Please print this document for your records Welcome to ENGL 101& English Composition I Course Syllabus Instructor Information: Instructor: Ann M. Salak I have been teaching English composition and literature at Pierce College for twenty-six years. I live in Gig Harbor overlooking the Olympic mountain range and "share" my home on Hermit Hill with a menagerie of black bear, coyotes, raccoons, cats, eagles, and a wide assortment of other birds. In addition to my online classes, I teach "grounded" classes at Pierce College Puyallup. Come see me when on campus. I consider ENGL& 101 to be one of the most important courses a student will take in college because it provides the communication skills and tools to succeed in college as well as in the workforce. I welcome working with students individually on campus during my office hours and through Canvas chat or messaging. Please contact me as soon as possible anytime you have questions or concerns about the course, but contact the Pierce College elearning staff with any technical issues using the Canvas learning platform. Campus: Pierce College Puyallup Office: LSC 117 Phone: (253) 840-8378 Email: asalak@pierce.ctc.edu Office hours: 4:00-5:30pm MW; 4:30-5:30pm TTh, and by appointment on Fridays.
It is critical to your success in this course that you read everything provided critically and thoroughly. Please read through this entire syllabus carefully before moving on to the assignments, and if you have any questions, email me. Course Description: A composition course focusing on writing academic essays, developing rhetorical knowledge and critical reading skills, and applying effectively the principles of college writing. Course Content: The writing process Rhetorical concepts Effective compositions Information competency Crediting and documenting sources Student Outcomes: Compose work in a variety of genres, including but not limited to thesis-driven, college-level essays that synthesize researched sources (3,500 words minimum of formal writing, total, excluding revisions) by using the writing process. Apply key rhetorical concepts (writer, audience, subject, purpose, and context) in order to analyze and compose a variety of texts. Analyze texts as purposeful responses to a variety of situations and contexts as well as products of social identity (e.g., gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and social class). Use rhetorically appropriate English language structures, including disciplinary conventions of syntax, grammar, punctuation, spelling voice, tone, and diction. Demonstrate information competency by locating, reading, and evaluating a diverse range of primary and secondary research materials (both scholarly and popular) in order to synthesize original ideas with those from appropriate sources. Quote, paraphrase, cite and document sources appropriately in a consistent documentation style to maintain academic honesty and intellectual integrity. Degree Outcomes: Core Ability Effective Communication: Graduates will be able to exchange messages in a variety of contexts using multiple methods. Fundamental Area of Knowledge Communication: Graduates identify, analyze, and evaluate rhetorical strategies in one s own and other s writing in order to communicate effectively. Module Outcomes and Grading Rubrics: Note that the weekly Module Outcomes and the Grading Rubrics for the individual course assignments all link directly back to the Course Outcomes. The Module Outcomes, outlined in each week s Readings and Outcomes page, are introduced with the module and assignment number for that activity. The Grading Rubric attached to each individual assignment then identifies the specific action(s) that should be performed to meet both those course and module outcomes and to receive the maximum number of points that assignment is worth.
Course Materials: Required Textbook: Axelrod, Rise B., and Charles R. Cooper. The St. Martin s Guide to Writing. 11 th ed. Bedford/St. Martin s, 2016. ISBN: 9781319087715. The specifics about purchasing the textbook for the class can be found on the course Syllabus and at the Pierce College Bookstore link: http://piercebookstore.bncollege.com. Note that our campus bookstore will match any price found elsewhere. See the bookstore s webpage for details. Accessibility and Special Needs: This course has been developed striving to meet the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and to provide an environment that is equitable and conducive to achievement and learning for all students. As Universal learning is built upon the framework of mutual respect and accessibility, each of us should be respectful of the diverse opinions and needs of all class members. Pierce College values diversity and inclusion; we are committed to fostering mutual respect and full participation for all students. My goal is to create a learning environment that is equitable, inclusive, and welcoming. If you have or think you may have a disability that may affect your work in this class and feel you need accommodations, contact Access and Disability Services at ADS@pierce.ctc.edu or (253) 912-3606 (Ft. Steilacoom) or (253) 864-3383 (Puyallup and JBLM) to see if you are eligible to receive services. If you are already approved for accommodations through the ADS, have requested your accommodations for this quarter, and would like to use your accommodations in my class please connect with me outside of class time to discuss your needs. I encourage students with any special needs that might affect their success in the course to meet with me to co-design possible accommodations beyond those listed under UDL or ADA.
