English 84

M-F 11-12 Art 5

Instructor: Susan Flatt

Office: IAC 244 Phone: 384-6222

Office Hours: TTh 9:30-11 and by arrangement

flatt.s@mccd.edu

English 84 is a basic level composition course. Students will learn the essential elements of writing and participating in the writing process. Upon completion of the course, students will have a solid understanding of writing paragraphs, essays and research essays.

Expressways for Writing Scenarios, Kathleen T. McWhorter

Night, Wiesel

College Level Dictionary & Thesaurus

Attendance: Because of the nature of this class, attendance is essential; we do a lot of group work. You are allowed 6 absences. After 7 absences, you will be dropped from the class. Class discussions cannot be recreated, so if you miss out on a class discussion, you will never have access to that information. I do not differentiate between excused or unexcused absences.

Grading: Your final grade will be based on total points earned in the class. If you keep track of returned graded assignments, you should always know what your grade is in the class. Grading is based on exams (in and out of class), homework, class activities/participation and various writing assignments (paragraph to essay).

English 84 Group Exam: Developmental Studies administers an essay-writing exam toward the end of the semester. This exam is one indicator of whether or not you are ready to progress to the next level of English composition. This in-class exam will be worth the same amount of points as other essays you write for this class.

                    Assigned readings

Writing activities (paragraphs, essays, and informal writes/journals)

Quizzes (reading and grammar)

Required conferences with Professor

Comprehensive Final Exam

You will often have many rough drafts of an assignment before a final draft is due. The purpose of a rough draft is to take one step forward to improvement, or in your eyes, perfection. You will always turn in all rough drafts and prewriting with a final draft. Don’t throw anything away.

Regular attendance, completion of assignments and active participation in class discussions is expected. As a college student, you are responsible for your learning. The more prepared and engaged the students, the better the class session. I expect you to act in a professional manner. Turn off all cell phones, pagers, etc. during class. Keep all returned assignments. Don’t throw anything away.

ESO’s refer to the Expected Student Outcomes listed on the first page of your syllabus.

Class Calendar: (Please see the class calendar link)

I will provide a typed, weekly calendar of all of your class assignments for the week ahead every Thursday. It will be your responsibility to keep track of assignments and to make sure that you receive a copy of the calendar. As the semester progresses, it will be easier for me to assign work in advance.

Supplemental Instruction:

An S.I.(Supplemental Instruction) Leader has been assigned to this class. Jeremy Bennett will attend all class sessions and will hold out of class study sessions to help supplement the material presented in class. This is an excellent opportunity for you to receive extra assistance in this class. Jeremy is available to help you become a better student; take advantage of the tremendous resource.