Course Syllabus
English 101-50721 Myth and the Construction of Identity Syllabus
Santa Ana College: Humanities and Social Sciences
English 101: Freshman Composition
Myth and the Construction of Identity
Course Syllabus
Summer 2018
Professor: James Isbell Ticket #: 50721
Time: MTWTh 12:30-4:45 Location: Rm. D-107
Office Phone: 714 564-6520 Office: D-419
Email: isbell_james@sac.edu
Required Texts
Rereading America10thEdition by Colombo, Cullen, and Lisle
The Things They Carriedby Tim O’Brien
Rules of Thumb
A College Dictionary
“To get the right word in the right place is a rare achievement. To condense the diffused light of a page of thought into the luminous flash of a single sentence is worthy to rank as a prize composition just by itself.... Anybody can have ideas—the difficulty is to express them without squandering a quire of paper on an idea that ought to be reduced to one glittering paragraph.”
Mark Twain
“In argument, truth always prevails finally; in politics, falsehood always.”
Walter Savage Landor
Dialectic: The art or practice of examining opinions or ideas logically, often by the method of question and answer, so as to determine their validity—logical argumentation.
(fromWebster’s New World College Dictionary 4thEd.)
“Dialectic thought is an attempt to break through the coercion of logic by its own means.”
Theodor Adorno
“I try to encourage people to think for themselves, to question standard assumptions…. Don’t take assumptions for granted. Begin by taking a skeptical attitude toward anything that is conventional wisdom. Make it justify itself. It usually can’t. Be willing to ask questions about what is taken for granted. Try to think things through for yourself.”
Noam Chomsky, MIT professor, author, and activist 2010 interview with Chris Hedges
Warning:Satire and sarcasm may be used in this class, but never for the intent of causing harm to others.
Course Objectives
English 101 has multiple aims: to help you write effectively and to read and think critically. Because this course is based on the premise that reading, writing, and thinking are inseparable activities, the papers will require that you respond to a variety of texts (including, but not limited to, written and video) and to class discussion of these texts. Assignments will emphasize the skills and concepts central to expository writing: rhetoric, analysis, inference, critique,and argumentation,among others. This course will also emphasize the development of strong prewriting, revision, and proofreading skills, which you will practice in group workshops.
Tentative Course Requirements
Four short (4-5 page) essays (with outlines, drafts), 100 points each 400
One in-class essay, 100 points 100
One multiple-source, documented research paper (10-12 pages) 200
Final Exam (in class essay) 200
Rough Drafts 60
Misc. Points (Quizzes, Proposals, Checklists) 65
Analytical Journals (15 total) 75
TOTAL 1100 (Approx)
Final Grades: 90%-100%: A; 80%-89.9%: B; 70%-79.9%: C; 60%-69.9%: D; Below 60%: F
Note: You must submit a research paper and take the final in order to pass this class
Student Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to read critically for literal and implied meaning, identify main ideas, organizational strategies and authors’ writing strategies as well as summarize, paraphrase, and analyze written works.
Students will use the writing process to write, in proper MLA format, academic essays, including a documented research paper, using appropriately chosen details, organizational strategies, more complex sentence variety, and sufficiently correct grammar, punctuation, effective word choice, and style.
Students will evaluate and ethically use primary and secondary sources to avoid plagiarism and will use the library’s resources, including online databases, to locate appropriate academic source material.
All papers are due on the date and time specified on Canvas. All essays written out of class must be typed (double-spaced, with margins) and must conform to the style guidelines discussed in class. Review the last page of your syllabus for further information. You must submit all out-of-class writing assignments to Canvas.
All papers and journals written outside of class need to be submitted to Canvas. If your paper or journal is not submitted to Canvas, you will receive a zero.
What you need to know:
***Late papers are not typically accepted. You must upload your paper (journal, rough or final draft, or any other assignment by its due date. For some papers, essays one through three, I will have a place in Canvas for you to submit a late paper. If you need to take advantage of this option, one full grade deduction will apply. You only have one class period to turn in a late paper. No option exists for you to submit Essay #4, Research Paper Lite, or the Research Paper late. You must submit rough drafts to Canvas. Rough drafts are worth up to 15 points each.***
If you want me to go over your paper with you, schedule a time for us to do this together, and please print out your paper and bring it with you to our meeting.
Rewrites:You may only rewrite one paper. You may only rewrite essay one, two, or three. You may only rewrite a paper once, and your final score will be an average of your original paper's score and the score of your rewrite. You may not rewrite a paper that was submitted to me late. Please submit your rewrite to “Misc. Paper” entry in Canvas under “Assignments”
Guideline for the Analytical Journals:Over the course of our semester, you will write 15 journals. The reading journals are for you to take quotes, ideas or concepts directly from the reading that you find intriguing and to analyze them deeply by using the dialectic method. By going through this exercise, you will understand the material better because you’ve thought deeply about it, and you will get more out of the class because you will have already thought about these complex ideas. Our classroom experience will become more enriching because we will have arguments based on logical thought as opposed to mere knee-jerk reactions.