Word Processing Software: You will need to use Microsoft Word, not Google docs, to post your writing assignments. If you do not already own Microsoft Office, note that you can download your own copy of Microsoft 365 as a Pierce College student. Click on the 365 link to the left of our classroom s homepage or access the download through your My Pierce account. Please note well: All Word files must be saved and submitted using either a.doc or.docx file extension to be accepted. When you upload your file to a drop box, you should see either a.doc or a.docx after your file name, if you have saved your file correctly. Do not submit files using any other type of extension, such as.odt,.wps, or.rtp as you will not receive credit for your work. The Virtual Online Classroom: Welcome to Pierce College s elearning online classroom. ENGL& 101 is a course in writing and analyzing academic essays. You will be introduced to the writing process through your active participation in the course activities, all of which will be conducted electronically in the Canvas virtual classroom. In this student-centered class, you are actively responsible for your learning. We are all part of this learning community: Think of me as your guide, and think of your classmates as comrades in arms in this learning process. Together, we will read, explore, analyze, and wrestle with how to write and analyze effective academic writing. The activities of the course are specifically designed to enable you to reach the Course Outcomes listed above, but only you can ensure that that happens. While the medium used to deliver the course is different from the traditional, grounded or faceto-face classroom, this course is still a five-credit course divided into ten weeks of instruction plus the Week 11 final essay exam. Our class week begins on Monday and ends the following Sunday. Each week, you are expected to log on to the classroom at least five times a week and to complete assignments, participate in class discussions and group projects, submit your essays and analysis assignments, and take formative assessments and two essay-response exams as directed. Please heed assignment due dates as late work will not be accepted. The major difference in an online class is that you can choose when and where you do the work within each Monday through Sunday class week. ENGL& 101 requires a tremendous amount of reading. Plan on maintaining a tight schedule where you can keep up with the readings because it will be obvious to all if you try to bluff your way through the assignments. Academic Honesty (Plagiarism and Cheating Policy): It is taken for granted that all work submitted to this course is your own. Never simply paste material from another source into any assignment for this course. Whenever you do need to incorporate someone else s words, thoughts, or ideas, remember to document accurately the source following the Modern Language Association s guidelines for documenting material to credit the original source of the material. All directly quoted material using the original author s wording must be placed in quotation marks, and all directly quoted or appropriately paraphrased ideas must identify the original author s name. Cheating and plagiarism, which is the use, intentionally or not, of someone else s words, thoughts, ideas, or images as one s own, will not be tolerated and will result in a zero grade for that assignment. Any student caught cheating and/or plagiarizing a second time will receive a zero grade for the course.
Course Announcements/Messages/Comments: Throughout the quarter I will communicate with the entire class through the course Announcement and/or Comments boxes or message students individually through the Canvas messaging. Please look for such announcements/comments/messages each time your login to the class as you will be held responsible for keeping informed with the class updates. If need be, edit the course homepage so that the Announcements box is visible each time you logon to the class. Week at a Glance: Our course is divided into ten sets of weekly modules plus the Week 11 final exam period. At the top of each week s module you will find a Week at a Glance page listing that week s readings and a thumbnail list of the assignments and due dates for that week s assignments. The new week s module will become available on its respective Monday, the first day of the week. Always click on the Week at a Glance page first and then work through each page of the module in the sequential order the pages appear in the module. Note that each page indicates its expected task: to View its contents, Contribute to the discussion, Score X number of assessment points, or Submit the assignment, and completion of each page s expected task is required before the next page will open. Active Participation: Active participation in all course activities is a requirement of the course. Active participation means just that. Each student is expected to be actively engaged in all class discussions, projects, and other activities. Active participation is demonstrated in the