Professional Documents
Culture Documents
I. Course Identification
Course Title: English Composition Course Number: ENGL 111
School: Liberal Arts and Sciences Number of Credits: 3
Program: General Studies Number of Contact Hours: 3
II. Instructor
Name: Annie Gray Mailbox: A225
Office: C103 Office phone: (812) 330-6038
E-mail: agray@ivytech.edu
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be expected to:
1. Understand communication theory and the roles audiences play in the writing
process.
2. Apply critical reading and thinking skills to the writing process.
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3. Demonstrate an awareness of language as a tool for learning and
communication.
4. Develop strategies for making independent, critical evaluations of student and
published texts.
5. Research and critically evaluate information to produce writing with
appropriate documentation.
6. Apply strategies for the composition process such as drafting, collaboration,
revision, and peer evaluation to produce written documents.
7. Write well-organized essays with a firm thesis and a clear introduction, body,
and conclusion.
8. Engage in pre-writing activities, including narrowing a topic, generating ideas,
determining the audience and the relationship between audience and content,
and setting an appropriate tone.
9. Demonstrate an understanding of various rhetorical modes, including
argumentation and analysis, and apply that understanding in various writing
environments, including an essay test.
10. Support a thesis statement with valid reasons and evidence.
11. Follow the conventions of standard written English, in sentence structure,
punctuation, grammar and usage, and spelling.
12. Recognize and develop styles appropriate to varied writing situations.
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VI. Course Policies
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• Blackboard. This class will make only minimal use of Blackboard (Ivy Tech’s
online learning platform). You may use Blackboard to check your grades.
• Help is available. Come see me during office hours in C103 (or other times by
appointment); you can also visit the tutors in the Academic Support Center
(C126).
• Extra Credit is available. This section of ENGL 111 is reading excerpts from
our Campus Common Reading book for 2008-2009, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not)
Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich. Several events related to this text
will take place on campus this semester, including a Poverty Simulation event
(Jan. 28, 2:00-5:00 p.m.), book discussions (Feb. 11, 12:00-1:30 p.m. and Apr. 2,
4:30-6:00 p.m.), and an essay contest (deadline April 1, 2009—first prize $300).
More information on the Common Reading can be found at
http://thecenter.ivytech.edu/read. You will have opportunities to earn extra credit
for participating in Common Reading events and preparing short reflective
analyses of the events. Additional information about the extra credit assignments
can be found at the end of this syllabus.
The College is committed to academic integrity in all its practices. The faculty value
intellectual integrity and a high standard of academic conduct. Activities that violate
academic integrity undermine the quality and diminish the value of educational
achievement.
The instructor reserves the right to use the resources of the College to check student work
for plagiarism.
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IX. Copyright Statement
Students shall adhere to the laws governing the use of copyrighted materials. They must
ensure that their activities comply with fair use and in no way infringe on the copyright or
other proprietary rights of others and that the materials used and developed at Ivy Tech
Community College of Indiana contain nothing unlawful, unethical, or libelous, and do
not constitute any violation of any right of privacy.
X. Course Grading
100 – 90 % A
89 – 80 % B
79 – 70 % C
69 – 60 % D
A: An “A” paper is outstanding. It explores the subject in great depth and reveals
attention to the nuances and complexities of the topic at hand. It is focused, carefully
supported, nicely organized, meets the requirements of the assignment, and exhibits the
writer’s mastery of mechanical skills and style.
B: A “B” paper is better than average. It examines the subject in some depth. Thesis is
supported and organization is generally clear. Paragraphs and sentences are generally
well constructed. Mechanics are clean for the most part. The paper meets the
requirements for the assignment.
C: A “C” paper offers an acceptable examination of the subject, but it lacks depth. Thesis
is present but not well-supported with examples and illustrations. Skeletal over-all
organization is present. Paper may depend on generalizations and lack detail. Paragraphs
may not be fully developed. Sentences are clear but may be awkward at times. The paper
meets the major requirements of the assignment.
D: A “D” paper demonstrates below average effort. It does not examine the subject in
depth and lacks organization. Paragraphs are not well-developed. Awkward sentence
structure may create problems for the reader. It may exhibit significant mechanical
difficulties. It may not complete all the requirements of the assignment.
F: An “F” paper is unacceptable. It lacks thesis and organization. Paragraphs are not
developed. It lacks details and examples. It may be difficult to follow.
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XI: Disability Statement
Ivy Tech State College seeks to provide effective services and accommodations for
qualified individuals with documented disabilities. If you need an accommodation
because of a documented disability, you are required to register with Disability Support
Services at the beginning of the semester. If you will require assistance during an
emergency evacuation, notify your instructor immediately. Look for evacuation
procedures posted in your classrooms.
The Disabilities Service Coordinator is Sue Gauck, Room C110, Phone 330-6046.
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XII: XI: Projects and Assignments
Projects and assignments for this class will center loosely on the concept of THE
AMERICAN DREAM.
Paper 1: After studying John Mellencamp’s “Little Pink Houses” (text and youtube)
write an essay that analyzes and explains Mellencamp’s position on the American Dream.
Does Mellencamp suggest that it can/can’t be achieved? That it’s worth achieving? That
some can achieve it, but not others?
Paper 2: Compare Ehrenreich’s attitude toward her work (in the first few chapters of
Nickel and Dimed), the attitudes of her colleagues and the attitude toward work that you
see described in Stud Terkel’s “The Mason.” What point can you derive from the
differences and similarities that you see?
Paper 3: Use a passage from Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed as a lens to focus your
attention on a specific element of Gabriele Muccino’s Pursuit of Happyness. Use this
“lens” to arrive at a focused point about Pursuit of Happyness that you then prove fully
by deriving evidence from the movie.
