W BRC 102 F BRC 104

ENG 101-324 330pm-450pm

Fall 2011 

William Patrick Wend

http://eng101wwend.pbworks.com

 

Office Hours

Laurel Hall 114 M 1030am-1130am WF 1pm-2pm

Parker 413B T TH 930am-11am

 

I am also available by appointment if these hours don’t work for you.

 

Contact Information

wwend@bcc.edu

Office: 609-894-9311 #1401

Voicemail: 609-836-0641

Skype (By appointment...get in touch)

Google Talk: professorwend@gmail.com

Yahoo: professorwend

AIM: professorwend

Twitter: @wpwend42

Facebook: professorwend

 

I am primarily online during the early morning.

 

Required Texts

• Anne Frances Wysocki, Dennis A. Lynch, The DK Handbook, Pearson, 978-0-205-74143-4
• The Little Brown Reader, Pearson, 1256328308

 

Goals & Focus Of Course

• Express thoughts logically, clearly, and coherently in a variety of essays.

• Demonstrate mastery of the writing process.

• Critically revise and edit student written compositions.

• Identify mechanical, grammatical, and spelling errors.

• Critically evaluate and respond to selected essays.

• Compose an argumentative research essay using MLA format.

 

Expectations & Policies

Below is a brief description of how I will grade writing in this course:

A: Mastery of essential elements and related concepts, plus demonstrated excellence or originality.

B+: Mastery of essential elements and related concepts, showing higher level understanding.

B: Mastery of essential elements and related concepts.

C+: Above average knowledge of essential elements and related concepts.

C: Acceptable knowledge of essential elements and related concepts.

D: Minimal knowledge of related concepts.

F: Unsatisfactory progress. This grade may also be assigned in cases of academic misconduct, such as cheating or plagiarism, and/or excessive absences.

 

Attendance

Attendance is important. I am allowing four absences. Your grades will be determined by your writing, but attendance and class participation are crucial. If you do not attend class or participate actively, you are unlikely to comprehend the course material well enough to write a skillful term paper.

 

Points will be taken off your final grade for having more absences than four. After four absences, your continued presence in this course will be at my discretion. I reserve the right to, and will, fail a student based on excessive absenteeism. In my experience, students who do not attend class rarely achieve their academic goals.

 

I will not tolerate frequent lateness. Leaving early, without prior permission, is considered disrespectful and will not be tolerated. If this is a morning class and the student has difficulties staying awake or showing up on time, I would strongly suggest finding another section of 101 to take.

 

Smart Phones, Texting, Laptops, Hats, & Other Issues of Etiquette

Please turn your cell phone off BEFORE entering the classroom. If your cell phone goes off more than once while class is in a session, you will be asked to leave. I will not tolerate texting or other distractions to the learning experience. I will be taking points off of your course contribution grade for every time that, at the end of class, I can remember you texting during that class.Laptops are fine as long as they aren’t a distraction. Students who use education apps on their smart phones (please tell me about them!) are fine too. Please remove all earbuds before entering class.

 

In my classes, I have an expectation students will have access to email and computers in general. All of your work will be submitted to me digitally. Given there are public and school libraries, the ILC, coffee shops, etc, students need to budget their time better; I do not see any excuse for having “no access” to email outside of the classroom.

 

Students are expected to check their BCC email on a regular basis. I do not accept the excuse, “I didn't check my email for two weeks” as a valid problem. Digital correspondence should be written using proper grammar and form. I will not reply to emails filled with texting speak (2, u, 4, lol, j/k) or poor grammar and/or misspellings. Please include a subject and "sign" your email with your name and course section.

 

I will not be carrying handouts around all semester. If you miss class or lose a handout, please check the course wiki within 48 hours of the class to view, download, or print a PDF of the handout in question. Most of the time they will be uploaded before class. 

 

Finally, a matter of general respect: I do not tolerate homophobic, misogynistic, ableist, or racist language in the classroom. 

