Syllabus for ENG 100-07

Introduction to College Writing-Composition and Language

Fall 2006

10:00-10:50 MWF  Murphy Hall 105 (lecture)

Writer’s Workshop:  T or Th 11:00-11:50  Eder Hall 222U/V

  

 

Instructor:            Pamela Montgomery           

Office:                   Popplewell Hall 309N and Eder Hall 222M

Office Phone:        816-271-4347 in PH and 816-271-4316 in EH                    

Office Hours:        by appointment only

E-mail:                  riverbluff@hughes.net                    

 

Required Texts and Course Materials:

·          An academic calendar 2006/07, in the MWSU bookstore in a variety of colors, $4

·          A 2 inch ringbinder

·          Non-spiral ruled paper, 3-hole punched

·          Access to a 3-hole punch (any college department office, politely ask permission before using)

·          Introduction to College Writing – ENG 100.  McGraw-Hill, 2006, Third edition.

·          A Troubleshooting Guide for Writers.  McGraw-Hill, 2005, Fourth edition.

·          1 3.5 inch computer disk

·          1 pocket folder

·          An email account

 

Semester’s Theme:  Who Am I?

Course Description:

      This section of ENG 100 will explore the question “Who am I?” in its readings and writings, and will focus on writing as a process.  We will (1) analyze and perform the steps that lead to a “finished” product, and (2) analyze and create the structures of strong college level writing.

      Your teacher, workshop leader, and fellow students will collaborate in your success, leaving you with the lesson that good writing is accomplished in a community, not in a vacuum.

You will complete four writing tasks.  A student who does not turn in complete responses to all four tasks will not pass the course even if the grades achieved in the other writing tasks are satisfactory.

·          Writing Task 1: Describing Significance Clearly (100 points)

·          Writing Task 2: Explaining What Things Mean (100 points)

·          Writing Task 3: Blending Reading and Writing  (100 points)

·          Writing Task 4: Re-Thinking Your Writing (100 points)

·          Pre-Writing and in-class mini-tasks throughout the semester:  165 points

  

Course Goals

Reading Goals

·          Read actively for greater understanding

·          Mine written texts for writing ideas

·          Achieve a holistic understanding of a given piece of literature

·          Acquire an appreciation for language both as a means of communication and as art

Writing Goals 

·          Use details to form the foundation of meaningful writing

·          Structure writing to fit the assignment, purpose, and audience

·          Craft more effective and polished sentences and paragraphs

·          Use effective planning, invention, revision, and editing to complete successful writing tasks

General Studies Goals

·          Think critically and reason analytically

·          Write and speak clearly and effectively

 

Methods of Instruction

      Methods of instruction include textbook, lectures, class discussions, group work, writer’s workshops, informal writing assignments and formal writing assignments.  Students will be expected to participate in peer revision groups and in-class writing exercises and mini-tasks, some of which will be graded and cannot be made up.  You will attend a Writer’s Workshop once a week:

Tuesday 11-11:50, Eder 222U-V or Thursday 11-11:50, Eder 222U-V

You will learn on the first day of class which workshop you will attend.

 

Rules and Regulations

 

Grading Policy

      Your grade will be determined on the basis of the writings you submit and your graded class participation over the course of the semester.  90-100 is an A; 80-89 is a B; 70-79 is a C; 60-69 is a D; below 60 is an F.  Remember that an F can also be earned by not turning in all 4 of the writing tasks, even if your other graded work is acceptable.  Also remember that you must earn a C or better in order to move into ENG 104.

 

Attendance Policy

      In order to improve student learning and to achieve compliance with federal financial aid policies, Missouri Western State University has a mandatory attendance policy for all 100-level courses:

If you miss 7 class periods of your MWF class, or 4 Writer’s Workshops, you will receive an F in the class.

A student will be given an excused absence when acting as an official representative of the university, provided the student gives prior written verification from the faculty/staff supervisor of the event; however, there are no other excused absences, exceptions or “make-ups” for this attendance requirement.  Furthermore, the maximum number of absences allowed before the midterm report on October 18 is 5 for MWF classes.  Therefore, when you have 6 absences for MWF before the midterm report, you will be reported to the Registrar’s Office, who will automatically withdraw you from this class.  The Financial Aid Office will reduce financial aid as appropriate.

  

Late Work

      All assignments are due at the beginning of the class period on the due date, or as otherwise specifically instructed for each assignment (some will be handed in by email, for example).  You may turn in one late paper, but it must be turned in at or before the beginning of the class session following its due date.  Remember:  you must complete, turn in, and receive a grade for all 4 Writing Tasks in order to pass this class.  If you are not in class on an assignment’s due date, you are still responsible for submitting your assignment on time.  In-class assignments cannot be made up.

 

Student Disability

      Any student in this course who has a disability that prevents the fullest expressions of abilities should contact Missouri Western's special needs coordinator, Michael Ritter, for possible certification of special needs and expert recommendations for assistance.  You should also contact me personally as soon as possible so that we can discuss class requirements.

 

Academic Honesty Policy

      Academic honesty is required in all academic endeavors.  Violations of academic honesty include any instance of plagiarism, cheating, seeking credit for another’s work, falsifying documents or academic records or any other fraudulent classroom activity.  You will receive a grade of F (0 points) for any paper/ assignment/exam that shows evidence of cheating and/or plagiarism and forfeit the opportunity to revise.  You have the burden of proving that a paper showing evidence of cheating or plagiarism has in fact been written by you.  You should keep thorough evidence of your writing processes for all papers so that you can meet this burden of proof.  When a student’s grade has been affected, violations of academic honesty will be reported to the Provost or the designated representative on the Academic Honesty Violation Report Forms.  Please note carefully the statement on plagiarism on the departmental website and refer to the 2006-07 Student Handbook and calendar on page 21 for specific activities identified as violations of this policy and the student due process procedure.  This handbook is also available online at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/handbook/index.pdf.

 

Note to My Students

      I am an adjunct instructor who teaches classes in other departments on campus and at other colleges.  Therefore, I do not keep office hours.  However, I am happy to make appointments with you to help you with anything that is of concern to you.  The best way to contact me to make an appointment is in person in class or by email, which I read constantly.  No problem is too small or too big for us to tackle in a conference.  I am dedicated to your success, and I hope you are too.

Syllabus Attachment

Instructor:  Pamela Montgomery

HCC ENG 100

Note:  This is the format you will use for this class.  Other teachers may ask you to use another format.  Always follow each teacher’s guidelines.

Paper Format

General Guidelines

  • When instructed to type your paper, type it on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper.
  • Double-space the text of your paper, and use Times New Roman, 12 point.
  • Leave two spaces after periods and colons, and one after commas and semi-colons.
  • Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides.  Indent the first line of a paragraph either one-quarter inch or one-half inch from the left margin.
  • Number all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner
  • For the titles of works you refer to, use either italics or underlining

Formatting the First Page of Your Paper

  • Do not make a title page for your paper.
  • Set your paper parameters to double space (under Format, then Paragraph in MS Word).  This will cause the paper to be double spaced throughout.
  • In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's name, the course, and the date the assignment is due (not the date you are writing it). 
  • Center the title.  Don't underline your title or put it in quotation marks; instead, capitalize each important word in the title.

  •  

    Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name, followed by a space with a page number; number all pages consecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.).