English 1301 Syllabus

Dallas College, Richland Campus

Contacting Your Instructor

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Instructor Information
Name: Mary Wood
DCCCD Email: mewood@dcccd.edu
Office Phone: 972-238-6094
Office Location: Lavaca 237
Office Hours: MW 10:00 to 11:00 am, TR 1:00 to 2:00 pm; all office hours are virtual.
Division Office and Phone: Lavaca 208, 972-238-6943

*Please note that during the Fall 2020 semester, professors will be working remotely.
It’s best to contact me by email as I do not have immediate access to my office phone
during this time.

Course Information
Course Title: Composition 1
Course Number: ENGL 1301
Section Number: 81504
Semester/Year: Fall 2020
Credit Hours: 3
Class Meeting Time/Location: MTWRFSU, Online
Certification Date: September 5, 2020
Last Day to Withdraw: November 12, 2020

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Required Course Materials
No textbook required. I encourage you to print and save any documents that you may
be able to use in future classes; save documents in one file on your computer or print
and save them in a 3 ring binder. By the end of the semester, you will have built a
“textbook” that will help you keep track of important skills for 1302.

You must have access to Microsoft Word; all course assignments must be submitted as
Word files. There is information in the Start Here tab on how to access MS Word Online
for free as a DCCCD student.
Course Prerequisites
One of the following must be met: (1) DREA 0093 AND DWRI 0093; (2) English as a
Second Language (ESOL) 0044 AND 0054; or (3) have met Texas Success Initiative
(TSI) Reading and Writing standards AND the college Writing score prerequisite
requirement.
Course Description
Intensive study of and practice in writing processes, from invention and researching to
drafting, revising, and editing, both individually and collaboratively. Emphasis on
effective rhetorical choices, including audience, purpose, arrangement, and style. Focus
on writing the academic essay as a vehicle for learning, communicating, and critical
analysis. (3 Lec.)
Coordinating Board Academic Approval Number 2313015112
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes.
2. Develop ideas with appropriate support and attribution.
3. Write in a style appropriate to audience and purpose.
4. Read, reflect, and respond critically to a variety of texts.
5. Use Edited American English in academic essays.
Texas Core Objectives
The College defines essential knowledge and skills that students need to develop
during their college experience. These general education competencies parallel the
Texas Core Objectives for Student Learning. In this course, the activities you engage in
will give you the opportunity to practice two or more of the following core competencies:
1. Critical Thinking Skills - to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and
analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information
2. Communication Skills - to include effective development, interpretation, and
expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication

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3. Empirical and Quantitative Skills - to include the manipulation and analysis of
numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions
4. Teamwork - to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work
effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal
5. Personal Responsibility - to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and
consequences to ethical decision-making
6. Social Responsibility - to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic
responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global
communities
Graded Work
The tables below provide a summary of the graded work in this course and an
explanation of how your final course grade will be calculated.

Summary of Graded Work

Assignments Percentage of Final Grade

Discussion Boards 7.5%
Annotation Assignments 5%
Minor Writing Assignments 15%
Plagiarism and MLA Assignments 7.5%
Peer Reviews 5%
Summary/Response Essay* 15%
Rhetorical Analysis Essay* 15%
Argumentative Essay* 20%
Source Annotations 10%

Final Grade

Percentages Letter Grade

90-100% A
80-89% B
70-79% C
60-69% D
0-59% F

Description of Graded Work

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Discussion Boards: You are expected to engage with classmates on assigned
discussion boards. Pay close attention to the prompts in eCampus and review
guidelines for posting in the Start Here tab on eCampus.

Annotation Assignments: These assignments are designed to help you read actively.
They are graded on completion only; if you complete each part, you will earn 100%. You
will not be graded on whether or not your responses are “correct.” Points will be
deducted for incomplete annotations, so read through these assignments carefully.

Minor Writing Assignments: This portion of your grade includes any minor
assignment completed in preparation for an upcoming essay. These assignments can
include quizzes over videos/reading materials, short writing assignments, outlines, etc.
Often these assignments will help you prepare for the major projects and may include
skill practice and pre-writing tasks. It is important that you compete these assignments
to receive valuable feedback that will help you score higher on the major projects.

