Santa Ana College’s Mission Statement

 

The mission of Santa Ana College is to be a leader and partner in meeting the intellectual, cultural, technological and workforce development needs of our diverse community. Santa Ana College provides access and equity in a dynamic learning environment that prepares students for transfer, careers and lifelong intellectual pursuits in a global community.

ENGLISH 100: Freshman Composition                    

Instructor: Sarah Corp

Section

Time:

Location:

Email:Corp_Sarah@sac.edu

Office:

Office Hours:

English Department’s Mission Statement

The Santa Ana College English Department provides numerous opportunities for our students to develop and improve the reading, critical thinking, and writing skills required to succeed at their chosen careers, to meet the rigors of the writing demands at four-year transfer institutions, and to foster lifelong learning and an appreciation of literature.

 

Who I am…

Before I introduce you to the course, I feel it important to tell you a little about myself. First off, I am a former community college student; yes, I once sat in your seat. When I apply for jobs or tell people about my life, one my greatest experiences was as a student at a CC. Some of my strongest friendships began here. Some of my greatest academic AHA’s happened at a CC. And some of my most difficult moments happened at a CC. I am here teaching because of my experiences at a CC.

 

Course Introduction: Welcome to English 100! This is a student-centered college level course in composition designed to develop reading critical thinking, and writing strategies necessary for academic success. This course has been designed to facilitate a democratic and cooperative atmosphere. All of the reading, writing, and thinking we do in this class will be focused on preparing you for success in other content areas.

 

Course Description: This course will develop the reading, critical thinking and writing skills necessary for academic success. This course focuses on expository writing and research and documentation skills.

Required Texts:

OER Online Textbook

Prerequisite:  

Prerequisite Grade of C or better in English 061 or EMLS 112 or ACE 116 or qualifying profile from English placement process.

Course Introduction: Welcome to English 100! This is a student-centered college-level course in composition designed to develop reading critical thinking, and writing strategies necessary for academic success. This course has been designed to facilitate a democratic and cooperative atmosphere. All of the reading, writing, and thinking we do in this class will be focused on preparing you for success in other content areas.

(Include major topics of the course, time required, and what the student is expected to learn.) All segments are recursive and ongoing.

 

1. Purpose, Audience, Strategies—The student will understand various rhetorical purposes, will recognize the needs of various audiences, and will use a variety of strategies to develop a text for a specific purpose.

1. Critical Reading—The student will understand texts at both the literal, interpretive, and evaluative and, when appropriate, beyond it, moving toward establishing the reader’s own informed opinions.

1. The Writing Process—The student will generate ideas for a draft through prewriting techniques. In preparing a completed draft for evaluation, the student will generate ideas through prewriting techniques, plan and organize those ideas, write a rough draft, revise it for content, form, and appropriateness of expression, and edit it for technical correctness.  

1. Finding and Limiting Topics and Methods of Framing Thesis Statements—The student will find and limit a topic and use certain sentence patterns to frame an effective thesis statement for a variety of rhetorical purposes.

1. Basic Structure of the Essay—The student will produce effective introductions that include significant, clearly defined thesis statements, unified and coherent developmental paragraphs, and conclusions that reframe the essential elements of the essay and provide the paper with an effective sense of closure.  

1. Sentence Structure, Diction, and Mechanics—The student will develop style and sentence variety and correctness by observing, analyzing, and imitating written models, through sentence combining and by applying customary rules of grammar, punctuation, and spelling.  

1. Resources and the Research Paper—The student will use the library and other resources such as the Internet to gather evidence for the research paper. In addition, the student will choose a topic, limit it appropriately, take notes, organize information, and write a paper, documenting and citing sources using MLA format.

Course Requirements

Major Essays 65%:

• Essay #1 – Narrative Essay
• Essay #2 – Illustration Essay
• Essay #3-  Analysis Essay
• Essay #4 – Mini-Research Essay
• Essay #5 – Call To Action- Research-Based Essay

Exams 10% :

• Midterm, Final, Quizzes

 

Class Assignments, Participation, Homework 25%:

• Socratic Discussions
• Final Project Paper Presentation
• Reflective Essay Journals
• Participation Assignments
• Learning Center Reflections
• Discussion Posts

Final Grades: 100%-90%: A; 89%-80%: B; 79%-70%: C; 69%-60%: D; 59%-0%: F.

