ENGLISH A: Basic Composition and Reading
SYLLABUS Fall 2007

Required Items | Description | Objectives | Attendance Policies | Grading
Policies and Course Assignments | Academic Honesty | Writing Requirements |  MLA Info.

Required Items: 

Texts:

California Dreams and Realities, 3^rd ed., Maasik and Solomon
Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America, Dumas
When the Emperor Was Divine, Otsuka
Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck
Course Packet of Handouts (in MC bookstore)
**Occasionally, we will be using your required lab text, English Simplified, Ellsworth and Higgins**

Additional Required Supplies:

Two large size blue books from MC bookstore (for journals) *Note: You will also need two for the lab
Two 10 x 12” or larger clasp envelopes (for submitting work)

Since the purpose of this course is to further develop the necessary skills to write effectively and to read 
critically for success in college-level courses of all types, students will use the writing process to develop 
both formal and informal writing assignments, read and analyze a number of model essays, stories, and 
three full-length works, and complete a formal documented research paper. Class discussion, group work, 
and participation will be integral components of the course and methods of enhancing students’ growing 
proficiency in writing and reading.

This course has a mandatory co-requisite course, English AL, a writing lab. You must be
enrolled in English AL in order to be enrolled in English A. It is your responsibility to sign up 
for and to complete your lab hours and assignments. No lab work (such as journals, summaries, and 
essays) may be completed or read during class time. Note: Students who have already passed the 
writing lab in a previous semester do not have to repeat it this semester.

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Course Requirements, Objectives, and Expected Student Learning Outcomes:

According to the Merced College Course Outline, all English A students are required to
read a minimum of 400-500 pages and to write a minimum of 6 essays or 6,000 edited
words per semester.  To this end, we will be using Patterns for College Writing as our main
instructional text as well as reading two novels. You will be expected to respond to out-of-class 
readings through informal writing assignments as well as to complete five formal multi-draft essays
ranging from 250-750 words (2-3 pages) to a formal research paper of 1500-2000 words (6-8 pages).
*The formal research paper is mandatory; no student will complete this class with a passing 
grade who fails to turn it in regardless of grade prior to or after formal research paper.*

Expected Student Outcomes (ESO):
According to the official Merced College Course Outline, by the end of this course, students should know how to:

A. Make the best use of the facilities and offerings of Merced College in order to enhance 
study techniques and skills necessary for success in college.

B. Make the appropriate connection between reading, critical thinking, and writing.

C. Write at the English 1A entrance level which includes:
    1. making a claim/thesis, 
    2. supporting a claim/thesis with relevant examples and details,
    3. developing a variety of support with appropriate methods such as:
        a. narrative
        b. comparison/contrast
        c. illustrations/examples
        d. cause/effect
        e. argument

D. Apply sound grammatical principles.

E. Utilize writing resource tools, such as a thesaurus, handbook, and dictionary.

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Absences/Tardies/Late Work:

Your enrollment in this course signifies your ability and willingness to complete the course
work.  If you are not able to attend regularly or to complete assignments in a timely fashion,
you are jeopardizing your own academic success.  A reasonable number of absences would be no
more than two absences per course unit: that means six absences for the semester. 
This class begins and ends on time and frequent (more than three) tardies and/or early departures will be counted as absences.
Roll will be taken at each class. Points will be assigned for attendance as well as for participation in work done in class. 
Save your absences for when you are really sick or in a bind and be sure to communicate with your 
instructor. You may leave a note in my mailbox, a phone message, or an e-mail if you will be absent.  
If you are absent, you are responsible for getting the required work to me via another student in this 
class or by arranging to have it brought to my mailbox, office, or in person to me on campus as close to 
our class time as possible.  If you want exceptions, a break, or special consideration, my 
commitment to fairness and consistency may work against you.

It is the student's responsibility to drop the class if he or she no longer wishes to attend; 
however, I reserve the right to drop you if you are not here the first day of class and/or for 
excessive absences during the semester unless notified elsewhere.

Late Work:
I do not accept late work in this class (except for what is described in the next "Safety Nets" 
section).  Assignments are due be class time on the day the assignment is due.  This policy is 
designed to reward responsibility and to discourage procrastination. Plan ahead for potential
technical, transportation, childcare, and other difficulties.   If you miss in-class work including 
group work, quizzes, exams, in-class writing, etc. due to absence or incomplete attendance, 
you lose credit for this work.  Extenuating circumstances may modify this policy; 
however, it is the student's responsibility to bring these circumstances to my attention 
as soon as possible (before class or at least the same day) so that the necessary 
arrangements can be made. Showing up at the next class without contacting me will be too late.

“Safety Nets”:
During the course of the semester, students will be allowed one rewrite and one late essay, 
but only if s/he has turned in on time all other work required for that particular  essay. 
A student may not utilize both “safety net” options on the same assignment. The rewritten 
or late paper must be turned in with all other work for that assignment to my mailbox, office, 
or in person to me on campus, no later than the beginning of the next class session.
It is the student’s responsibility to write a short but specific note explaining why s/he decided 
to rewrite the paper or why the paper is late. THIS OPTION DOES NOT APPLY TO 
IN-CLASS WRITING ASSIGNMENTS OR THE LAST WRITING ASSIGNMENT 
OF THE SEMESTER.

Extra credit assignments are offered periodically for students wishing to improve their grades. 
There is a limit to how many points you can accumulate through extra credit.

