Middlesex Community College

English Composition I
Fall 2010

Nicole Williams
Online Hours: Thurs 10:00-11:00
Email: williamsn@middlesex.mass.edu
Website: http://www.nicoleannwilliams.com

Text Required:
How to Write Anything: A Guide and Reference With Readings by Ruszkiewicz and Dolmage. ISBN: 0-312-
53278-4

Materials:
2 folders, stapler, notebook. If you own a laptop please bring it to class.

Course Description:
English Composition I Introduction to College Essay Writing emphasizes pre- writing, writing, and
rewriting with attention to rhetorical models, organization, and grammar. Students will write 3 papers of
3-5 pages and one position paper of 5-7 pages involving formal research and documentation. This
course emphasizes reading and informal writing as methods through which ideas are developed.
Entrance through placement test or completion of EN 1101 with a C- or better. 3 Credits

Course Outcomes:
Course Objectives: Students who successfully complete this semester’s requirements will be able to:

 pre-write, draft, and revise essays that meet the criteria of academic discourse.
 organize essays that focus upon and support a main idea or thesis statement.
 compose essays of exploration, analysis, persuasion, and research writing.
 compose sentences and paragraphs that show coherent sequence of thought.
 conform to the conventions of Standard Written English in sentence structure,
grammar, mechanics, and appropriate vocabulary.
 participate in analysis and appraisal of readings from the text and other sources.
 research and document online source material in a position paper using MLA
guidelines.
 collaborate with fellow writers in order to improve written communication skills.
 assess and edit personal writing to promote continued growth after the semester is
completed.

Course Policies:
Successful Completion:
In order to successfully pass this course you must attend class, participate in class
discussions, complete in class writings, outside readings, homework, and complete all four
formal writing assignments. Successful completion of the four formal assignments
includes turning in all required drafts and attending workshops and conferences.
Electronic Note:
In an effort to do our part to help the environment, all course work will be electronic based. Assignments
will be posted online, all work will be handed in electronically via blackboard, workshops will be
conducted electronically, and grades will be kept electronically. Together we can save hundreds of pounds
of paper this semester and, essentially, a lot of trees.

Attendance:
What happens in class each day only works if everyone is here to participate as much as possible;
therefore, attendance is mandatory. You are allowed three absences, the department standard, for the
semester free and clear. I don’t need to know where you were or what you were doing. Please don’t email
to say you have a doctors appointment, or a cold, or felt like taking a day off to go to the beach. Use your
three absences as you see fit, but I would advise using them wisely. Each absence over three will
automatically lower your final grade by 1/2 of a letter grade. For instance a B will go down to a
B-.

Tardiness:
I value the time we have together in class to accomplish our goals for the semester. I do not appreciate
students that interrupt class by habitually coming in late. It is distracting to me and to your peers. Please
come to class on time. If you feel as though this is going to be a problem please speak to me at the
beginning of the semester.

Participation:
This course depends heavily on your readiness and willingness to contribute to class discussions and
activities daily. I expect each of you to work with me and each other to make this a real community of
learners. Therefore, you must come to class each day fully prepared having done all assigned
readings and work ready to participate in class. A portion of your grade depends upon class
participation. Additionally, class activities are designed to build off of outside work; therefore, I will know
if you are unprepared and your grade will reflect it.

In addition keep in mind:

1 Being absent is not an excuse for turning in late work. All assignments are expected
to be turned in at the beginning of the class period they are due. If you are not going to be in class
e-mail your work to me by the beginning of class time. Late assignments will be penalized
half a letter grade for each day they are late. For example, a B paper will go down to a C+.
Late work will no longer be accepted a week after the due date.
2 In class work cannot be made up so it would be wise to come to class prepared each day.

Format for Assignments:

All formal writing (except multimodal compositions) should be:
1 Computer generated/typed
2 Double-spaced in a 12 point readable font
3 1 inch margins on all sides
4 Name, instructor, course, and date should be listed on the top left, double-spaced.
5 Do not include cover sheets unless specified
6 Documented using MLA Style

Classroom Behaviors:
1 You may have computers in front of your throughout class which may pose several
distractions. Checking e-mail and surfing the web during class time is both rude and
inappropriate. This behavior will not be tolerated and will affect your participation
grade.
2 Please remember to turn off all cell phones, ipods, mp3 players, and other
communication devices that pose a distraction to our class. If your phone rings,
vibrates, sings, or makes any other noise during class I get to answer it. In
 return, should my cell phone ever ring in class you get to answer it. Failure to
follow the policy will affect your participation grade.
3 Class time is not a time for private discussions amongst each other. Such behavior is
rude and disruptive to the class. Please save such conversations for after class.

Respect:
Respect for others in our classroom is non-negotiable. We will be discussing many ideas and concepts
that may challenge your current thinking. This is the fun of college! Have respect for one another and be
open to new ideas. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, but everyone is allowed a chance to
express that opinion.

Plagiarism:
Presentation of someone else’s work as your own is dishonest and unacceptable. If I find out that you
have plagiarized you will receive a zero for the assignment and, possibly, fail the course. Be
assured that I will find out if you have plagiarized, therefore it would be wise for you to do your own work
and cite any and all material you take from other sources. Plain and simple-if it isn’t your own words or
idea than tell me where you found it. If you are ever unsure of whether or not you are committing
academic dishonesty please come speak to me, and I will be happy to assist. I take academic honesty and
integrity very seriously and will follow all steps outlined by Middlesex Community College if I find a
student plagiarizing. This could result in a meeting with the Dean.

