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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "EN 110"
COURSE NAME: "Advanced Composition"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Summer Session II 2014
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Carolina De Luca
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
MTWTH 11:00 AM 12:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
Prerequisite: Placement via JCU English Composition Placement Exam or completion of either EN 103 or EN 105 with a grade of C or above
OFFICE HOURS:
T TH after class
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course prepares students to read, think, and write critically. Students will develop their ability to read critically and analyze primary and secondary sources, hone their composition skills through in and out of class essays, and will complete the course by writing and revising a fully-documented and well-reasoned research paper, complemented by an annotated bibliography and literature review. EN110 focuses on the argumentative form, encouraging students to position their work within current critical discourses. The course develops the following skills: source selection and interrogation, identification and contextualization of themes, thesis development and defense, digital literacies, use of library resources, and careful citation in MLA style. Students must receive a grade of C or above in this course to fulfill the University’s English Composition requirement and to be eligible to take courses in English literature.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The course examines a range of fundamental writing strategies, starting with grammar, organization and logic, critical reading of sources, summarizing, paraphrasing and proper quoting; it continues with the writing of a topic proposal, selection and citation of sources, literature review, and thesis development. Research and use of library resources will also be covered.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Students will learn to write a well-organized and error-free argumentative essays and a longer MLA-style argumentative research paper. By the end of the course, students will have a bigger appreciation for writing, and will learn to perceive themselves as writers. Students will also learn to read literature in a way that will develop the critical skills necessary for academic writing/thinking across the disciplines and will understand that -more often than not- to read and think well is to write well.
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TEXTBOOK:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments | Format | Local Bookstore | Online Purchase |
| Rules for Writers, Seventh Edition B | Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers | Bedford / St Martin's | 978031264736 | | (also on reserve in the library) | | | |
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| 4 in class essays | Students practice writing fully developed five paragraph essays in class based on readings and outlines prepared ahead of time. | 40% |
| 2 at home essays | The purpose of the at-home essays is to gradually work up to writing the final research paper. The average length of these papers is four to six double-spaced typed pages. | 20% |
| Final Presentation | The final exam is an oral presentation of your research paper: it will focus on its process, artifacts and discoveries. 5 minutes max. | 10% |
| Research Paper | All students are required to write a fully documented short research paper (1500-1700 words). It must be an explicit argument and must follow MLA format. | 20% |
| Class Participation | Most of the lessons are workshops, direct opportunities for students to focus on and improve their writing ability, to use MLA format, and to put argument theory into practice. Furthermore, in order to write an effective argument, one must think through the issues thoroughly. In-class discussions begin with the assigned readings and develop according to the interests and perspectives of class members. Therefore, class participation and student interaction are essential pre-writing activities. | 10% |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
A
Outstanding. A/A-: This is outstanding writing which reflects a perceptive and thoughtful response to the assignment. It is well organized with excellent development of ideas and reflects the writer's command of appropriate rhetorical strategies. The prose is vigorous and fresh, and the writer is clearly in control of the standard conventions of English prose. There are no errors in the mechanics of writi
B
Very Good. B/B+/B-: This is very good writing that fulfills the assignment and shows evidence of clear thought and good planning. It is well organized with good supporting details. The writing is fluent, and there are only minor errors in the mechanics of writing which do not detract from the overall essay.
C
Average. C/C+/C-: This is satisfactory writing that fulfills the assignment and is adequately developed. The writing is clear and coherent with relatively few errors in usage and mechanics, but the writer fails to demonstrate any particular strength that would mark this writing above average.
D
Below Average. D/D+/D-: This is below-average writing which fulfills the assignment but exhibits major problems in writing. It may have difficulty with the presentation of ideas (e.g., lack of clear thesis, weak organization, poor development of ideas, or incoherence), or it may reflect poor control of the conventions of standard English prose (e.g., poor use of idiom, inappropriate diction, poor spelling) or be marred by enough errors in the mechanics of writing to seriously distract the reader
F
Unsatisfactory. F: This is writing that relates to the topic but fails to fulfill the assignment either because of poor organization and lack of clarity or because the writing reflects a lack of control over the basic conventions of standard English usage. There may be sentence boundary problems, poor use of idiom, inappropriate diction (words used incorrectly), agreement errors, or verb tense problems.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Because the course is based on a series of workshops and in-class activities, attendance and class contribution are essential. Four or more absences will affect the final grade for the class, and when a student exceeds 5 absences, for whatever reason, he or she may fail the course. Late arrivals are disruptive and show a lack of respect for the instructor and for other students; therefore, two late entrances count as one absence. When a student is absent, he or she is held responsible for all of the work covered during the lesson, and papers or homework due on the day of absence should be turned in via email or another student. Late papers will be marked a half grade off (from A to A-, for example) for every day late. Assignments are considered on time only if submitted at (or before) the beginning of class on the due date. Scheduled in-class essays may not be made up unless arrangements are made with the professor before the day of absence. The use of computers, cell phones, is not permitted during class. Eating is discouraged while drinking (coffee/tea etc.) is absolutely fine.
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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.
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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.
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SCHEDULE
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SYLLABUS ENGLISH 110
Week by Week
TBA
In addition to the work indicated on the class syllabus, you will also be required to complete exercises from the manual, Rules for Writers. Page numbers and exercises will be assigned on a weekly basis.
Suggested Websites:
Top Ten Essays Since 1950:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/54337-the-top-10-essays-since-1950.html
The Electric Typewriter
http://tetw.org/Greats
A collection of classical essays:
http://essays.quotidiana.org/
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