following ways: posting messages and assignments by the due dates joining in on the discussion threads by responding as often as possible to classmates posts in the constructive inquiry and analysis of the literature under discussion sharing insights, asking questions, and seeking clarification when appropriate learning and using the terminology of composition having an intellectual curiosity to delve deeper into the readings assigned and to gain a better awareness of the world around you and yourself in the process. Each week will consist of your reading specific chapters in our textbook and then responding to what you have read through a variety of the following activities: Course Activities: The course is divided into ten sets of weekly module assignments. Each week will consist of your reading specific chapters in our textbook and my course lectures and handouts and then responding to and writing about what you have read through a variety of the following activities: Formative Assessments: The formative assessments are short multiple-choice quizzes measuring your comprehension of the lecture and content readings assigned for a given week. Think of each formative assessment as a snapshot of how much you have absorbed of the key elements of that week s concepts that will be applied to that week s literary analyses. The assessments are worth a total of 50 points. Weekly Group Analyze and Write Discussion Questions: Critical analysis and writing questions on the readings will be assigned at the beginning of each week at the same time as the reading selections and are intended to focus and develop the critical
level to analyze and write about the reading assignments in our textbook. These Analyze and Write discussions are the responses posted to the class at large in the Discussion rooms. In addition to posting your own original answer(s) to the assigned question(s) by its assigned due date, students are expected to actively join in on the discussion threads by reading and responding to what classmates have posted as well. As a result, each student will be exposed to other points of view, which should, in turn, develop greater insights into the assigned readings and help develop everyone s written communication skills. The more actively a student participates in these discussion threads the more points are possible for up to 40 points each week: Students will earn up to 30 points for how well thought out and developed their original answers to the questions are and up to an additional 10 points for actively participating in the discussion threads throughout the week through Sunday. 1) Original Answers to the Discussion Questions: Post you original answer(s) to the discussion question(s) to the Discussion Board forums for each week by the day assigned to do so. The sets of original answers each week are worth up to 40 points. Original answer(s) must be posted by the assigned due date to receive credit. The number of points each original answer will receive will be based upon the following expectations: The answer is one s own original thoughts, words, and ideas written in complete sentences free of basic grammatical and mechanical errors. Adequate support and development is used to answer effectively the specific questions asked. Appropriate tools and terminology of critical analysis covered in class up to that point are used. The original answer is posted by the due date assigned. 2) Responses to Classmates posts to the Discussion Questions: On, at least, three separate days each week, join in on the discussion by responding to answers that your classmates have posted. Your substantive responses that further the discussion along are worth up to ten additional points each week. A minimum of six responses across all of the discussion questions assigned for that week and spread over, at least, three days of the week constitutes the minimum passing grade, or C grade, for the responses. However, the substantive quality as well as the quantity of messages posted determines the number of points earned. Please review the guidelines for threaded discussions below for a better understanding of what constitutes active participation. Avoid posting replies that simply compliment or restate what the original writer had stated. Note that it is my discretion to delete messages that do not in my estimation further the discussion along. After you have posted your original answer(s) to the weekly Discussion rooms, you should read and reply to the messages posted by your fellow group members. Though your replies may be brief, this discussion is formal, not idle chit chat. The purpose is not to encourage each other with compliments and encouragement, but to further each other's understanding of concepts in the course. As you read posted messages, think about what the writer is saying, and respond to the points you find especially important or interesting. Your participation is essential to the success of the class because your experiences are unique. By sharing your insights you are helping your fellow class members learn through your experiences.