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Grading Policies and Course Assignments:

Grades serve as a measure of individual academic progress and achievement. Although assessment of student work
 in English classes is inherently subjective, it is my duty and obligation to be as consistent, fair, and non-judgmental
as possible in all respects of my grading policy. Your performance on essays will be the primary source of your grades.
In general, your essays will be graded for focus, organization, development, grammar and mechanics, meeting minimum
length requirements, and your overall ability to engage the assigned readings in a manner appropriate to college-level work.
These are connected to the specific Expected Student Outcomes (ESO) for this course. Each type of essay will also have
additional specific criteria listed on the rubric. The writing assignments serve to illustrate that the student has read and
contemplated each text in more than a cursory fashion.

Grading Scale:
90%-100% = A     80%-89% = B     70%-79% = C     60-69% = D    0-59% = F

Writing--Essays, Reading Journals, and In-Class Writing = 70%
Assessment--Quizzes and Exams (including Midterm and Final Exam) = 20%
Other--Group Work, Participation/Attendance, and Misc.= 10%

Course Assignments:

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Academic Honesty:
The intentional or unintentional presentation of information from another source as if it were 
your own is plagiarism. In this learning community you will learn to incorporate and document 
outside sources correctly in order to avoid plagiarism. We will also utilize the website turnitin.com  
in order to insure that your ideas are not plagiarized.  All other forms of cheating, copying, or 
academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. A failing grade on a plagiarized assignment and a 
formal complaint in your student personnel file are the least we can do to enforce this academic law. 
Further consequences can include a failing grade for the course, being dropped from the learning 
community, or academic probation.

Collegiate Behavior and Common Courtesy:
Students are expected to be punctual, prepared, and ready to participate. Everyone deserves the right to study
and learn in an atmosphere that is relatively free from distractions; therefore, before you enter class, please turn
off and put away all beepers/pagers, cell phones/text messaging, headphones, and all other personal electronic
equipment that can cause disruption. During discussion students should listen respectfully, both to other students
and to the professor. I will not tolerate disruptive behavior in class and will ask you to leave if the problem persists.
Food and beverages should be consumed outside. Due to Merced College liability policies, persons not enrolled in
the class should not be in the classroom.

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Student Contacts:
It is a good idea to get at least 2 fellow students’ names, phone numbers and/or e-mail addresses in case 
you miss class or you need help on an assignment.
 

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Writing Requirements:

The writing assignments serve to illustrate that the student has read and contemplated each text
in more than a cursory fashion.

 All essays must be typed and conform to MLA guidelines (see English Simplified pg. 66
and this syllabus) though not all papers will require a Works Cited. This means double-spaced, 12 point,
Times New Roman font, 1 inch margins on all sides.  When required, essays must be submitted on
time to turnitin.com or there will be an automatic grade deduction and a possible delay in scoring.

We will utilize the writing process which is detailed on pgs. 56-59 in English Simplified. This process is divided into
3 stages: prewriting/planning, drafting, and revising. All parts of the writing process earn credit so it is imperative to keep
all drafts for all essays as evidence of your process and progress. Your first drafts will be reviewed by your professor during a
scheduled conference. Although it is your responsibility as the writer to revise and edit your work, you will receive ample feedback
and time to improve your writing. For most essays, you will write two drafts. A rough draft is a work-in-progress, but must be complete,
properly formatted, and on time in order to undergo conference review. After that, the assignment is ready to be revised and edited into
final draft form. You will then demonstrate your ability to make the needed revisions using your English Simplified text from lab.
No handwritten drafts will be read by your professor. For additional writing help of any kind, you may also wish to visit the
Reading/Writing Center, Study Central, or sign up for a tutor.

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Basic MLA Citation and Documentation Information:

See your English Simplified text pgs. 62-65 and orange lab sheet for guidelines on formatting Works Cited entries.
Use the following examples to document quotations from our texts and supplemental materials for this course:

                                                                    Works Cited

Dumas, Firoozeh. Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America. New York:

            Random House, 2003

Maasik, Sonia and Jack Solomon, eds. California Dreams and Realities. 3^rd ed. Boston:

            Bedford, 2005.

Otsuka, Julie. When the Emperor Was Divine. Anchor: New York, 2002.

Reading Group Guide. When the Emperor Was Divine. YOUR ACCESS DATE

            <http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides3/when_the_emperor1.asp>.

Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. 1937. New York: Penguin, 1993.

Yu, Connie Young. “The World of Our Grandmothers.” California Dreams and Realities.

            3^rd. ed. Eds. Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon. Boston: Bedford, 2005. 100-108.


MLA Format:

Using Microsoft Word, set up your essays in correct MLA format following these guidelines:
(NOTE: If you have Word 2007, go to "Insert", then "Header" and type information accordingly)

• Select Times New Roman, size 12 font.
• Go to the “Format” drop down Menu and choose “Paragraph.” Go to
  “Line Spacing” and select “Double,” then click “OK.”
• Go to the “File” drop down Menu and choose “Page Setup.” Set the Top, Bottom,
  Left, and Right margins to 1”, then click “OK.”
• Go to the “View” drop down Menu and choose “Header and Footer.” Click on
  the right justify icon (a little series of horizontal lines in upper right of toolbar—find the one
  with long and short lines aligned to the right). Type in your last name and press the space
  bar a few times to leave room for the page number. Make sure your font is still “Times New
  Roman,” size 12.
• In the “Header and Footer” menu bar, click on the little blank page icon with a # symbol in it
  to insert page numbers after your last name. You may need to adjust the spacing a bit.

THIS SYLLABUS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE