Bellevue College

ENGL 093 Syllabus

Spring 2010 Item # 1160

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Instructor:                     Dr. Gordon Leighton

E-mail:                 gleighto@bellevuecollege.edu

Phone:                425-564-6168   

Office location:   C207E      

Office Hours:      M-F 9:30-10:20 and by appointment

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Course Information

Course Outcomes

At the end of this course, students will be able to write essays which demonstrate the ability to
o Use all stages of the writing process effectively
o Identify the needs of their audience
o Produce a substantive topic
o Create a unified, coherent, and well-developed piece of writing which consistently follows appropriate conventions of Standard English
Use a variety of purposes for essay construction, such as analysis, exposition, and/or persuasion.
Demonstrate ability to recognize some strengths and weaknesses in their own writing, based on specified criteria.

 

How Outcomes will be met

 

Students will be given the opportunity to write regularly in and out of class and will receive feedback promptly.

Students will view films and hear discussions on the writing process and the conventions of academic writing.

Students will be given opportunity to learn to correct the most common errors in college writing.

Students will be given the opportunity to revise and correct their own writing and the writing of others.

 

Grading

 

Course will be graded as follows:

 

75%   Papers 1-5 (15% each)

25%   Participation:  This is a subjective element of the grade.  See below for explanation.

 

 

 

 

Participation

 

            Participation is a key element of any course.  Please note that excessive absence will result in a grade of “F,” no matter what you have been receiving for grades on the work you have completed.

 

            This portion of the grade is necessarily subjective.  I will start with a base grade calculated from attendance alone, and then adjust up or down from there:

 

1-3 absences                            A range

4-6 absences                            B range

7-9 absences                            C range

10 absences                             D

over 10 absences                      F for the course, not just for participation

 

If, for any reason, I decide not to fail you if you go over ten absences, the participation portion of the course will be “F.” Please do not give me any excuses for absence.  I will always assume that you are absent for a very good reason.  But remember that in the end, an absence equals an outcome of zero. If you know in advance that you cannot come to class regularly, it is best you drop early and sign up for an online course, which may better suit your schedule.

 

Some factors that enable me to give a higher grade than the base:

 

 

Some factors that cause lowering of the base grade:

 

 

*If disruptive behavior occurs and continues after I speak to you, expect to be sent to talk with the Dean of Students, who may place you on academic probation or take other steps to remove you from the class.

**I regularly receive comments that ringing phones annoy and distract my students.  Please disable all phones or other communication devices in my class.  If you have a genuine emergency (impending birth or death in the family, for example) see me in advance, and we can make arrangements for you to be accessible.

 

 

The link to the College Grading Policy is located on page 10 of the Course Catalog and also on the web at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/policies/3/3000_grading.asp.

 

Books and Materials Required

 

Buscemi: 75 Readings  (Not 75 Readings Plus or any of the other 10 editions!)

Listening is an Act of Love


Classroom Learning Atmosphere

Instructor’s Expectation

 

Professionalism in the Classroom

 

Any professional situation requires that we treat one another with dignity and respect, as is required by the BCC Affirmation of Inclusion.  Each class session should be treated as a professional appointment that requires your complete attention and presence for the full time.

 

In my classes I require that you observe the following professional courtesies:

 

1.  Please arrive on time every day with the appropriate texts and materials and stay for the entire class.  Late arrivals or early departures cause disruptions that are unacceptable to your colleagues.  Please do not come to class if you can’t arrive on time (within 2-3 minutes); the latest arrivals should sit near the door so that disruption is kept to a minimum.

 

2.  Please turn off all cell phones, beepers, and other noisemakers.  I get more student complaints about phones than about anything else.  Even a phone in silent mode causes distraction if you have to stop, find the phone, and check the message.  If you have an emergency and need to be available by phone, please arrange a special accommodation with me in advance.

 

3.  Text-messaging, surfing the net, listening to music, etc., are all signs that you are not giving the class your full attention.  Please avoid all such distractions in my class.  Others are trying to concentrate, and someone playing with toys is a disruption.

 

4.  Talking, passing notes, or other grade-school behaviors send very bad signals to your colleagues and should not occur in my classroom.

 

5.  Please be courteous to those asking questions.  What may seem a trivial question to you may be the one small point that keeps someone else from understanding the whole picture.  Remember that there is only one stupid question:  “I wasn’t here yesterday—did we do anything?” 

 

6.  Review the Arts and Humanities sheet on student expectations.  This document is a part of my syllabus.

 

7.  It is not a student’s right to sleep in class.  I will wake you and ask you to leave.

 

8.  I reserve the right to count partial classes (late arrival, unauthorized breaks, or early departures) as absences.

 

9.  Failure to maintain professionalism will result in a lowered participation grade.

 

 

If disruptive behavior occurs, I will ask you to stop it.  Second offences will be reported to the Dean of Students, who may take further action that can lead to your permanent removal from the classroom.

 

 

Affirmation of Inclusion

 

Bellevue College is committed to maintaining an environment in which every member of the campus community feels welcome to participate in the life of the college, free from harassment and discrimination.

We value our different backgrounds at Bellevue College, and students, faculty, staff members, and administrators are to treat one another with dignity and respect. http://bellevuecollege.edu/about/goals/inclusion.asp

 

Division Statements

 

The Arts and Humanities Division has adopted the following statements, which are a part of this syllabus.  Please read and follow them:

http://bellevuecollege.edu/artshum/policy.html

http://bellevuecollege.edu/artshum/AHGdlns-StdntGrwth.htm

 

You are also required to read and follow the Writing Lab statement on avoiding plagiarism:

 http://bellevuecollege.edu/writinglab/Plagiarism.html

 

All instances of Plagiarism will be reported to the Dean for further action.  Plagiarised papers will receive the grade of “F” without possibility of  rewrite.