5 points: Deep critical analysis of one particular quote or example from our reading
4 points: Some critical analysis of one particular quote or example from our reading
3 points: Discussed something in an intriguing manner that dealt with our class in some way
2 points: Submitted something that dealt in some way with our class discussion or reading
1 point: Submitted something that doesn’t deal in any way with our class but is coherent
Plagiarismis a serious offense: a plagiarized paper automatically fails and could earn an "F" for the course. Refer to the 2017-2018 Catalog of Classes for the official policy on plagiarism. Using anyone's words or ideas without his or her permission or without giving the author credit is plagiarism.
Class Attendance and participationhave a bearing on your grade. Because much of what you write will depend on class discussion and workshops, you will find it difficult to make up for a missed class. The Absence/Drop policyreads as follows: “It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw from a course. However, because of enrollment demand a student may be dropped by the instructor when not appearing at the first class meeting. A student may also be dropped for excessive absences when the total hours of absence exceed 10 % of the total scheduled hours of the class. Under extenuating circumstances, a student may be reinstated by the instructor.”
Title IX: Santa Ana College (SAC) faculty is committed to supporting our students and upholding gender equity laws outlined by Title IX. Therefore, if a student chooses to confide in a member of SAC’s faculty regarding an issue of sexual misconduct, that faculty member is obligated to tell SAC’s Title IX coordinator. If a student does not wish to formally report an incident to a faculty member but wishes to speak to someone confidentially about an unwelcome sexual encounter, the student can speak to the college psychologist who is not legally bound to report the conversation.
Accommodations for Disabilities: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 VL-203, 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.
Student Conduct: All students are responsible for maintaining appropriate conduct while enrolled in classes through the Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD). Guidelines for student conduct are set forth in the RSCCD “Standards of Student Conduct” policy. Detailed information regarding student discipline and rights within this policy is available in the college catalog and student handbook. Students who violate the Standards of Conduct are subject
Policy for the Use of Electronic Devices in Class:You may not use any electronic device during class unless I have given you direct permission. This includes but is not limited to computers, phones, dictionaries, beepers, CAT scan machines or other electronic devices.
Be on time! For every two times you are tardy, you will receive one absence. Being late to class is disruptive, inconsiderate and inappropriate. You will be dropped from or fail the class if you accumulate more than two absences for any reason. Also, missing more than 30 minutes of the class for any reason is the same as being absent. Please silencepagers and phones and other noisy devices while in class. Be considerate of others.
Again, no use of any electronic devices in class without prior approval is allowed.
(Strong) Recommendations
- Writing courses are difficult and time-consuming!For each assignment, you'll need to do a certain amount of reading, go through a lengthy (and often painful) process of drafting and revising, edit final mechanical problems (and review appropriate sections in the text) 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 8-12 hours per week outside class!
- Studyreading assignments before class. Because they will often be the basis of your written work, you should read them at least twice. Read actively, and mark your texts: underline, jot down questions, record impressions.
- Make sure that your written work responds directly to the assignment. Keep a copy of the assignment sheet in front of you as you write and proofread.
- Take time to proofread carefully—I should not be the first one to read your work. Get a friend or family member to proofread, especially if you're a lousy speller! Pay particular attention to issues we have covered recently in class.
- Most importantly, study all my comments on papers returned to you, and refer to all appropriate sections of Rules of Thumband/or Purdue’s Online Writing Lab for further explanations 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.
Tentative Course Outline
Note:All is due on the date indicated. Supplemental outlines, which include additional readings and essay assignment sheets, will be passed out on the day each essay is assigned.
Day 1 ·introduction to course and syllabus (lecture)
July 16 ·writing exercise
- Intro to Canvas and Turnitin.com
- Read up to page 14 and 99-153 in Rereading Americabefore our next meeting
To Do:1. Purchase books
- Bring all books to eachclass meeting (If you don’t have your books, you may be asked to go get them)
- Submit Journal to Canvas: Journal suggestion for Journal #1: Analyze your own educational goals
- Read pages 99-153 of Chapter 2 in Rereading America
- “The Essentials of a Good Education” by Diane Ravitch“
- Against School” by John Taylor Gatto“
- I Just Wanna Be Average” by Mike Rose
- FromSocial Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work
Day 2 ·
July 17 ·Discuss Readings
- Essay #1 assignment discussed: Analyzing The Myth of Education
- What is the goal of American education?
- What values are important in education?
