ENGL 1301: English Composition I

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Course Description: Intensive study of and practice in writing processes, from invention and researching to drafting, revising, and editing, both individually and collaboratively. Emphasis on effective rhetorical choices, including audience, purpose, arrangement, and style. Focus on writing the academic essay as a vehicle for learning, communicating, and critical analysis. Core curriculum course.

 

Student Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

• Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes.
• Develop ideas with appropriate support and attribution.
• Write in a style appropriate to audience and purpose
• Read, reflect, and respond critically to a variety of texts.
• Use Edited American English in academic essays.

 

English Program Learning Outcomes

• Write in appropriate genres using varied rhetorical strategies.
• Write in appropriate genres to explain and evaluate rhetorical and/or literary strategies employed in argument, persuasion, and various genres.
• Analyze various genres of writing for form, method, meaning, and interpretation.
• Employ research in academic writing styles and use appropriate documentation style.
• Communicate ideas effectively through discussion.

Core Objectives: Given the rapid evolution of necessary knowledge and skills and the need to take into account global, national, state, and local cultures, the core curriculum must ensure that students will develop the essential knowledge and skills they need to be successful in college, in a career, in their communities, and in life. Through the Texas Core Curriculum, students will gain a foundation of knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world, develop principles of personal and social responsibility for living in a diverse world, and advance intellectual and practical skills that are essential for all learning.

 

Students enrolled in this core curriculum course will complete assignments designed to cultivate the following core objectives:

• Critical Thinking Skills—to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information.
• Communication Skills—to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication.
• Personal Responsibility—to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making.
• Teamwork—to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal.

 

Course Materials: <<Include Required and Recommended Instructional Materials Here>>

 

Course Requirements: <<Include Assignments, HCC Grade Breakdown, Writing Requirement (5,000 words), and Course Calendar Here>>

 

Instructor Requirements: <<Include any classroom / student management policies here>>

 

Grading:

A (90-100%) Excellent work that demonstrates a clear understanding of the assignment, has few errors of any kind, and shows exceptional ability to communicate to a specific audience.

B (80-89%) Above average work that shows understanding of the writing topic,

has few serious errors, and provides good communication with a specific audience.

C (70-79%) Average work that shows understanding of the writing topic, contains few errors that interfere with adequate communication.

D (60-69%) Below average work that fails to follow the assignment and/or fails to respond adequately to the writing topic, contains a number of serious errors, and demonstrates only marginal communication with a specific audience.

F (0-59%) Incomplete work, work that fails to follow the assignment, and/or work that fails to respond to the writing topic, contains a number of serious errors, and provides little communication with a specific audience

 

Student Support Services:

Any student who faces challenges securing their food or housing and believes this may affect their performance in the course is urged to contact the Dean of Student Success for support. Furthermore, please notify the professor if you are comfortable in doing so. This will enable us to provide any resources that HCC may possess.

 

Ability Services:

Houston Community College is dedicated to providing an inclusive learning environment by removing barriers and opening access for qualified students with documented disabilities in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Ability Services is the designated office responsible for approving and coordinating reasonable accommodations and services in order to assist students with disabilities in reaching their full academic potential. In order to receive reasonable accommodations or evacuation assistance in an emergency, the student must be registered with Ability Services.

 

If you have a documented disability (e.g. learning, hearing, vision, physical, mental health, or a chronic health condition), that may require accommodations, please contact the appropriate Ability Services Office below. Please note that classroom accommodations cannot be provided prior to your Instructor’s receipt of an accommodation letter and accommodations are not retroactive. Accommodations can be requested at any time during the semester, however if an accommodation letter is provided to the Instructor after the first day of class, sufficient time (1 week) must be allotted for the Instructor to implement the accommodations.

