Written Communications

ENG100

Quarter Two, 2006

Syllabus

Instructor: William S. Jamison

Web page: http://www.chartercollege.edu/jamison/ or email: wjamison@chartercollege.edu

Meeting Time: Wednesdays 5:25 P – 9:35 P Room: 227

Required Texts:

The Writer's Workplace with Readings, by Sandra & John Scarry

The Writer's Harbrace College Handbook Brief Edition, 2nd Ed.
by Cheryl Glenn, Loretta Gray, Suzanne Strobeck Webb, Robert Keith Miller

Course Description

An introduction to the theory and practice of writing effective paragraphs and essays. Additionally, the course provides a review of grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and paragraph development. Students learn the beginning of research and MLA documentation. Students have the opportunity to master a variety of writing modes in a wide range of assignments. Lecture 4.35 quarter hours.

Course Objectives

This course will provide students with basic written communication skills to be effective in a professional setting. This is accomplished by students drafting and editing written assignments in a variety of styles. Emphasis will be on proper grammar, and attention to the norms of particular style modes.

Notice to Students with Disabilities:

Students who have a disability that requires accommodation should contact their Academic Associate to complete a Request for Accommodation Plan.

Information Literacy Assignment:

All students complete an Information Literacy Assignment aimed to enhance understanding of the instruments available to access information and to promote the efficient, ethical, and effective use of that information.

Grading:

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

A 100-90% B 89-80% C 79-70% D 69-60% F below 60%

The grades consist of the following:

Participation and Attendance - Quizzes 30%

Written Assignments 25%

Final Paper 20%

Journal Entries 20%

Information Literacy Assignment 5%

Grades of + or – will be given for records one or two percentage points away from these designations. For example, 78% would earn a C+ and 89% would earn an A-.

Attendance

Attendance is crucial to your success in this class! Missing a class for any reason will result in the loss of points for assignments completed during class. Approximately sixty percent of the graded assignments, including the final paper, will be completed in class. Therefore, missing more than three classes will greatly reduce your chances of receiving a passing grade for the course. This policy is meant to simulate work-place expectations; it is meant to reward students who attend, not punish those who do not attend. However, to compensate for genuine emergencies or serious illness, one of each of the following assignments can be made up: out-of class writing assignment and one Quiz. In addition, there will be an extra-credit assignment announced in class.

Value of the Class

Employers demand workers with good writing skills. These skills can help you get a job and advance in your career. To improve your writing skills is to gain personal and professional empowerment.

Late Work

This course is designed to offer a valuable pre-professional experience. This course will be run according to business standards as much as possible, and therefore work MUST be completed on time. You will be given the opportunity to make up ONE missed writing assignment if you missed it due to a legitimate emergency. Other late work will not be accepted.

Journals

Throughout the quarter, each student will keep a journal, and be responsible for making at least two entries per week, for a total of twenty entries for the quarter. Students will be responsible for handing in ten entries at the midterm, and all twenty the week before the final. As this is intended to be an exercise to merely get students to practice writing, students may write about any subjects they choose.

Quizzes

There will be quizzes based on material from the assigned reading and discussions. This is also how I will keep track of role. Students who miss quizzes will only be allowed to make up one quiz for the course. This is meant to be an incentive to arrive on time.

Class Schedule: NOTE: This syllabus may be adjusted by the instructor with one

week's notice to students.

Week 1 Introduction to course: Grading criteria, professional performance. Student introductions. General overview of the writing process and its importance. Logic Explained in relation to language. Prewriting techniques. Basic sentence structure & grammar. Dissecting the sentence: spotting subjects, subject/verb agreement, correcting fragments. Students will write brief biographical introductions of themselves to email the class. Due by next class.

For Next Week: Read chapters 5 - 11

Week 2 Combining sentences, correcting the run-on, pronouns and parallel structure, verbs and their tenses, capitalization and punctuation.

For Next Week: Read chapters 13, 15, 16, 17, draft narrative paragraph. Due by next class.

Week 3 Word choice, differences between various styles, edit narrative paragraphs. For Next Week: Read chapters 18 and 19, draft description and process paragraphs.

Week 4 Edit description and process paragraphs.

For Next Week: Read chapters 20 and 21, draft comparison/contrast and cause-and-effect paragraphs.

Week 5 Edit comparison/contrast and cause-and-effect paragraphs.

For Next Week: Read chapters 23, 24, and 26, draft an essay using narration

Week 6 Edit narration essays.

For Next Week: Read chapters 27 and 29, draft an essay using persuasion.

Week 7 Edit persuasive essays.

For Next Week: Read Chapter 30, Re-draft narrative and persuasive essays.

Week 8 Re-edit narrative and persuasive essays, discuss final essay topics.

For Next Week: Prepare first draft of final essay. Read Chapter 31 and 32.

Week 9 Critiquing the first draft of the final essay.

Week 10 Students will write their final essays.