COURSE SYLLABUS ENGL-125, WRITING SKILLS FOR COLLEGE (Section # 25110; 4 units) Instructor: Jennifer Rios FCC Email: jennifer.rios@fresnocitycollege.edu Class Day/Time: Online ================================================================= A. COURSE DESCRIPTION: Develops the process of writing, revising and finishing short papers, including logical development and organization of ideas. Emphasizes avoiding common writing errors; develops critical thinking and writing skills by reading model essays by analyzing and utilizing rhetorical strategies appropriate to purpose and audience. Develops basic research skills. Prepares students for English 1A. B. PREREQUISITE FOR THE COURSE: Designated score on English placement test, or satisfactory completion of English 252 or 282. Not recommended for students learning English as a second language. C. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to 1. Write expository essays which demonstrate an understanding of detailed and organized introductory, body, and concluding paragraphs using basic rhetorical strategies 2. Employ all aspects of the writing process (establish writing topics, narrow purpose and audience, develop those topics with evidence and support, revise and edit papers). 3. Avoid errors in conventions and to write clearly with regard to grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. 4. Utilize research skills in the preparation of a 4-6 page argumentative paper and use MLA style. D. REQUIRED TEXTS/DOWNLOADS: 1. Textbook: College Writing Skills, ISBN: 978-1-3086-4009-9. This is available at the FCC bookstore and costs about $37-50. You can buy it new or used. You need to buy the textbook by Mon. Aug. 22. If you need a digital copy of the textbook because of a disability, please contact me.
2. Microsoft Word: Please use Microsoft Word to complete writing assignments. It is FREE for students. You can download it by going to https://products.office.com/enus/student/office-in-education. If you have trouble downloading it to your computer or tablet, please contact the Student Call Center: (559) 499-6070. 3. PDF Reader: Students will need to download a PDF reader to read PDF files offline. I suggest you use the free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you can download from this website: https://get.adobe.com/reader/otherversions/. If you primarily use a tablet for this course, you do not need to download Adobe onto your tablet. Check your tablet to see if you already have a PDF reader, or download one from your app store. E. COURSE POLICIES: PREPARATION: To succeed in this course, you should: Set aside at least 12 hours a week to complete coursework. Do not expect this class to be less time-consuming than a regular class; in fact, it may be more time-consuming for you. Check Blackboard and/or your school email several times a week for important announcements. You may want to download the Blackboard app on your phone or tablet so you get announcements more quickly and conveniently. Expect problems, and plan for them: Have a Plan B to prepare yourself for computer problems and other emergencies. If your computer freezes, whose computer can you borrow? Do you have time to go to campus or a library to use a public computer? If you have to stay late for work or don t have childcare, how will you get your assignments done in time? As these scenarios suggest, completing assignments several hours before the deadline will help you be prepared for technology problems and other emergencies. ASSIGNMENTS: You should make every effort to submit an assignment on time. But, when unexpected stuff happens, you are allowed to submit an assignment up to 4 days late for partial credit, unless otherwise noted. For example, if an assignment is due Saturday, 11 pm, the latest you can turn it in is the following Wednesday, 11 pm. For every day that an assignment is late, 10% will be taken off the assignment's final score. To get an even longer extension, you must email me and clearly explain why you need more than 4 days. You must also provide documentation to verify your reasons (e.g. a doctor's note, paperwork from an apartment manager or boss, etc.). If you are unsure of what type of documentation to provide, just ask me, and I can give you some suggestions.
