ENGLISH 101-975 COMPOSITION I, FALL 2009

Instructor: MILLIE DAVIS

Office Phone: 217-278-3634 Leave a message anytime day or night—I’m

usually available to return a call on weekdays.

Office Hours: Online in Angel in the Live Office Hours Chat (under the
Communicate Tab) every Monday (except October 5 and 26 and November 23
—for these weeks we’ll need to schedule an appointment on another day) from
noon—1p.m. or reach me by phone during those hours at 217-278-3634 or
make an appointment for another time.

E-mail: USE ANGEL EMAIL- in an emergency use mdavis@parkland.edu

Class Location: We will be meeting online

Class Times: September 8—December 11, 2009 (Final Exam due December
14)

No Required Text:
We'll use the OWL at Purdue as our writing and grammar handbook
We’ll use a selection of online articles, essays, graphics, audio programs, and
videos for our readings.

Required Materials:
Regular access to a computer with the following capabilities and programs:
• Microsoft Word 2003 (.doc) or 2007 (.docx) and the ability to save
documents in Rich Text (.rtf) or Plain Text (.txt) format when
necessary.
• Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 (.ppt) or 2007(.pptx).
• Internet access (Mozilla Firebox is required for Angel: free download at
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/).
• Speakers for audio readings.
• In computer video player (e.g. Windows Media Player) for video
readings.
• Ability to download large files.
• Ability to work with graphic files.
Regular access to a printer and paper in order to print course materials,
when necessary, especially long essays which are difficult to read online.

COURSE
Course Description from The 2009-2010 Parkland Catalog
(http://your.parkland.edu/academics/catalog):

ENG 101 Composition I

3- 0 -3
(IAI C1 900) Essay writing with emphasis on writing process, purpose
and audience, critical analysis, focus, organization, development,
clarity, and coherence. Credit is allowed for only one of the following:
ENG 101-102 or ENG 106. Credit not given for both ENG 101 and ESL
101. A grade of C or higher is required in ENG 101 to fulfill IAI
General Education Core Curriculum requirements for transfer
programs. Prerequisite: ENG 099 with a grade of B or higher, end-of-
course assessment in ENG 098 or ENG 099; or placement. F S Su

Course Focus: Students will study essay writing with attention to essay
focus, development and organization of a position, audience awareness,
summary of others’ arguments, and effective presentation. Students will
employ all stages of the writing process. The course readings and
discussions, as well as the gathering of information and writing of essays, will
contribute to students’ general cultural knowledge and abilities to read and
think critically, and the course may enhance their abilities to use computer
technology.

Course Requirement: In this course students will be graded on 24 pages

(6000 words) of writing in 5-6 essays of 4-6 pages in length. The writing
requirement may also be met through quizzes, exams, journals, oral reports,
and or graded exercises.

Course Objective: The student will leave the course able to comfortably
write 5-6 page critical papers, prepared for competent written expression in
college, career, and life, and in English 102.

WHAT WE’LL DO DURING THIS CLASS

Typical class activities are designed to give students a wide variety of
experiences both with their own writing and the writing of others. Students
will be reading essays and other texts, including audio, graphic, and video
texts. Regular class activities include freewriting; discussion; review of class
assignments; mini-lessons on topics such as modes of writing, essay
development, and grammar; prewriting; writing; revising; reading; peer
response groups; and writing conferences. Sometimes each student will be
working on a different aspect of the same project. Note that we’ll spend 2-3
weeks developing each project. We’ll spend that time reading, receiving
instruction, discussing, prewriting, drafting, getting feedback on our papers,
revising, and editing. Student choice of project topics within project
assignments is valued and encouraged and class activities are designed to
help students both choose topics and to find their best ways to write about
those topics.
Note the following:
• You'll need to check your ANGEL e-mail and the ANGEL course
assignments every day during the week and at least once on
the weekend.
• You will be sharing and discussing your writing with others, so you will
want to avoid writing about topics that you don’t want to share or
discuss with others or that are inappropriate for the classroom
audience.
• Your assignments will often involve your working with others--
discussing writing, sharing your writing, responding to theirs--so you
need to complete your assignments by the due dates so that your
classmates can complete theirs.
• Weekly lessons are assigned on Mondays and Projects are due on
Mondays.
• Some assignments—on-demand essays and quizzes must be
completed within a 24-hour window.
• We'll be working online---you will receive personal messages from me
concerning your topics, your responses to assignments, and your
writing; and you'll receive messages from your classmates as well.
• And most important, because we are working online, you need to
take double the control over your own schedule for involvement in this
class than you would for a face-to-face class. You must control how you
meet the assignments and deadlines of the course and you don’t have
the extra added push a face-to-face schedule provides.
• While the online component of the class will allow you to participate in
class at midnight if you want, you MUST turn in assignments when they
are due.

