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ENG 111: College Composition I

The Flammarion Engraving

ENG 111 (Online OER) Lorna Nelson Fall 2017 Merritt 5230 NelsonL@cvcc.vccs.edu 434-832-7605

Office Hours TBA

No Textbook Purchase for this Course This section of ENG 111 requires no textbook purchase, so you will save some money. Instead,

all course materials can be found on Blackboard. You must have reliable, high-speed Internet

access for course materials and readings; you must also have functional knowledge of your

own computer and Web navigation, and the ability and willingness to learn to use Blackboard.

Course Description 3 credit hours. 3 contact hours. Introduces students to critical thinking and the fundamentals of

academic writing. Through the writing process, students refine topics; develop and support

ideas; investigate, evaluate, and incorporate appropriate resources; edit for effective style and

usage; and determine appropriate approaches for a variety of contexts, audiences, and

purposes. Writing activities will include exposition and argumentation with at least one

researched essay. Lecture, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisites: (1) Satisfactory scores on placement test and/or successful completion of

developmental English prerequisites. (2) Completion of ROLL course. (See page 3)

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ENG 111 is reading- and writing-intensive. Students should expect to spend considerable time

in individual and collaborative activities that may include the reading of assigned material,

including the writing of other students; self-critiques; summary, analysis, or exploratory

writing that responds to assigned readings; methods of research and documentation; the

writing, revision, and editing of several drafts; and possible individual conferences with the

instructor (virtually, if necessary). If you have questions about anything that cannot be

adequately dealt with via email, based on my assessment, it is your responsibility to

schedule a face-to-face meeting with me. (If you live more than 50 miles outside of the

Lynchburg area, then we will arrange a virtual meeting.)

Note well: Online classes are a special kind of beast. They aren’t for everyone! You must be able to

comfortably read and comprehend instructions and texts on the screen and organize your time effectively to keep yourself on track. If you get distracted online, if you don’t like to work independently, if you need lots of guidance, if you have challenges with technology-this is not the course for you! In fact, if you continue to struggle with basic technology-related issues into the third week of class, a counselor may contact you with instructions to withdraw from the class.

“Phantasmal Beast” by Ryan Yee is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA-2.0

The dropout rate for online courses is high, usually 25-50 percent! That’s because online courses are harder! We do the same work as in a face-to-face class, but you alone must take charge of your learning and your schedule in online courses. Think about it . . . don’t set yourself up for failure if you have any doubts about this form of learning or any doubts about the time you have available to devote to this course. Remember the old college rule-of-thumb: For every hour in class, two outside. You need to set aside about 12-15 hours a week for this course, and maybe more depending on your own learning and writing process. Important: You can’t do this course on your phone. You must have regular access to reliable high-speed internet and a laptop, tablet, notebook, or desktop computer equipped with Microsoft Word.

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12 Super-Important Rules for Success in this Class

1. You must independently complete ROLL (Ready for Online Learning)

by the end of the 2nd week of class. This free tutorial is offered online

with optional face-to-face sessions at the beginning of each semester. You

can click on the ROLL link in MY CVCC where you find all of your courses

listed. When you take the online class, you will learn:

How to use your CVCC email

How to use Blackboard (all the basics excluding Blackboard Collaborate)

How to practice Netiquette

2. After the second week of class, I will refer you to ROLL for repeated

problems with the basics of online learning.

3. Should you continue to struggle with basic technology-related issues into

the third week of classes, a counselor may contact you with instructions to

withdraw from the course.

4. You must use your CVCC email to communicate with me, not your

personal email.

5. You must use a professional email, as taught in the first module, to

communicate with me. If you fail to use professional emails, I will warn you,

and then I will stop responding to your emails until you come up to speed

on this important form of communication.

6. All of your communication with me must be respectful and appropriate. If I

judge your communication with me to be inappropriate, you will be

warned in writing, and you may be removed from class if the behavior

continues.

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12 Super-Important Rules, cont’d.

7. Because of federal privacy laws (FERPA), your parent or guardian may not

receive information about you from me without your written permission.

Ask, if you need more information about this.

8. You should check Blackboard announcements daily during the week, and

periodically on weekends and holidays. Failure to do so will cause you to

miss important information that may not be repeated. If you email me for

information already covered in the modules or announcements, I might

not respond to your email because it is your responsibility to keep up with

this. Of course, I will do all I can to help you learn, and I will gladly help you

when you don’t understand something, but I need to see substantial effort

on your part. Blackboard allows me to view your engagement with the

instructional material.

9. If you choose to begin this course late or take a vacation during the

semester, you must act independently to catch up. You might receive

zeros on certain assignments. It is critical to meet deadlines in this course,

and the late-assignment policy is very strict.

10. You must do the work in the modules in order to succeed on assignments.

11. Early submission does not guarantee early grading of assignments. Late

submission does guarantee late grading.

