English 104: College Writing & Rhetoric

         Class Syllabus ** Spring, 2006

 

             Instructor – Mary Gard

             Office Hours – MWF – 12 to 2 p.m.

             Phone: (H) 816-413-9387

             Email: (H) mgard12@juno.com

 

Textbooks:

     The following is the required text:

          Critical Thinking, Thoughtful Writing (Chaffee)

     There will be additional class handouts given and Web

     resources utilized.

 

Course Description/Goals:

Common course description and goals for all English 104 sections may be reviewed at:www.missouriwestern.edu/eflj    

 

Writing Assignments:

This semester, you will complete the following:

     *  Five rough drafts of assignments from the test.

     *  One essay, final draft, graded only for thesis and

     content-ideas. It is worth 80 pts.

     *  Four essays,final drafts, graded for all aspects

     of essay writing – introduction, thesis, content-

     ideas, organization, conclusion and conventions. Each

     worth 150 points.

     *  Reading and writing assignments are listed in the

Course Outline. All  assignments are expected to be

     completed on due dates. Late work is not accepted,

     except under extenuating circumstances, determined by

     me, the instructor.

     * For writing assignments, we will be reading and

     commenting on one another’s writing, either in small

     groups or as a class. This method has three benefits:

          *  It provides writers with a sense of audience

          for their writing.

          * It enables everyone to see and understand how

          others are writing.

          * It’s been ‘proven’, that this helps you become

         a better writer.

     *  You will also have opportunities to meet in office

     conferences, with me, to review your work in progress.

     These are listed in the Course Outline, however, you

     may certainly arrange for individual conferences.

 

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Writing Assignment Preparation:

You are required to use computer word processing for your writing assignments.  The CAI Lab, Murphy 119, has IBM-compatible and Macintosh computers. There is, also, general use computer labs in Murphy Hall and LRC. All are free for student use.

 

Please use 12 point Times Roman, New Century Schoolbook or a comparable serif font. Be sure to double space and align flush left for all your essay materials, this includes both the rough draft and the final draft essay. Type your name and assignment number/date in the upper right corner of the first sheet.

 

Grading:

Points earned for all assignments carry the same value. Your final exam is included in the total points. No bonus points are available.  Work diligently on each assignment and earn every point you can, as we proceed through the semester. 

          792-880   90-100%   A

          704-792   80-89%    B

          616-704   70-79%    C

          528-616   60-69%    D

          Below 60%          F

IMPORTANT:  Remember that college policy requires that you earn a final letter grade of C, or better, to receive credit for English 104.  And, you may repeat the course only once.

 

Attendance:

You are expected to attend every class meetings. No points are deducted for absences; however, if you do not have a valid excuse for missing a class, you will not receive credit if submitting work due that day.

Moreover, you must submit assignments in person, at the beginning of each class period. Work turned in by other students or dropped by my office or mailbox, without a written excuse will be returned ungraded.

 

Instructor’s Information:

My office hours are MWF, from noon to 2 p.m. You may schedule an appointment at other times, on MWF. My office

 

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is in Eder, EFL office on the second floor. You may call the English department and leave a message for me.  Or, you may call my home phone: (816) 413-9387. You are welcome to call me in the evenings or on the weekend; please don’t call after 9 p.m.

My email address is: mgard12@juno.com and please feel free to write me when you have a question or concern. I check my email at least twice daily.

 

Academic Honesty:

You are always expected to do your own work for all assignments.  Having someone else develop the content of your essays or taking content from another source is plagiarism. For more complete details about plagiarism, see http://www.missouriwestern.edu/EFLJ/plagiarism.asp. Should I discover evidence of plagiarism, you will receive a lowered or failing semester grade.

 

Handicapped Policy:

Should you have any handicaps, whether apparent or not, please consult with me outside of class so that we might be able to work more effectively with one another.

 

And a smile….

 

          While we know, the ‘buck stops with you’ to

          successfully achieve in English 104...here’s

          a smile about how it ‘works’ in politics.