Syllabus

Broward College/Downtown Center

Syllabus

Winter 2014 (1/7-5/5)

Course: English Composition 1 (ENC1101)

Ref. No.: 477943

Time: 11:00AM-12:15PM, T & R

Room: 33/3090

Instructor: Dr. Sabah Alsafar

Telephone: 954-304-0299

Emails: salsafar@broward.edu; alsafars@gmail.com

Office Hours: 1:50-3:30, TR and by appointment

Office Location: TBA

Course Description:

A university parallel course in which the student writes expository themes in various modes. Research methods and library skills are introduced and a documented paper is required. Placement in ENC1101 is determined by both standard and departmental assessment tests. A student must earn a grade of "C" or higher to pass this course.

General Course Competencies:

Upon the completion of this course students will be able to

• Read with critical comprehension;

• Transmit ideas and information in effective written language by employing good diction, conventional sentence structure, and standard written American English grammar and usage;

• Produce clearly written and coherently structured essays;

• Think creatively, logically, critically, and reflectively (analyze, synthesize, apply, and evaluate);

• Demonstrate and apply cultural and aesthetic literacy;

• Research, synthesize and produce original works that involve using primary and secondary sources and documenting them internally; and

• Demonstrate self-direction and self motivation

Learning Materials and Tools:

Textbook:

Edward, Dornan and Robert Dees. Four in One. Fifth Edition. Boston: Longman, 2011

Online Learning Resources:

1. owl.english.purdue.edu: Use this website at home to learn more about grammar, punctuation, MLA, and essay writing.

2. MLA and Research Writing:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/; http://webster.commnet.edu/mla/format.shtml#

Students with Special Needs:

Disability Support Services: Students with disabilities are advised, in compliance with Federal and State laws, that accommodations and services are available through the office of Disability Support Services (DSS). It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Disability Support Services Advisors on this Campus, and to submit appropriate documentation prior to receiving services.

Important Dates:

Last day for 100% refund for dropped class: Sept. 01, 2013

Last day to withdraw with "w": October 31, 2013

Last day for student withdrawal on the web: October 31, 2013

Last day of classes and exams or term end date: De. 17, 2013

Course Policies:

Attendance and Lateness

Class meetings will be spent engaged in activities that will directly address your needs as a writer. Each class is planned to build on the previous, and frequent absences will affect your progress and success dramatically. Missing more than six hours of class time, frequent tardiness, OR submitting more than two late assignments might constitute grounds for a grade of “D” for the course.

Withdrawal Process

Course withdrawal is the student’s responsibility.

The Writing Process and Grading:

Students will write four major essays and four in-class assignments during the semester. They are required to participate in in-class activities whose ultimate objective is to improve students’ academic writing skills. Aside from peer reviewing other students’ essays, students are required to participate in workshops that focus on grammar, punctuation, professional writing, and source documentation styles. Participation in class activities and peer reviewing of major essays will be graded.

Writing a good essay (for this class) takes several steps: developing a possible structure (brainstorming, clustering, and outlining); discussing structure with instructor; writing a draft; editing and polishing it; submitting one copy of final draft for peer reviewing and one copy for instructor who will discuss final draft with you; and re-editing and presenting it as a final version (which will be graded).

o A student is allowed one late assignment without penalty. The grade for the second late assignment will be lowered by 10%

o The due date for an essay is the date when its draft (not its final version) is due.

o A student is allowed to re-write two essays (late papers and in-class essays not included) to possibly improve their grades.

o Essays whose topics, structures, and drafts are not discussed with me will not be accepted

o A student who fails in two in-class essays will not get a passing grade for the course

Assignment Formats:

All major essays must follow the MLA guidelines for formatting the first and subsequent pages in an essay. These include using double spacing, an acceptable font (such as Times New Roman 12), and proper punctuation marks when citing and documenting sources. To learn more about the MLA guidelines, please consult the textbook and other sources such as this:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

Grading:

In-class Assignment One, Two, Three, and Four: 5% each

Essay One: 12%

Essay Two: 16%

Essay Three: 18%

Essay Four: 20%

Expanded Essay: 4%

Participation: 10%

_______________________________________________________________________________

Course Outline: This is intended to serve as a general guideline that may be modified as the semester progresses.

T, 1/7

Introduction to course

Concepts

What is “writing”?

Visiting owl.english.purdue.edu

MLA Essay Format

Writing Theory

Essay Structure:

Three parts of an essay

Part I: introduction and thesis: thesis statement as a complete and stand-alone message

Part II: thesis support section

Part III: summary+

Using the Box technique to build a thesis supporting paragraph

1. What is it?

2. Establish it (statistical information, reports, citing and/or quoting a source)

3. How and/or Why?

4. So What? (The good and/or bad effects/results)

HW: Read Chapter 17 and sample essays (See page 262.)

R, 1/9

The Language Connection:

Parts of Speech; Sentences

T, 1/14

Writing a Classification and Division Essay

...