The following are the kinds of responses you might make that further understanding and add to the learning community that we are trying to establish: Identify a question or a problem in another's writing Pose a solution Clarify a confusion Add to information contained in the original Bring in outside information to support an argument (documented, of course) Offer an alternative solution or interpretation Pose a question that furthers the discussion Discuss implications of a theory, idea, etc. Provide criticism of a theory, concept, etc. Point out connections among ideas Move the discussion to a deeper level Discuss how one's own views have changed Discuss how one has gained new insight Discuss any value implications Propose avenues for further research on the topic These group discussions are the heart of the online classroom and make the course a dynamic, interactive, and vibrant learning experience. Each student s serious and thought-provoking participation in these discussion threads is vital to the success of this course. Each week s set of Analyze and Write Discussion Questions are worth 40 points for a total of 400 points. Reflective Writing Assignment: A short reflective writing assignment will be assigned providing students the opportunity to highlight what they have learned up to that point in the course. The reflective writing assignment is worth 50 points. Essay Exams: Two in-class essay exams will be assigned analyzing some of the course readings. One of the outcomes for ENGL& 101 is to demonstrate the ability to write effective in-class essays. While in class in an online course is a relative term, the gist of the outcome is to demonstrate writing an effective essay in a short amount of time. So, each essay exam must be completed in one day. The exam will be posted on a designated day at midnight, and you will have the one day (that 24-hour period) to submit your completed essay-exam response to the exam s text box no later than 11:59 pm that night. The exams will measure a your ability to write an essay that supports, develops, and ultimately proves a clearly stated thesis, is organized appropriately with an introduction, body, and conclusion, is free of basic errors in grammar and mechanics, and demonstrates the skills of critical analysis. Each exam is worth up to 50 points for a total of 100 points. Academic Essay: One academic essay based upon readings covered will be assigned. To be successful, the essay must adhere to the following outcomes:
Write expository essays appropriate for college-level work using the writing process Support, develop, and ultimately prove a clearly stated and limited thesis Be unified and coherent Be free of grammatical and mechanical error Adhere to the MLA format for writing papers. This academic essay can be re-written for a better grade and is worth 100 points. Group Project: The class will be divided into smaller groups to collaborate on writing an annotated Modern Language Association (MLA) bibliography based on an assigned research question. Active collaboration in the researching, writing, and accurate documentation of the bibliographical entries throughout the entire duration of this extended assignment is required to receive full credit for the group s project. The assigned research question will then become the basis for the research essay. The Group Project is worth 100 points with extra-credit points given to each group s scribe. Documentation assignment: One Works Cited documentation activity will also be assigned to assess your ability construct Works Cited entries using the MLA 8 th edition documentation format and requirements. This will be a draft of the Works Cited page for the research essay and must be posted to the appropriate drop box as MS Word file attachments using either a.doc or.docx file extension no later than its due date. No other word processing program or file extensions will be accepted. This assignment is worth up to 50 points. Research Essay: One research essay incorporating secondary sources will be assigned based upon the research questions assigned during the group project. In addition to the outcomes listed above for the academic essay, the research essay must adhere to the following outcomes: Locate outside sources appropriate for college-level essays using the techniques and tools of research Quote and paraphrase appropriately and effectively to avoid plagiarism and establish credibility Generate parenthetical citations and works cited entries for a variety of sources using the MLA 8 th edition formatting and documentation style The Research Essay is worth 150 points. MLA Paper Format and Documentation: The essay and essay-exam assignments must strictly adhere to the Modern Language Association (MLA) 8 th edition documentation style and format for writing papers. Assignments that do not follow the MLA format will not be accepted and will receive a zero grade. The essay and essay-exam assignments must be submitted to the drop boxes as Microsoft Word file attachments using either a.doc or.docx file extension. Do not submit files using any other type of extension, such as.odt,.wps, or.rtp as you will not receive credit for your work. Files submitted anywhere other than the assignment s specific drop box will not be accepted.
Minimum Technological Skills Requirements: Computer navigation and operation with Microsoft Office Internet connection at home, work, in campus labs, or college or public libraries Skill using the computer, software and Internet systems such as the Web and email Basic Computer Specifications for Canvas: Screen Size: Canvas is best viewed at a minimum resolution of 800x600. If you want to view Canvas on a device with a smaller screen, we recommend using the Canvas mobile app. Operating Systems: Windows 7 and newer Mac OSX 10.6 and newer Linux - chromeos Mobile Operating System Native App Support: ios 7 and newer (versions vary by device) Android 4.2 and newer Computer Speed and Processor: Use a computer 5 years old or newer when possible 1GB of RAM 2GHz processor Internet Speed: Along with compatibility and web standards, Canvas has been carefully crafted to accommodate low bandwidth environments. Minimum of 512kbps Screen Readers: Macintosh: VoiceOver (latest version for Safari) PC: JAWS (latest version for Internet Explorer) PC: NVDA (latest version for Firefox) There is no screen reader support for Canvas in Chrome Supported Browsers: Canvas supports the current and first previous major releases of the following browsers: Chrome 68 and 69 Firefox 61 and 62 (Extended Releases are not supported) Flash 30 and 31 (used for recording or viewing audio/video and uploading files)
