Syllabus: English 101—On Campus

 

Instructor: Jim Roth

·        On-Campus S.C.C. Office: Main Building, 211T

·        Office Phone:  533-7058

·        School e-mail: jroth@scc.spokane.edu

·        Web site: http://ol.scc.spokane.edu/jroth

 

 REQUIRED MATERIALS

 

  • Steps to Writing Well, Ninth Edition, by Wyrick
  • The Effects of Knut Hamsun on a Fresno Boy: Recollections and Short Essays by Gary Soto
  • A journal-style notebook
  • A portfolio folder

 

OPTIONAL BUT RECOMMENDED

 

  • The Brief Handbook, SCC Edition, by Kirzner and Mandell

 

 

PREREQUSITES

 

  • A minimum writing assessment score and/or successful completion of English 99.
  • A competent diagnostic writing sample the first week of the course.

 

WHAT THE COURSE IS

 

English 101 is a college-level writing course designed to make you a better writer.  The college catalog describes our course as a study of the basic principles of writing with a series of writing experiences designed to help students improve their ability to write detailed prose. Student writing with teacher evaluation is the primary method used in teaching basic course content. Competence in mechanics and edited English is assumed of all students taking English 101.

 

ACTIVITIES

 

·        We will write a great deal.  This will include keeping a journal as well as writing essays.

·        We will read and discuss appropriate parts of our textbook.

·        We will complete text and web assignments when appropriate. 

·        We will read and discuss others’ writing.

·        We will revise our writing.

·        We will discuss problems and progress often using the Discussion Board.

 

THE WEB SITE

 

Please visit my school web site often.  On it you can check your grade, find announcements, assignments, due dates, calendar updates, handouts, and additional resources.   Just go to http://ol.scc.spokane.edu/jroth.  If you need help getting to this site, please let me know.

 

MAKING UP LATE ASSIGNMENTS

 

Essay assignments, including rough drafts and final copies, will NOT be accepted late for any reason.  However, to allow for the unexpected, you will be allowed to submit one essay (rough draft OR final copy) within one week after its due date.

 

Short assignments such as discussion postings, web assignments, textbook assignments, and quizzes cannot be made up for any reason; however, you can miss one short assignment (one assignment total—not one of each kind) without penalty.  If at quarter’s end you have completed all short assignments on time, I will throw out your lowest short assignment grade.

 

PORTFOLIO FOLDER

 

A Portfolio Folder includes hard copies of all returned assignments, assignment sheets, planning sheets, rough drafts, and revisions.  You must have a completed Portfolio to be eligible to pass English 101.

 

MORE on the PORTFOLIO

 

English 101 is a college transfer course--a grade of 2.0 or better certifies that you are a competent writer who is writing at or above college-level standards.  Good examples of this minimum competency are the many revised student essays in our text. 

I and other members of the S.C.C. English Department will be evaluating your Portfolio in terms of this competency.  If by the end of the quarter the writing reflected in your Portfolio does not meet this minimum level of competency, your quarter grade will be reduced by 0.4.

Please remember that I am here to help you write better and meet or exceed this minimum level of competency. Please ask me for additional help whenever you feel that you need it.  In addition, tutors are available in the SCC Tutoring Center.

 

YOUR FINAL GRADE

 

Each assignment will be worth a certain number of points.  If you complete all of the assigned work and your Portfolio is approved by the S.C.C. English Department, your course grade will be determined by the percentage of the total points you've earned converted to a decimal using the percent-to-decimal scale below.

 

COURSE POINT VALUES

 

  • Essays—completed copies

 

  • Rough Drafts

Max 100 points per essay (400-600 points total)

 

Max 25 points per rough draft
  • Short Assignments: Group Discussion Board Participation, web assignments, textbook assignments, quizzes

Various Point Values
  • Journal Completion Points

Max 150 points
  • The Portfolio

Pass/fail (Grade reduction if failed)

 

 

 

 

 

Grade Scale—J. Roth

All Courses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

% to

Decimal

 

Letter

% to

Decimal

 

Letter

% to

Decimal

 

Letter

% to

Decimal

 

Letter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

100--4.0

A

89--3.4

B+

79--2.9

C+

69--1.9

D+

99--4.0

A

88--3.4

B+

78--2.8

C+

68--1.8

D+

98--4.0

A

87--3.3

B+

77--2.7

C

67--1.7

D

97--4.0

A

86--3.3

B

76--2.6

C

66--1.6

D

96--3.9

A

85--3.2

B

75--2.5

C

65--1.5

D

95--3.8

A

84--3.2

B

74--2.4

C

64--1.4

D

94--3.7

A

83--3.1

B

73--2.3

C

63--1.3

D

93--3.7

A-

82--3.1

B

72--2.2

C

62--1.2

D

92--3.6

A-

81--3.0

B-

71--2.1

C-

61--1.1

D-

91--3.6

A-

80--3.0

B-

70--2.0

C-

60--1.0

D-

90--3.5

A-

 

 

 

 

0.7--less

F