Plagiarism & MLA Assignments: You will complete a few quizzes and a Works Cited
page in this area of your grade. These quizzes will cover plagiarism, MLA formatting,
and using sources. You may refer to the reading materials as you complete each quiz.
Often questions on these questions will reinforce material from the previous unit’s quiz
so make sure to review questions that you missed on each quiz before moving onto the
next.

Major Essays: You will complete three major papers (noted above with an *). I will
grade all major writing assignments and peer reviews with the A-F grading scale listed
above. For each major paper, I have provided a detailed assignment sheet and rubric to
clarify the expectations and grading. Each assignment will be evaluated based on your
ability to thoughtfully respond to the prompt provided.

Revisions: You may choose to revise the first two major papers (the
Summary/Response and the Rhetorical Analysis) if you are not happy with your initial
grade. I will give the class a revision deadline for each essay once I have graded all
essays. Points that are lost due to late submission or incomplete work on the first draft
CANNOT be made up through revisions, and late revisions are not accepted. You will
not have time to revise the final essay, so please make sure to submit all prewriting
assignments for regular feedback!

Source Annotations: As you conduct research for your final essay, you will annotate 4
of your sources. In this assignment, you will demonstrate your ability to conduct
research, summarize source material, and assess sources for credibility. A detailed
grading rubric is provided in Unit 3.

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Peer Reviews: You will complete two peer reviews in this course. Detailed instructions,
grading rubrics, and sample peer reviews will be provided before the first peer review.
You will not be able to participate in a peer review if you do not submit a draft of your
paper for review by the posted due date; additionally, peer review grades will be
reduced if your draft for review does not meet the required page limit for that
assignment.

Other Grading Policies

Only grades within one point of the next letter grade will be considered for rounding up
to the next letter grade; rounding to the next letter grade is NOT automatic. Rounding of
borderline grades like an 89% will only be considered if you have submitted ALL
revisions and assignments. If you do not do everything in your power to earn the grade
you want, you are not eligible for the higher grade regardless of how close you are.

All assignments must be submitted through eCampus and be run through SafeAssign
for grading. I do not accept assignments through email. If you have technical issues with
uploading an assignment to eCampus, please email the assignment to show it was
completed and upload it to eCampus as soon as the technical issue is resolved.

Grades will be posted regularly in eCampus, typically 2-3 days after submission. Major
essay and peer review grades may take up to two weeks to post. All assignments will
include a summative comment that shows up in your grade center as well as detailed
comments. To access your detailed comments, make sure to click on the name of the
assignment in the gradebook. If you are unsure how to check your grades or your
detailed comments, please contact me immediately, and I will walk you through the
process. It is your responsibility to check your comments and contact me ASAP if you
are unable to open a graded document as well as if you have questions about your
grades.

Attendance
This course will meet entirely online. There are no required synchronous course
meetings. I will schedule a few live video classes, but attendance will be optional. These
sessions will be recorded and posted for review if you cannot attend. Please keep in
mind that if you do attend a live session, all video and audio is being recorded. It is your
responsibility to act in a professional and mature manner.

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Late Work Policy
To receive full credit, all work must be submitted by the due date on the course calendar
or posted on eCampus. Minor assignments (such as homework assignments, online
quizzes, etc.) and peer reviews cannot be made up for late credit. Major papers and
the source annotations will be penalized by a full letter grade (ten percent of its
worth) EACH day (not class meeting) they are late.

I recognize the many responsibilities and obligations faced by each of you outside of
class, so you may choose to submit ONE of the first two major papers up to three
days late without penalty (*note that this does NOT apply to peer review drafts, peer
review assignments, minor writing assignments, discussion board posts, or the final
paper). In order to take advantage of this late submission, you must send me an email
asking to use your late assignment. I will not assume that you want to use your late
forgiveness on an assignment simply because it is late. Additionally, you should keep in
mind that submitting an initial draft late may affect how long you have to revise the
essay. You will not be permitted an extension on the revision deadline if the initial draft
is late.

Other Course Policies

Per Richland policy, I do not send any graded work or discuss grades through email.
Grades will be posted regularly in eCampus. Please check your grades on eCampus
regularly and report any concerns promptly. All major papers will include a
summative comment that shows up in your grades as well as detailed comments that
you can access by clicking on the name of the assignment in the gradebook. If you are
unsure how to check your grades or your detailed comments, please visit during office
hours immediately, and I will walk you through the process. It is your responsibility to
check your comments and contact me ASAP if you are unable to open a graded
document as well as if you have questions about your grades.