It is your responsibility to keep track of your grade throughout the semester. Keeping careful track of your grade will help you know how well you are doing and to what degree you might need to adjust your performance. It will also help you ensure that your grades have been entered incorrectly. I recommend that you write down your grades as soon as you receive them, note each absence, and note each reading or another homework assignment that you submit or fail to submit. It is also very important that you keep all the work for this course. If you ever have any questions about your grade, please don’t hesitate to ask me.

 

All written assignments completed out of class must conform to the MLA style guidelines discussed in class. Late writing assignments and homework will not be accepted. Also, unless extraordinary circumstances occur, no writing assignments and homework will be accepted via e-mail.

You may use your "Get Out of Jail Free" card once on papers 1-4. It will not be accepted on paper #5.

 

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a serious offense. A plagiarized paper automatically fails and could result in an F for the course.   

What is plagiarism? Plagiarism is a direct violation of intellectual and academic honesty. Although it exists in many forms, all plagiarism refers to the same act: representing somebody else's words or ideas as one's own. The most extreme forms of plagiarism are the use of material authored by another person or obtained from a commercial source or the use of passages copied word for word without acknowledgment.

Paraphrasing an author's idea or quoting even limited portions of his or her text without proper citation is also an act of plagiarism. Even putting someone else's ideas into one's own words without acknowledgment may be plagiarism. In none of its forms can plagiarism be tolerated in an academic community. It may constitute grounds for a failing grade, probation, suspension, or expulsion.

Class Attendance and Participation

Study after study concludes that there is a strong correlation between attendance and student achievement. A recent study reports that 50% of students who miss multiple classes end up failing the course. Another study estimates that students who have regular attendance perform up to almost 20% better on exams than their peers with irregular attendance.

Therefore, you should attend class every day. It is especially important to attend this class because much of what you learn will be the result of your participation in discussions, group work, and in-class activities. During class, we will discuss your assignments and college success in general, challenges you encounter, and strategies for overcoming these challenges. Plus, you will have the opportunity to put these strategies into practice and give feedback and receive feedback on your writing. Most of our class time will be spent working on writing activities together in learning communities—a collaboration that will give us all ample opportunity to

 

(1) build skills for working together,

(2) hear different perspectives on issues and approaches to assignments,

(3) hone skills through hands-on activities,

(4) learn by helping and teaching others, and

(5) ask each other for help when needed.

 

Given that the course is student-centered, missed instruction cannot be duplicated for absent students. A student who misses three classes will be dropped from the course. Additionally, tardies are disruptive; students who come late may miss a quiz, so please be on time. A tardy thatexceedsd more than 20 minutes (super tardy) will count as half an absence- two super tardies will result in a full absence.

 

Before filling out the table below, consider some reasons you’ve missed class in the past or some potential obstacles that might prevent you from attending class this semester. What are some reasons you might miss class? How could you prevent this? Every semester, students unexpectedly get sick, have family emergencies, or have transportation issues. If students aren’t careful, these unexpected absences can greatly interfere with their performance or lead to failing the class. Therefore, I strongly recommend that you tightly conserve your absences in case you experience one or more of these circumstances. Also, If you ever feel behind, please come speak to me immediately, and I’ll help you get caught up.

 

What are some reasons you might be absent to class?	How could you prevent this?

 

In the event that you do miss class, you should: (1) email me to let me know you will be absent and when you will return, (2) contact two or more students to see what we did in class, (3) speak with me when you return to class so that you can pick up any handouts you missed.