- Quiz on readings
To Do: 1. Submit Journal to Canvas
- Read pages 154-211 of Chapter 2 in Rereading America
- “Visual Portfolio”
- “Learning to Read” by Malcolm X
- “Still Separate, Still Unequal” by Jonathan Kozol
- “A Prostitute, a Servant, and a Customer-Service Representative: A Latina in Academia” by Carmen R. Lugo-Lugo
- “Don’t Send Your Kids to the Ivy League” by William Deresiewicz
Day 3 ·
July 18 ·Essay #1 assignment discussed: Analyzing Learning Power
- Quiz on readings (Rereading America)
To Do:1. Begin reading The Things They Carried 2. Submit Journal to Canvas
Day 4 ·Essay #1: Rough draft due(bring a typed copy to class and submit an electronic copy to Canvas)
July 19 ·discuss Research Paper
- Quiz on readings (The Things They Carried &Rereading America)
To Do: 1. Go to http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
- http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/658/01/
- Submit Journal to Canvas
- Read pages 345-408 of Rereading AmericaChapter 4
- “Sam Walton/Jay Z” by George Packer
- “Serving in Florida” by Barbara Ehrenreich
- “Class in America—2012” by Gregory Mantsios
- From Beyond Outrageby Robert Reich
Day 5 ·Final Draft of Essay #1(submit to Canvas)
July 23 ·Research Paper Topics Due(submit to Canvas)
- Begin to work on your Research Paper
- Quiz on readings (The Things They Carried &Rereading America)
To Do:1. Research MLA on OWL
- http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/05/
- Submit Journal to Canvas
- Read pages 409-61 of Rereading AmericaChapter 4
- “Visual Portfolio”
- From “A Tangle of Pathology to a Race-Fair America” by Alan Aja, Daniel Bustillo, William Darity Jr., and Darrick Hamilton
- “Framing Class, Vicarious Living, and Conspicuous Consumption” by Diana Kendall
- “The Modern World” by Tom Tomorrow
- “Slavery in the Land of the Free” by Kevin Bales and Ron Soodalter
- “Troubletown” by Lloyd Dangle
Day 6 ·Discuss Readings
July 24 ·Continue to work on your Research Paper
- Quiz on readings (The Things They Carried &Rereading America)
To Do:1. Search OWL to discover its hidden riches
- Search Finding Sources
- Submit Journal to Canvas
Day 7 ·Rough Draft, Essay #2: The Myth of Individual Opportunity
July 25 ·(bring a typed copy to class and submit an electronic copy to Canvas)
- Continue to work on your Research Paper
- Quiz on readings (The Things They Carried &Rereading America)
To Do:1. Search OWL: Evaluating Sources
- Submit Journal to Canvas
Day 8 ·Final Draft for Essay #2(Submit to Canvas)
July 26 ·Work on your Research Paper in class and in the library
- Quiz on readings (The Things They Carried &Rereading America)
To Do:1. OWL Research Paper Help: Integrating Sources
- Submit Journal to Canvas
- Read pages 463-520 of Chapter 5 in Rereading America
- “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid
- “Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender” by Aaron H. Devor
- “Quandaries of Representation” by Mona El-Ghobashy
- “Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt: Advertising and Violence” by Jean Kilbourne
- Visual Portfolio: Reading Images of Gender
Day 9 ·Discuss Readings
July 30 ·Continue to work on your Research Paper
- Quiz on readings (The Things They Carried & Rereading America)
To Do:1. OWL Research Paper Help
- Submit Journal to Canvas
- Read pages 521-65 of Chapter 5 in Rereading America
- “The Longest War” by Rebecca Solnit
- “From Fly-Girls to Bitches and Hos” by Joan Morgan
- “Bros Before Hos” by Michael Kimmel
- “Sisterhood is Complicated” by Ruth Padawer
Day 10 ·Discuss readings
July 31 ·Discuss Essay #3: Myths of Gender
- Continue to work on your Research Paper
- Quiz on readings (The Things They Carried &Rereading America)
To Do:1. OWL Research Paper Help: Documenting Sources
- Submit Journal to Canvas
- The Things They Carried
Day 11 ·Rough Draft for Paper #3 due
August 1 ·(bring a typed copy to class and submit an electronic copy to Canvas)
- Continue to work on your Research Paper
- Quiz on readings (The Things They Carried &Rereading America)
To Do: 1. Complete The Things They Carried
- Submit Journal to Canvas
Day 12 ·Essay #3 due (Submit to Canvas)
August 2 ·Discuss The Things They Carried
- Conference and Peer Review Essay #4 Research Paper Lite
- Continue to work on your Research Paper
- Quiz on readings (The Things They Carried)
To Do:1. Submit Journal to Canvas
- Prepare draft of Research Paper
Day 13 ·Essay #4 Rough Draft Due: Research Paper Lite (Submit to Canvas)
August 6 ·Discuss The Things They Carried
- Continue to work on your Research Paper
- Quiz on readings (The Things They Carried)
To Do:1. Submit Journal to Canvas
Day 14 ·Essay #4 Final Draft Due: Research Paper Lite (Submit to Canvas)
August 7 ·
- Discuss The Things They Carried
- Continue to work on your Research Paper
- Quiz on readings (The Things They Carried)
To Do:1. Submit Journal to Canvas
Day 15 ·
August 8 ·Paper #5: In-Class Essay: The Things They Carried
- Research Paper due (Submit to Canvas)
To Do:1. Submit Journal to Canvas
Day 16 ·Final Exam—In-class Essay—
August 9 ·
- Review and Debrief—
To Do:1. Bring all books, a black pen, one or more blue books, and a dictionary (no electronic devices of any type, please)
- Submit Journal to Canvas
Santa Ana College 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.