 

Ability Service Contact Information: 

Central College

713.718.6164

Coleman College 

713-718-7376

Northeast College

713-718-8322

Northwest College

713-718-5422

713-718-5408

Southeast College

713-718-7144

Southwest College

713-718-5910

Adaptive Equipment/Assistive Technology

713-718-6629 

713-718-5604 

Interpreting and CART services

713-718-6333

 

Accommodations due to a Qualified Disability: HCC strives to make all learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience academic barriers based on your disability (including mental health, chronic or temporary medical conditions), please meet with a campus Abilities Counselor as soon as possible in order to establish reasonable accommodations. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s) and Ability Services.  It is the policy and practice of HCC to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law. For more information, please go to http://www.hccs.edu/support-services/disability-services/

 

Libraries: HCC has a Learning Resource Center at each campus for student use. The library provides electronic resources including an online catalog system as well as numerous databases that contain full-text articles all available at https://library.hccs.edu. Additionally, many of the required texts are on reserve at the library. Find out library locations and hours here: http://library.hccs.edu/about_us/locations_hours

 

Online Tutoring:

The goal of online tutoring is to help students become academically independent through guided assistance by HCC faculty or faculty-eligible tutors in almost all departments. Our tutoring is asynchronous, which means that it is NOT real-time.

 

Students can get real-time help on campus and through several textbook sources. We believe that when tutors can take time to absorb and analyze the work, we give a different type of help. Because the tutoring is asynchronous, it is important for students to plan ahead. It generally takes about two days to get a complete review back, and it may be longer than that when hundreds of papers come in every day for several days in a row. It is crucial for students to look at the yellow banner on the log-in page to see how long the turn-around time is.

 

Students can submit work 24/7/365; we tutor even when the college is closed for holidays or natural disasters. All HCC students can take advantage of online tutoring by logging on to https://hccs.upswing.io/.  The HCC email address and the associated password get students into the online tutoring site, so when the email password changes, so does the Upswing password.   

 

Open Computer Labs: Students have free access to the internet and word processing in open computer labs available at HCC campuses. Check on the door of the open computer lab for hours of operation.

 

Tutoring Centers:

The HCC Tutoring Centers provide academic support to our diverse student population by creating an open atmosphere of learning for all students enrolled at HCC.  Using a variety of tutoring techniques, we assist students across academic disciplines, addressing their individual needs in a constructive, safe, and welcoming environment.  Our emphasis is on maximizing academic potential while promoting student success and retention.  We are committed to helping students achieve their educational, personal, and career goals by empowering them to become confident, independent, lifelong learners.

 

Tutoring for individual subjects is offered at specific times throughout the week on various campuses.  There is no need to make an appointment.  If you need a tutor, please refer to our website:  http://ctle3.hccs.edu/alltutoring/ for times and locations. For more information about tutoring at HCC, please go to hccs.edu/district/students/tutoring.

 

Important HCCS and Course Policies:

Please see http://www.hccs.edu/resources-for/current-students/student-handbook/ for any changes to HCC policies that might happen during the semester.

 

Academic Honesty: A student who is academically dishonest is, by definition, not showing that the coursework has been learned, and that student is claiming an advantage not available to other students.  The instructor is responsible for measuring each student’s individual achievements and also for ensuring that all students compete on a level playing field.  Thus, in our system, the instructor has teaching, grading, and enforcing roles.  You are expected to be familiar with the HCC’s policy on Academic Honesty found in the catalogue.  What that means is that if you are charged with an offense, pleading ignorance of the rules will not help you. 

 

Just so there is no misunderstanding, plagiarism (using another's ideas or words without giving credit), collusion (unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work offered for credit), and other forms of cheating will not be tolerated. To be accepted, all papers require proof of their development. Students who plagiarize, collude, or cheat may face disciplinary action including the grade of 0 for the assignment, an F for the course, and/or dismissal from the college.  (See Student Handbook)

 

Attendance: Attendance, preparedness, and participation are essential for your success in this course. HCC does not differentiate between excused and unexcused absences. If you are not in class, you are absent. HCC Policy states that you can miss up to but not exceeding 12.5% of class hours, which is equivalent to 6 hours. When you miss class, you are still responsible for what happens in class. Keep in mind that whatever the reason for your absence, you will still miss important course work. If you know you must be absent or if you have an emergency, let me know before class and make plans to meet with me in office hours. If you have more than four (4) absences before the official date of record (<<Insert Appropriate Date Here>>), you may be automatically withdrawn from the course.

