly describes the general requirement for each grade level. To receive a grade of A, your essay should: CONTENT - contain a central idea that is clearly defined, developed with originality and careful thought, and supported substantially and concretely ORGANIZATION - follow a plan that progresses by clearly ordered and necessary stages STYLE - contain paragraphs that are unified and developed with unusual effectiveness, and use transitions within and between paragraphs that are clear/effective, and paragraphs and sentences that are coherent and effective DICTION - utilize language that is appropriate, fresh, accurate, concise, and un-idiomatic To receive a grade of B, your essay should: CONTENT - contain a central idea that is defined with more than usual care and clarity, developed fully and with consistent attention to proportion and emphasis, and supported with sufficient and consistently relevant detail ORGANIZATION - follow a plan whose purpose and method are consistently apparent and completely fulfilled STYLE - contain paragraphs that are well-developed and unified, and use transitions between paragraphs that are explicit and effective, and paragraphs/sentences that are coherent and emphatic DICTION - utilize language that is appropriate, clear, carefully chosen, and un-idiomatic To receive a grade of C, your essay should: CONTENT - contain a central idea that is adequately defined but trite, trivial, or too general; or that is developed adequately but with occasional disproportion or inappropriate emphasis; or that is supported adequately but with occasional repetition or sketchiness ORGANIZATION - follow a plan whose purpose/method is apparent but fulfilled unimaginatively or incompletely STYLE - contain paragraphs that are unified and coherent but are occasionally ineffective in their development, or utilize transitions that are abrupt or mechanical, or contain sentences that while coherent are occasionally monotonous, un-emphatic, or ineffective in structure
Grading Scale	Grades will be computed on a point system. At the end of the semester, the total number of points earned will be divided by the total number of points possible to determine a percentage. 100-94% = A 93-90% = A- 89-87% = B+ 86-83% = B 82-80% = B- 79-77% = C+ 76-73% = C 72-70% = C- 69-67% = D+ 66-65% = D 64-60% = D- 59% and below = F A grade of W can be given by the instructor after a student has failed to complete all the assignments for any of the units. Please note that a grade of W in a course affects scholarship, financial aid, and athletic eligibility.

Academic Policies	Dropping: If you plan to drop the course, please notify your instructor.
"I" Grades:	Incomplete ("I") is only given for the most extenuating circumstances.
Attendance	Regular online participation is imperative. Important material is discussed in the bulletin board each week, and it is crucial that you plan to log on ONCE A DAY. The most successful students log on every day.
Cheating	Cheating is NOT permitted. Any students caught cheating will receive NO points for the exam, quiz, or writing assignment in which the cheating occurred, and/or will be subject to the disciplinary procedures of Kellogg Community College (at the discretion of the instructor). Plagiarism is using another person's writing dishonestly. If you submit for a grade any writing that was written by an author (profession or non-professional) other than yourself, you are guilty of academic dishonesty. The penalty for this, at a minimum, is a zero on the assignment, which will often seriously jeopardize your grade. The incident will then be reported to the Student Services who will record this in your permanent file. If, at this time, it is discovered that you have any other incident of academic dishonesty on file, you will be dropped from this course with an "F" and considered for suspension from the college.
Make-up Policy	All assignments are due by midnight the date indicated on the pacing chart. Late assignments will be accepted only if they are completed by midnight of the next day, and this option is only available twice to each student. Assignments not submitted according to this policy will receive no credit, but students are still required to complete and submit the assignment to avoid being dropped from the course. It is strongly suggested that students set a personal deadline two days prior to the course deadline and complete all assignments by that deadline. This arrangement allows for unexpected life events and technology crashes.
Disclaimer	Information contained in this syllabus was, to the best knowledge of the instructor, considered correct and complete when distributed for use at the beginning of the semester. However, this syllabus should not be considered a contract between Kellogg Community College and any student, nor between any student and the instructor. The instructor reserves the right, acting within the policies and procedures of Kellogg Community College, to make changes in course content or instructional techniques without notice or obligation.
Computer Access at KCC	It is assumed that students enrolled in this course have at their disposal appropriate equipment and software to complete the course work and communicate with other students. If there are problems with your equipment and/or software, it is possible to come to KCC's campus and use the open computer lab in the Learning Resource Center. See KCC's web site for campus maps and lab times.
Online Submitting Materials	Students will be expected to use email attachments and the Blackboard site for this class to submit materials.
ADA statement	Kellogg Community college does not discriminate in the admission or treatment of students on the basis of disability. KCC is committed to compliance with the American Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.