Class meets T/R 2:00 to 3:20 in DB 342
Assignments % of Grade
Minimum of 4 In-Class Essays (350-word min. each)
Minimum of 4 Formal, Revised Essays (750-word min. each).
Writing assignments should require students to produce approximately 5000 words of graded writing and count for at least 80% of the final grade
All formal essays will follow the MLA format and will consist of 3 ½ to 4 typed pages. Please note that I will not read anything over 5 pages. All required pages (the topic, the rough draft, etc.) must be included with the final essay.
By enrolling in this class, the student expressly grants MSU a “limited right” to all intellectual property created by the student for the purpose of this course. The “limited right” shall include but shall not be limited to the right to reproduce the student’s work product in order to verify originality and authenticity, and for educational purposes.
Note: You may not submit a paper for a grade in this class that already has been (or will be) submitted for a grade in another course, unless you obtain the explicit written permission of me and the other instructor involved in advance.
No late work will be accepted unless arrangements have been made with the instructor by providing a written letter from your doctor or from MSU for a school-sponsored event (i.e. athletes). If you will be absent on a day that work is due, you must arrange a time to turn in your work in person. I will not accept work from another student. If you miss work, it is your responsibility to find out what was missed and if you can make it up. Missing work will earn you a zero grade for that assignment. In addition, once quizzes have been returned, they cannot be made up; however, if you provide a letter from your doctor, you will have the opportunity to make up major exams by 12:00 pm on a day specified by the instructor. You will have only two class periods from the day you missed the exam to make it up without losing points (for example, if a test took place on a Thursday, you will have until 12:00pm The next Thursday to re-take the exam.) If you exceeded the allowed two class periods for a make-up exam and still have not taken your exam, you lose the opportunity and will receive a zero on the exam.
Essays turned in late (after 2:00PM for 1113-118 AND 3:20PM for 1113.119) will immediately lose ten points and will continue to lose an additional ten points every day that I do not have your essay. So, if your essay is five days late, you have already failed. If I do not receive your late essay at the beginning of class on the day you finally decide to turn in your work, I’ll mark off another ten points, even though I received it that day—laziness and procrastination garner no reward. It takes only one essay handed in late to ruin your average—get your essays in on time. If you know in advance that you will be absent from class the day an essay is due, make arrangements with me ahead of time to turn in your work early for full credit.
Regular class attendance will be expected. Roll will be taken at every class. MSU allows TR students two absences without repercussions; however, after two absences I will deduct five points from your final average for every successive absence after two. For example, if you miss five times in the semester and you are carrying a 95 average, will receive a B (95-15=80. Two of your absences were freebies, but the other three cost you five points a pop
on your final average.) Tardiness to class is disruptive and disrespectful. Two late arrivals equal one absence. You are late if you arrive to class after class begins and I’ve taken attendance. If you arrive at ten minutes after the hour or later, you will be counted absent.
Note: Students with only one or fewer absences will receive a reward for being awesome: if the student has zero absences, I will drop two of the student’s lowest reading quiz/ homework grades and if the student misses only one time, I will drop one of his/her lowest quiz/homework grade.
Cell phones and other gadgets will not be used during class. Please turn them off when you enter the room. If you have an emergency, let me know before class starts that you are either expecting a call or a message. Disruptive behavior effects the education of your colleagues who have paid to attend this class; they and I, deserve respect and the prospect of a “mature” classroom environment, therefore, if I am forced to comment on cell phone or other gadget usage, a five point deduction will be applied to your final grade. Please see the sheet on Old Fashion Behavior.
Grading Policies
Your grade will depend primarily on your essays; however, you will also be responsible for quizzes, tests, portfolio, and class participation. You will be assigned a total ten essays, six of which will be written outside class and the remaining four will be written in class; the combined average of all ten essays will count for 80% of your final grade. (The In-Class Writing will be 20% of your grade. The remaining 60% will be from formal essays.) Your reading quizzes, homework assignments, portfolio, and participation grades will amount to 10% of your final grade. All major exams, including grammar and punctuation, will count double and will amount to 10% of your final grade. This is the English Department’s policy and is not negotiable.