I have this late policy because I want to give everyone a little grace, while at the same time giving fair credit to those who turn in assignments on time. "4 days" may seem like a random number, but it was carefully chosen to give you a little time to catch up, while also helping you stay on top of the current assignments. If you are struggling in the course, there are many support services that you can access online or on campus. Some of these support services (tutoring, technology help, disabled student services) are listed below and/or are posted on Blackboard. Technology problems: If the whole campus server is down when an assignment is due, I will extend the due date for that assignment. If you have any other technology problems, please try to document them. Example: If Blackboard will not let you open a quiz, take a screenshot that shows this problem. If you take a screenshot, try to get the computer s clock/calendar in the screenshot, too, so you can verify the time and date when the incident occurred. Troubleshooting Tip: You can often solve technology problems by simply using a different computer. Try the public computers at the nearest college library or local library. ATTENDANCE/PARTICIPATION: Even though you are not attending this class in person, I will still be keeping track of your attendance and participation through Blackboard. Participation and attendance include turning in assignments on time and regularly logging on to Blackboard (which Blackboard keeps a detailed record of). Participating consistently in the course is the only way for you to succeed! Active participation in class requires a safe and trusting environment. Therefore, it is important for us to respect each other s views and comments, even if we disagree with them. I encourage debate and thought-provoking discussion, but it must be respectful and polite. If you post rude, inconsiderate, or harsh comments on Blackboard or Voicethread, you will be asked to revise your comments. To ensure you are not dropped from the course as a no-show, you must complete the first assignment, which is due on Wednesday, 8/17 (see Blackboard for details). If you have to miss the first assignment during Week 1 due to extenuating circumstances, please email me ASAP to avoid being dropped. It is also possible to be dropped after week 1. If you miss 6 or more assignments before the last drop date (Oct. 14), I may drop you for low participation. So, please email me if an extenuating circumstance causes you to miss several assignments. These policies are designed to help you drop in a timely manner if the course doesn t suit you. For example, you may discover that you prefer face-to-face classes, or that my teaching style doesn t really work for you. Dropping a class isn t always a bad thing it is usually better to drop a class than to get an F on your transcript. COMMUNICATION: Please follow these guidelines for communicating with me:
For general questions about the course (due dates, assignments instructions, etc.): Please post these types of questions on the Q&A page on Blackboard. That way, other students who have the same questions can see the answers too. If you know the answer to a question posted by a student, please feel free to reply to that student s post! For personal questions (grades, personal problems): please email me at jennifer.rios@fresnocitycollege.edu. You must email me through your student email address, not through any other personal email address. In your email, please include the course name, Engl-125, so I know which class you are from. I will do my best to respond within 24 hours Monday-Friday. (Note: I do not check my work email Friday, 5 pm to Monday, 8 am.) If you do not receive an email from me after several days, assume I did not get your email and resend it. Live Chat: I am also available for live chats through Skype and Facebook (username for both: jenannrios). Please email me at least 24 hours in advance to schedule an appointment. I am available for appointments Monday through Friday, afternoons and evenings. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: CHEATING Cheating is an act or attempted act of taking an examination or performing an assigned, evaluated task in a fraudulent or deceptive manner, such as having improper access to answers, in an attempt to gain unearned academic advantage. Cheating may include, but is not limited to, copying from another s work, supplying one s work to another, giving or receiving copies of examinations without an instructor s permission, using or displaying notes or devices inappropriate to the conditions of the examination, allowing someone other than the officially enrolled student to represent the student, or failing to disclose research results completely. PLAGIARISM Plagiarism is a specific form of cheating and is the use of another s words or ideas without identifying them as such or giving credit to the source. Plagiarism may include, but is not limited to, failing to provide complete citations and references for all work that draws on the ideas, words or work of others, failing to identify the contributors to work done in collaboration, submitting duplicate work to be evaluated in different courses without the knowledge or consent of the instructors involved, or encouraging, permitting, or assisting another to do nay act that could subject him or her to discipline. Incidents of cheating and plagiarism may result in a variety of sanctions and penalties that may range from a failing grade on the particular examination, paper, project, or assignment in