COMMUNICATION TO AND FROM INSTRUCTOR

I'll check and respond to my e-mail (both within Angel and to my Parkland
address) daily during the week and once on the weekend. You should do the
same. NOTE that unless ANGEL isn’t working, you should
communicate with me through ANGEL.

If you need a response sooner than 24-48 hours, feel free to call me at 217-
278-3634 anytime day or night. This is my work number at the National
Council of Teachers of English and it has great voice mail, so leave me a
detailed message and let me know when and how to contact you (For
example, you could just ask a question and tell me to e-mail you or you could
ask that I leave a message on your home or cell phone).

If, for some reason, I will be unavailable for more than a couple of days, I will
post a message to the class and let you know.
 COURSE DEADLINES
NOTE: Class assignments will be given out on Mondays and big assignments
(projects, on-demand essays, and portfolio) will be due by midnight on
Mondays. ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE POSTED UNDER THE LESSONS TAB
IN ANGEL. Below is a calendar for our assignments. This list is subject to
change if such proves necessary, but you'll be notified if there is a change.

NOTE: For your project to be accepted for grading you must have completed:
• ALL prewriting,
• The topic proposal, and
• Rough draft work that was assigned and due before the due date for
the polished essay.

NOTE: You are discouraged against switching topics midstream, but if you
feel you have to, you must contact me to see if the switch is
agreeable to us both. If we do agree that you can switch your topic, you’ll
need to go back and redo all the prewriting, topic proposal, and drafting
work using the new topic or your project won’t be accepted.

FALL 2009 CHART OF COURSE DEADLINES

Note that we’ll spend 2-3 weeks developing each project. We’ll spend that
time reading, receiving instruction, discussing, prewriting, drafting, getting
feedback on our papers, revising, and editing. On-demand essays are given
on a particular day and only for a limited time period.
September 8 Course Begins
September 8-11 Beginning of Course
Assignments--must be
completed before you can go
on with the course
September 14 Beginning of Course On-
Demand Essay
September 28 Project #1
October 12 Project #2
October 19 Midterm On-Demand Essay
November 2 Project #3
November 23 Project #4
December 7 Project #5
December 14 Final Exam Portfolio

FALL 2009 CHART OF COLLEGE DEADLINES

August 24-30 Late registration and add period
August 30 Last day to drop with 100% refund
on full-semester courses
September 6 Last day to drop without record and
 50% refund on full-semester courses
September 7 Labor Day (college closed)
October 16 Midterm
October 19 Midterm Grades due by 9p.m.
November 25 (at 5p.m)— Thanksgiving Vacation (college
November 29 closed)
December 4 Last Day to withdraw from full-
semester course with grade of W
December 11 Last Day of Class
December 14 Exam Portfolio Due
December 14-18 Semester Exams
December 20 Final Grades due by 11p.m.