All emails sent for class must include your name and course/section number. Please
use an appropriate and clear subject line and write clearly and professionally. I will

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typically respond to emails within 24 hours. If you email in the evenings (after 6:00),
you should expect a response the following day.

Classroom Etiquette
Please be respectful of your classmates and their work in this class as well as the
learning environment. Students who cause disruptions or fail to demonstrate respect to
their instructor or classmates on the discussion boards will lose credit for that
assignment and may face additional disciplinary actions.

In this class, we will delve into topics that affect our community, and the entire class will
often not agree on one viewpoint. We may discuss topics that affect you or your
classmates personally. It is important that you approach each argument as an
opportunity to learn about diverse viewpoints and engage in academic debate. If you
disagree with a classmate, you must provide counterpoints and discuss the argument;
you should NOT put down and belittle any classmate’s contributions to class
discussions.

Academic Honesty

Dr. Evil is wrong—academic dishonesty is not a strategy; it is cheating. Scholastic or

academic dishonesty is a violation of the Code of Student Conduct. Academic
dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion.
As a college student, you are considered a responsible adult. Your enrollment indicates
acceptance of the DCCCD Code of Student Conduct
http://www.richlandcollege.edu/conduct.

Examples of academic dishonesty include passing off another student’s work as your
own, copying and pasting sections from the Internet or another student’s work into your
paper without proper formatting and citation, or submitting a paper in this class that was
written for or submitted in another class.

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 An assignment that demonstrates evidence of academic dishonesty, whether intentional
or unintentional, will be given a grade of 0. You cannot revise assignments with
evidence of plagiarism. If you are caught plagiarizing or cheating on more than one
assignment in this course (including minor assignments), you will automatically receive
a failing grade for the course regardless of the grade calculation. Extra credit
assignments will not go towards improving or replacing grades for work that has been
given a 0 due to academic dishonesty.

Institutional Policies
Institutional Policies include information about tutoring, Disabilities Services, class drop
and repeat options, Title IX, and more.

Help with Writing

The following are campus resources that can help you succeed in this course:
 The English Corner offers online tutoring. Visit the Online Tutoring link in
eCampus for more information.
 The Writing Center is located in Medina 216. There you can receive free online
tutoring by appointment or on a drop-in basis. Phone: 972-238-6226.

*Disclaimer*
The instructor reserves the right to amend this syllabus (including the following course
calendar) as necessary.
Course Schedule
Please note that all homework assignments are due by 11:59PM on the date listed on
the calendar below.
Schedule Key: M= Monday, T=Tuesday, R=Thursday, Su=Sunday

Date Tasks to Complete on eCampus

Unit 1 The following assignments will be found in the Unit 1 folder.
M Aug. 24 Official course start date. You should look ahead and plan out your
schedule to complete tasks by the due dates listed on this calendar.
Your first task is due tomorrow.
T Aug. 25 Review information in the Start Here tab and the syllabus, and complete
the Orientation Quiz

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Date Tasks to Complete on eCampus
R Aug. 27 Complete the introduction discussion board and the survey on possible
meeting times for live sessions
Su Aug. 31 Watch “Welcome to College Writing,” and complete Writing Diagnostic
T Sept.1 Read “Critical Reading” and complete annotation assignment on “Which
English You Speak Has Nothing to Do with How Smart You Are”
R Sept. 3 Complete discussion board assignment on “Which English You Speak”
Su Sept. 6 Watch “Paraphrasing Effectively” and complete Paraphrasing Quiz and
the Paraphrase Practice assignment
T Sept. 8 Review “How to Summarize Effectively” PowerPoint and submit
summary of “Which English You Speak” to discussion board
EXTRA This assignment is OPTIONAL: If you complete the “Which English You
CREDIT Speak” Extra Credit assignment by Sept. 10, you can replace one
missed or low homework grade in the course.
R Sept. 10 Provide feedback to group members on “Which English You Speak”
summary discussion board
Su Sept. 13 Read “What is Plagiarism” and watch “Types of Plagiarism”; then,
complete Plagiarism Quiz 1
T Sept. 15 Submit final draft of “Which English You Speak” summary to
assignment area in Unit 1
R Sept. 17 Review Summary Response Essay Prompt and complete Summary
Response Essay Prompt Quiz, begin to read “The Effort Effect”
Su Sept. 20 Complete annotation assignment over “The Effort Effect”
T Sept. 22 Submit ½ page summary of “The Effort Effect” in Unit 1
R Sept. 24 Watch “What is an Academic Response?” and complete What is an
Academic Response? Quiz
Su Sept. 27 Read “Email Etiquette: When Being Impolite at Work Pays” and submit
response to “Email Etiquette…” discussion board.
T Sept. 29 Read “Paragraphing” and reply to assigned group members on “Email
Etiquette…” discussion board
R Oct. 1 Submit one response paragraph to “The Effort Effect”
Su Oct. 4 Complete annotation assignment over “Writing for an Audience”
T Oct. 6 Submit second response paragraph to “The Effort Effect,” make sure
this is a different point/main idea than your first response because they