 

Campus Carry: At HCC the safety of our students, staff, and faculty is our first priority. As of August 1, 2017, Houston Community College is subject to the Campus Carry Law (SB11 2015). For more information, visit the HCC Campus Carry web page at http://www.hccs.edu/departments/police/campus-carry/campus-carry-and-open-carry-faqs/

 

 

Campus Safety: If you are on campus and need emergency assistance, call 713-718-8888 or, from any campus phone, 8-8888. Use this emergency number instead of 911, which gets routed back to the HCC Police Department dispatch thus lengthening response time to your emergency situation.

 

EGLS3 (Evaluation for Greater Learning Student Survey System): At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is necessary to improve teaching and learning. During a designated time near the end of the term, you will be asked to answer a short online survey of research-based questions related to instruction. The anonymous results of the survey will be made available to your professors and division chairs for continual improvement of instruction. Go to http://www.hccs.edu/resources-for/current-students/egls3-evaluate-your-professors/ for directions.

 

Final Grade of FX: Students who stop attending class or stop actively participating in class and do not withdraw themselves prior to the withdrawal deadline may either be dropped by their professor for excessive absences or be assigned the final grade of FX at the end of the semester. Students who stop attending classes or who stop actively participating in classes will receive a grade of FX, as compared to an earned grade of F, which is due to poor performance. Logging into a DE course without active participation is considered non-attending.

 

Please note that HCC will not disperse financial aid funding for students who have never attended class. Students who receive financial aid but fail to attend class will be reported to the Department of Education and may have to pay back their aid. A grade of FX is treated exactly the same as a grade of F in terms of GPA, probation, suspension, and satisfactory academic progress.

 

HCC Online: (To be included in syllabi for HCC Online courses only): Access HCC Online Policies on their Web site: http://www.hccs.edu/online/

 

All students are responsible for reading and understanding the HCC Online Student Handbook, which contains policies, information about conduct, and other important information. For the HCC Online Student Handbook click on the link below or go to the HCC Online page on the HCC website. The HCC Online Student Handbook contains policies and procedures unique to the online student. Students should have reviewed the handbook as part of the mandatory orientation. It is the student's

responsibility to be familiar with the handbook's contents. The handbook contains valuable information, answers, and resources, such as HCC Online contacts, policies and procedures (how to drop, attendance requirements, etc.), student services (ADA, financial aid, degree planning, etc.), course information, testing procedures, technical support, and academic calendars. Refer to the HCC Online

Student Handbook by visiting this link: http://www.hccs.edu/media/houston-community-college/distance-education/student-services/HCC-Online-Student-Handbook.pdf

 

International Students: Receiving a W in a course may affect the status of your student Visa. Once a W is given for the course, it will not be changed to an F because of the visa consideration. Since January 1, 2003, International Students are restricted in the number of distance education courses that they may take during each semester. International students must have full-time enrollment status of 12 or more semester credit hours, and of these at least 9 semester credit hours must be face-to-face on-campus courses. Please contact the International Student Office at 713-718-8521 or email [email protected], if you have any questions about your visa status and other transfer issues.

 

Repeating Courses: Students who repeat a course for three or more times will face significant tuition/fee increases at HCC and other Texas public colleges and universities. Please ask your instructor or counselor/advisor about opportunities for tutoring and/or other assistance prior to considering course withdrawal or if you are not receiving passing grades.