Internet Explorer 11 (Windows only functionally supported; may exhibit slight visual differences from other browsers, but these differences do not restrict product functionality or accessibility) Edge 41 and 42 (Windows only) Respondus Lockdown Browser (supporting the latest system requirements) Safari 10 and 11 (Macintosh only) Some supported browsers may still produce a banner stating Your browser does not meet the minimum requirements for Canvas. If you have upgraded your browser but you are still seeing the warning banner, try logging out of Canvas and deleting your browser cookies. Known Browser Behaviors: Like all Canvas features, contrary behaviors relating to browsers are prioritized by our product teams, and some behaviors in the previous version may not be resolved. If a behavior exists in the previous version of the browser that does not exist in the current version, the best solution is to update to the newest browser version. Canvas highly recommends updating to the most current version of your preferred browser. Your browser will notify you if there is a new version available. Canvas on Mobile Devices The Canvas interface was optimized for desktop displays, so using small form factors such as phones may not be a pleasant experience in using Canvas. For the best user experience, please download the Canvas mobile applications. Since Canvas uses small elements of Flash, not all Canvas features may be supported on mobile devices, especially on ios. However, Canvas offers limited support for native mobile browsers on tablet devices (Canvas Student Guide). Student Rights and Responsibilities: Pierce College s code of Student Rights and Responsibilities gives rules of student conduct, guarantees certain student rights, and establishes procedures governing student conduct. Please contact the office of the Vice President for Learning and Student Success for information or a copy of this code upon which class will be conducted. Rights You have the right to expect that your instructor will: provide a comprehensive syllabus and course calendar display all due dates for readings, assignments, and papers grade or otherwise respond to assignments, tests, and papers usually within 7-10 days of the due date. monitor your group participation in the online classroom weekly and occasionally comment on it inform you of your current grade and relative class standing upon request respond to any e-mail and answer all appropriate questions as soon as possible, usually within 24 hours on weekdays, a little longer on weekends
behave in a professional manner, respecting you as an individual of intelligence and sensitivity Responsibilities As students, you have the responsibility to: behave to all others in the class in a professional manner, being especially careful in discussions, group projects, and other electronic communications to avoid personal attacks, harsh criticisms, and objectionable language be ethical and honest in posting your own original work and to credit the source when using any thoughts, words, ideas, and images that are not your own actively participate in all class activities, pay attention to the course calendar, keep up with the course work, submit your work in on time, support your group members to establish a genuine learning community, and notify your instructor when you need assistance. Academic Support Services: In addition to seeing me during my office hours, both on-campus tutoring and online etutoring (click on the link on the left side menu of our Canvas classroom) are available at no charge. I strongly encourage you to seek assistance from the tutoring center and me as needed. See the Resources module for links to these and other resources. Student Support Services: Pierce College and I are committed to your success not only in your academic endeavors but in life. A wide array of student support services are provided by the college including advising, accessibility needs, counseling, and student-success. See the Resources module for links to these and other resources. Technical Support: If you have any technical difficulties with the Canvas learning environment, technical support is provided both by Canvas and the Pierce College elearning staff. Click on the Help (?) button on the left-side menu of our Canvas classroom, and then click on the Canvas Report a Problem link, the elearning link, or click on and search the Student Canvas Guide. And also remember that I am available to assist. Gradebook: The Canvas gradebook is updated as soon as I have completed grading an assignment throughout the quarter. You will be able to check your progress in the class through the gradebook in the Grades course link. Incomplete grades: An incomplete grade will be assigned by request only if one outstanding course assignment has been missed due to circumstances beyond the student s control. Course Withdrawal: The last day to withdraw from the course is February 25.
Grading Policy: The grade for the course is based upon the following assignments for a total of 1000 points: 400 points Ten sets of Analyze & Write discussion questions 150 points One Research essay 100 points Two Essay-Response exams 100 points One Academic essay 100 points One Group Project 50 points Formative Assessments 50 points Reflective Writing assignment 50 points Documentation assignment The course grading scale is the following: Decimal: Percent: Points: Letter Grade: 4.0-3.9 100-94 1000-940 A 3.8-3.5 93-90 939-900 A- 3.4-3.2 89-87 899-870 B+ 3.1-2.9 86-84 869-840 B 2.8-2.5 83-80 839-800 B- 2.4-2.2 79-77 799-770 C+ 2.1-1.9 76-74 769-740 C 1.8-1.5 73-70 739-700 C- 1.4-1.2 69-67 699-670 D+ 1.1-1.0 66-65 669-650 D 0.0 64-0 649-0 F