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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "EN 105-3"
COURSE NAME: "English Composition"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2014
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Conor Deane
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: TTH 4:30 PM 5:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: Placement via JCU English Composition Placement Exam
OFFICE HOURS:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The course is intended to teach students the fundamentals of clear and elegant writing. It aims to ensure that the register of a student’s prose is appropriate to the subject and context, which in our  case means writing academically.  Above all, the course sets out a series of rules and strategies for writing simple, good prose.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

The design of the course reflects the design of a good essay. It therefore begins with the absolute basics of a sentence, from spelling, punctuation and syntax to structure, style and vocabulary. It then considers how sentences should  fit together, with particular emphasis on transitional words and phrases, and how to combine several sentences together to form cogent paragraphs.

Continuing with the building-block approach, the course then shows how paragraphs constitute the structural framework of an essay which, whatever its size, can be divided into three sections: a beginning, a middle and an end.

The course takes a deconstructive approach, forcing students  to retrace some of the steps they may take for granted when writing in the belief that a certain amount of defamiliarization will lead to greater care  in the construction of sentences. 
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Grammar

By the end of the course, students must be able to write grammatical sentences.  That is its fundamental aim. Everything else flows from this.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary is  expanded through reading, which is a private activity. The acquisition of a rich vocabulary, essential for excellence in writing, is therefore  essentially the responsibility of the student. Only to a limited extent can vocabulary be taught in the classroom. The course will include plenty of referenced material useful for vocabulary-building and some advice on how to learn new words and phrases, but most of the work must be done individually.  Students  who expand their vocabulary during the course will see  their efforts generously  reflected in their final grade.

Rhetoric

Devices and tricks  for getting a reader “on-side” can be taught. Students will be instructed on how to adapt the correct tone, voice and vocabulary to be persuasive.  They will also learn other aspects of rhetoric, including synthesis, the use of comparisons and contrast  evidence-based arguing,  emphasis, idea-development, the exclusion or inclusion of material and the general presentation of a thesis.

Rhetoric also encompasses the extremely important ability of summarizing and paraphrasing, and considerable time will be spent on this activity. 
TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
In-class writing projectsThese are writing exercises to be done in the classroom. Not all in-class work will be graded.30
Homework writing assignmentsHomework assignments are always graded30
Research proposalStudents propose a topic for their final essay. The proposal must consist of a few well-written lines, and the essay must follow the proposal.5
Bibliography for research paperStudents must present a bibliography for their essay in MLA style.5
Final research paperConsiderable weight is accorded to the final essay, in which students will demonstrate what they have learned in the course. The topic is of minor importance, and the style of writing and presentation is everything. A correct bibliography is worth 5 points of the 30 30
Draft of essay 0 Required
Outline of essay 0 required

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork 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 cours
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis 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.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Students are required to attend all scheduled class meetings. Students are allowed 4 absences during the term (excused or unexcused). Each additional absence beyond the four allowed will result in the reduction in the final grade for the course by 5%. Students arriving to class after attendance has been taken will be counted as late. Two late arrivals will count as an absence. If you are absent it is your responsibility to call a classmate for the assignment.
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
SessionSession FocusReading AssignmentOther AssignmentMeeting Place/Exam Dates
Week 1Course introduction. List making, recipes. The basic sentence. Terminology.   
Week 2What is MLA? Rules for formatting a paper   
Week 3Punctuation. Commas, semicolons, colons, inverted commas. Indentation of citations.   
Week 4Transition words and phrases. Structure and direction of an English sentence   
Week 5Using new vocabulary. Useful phrases for essay writing.   
Week 6What is a paragraph? How to know when to make a paragraph break.   
Week 7Summarizing others' work. Vocabulary building.   
Week 8Active and passive voices. Use of the impersonal. Academic style.   
Week 9Library research. How to find reliable sources (lesson to be given by a librarian).   
Week 10Searching on the internet. Set phrases for essay-writing.   
Week 11How to structure an essay. Thesis statement, argument, conclusion.   
Week 12Searching for a topic. Preparation for final paper.   
Week 13Drafting your paper   
Week 14Final essay.