Course Adaptations:
Students with documented disabilities who believe they may need accommodation(s) in this class are
encouraged to contact Disability Support Services in order to ensure that such accommodations are
accomplished in a timely matter.

Course Requirements
Formal Essays:
For this class you will write four essays that are 3-4 pages each outside of class. Each essay will require a
draft that will be responded to by me and your peers. Assignments will be discussed throughout the
semester as the time for each approaches. Detailed assignment sheets can be located on my website.
Assignments are due at the beginning of class as stated on the course schedule. All assignments will be
turned in electronically through blackboard or on your website.

Blogs:
You will be required to create and maintain a blog throughout the semester. We will create the blogs
together in class. Each week you will be required to write at least one blog post on your own blog and at
least one post on a classmates blog. Your blog entries each week should discusses your thoughts and ideas
on any of the assigned reading for that class week and how they may relate to your own writing. This is
your chance to reflect on the reading and writing you do each week. We will discuss the conventions of
blog writing in class. Your blog can be thought of as your electronic journal to track your learning and
progress during the semester. It is also a tool to communicate and share ideas with your peers, myself,
and the world.

In-class Writing:
During class time you will be asked to write on a variety of issues, ideas, and prompts that relate to
readings and class material. These writings will assist in class discussion and serve as a tool for both of us
to reflect on the work you are doing. These will be completed on Blackboard during class time. You will
find that each of you has your own section on the discussion board where you will produce these
assignments. This will allow you to view them all in one place when it comes time to put together your
portfolio.

Portfolios:
The best way I have found to help students understand and appreciate what it means when I say “writing
is a process” is to include a portfolio component in my writing classes. Twice this semester, once at
midterm and once at the end of the semester, you will be responsible for collecting and revising the work
you’ve done in and outside class. You will turn in both formal and informal writing, some of it revised,
some of it not. You will also include an introduction that discusses what you’ve learned and provide a self-
evaluation of your writing. These portfolios will be returned with formal letter grades attached that
evaluate the work in the portfolio as well as your success in the class.

Group Project:
Once this semester you will get together with a group of your peers to deliver a power point presentation
on a variety of topics related to writing rhetorically. A detailed assignment sheet will be handed out and
posted on my website.

Readings:
Outside readings will be assigned for each class period. They are listed on the schedule. It is vital to your
grade that you complete all readings and come to class prepared to discuss them.

Conferences:
You will be responsible for meeting with me twice during the semester outside of class. One
conference will be at midterm to talk about the progress of your portfolio revisions. The meetings
will be about fifteen minutes long and I will cancel class for the week to accommodate these conferences.
I will tell you very specifically what you should bring to the meeting at the time we schedule it. Failure to
come to these conferences and/or failure to come to these conferences prepared with a draft to work on
will count as one week of absences-furthermore, do not waste my time or your own by not showing
up or showing up unprepared. I am just as busy as you are, but if you are prepared to invest time in your
writing then I am too. A sign up sheet will be passed around as time the time approaches for conferences.
It is your responsibility to schedule a second conference with me at the end of the semester
as you prepare your final portfolio. I will announce these conferences in class and pass around a
sign up sheet. Failure to schedule and attend will result in an absence. Additionally, feel free to come to
my office hours at any time during the semester.

Note:
All writing you do in this class-drafts, revisions, in-class writing, blogs-should be saved so you have a wide
selection to choose from when putting together your portfolio. It is imperative that you save all your
writing so you can see how you have developed as a writer throughout the course of the semester.

Evaluation and Grading Policies

In this course you will not receive letter grades on individual drafts and assignments. I know many of you
are probably thinking that I am completely crazy for doing this. I also know not receiving a letter grade on
each paper will make some of you nuts however; it really is for the best. Using this portfolio system of
evaluation allows me the opportunity to give you credit for the things that grading individual papers does
not: such as effort and revision and improvement. Although you will not receive individual letter grades
on each draft you turn in, you will receive extensive comments and feedback from me that will help you
understand the quality of the work you are doing as well as assist you in improving your writing. You will
receive a letter grade at mid-term and at the end of the semester when you turn in your portfolio. These
two grades will be based on the following criteria:
1 Meeting all of the requirements described above.
2 The quality of your written work, including how successful your revision work is.
3 The quality of your effort in class, in workshops, in discussion, in groups, in conferences,
and in general.
4 Your demonstration of a willingness to try new things, think in new ways, and explore
different perspectives as both a reader and a writer.
My comments should provide you with a clear understanding of your progress in the class; if you ever feel
as though you are unsure, come see me and we will discuss it. You will receive grades throughout the
semester on blogs and the group presentation.
Grading Percentage Breakdowns
Different assignments in this course require different levels of effort. The following breakdowns should
provide you with an idea of the amount of time and energy needed for each.
1 Blogs 10%
2 Group Project 10%
3 Participation- this includes attending class having completed all outside reading and
assignments, participating in class discussion, completing in-class writing assignments,
coming to conferences, and participating in other class activities.

10%
4 Formal Writing Assignments
4 essay Drafts (5% each) 20%
5 Portfolio (mid-term 15% and final 25%) 40%
6 Final Presentation 10%