12. You need to set aside about 12-15 hours a week for this course.

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Submitting Assignments: More Super-Important Rules

Major assignments must be submitted through Blackboard. One of your first

tasks is to learn to use Blackboard to submit assignments. It is solely your

responsibility to submit assignments competently. Failure to do so, except

under extreme conditions, will result in failure of the assignment. If I don’t get it,

and if I don’t get it on time, I can’t grade it. Work is due by the hour on the day

indicated. Major assignments are usually due on Saturdays by 11:59 p.m. This is

not true in all cases. Late work that is within the 48-hour grace period will lose

one letter grade.

No assignments will be accepted more than 48 hours after the submission

deadline unless circumstances are truly extenuating, based on my judgment,

or you have made PRIOR arrangements with me and received explicit

permission for an extension. Without such official extensions, assignments will

generally earn a zero if submitted more than 48 hours late. That means 48 hours

and one minute. Emergencies do arise, but you will know about assignments well

in advance, so you should plan accordingly. Email me if you know you must be

late on an assignment. If an emergency has prevented your timely submission of

an assignment, email me and explain. Repeated late assignments will not be

permitted.

CVCC’s English Department has a special requirement for ENG 111 and ENG 112:

In order to pass the course, you must submit all major assignments.

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The Last Page of Rules

Taking Time Off

If you choose to begin this course late or take a vacation during the semester,

you must act independently to catch up. You may miss deadlines, and it

might be too late to submit some assignments.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

According to the CVCC Catalog and Student Handbook, the Honor Code requires

“fundamental honesty” from all students. Basically, that means no cheating, no

multiple submissions (turning in the same paper for different classes), and no

plagiarism. Plagiarism means to misrepresent another’s words, creations, or

ideas as your own. Any assignment that shows instances of intentional plagiarism

will automatically receive a grade of “0” (zero) and will not be eligible for any type

of resubmission. English Department Policy: Intentional plagiarism on any

major assignment will cause you to fail the course.

Can Stock Image

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End-of-Rules Celebration Page for Coloring

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Dates, Legal Matters, and Major Assignments

Important Dates Aug. 21 First day of class Sept. 4 Labor Day ~ No classes at CVCC Sept. 6 Last day to drop with a refund Oct. 16-17 Fall Break ~ No classes at CVCC Oct. 27 Last day to drop with a “W” Nov. 22-24 Thanksgiving ~ No classes at CVCC Dec. 11 Last class National Guard Fires on Pullman Strikers 1894

Students with Disabilities It is CVCC’s policy to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified students with

documented disabilities. CVCC’s goal is to help students succeed in this course. If you have a

documented physical, mental, or learning disability and you need a reasonable

accommodation to help you achieve success, please contact Student Accessibility Services in

the Counseling Center, room 2119, or phone (434) 832-7299. To be provided the

accommodation(s) you need, make this request as soon as possible because accommodations

cannot be made to change a grade you have received for course work already completed.

Please talk with me individually as soon as possible if you have concerns or questions about

accommodations! I welcome all kinds of minds.

Title IX Statement

Central Virginia Community College’s policy fully complies with all Title IX requirements. This

policy prohibits discrimination, harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence,

stalking, and retaliation, and sets procedures by which such allegations shall be filed,

investigated, and resolved.

Inquiries concerning Title IX can be referred to Nancy Mitchell: office Amherst Hall, room 2119;

phone 434.832.7802; email mitchelln@cvcc.vccs.edu. You may also contact Campus Police in

Amherst Hall, room 2605 (Student Center) or by calling 434.832.7700. Additional information

may be accessed at https://centralvirginia.edu/Campus-Life/Safety-Security/Sexual-

Misconduct/Title-IX

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Major Assignments: Tentative Plan (Due Dates and Assignments May Change)

Item & Percentage of Grade Description

Tentative Due Date

for Final Draft

Essay One: Position Paper.

#Get Tatted, It’s Your Right,

Right? 15 percent

Persuasive essay September 16

Essay Two: Documented

Persuasive Essay. Drive-Thru

or Tofu? 20 percent

Researched persuasive essay with

counterargument

October 18

Essay Three: Documented

Argument. Your Choice

25 percent

Same, but longer November 18

Essay Four: This I Believe

15 percent

Personal narrative, no research December 11

Professional email,

paragraphs, summary, other

writing assignments

See Blackboard Calendar and

Modules

TBA

But Mousie, thou art no thy lane, But little mouse, you are not alone,

In proving foresight may be vain: In proving foresight may be vain:

The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men The best-laid schemes of mice and men

Gang aft agley, Go often awry,

An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, And leave us nothing but grief

and pain, and pain,

For promis'd joy! For promised joy!

~From “To a Mouse” by Robert Burns, written in Scots in 1785.

The American author John Steinbeck took the title of a famous novel from this

poem . . .

