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Dr. Mary Pat McQueeney’s English 121: Composition I Syllabus 

January 10, 2012

Course number: CRN 10040 (Section 023); 10054(Section 027)

Text: Bullock, Richard, and Maureen Daly Goggin. The Norton Field Guide to Writing, with 

Readings. 2nd ed. New York: WW. Norton, 2010. Print.

This text is required. You will need to bring this to class daily.

Course description: Composition I focuses on writing non-fiction prose for a variety of purposes and 

audiences. 

Course dates: January 18-December 18, 2012

Location: GEB 242

Meeting day(s) and time(s): MWF at 1 p.m. (023) and at 2 p.m. (027). In addition the course will require

at least 90 minutes homework after each of the M and W meetings and 2-3 hours after the F meetings.Much of this work will be use computers and be Internet-based.

Prerequisite(s): You have met certain test standards or completed certain courses in order to be in this

course. That fact allows me to assume that students come to this course with control over the basics of 

spelling and grammar including punctuation, ability to write a topic sentence and develop a paragraph

from it, and experience writing coherent multiple-paragraph papers. Placement in this course also

assumes ability to read, comprehend, and interpret adult-level reading (an article in Time, for example).

Most papers will be submitted as word-processed documents, so students need keyboarding skills and

knowledge of how to use a word-processing program (Word, Works, or Open Office). Specifically,

students need to be able to generate a document, install page numbers using the header and footertool, set double-spacing at the document level, save and print documents.

NOTE: These are prerequisites, so if you lack pre-requisite skills, YOU are responsible for

addressing the deficit. I will be glad to suggest some options for remediation, but this course will

move along with the assumption that students come to it with the prerequisite skills.

Instructor Contact Information

I am Dr. Mary Pat McQueeney. I'm a composition specialist with an interest in academic and public

writing. I've taught since 1968, first in high school, then at KU, and now full-time at JCCC. For more

information about my professional work, you can visit my web site: see Writing Matters! (Click on my

name).

Office location: GEB 165D

Email: pmcqueen@jccc.edu Once class begins, use Angel email.

Mailbox: CC 221 (you have to know how to spell my name)

Office hours: online: 9:00-10:00 p.m. TR; Feel free to contact me by Angel email. On-campus: 12:15-

12:45 and 3:00-3:30 MWF; by appointment. Lawrence: by appointment at an agreed upon coffee shop

with wifi

Phone: (Monitored only on MWF) 913-469-8500 x4571

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Course Objectives

To complete this course successfully, students need to

*Demonstrate mastery of the basic writing process:

1. Begin a writing task by using appropriate methods for discovering ideas and gathering materials.

2. Decide on a suitable controlling idea and arrangement for the supporting ideas.

3. Write papers that present ideas and supports with sufficient detail to be convincing.

4. Use comments from the instructor and other students to make and assist others in making significant

revisions in essays.

*Read and think critically about texts

1. Identify and profile an appropriate audience for texts.

2. Identify controlling ideas and organizational patterns in texts.

3. Evaluate the biases and reliability of sources.

*Demonstrate listening skills and ability to follow directions

Course RequirementsCollege learning requires that students be self-motivated, pro-active learners who take responsibility for

time and task management. The greatest predictors of success in my sections of Composition I are

regular attendance, serious listening and active engagement, and thoughtful completion of the

preparatory work and major papers.

The course work consists of preparatory work (some of which is in-class exclusively and some of which is

homework), peer reviews, periodic assessments of key concepts, and four-five major papers.

Major papers include four-six from a variety of genres such as the following:

  a summary

  a memoir

  a profile  a proposal

  an evaluation/commentary

  a reflective paper on the writing process

IMPORTANT NOTE: Four factors will determine students’ final grades: 

1. Completion of all major assignments

2. Completion of a designated cumulative assignment at C level or above

3. Attendance

4. Total accumulation of points

Preparation of essays: Coursework must be completed within Angel course management software (I willprovide orientation in class) and many assignments will be submitted electronically. I may also require

that some major paper and supporting documents be submitted as hard copy. All final versions of essays

must be typed using word processing software (Microsoft Word or Works). Major papers need to

adhere to MLA formatting standards. (The textbook provides details.)

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Peer Review: Peer review exchanges among members of this course will be part of at least three

lessons. More details on that process will be provided within individual lessons. I feel strongly enough

about the process that I provide both point and feedback incentives.

Grading Scale: Total points possible will be approximately 1000 assigned according to this scale:

A=90-100%

B=80-89%

C=70-79%

D=60-69%

Your grade book will be available to you throughout the course within Angel. Periodically, I will ask that

you confirm that the grade book is accurate to that date. At that time I will "close" that portion of the

grade book; in other words, changes will not be negotiated after that point.

NOTE: I focus on learning in this course; students find that, if they focus on learning, grades will

follow. Those who focus on grades primarily, on the other hand, tend to have difficulty, because

half-way into the course they discover that they haven't acquired the skills necessary to

complete the work successfully.

Course Engagement: College composition courses teach the writing process, which means that the work

of the course consists of preparatory reading, discussion, and writing-for-learning activities in addition

to final papers. You will need to be in class for the full 50 minutes of each class meeting fully prepared

for that day's activities. I will assign some homework that is due PRIOR to entering class so that you are

prepared for the day's work. You also need to schedule regular homework time for this course.

If you find it necessary to be absent, check Angel for what you have missed and a classmate for any

notes or details not included in the Angel shell. THEN, if you need clarification, contact me via Angel

email. You are accountable for missed work as well as current work upon your return to class. I will be

glad to clarify material, but I do not re-teach what individuals have missed.