 

NOTE: If you do stop attending class and/or submitting assignments, it is your responsibility to drop the class. If you do not drop the class by the drop deadline, you will earn an “F” in the class. Emailing Your Professor Please feel free to email me about anything at any time. I will get back to you as soon as possible. When you do e-mail me, please make sure you use business letter format, include all necessary information, and use business language and accurate spelling. Don’t be surprised if you get a little feedback on your emails—this is a writing class after all!

What to include in emails:

Subject: Class and meeting days/times (I scan my email for this so that I respond to you faster) Greeting: Salutation and name of instructor

Body: (1) The reason you’re emailing me (if regarding absence when you’ll be absent and when you’ll return), (2) a description of any attachments, and (3) the reason you’re sending me the attachments.

Closing: Closing and your full name

Canvas

Information about this class can also be found on Canvas. Information about how to access Canvas will be discussed on the first day of class. For the purposes of this class, Canvas will be used as a posting site for a brief synopsis of each class and any homework that was assigned. Also, other relevant information (the syllabus, paragraph and essay assignment sheets, homework handouts, etc.) will be posted on Canvas. Therefore, if you have to miss a class, you can check out Canvas, find out what we did in class, and see the homework that was assigned. If you lose a copy of the syllabus or other documents that were handed out in class, you can go to Canvas and print out what you are missing.

If you are unable to access Santa Ana College’s Canvas  site, please contact the Distance Education Office at (714) 564-6725. Currently, Santa Ana College does not have technical support on the weekends, holidays, or evenings; as a result, please be patient as the situation will be rectified as soon as possible.

 

Class Conduct

What should students do while in class? What should students avoid doing while in class? While class is in session, please make sure that you are helping to create the best possible learning environment for yourself and your peers. A good litmus test for your classes is asking yourself this question: “Is what I’m doing helping me and my classmates learn?” If the answer is “no,” do something that will. Technology can be a fantastic learning tool—through our cell phones and computers, we have access to dictionaries and seemingly limitless information on the Internet. However, when used inappropriately, our technology can also distract us and those around us. Before entering class, make sure you turn off or silence your cell phones. If you are expecting an important call, let me know ahead of time, set your phone on vibrate, and leave the classroom to answer it. If you need to use your phone for personal reasons, please do so outside of the classroom. Please note though that every time you leave the classroom, you may be missing important information and practice that may help you succeed in this class. Overall, make sure you use electronic devices only to help you and others learn.

Resources

Your Instructor is a great resource!  Please do not hesitate to e-mail me or talk to me in person about anything you are unsure of or are struggling with. Everyone has different needs and preferences, so it is your responsibility to let me know what you need or want. My main goal as your instructor is for each of you to succeed in this course so that you may become stronger, more effective writers and communicators. And I genuinely enjoy helping and getting to know each of you, so please feel free to email or talk to me about anything and at any time. Your Classmates You will have the opportunity to benefit from your peers in class through peer reviews, and pair and group work. However, I encourage you to help each other outside of class as well—clarify assignments, bounce ideas off one another, review each others’ writing, share outside sources, form study groups, etc.

 

The Library and Librarians

Our college’s librarians specialize in finding and utilizing resources and are eager to help students. The library itself has an extensive collection of books (even textbooks on reserve), online resources, computers and printers, study areas, and other resources for students. The library was created to make you more academically successful, so take advantage of it! The Internet As we all know, the Internet offers an immense amount of information at the click of a button. You can use the Internet to help you find answers, find practice exercises, or generate ideas. However, make sure your sources are reliable and be very careful not to plagiarize. Here are a few sites that I recommend:

⎯ General writing website: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

⎯ Grammar website: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/

If you are looking for something in particular and are having trouble finding it, ask me or a tutor and we will try to help

Disabled Student Programs & Services Statement

Your success in this course is important to me. Santa Ana College and I are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all individuals with disabilities. If you have a disability that may have some impact on your ability to do well in this course, I encourage you to speak with me as soon as possible. Also, please contact Disabled Student Programs & Services so that we can all collaborate on your classroom accommodations in a timely manner. DSP&S is located in U-103, and their phone number is 714-564-6264. TTY: 714-564-6384. Video Phones: 714-660-3075 or 657-235-2999. The DSP&S office requires documentation of your disability in order to receive reasonable accommodations. If you do not have documentation, they will work with you to acquire it. I look forward to supporting you to meet your learning goals.

