English             120

soup up your skills

fall 2 0 0 7

College Composition 
and Reading

Instructor:     Micah Jendian                     
Office Hours: MW 11-1, T 930 - 1030 & by appointment, Rm 590-A                           E-mail:  	micah.jendian@gcccd.edu     Phone:619.644.7458

COURSE PREREQUISITES
A “CR” or “C” grade or higher in English 110 or 117 or assessment recommendation for English 120. 

COURSE DESCRIPTION
English 120 is designed to help you successfully undertake writing projects that have the depth and complexity of college-level work.  At the center of this course will be close and careful analysis of texts. Through our critical reading and thinking we will aim to generate not just a clear understanding of what texts say or argue but also the various methods the writers employ to develop their ideas and advance their aims.  As we will discover, this important analysis work is the foundation, the starting point for deeper and more meaningful engagement with texts, ideas, and arguments.  To demonstrate your critical work with the texts we will read, you will be asked to write and revise papers in which you address complex questions effectively, use source materials responsibly, and make sound decisions about structure, cohesion, and conventions of correctness.  By the end of the semester, you should be a reader and writer well prepared to engage in sophisticated academic research.  

Together, we will establish a collaborative learning environment that encourages us all to openly exchange and explore ideas.  I ask that you possess a genuine desire to improve your reading, writing, and thinking skills, and that you put forth the necessary time, energy, and patience required to do so.  Considering that the course objectives relate to virtually all of your other courses, you should expect this course to be a rigorous one.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
In English 120, you will:
•	Analyze and evaluate essays in order to understand how writers employ organizational and rhetorical techniques to develop their ideas clearly and persuasively. 
	Examine the tools of rhetoric and the principles of organization and style as the basis for writing logically and clearly.
•	Write expository essays using a variety of structures and techniques.
	Research and write a fully documented research paper using skills necessary for the detailed study of whatever field you may enter at a four-year institution. 

TEXTS and MATERIALS
•	Access to a computer with a good word processor and internet capabilities. (Required)
•	Raimes, Ann. Keys for Writers. Fourth Edition. Boston, MA: Houghton, 2004. (Optional)
COURSE ELEMENTS
Reading Responses/Homework: Due to the intensive learning environment, you can expect to have homework consistently.  The general rule/understanding is: For every hour in the class, students spend two hours outside of class. These specific assignments will be designed to give you the opportunity to discover ideas, prepare for class discussions, and most importantly, to provide a foundation for the papers. Homework will earn +,, or -, depending on your work’s level of thoroughness and engagement. 

Papers: You will write four full process papers of varying length and value. Each assignment asks you to respond to a specific prompt. Your grade will be determined according to your ability to respond successfully to the parameters of the given assignment, which will be distributed and discussed at least one week in advance of the due date. Each essay will go through a substantial process, including a prewriting, drafting, self and peer revision, and editing. 
‘
Final Exam will consist of an in-class essay and a course reflection. 

You cannot earn a passing grade if you do not submit all major writing assignments and take the final 

COURSE POLICIES
Attendance and In-Class Participation – Regular attendance and your involvement in classroom discussion and activities (including arriving promptly, bringing the appropriate texts and materials to each class, being prepared to work, contributing thoughtfully to class discussion, and engaging responsibly in group work and peer review) are essential to realizing the objectives of this course. To create an atmosphere required for constructive dialogue, we will at all times maintain a high level of respect for the opinions and feelings of others.  
IF absent, you are responsible for the missed material and for getting assignments from a classmate, blackboard, or me.

IF you miss three class sessions, you may be dropped from the class.
Should you not miss a class session (or portion thereof) all semester, you earn 1% extra credit.

Late Work – Your course work is expected to be completed with care and submitted on time. No late work will be accepted for full credit.  Extenuating circumstances will be considered only if you have discussed the matter with me before the assignment is due. If you are absent, you may still earn full credit by submitting your homework the day it is due via email or in my mailbox. However, to receive credit for homework on days that drafts are due for self or peer revision, you must be present in class. 

Academic Integrity – Grossmont College is an academic community with high standards, and its teaching, learning, and service purposes are seriously disrupted and subverted by Academic Fraud. All students at Grossmont College are expected to comply with the institution’s high standards of Academic Integrity and avoid instances of dishonesty at all times.  Such acts of dishonesty include cheating, plagiarism, fraud, false citations or data, and the fraudulent use of Internet resources.   Violation of the college’s academic integrity policy will be met with serious consequences.  Should you need greater clarification of academic fraud and/or additional instruction to help you avoid it, please meet with me and visit http://www.grossmont.edu/student%5Faffairs/Academic_Fraud.pdf.     

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities – Students with disabilities who may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to notify the instructor and contact Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSP&S) early in the semester so that reasonable accommodations may be implemented as soon as possible.  Students may contact DSP&S in person in room 110 or by phone at 619-644-7112 (voice) or 619-644-7119 (TTY for deaf).

GRADE BREAKDOWN
	Papers / Formal Writing — 65%      Homework — 15%      Final — 10%      Participation — 10%
		     
Supervised Tutoring Referral
1.	Students requiring reinforcement of concepts, additional help, or supplemental resources to achieve the stated learning objectives of the courses taken in English or ESL are referred to enroll in English 198W Supervised Tutoring, for assistance in the English Writing Center (70-119).  To add this course, students may obtain Add Codes at the Information/Registration Desk in the Tech Mall or in the English Writing Center.

2.	Students are referred to enroll in the following supervised tutoring courses if the service indicated will assist them in achieving or reinforcing the learning objective of this course:
•	IDS 198, Supervised Tutoring to receive tutoring in general computer applications in the Tech Mall;
•	IDS 198T, Supervised Tutoring to receive one-on-one tutoring in academic subjects in the Tutoring Center (70-229).
	To add either of these courses, students may obtain Add Codes at the Information/Registration Desk in the Tech Mall.

3.	All Supervised Tutoring courses are non-credit/non-fee.  However, when a student registers for a supervised tutoring course and has no other classes, the student will be charged the usual health fee.