J. Garcia 1301 CIS Fall 2009

ENGL 1301: Composition I

Spring 2009

Tentative Course Information Sheet

General Education Mission Statement:

General Education courses are designed to offer depth and breadth to a student’s technical education program of study.

Course Description:

ENGL 1301 emphasizes critical thinking skills in the composition of multi-paragraph essays about personal experiences, current issues, and published material.

Course Prerequisites:

READ 200 and WRIT 200 or equivalent or as determined by English placement test.

                  Instructor: Ms. Jessica C. Garcia

                  Office Phone: 364 - 4741                 

                  Office Hours:  MWF - 12:20 p.m. - 1:20 p.m.

                                             TTH - 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

                  E-mail: jessica.garcia@harlingen.tstc.edu

                  Office: Science & Technology W341

 

Required Textbooks and Materials:
Wyrick, Jean. Steps to Writing Well With Additional Readings. 7th Edition. Boston Thomson Wadsworth, 2005.

  • One pin drive/ flash
  • One pocket folder (non-plastic) as a portfolio for submitting essys and research paper
  • Loose- leaf or wireless notebook paper.

Grading Policy*

Grading Criteria                                            Grading Scale

Essays                            35%   
90-100              A
Research Project            30%     
80-89                B
Daily Work                      15%  
70-79                C
Final Exam                      20%        
60-69                D
  0-59                  F

*Plagiarized or copied work will receive a 0 (F). 

 

General Education Program Assessment
Assignments from this course are subject to being archived for general education assessment. Procedures will follow protocols as prescribed by the research guidelines of the Association for Institutional Research.
 
Accommodations:
If you have a documented disability which will make it difficult for you to carry out class work as outlined and/or if you need special accommodations, please notify the Support Services Office as soon as possible. Contact the Support Services Office at 364-4520 or stop by the Auxiliary Services Building.
 

Expected Results of This Course:
Upon completing this course, you will be able to write a 500-700 word analysis that will exhibit the following elements:

  • Structure:  A focused thesis in the introductory paragraph and an organization appropriate to the material. Adequate development through concrete and specific explanation through illustrations and examples in addition to paragraph unity and coherence.
  •  Grammar:  Free of errors that significantly harm or diminish the meaning such as incorrect sentence boundaries, faulty subject/verb agreement, and incorrect verb tense and form.
  •  Style: Appropriate to the reader with a concisely written purpose. Contains complex sentence structure and effective word choice.
  •  Content: Demonstrates critical thinking skills.
 
Attendance Policy:

If you are not present in class, you will fall behind on class work and miss pertinent information that will determine your success in this class. Moreover, you must be in class to participate in class discussions, which constitute part of your daily grade. This course is not an online course. Any student who plans to be absent due to urgent obligations must e-mail me a few days in advance so that arrangements can be made for assignment submissions. The e-mail subject line should read “Absence.”  Any student who is absent due to unexpected illness or emergencies must e-mail me ASAP so that arrangements can be made for assignment makeup work and submissions. Failure to inform me via e-mail about absences will result in unaccepted work. 

Students must file a withdrawal form with the Admissions office to be withdrawn from the course. It is the responsibility of the student to drop the course prior to the last date for withdrawal without incurring an "F." The withdrawal process will no longer be initiated by the instructor.

Instructor Requests:

  1. I expect all students in class shortly fefore I begin the lecture or discussion.  Tariness is unaccepatable as it disrupts instruction and shows a lack of courtesy for me and your fellow classmates.
  2. Only students with an excused absence or those who have emailed me about their absence may make up daily or homework assignments.  It is vital that students remember to turn in makeup work when it is due.  Failure to do so will result in a zero, even thought absence was excused.  Students who plan to be absent must complete and submit assignments prior to absence.  If an unexpected emergency comes up in which a computer is not available, please call my office at 364-4741.  Leave a callback number.
  3. I do not accept work after the assignment deadline.
  4. Mobile phones and beepers must be turned off, not merely silenced, before class begins.
  5. If any students need more help in addition to instructor conferences during office hours, I urge them to visit the turtorial center in the Student Center across from the bookstore.