 

Student Code

 

“Cheating, stealing and plagiarizing (using the ideas or words of another as one’s own without crediting the source) and inappropriate/disruptive classroom behavior are violations of the Student Code of Conduct at Bellevue College.  Examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to: talking out of turn, arriving late or leaving early without a valid reason, allowing cell phones/pagers to ring, and inappropriate behavior toward the instructor or classmates.  The instructor can refer any violation of the Student Code of Conduct to the Vice President of Student Services for possible probation or suspension from Bellevue College.  Specific student rights, responsibilities and appeal procedures are listed in the Student Code of Conduct, available in the office of the Vice President of Student Services.”  The Student Code, Policy 2050, in its entirety is located at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/policies/2/2050_Student_Code.asp

 

[If you plan to use a plagiarism checking service, you should indicate so in your syllabus. Please make sure your penalty for plagiarism does not contradict official college policy.]

Important Links

Bellevue College E-mail and access to MyBC

 

All students registered for classes at Bellevue College are entitled to a network and e-mail account.  Your student network account can be used to access your student e-mail, log in to computers in labs and classrooms, connect to the BC wireless network and log in to MyBC. To create your account, go to:  https://bellevuecollege.edu/sam .

 

BC offers a wide variety of computer and learning labs to enhance learning and student success. Find current campus locations for all student labs by visiting the Computing Services website.

 

You are required to use your BC email account in all correspondence with your instructor.  Messages from outside accounts may not be received.  Please set up your account and send me a message from it during the first week of classes.

 

 

Disability Resource Center (DRC)

 

The Disability Resource Center serves students with a wide array of learning challenges and disabilities. If you are a student who has a disability or learning challenge for which you have documentation or have seen someone for treatment and if you feel you may need accommodations in order to be successful in college, please contact us as soon as possible.

 

If you are a person who requires assistance in case of an emergency situation, such as a fire, earthquake, etc, please meet with your individual instructors to develop a safety plan within the first week of the quarter.

 

The DRC office is located in B 132 or you can call our reception desk at 425.564.2498.  Deaf students can reach us by video phone at 425-440-2025 or by TTY at 425-564-4110. Please visit our website for application information into our program and other helpful links at www.bellevuecollege.edu/drc

 

Public Safety

 

The Bellevue College (BC) Public Safety Department’s well trained and courteous non-commissioned staff provides personal safety, security, crime prevention, preliminary investigations, and other services to the campus community, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.  Their phone number is 425.564.2400.  The Public Safety website is your one-stop resource for campus emergency preparedness information, campus closure announcements and critical information in the event of an emergency. Public Safety is located in K100 and on the web at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/publicsafety/

 

Final Exam Schedule

 

On Wednesday, June 16, 7:30-9:20 AM we will have final conferences in my office. Note the earlier time in case you have to make arrangements with work or other commitments.

 

Course Calendar

April 2010

 

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

 

 

5

Introduction and Syllabus

6

Questions over syllabus

 

Email assignment

 

20 Common Errors

7

Read 75 Readings Chapter 1 pp.1-39

 

Paper 1 assigned

8

Orwell (1-8)

 

Academic Writing

 

9

Hughes (8-11)

 

Reading for Connections

NOTE:  On Friday 4/9 I may be late to class, but I will be here.

 

12

Lab—Class meets Mondays in D204 (Writing Lab Classroom)

13

Chapter 2 (39-68)

 

Baldwin: Detecting Tone

14

Didion (48-52)

 

Tone continued

15

In class writing #1

16

Film

 

Paper #1 due

 

 

19

Lab

20

Cofer (52-57)

Description

 

Paper #2 assigned

21

Chapter 3 (68-91)

 

Abbey: Process

22

 

In-class writing #2

 

23

Listening is an Act of Love

1-53

 

 

 

26

Lab

27

Chapter 4 (92-112)

Parker

28

Goodman

29

In-class writing #3

30

Epstein

 

Paper #2 due

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 2010

 

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

 

 

3

Lab

4

Chapter 5 (113-150)

 

Sheehy

5

Noda: Organization

 

6

In-class writing #4

 

7

Listening is an Act of Love

53-100

 

 

10

Lab

11

Midquarter conferences in my office

12

Midquarter conferences in my office

13

In-class writing #5

 

14

Film

 

Paper #3 due

 

 

17

Lab

18

Viorst

19

Lutz

20

In-class writing #6

 

21

Listening is an Act of Love

101-160

 

 

24

Lab

25

 

Chapter 6 (151-180)

 

Catton: Comparison and Contrast

26

 

Tannen

27

In-class writing #7

 

Plato (279-283)

 

28

Film: Plato

 

Paper #4 due

 

 

June 2010

 

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

 

 

May 31

Holiday

No Classes

1

 

Meyer  229-237

 

Film

2

 

Group work:  Summary

3

In-class writing #8

 

4

Listening is an Act of Love

161-200

 

 

7

Lab

8

Gould (376-385)

9

Listening is an Act of Love

201-248

10

In-class writing #9

 

11

Paper #5 due

 

 

14

Lab

15

In-class wiriting #10

16

Final Conferences

7:30-9:20 in my office

 

 

 

 

Good Luck

If you come to class regularly and do the work carefully, you will improve tremendously.  Always remember that I am on your side, so use my office hours as needed if you have questions or concerns.