RANGER COLLEGE COURSE SYLLABUS COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I ENGL 1301 3 credit hours INSTRUCTOR: Angela Lindgren
INSTRUCTOR: Angela Lindgren EMAIL: alindgren@rangercollege.edu OFFICE: Off Campus Composition & Rhetoric ENGL 1301 I. Texas Core Curriculum Statement of Purpose: Through the Texas Core Curriculum, students will gain a foundation of knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world, develop principles of personal and social responsibility for living in a diverse world, and advance intellectual and practical skills that are essential for all learning. (www.thecb.state.tx.us) II. COURSE DESCRIPTION: Principles and techniques of written, expository, and persuasive composition; analysis of literary, expository, and persuasive texts; and critical thinking. Credit 3 semester hours. Subject to Texas Success Initiative requirements. III. IV. REQUIRED BACKGROUND/PREREQUISITES: A passing score on appropriate section of TSI or equivalent alternate test. REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND COURSE MATERIALS: Miller, George. The Prentice Hall Reader. Tenth Edition. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 2012. Wysocki, Anne. The DK Handbook. Second Edition. New York, N.Y.:Longman, 2011. Dictionary of student s choice V. COURSE PURPOSE - To develop clear statements of purpose, organizational patterns, and detailed support for the most commonly employed rhetorical modes in academic writing and to edit texts for presentation according to the conventions of edited American English. Furthermore, students will learn to apply principles for gathering, synthesizing, and presenting academic research. VI. LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. To write coherent, correctly constructed sentences and recognize major errors in grammar and mechanics that interfere with effective communication. 2. To understand the principles of paragraphing, including various methods of development and the major characteristics of an effective paragraph, and to be able to write a unified, coherent paragraph. 3. To understand the prewriting procedure, including choosing the subject, writing an effective thesis, preparing an outline, and writing the rough draft, and to be able to use the procedure in writing an essay. 4. To build on the prewriting process to write a well-organized, coherent composition which develops a thesis.
5. To write in Standard American English that is suitable for general, academic, and professional writing using diction appropriate for the reader and purpose. 6. To write essays using different methods of development. VII. CORE OBJECTIVES: ü Critical Thinking Skills: to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information ü Communication Skills: to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication o Empirical and Quantitative Skills: to include the manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions ü Teamwork: to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal ü Personal Responsibility: to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making o Social Responsibility: to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities VIII. METHODS OF INSTRUCTION Lecture, discussion, and BlackBoard if taken Dual Credit/Hybrid/Online class IX. METHODS OF ASSESSMENT Reading assignments will be given and homework, reading quizzes, and blogs will reflect the adequate completion of assignments (Course Objective 1). Students will write six essays that are evaluated by the ability to develop a thesis statement in the introduction, support the thesis statement in the body, and demonstrate unity and focus (Course Objective 2). Students will write essays that are evaluated by the student s ability to use grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and spelling (Course Objective 3). Students will write essays reflecting selected types of expository discourse (Course Objective 4). Students will be required to write assignments and/or take quizzes in class during allocated time periods (Course Objective 5). Six Essay Outlines 25 pts each
Six Essays 50 pts each Research Paper Outline 50 pts Research Paper 100 pts Weekly Quizzes (12) 15 pts each Diagnostic Essay 60 pts Midterm Review 25 pts Midterm 100 pts Final Exam Review 75 pts Final Exam 150 pts Blog (1) 5 pts Syllabus Acknowledgement 5 pts Total : 1200 pts A=1080-1200 points B=960-1079 points C=840-958 points D=720-839 points F=below 720 points X. COURSE/CLASSROOM POLICIES 1. Regular and punctual attendance in all classes is considered essential for optimum academic success. If the student has the equivalence of three weeks of absences, the instructor may drop the student from a non-developmental course with a grade of F. It is the responsibility of the instructor to keep an accurate and comprehensive record of attendance. For an online class, students who do not submit at least one of the Weekly Assignments by the weekly due date (noted on the class timeline), the student is counted absent. The assignments include discussion boards, text assignments, essays, quizzes, etc. 2. Upon written approval from instructor, make-up papers/assignments should be completed within one week of the original due date. Any test not made-up within one week of the original due date will receive a grade of zero. After that time, a student may opt to do an additional research paper to replace the missing grade. No more than one paper should be made up. 3. Any assignment reflecting cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty will receive a grade of zero. Students are required to read and sign a plagiarism policy at the beginning of the semester. 4. In face-to-face classes, adult behavior is expected of all students at all times. Misconduct or disruptive behavior will be punishable by immediate dismissal from class. Dismissal from class will result in an unexcused absence. 5. In face-to-face classes, I expect you to respect the rights of the other class members and me by not speaking or whispering when I am talking or when anyone else has the floor. I am granted the right by the college and the State of Texas to remove a student from the classroom when he/she ignores such civility. Removal from class will result in an unexcused absence.
6. In face-to-face classes, all cell phones should be turned off or silenced during class. Using your phone during class can wipe out your participation points and/or cause you to be dismissed from class, resulting in an unexcused absence. XI. COURSE OUTLINE/SCHEDULE Unit ASSIGNEMNTS 1 *Introduction to the course *Diagnostic Essay 2 *Introduction to the essay 3 *Narrative/descriptive essay 4 *Division/Classification 5 *Descriptive Essay 6 *Midterm Review 7 *Midterm 8 *Process 9 *Comparison/Contrast Essay 10 *Cause/Effect Essay 11 *Introduction to Persuasive/Research Writing 12 *Persuasive/Research Paper 13 *Persuasive/Research Paper 14 *Persuasive/Research Paper 15 Final exam review 16 Proctored Final exam: More information to follow The above schedule is subject to change. Students will be notified of changes. XII. NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT: Admissions, employment, and program policies of Ranger College are nondiscriminatory in regard to race, creed, color, sex, age, disability, and national origin. XIII. ADA STATEMENT: Ranger College provides a variety of services for students with learning and/or physical disabilities. Students are responsible for making initial contact with the Ranger College Counselor. It is advisable to make this contact before or immediately after the semester begins.