REQUIRED ASSIGNMENTS ON WHICH FINAL GRADE WILL BE BASED

5 Projects—50% of grade (10% each) Polished essays (papers) of 1000-
1500 words each (4-6 pages) or multimedia projects as per the assignment—
ALL prewriting, topic proposals, and drafts must have been completed or
assignment is incomplete and will not be accepted. Late project work will
be accepted ONLY if prior arrangements have been made and then,
usually no more than one-week late.
Two On-Demand Essays—10% of grade (5% each) Beginning of course
on-demand essay and midterm on-demand essay. The beginning of course
essay must be completed before you can proceed with the course.
Final Exam--10% of grade A writing portfolio, including at least three of
the projects and other sample writings and reflective pieces.
Class participation—30% of grade Discussions and peer response
groups, journals, logs, prewriting, topic proposals, responses to readings, etc.
Note that class work not completed by the due date will not receive
a grade but it must be completed as part of the documents required
for a grade on a polished essay. Class participation assignments will be
graded at 10 points (or a multiple of 10 points) each for a properly
completed assignment and at fewer points for incomplete or not properly
completed assignments. At the end of the semester all the possible points
will be added up and the total of these will equal 100% of the class
participation portion of the grade for the course which is 30% of the course
grade. For example, a student completing all of these assignments and
receiving 10 points for each will receive 100% of the 30 points possible
towards the course grade, students receiving 80% of the possible points will
receive 24 points towards the course grade, those completing 60% of the
possible points will receive 18 points towards the course grade, etc.
 GRADES
A = 90–100% = 9--10
points

B = 80–89% = 8—8.9
points

C = 70–79% = 7—7.9
points

D = 60–69% = 6--6.9
points

F = 1–59%= 1—5.9
points

NG = 0

Letter Grades on Essays Are Assigned According to the Following

Characteristics:
A papers are exceptional. They demonstrate originality and imagination.
They are clear and focused with a sense of audience and purpose. They fulfill
the assignment. They give the reader a true sense of the writer’s voice and
leave the reader convinced of the soundness of the discussion, impressed
with the quality of the writing style, and stimulated by the insight of the
writer. A = 90–100% = 9--10 points
B papers are good papers that mostly cover the assignment, but they lack
the originality and insight of the A papers. They possess a sense of audience
and purpose, but their development, while organized, is not as smooth as
that of an A paper and may seem plodding or predictable or hackneyed. The
supporting details are not fully fleshed out. They leave the reader wishing
there was more explanation. B = 80–89% = 8—8.9 points
C papers are okay but not totally convincing because they only skim the
surface of the assignment. Their points are overly general and not well
supported. There isn't a clear sense of audience. Their structure is weak and
mundane. There are writing errors and some are distracting. They leave the
reader wishing for a clear structure, more information, and fewer errors. C =
70–79% = 7—7.9 points
D papers seem to have tried the assignment but mostly miss the mark. In
addition, they are not well organized, nor do they have enough or specific
enough supporting details. There are serious problems with the mechanics of
correct written English. They leave the reader disappointed because the
topic hasn’t been well covered and the reading was difficult due to structural
and grammatical errors. THESE PAPERS MUST BE GONE OVER IN
CONFERENCE WITH THE INSTRUCTOR AND MUST BE REWRITTEN. Student
must revise and resubmit the paper within a week to receive a grade, unless
other arrangements are made with the instructor. D = 60–69% = 6--6.9
points
F and NG papers are unacceptable. They do not respond to the
assignment. They draw obscure, irrelevant, bizarre conclusions and are
seriously deficient in the conventions of standard written English. They leave
the reader wondering what the writer might be trying to say. THESE PAPERS
MUST BE GONE OVER IN CONFERENCE WITH THE INSTRUCTOR AND MUST BE
REWRITTEN. Student must revise and resubmit the paper within a week to
receive a grade, unless other arrangements are made with the instructor. F
= 1-59% = 1—5.9 points; NG = No Credit = 0

FORMATTING FOR PROJECT SUBMISSIONS

File Formatting: label your electronic files with the name of the project, one
word about the submission, and your first name and last initial. So, if I were
submitting a rough draft for Project #1, my file would be named
RoughDraftProject#1ElephantsMillieD.docx
Paper Formatting: Use the following formatting for project submissions (when
the submission is a paper):
• all must be typed using a 12-point readable typeface and double
spacing;
• use one-inch margins all around;
• put your name, date, type of assignment, and course number in the
upper left hand corner;
• then skip three spaces and center your title;
• number subsequent pages and include your last name.

ATTENDANCE POLICY
You are expected to attend to class by logging on every day during the week
and once on the weekend to check email and assignments, to submit your
assignments on time and to participate in the group discussions, peer
response groups, and chats.
Check ANGEL for all assignments. Barring extraordinary circumstances,
assignments will not be accepted late without prior arrangement. To
make arrangements, contact me BEFORE the due date of the assignment.
Together we will agree upon when the assignment will be due for you.
NOTE: this only applies to Projects. Class work is due on the assigned date
and no make-ups are given. However, in the event if you’ve missed the due
date and received no credit, you must make up the class work that serves as
prewriting and drafting for a Project.

