San Jos� State University English 1A, Fall 2010 Instructor: Mary Williams Office Location: Faculty Office Building 215 Telephone: 408-924-5063 Email: marytw53@gmail.com Office Hours: M/T/W/R 10:30-11:20AM Class Days/Time: M/W 9:00AM and 1:30PM Classroom: Engineering 338, Sweeney Hall 239 Prerequisites: Prerequisites: Placement by the English Proficiency Test (EPT), or passage of an approved substitute course for the EPT. English 1A Course Guidelines English 1A is the first course in SJSU�s two-semester lower-division composition sequence; it provides an introduction to baccalaureate-level composition, with attention to the �personal voice� and personal experience, on the one hand, and the more formal attitudes and demands of writing at the university (expository and argumentative essays), on the other. Students will develop college-level reading abilities, rhetorical sophistication, and writing styles that give form and coherence to complex ideas and feelings. Course Objectives: Students shall achieve the ability to write complete essays that demonstrate college-level proficiency in all of the following: � Clear and effective communication of meaning. � An identifiable focus, tailored to a particular audience and purpose (argumentative essays will state their thesis clearly and show an awareness, implied or stated, of some opposing point of view). � The ability to perform effectively the essential steps of the writing process (prewriting, organizing, composing, revising, and editing). � The ability to explain, analyze, develop, and criticize ideas effectively. � Effective use within their own essays of supporting material drawn from reading or other sources. � Effective organization within the paragraph and the essay. � Accuracy, variety, and clarity of sentences. � Appropriate diction. Williams, English 1A, Fall 2010 Page 1 of 10 � Control of conventional mechanics (e.g., punctuation, spelling, reference, agreement). General Education Area A2 Student Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: SLO 1: Students shall write complete essays that demonstrate the ability to perform effectively the essential steps in the writing process (prewriting, organizing, composing, revising, and editing). SLO 2: Students shall write complete essays that demonstrate the ability to express (explain, analyze, develop, and criticize) ideas effectively. SLO 3: Students shall write complete essays that demonstrate the ability to use correct grammar (syntax, mechanics, and citation of sources) at a college level of sophistication. SLO 4: Students shall write complete essays that demonstrate the ability to write for different audiences. Course Content Writing: Writing assignments shall give students repeated practice in all phases of the writing process: prewriting, organizing, writing, revising, and editing. This class requires appropriately sequenced essays totaling a minimum of 8000 words. This minimum requirement excludes the final examination, journal writing, quizzes, and any brief or informal assignments. However, it can include assignments that require major revisions of drafts already submitted for a grade and commented on by peers and/or instructor. A major revision is defined as a significant rethinking and reworking of an assignment, and not a simple �correcting� of mechanical errors noted on the original. At least three (but no more than four) essays shall be written in class. How the 8000-word minimum will be met and distributed must be clearly indicated on greensheets. Students shall receive frequent evaluation of their writing from the instructor. In evaluating student writing, instructors shall comment on specific features of individual papers. Comments shall encourage and acknowledge student success as well as note problems and suggest ways to improve. Reading: Reading for the course shall be extensive and intensive and include useful models of writing for academic, general, and specific audiences. Research: English 1A may initiate students in the use of the library, but library research is not a required element of the course. Diversity: Assignments (both reading and writing) shall address issues of race, class, and gender when appropriate, and the perspectives of women and diverse cultural groups shall be incorporated into course instruction and materials in an inclusive and comprehensive manner whenever possible. Tutoring: San Jose State University provides students with free tutoring at the Writing Center and at the Learning Assistance Resource Center (LARC). Both of these centers will help students at any stage of the writing process, from brainstorming to major reorganization to stylistic polishing. Students of all abilities are encouraged to use these services; it is a common myth that these services are for "dumb" students, but no Williams, English 1A, Fall 2010 Page 2 of 10 published author made it without another pair of eyes on her/his work. LARC is located under the 10th Street parking garage in SSC 600. (408) 924-2587. The Writing Center is located on the first floor of Clark Hall in Room 126. (408) 9242308. You can schedule an appointment here: http://www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter/tutoring/requestforappointment/index.htm Course Materials: A dictionary, a rhetoric (or rhetoric/reader), and a handbook are appropriate materials to require of students. The University Essay Final Exam: A common essay final, graded holistically, shall count 20 percent toward the course grade. A single university-wide final will be developed around a college-level reading passage