Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "EN 105-5"
COURSE NAME: "English Composition"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall Semester 2012

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Fadden Aidan
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 16:30-17:45
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: Placement via JCU English Composition Placement Exam
OFFICE HOURS: by appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

COURSE AIMS:
The course aims to improve student's understanding of what constitutes good writing. A variety of strategies for producing clear and convincing prose are introduced.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
This course emphasizes the planning, writing, and revising of compositions and focuses on the development of critical and logical thinking skills. Class time will be devoted to writing that stresses analytical, evaluative, persuasive, and argumentative writing. We will embark on writing by reading a variety of essays and articles meant to spur class discussion and provide fertile material for different types of composition. We will also do a great deal of “writing practice” or in-class writing and revision. Grammar and structural issues will be reviewed as needed. Learning is hands-on in this class: you will participate in discussion and exercises in a practical, workshop-oriented atmosphere. Emphasis will be on honing critical thinking, and on the generation and revision of papers aided by regular peer reviews as the foundation for excellent writing.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of the course, you will be a more perceptive reader with a clearer understanding of what actually makes good writing. In your own writing, you will find yourself thinking carefully about what and how you write, using a broader vocabulary and more varied sentence structures and taking advantage of the various rhetorical modes to improve essay organization and clarity. All this should increase your confidence and make writing more enjoyable for your audience and for yourself as well.

TEXTBOOK:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments	Format	Local Bookstore	Online Purchase
Writing Academic English 4th Edition	Oshima and Hogue	Pearson Longman	0131523597

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
In class essays		30
At home essays		30
homework, quizzes, 'mycomplab'		20
final Exam		20

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:

Assessment Guidelines for assigning main letter grades: A, B, C,D, and F.

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. There are no grammatical or structural errors of any significance.

(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. Any errors are few but not impeding. (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. There may still be some impeding errors or errors which persist. (70 - 72 = C-; 73 - 76 = C; 77 - 79 = C+)

D:At the higher end of this category there may be work which, were it not for the frequency of errors, could have obtained a C grade for content. At the lower level, performance 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. Errors in all categories render the work barely readable.(<60)

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Regular attendance is mandatory, not optional. Frequent absences will lead to a lowering of your grade or even failure of the course, and you will be required to repeat the course. In the case of illness, a doctor’s note is required or the absence is unexcused. If you are seriously ill and will be out for more than one class, please contact the professor via email. If, for whatever reasons, a student cannot attend classes regularly, after 5 absences, the student will be asked to withdraw from the course. It is the student’s responsibility to contact a classmate to find out what was missed and to come to the next class fully prepared. Late work, for whatever reason, will be accepted at the instructor’s discretion; however, habitual late work will not be accepted. Make ups will not be given for unexcused absences. Late arrivals are very disruptive. Habitual late arrivals will not be tolerated and two late arrivals (after the class has already started) will be counted as one absence.

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

Date	Possible Themes	In Class Activity	Homework
4 Sept (lesson 1)	Orientation and Intro. Write about you and English	Discuss syllabus, book, writing program, university, academic honesty, ‘MyCompLab’,	Study for quiz
6 Sept	Description: Getting to know you Where you are from	Quiz and correction WAE - Ch 1 (Paragraph) review Eliminating personal pronouns Ch 4: from paragraph to essay	Exercises or writing Task
11 Sept	Processes and change Places and homes	Feedback Transition signals Processes – outlining and drafting	Exercises or writing task
13 Sept	Unconventional lifestyles	Cause and effect Block and chain organization	Home essay 1
18 Sept (lesson 5)		Signal words and phrases	Exercises or writing task
20 Sept	Borders and maps Google earth	Feedback on home essay 1 In class practice Reading and discussion	Exercises or writing task
*21 Sept		Catch up lesson	Exercises or writing task
25 Sept		In Class Essay 1	Exercises or writing task
27 Sept	Past and present Them and us	Comparison and Contrast Discussion and practice	Exercises or writing task
2 Oct (10)		Feedback on in class 1 Peer discussion Error correction	Making an error log
4 Oct	Culture and tradition Prejudice and racism	Point by point and block organization	Exercises or writing task
9 Oct		Comparison and Contrast Linking words and phrases	Exercises or writing task
11 Oct		Quiz	Exercises or writing task
*12 Oct		Catch up lesson Planning and outlining	Exercises or writing task
16 Oct (15)		Review and conferencing	Home essay 2
18 Oct	International law and extradition	WAE – Ch 8 Paraphrasing and summarizing Intro to using sources Supporting your opinions	Exercises or writing task
*Midterm warnings*
23 Oct		Feedback on Home essay 2 Peer editing	Exercises or writing task
25 Oct	Moral issues	In class practice Intro to argumentation Discussion and workshop	Exercises or writing task
30 Oct		Library Visit Avoiding plagiarism	Exercises or writing task
6 Nov (20)		Library Research on a topic	Exercises or writing task
8 Nov		Classic argument structure Thesis statement	Exercises or writing task
13 Nov		Subordination structures (although, cespite etc.)	Exercises or writing task
15 Nov		In class essay 2	Exercises or writing task
20 Nov		Review and conferencing	Exercises or writing task
27 Nov (25)		Feedback on In class essay 2 Peer review
29 Nov		Review and problem analysis
4 Dec		Wrap up class
6 Dec (28)		Wrap up class
TBA		Final Exam