Be prepared to engage in the preparatory work as well as submit final assignments. All major papers

(indicated by an asterisk within the Angel shell) must be completed in order to be eligible to pass the

course. Much of the course materials will be available within the Angel course shell. 

NOTE: This is NOT an online course. It is an on-campus course with electronic enhancement.

Each class period will include work that is not available online, so it is important to stay engaged

by attending class and participating in class work. It is also important to complete the

component of the course that is provided electronically. If you do not have Internet access at

your residence, you may use JCCC labs.

Policies

Academic Integrity: Represent your work honestly, and give credit according to accepted conventions to

the work of others, whether you gained use of it from a paper, an electronic source, a visual, or from a

conversation. Misrepresenting the work of others—their specific words or their ideas (whether

summarized or paraphrased or otherwise represented)—is academic theft (plagiarism) and a violation

of academic integrity. Using others to produce your work is also a violation of academic integrity. Do

NOT rely on plagiarism detection tools to prevent plagiarism. They are flawed.

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Manage your files responsibly, so that no one can intentionally or inadvertently use them. This is an

especially important caution for those sharing computers with others taking the same course.

Unless we come to a prior agreement, I expect that each major paper I read is your original work for

this course and this course only. In other words, it is not acceptable to recycle papers or submit papers 

for multiple courses, even if you are the sole author. I include this policy because students who attempt 

to recycle tend to submit inadequate products that fail to meet the assignment.

NOTE: The first violation of academic integrity will result in a zero for the paper and a letter in

the offender's academic file. The second violation will result in a similar penalty and my request

to the dean that the student be disenrolled from the course.

High School Students Attempting College Courses: If you are enrolled in this course without having

completed high school, you and your parents need to read the following:

http://staff.jccc.edu/pmcqueen/Classes/highschoolstudents.htm

NOTE: Once you enter this class you are a college student and need to meet college-level

expectations for performance, behavior, and attendance.

Late work: It is important that we remain on the same schedule because effective writing takes time, as

does revising and responding to it. Thus, major papers that are submitted after the due date for that

assignment will be penalized five percent of the possible points each day (including S and Su) they are

late. Because tardy submission of the papers undermine the process of the course, papers turned in 

more than seven calendar days (counting weekends and holidays) late will carry NO point value.  

NOTE: Students are still required to submit satisfactorily completed major papers in order to

qualify to pass the course.

About preparatory work: I reserve the right to refuse to accept late preparatory work that no longer is

relevant to the progress toward the major assignment. I also reserve the right to set certain preparatoryactivities as prerequisites for my accepting a final draft of a major paper. I will identify those when I

provide the Lesson.

Attendance: JCCC offers this course in many different time and platform options. You chose a MWF on-

campus schedule, so please plan to be in class ready to work each class day for the full class period. I

take roll and hold people accountable for all that has gone on during class. Attendance begins on the

first day of class.

The attendance policy is simple: Students need to come to class equal to or in excess of the percentage

of the letter grade that they seek. In other words, students who want an A must be in class at least 90%

of the class meetings. Less than 90% attendance will drop an A to a B—and so on.

I am required to report attendance at the end of the second week of classes. Students who have not

attended by that time will be dropped by the school. After that time, I will NOT drop students from the

course. Students who are in danger of failing must withdraw themselves. If they fail to do so by the final

drop date, I will be forced to submit an F for a final grade.

REPEAT: I will not do the paperwork to drop a non-attending student. Students must initiate the

withdrawal themselves.

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About absences: This course has no excused or unexcused absences; therefore, you need not provide

explanations for absences or bring in permits. Nor is there a need for me to receive calls from parents or

spouses. The exception: I will follow JCCC policy recognizing official religious observances and

participation in official JCCC functions. I need to receive a letter or email from official JCCC sponsors to

verify the school function.

There are no incompletes for this course and no "second starts" after extended absences. Medical

emergencies that require special consideration need to be reported to Student Center personnel, who

will verify the situation and notify faculty. Students who have personal or medical problems that cause

extended or frequent absences should consider withdrawing from the course.

Classroom Demeanor and Privacy: Maintain a civil and considerate demeanor toward others in class

whether you are communicating in the classroom or online. We may well disagree about some issues,

but part of this class is to be able to discuss ideas intelligently while maintaining civility toward others.

Privacy: That civility extends to respect for privacy. Work that occurs in the classroom or within Angel

should stay within the domain of the class. Access to Angel course management software is extended to

you for the duration of your enrollment in the course, providing that you comply with class and schoolpolicies. You may not share that access with other persons (including but not limited to parents,

siblings, and spouses) who are not  enrolled in the course. The act may lead to the violator being denied

access to the Angel shell because such activity violates the privacy of other students.

On occasion, I permit others to enter the course in order to critique my work, to view the operations of 

the course, or to work on a technical problem. When that happens, I will notify the class. For the entire

term, my technical consultant has access to the course shell, to provide continuity for you should the

unexpected happen to me.

Copyright & Ownership Notice: Class materials that I have created are copyrighted. Similarly, all work

you create is copyrighted by you. Students may not tape, record, or otherwise electronically copyportions of the course without prior permission.

Course Calendar: Please review the JCCC calendar and final schedule, especially for the following: the

final for this class, the end of the semester, and final grade availability. Do not ask me to accommodate

other schools’ calendars. Do not request grades to be available before the school publishes them at the  

end of the term.

Special Services: If you have a disability that necessitates special accommodations, it is your

responsibility to contact Student Access Office personnel early in the semester and to inform me in a

timely fashion. They may recommend appropriate accommodations, and they notify you when the

arrangements are complete. Responsibility for notifying me in a timely fashion rests with the student.