Grades: 10-Point Scale (Final grades at CVCC = full letter grades only)

A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- F 0

94-

100

91-

93

87-

90

83-

86

80-

82

77-

79

73-

76

70-

72

67-

69

63-

66

60-

62

50-

59

0

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Becoming a College Reader and Writer

Assignments are typically accompanied by detailed descriptions, outcomes, and grading rubrics. I post grades on Blackboard so you can see exactly how you’re doing in class. I will keep you well informed about your grade, especially if you dip into dangerous territory or perform less ably than I believe you can. Our detailed schedule appears on our Blackboard Calendar. This is tentative and will be updated as we go, depending on the pace of the class. Check Announcements, your CVCC email, and the Course Calendar at least 3 times a week. Grammar Note: If you weren’t paying attention that day in 8th grade when Mrs. Lablonski covered comma splices, now is your chance to catch up. Now is the time to gain proficiency as you learn to compose grammatically correct, coherent prose. If clarity remains an issue, you may be assigned extra grammar practice and tutoring. Employers actually care about grammar! Of course, the best way to get better at writing is by reading . . . and writing . . . and reading . . . and writing. .

FYI: Effective written communication currently ranks third in what employers want from

recent college graduates.

Writing with Support

College writing is challenging and complex because it requires painfully intensive thinking.

Even if you did well in high school English, academic writing in college builds new knowledge

and new skills. To get better at it requires your commitment as a novice, as well as help from

others.

All of your formal writing assignments must be reviewed, revised, and edited before final submission. On some assignments, you may also reflect upon your writing process.

Some assignments will require you to revise after meeting with a tutor in the Writing Center or use Smarthinking (online tutoring), use my feedback, and/or use peer feedback.

Reading with Support

This course will help you get a foothold in the rocky terrain of college reading. I expect you to

complete assigned readings. Plan to find and take the time you need. The types of text are

many, and the pathways in and through, just as varied. I want to help you find your way,

whether that includes technology or any other strategy that works for you. If reading is

challenging for you, please talk to me early in the semester so that we can work together for

your success.

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And now a word from the Virginia Community College System . . .

General Course Purpose ENG 111 will prepare students for all other expected college writing and for writing in the workplace through understanding the writing process and creation of effective texts. Course Goals and Learning Objectives (What is covered in this course*) GOAL ONE: THE PROCESS OF WRITING

ENG 111 will help students understand that writing is a process that develops through experience and

varies among individuals.

Learning Objectives

1.1. Students will engage in all phases of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising,

editing, and reflecting.

1.2. Students will incorporate reading and experience into their writing processes.

GOAL TWO: CRITICAL THINKING FOR WRITING

ENG 111 will develop students’ ability to analyze and investigate ideas and to present them in well-

structured prose appropriate to the purpose and audience.

Learning Objectives

2.1. Students will competently read, summarize, and respond to college-level texts – their own

and others' – of varying lengths.

2.2. Students will create unified, coherent, well-developed texts that demonstrate a self-critical

awareness of rhetorical elements such as purpose, audience, and organization.

2.3. Students will appropriately employ grammatical and mechanical conventions in the

preparation of readable manuscripts.

2.4. Students will learn how to use and evaluate outside sources of information, incorporate

and document source material appropriately using MLA format, and avoid plagiarism.

2.5. Students will produce 15-20 pages of finished, graded text, including at least one

documented essay using MLA format.

Topics to be Included in ENG 111

• Critical thinking

• Writing process

• Selecting/refining topics

• Developing, organizing, and supporting ideas

• Investigating and evaluating resources

• Incorporating appropriate resources into text

• Considering context, audience, and purpose

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And now a word from the English Department . . .

Major Essay Submission Policy: To be eligible for a passing grade in English 111 and English 112, students must meet the following

VCCS and CVCC English department criteria:

1. VCCS English Peer Group policy stipulates that students in ENG 111 or ENG 112 must produce a

minimum of 15 pages of finished/polished (graded) text per course. (15 pages in ENG 111 and 15

pages in ENG 112).

2. CVCC English department policy stipulates that students must develop 4 major writing

assignments (essays that present and support a thesis/claim or appropriate bibliographic writing

assignments) totaling at least 15 pages of graded text in English 111 and English 112. Individual

instructors are responsible for clearly designating in the syllabus which essays qualify as a ‘major’

essay. (Essay 1, 2, 3, and 4 are major essays in this course.)

3. Students who fail submit any major writing assignment within the time period allotted by the

instructor (assigned due date plus late submission allowance) will be withdrawn from or fail the

course: students who do not submit a required major essay assignment prior to the 10 - week

withdraw date will be withdrawn; students who do not submit a required major essay assignment

after the 10 - week withdraw date will fail the course. (If you encounter problems, notify the

instructor prior to the assigned due date, not after the assigned due date.)

Final Notes

Please examine CVCC Information on our class website on Blackboard. This link (on the left

side of the screen) providess important information about dates, resources, and procedures.

I am happy to meet with students to provide extra help, but please respect my time and keep

scheduled appointments. Repeatedly missing scheduled appointments will limit their future

availability.

I love teaching, especially students at CVCC, and especially ENG 111. You have a contribution

to make to this planet, and the work we do in ENG 111 facilitates that. I look forward to

working with you this semester and supporting you as you move toward your goals at CVCC

and beyond.

Finally, this syllabus is subject to change at my

discretion.