 

Writing

I expect your work to be error free. You are expected to proofread for spelling, mechanics, and grammar. I will mark down for these errors; please revise and proofread often. All papers are to be typed, titled, double spaced, and given page numbers with your last name. All papers will be submitted digitally to my email by 11:59pm on the due date. I will not be accepting print copies of your papers.

 

If you use Microsoft Works, I would like you to convert your files (.wps) to something more accessible like .doc or .odt before submitting. Also, students writing in the .pages format will need to do the same. Please see me if you need help.

 

Do not consider your paper submitted until, if and only if, you receive a confirmation reply (usually within 24 hours, but don't panic if it is closer to 48-72). If you do not receive one within 48-72 hours, it is the student’s responsibility to get in touch with me about their work. I am not responsible for making sure you hand in your assignments; it is yours. Please make sure you are backing up your work to an external hard drive, flash drive, cloud based source or other backup method. I will not accept excuses involving crashed computers or broken files.

 

Finally, please follow the “24 hour rule” for paper returns. I do not discuss returned student papers until 24 hours have elapsed since I returned them. There will be no discussion in person or via email about them until that time window.

 

Term Paper

Your term paper must conform to the sample research paper that begins on page 331 ofThe DK Handbook. The term paper will have an introductory paragraph with a thesis, body of essay, and conclusion. This paper should be 1,500-2,000 words NOT including the works cited. Your paper will be written according to current MLA documentation standards. A rough draft will be handed in as part of your assignment grade plus my comments a few weeks before the paper is due as well as an annotated bibliography. The final draft of the term paper will be due the final week of classes.

 

All research must be dated after 2000, unless previous permission is granted, and gathered using research at the college library or via the internet. A minimum of three sources is required for a passing grade. This semester, your final papers will be written about, or a topic which your reading peaked your curiosity, during our discussions of online privacy.

 

Rough Drafts

I allow students to submit rough drafts of their writing. Rough drafts will be due by the Monday before the paper is due, which gives me time to properly annotate and return them to you. While I can offer guidance and suggestions to improve your writing, the primary responsibility is on the student to allow enough time for revision. I strongly believe in personal ownership and responsibility over your collegiate success.

 

Paper Revision Policy

I strongly believe one of the most important lessons I learned about writing was that quality work almost always entails rewriting. In this class I will accept a rewrite of your papers until the Friday after grades are sent back to the entire class. This means if you are not satisfied with your grade, you may resubmit that paper for a predetermined period of time. This time period will be added to the online version of the syllabus and announced during class. Normally, this will be anywhere from three to five days. After that time period, you may not resubmit.

 

Obviously, just resubmitting the paper will not count as a rewrite. If you incorporate the feedback I give you on your papers when I send them back, the odds are pretty high you will improve your grade. Only making cosmetic changes will not improve it.

 

Academic Honesty

Plagiarism will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Be aware that plagiarism includes (but is not limited to) copying someone else’s words without crediting the source; paraphrasing someone else’s words without crediting the source; using someone else’s ideas without crediting the source (even if rephrased in your own words); using facts not universally known which are obtained from a source without crediting the source; asking someone else to write your paper, either in whole or in part; or obtaining a paper or portion thereof by any means and submitting it as an original document. The penalty for plagiarism is failure of the assignment and potentially failure of the course (at the instructor’s discretion), and it may result in suspension or expulsion from the College (at the discretion of the Student Affairs Committee). Please refer to the BCC Student Handbook for additional information regarding College regulations and the handling of plagiarism.

 

With this in mind, all papers that use in-text citations must have a works cited page. Failure to include a works cited page will be an automatic zero for the paper. 

 

Email

Email is an excellent way to contact me. Please provide a clear subject line and include your name and class section in the text of the email. I will respond to your email within 48 hours. I do not answer emails with poor grammar or texting speak.

 

Upon receiving a paper, I will reply to confirm it. Grading a set of papers normally takes a week. I will announce in class when the final batch has been returned. If you have not gotten your paper back by then, I did not receive it. It is the student’s job to follow up with me if they do not receive their work by then. I will not accept late papers or excuses which amount to student's disinterest in keeping up with their email. I suggest checking with me if you do not receive a confirmation email within 48 hours of submitting your paper.