 

Sexual Misconduct: Houston Community College is committed to cultivating an environment free from inappropriate conduct of a sexual or gender-based nature including sex discrimination, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and sexual violence. Sex discrimination includes all forms of sexual and gender-based misconduct and violates an individual’s fundamental rights and personal dignity. The director of EEO/Compliance is designated as the Title IX Coordinator and Section 504 Coordinator. All inquiries concerning HCC policies, compliance with applicable laws, statutes, and regulations (such as Title VI, Title IX, and Section 504) and complaints may be directed to: David Cross, Director EEO/Compliance, Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity, 3100 Main, Houston, TX 77266-7517, or [email protected].

 

Title IX Discrimination: Houston Community College is committed to cultivating an environment free from inappropriate conduct of a sexual or gender-based nature including sex discrimination, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and sexual violence.  Sex discrimination includes all forms of sexual and gender-based misconduct and violates an individual’s fundamental rights and personal dignity.  Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex-including pregnancy and parental status-in educational programs and activities.  If you require an accommodation due to pregnancy please contact an Abilities Services Counselor.  The Director of EEO/Compliance is designated as the Title IX Coordinator and Section 504 Coordinator. 

 

All inquiries concerning HCC policies, compliance with applicable laws, statutes, and regulations (such as Title VI, Title IX, and Section 504), and complaints may be directed to: 

David Cross

Director EEO/Compliance

Office of Institutional Equity & Diversity

3100 Main

(713) 718-8271

Houston, TX 77266-7517 or Houston, TX 77266-7517 or [email protected]

 

Withdrawal Policy: Before withdrawing from the course, it is important to communicate with your professor and counselors to discuss your options for succeeding in the course. If all other options have been exhausted, you may withdraw yourself, but the last date to withdraw this semester is <<Insert Appropriate Date Here>>. Please remember that it is the student’s responsibility to withdraw from a course. If you stop attending the class and don’t withdraw by this date, you are subject to the FX grading policy.

 

 

Hurricane Harvey statement:

If you are having difficulties because of Hurricane Harvey (issues with shelter, transportation, basic needs, school supplies, school books, etc.) please do not just drop this class thinking you cannot be successful in it.  Discuss your problems with your instructor.  They may be able to help you find support or assistance.  Any student who faces challenges securing their foods or housing and believes this may affect their performance in the course is urged to contact the Dean of Student for support. Furthermore, please notify the professor if you are comfortable in doing so. This will enable us to provide any resources that HCC may possess.

 

 

ESOL 0370/1301 Course Calendar

 

Week 1

 

09/01 Introduction to course, syllabus, policies, and textbooks 

1. Plagiarism
2. How do I read? What do I write? How do I write?

 

           No summarizing

            “They say/I say”

                      Start with a question?

                       “I/We”: to express your opinions/viewpoints uniquely

Week 2

09/08: MLA format

Imbed/Insert quotes: Blend the author’s words with your own interpretation

 

Week 3

09/15: Language as a Thinking Tool: express/convey/exchange ideas (p. 125)

           Grammar/Sentence Structures/Transitions (p.105)

Reading for the Conversation (p. 179)

           The Analysis: “Why Should We Care?” (p. 240)

            (what should we care about?)

 

Week 4

09/22: Narration Genre

           Reading: Michelle Alexander (p.261 -272)

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Week 5

09/29: Draft – Essay 1

 

 

Week 6

10/06: Essay 1 due

Cause and Effect Genre

           Reading: David Zinczenko (p.245- 247)

 

Week 7

10/13: Draft - Essay 2

 

Week 8

10/20: Essay 2 due

Comparison & Contrast genre

            Reading: Michael Littman (p. 256)

 

Week 9

10/27: Draft - Essay 3

 

Week 10

11/03: Essay 3 due

Argumentative Genre Reading: Flannery O’Connor (p. 275)

 

 

Week 11

11/10: Draft - Essay 4

 

Week 12

11/17: Essay 4 due

 

Week 13

11/22: Thanksgiving Holiday

 

Week 14

12/01: Grammar exercises

 

Week 15:

12/08: Wrap-up

 Info for Final

 

Week 16

12/15: Final Exam