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Date Tasks to Complete on eCampus
will be combined into one essay later in the unit
R Oct. 8 Review “Introductions” and “Conclusions,” continue to work on first
essay
Su Oct. 11 Submit complete draft of Summary Response Essay to discussion
board for peer review
T Oct. 13 Submit peer feedback form to assigned classmate on discussion board,
use peer review to revise and finish your essay
R Oct. 15 Submit final draft of Summary Response Essay in Unit 1
Unit 2 The following assignments will be found in the Unit 2 folder.
Su Oct. 18 Read “Introduction to Rhetorical Analysis” PowerPoint, read Rhetorical
Analysis Prompt and complete Rhetorical Analysis Prompt Quiz
T Oct. 20 Complete Rhetorical Analysis Brainstorming discussion board
R Oct. 22 Reply to group members and evaluate their visuals by answering
questions provided in discussion board
Su Oct. 25 Make sure your visual has been approved, submit a short description
and context paragraph
T Oct. 27 Complete annotation over “The Power of Cultural Myths” and watch
“Cultural Myths and Values,” complete Cultural Myths and Values
assignment
R Oct. 29 Review “Breaking Apart a Visual Argument” and begin to plan which
rhetorical strategies you will discuss in your essay
Su Nov. 1 Read “How to Find and Use Sources in a Rhetorical Analysis,” complete
quiz and post one possible source to Rhetorical Analysis Source
discussion board
T Nov. 3 Read “Creating Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences for a
Rhetorical Analysis,” complete Rhetorical Analysis Outline
Su. Nov. 8 Submit final draft of Rhetorical Analysis Essay
T Nov. 10 Move to Unit 3. Read “What is Argument?” and complete What is
Argument Quiz
R Nov. 12 Complete Sample Argument Annotation, review Argument Essay
Prompt, and complete Choosing Your Topic discussion board
Su Nov. 15 Read “Assessing Web Sources” and find a source on the web for your
topic, complete initial post on Finding Sources on the Web discussion
board

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Date Tasks to Complete on eCampus
T Nov. 17 Reply to your assigned group members on the Finding Sources on the
Web discussion board
R Nov. 19 Review the following readings: “Scholarly vs. Popular Sources,”
“Finding Scholarly Sources in the Library Databases,” and “Citing
Database Sources.”
Find one scholarly source on your topic in the databases and write a
source annotation according to the instructions in unit 3.
Su Nov. 22 Review all MLA materials in the MLA Format tab on eCampus and
complete Final MLA Quiz; submit a complete Works Cited page
T Nov. 24 Watch “Synthesizing Sources to Create an Argument” and submit
Argument Essay Outline
R Nov. 26 No assignments due for Thanksgiving break
T Dec. 1 Submit full draft of Argument Essay to discussion board for peer review
R Dec. 3 Complete peer feedback form for assigned partner
Sat. Dec. 5 Revise your essay based on your partner’s feedback and submit final
draft of Argument Essay
M Dec. 7 Watch your eCampus grades for final essay feedback. If there is
evidence of unintentional plagiarism in your Argument Essay, I will put a
0 in the gradebook and give directions on how to correct and resubmit.
You must correct any instances of unintentional plagiarism in order to
earn credit on the final essay.

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