Santa Ana College inspires, transforms, and empowers a diverse community of learners.
Be sure to upload your paper to Canvas following these specifications:
Specifications for Formal Essays: Checklist
___1. Formal papers should be written using Times New Roman12-pt. font.
___2. Essays should be double-spaced and should observe standard margins(one inch on all sides). There should be no extra spaces between paragraphs. Please do not justify the right margin.
___3. Essays should be carefully revised and edited—both on the screen and after they are printed. The instructor should not be the first person to read the essay in its final form.
___ If you have Spelling and Grammar Check programs, use them, but don't rely on them to be 100% thorough or reliable. Read your essay aloud to someone else; have someone read your essay to you.
___4. Your name, the name of the course, the date, the instructor's name, and turnitin.com information should be typed in the upper left-hand corner of page oneonly.
___6. Your last name and the page number should be typed in the upper right-hand corner of all pages.
___7. Every paper must have an interesting, concisetitle(which is different from the title of the story, film, or other text); this title should be centered (in upper and lower case type) with no extra spaces separating it from the body of the text. Please do not type the title in all caps, underline it, or put it in quotation marks or boldface (see title above).
___8. When you consult secondary/critical materials, you must document your use of these materials by using full, double quotation marks and referencing the source in parentheses. The current practice is to put the page number in parentheses without using P., p., or Page No.;the number in parentheses indicates that it is to be understood to be the page number. If you have any questions, refer to the MLA format in Rules of Thumband/or Purdue’s Online Writing Lab.
___9. Remember that your paper represents you: your ideas, your personality, and your intellectual integrity.
Please follow proper MLA Format.
CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY
(and adopted by this class)
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT WRITING ASSESSMENT RUBRIC
English 103 (Freshman Composition) & Academic Essays
Superior (A to A-): "The Apaper leaves the reader feeling bright, thoroughly satisfied and eager to reread the piece" (Lindemann 33). Such a paper will have original and significant development of the topic; distinguished support of the thesis presented with clarity and finesse; details that lead the reader to further thinking; engaging organization with artful transitions; inventive and memorable sentence structure; fresh, highly specific diction; skillful paragraphing; mastery of mechanics; no major errors and/or no more than two or three minor errors (see list below); and original and insightful interpretation of the topic or issue. If the paper includes information from outside sources, such researched material will be analyzed and cited using the correct MLA format.
Typically an Apaper advances an arguable claim through a specific, complex, and incisive thesis, and supports its claim by providing a substantial amount of relevant and thoroughly analyzed evidence. Typically a superior paper focuses on just one or a few points, but discusses them in depth and at length. It acknowledges and honestly addresses evidence that is ambiguous or that seems to contradict its thesis. The paper offers an incisive argument based on a nuanced analysis of the evidence and a recognition of the topic’s complexity.
Excellent (B+ to B-): "TheBpaper makes the reading experience a pleasurable one, for it offers substantial information with few distractions" (Lindemann 33). This paper has convincing development of logic; skillful support of the thesis with substantial arguments and specific, interesting details; unity around a clear organizing principle with smooth transitions; varied, fluid sentence structure; effective paragraphing; vivid, vigorous diction; no more than one or two major errors and/or few minor errors; logical discussion of the topic with well-chosen use of examples and outside sources, if required. If outside sources are used, citations follow the correct MLA format.
While the analysis in a Bpaper may not achieve the complexity of a superior paper, it moves beyond commonplace ideas and supports its claims with a careful analysis of appropriate evidence or examples. It acknowledges and accounts for conflicting or ambiguous evidence. The paper offers skillful analysis of a few points, developing each at length.