question to a failing grade in the course, at the discretion of the instructor and depending on the severity and frequency of the incidents. (FCC Course Catalogue) If you cheat on or plagiarize an assignment, you will receive a failing ( F ) grade on that assignment. You may be allowed to re-do the assignment to raise your score. Multiple instances of cheating and plagiarism may cause you to fail the course. LEARNING DISABILITIES: Students with disabilities should identify themselves to the college and instructor as soon as possible so that reasonable accommodations can be made. For more information, contact the Fresno City College Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSP&S) in the Administration Building. Voice/TDD: 559-442-8237 Video: 559-442-8242 TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT: 1. Blackboard: All class assignments will be submitted through Blackboard. If you have trouble with Blackboard, you can get help 24/7 via phone (1-866-401-7784) or web: http://bbcrm.edusupportcenter.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptid=8032 You can also call the Student Systems Support Call Center (see info below). 2. SCCCD Email: Each student has an email account. If you do not know your email account, or you have problems with getting into your SCCCD email account from home, contact the Student Systems Support Call Center (see info below). 3. Student Systems Support Call Center: Students and faculty may continue to call 866-24-LEARN (53276) and (559) 499-6070 for assistance with WebAdvisor, Blackboard/Canvas, and Student Email. Calls to the Fresno City College, Reedley College, and Clovis Community College helpdesks will be routed to this central call center. Our staff will assist students and staff with login issues and with instructions on how to navigate these systems. Also, they will answer general questions and route calls to the appropriate college departments as needed. The call center will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours during the first week of each semester (Source: Mirna Duarte, highlights added by me). 4. Help Desk: Lastly, you can email the Help Desk at helpdesk@fresnocitycollege.edu. F. GRADING POLICY AND REQUIREMENTS: At the end of the semester, you will get a letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F. To pass the class, a student needs to earn a letter grade of C or better. The assignments in this class are
weighted, so your total grade will be expressed as a percentage, not in points. Here is the letter equivalent to each percentage: A: 100-90% B: 89-80% C: 79-70% D: 69-60% F: 59% or lower Check your grades on Blackboard at least once a week. Unless otherwise stated, I will grade assignments by the end of the following week. EACH CATEGORY BELOW WILL BE USED TO GRADE YOUR WORK AND LEVEL OF COMPREHENSION: MAJOR ESSAYS: 60% There are four major essay assignments. Because we are writing multiple drafts of each essay, you will have multiple chances to revise and re-submit the same essay (there are separate due dates for first, second, and third drafts). Since you will have multiple chances to revise an essay, it is better to turn in an incomplete essay draft then nothing at all! If you skip a draft, you will lose points, but more importantly, you will be missing out on helpful feedback from me, your tutor, and your peers. Thus, I encourage you to not skip any draft due dates. Each writing assignment, including essays, needs to be uploaded to Blackboard in.doc,.docx, or.pdf format. Writing assignments that are not in these formats will receive a 0 grade and will need to be re-submitted. QUIZZES: 10% To check comprehension of course material, students will be assigned quizzes based on the textbook. These quizzes are open-book, which means you can look at your book and notes while taking the quizzes. TUTOR FEEDBACK: 10% You are required to get tutor feedback (online or in person) for each essay. In other words, you must meet with a tutor at least 4 TIMES this semester. If you cannot manage that, you should not take the course. ALL OTHER ASSIGNMENTS: 20% To prepare you to write each major essay, you will also be completing various reading, writing, grammar, and brainstorming activities. These activities may include reading and responding to professional and peer essays, doing online grammar activities, writing preliminary drafts, and recording comments using Voicethread. EXTRA CREDIT: You are required to submit two drafts of each essay, but you can submit a third draft of any essay to get a higher score. (See due dates in the schedule below.)
Also, there are online grammar activities you can do for extra credit. These are posted on Blackboard in the folder called Grammar Resources. You can do a maximum of 15 online grammar activities for extra credit. For every 5 activities you do, your grade will raise by 1%. The most you can raise your grade through these activities is 3%. All online grammar activities are due by Sat., Dec. 17. Final Note: The instructor may make changes to this syllabus as needed.