Paper 4: As a preparatory piece for the longer paper 5, identify a Wal-Mart related
controversy, research it carefully, and write a synthesis in which you offer an objective
description of what’s being said about the controversy and what’s at stake.
Paper 5: Now that you have a solid understanding of a Wal-Mart related controversy,
write an argumentative essay in which you take a position related to the controversy.
Argue your position and support it with evidence from your sources. Make sure that you
also acknowledge and respond to the opposition.
_________
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In order to receive a C or higher in the course, you must complete all of the major
papers.
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Date Classroom Activities Feb. 6 Assignments Due Feb. 13
Week 4 • Read PSM, pages 107-
Feb. 6 Documentation 154
• Read Ehrenreich,
“Serving,” pages 11-49
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Spring Break, March 16- March 20
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Date Classroom Activities May 1 Assignments Due May 8
Week 15 • Revise Paper 5
May 1 INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCES
_______________________________________________
The above course schedule and procedures in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating
circumstances as determined by the instructor.
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Revision Policy
Option to further revise your first 4 papers. You may re-revise any of your first 4
papers for an improved grade. The improved grade will replace the original grade
recorded in the gradebook.
Deadline: You may turn in re-revisions at any time; however, no re-revisions will be
accepted after April 24.
Format: Turn in your re-revision in a two-pocket folder with the original GRADED
version of the paper. Re-revisions turned in without the first graded version will not be
graded. Email submissions will not be graded.
Strategies:
• Before revising, carefully consider the comments made by both your instructor
and your peers. Brainstorm ways to address concerns. If somebody else had
written this paper and was showing it to you—what would you recommend?
• Revision involves more than simply correcting spelling or grammatical errors
noted on your papers. Revision also involves responding to readers’ needs,
answering questions, rethinking organization, adding needed material, and
deleting unnecessary material.
• You may always come with your drafts to my office hours for consultation and
feedback. I'll expect you to come in with specific questions for me about your
specific draft. Bring all previous drafts, my comments, and your peer response
sheets.
Caveats:
• I will not tell you exactly how to write any paper, nor will I correct all your errors.
I will discuss the ideas and organization of your paper with you and give you
further suggestions for approaching your revision. This may involve giving you
organizational patterns or wording to consider. The final version of any revision is
your responsibility.
• I will identify grammatical or format issues you need to address, and help you
understand those issues so you can correct your own mistakes. I will not
proofread your papers.
• Revising a paper requires effort and diligence. If you revise your paper in a
superficial way, do no expect to receive an improved grade.
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Extra Credit
EXTRA CREDIT 1
If you attended the Poverty Simulation on Wednesday, Jan. 28 from 2:00-5:00 p.m. in the
Student Commons, write up a minimum 500-word reflective analysis of the experience
for up to 40 points of extra credit. NOTE: Advance registration is required for this event.
Contact Peg Nelson (pnelson@ivytech.edu) to register.
• Discuss the most important or surprising insight you gained about poverty from
participating in the Poverty Simulation.
• Discuss how your experience participating in the Poverty Simulation compares
with or contrasts with what you know of Barbara Ehrenreich’s experiences in
Nickel and Dimed.
Your reflective analysis is due no later than 11:59 p.m. Friday, February 13.
*****
EXTRA CREDIT 2
If you attended the Campus Common Reading Book Discussion on Wednesday, Feb. 11
from 12:00-1:30 p.m. in Lamkin Hall, write up a minimum 300-word reflective analysis
of the event for up to 20 points of extra credit.
Be sure to provide the full name(s) of the presenters, their credentials, and the title of the
discussion in your write-up.
• Discuss the most important or surprising insight you gained about the discussion
topic from participating in the discussion.
• Discuss how what you learned about this topic compares with or contrasts with
what you know of Barbara Ehrenreich’s experiences in Nickel and Dimed.
Your reflective analysis is due no later than 11:59 p.m. Friday, February 20.
*****
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EXTRA CREDIT 3
If you attended the Campus Common Reading Book Discussion on Thursday, Apr. 2
from 4:30-6:00 p.m. in Lamkin Hall, write up a minimum 300-word reflective analysis of
the event for up to 20 points of extra credit.
Be sure to provide the full name(s) of the presenters, their credentials, and the title of the
discussion in your write-up.
• Discuss the most important or surprising insight you gained about the discussion
topic from participating in the discussion.
• Discuss how what you learned about this topic compares with or contrasts with
what you know of Barbara Ehrenreich’s experiences in Nickel and Dimed.
Your reflective analysis is due no later than 11:59 p.m. Friday, April 10.
*****
You may submit the work early, but points/comments will not be returned to you until
after the due date.
Extra Credit work will NOT be accepted after the due dates listed above.
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Ivy Tech Community College – Bloomington
ASC
Academic Support Center
A126
Phone: 330-6617
ASC Hours:
Monday – Thursday 9 am – 7 pm
Friday 9 am – 6 pm
Saturday 8:30 am - 12:30 pm
We provide FREE tutoring support in the following areas:
• All ASA courses (Math, writing and reading)
• Most other English (English 111 and higher)
• Most other math courses (Math 111 and higher)
• Many Accounting Courses
• Math and writing for most general education courses
• Most Anatomy and Physiology courses
There is always at least one tutor present to support ASA math courses. Because not all
types of support are available at all times, either call 330-6617 or check the bulletin board
outside of the tutoring center to see when tutoring is available in your subject area.
Because you are required to sign in with their course number and your instructor’s name,
we suggest that you bring the following items to any tutoring session:
• Course syllabus
• Textbook
• Assignment sheets
• Rough drafts
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