Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "EN 103-5"
COURSE NAME: "Intensive English Composition"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2024

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Tara Keenan
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 8:30 AM 11:15 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 6
PREREQUISITES: This course carries 6 semester hours of credit. Prerequisite: Placement via JCU English Composition Placement Exam
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This intensive course has two components. One concentrates on developing the ability to write grammatically and idiomatically correct English prose, and includes an in-depth grammar review and examination of academic register. The other focuses on the elements of academic writing, from sentence structure through effective paragraph writing in essays, and introduces students to the various rhetorical modes. Elements covered include outlining, the introduction-body-conclusion structure, thesis statements, topic sentences, supporting arguments, and transition signals. Students will also become familiar with the fundamentals of MLA style, research and sourcing, as well as information literacy. To develop these skills, students will write in- and out-of-class essays. Critical reading is also integral to the course, and students will analyze peer writing as well as good expository models. Individual students in EN 103 may be required to complete additional hours in the English Writing Center as part of their course requirements. Students must receive a grade of C or above in this course to be eligible to take EN110. Students who receive a grade ranging from C- to D- can take EN105 or repeat EN103. Students who receive an F must repeat EN103.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
This intensive course has two components. One concentrates on developing the ability to write grammatically and idiomatically correct English prose, and includes an in-depth grammar review and examination of academic register. The other focuses on the elements of academic writing, from sentence structure through effective paragraph writing in essays, and introduces students to the various rhetorical modes. Elements covered include outlining, the introduction-body-conclusion structure, thesis statements, topic sentences, supporting arguments, and transition signals. Students will also become familiar with the fundamentals of MLA style, research and sourcing, as well as information literacy. To develop these skills, students will write in- and out-of-class essays. Critical reading is also integral to the course, and students will analyze peer writing as well as good expository models. Individual students in EN 103 may be required to complete additional hours in the English Writing Center as part of their course requirements. Students must receive a grade of C or above in this course to be eligible to take EN110. Students who receive a grade ranging from C- to D- can take EN105 or repeat EN103. Students who receive an F must repeat EN103.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students who successfully complete EN103 (with a grade of C or higher) should be able to

Grammar

-Write grammatically and idiomatically correct English prose with more sophistication

Reading

-Read to comprehend increasingly complex material

-Read and think critically

Vocabulary

-Expand vocabulary through reading and writing

-Develop subject specific terminology through reading and writing

Rhetoric

-Write effective paragraphs and essays

-Summarize

-Understand how to recognize and utilize rhetorical modes

-Construct detailed outlines

-Understand the introduction-body-conclusion structure

-Write a strong thesis statement

-Construct topic sentences and supporting arguments

-Utilize transition signals to form an essay that flows

-Think, read, and write critically for an academic audience

Research and sourcing (can be covered by a librarian in one or more workshops in the library)

-Be familiar with research skills including:

The use of primary and secondary sources

Understanding databases, web-based sourcing, and source evaluation

-Utilize MLA format to cite sources ad understand in-text citation

-Understand how to avoid plagiarism

TEXTBOOK:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments	Format	Local Bookstore	Online Purchase
Successful College Composition	Weaver et al.	Galileo	ENC1101_26 (IID), (doi)		This book is free and online

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Midterm		20
Writing Assignments		20
Final Exam		30
Shorter Assignments		20
Class Engagement - Rubric twice per term		10

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
A Work of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course. 90-92 = A-; 93-100 = A)
B This is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised. There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluate theory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture and reference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments. (80-82 = B-; 83-86 = B; 87-89 = B+)
C This is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings. (70-72 = C-; 73-76 = C; 77-79 = C+)
D This level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material. Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included. In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail. (60-62 = D-; 63-66 = D; 67-69 = D+)
F This work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant. (<60) Each assignment handed in late will be capped at 75%. Students have one week to hand in graded work before the grade becomes a 0. It is the student's responsibility to approach the instructor to schedule a makeup for any missed in-class work within one week.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS, DEADLINES, AND EXAMINATION POLICY

You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Associate Dean’s office should not be involved in correspondence regarding any other type of absence. This means that if you need to return home for a funeral, if you need to go to the dentist, if you have a fingerprinting appointment, if you are ill, or for any other reason that I have not listed, you simply do not come to class that day and you contact a colleague to find out what went on in class. Do not create extra work for the Dean’s office by reaching out to them on these, rather routine, issues. Do not send me medical notes, as I am not in a position to evaluate them. Let us all agree that if you need to be absent, I believe you. Let’s create a world in which we believe each other and trust that we would be in class every session if we could. Let’s refuse to participate in bureaucratic processes that deskill us in terms of independent decision-making. There are always one or two obvious common sense extreme exceptions to this aspiration, but generally it is best to avoid triggering institutional responses for routine short-term absences. The bottom line is that every student, including you, is a treasured resource for each class. Without you, it simply is not the same.

Suffice to say that your grade will go down with frequent absences. At the 5th absence (excused or otherwise), you will be asked to withdraw from the course.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

The very point of why we are all here is that we want to develop ourselves into well-rounded life-long learners. Cutting corners with paper-writing tools, AI, and Chatbots cheapens everyone’s experience of the course and professors tend to take it personally. A good rule is that if you have to ask, “Is this okay to do?”, it probably is not.

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

Please note that the schedule is tentative and subject to change. There will be numerous readings assigned throughout the semester both in and out of class, each connected to a select theme related to the topic that week. *Moodle much better reflects the definitive schedule for this class each semester.

Each assignment handed in late will be capped at 75%. It is the student's responsibility to approach the instructor to schedule a makeup for any missed work within one week.

Week 1: Introductions and the Sentence-Introductions, Syllabus, Writing Program, Texts, Academic Honesty, Turnitin.uk, Writing Center, Expectations, The Sentence-Types of Sentences

Week 2: The Sentence-Parallelism, Sentence Problems; Noun Clauses and Adverb Clauses; Critical Reading and Annotation; the Writing Process, Timed Essay Strategies,

Week 3:The Paragraph-Paragraph Structure; Topic sentences, supporting sentences, concluding sentences; Outlining

Week 4: The Paragraph-Unity and Coherence; Simplifying writing; Transition signals; Summary and Paraphrase

Week 5: The Paragraph-Characteristics of a well-designed paragraph; Verb tense shifts; Supporting Details and Quotations;

Week 6: From Paragraph to Essay-Three parts of an essay-Introduction, Body and Conclusion; the Narrative Essay

Midterm

Week 7:The Narrative Essay cont.; the Definition Essay

Week 8: Essay-The Definition Essay cont.; the Cause and Effect Essay; Conferences, and Mid Term Warnings

Week 9: Essay-The Compare and Contrast Essay; Primary Sources and Secondary Sources

Week 10: Research-Conducting Research and Plagiarism; Conference on research proposal and Library Visits

Week 11: Research-MLA Formatting; Works Cited; Parenthetical Citation; Compare and Contrast cont; Introduction to Argument

Week 12: Argument-Elements of Argument; Persuasion; The Thesis Statement

Week 13: Classical Rhetorical Strategies; Defining Rhetoric; Ethos, Pathos and Logos; Cicero’s Model of Argument Arrangement, Inductive and Deductive Reasoning; Logical Fallacies

Week 14: Argument and Final Exam Preparation