Instructor: Dr. Laurie Cannady   Phone:  1-570-484-2429          Office: Raub 402      

Time:    MWF 10:10-11:00/12:20-1:10/1:25-2:15        Office Hours: MWF 9:00-10:00 and 11:00-12:00

Email:   lcannady@lhup.edu

Required Text: 

Buscemi, Santi V. & Charlotte Smith.  75 Readings, 10^th Ed.  New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007.

 Required Materials:

● Notebook or paper for class assignments

● Photocopies of your written work to share with class

● Floppy Disks or CD-R

● Dictionary and Thesaurus (optional, but highly recommended) 

Course Description:

English 100: English Composition is designed to help each student improve their oral and written communication skills as well as their critical thinking capabilities.  In this course, students will create a portfolio that chronicles your life, your thoughts and your aspirations.  The writing process will be supplemented and strengthened through the assignment of reading assignments that demonstrate the rhetorical style at hand.

Upon the completion of this course, the student will be able to effectively create, construct, and revise the different types of narrative, descriptive, and Persuasive essays.  He/she will be able to communicate through his/her essays with the highest level of grammatical accuracy, uniformity in subject matter, and thought provoking creativity.  The student will leave this course confident in his/her ability to draft any type of essay on any given subject.

 Course Requirements and Expectations:

1.  The completion of all assigned essays is a course requirement.  No exceptions!  Your portfolio must include an introduction, three complete essays, a resume and cover letter, and two, typed, daily writing assignments.  You will be required to submit your individual essay final drafts via eCollege as a .doc file on the day that they are due and you must add a hard copy of each essay to your personal portfolio.  We will discuss this process in more detail as we near the due date of the first paper. 

2.  Essays will range from 3-5 pages.  They must be typed, double-spaced, 1-inch margin, and 12 font.  Any essay that is late will be lowered one letter grade for every class meeting that it is late.  For example, if you turn an essay in on Wednesday that is due on Monday, you will not be able to receive higher than a “B” for that paper. If you turn it in on Friday, then you can’t receive higher than a “C.” If you know that you will be turning an essay in late, inform me as soon as possible for assistance.

3.  All essay topics are subject to approval.  They will also have to be approved by your group.  If you are having a problem with a topic that you have chosen, do not hesitate to contact me for assistance. There is always room for compromise.

4.  You will be required to participate in class discussion and during essay workshops.  Classroom participation also includes reading the assigned materials, coming to class ready to discuss them, and giving useful input to your classmates during workshops.  Failure to participate will greatly affect your grade.   

5.  Your class participation grade will be based on your participation in class discussion, homework, quizzes, and fast-writing exercises.  You will be required to at least appear interested in what is being discussed during the class.  I will be watching how you interact with your classmates during workshops.  If I notice that you are not participating in the workshop, you will receive one warning.  If you continue to alienate yourself from your group, you will be separated from your group and receive a “0” for your participation grade.

6.  Quizzes will be given if I find that you are not reading the assigned materials.  If the class is not participating in daily discussions, then I will assume that you are not reading.  Homework will also be assigned as needed.  

 7.  There will be an essay workshop for each essay that you draft.  Details about the workshops will be given at the appropriate time.  

Workshops: The class will be structured around workshop sessions.  Each week you will work with four other students on the writing and revision of your essays.  These writing groups will serve to assist you all through the writing process with both informal comments and suggestions for the improvement of the writing as well as a formal critique through a written evaluation.   

 WARNING: Realize that anything written in or for this class will be read by the instructor, and could possibly be read by your classmates.  If you do not want to share something that you have written with the rest of the class, please let me know beforehand.   

Class Participation and Attendance Policy: Your grade for class participation will be based on attendance as well as participation in workshops and completion of peer reviews. Given the structure of the class, it is easy to see how vital attendance is.  Please realize that your group members need your attendance in all sessions, as your input is crucial to their success as well as your own.  Remember: it is your responsibility to make up any missed work.  If you miss a class, do not email me and ask me to tell you what we did in class or ask me to send you the assignments.  Contact me in person or contact your group members for this information.  You may miss three classes without penalty, but after three absences you will lose all possible attendance/participation points, whether that absence is excused or unexcused.  If you have more than four unexcused absences, you might be asked to drop the course.  Homework or other writing assignments may be assigned at any time; if you miss class, you will miss the opportunity to complete in-class work, and therefore lose the points for that work.                    