 

Make Up Work

Work should be handed in on the date it is due. I will accept late work with one full grade taken off the top for each class it is late. If an emergency has come up, I expect an email before the class you will be missing letting me know. Your work will be due at our next meeting, but it would be great if you could email it to me in the meantime as well.

 

If you are going to be absent for the grammar exam, barring emergency, I need to know before the exam. Failure to do this will result in a zero for the exam.

 

Evaluation

Course Contribution 10%

Journals 5%

Three papers 10% each (30% total)

Grammar Exam 10%

In-Text Citation Practice 5%

Quizzes 10%

Class Leadership Day 5%

Final Paper 25%

=100%

There is no extra credit or final exam.

 

A 100-92

B+ 91-88

B 87-80

C+ 79-75

C 74-70

D 69-65

F 64-0

 

Notification For Students With Disabilities

Burlington County College offers reasonable accommodations and/or services to persons with disabilities. The Office of Special Populations offers comprehensive services to all students with any form of disability (with appropriate official documentation) which hinders their academic success. Students must request the accommodation(s) from the Office of Special Populations. Please contact the Special Populations Coordinator at (609) 894-9311 or (856) 222-9311 Ext. 1803 at or visit the website at: http://www.bcc.edu/pages/182.asp.

 

Additional Support/Labs

Burlington County College provides confidential advising and counseling services free to all students through the Department of Academic Advisement & Transfer. For more information about advising and counselling services, visit the Parker Center or call Extension 7337 at (609) 894-9311 or visit the websites:

 

Advising: http://staff.bcc.edu/advising/

 

Counseling: http://staff.bcc.edu/counseling/

 

Free tutoring is also available for all currently enrolled students. For more information regarding The Tutoring Center call Extension 1495 at (609) 894-9311 or visit the website

 

Tutoring Center: http://staff.bcc.edu/tutoring/

 

Finally...

Students in my classes are responsible for reading and understanding these course policies. Do you have questions? 

• Send me an email: wwend@bcc.edu 
• Talk to me before or after class
• Come to my office during office hours (Parker 413b)  

 

Week One

Wednesday August 31st

• Attendance  
• Class introduction
• Discuss syllabus 

 

For Next Time: Two assignments that will make up your first quiz grade: Acquire a library card, if you have not yet, and send me an email from your BCC email address. Read about nouns (480-482) and pronouns (484-486) in The DK Handbook.

 

Remember: If you have not yet purchased the required texts for this class, please acquire them as soon as possible. I will send out your nouns/pronouns quiz later this week.

 

Friday September 2nd

• Attendance  

• Discussion of class leadership assignment 

• Writing Tips FAQ  

• Discussion of nouns and pronouns

• Group Refresher

• Discuss potential grammar exam questions assignment

 

For Next Time: I will be bringing slides to discuss Process Analysis.

 

Remember: If you have not yet purchased the required texts for this class, please acquire them as soon as possible.

 

Week Two

Wednesday September 7th

• Attendance  

• Discussion of process analysis

• Discuss process analysis paper assignment

 

For Next Time: Discussion of basic word processing skills and backing up your work digitally.

 

Remember: Start thinking about what you would like to write your process analysis essay about.

 

Friday September 9th

• Attendance  

• Writing Tips FAQ  

• Discussion of basic word processing skills and backing up your work digitally.

 

For Next Time: Read about annotation in The Little Brown Reader (3-5, 9-11,)

 

Remember: This weekend, spend some time thinking about a topic for your process analysis paper. Your process analysis quiz will be emailed to you today. Your process analysis paper is due in two weeks. I will send out your verbs quiz today.

 

Week Three

Wednesday September 14th

• Attendance  

• Discussion of annotation

• Discuss annotation assignment (Plato's Cave)

 

For Next Time: Read about verbs in The DK Handbook (492-497)

 

Remember: Make sure you read Plato's Cave for next week (259). Annotate the text; your work will be checked next Wednesday. 