SCHEDULE FOR ENGL-125 This schedule is subject to change; check Blackboard for updates. 1. Due dates: Unless otherwise stated, all assignments are due by 11:00 pm (PST) on the due date. 2. Assignment availability: Assignments are divided into weekly folders. Each folder will become available on the first day of the week (Sunday). 3. Abbreviation: Bb = Blackboard Week Dates Assignments Due 1 Wed, Aug. 17 Create a Voicethread account and record a comment (Voicethread activity 1). Sat., Aug. 21 1. Take Quiz 1 (syllabus quiz, open-book). 2. Complete the two online readiness quizzes, and submit screenshots of your scores. 3. Complete one of the readiness modules, and write a reflection (minimum 150-word response) on the discussion board. 4. Descriptive Outline Due fill out the template & submit. 2 Mon., Aug 22 You must have your textbook by this date. Sat., Aug. 27 1. Descriptive Draft 1 Due with LABELS. Your draft should be minimum 1000 words (about 3-4 pages). 2. Textbook Assignments: Complete the following activities in your textbook, and submit photos of your answers (answer key Read pp. 8-16. Complete Activities 2, 3, and 4. Read p. 245, Hyphen, and complete Activity 5. Read pp. 255-257, How to Read Well: Four General Steps 3. Add an avatar (profile picture) on Blackboard. 4. Read Tan, What Your Closet Reveals About You (pp. 277-280). Then, respond to the questions on the discussion board (minimum 150-word response). 3 Fri., Sep. 2 LAST DAY TO ADD A CLASS
Week Dates Assignments Due Sat., Sep. 3 1. Submit Proof of Online or In-Person Tutoring for Descriptive Draft 1. 2. Write a 100-word response to one of your classmate s essays. 3. Textbook Assignments: Complete the following activities in your textbook, and submit photos of your answers (answer key Read pp. 88-92, and complete activities 1 and 2. Read pp. 178-9, Read pp. 183-187, and complete activities 1 and 2 4. Take Quiz 2 (it is open-book and cumulative). Sun., Sep. 4 LAST DAY TO DROP A CLASS ON WEBADVISOR. If you drop the class after this date, you will receive a W ( Withdrawal ) on your transcript. 4 Sat., Sep. 10 1. Descriptive Draft 2 Due: Remove labels and submit through Bb (3-4 pages, minimum 1000 words). 2. Read Russell, Three Passions (pp. 284). Then, respond to the questions on the discussion board (minimum 150-word response). 3. Complete Voicethread activity 2. 4. Textbook Assignments: Complete the following activities in your textbook, and submit photos of your answers (answer key Read pp. 28-37. Complete activities 10 and 14 on pp. 48-51. Review pp. 92-94 & complete activity 3. Read pp. 99-101 and do activity 7. 5 Sat, Sep. 17 1. Cause-Effect Outline Due: fill in the template & submit. 2. Textbook Assignments: Complete the following activities in your textbook, and submit photos of your answers on Bb (Answer key Read pp. 40-44 and do activities 5 & 6. Read pp. 190-199 and complete activities 1, 2, 5 & 6. Sun., Sep. 18 Submit Descriptive Draft 3: This is REQUIRED for students who received a failing grade ( D or F ) on Draft 2. This is OPTIONAL for students who received a passing grade ( C or higher) on Draft 2, but still want to get a higher score.
Week Dates Assignments Due 6 Sat., Sep. 24 1. Submit Cause-Effect Draft 1 with labels (3-4 pages, minimum 1000 words). 2. Quiz 3 (open-book & cumulative) 7 Sat., Oct. 1 1. Complete Online or In-Person Tutoring for Cause-Effect Draft 1. 2. Write a 100-word response to one of your classmate s comparative essays. 3. Textbook Assignments: Complete the following activities in your textbook, and submit photos of your answers (answer key Read pp. 61-64 and complete the fill-in-the-blank problems. Review pp. 178-180. Complete only the FIRST activity on p. 180 (the one that asks you to identify subjects, verbs, and dependent/independent clauses). Read pp. 102-105 and do activity 9. 8 Sat., Oct. 8 1. Draft 2 of Cause-Effect Essay Due: Remove labels and submit (3-4 pages, minimum 1000 words). 2. Textbook Assignments: Complete the following activities in your textbook, and submit photos of your answers (answer key Read pp. 65-68 and complete Activity 2. Read pp. 69-72, and Complete Activity 4. Read pp. 204-207 and do activities 1 & 4. 3. Read Stepping Into the Light (pp. 290-295) OR The Certainty of Fear (pp. 270-273). Then, respond to ONE of the Critical Reading questions on the discussion board (minimum 150-words). 4. Complete Voicethread activity 3. 9 Fri., Oct. 14 Last day to drop course with a W on transcript. Students who have missed 6 or more assignments by this date may be dropped. Sat., Oct. 15 1. Narrative Outline Due: fill in the template & submit. 2. Textbook Assignments: Complete the following activities in your textbook, and submit photos of your answers (answer key Read pp. 72-78, then do activities 5 & 6.