Good (C+ to C-): "TheCpaper, while it gets the job done, lacks both imagination and intellectual rigor, and hence does not invite a rereading" (Lindemann 33). This paper addresses the topic in a general way, presenting an arguable and relevant thesis, but lacks "intellectual rigor"; predictable arguments (perhaps all generated in class discussions) with adequate but undistinguished support; formulaic organization with mechanical, sometimes clumsy transitions; predictable, sometimes monotonous, sentence structure; general, repetitious or conventional diction; competent but mechanical paragraphing; two or more major errors and/or several minor errors; accurate analysis of its topic with adequate use of supporting evidence. If outside sources are used, citations generally follow the MLA format.
The argument in the Cpaper may not fully do justice to the complexity of the issues at stake in the topic or issue, but offers plausible interpretation of a reasonable amount of evidence, moves beyond the obvious and elaborates at length on at least one point. The paper makes an attempt to acknowledge conflicting or ambiguous evidence in some way. A good paper may be uniformly average in all areas, or it may be good in some areas and only marginally competent in others. A clear and well-organized paper may be deemed only good if its argument is simplistic or superficial. A paper with a strong argument may be deemed merely competent if it is organized in a formulaic or mechanical way. And a well-organized paper with a good argument may be judged merely competent if its language is frequently imprecise or overly abstract.
Unsatisfactory (D+ to D-): "TheDpaper often gives the impression of having been conceived and written in haste" (Lindemann 32). This essay has an ineffective and basic engagement with the topic; flawed or illogical support of the thesis with scanty development; some lack of control of the organization with limited or ineffective transitions; reliance on simple or awkward sentence structure; rudimentary paragraphing with some lack of coherence; inappropriate diction; three or more major errors and/or numerous minor errors; and flawed or ineffective analysis of supporting evidence. If outside sources are used, citations may be missing or incorrect.
TheDpaper may simply lack a thesis, or the thesis may not be arguable, either because it is so vague that it cannot be meaningfully substantiated or because it is so commonplace that it cannot be plausibly disputed. The paper may simply make assertions without providing appropriate evidence or examples; it may simply point to evidence without critically evaluating and interpreting it; or its interpretation may be superficial or implausible. It may oversimplify counter-arguments or ignore ambiguous or conflicting evidence. The paper may simply be too short to develop a compelling argument, or consist mainly of summary.
Failing (F): "The ideas, organization, and style [of the Fpaper] fall far below what is acceptable . . . writing" (Lindemann 32). This essay has only superficial engagement with the topic; undeveloped ideas with repetitious or inappropriate details; lack of discernible organization with minimal or faulty use of transitions; garbled or seriously limited sentence structure; underdeveloped paragraphs; elementary or faulty diction containing childish or imprecise wording; four or more major errors and/or excessive minor errors; and little or no development of the topic with failure to use supporting evidence meaningfully.
MAJOR GRAMMATICAL/USAGE ERRORS:
Sentence Structure: fragments (incomplete sentences); comma splices; fused or run-on sentences; mixed construction sentences (faulty parallelism).
Agreement: between subject and verb; between pronoun and antecedent.
Spelling: misspelling any key word of the literary work (title words, author's name, characters' names, etc.); two other misspelled words equal one major error.
Verb Usage: tense; voice; form; troublesome pairs.
MINOR GRAMMATICAL/USAGE ERRORS:
Person: inappropriate shifts in person.
Diction: use of contractions, slang, symbols, abbreviations; misuse of commonly confused words.
Miscellaneous punctuation: misuse of apostrophes, colons; incorrectly cited titles of published works.
USING OUTSIDE HELP: As part of the writing process, both in and out of class, it is at times acceptable for a friend, parent, or teacher to read your paper for clarity and support. Such readers should offer general advice. "This section is confusing"; "You need some punctuation work here"; and "You could have used information from the text here to bolster your ideas" are all acceptable responses from such readers, and are, in fact, the kind of useful comments you will receive from tutors in Chapman’s Writing Center. You must be careful, however, that outside helpers do not contribute too much to your paper. Such readers should not correct your sentences for you nor edit your work line by line. If you want such one-on-one conferencing, arrange to meet with the teacher who made the assignment and bring drafts of your work. All of the handwriting that edits your sentences should be yours or the teacher's who assigned your work. There will be times when you will be writing in class; your writing at such times should be similar to the quality of the writing you complete out of class, or your teacher will have reason to doubt your integrity.
Parts of the above material have been adapted from the following sources:
Lindemann, Ericka.Student Guide to Freshman English. Chapel Hill: University of
North Carolina, 2000.
O’Dwyer, Caley, ed. A Student Guide to Writing at UCI. Boston: Pearson Custom
Publishing, 2002.
(Revised 9/17/02)
Santiago Canyon College
English Department
Classroom Code of Conduct
The English Department of Santiago Canyon College agrees that your success as a student is dependent upon adhering to the following classroom code of conduct.