WITHDRAWAL FROM COURSE

On the ten-day roster, I am required to assess your attendance. If you have
not attended regularly to that point, you will be dropped with no refund of
tuition or fees. After the ten-day roster, you should not plan for me to
withdraw you if you want to withdraw from the course. You are ultimately
responsible for your own withdrawal by the withdrawal date (December 4).
Non-attendance after the ten-day roster will result in an F if you don't
withdraw yourself. The withdrawal policy can be found on page 46 of the
College Catalog (http://your.parkland.edu/Media/Website
%20Resources/PDF/catalog/catalog.pdf).

CORE VALUES
Faculty members believe strongly in the Core Values espoused by Parkland
College: Honesty and Integrity, Fairness and Just Treatment, Responsibility,
Multiculturalism, Education, and Public Trust. Essentially, these values set
guidelines for how we should treat you and how you should treat each other
(and us). Failure to be respectful of one another or to maintain ethical
behavior will not be tolerated.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: See

http://www.parkland.edu/studentpolicy/honesty.html
Parkland College values honesty, integrity, and responsibility. Academic
dishonesty is unacceptable. Academic Honesty is expected and can be
broadly defined as performing academic work without cheating, fabrication,
or plagiarism:
Cheating is defined as using or attempting to use unauthorized
materials, information, or study aids in any academic activity;
submitting as one’s own work term papers, homework, and
examinations that are not one’s own work or for which a student
received unauthorized help; copying the work of another, or
allowing another to copy one’s own work, without proper
acknowledgment.
Fabrication is defined as falsifying or inventing any information or
citation in an academic activity.
Plagiarism is defined as external information borrowed and directly
quoted without the use of quotation marks and any changes,
omissions, or additions to the direct quotation shown in brackets,
and the source documented; or any external information that has
been paraphrased and summarized but not documented.
Students are encouraged to work together on group projects,
study, and other activities. However, work submitted to fulfill an
 assignment not specifically identified as a group activity must be
substantially the work of the author. Collaboration beyond this
constitutes academic misconduct.

ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT RELEASE STATEMENT

The Parkland College Academic Assessment Committee, Humanities
Department Assessment Committee, and your instructor focus on the
continuous improvement of learning at Parkland and within the department
by gathering and analyzing samples of many students’ works. By allowing us
to use your work for this purpose, you will be contributing to the
improvement of teaching and learning at Parkland.
By submitting assignments designated by your instructor for assessment,
you acknowledge that you understand our purpose for collecting your work
for analysis and that you give us permission to use a copy of your written
work. You will not be specifically identified in the analysis. Your participation
does not affect your grade in the course.
If you choose not to have your work used to improve learning at Parkland,
please write “I do not give consent for the use of this work for use by the
Academic Assessment Committee or other college assessment committees”
at the top of your paper, and it will not be included with the assessment.

DISABILITIES
If you believe you have a disability for which you may need an academic
accommodation (including special testing, auxiliary aids, nontraditional
instructional formats), please inform the instructor as soon as possible and
contact Parkland’s Office of Disability Services for assistance:
http://www2.parkland.edu/ods/student.html
tp://www.parkland.edu/counseling/CAdisab.htm

CENTER FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS

If you find yourself needing assistance of any kind to complete assignments,
stay on top of readings, study for tests, or just to stay in school, please
contact one of the following staff at the Center for Academic Success: Anita
Taylor, Room: D120, Phone: 353-2005, or Sue Schreiber, Room: D120, Phone:
351-2441. You may also email the CAS at
CenterForAcademicSuccess@parkland.edu.

MASS NOTIFICATION SYSTEM

In the event of a significant campus emergency, Parkland College will
activate its mass notification system. We encourage you to sign up for this
free service and select how you would like to be notified: text message,
audio message, or email message. Sign up starting September 8 at
http://www.parkland.edu/publicsafety/alerts.htm. You’ll need your Parkland
email address and ID number.
OTHER COLLEGE RESOURCES : See
http://your.parkland.edu/resources