Week Dates Assignments Due Read pp. 210-213 and do activities 1 & 2. 3. Complete Quiz 4 (open-book & cumulative) Sun., Oct 16 Submit Cause-Effect Draft 3: This is REQUIRED for students who received a failing grade ( D or F ) on Draft 2. This is OPTIONAL for students who received a passing grade ( C or higher) on Draft 2, but still want to get a higher score. 10 Sat., Oct. 22 1. Complete Citations activity on Blackboard. 2. Complete Voicethread 4 (choose research topic). 3. Textbook Assignments: Complete the following activities in your textbook, and submit photos of your answers (answer key a. Read pp. 151-162 and complete Activity 2. b. Read the notes in the margins on pp. 168-173. (These notes will be covered in the next quiz.) Sun., Oct. 23 Narrative Draft 1 Due (with labels). (Minimum 1000 words, 3-4 pages). 11 Sat., Oct. 29 1. Write a 100-word response to one of your classmate s narrative essays. 2. Research report 1: Background information (400 words, 1-1.5 pages) Sun., Oct. 30 Complete Online or In-Person Tutoring for your Narrative Essay. 12 Sat., Nov. 5 Textbook Assignments: Complete the following activities in your textbook, and submit photos of your answers (answer key Sun., Nov. 6 Read pp. 122-126 and do activities 1 and 2. Read pp. 216-221 and complete Review Test 2 on p. 223. Narrative Draft 2 Due. Remove labels and submit (3-4 pages, minimum 1000 words). 13 Sat, Nov. 12 1. Textbook Assignments: Complete the following activities in your textbook, and submit photos of your answers (answer key Start on p. 126, Base 2: Support, and continue to p. 133. Do activities 3 & 5. Read pp. 224-225 and complete the fill-in-the-blank problems. 2. Read Kibin s article about argumentative essays/learn about CRAP criteria for reliable sources 3. Research report 2: Arguments (400 words, 1-1.5 pages)
Week Dates Assignments Due Sun., Nov. 13 Submit Narrative Draft 3: This is REQUIRED for students who received a failing grade ( D or F ) on Draft 2. This is OPTIONAL for students who received a passing grade ( C or higher) on Draft 2, but still want to get a higher score. 14 Sat, Nov. 19 1. Read idebate webpage related to your topic 2. Research report 3: Counterarguments (400 words, 1-1.5 pages) 3. Complete Quiz 5 (cumulative & open-book) 15 Sun., Nov. 27 Argumentative Research Draft 1 Due (with labels, minimum 1300 words, about 4-6 pages). 16 Sun., Dec. 4 1. Complete Online or In-Person Tutoring for Argumentative Research Draft 1. 2. Write a 100-word response to one of your classmate s research essays. 3. Textbook Assignments: Complete the following activities in your textbook, and submit photos of your answers (answer key o Read pp. 227-230 and complete activity 4. o Read pp. 232-235 and do activities 1 & 2. 17 Sun., Dec. 11 1. Argumentative Research Draft 2 Due. Remove labels and submit. (4-6 pages, 1300 words minimum, NOT including Works Cited page) 2. Textbook Assignments: Complete the following activities in your textbook, and submit photos of your answers (answer key Read pp. 236-238 and do activities 4 & 5. Read pp. 242-244 and do activities 1, 2, 3 & 4. Read pp. 248-252. (For the quiz, be familiar with the 6 major steps of improving spelling.) 18 Sat., Dec. 17 (no late work will be accepted) 1. Quiz 6 (open-book and cumulative) 2. Submit Argumentative Research Draft 3: This is REQUIRED for students who received a failing grade ( D or F ) on Draft 2. This is OPTIONAL for students who received a passing grade ( C or higher) on Draft 2, but still want to get a higher score. 3. Class Survey. 4. All extra credit grammar activities due this day.