each semester by the English Department Composition Committee. All faculty members teaching individual sections will grade the examination holistically under controlled conditions. Students must take the final exam in order to pass the course. Grading: A-F. This class must be passed with a C or higher to move on to English 1B (C- is not acceptable for 1B). A passing grade in the course signifies that the student is a capable college-level writer and reader of English. Required Texts/Readings Textbooks Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing, Eighth Edition, Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle, Bedford/St. Martin's , 2010. ISBN-10: 0-312-54854-0 or ISBN-13: 978-0-312-54854-4. The Curious Writer, Concise Edition, Third Edition, Bruce Ballenger, Longman, 2009. ISBN-10: 0-205-78019-9 or ISBN-13: 978-0-205-78019-8 The Longman Concise Companion, Second Edition, Chris M. Anson, Robert A. Schwegler, Marcia A. Muth, Longman, 2010. ISBN-10: 0-205-67366X or ISBN-13: 978-0-205-67366-7 A college-level English dictionary, such as Merriam-Webster or American Heritage. Other material requirements Large examination booklets, at least one of them a yellow exam book. Library Liaison Toby Matoush, Toby.Matoush@sjsu.edu Classroom Protocol You will be on time to class, and stay the entire time. All electronic devices will be turned off and stowed before entering class, unless you have an exception from the DRC. Electronic devices used during class will be confiscated for the class period. You will bring your books to each class meeting. Williams, English 1A, Fall 2010 Page 3 of 10 You will participate in class discussions, exercises, quizzes, and all other classroom activities. You will come to class prepared to participate, having read the assigned readings for the day, having completed any homework, and having prepared questions or comments about the assigned readings. All homework will be assigned in class, and must be typed in a 12-point font, unless otherwise specified. Missed homework assignments may NOT be made up without an acceptable excuse, and acceptable is determined by me. Quizzes and other class activities may not be made up. If you miss a class, ask a classmate what you missed, including assignments. If you miss class due to illness, please contact me via email to let me know, and bring a doctor's note when you return to class so you can make up any missed work. Hard copies of essays and all other work will be handed in; I do NOT accept emailed or faxed papers (essays, homework, reader responses, etc.). Essay assignments will be handed out in class and include due dates and additional requirements not listed above. Dropping and Adding Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drop, grade forgiveness, etc. Refer to the current semester�s Catalog Policies section at http://info.sjsu.edu/static/catalog/policies.html. Add/drop deadlines can be found on the current academic calendar web page located at http://www.sjsu.edu/academic_programs/calendars/academic_calendar/. The Late Drop Policy is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/aars/policies/latedrops/policy/. Students should be aware of the current deadlines and penalties for dropping classes. Information about the latest changes and news is available at the Advising Hub at http://www.sjsu.edu/advising/. Assignments and Grading Policy Readings: All readings must be done prior to coming to class on the day they are assigned. � There will be assignments and quizzes based on the readings. � If you miss a class, contact a classmate for missed material and to get assignments. � Be prepared to discuss the readings in class, bringing pertinent questions or making helpful comments. In-class essays: There will be three in-class essays throughout the semester, beginning with the diagnostic essay. � Bring large exam booklets, pens, scratch paper, and a non-electronic dictionary. Williams, English 1A, Fall 2010 Page 4 of 10 � In-class essays cannot be made up without a written medical excuse or other documentation I deem acceptable; within one week, there will be no penalty. � You will stay the entire class period to write the in-class essay. In-class essays are graded with a rubric that includes four categories: content and ideas, organization, style, and mechanics. Rubrics will be distributed and discussed in class. Including the rubric, in-class essays will be marked and commented upon. Read all marks and comments. This feedback system is designed to help you improve your writing; you are responsible for understanding all marks and comments and showing progress in subsequent writing assignments by using the feedback provided. Out-of-class essays: There will be three out-of-class essays throughout the semester. � You will receive assignments detailing all of the requirements for out-of-class essays, including due dates and word requirements. � All essays must be turned in on time, at the beginning of the class on the day they are due. � Late essays will be accepted only with a written medical excuse or other documentation I deem acceptable; within one week, there will be no penalty. � The penalty for late essays that are not excused is a 10-point (10%) deduction for each calendar day late. � All out-of-class essays will follow MLA guidelines for formatting and citations; failure to follow MLA guidelines will result in point deductions. � All out-of-class essays must be uploaded to turnitin.com prior to coming to class on the day they are due. Failure to upload the essay will result in a grade of F. � Uploading