*Tardiness – I do expect everyone to arrive to class on time.  If you are tardy for class more than two times, I will begin to lower your grade in the same fashion as I do absences.  Late students disrupt the entire class!

*Dismissal – please do not put away materials or start zipping and unzipping backpacks until I tell the class that it is dismissed.  Jostling books and materials are a disruption to the class. 

*Inclement weather—Because we live in an area that is often hit by snow, I understand that there might be some difficulty traveling to class when there is a winter storm.  I expect you to come to class if the university is open; however, when it comes to issues of safety, please use your own discretion.

Workshop Draft Deadlines: You must bring a draft of your work to each scheduled workshop session.  If you do not, you will face several consequences: 1) you will not get feedback from other members of the class; 2) your final grade for the paper will be lowered 10 points; 3) you will not be able to perform a peer critique for a classmate's paper, and thus you will receive a "0" for that peer critique.

 Conferences:  We will meet from time to time during the semester.  Appointments for these conferences will be scheduled closer to the dates.  If you miss this meeting, you will be counted as absent that day.  Even so, you are expected to reschedule any missed conferences, as these are important to your progress and development in the class.  

Writing Center: Sponsored by the English Department, the Writer Center provides you with help on your papers. The Center also has computers for student use, and there are tutorials available for training students on the use of popular word-processing programs and the Internet. It is located in Raub 409 and you may phone them at 570-893-2171. If you receive a grade of “C” or below on the first paper, I will urge you to visit the Writing Center and submit a Writing Center form along with your original and rewritten paper. I encourage everyone at every grade level to get help with your writing at this excellent facility. 

Classroom Conduct:  Respect is a must.  We will have differing opinions, but it is important that each of us respects each other at all times. That means that there will be no name calling and no profanity used toward each other.  

            Plagiarism:  Plagiarism is a serious offense.  If I find that you have intentionally plagiarized someone’s writing, you will receive an “F” for the assignment or for the course.  If you have any questions about plagiarism, don’t hesitate to ask me for help.

            Note: Any student who has a condition that could affect his/her academic performance should inform me and schedule an appointment with the coordinator of disability issues.  Appropriate provisions will be made.  

 Please note that this syllabus is subject to change at any time.  This instructor reserves the right to modify material that is taught in the classroom in order to accommodate the needs of all of the students.  

Essay and Response Grading:            

A – To receive an “A” grade, the assignment must be complete: all drafts accompany the work submitted for grading.  The assignment that earns an “A” is superior and virtually flawless.  It treats its subject in an original and stimulating manner.  The perceptions, logic and insight are fresh and mature.  The thesis and its development will be clear and present adequate specificity.  It develops a point logically and in clear, well-constructed paragraphs which follow one another with an ease of transition. Sentence style, length, and difficulty must be varied and the voice and tone of the author are in keeping with the subject.  This essay provides enjoyable reading. 

B – To receive a “B” grade, the assignment must also be submitted with all required drafts.  An assignment that earns a “B” grade demonstrates overall competence and is even outstanding in some areas.  Although grammatical flaws appear, they are limited.  The thesis is clear and well developed.  The ideas are appropriately unified and coherent and include sufficient details.  Sentences and diction demonstrate maturity and skill.  “B” essays still represent fine, above average writing, but lack that ultimate superior impact.

 C – An assignment with a “C” grade may be missing drafts and/or other required materials, even if the assignment is “A” or “B” quality.  An assignment submitted with all supplemental documents that earns a “C” grade is characterized by average competence.  The material demonstrates able organization with adequate generalizations as well as specific details but lacks fresh insights.  Sentences are often choppy, repetitive and lack proper transitions, and diction reveals a limited competence and noticeable reliance on clichés.  Mechanics are acceptable but lapses crop up.  “C” essays are acceptable but leave the reader with a neutral reaction.

 D – Assignments that are “D” quality display deficiencies in organization, development, and language use.  These essays have not been proofread and the thesis may be missing, or is fuzzy, unclear and/or lacks direction.  Paragraphs in a “D” quality assignment are poorly developed, sentence structure is repetitive and lacks control, and mechanics errors are disturbing.  “D” essays barely meet minimal expectations of college writing.

