Composition Skill

Prerequisites

English 1113 and 1123

Office Hours

By appointment

Mandatory Dates

There is a mandatory final at the semester's end, which may be taken at Midwestern State University, in Wichita Falls, TX, or proctored at a college or university testing site.

MSU onsite exam date:  Fri. April  27,  beginning at  12:30 pm  (until 3:30 pm)

Proctored exam dates:  Proctored exams: Students need to contact a testing center and schedule to take the exam between Thursday, April 26 and Saturday, April 28.   

Required Texts and Access

1. MyLab & Mastering (CourseCompass) access code, to be purchased online the first week of class. (About $15.00): http://pearsonmylabandmastering.com/?cc
2. The Little, Brown Handbook, by Fowler & Aaron. Pearson. The 12th edition is referenced in course assignments. You can purchase either a hard copy (which is bundled with an e-text) of the 12 edition, a new edition for spring; or purchase online only the e-text. Both options below come bundled with an additional resource, MyCompLab, which is not required for this course; however, the resource is free with the bundles listed below and provides supplemental material. (Note, this is not the same as MyLab & Mastering/CourseCompass, which is required and described above.)
   • Hardcopy comes bundled w/ access to MyCompLab (extra composition practice materials): 9780205248292 (Suggested retail price: $88.00).

• E-text comes bundled w/access to MyCompLab (extra composition practice materials): 9780205223282 (Online purchase price: $37.00) http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/product/MyCompLab-with-Pearson-eText-Instant-Access-for-The-Little-Brown-Handbook/9780205223282.page.

3. Graff and Birkenstein, They Say, I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, 2nd edition. 978-0393-93361-1

Required Software

Microsoft Word. Students who do not have access to Microsoft Word need to contact the instructor before submitting any assignments to the dropbox.

Course Goals

• Write thesis-based essays that provide strong support and specific details
• Engage in a writing process that includes invention, drafting, and revision
• Demonstrate critical and creative thinking about a timely issue or debatable topic
• Demonstrate proficient use of Standard Written English

Departmental Goals, Objectives, and Measurements

Knowledge of Language and Literature (Objective 2.1): Student understands the usage and structure of the English language. Measurement: completion of a series of quizzes, discussion board postings, and writing assignments.

Writing as Process (Objective 3.1): Student reflects on his or her arguments over multiple stages of development. (Objective 3.2): Using traditional resources and emerging technologies, the student references and formats primary and secondary sources in MLA style. Measurement: successful completion of writing assignments.

Engagement (Objective 4.1): Student is aware of a cultural context for his or her own values and those of his or her sources. Measurement: synchronous and asynchronous correspondence with instructor, discussion board postings, and successful completion of writing assignments.

Grading Policy

Quizzes (25%):  Twelve grammar quizzes. Students are encouraged to meet with the instructor (by phone or online) following each quiz to review the quiz content and their performance. 

Writing assignments (40%): Four writing assignments and two graded discussion board postings. Writing assignments will be marked with instructor's commentary, and the grade assigned will reflect overall demonstration of the skills outlined above.

Final exam (35%):   The final exam will consist of two parts: 1) a grammar exam (15%), and 2) a thesis-driven essay (20%).

All assignments will be due on dates assigned. No late work will be accepted unless specific arrangements have been made prior to the due date. Students falling two assignments behind are subject to administrative withdrawal from the course by the instructor.

100 - 90% — A 

   89 - 80% — B 

   79 - 70% — C 

   69 - 60% — D 

        < 60% — F 

Acceptable

Submission

Format

All formal writing assignments submitted for grading must conform to the formatting and style guidelines outlined in the Assignment Submission Guidelines extension to this syllabus.  (In CourseCompass, see Course Documents.)

Submitting

Assignments

Major assignments are to be submitted/uploaded to the CourseCompass Dropbox:  Access the Dropbox. Click Send File. Click Browse to upload the document. Click Submit. (If a student clicks Add File, the document will be posted to the student’s account, not sent to the instructor.)

E-mail Format

When sending emails to the instructor, a student should include in the subject line his or her last name, course and section number, and the content of the email (e.g., Jones 2113-X30, question). 

Required Contact

Students are required to interact with the instructor within the CourseCompass course management system at regular intervals during the term of the course. Any student who fails to interact with an instructor via CourseCompass, telephone, email, or in person during any two-week period of the term may be subject to administrative withdrawal from the course by the instructor.

Academic

Dishonesty

All students are expected to adhere to the Midwestern State University Student Honor Creed when completing any work for this course. A student's name on any assignment scheduled to be turned in is his/her pledge that all work contained therein is his/hers alone. When using the ideas of other unpublished and published sources, students must use accepted documentation conventions (i.e., MLA). See the MSU Student Handbook (PDF attached to Course Documents in CourseCompass) to read the Student Honor Creed (4) and the university's policy on academic dishonesty (71). 

Professionalism

Members of this class are expected to treat one another with courtesy, professionalism, and respect. Repeated unprofessional, rude, or inappropriate behavior can result in 50-100 points being deducted from a student’s final grade for the course per instance of such behavior. 

Americans with

Disabilities Act

Midwestern State University is committed to providing equal access for qualified students with disabilities to all university courses and programs, and by law, all students with disabilities are guaranteed a learning environment that provides reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. 

This guarantee is provided through Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA reads: "No qualified individual with a disability shall, by reason of such disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of a public entity, or be subject to discrimination by any such entity."

To obtain disability support services, students must

• be accepted for admission to Midwestern State University,

• complete a request for services form available through the Office of Disability Services,  and

• provide current documentation from a qualified professional (such as a licensed physician, psychologist, audiologist, etc.) diagnosing the disability, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

For information on Disability Services at Midwestern State University see the following: http://students.mwsu.edu/disability/  

If the instructor does not have proper notification, she will expect the same performance from each student enrolled in the course.