the essay late will result in a 10-point (10%) deduction for each calendar day late. � Peer-edited essays (when part of the assignment) must be turned in with the final essay or there will be a 10-point (10%) deduction. In order to get full credit for out-of-class essays, you must bring the hard copy to class on the due date and upload the essay before coming to class on the due date. Out-of-class essays are graded with a rubric that includes four categories: content and ideas, style, organization, and mechanics. Rubrics will be distributed and discussed in class. Including the rubric, out-of-class essays will be marked and commented upon. Read all marks and comments. This feedback system is designed to help you improve your writing; you are responsible for understanding all marks and comments and showing progress in subsequent writing assignments by using the feedback provided. Please note: All written work (essays, reader responses, homework assignments) must demonstrate competency in the grammatical, syntactical, and mechanical conventions of Standard English in order to receive a passing grade. In this course, a grammatically, syntactically, and mechanically competent piece of writing is one that contains no more than two errors the impede clear transmission of meaning and does not repeat an error marked on a previous assignment. Williams, English 1A, Fall 2010 Page 5 of 10 All essays must be written and turned in to pass the course. There is a 48-hour waiting period to see me about an essay grade. Workshops: Several out-of-class essays will be workshopped in class prior to the essay due date. � The workshop protocol will be distributed and discussed in class prior to the first workshop. � A completed rough draft will be finished prior to the workshop; outlines, incomplete, and/or handwritten essays are not acceptable. � The workshopped essays must be turned in with the final essay on the due date; failure to do so will result in a 10-point (10%) deduction of the essay grade. � Workshops cannot be made up. Homework: There will be homework assigned every week, in class, made up of reader responses, paragraph revisions, grammar exercises, research assignments, and additional readings not on the syllabus. � All homework must be turned in on time by the due date and will be used for class participation. � Homework cannot be made up without a written medical excuse or other documentation deemed acceptable by me; within one week, there will be no penalty. � If you miss class, contact another student to get any homework assignments. Class Participation: Your presence in class is necessary for participation. Class participation will be made up of in-class exercises, quizzes, and discussions based on the readings and homework. Class participation is assessed as follows: A = Regular, helpful questions and comments; fully engaged B = Occasional, pertinent questions and comments; good listening C = Infrequent, tangential questions or comments; attentiveness questionable D = Rare interaction; disengaged from discussion; not prepared for class F = Regularly absent, physically or mentally Active class participation depends upon preparation done outside of the class, which includes reader responses, paragraph revisions, and all other written homework. These assignments will be assessed as follows: 5 points (A) = all tasks completed fully, accurately, and demonstrates competent writing 4 points (B) = all tasks completed, demonstrates competent writing, though may contain an error 3 points (C) = most tasks completed, demonstrates fair writing, perhaps including a major error or a few minor errors 2 points (D) = tasks incomplete, demonstrates weak writing, including several errors 1 point (F) = tasks incomplete or mismanaged, demonstrates weak writing including errors that impede meaning Williams, English 1A, Fall 2010 Page 6 of 10 The class participation part of the grade is made up of all in-class activities, all homework, reader responses, paragraph revisions, and grammar exercises. There is no extra credit for this class. Your final grade will be determined as follows: Essays: 60% (Diagnostic--in-class essay-0%, #2--out-of-class essay-7%, #3--out-of-class essay-9%, #4--outof- class essay-10%, #5--in-class essay-10%, #6--in-class essay-10%, #7--out-of-class essay-14%) Class Participation: 20% (Class participation includes reader responses, in-class activities, quizzes, paragraph revisions, homework, and grammar exercises.) Final Exam: 20% The Department of English reaffirms its commitment to the differential grading scale as defined in the official SJSU Catalog (�The Grading System�). Grades issued must represent a full range of student performance: A = excellent; B = above average; C = average; D = below average; F = failure. Courses graded according to the A, B, C, NoCredit system shall follow the same pattern, except that NC, for NoCredit, shall replace C-, D, or F. In A,B,C,NoCredit courses NC shall also substitute for W (for Withdrawal) because neither NC nor W affects students� grade point averages. University Policies Academic integrity Your commitment as a student to learning is evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University. The University�s Academic Integrity policy, located at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/S07-2.htm, requires you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The Student Conduct and Ethical Development website is available at http://www.sa.sjsu.edu/judicial_affairs/index.html. Instances of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Cheating on exams or plagiarism (presenting the work of another as your own, or the use of another person�s ideas without giving proper credit) will result in a failing grade and sanctions by the University. For this class, all assignments are to be completed by the individual student unless otherwise specified. If you would like to include your assignment or any material you have submitted, or plan to submit for another class, please note that SJSU�s Academic Policy S07-2 requires approval of instructors. Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires that students with disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) at http://www.drc.sjsu.edu/ to establish a record of their disability. Williams, English 1A, Fall 2010 Page 7 of 10 English 1A, Composition, Fall 2010, Course Schedule The instructor reserves the right to modify readings, assignments, and deadlines as necessary. All changes will be communicated in class with ample notice. Additional readings and all homework will be assigned in class or via email during the course of the semester. Table 1 Course Schedule Week Date Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines 1 August 25 Introduction and syllabus review; Homework: Send me a well- written email that includes your full name and which class section your are in (SLO 3, 4). 2 August 30 September 1 Essay #1: Diagnostic--700 words (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4): Bring large bluebooks, pens, scratch paper, and a non-electronic dictionary; Curious Writer (CW): 3-39 (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4) Essay #2 assignment--Writing Process, 1500 words (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4); CW: 75-84 (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4) 3 September 6 September 8 Labor Day--No class! CW: 85-92 (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4); Rereading America (RA): "Learning Power" and "From Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education, 1848" (SLO 2); Review Diagnostic essays; grammar exercises using student sentences 4 September 13 September 15 CW: 93-105 (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4); RA: "Idiot Nation" (SLO 2) RA: "Against School" and "I Just Wanna Be Average" (SLO 2, 4) 5 September 20 September 22 DUE: Essay #2; Essay #3 assignment--1000 words (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4); CW: 374-80 (SLO 1, 3) CW: 173-80, 381-85 (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4); RA: "From Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work" (SLO 2, 4) 6 September 27 September 29 CW: 183-91, 385-92 (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4); RA: "Still Separate, Still Unequal" (SLO 2, 4) CW: 192-97, 393-403 (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4); RA: "Learning to Read" (SLO 2, 4) 7 October 4 CW: 198-204 (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4); RA: "In the Basement of the Ivory Tower" (SLO 2, 4) Williams, English 1A, Fall 2010 Page 8 of 10 Week Date Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines October 6 DUE: Essay #3; Essay #4 assignment--1600 words (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4); CW: 205-19 (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4) 8 October 11 October 13 CW: 221-31 (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4); RA: "Money and Success" and "From Ragged Dick" (SLO 2, 4) CW: 233-40 (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4); RA: "Horatio Alger" and "Living It: Tim Blixseth" (SLO 2, 4) 9 October 18 October 20 CW: 243-51 (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4); RA: "Serving in Florida" (SLO 2, 4) CW: 251-59 (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4); RA: "Class in America--2006" (SLO 2, 4) 10 October 25 October 27 Workshop Essay #4 (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4); DUE: Essay #4; Essay #7 assignment--1700 words (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4); CW: 293-98 (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4); RA: "From The Missing Class" (SLO 2, 4) 11 November 1 November 3 CW: 299-304 (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4); RA: "Tent City, USA," "From America's New Working Class," and "Stephen Cruz" (SLO 2, 4) CW: 39-53 (SLO 2, 4); RA: "True Women and Real Men: Myths of Gender" 12 November 8 November 10 CW: 54-72 (SLO 2, 4); RA: "How the Americans Understand the Equality of the Sexes" (SLO 2, 4) In-class Essay--Essay #4--750 words (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4) 13 November 15 November 17 RA: "Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender" (SLO 2, 4) RA: "A Boy's Life" and "Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt: Advertising and Violence" (SLO 2, 4) 14 November 22 November 24 RA: "The Descent of Men" and "The Death of Macho" (SLO 2, 4) In-class Essay--Essay #6--750 words--Practice Final (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4) 15 November 29 December 1 Review In-class Essay #6; Prepare for final exam (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4) Prepare for final exam (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4) Williams, English 1A, Fall 2010 Page 9 of 10 Week Date Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines December 4 *Saturday* Final Exam 8:00AM, location TBA 16 December 6 December 8 Workshop Essay #7 (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4) DUE: Essay #7; Cumulative Quiz Final Exam December 4 8:00AM, place to be determined. Williams, English 1A, Fall 2010 Page 10 of 10