Maximize readiness for class by:
- Preparing homework and required assignments
- Arriving on time and planning to stay throughout
- Bringing textbook(s) and materials
- Silencing cell phones and pagers
- Utilizing college resources (Instructor Office Hours, Writing Center, Tutoring Center, Library, Health/Counseling Services, DSPS, etc.) as needed
Maximize class time by:
- Participating in all class activities
- Listening politely and attentively to your professor and peers
- Supporting and encouraging others’ efforts and participation in class
- Respecting the right of allto speak
- Seeking to understand others’ perspectives
This Code of Conduct will result in a classroom environment that encourages constructive disagreement, intellectual exploration and a vital learning community.
Standards of Student Conduct - BP5201
Revised March 23, 2009
Guidelines for Student Conduct are set forth in the California Education Code, California Administrative Code, Title V, policies of the Board of Trustees, and all civil and criminal codes. Students enrolling in district educational programs assume an obligation to obey state law and district rules and regulations governing the conduct of students.
Students who enroll in those instructional programs in which the college has affiliations with various outside associations must comply with the college's policies and procedures and also with the outside associations' policies and procedures. This includes but is not limited to students enrolled in the programs of Cosmetology, Fire Academies, Criminal Justice Academies and Nursing.
-
GUIDELINES FOR STUDENT CONDUCT
The following represent violations for disciplinary action, up to but not limited to expulsion, that
may be taken:
- Dishonesty, cheating, plagiarism, lying, or knowingly furnishing false information to the district or a college official performing their duties.
- Forgery, alteration, or misuse of district documents, records, or identification.
- Willful misconduct that results in damage to any real or personal property owned by the district or district employees (damage includes, but not limited to vandalism, such as cutting, defacing, breaking, etc.).
- Obstruction or disruption of pedestrian or vehicular traffic or of teaching, research, administration, or of other district activities on or off District premises. This includes obstruction or disruption of administration, disciplinary procedures or authorized college activities.
- Assault, battery, or any threat of force or violence upon a student, college personnel, or campus visitor; willful misconduct which results in injury or death to a student, college personnel, or campus visitor. This includes fighting on district property or at a district sponsored event, on or off district premises.
- Detention of any person on district-owned or controlled property or at district-sponsored or supervised functions or other conduct which threatens or endangers the health or safety of another.
- Theft of any property of the district which includes property of a member of the district community or a campus visitor.
- Unauthorized entry into or unauthorized use of district property, supplies, equipment, and/or facilities.
- Misrepresentation of oneself or of an organization to be an agent of the district.
- Sexual assault or physical abuse, including rape, forced sodomy, forced oral copulation, rape by a foreign object, sexual battery, or threat or assault, or any conduct that threatens the health and safety of the alleged victim, which includes students, college personnel, or campus visitors.
- Use, possession, distribution, or being under the influence of alcoholic beverage on district property or at any district sponsored event.
- Use, possession, distribution, or being under the influence of narcotics, other hallucinogenic drugs or substances, or any poison classified as such by Schedule "D" in Section 4160 of the Business and Professions Code on District property or at any District-sponsored event except as expressly permitted by law.
- Expression which is libelous, slanderous, obscene or which incites students so as to create a clear and present danger of commission of unlawful acts on district premises, or violation of district regulations, or the substantial disruption of the orderly operation of the college.
- Engaging in lewd, indecent, or obscene behavior on district property or at any district-sponsored function.
- Possession or use while on the district premises, or a district-sponsored function, of any firearm, knife, explosive, or other dangerous object, including but not limited to any facsimile firearm, knife or explosive. Exceptions include those participating in a criminal justice educational program who are authorized such possession or those who are enrolled in a course which authorizes such possession.
- Unauthorized preparation, giving, selling, transfer, distribution, or publication, for any commercial purpose, of any contemporaneous recording of an academic presentation in a classroom or equivalent site of instruction, including but not limited to handwritten or typewritten class notes, except as permitted by any district policy or administrative regulation.
- Engaging in harassing or discriminatory behavior based on race, sex (i.e., gender), religion, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation or any other status protected by law.
- Continuous disruptive behavior or willful disobedience, habitual profanity or vulgarity, open and persistent abuse of college personnel, or open and persistent defiance of the authority of college personnel, which includes physical as well as verbal abuse, including the use of racial epithets and hate speech;
- Disruptive written or verbal communication, vulgarity, open and persistent abuse of other students which include verbal abuse, racial epithets and hate speech.
- Willful or persistent smoking in any area where smoking has been prohibited by law or by regulation of the Board of Trustees;
- Violation of the Computer Usage Policy is applicable to students using computer classrooms, computer labs, the wireless network or other locations on and off district property. A violation is considered any of the following:
(a) Accessing with or without permission, or causing to be accessed without authorization, altering, damaging, deleting, hacking, destroying, or otherwise using
any data, computer, computer system, computer software and programs, or computer network belonging to or used by the college or any member of the District.
- (b) Accessing with or without permission, taking, copying, or making use of any data from a computer, computer system, or computer network, or taking or copying any supporting documentation, whether existing or residing internal or external to a computer, computer system, or computer network belonging to or used by the college or District.
- (c) Using or causing to be used, computer services without permission.
- (d) Disrupting or causing the disruption of computer services or denying or causing the denial of computer services to an authorized user of a computer, computer system, or computer network belonging to or used by the college or District.
- (e) Introducing any computer contaminant or virus into any computer, computer system, or computer network belonging to the college or District.
- (f) Sending any message using any computer system or network without authorization or sending any message in the name of another person or entity.
- (g) Using any account or password without authorization.
- (h) Allowing or causing an account number or password to be used by any other person without authorization.
- (i) Accessing or causing to be accessed, downloading or causing to be downloaded, pornographic or obscene materials except when accessing such material which is part of the instructional process or assignment for a class in which the student is currently enrolled.
- (j) Use of systems or networks for personal commercial purposes.
- (k) “Cyberstalking”, which is to be understood as any use of the college or district computer system, computer network, or computer programs to stalk another person via excessive messages or inquiries, inappropriate or threatening messages, racially motivated communications, photos or other means of communication.
- Any act constituting good cause for suspension or expulsion, or violation of district policies or campus regulations.
- II. DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS FOR STUDENTS
Student conduct must conform to the standards established by the Board of Trustees. Violations are subject to the following types of disciplinary actions. (These disciplinary actions are listed in degree of severity, but not necessarily in sequential order. Disciplinary actions may be imposed singly or in combination.)
- WARNING - Verbal notice to the student that continuation or repetition of specific conduct may be cause for other disciplinary action.
- REPRIMAND - Written reprimand for violation of district rules, with copy to the student and to the student disciplinary file. A reprimand admonishes the offender to avoid any future infractions of district rules.
- PROBATION - Probation is a disciplinary action which allows the offender to return to the district with the understanding of expected appropriate future behavior. Probation may include exclusion of the individual(s) from extra-curricular district activities that would be set forth in the written notice
of probation. The probation would be for a specified period of time and appropriate notice will be sent to any advisor(s) of student organizations(s) involved. Any further violations of the Standards of Student Conduct during this probationary period will result in further, more serious disciplinary action against the offender.
- RESTITUTION - Reimbursement by the offender(s) for damage(s) or for the misappropriation of district property may take the form of appropriate community service to repair or otherwise compensate for damage(s) or loss(es).
- REMOVAL
An instructor or department administrator may remove a student from his or her class or departmental service for up to two days, and shall report all such action to the academic dean of the appropriate division and to the administrative designee responsible for student discipline.
The administrative designee responsible for student discipline may suspend privileges from that class, campus service, office, department, or the entire campus based upon the violation, for up to ten days.
During the period of the removal, the student shall not be returned to a class from which he or she was removed without the concurrence of the instructor and administrative designee responsible for student discipline; nor shall the student be returned to the service, department, office from which they were removed, or the campus, without concurrence of appropriate administrator.
If the student is a minor, the college president, or designee shall ask the parent or guardian to attend a conference regarding the removal as soon as possible, and if the parent so requests, the Dean of Student Affairs or designee at Santa Ana College or the Vice President of Student Services or designee at Santiago Canyon College shall attend (depending on the college).
- SUSPENSION
The Board of Trustees, the chancellor or the chancellor's designee may suspend a student for good cause, as defined in Section I, A-V herein, for any of the following periods:
(a) From one or more classes for less than the remainder of the school term.
(b) From one or more classes for the remainder of the school term.
(c) From all classes and activities of the college for up to two (2) academic years.
During the period of the suspension, the student is prohibited from being enrolled in or physically present on any campus of the district for the period of the suspension. The chancellor or designee may impose a lesser disciplinary sanction than suspension, including, but not limited to warning, reprimand, probation, restitution or ineligibility to participate in co-curricular activities or any combination of the listed options.
- EXPULSION
Expulsion may be for good cause (refer to Section I, A-V), when other means of correction fail to bring about proper conduct, or when the presence of the student causes a continuing danger to the physical safety of the student or others.
III. DUE PROCESS
No student shall be suspended for more than ten days or expelled unless the conduct for which the student is being disciplined is related to college activity or attendance, and the student is afforded the right of due process.
The chancellor or designee shall, prior to the suspension or expulsion of any student, notify the appropriate law enforcement authorities of the county or city in which the college is situated of any acts of the student which may be in violation of Section 245 of the Penal Code. Violations of any law, ordinance, regulation, or rule regulating, or pertaining to, the parking of vehicles shall not be cause for suspension or expulsion. However, repeatedly ignoring or consistent violations of parking rules, regulations, laws or ordinances may result in vehicles being towed or loss of parking privileges.