 

Friday September 16th

• Attendance  

• Writing Tips FAQ  

• Discussion of verbs

• Group refresher

• Paper writing for Process Analysis paper  

 

For Next Time: Read about developing a thesis (31-40?????????) and The DK Handbook (96-97, 138-139). Make sure you read Plato's Cave for next week (259). Annotate the text; your work will be checked next Wednesday. 

 

Remember: Your commas quiz will be emailed to you today. If you are submitting a rough draft for the process analysis paper, it is due to my email by Monday night.

 

Week Four

Wednesday September 21st

• Attendance  
• Discuss and check annotation assignment 
• Discussion of developing a thesis 

 

For Next Time: We will be viewing a presentation from the library.

 

Remember: We will be meeting in the library on Friday. Please be on time and meet near the circulation desk. 

 

Friday September 23rd 

• Attendance  

• Library presentation day

 

For Next Time: Read about commas in The DK Handbook (528-547).

 

Remember: Your possessive case quiz will be mailed to you today. Your process analysis paper is due to my email (wwend@bcc.edu) by 11:59pm tonight.

 

Week Five

Wednesday September 28th

• Attendance  

• Writing Tips FAQ  

• Discuss Reflections on Writing paper assignment 

• Discussion of commas

• Group refresher

• Hand out Grammar Refresher #1

 

For Next Time: Read about possessive case in The DK Handbook (483, 568-569). 

 

Remember: 

 

Friday September 30th

• Attendance  
• Writing Tips FAQ  
• Hand in Grammar Refresher #1

• Discussion of possessive case

• Group refresher

• Time permitting, we can spend some time discussing the essays for the Reflections on Writing essay

 

For Next Time: Read about different paragraph styles in The DK Handbook (170-183, 230-237)

 

Remember: Quarter mark attendance warnings will go out to students with two or more absences. Your semicolons quiz will be emailed to you today.

 

Week Six

Wednesday October 5th

• Attendance  
• Discussion of different paragraph styles

 

For Next Time: Read about semicolons and colons in The DK Handbook (549-555)

 

Remember: If you are submitting a revision for your process analysis paper, it is due to my email (wwend@bcc.edu) by 11:59pm on Friday evening.

 

Friday October 7th

• Attendance  

• Writing Tips FAQ  

• Discussion of semicolons and colons

• Group refresher

• Pass out grammar refresher #2

• Paper writing for Reflections on Writing paper  

 

For Next Time: Read about citation in The DK Handbook (290-328, 342-351, 352-394)

 

Remember: Your subject/verb agreement quiz will be emailed to you today. If you are submitting a revision for your process analysis paper, it is due to my email (wwend@bcc.edu) by 11:59pm on Friday evening.

 

Week Seven

Wednesday October 12th 

• Attendance  

• Pass out in text citation handout

• Discussion of citation

• Pass out citation practice assignment

 

For Next Time: Read about subject/verb agreement in The DK Handbook (456-459)

 

Remember: Your citation practice is due in one week.

 

Friday October 14th

• Attendance  

• Hand in grammar refresher #2

• Writing Tips FAQ  

• Discuss guide to MLA 7 citation

• Discussion of subject/verb agreement

• Group refresher

•  Paper writing for Reflections on Writing paper 

 

For Next Time: Read about rough drafts in The DK Handbook (204-213)

 

Remember: Your run on sentences/fragments quiz will be emailed to you today. Your reflections on writing paper is due in two weeks.

 

Week Eight

Wednesday October 19th

• Attendance  
• Discussion of rough drafts

 

For Next Time: Read about run on sentences and fragments in The DK Handbook (466-471)

 

Remember: Your citation practice essay is due to my email (wwend@bcc.edu) by Wednesday evening.

 

Friday October 21st

• Attendance  

• Writing Tips FAQ  

• Discussion of run on sentences and fragments

• Group refresher

• Paper writing for Reflections on Writing paper 

 

For Next Time: Nothing from the book. Make sure you are ready to take notes.

 

Remember: Your Reflections of Writing paper is due in one week. If you are submitting a rough draft for the Reflections on Writing paper, please submit it to my email by Monday night. Midterm failure reports will be sent out to students with below a low "C" or lower. The last day to withdraw with a "W" grade is October 28th. 

 

Week Nine

Wednesday October 26th

• Attendance  
• Discussion of critical thinking, logical fallacies, and bias

 

For Next Time: Nothing from the book. Make sure to take good notes because what we discuss will be on the grammar exam.

 

Remember: 

 

Friday October 28th 

• Attendance  

• Writing Tips FAQ  

• Discussion of remaining miscellaneous grammar

• Hand out grammar refresher #3

• Paper writing for Reflections on Writing paper 

 

For Next Time: Read about argumentation in The Little Brown Reader (83-120)

 

Remember: Your reflections on writing paper is due to my email (wwend@bcc.edu) by 11:59pm tonight. Your potential grammar exam questions assignment is due to my email (wwend@bcc.edu) by Friday evening.

 

Week Ten

Wednesday November 2nd 

• Hand in Grammar Refresher #3

• Attendance  

• Writing Tips FAQ  

• First part of argumentation discussion

• Discuss argumentation paper assignment

 

For Next Time: Grammar exam!

 

Remember: Study for the grammar exam. Review your notes, the lecture slides, and grammar refreshers. 

 

Friday November 4th

• Grammar exam

 

For Next Time: Part two of our argumentation discussion.

 

Remember: Begin reading the essays for the argumentation paper. Start thinking about which set you’d like to write about.

 

Week Eleven

Wednesday November 9th

• Attendance  

• Discuss final paper assignment

• Part two of argumentation discussion

 

For Next Time: Part of our argumentation discussion

 

Remember: If you are submitting a revision for the Reflections on Writing paper, please submit it to my email (wwend@bcc.edu) by Friday. 

 

Friday November 11th

• Attendance  
• Writing Tips FAQ  
• Discuss potential secondary source bibliography for final paper 
• Discuss essays for the argumentation paper

 

For Next Time: We will be watching a film TBD

 

Remember: If you are submitting a revision for the Reflections on Writing paper, please submit it to my email (wwend@bcc.edu) by tonight.

 

Week Twelve

Wednesday November 16th

• Attendance  
• Some kind of video for our final paper project

 

For Next Time: Paper writing day for argumentation paper

 

Remember:  

 

Friday November 18th

• Attendance  
• Discuss presentation handout
• Paper writing for argumentation paper

 

For Next Time: 

 

Remember: Your argumentation paper is due in two weeks. If you are submitting an argumentation rough draft, it is due to my email by Monday night the 28th.

 

Week Thirteen

• Holiday break

 

Week Fourteen

Wednesday November 30th

• Attendance  
• Writing Tips FAQ  
• Discuss some of the secondary source bibliography for the final paper assignment

 

For Next Time: Read Doctorow's Scroogled (http://people.stu.ca/~hunt/scroogled.htm)

 

Remember: 

 

Friday December 2nd

• Attendance  
• Writing Tips FAQ  
• Discuss Doctorow's Scroogled

 

For Next Time: Have your presentation ready to go for Wednesday. 

 

Remember: Your argumentation paper and final paper topic are due to my email (wwend@bcc.edu) by 11:59pm tonight.

 

Week Fifteen

Wednesday December 7th

• Attendance  
• Presentations

 

For Next Time: Bring at least two copies of your paper for peer review.

 

Remember: 

 

Friday December 9th

• Attendance  
• Peer review day

 

For Next Time: You're done!

 

Remember: 

 

*****Our final session during finals week is December 14th from 4pm-5:50pm. We will have our "peer review speed dating" session. Your term paper is due to my email by 11:59pm that evening. We will discuss the course in general and I will get feedback from you*****