Revisions and Extra Credit

There are four revisions possible in this class, and extra credit can be earned by visiting the Learning Center or attending Library Workshops (all extra credit required a one page reflection). You can earn up to 20 points extra credit.

 

The Learning Center

The Learning Center is located in D-307 and offers assistance with Communication Studies, English, EMLS, Modern Languages, and Reading classes. Therefore, you will be able to go the Learning Center to get assistance with your English homework and writing assignments.

Strong Recommendations

Writing courses are difficult and time-consuming. For each assignment, you will need to do a certain amount of reading and reviewing of appropriate sections in the text, go through a lengthy (and often painful) process of drafting and revising, edit for final mechanical problems, and then prepare a final draft. Be realistic about what you can handle this semester, and figure out right now how you will schedule the regular study and writing time you will need. Figure at least 6-10 hours per week outside of class.

Most importantly, study all my comments on papers returned to you, and refer to all appropriate sections of the textbook for further explanation of specific problems. You will probably have many problems in your first papers; what is important is that you study them and work towards developing more effective skills as the semester progresses.

 

Buddies

Make a buddy friend! That way if you are absent you can get the notes, papers, or any other materials that you missed out on. Ask your buddy before you ask me.

BuddyName_________________________Number_______________Email_______________

Buddy Name_________________________Number_______________Email_______________

Learning Outcomes

Communication Skills

1. Reading and Writing
2. Use the writing process with a focus on prewriting, planning, drafting, and revision strategies, which lead to a final product that is organized, formatted correctly, and substantive in content with correct grammar and mechanics.  
3. Summarize and paraphrase effectively.  
4. Demonstrate knowledge and competency of various rhetorical and logical principles related to the development of significant expository content in intelligently organized essays, paragraphs, and sentences.  
5. Read critically for literal comprehension and interpretive and evaluative analyses. Students will learn to recognize text structures.  
6. Listening and Speaking
7. Utilize interactive listening strategies for note-taking and appropriate questioning.  
8. Determine purpose and goals for listening.  
9. Use speaking as a tool for idea generation and utilize prior knowledge through small group and large group discussion.
10. Summarize and paraphrase effectively.  

Thinking and Reasoning  

1. Creative Thinking
2. Use narrative and descriptive skills in composing paragraphs and essays, including incorporating metaphors, similes, images, and other appropriate poetic devices.  
3. Generate ideas using prewriting strategies.  
4. Critical Thinking
5. Write expository/argumentative paragraphs and essays that are supported by evidence and logically organized using deductive and inductive reasoning.  
6. Synthesize information to produce a research paper incorporating research, using documentation and MLA format.  

Information Management  

1. Evaluate primary and secondary sources, including Internet sources.
2. Use library’s online catalog and resources.
3. Distinguish between professional journals and magazines and other periodicals
4. Demonstrate awareness of breadth of sources.
5. Use sources ethically.

Diversity  

1. Cultural—Read, understand, and demonstrate an appreciation of literary and expository works from diverse historical and cultural backgrounds.  
2. Social—Read, understand, and demonstrate an appreciation of literary and expository works from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.  

Civic Responsibility  

1. Ethical
2. Discuss moral dilemmas that are present in the readings.  
3. Examine both historical and contemporary social issues that present the readings

I understand the expectations of this Freshman Composition course, am aware of attendance policies, and homework/classwork expectations. I know my instructor is available to answer questions and concerns related to the course and curriculum.  

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Signature and Print Date

Get Out of Jail Free Pass 1 Late Essay (This coupon entitles you to submit late one graded draft of a take-home essay. Please see the instructor as soon as possible [before or right after the due date] to set a new due date.) Student Name: _____________________________________________________________ Assignment Name: _________________________________________________________ Original Due Date: _____________________________________ Date Assignment was Submitted: ___________________________________