 F assignments are difficult, frustrating and confusing to read.  The essay lacks a thesis or fails to develop one if it is present.  Organization is minimal and idea development lacks logic and coherence.  Syntax, grammar and diction are immature and fraught with errors.  “F” essays fall below expectations for college level writing.  ** In order to pass this course, all writing assignments listed on the syllabus must be turned in.**                                               

                Value of Each Assignment                                                            

             The grading scale for this course is shown in the following table: 

Course Calendar

Week 1-The Reflective Life

08/25/08:  Intro to course/Diagnostic Essay 

08/27/08: “On Keeping a Notebook”/Lesson on Narrative/Descriptive Essay Assignment

08/29/08: “The Death of a Moth”/ Post three possible topics

Week 2—Language and Literature

09/01/08: Labor Day/No Classes

09/03/08:  “No Name Woman”/ Bring in a thesis for your paper

09/05/08:  “Politics and the English Language”

Week 3--Religion

09/08/08:  “Salvation”/ Bring in prewrite or an outline

09/10/08:  “The Culture of Disbelief”

09/12/08:   “Follow Your Bliss”/ Bring in a page of your rough draft

Week 4—Philosophy and Ethics

09/15/08:  “The Allegory of the Cave”/ Bring copies of your rough draft for your group members

09/17/08:   “If Hitler Asked You to Execute Someone, Would You, Probably”

09/19/08:  Narrative/Descriptive Essay Due

Week 5—Cultural Studies

09/22/08:  “Why We Crave Horror Movies”

09/24/08:  Lesson on Process Analysis/Cause and Effect Essay

09/26/08:  “Sex, Lies and Advertising”/Bring three possible topics                                     

Week 6--Education

09/29/08:  “I Just Wanna Be Average”/ Bring in Outline

10/01/08:  Writing Workshop/ Bring in the first page of your rough draft

10/03/08:  “The Recoloring of Campus Life”

Week 7--Race

10/06/08: Fall Holiday/No Classes

10/07/08:  “The Harmful Myth of Asian Superiority”

10/08/08:  Writing Workshop/ Bring in your rough draft

10/10/08:  “The Myth of the Latina Woman”

Week 8—Gender Studies

10/13/08:   Writing Workshop//Bring and post copies of your rough drafts for your group members

10/15/08:   “Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the Self”

10/17/08:   “The Men We Carry In Our Minds”/Process Analysis/Cause-and-Effect Essay Due

Week 9—Marriage and Family

10/20/08:   “The Making of a Divorce Culture”/Lesson on Persuasive Essay

10/22/08:   Post Three Possible Topics/Student Essay

10/24/08:  “Evan’s Two Moms”/Lesson on Finding Sources/Library Instruction

Week 10—Political Science

10/27/08:  “The Qualities of a Prince”/Bring in an Outline

10/29/08:  Writing Workshop/Student Essays

10/31/08:   “Civil Disobedience”/Bring in First Page of Essay

Week 11--Economics

11/03/08:   “A Modest Proposal”

11/05/08:   “Who Makes the Clothes We Wear”/Writing Workshop

11/07/08:   “Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America”/Bring in Rough Draft

Week 12—Brave New World

11/10/08:  “Virtual Students, Digital Classrooms”

11/12/08:   Bring in and post Works Cited Page

11/14/08:  “The Intimacy of Blogs”/Persuasive Essay Due

Week 13--Environment

11/17/08:  “Saving Nature, But Only for Man”/Lesson on Analysis Essay

11/19/08:  “Can We Know the Universe, Reflections on a Grain of Sand”/Bring in Topic

11/21/08:  “The Greenest Campuses”

Week 14--Medicine

11/24/08:  “Terrifying Normalcy of Aids”/Bring in Outline

11/26/08:  Bring in First Page of Rough Draft

11/28/08:  “We Do Abortions Here”

Week 15

12/01/08:  Group Workshop/Bring in and Post Rough Draft

12/03/08:  Presentation of Portfolios

12/05/08:  Presentation of Portfolios/Analysis Essay Due

PORTFOLIOS DUE ON FINAL EXAM DAY

9:05 Class—December 12^th, 10:00-11:50

1:25 Class—December 8^th, 8:00-9:50