EN 120 Section 002: English Comp I Non Native Spkr
Spring, 2010
3 Credit Hours
Primary Instructor: April Ledbetter
Core Designation: Freshmen Composition
Office: Rowand-Johnson 203
Office hours: by appointment
The first in a two-course sequence, English 120 introduces college-level writing, critical reading, basic citation, and the rhetorical tools needed to participate successfully in the University of Alabama academic community.
A major goal of EN 120 is to familiarize students with the writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising)—this will be achieved, in part, by writing in class every day. Students should be able to collaborate effectively with peers and the instructor, engaging in self-reflection, editing, and revising of others’ work. In each essay, students should address the challenges of the initial assignment and use an appropriate style (clear writing, appropriate voice, varying sentence structures). Student writing should also demonstrate proficient use of syntax, grammar, punctuation, and spelling, and show a comprehension of how each sentence is best put together and understood by an audience. The ability to use quotes, paraphrases, summaries, and documentation correctly in their writing is also expected of all students who complete English 120 at UA.
Course Overview
This course is organized around 4 units. Each unit will focus on one major writing assignment. The reflective assignment will ask you to evaluate your own writing in terms of the course objectives. Readings will be assigned to correspond with these writing assignments, and each unit will involve various in-class activities and process writing. The course structure, due dates for essays, and final exam details are as follows:
|
Unit |
Papers/Projects Due |
Due Dates |
|
14 |
Personal Statement |
1/26 |
|
1 |
Narrative |
2/16 |
|
4 |
Evaluation |
3/11 |
|
5 |
Causal Analysis |
4/13 |
|
|
In-Class Final Essay |
5/5 |
Written work will be evaluated in four areas: Content, Organization, Style, and Mechanics. A detailed rubric will be provided with each paper assignment to clarify the areas being evaluated.
“A” work must be excellent in all areas; “B” work must be good in all areas; “C” work must be at least competent in all areas; “D” work is marginally below college standards in at least one of the areas; and “F” work is clearly below minimum college standards in one of the areas. Work that does not follow the assignment (though otherwise acceptable) will also receive an “F.” Work that is not done or not turned in is recorded as a zero. All major papers will be graded and returned before the next major assignment is due.
Papers are graded A through F with pluses and minuses as necessary.
Paper grades can be converted to numeric values like this:
A+=98, A=95, A-=92, B+=88, B=85, B-=82, C+=78, C=75, C-=72, D+=68, D=65, D-=62, F=50.
Final numeric grades will be converted to letter grades like this:
100-98=A+; 97-93=A; 92-90=A-; 89-88=B+; 87-83=B; 82-80=B-; 79-78=C+; 77-73=C; 72-70=C-; 69 and below=NC
ABC-No Credit Policy
Final grades for the class below a C- are given a mark of No Credit (NC), which does not reflect on your GPA but will require you to take the course again.
Grading Summary for Final Grade:
· Daily Work (quizzes, homework, in-class writing, workshop assignments, rough drafts, etc.) – 20% [cannot be made up or turned in late]
· Essay 1 (Personal Statement)– 10%
· Essay 2(Narrative)– 20%
· Essay 3 (Evaluation)– 20%
· Essay 4 (Causal Analysis)– 20%
· Reflective Final Essay – 10%
Missed Course Work
Homework, daily grades, and rough drafts will not be accepted late for any reason. All homework and rough drafts are due at the beginning of class and will not be accepted later that same day. I do not accept emailed course work.
Late Paper Policy
Papers are not considered turned in until I have received a paper copy. I am not responsible for papers dropped off to my box in the English office, placed in my office when I am not there, etc. I do not accept emailed papers.
You are allowed one late final draft paper without penalty, though it must be turned in within a week of the original due date. Additional late papers will be penalized 10 points for each day they are late. This means if your paper is due on Monday and you turn it in on Wednesday, 20 points will be deducted. Also be aware that if you turn in a second late paper on the day it is due, but any time after our class period, the paper will be penalized 10 points. Please remember that deadlines are important in this class!
No papers will be accepted one week after the due date.
This policy does not apply to the final reflective assignment. This final paper cannot be turned in or taken late.
Attendance Policy
1. Successful students attend class regularly and are not tardy
2. Major graded work (such as tests or papers) missed due to legitimate circumstances beyond the student’s control may be made up if arrangements are made with the instructor in advance, or in a timely fashion upon the student’s return to class.
3. The lectures, class discussion, group work, and other daily exercises in a writing class cannot be reconstructed for a student who has been absent; therefore, daily work missed due to tardiness or an absence (for any reason) cannot be made up.
4. Students who miss more than 20% of class meetings (9 classes in MWF courses or 6 classes in TR courses) may receive a grade of NC; such cases, and those of disputed multiple or extended absences, will be referred to the Department Chair for review. Especially difficult cases may be forwarded to the Dean of Arts and Sciences for adjudication.
5. This should not be understood as the number of classes you are allowed to miss; rather, it sets the outside limit after which the higher administration of the University may become involved in the grading process.
All students in attendance at the University of Alabama are expected to be honorable and to observe standards of conduct appropriate to a community of scholars. The University expects from its students a higher standard of conduct than the minimum required to avoid discipline. Academic misconduct includes all acts of dishonesty in any academically related matter and any knowing or intentional help or attempt to help, or conspiracy to help, another student.
The Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy will be followed in the event of academic misconduct.
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