During the due process investigation period and hearing, the designated investigating administrator may allow, disallow and/or select individuals who will be included in the process. For actions regarding minor students, parental notification and/or involvement is required.
- Suspension
Any suspension of more than ten days must be accompanied by a due process hearing as outlined in Section IV of this policy.
Whenever a minor student is suspended from a college of the District, the parent or guardian shall be notified in writing by the chancellor, or a designee.
- Expulsion
Only the Board of Trustees may expel a student. Expulsion shall be accompanied by a due process hearing as outlined in Section IV of this policy.
- DUE PROCESS HEARING
- A student who is being considered for suspension or expulsion shall be afforded a due process hearing before a Disciplinary Hearing Board designated by the chancellor or the chancellor’s designee. The chancellor or designee shall provide that a reasonable opportunity for a hearing is afforded the student within ten days.
- The Disciplinary Hearing Board shall be composed of the following individuals appointed by the chancellor or designee:
1 RSCCD Student 1 Administrator
1 Faculty Member 1 Classified Staff
- The student shall be notified in writing at least two school days before the hearing of the following:
(a) The time, date, and place set for the hearing;
(b) The charges to be brought;
(c) Documentary evidence that will be introduced at the hearing;
(d) The right of the student to appear in person and present his or her position;
(e) The right to cross-examine the district's witnesses if the witness(es) elect(s) to be present; (f) The right to present evidence or witness(es) on own behalf.
(g) In cases of alleged sexual assault, technical rules of evidence shall not apply; no past sexual history may be introduced as part of the testimony, except that the past sexual history of the alleged victim shall be permitted if offered as evidence of the character or trait of character of the victim for the purposes described in California Evidence Code 1103.
- The hearing board shall hear evidence and witnesses presented by the district and by the student. In the event the student for whom the hearing is held, or other key parties, is not present at the hearing, the Hearing Board will proceed without the individual(s). The Hearing Board
shall render its decision on the evidence presented within two school days of the close of the hearing. The hearing board shall notify the Dean of Student Affairs at Santa Ana College or the Vice President of Student Services at Santiago Canyon College or their designee of the decision and will notify the student by certified mail of the outcome of the hearing. If the recommendation is for suspension or expulsion, the student will be notified in writing of their right to appeal the decision to the Board of Trustees.
Any request by the student to appeal the decision to the Board of Trustees must be made within forty-eight hours of receipt of the letter sent by the aforementioned administrator outlining the hearing board’s decision. If the decision supports a recommendation for expulsion, the suspension will continue until the Board of Trustees can hear the appeal.
If the recommendation opposes suspension or expulsion, the recommendation shall be final, and, the chancellor or designee shall reinstate the student immediately to their status prior to the hearings.
The Board shall, unless a request has been made by the student for an open session, hold closed sessions under the following conditions:
(a) If the Board is considering the suspension or expulsion of the student.
(b) If a public hearing upon such question would lead to the giving of information concerning the student which would be in violation of Section 76243 of the Education Code.
- Before calling such closed session, the chancellor or designee shall, in writing, by registered or certified mail, if the student is a minor notify the parent or guardian, or the student, if the student is an adult, of the intent of the Board to call and hold such closed session. Unless the student, or the student's parents (if the student is a minor) within forty-eight hours after receipt of such written notice, request in writing that the hearing be held in open session, the appeal shall be conducted in closed session. If such written request is served upon the clerk or secretary of the Board, the meeting shall be public except that any discussion at such meeting that might be in conflict with the right to privacy of any other student shall be in closed session. Whether the matter is considered at a closed session or open meeting, final action of the Board shall be taken at a public meeting and the result of such action shall be a public record of the district.
- The appeal before the Board of Trustees shall be a review of the evidence presented to the Hearing Board, and an opportunity for both sides to present oral argument. No new evidence or witnesses will be heard unless the Board of Trustees so requests.
- The decision of the Board of Trustees shall be final. Students expelled or suspended for more than one academic year from attendance at colleges or programs of the district shall be entitled to
make an annual appeal to the Board of Trustees of the expulsion or suspension by written request directed to the Secretary of the Board that the matter be placed on the agenda of the Board of Trustees. Such appeals shall be conducted as provided in this policy.
Additional copies of the following Rancho Santiago Community College District student policies are available in the RSCCD catalog and the offices of Student Services at both Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College:
- Student Code of Conduct
- Sexual Harassment Policy/Complaint Procedures
- Academic Honesty Policy
- Grievance Procedures for Students
Legal references: Education Codes 66300, 76030, 76031, 76032, 76033, 76034, 76035, 76036, 76037, 76120, 76243, & 87014.
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