English 121-N191 College Composition I: Expository Writing

• 3 Semester Hours
• Instructor:  Mary Dutterer
• Division Office:  English/World Language Division, ELB 239 (410-772-4441)
• Office Hours:  By appointment, or during tutoring hours
• E-mail:  mdutterer@howardcc.edu

Description

ENGL-121 is the first of a two-semester sequence of college-level composition courses. (ENGL-122 is the second course in the sequence for most HCC degree programs. ENGL-121 transfers as university-parallel freshman English.)  ENGL-121 guides students through the expository writing process through close reading of contemporary critical discourse and teaches the rhetorical arts of argument and persuasion through critical thinking, reading and research. Students will develop an understanding of themselves as readers and writers of culture as they participate in public discourse about writing; examine the relationship among writer, audience, and purpose; and practice writing prose through a recursive process.   Students completing this course should be able to write persuasive, researched and documented essays (of at least 1,000 words) demonstrating the conventions of standard written English and manuscript presentation.  Prerequisite:  Eligibility to enroll in ENGL-121 is based on English placement test scores or the successful completion of required developmental English course work. (3 hours weekly).

Overall Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course the student will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of various writing invention strategies for generating ideas and gathering information;
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the relationships among writer, audience, and purpose;
3. Formulate clear thesis statements;
4. Organize ideas logically and appropriately to support the thesis statement;
5. Demonstrate the primary principles of scholarly inquiry and research;
6. Perform basic research in the library and in electronic media;
7. Correctly incorporate source materials into essays;
8. Document sources using content-appropriate format (MLA);
9. Edit, revise, and proofread to achieve more effective communication of ideas;
10. Provide constructive feedback to another student’s writing in a workshop setting;
11. Use study skills and techniques for answering in-class essay exam questions;
12. Employ critical thinking skills as a writer;
13. Demonstrate the ability to use word-processing and appropriate software programs for writing.

Course Requirements

Specific assignments and procedures for evaluating student performance in the class (i.e., grading) will be described in the individual class syllabus, but all sections will include the following:

1. Students will produce 15-20 pages of formal writing in at least four discrete essays, including one researched, documented essay of at least 1,000 words.
2. Students will write 1-2 in-class essays in response to an exam prompt or question.
3. At least 80% of the final grade will be based upon writing, both formal and informal.
4. ENGL-121 approaches writing as a continual process of learning in which assignments are interdependent; therefore, students must complete all formal assignments to successfully complete the course.
5. Students will have in-class (as well as out-of-class) writing assignments.

Textbooks

Textbook information:  To visit our bookstore's online sales site, please visit www.howardccbooks.com and follow the instructions for selecting textbooks.

Supplementary readings through WebCE6.

Grading

This class utilizes WebCE for assignment submission.  You can always track your progress in this class by logging into WebCE and going to My Grades.  Add up your total points, and divide by the total points available to derive your current grade in the class.  Please note that due to FERPA, I cannot report grades or student information via e-mail.

Academic Honesty

Academic honesty as defined in the student handbook is expected of all students and includes careful citation of sources quoted in written work.  ANY STUDENT PARTICIPATING IN ACADEMIC DISHONESTY WILL RECEIVE A ZERO GRADE FOR THAT ASSIGNMENT, and will be turned over to the university’s student advisory committee.