English 1-38; 1-66/Dr. Clifton Snider
CSULB/Fall 2008/Office: MHB-506
TTh 11-12:15; 12:30-1:45 p.m./Phone: 985-4247; e-mail: csnider@csulb.edu
Rooms: LA1-304; LA2-208/Hours: TTh, 3:55-5 p. m.
Web address: www.csulb.edu/~csnider. Contains material
essential to the class.
Introduction
This syllabus constitutes a kind of contract between you as a
student and me as your instructor. Read it carefully; it sets forth
my requirements for the entire semester.
Catalog Description
Students who score 147 or below on the English Placement Test and
who have not taken equivalent courses in another department, are
eligible for enrollment in this course. Basic course in writing,
offering intensive practice in every stage of writing process from
generating ideas to final proofreading. Reviews and teaches strategies
for choosing appropriate words to developing sentences and paragraphs.
Focuses on methods to develop and organize ideas in coherent essays.
Teaches conventional mechanics, spelling, and the grammar of standard
written English. Does not count toward graduation but does count toward
course load. Credit/No Credit grading only.
Course Goals
- You will become a more assured and a better writer of
expository prose essays.
- In order to write such essays, you will need to be
able to evaluate intensively your own, as well as others', work in
order to improve that work. Hence, you'll learn the importance of
reaching a specific audience with a specific purpose in men.
- You will learn how to generate ideas, in particular
about the writing of others, draft essays and revise them, including
proofreading and editing for grammar, mechanics, and style.
- You will write with an awareness of your purpose and
your audience through thesis-driven essays with adequate and
well-organized supporting paragraphs.
- You will be able to analyze and write critically
about college-level texts and to integrate sources into your own text.
Texts
Lu and Horner, Writing Conventions; any good college-level
dictionary
Types of Assignments
- Three out-of-class essays, including two, sometimes
three, rough drafts of each essay.
- Two in-class essays.
- A final portfolio
- A careful reading of all assigned readings,
including underlining and note taking in the textbook.
Final Portfolio
- In a regular-size manila folder you will provide the
following things. Two of your three out-of-class essays, your
choice. These must be unmarked, so use a word-processing program on
your computer (preferably Macintosh, but Microsoft if you must) to save
your essays. One essay must include your rough drafts, showing your
revising and editing skills. The essays must have an introduction, with
thesis statements (underlined), and an analysis of their topics
The essays will critically examine assigned texts. The length may be
anywhere from 800 to 1200 words (three to four pages, depending on the
font size, which should be 12-13).
- One in-class essay, your choice, of the two
required at near the end of the semester. These will be timed essays.
- A letter of 350-500 words that introduces
yourself and the contents of your portfolio. You will need to
demonstrate or explain how the essays you've submitted qualify you for
English 100.
- With each essay you must attach a scoring guide
(available via this link). Your
essays must meet the requirements under "Pass (P)," as well as any of
my own specific requirements, including format.
Your portfolio will be evaluated by a panel of at least two, possibly
three, writing instructors other than myself. This panel will decide
your placement. In other words, no matter how much I as your instructor
might like you and your writing, your final placement depends on the
decision of people who don't know you. For this purpose, your writing
must to impress them. My job is to help you reach this goal.
Requirements for Assignments
In addition to the above requirements, I expect you to follow MLA Style
as far as your format goes. If your final draft violates any of
these requirements, you will lose 5 points per violation.
Also, I encourage you to get extra tutorial help, if needed, from the
Writer's Resource Lab (LAB-212; 985-4329). In some cases, I may ask
that you use the Lab; you receive no credit for the paper if you don't
show evidence of using the Lab and will fail the course.
Late Paper Policy
Late drafts lose 5 points per day, including non-class days and
weekends (apart from documented illness, death of a loved one, or
sanctioned university function). This includes first drafts,
revised drafts, and final drafts. Late portfolios will
cause you to fail the course.
Withdrawal Policy
Please note the withdrawal policies and dates in the Schedule of
Classes. After 15 Sept. you are responsible for any withdrawal and
required signatures.
Attendance Policy
After 2 free absences, you lose 10 points per absence (apart from
documented illness or injury (yours), death, illness, or serious injury
of a loved one, government obligation (such as jury duty), or
sanctioned university function.). If you are not present and
someone else signs your name to the roll, you lose 20 points, and if I
discover who has signed your name, that person will also lose 20
points. If you leave early without telling me, I will count you absent
for the entire class meeting. I realize some of you may be tardy
occasionally, but if tardiness becomes a pattern (after three
or four times), I will take off 5 points per tardiness.
Accommodation for a Disability
If you need accommodation for a university-verified disability, you must
see me in advance of such an accommodation.
Caveats
- Plagiarism has increasingly become a serious
problem. If I find that you have plagiarized, you will fail the
course. Remember that using anyone else's words without quotation
marks, even if you give credit to your source, is plagiarism. See the Schedule
of Classes.
- Absolutely no cell phones, iPhones,
BlackBerries, laptop computers or any other electronic devices are
allowed during class time, except for those needed for a disability.
Please respect your classmates and me by paying attention to what we
are doing in class without interrupting us. Do not work on other
material during class. If I find you have done any of these things, you
will lost 5 points per violation.
- See also the Resolving
Differences Handbook on the CSULB web site. If you have any
complaints, you must follow university policy or risk failing the
course. This means you come to me first with your complaint.
My Point System
You start the semester with 100 points. Points will be deducted for any
violations I've mentioned above (e.g., for format errors, use of
electronic devices, or absences). If you clearly have not tried to
fulfill the assignment, you will lose 10 points. I will be the judge as
to whether you've made a sincere effort to complete the assignment,
e.g., if it is too short. If you fail to participate in groups or when
the full class is in session, you will lose 10 points.
You need a minimum of 70 points to be eligible to submit your
portfolio. If your points fall below 70 points, you fail the course. If
you do not do all the assignments, you will fail the course.
You are responsible to keep track of your points, but I will do my best
to tell you if you are in danger of falling below 70 points. I will
also counsel you as to whether I think your essays are good enough to
allow you to go on to English 100, but remember I am not the final
judge of this.
Schedule
1. 2 Sept. Introduction; 4 Sept. Diagnostic
Test and Syllabus
2. 9 Sept. Correction
Signs; print this page and bring it to class; you'll need
to refer to it all this semester; 11 Sept.
Read Chapter One (all assignments due the day they are assigned);
discussion of Essay #1. Read Anzaldzúa's "How to Tame A
Wild Tongue," pp. 252-262.
3. 16 Sept. Read Chapter Two and Trask, "From a Native
Daughter," pp. 393-401; 18 Sept. First Draft due. Groups.
Printout and bring the Peer
Review Sheet for this and each First Draft.
4. 23 Sept. Revised Draft due; 25 Sept. Final
Draft due.
5. 30 Sept.-2 Oct. Video: The Color Purple.
6. 7 Oct. Read Chapter Four and Walker, "In
The Closet of the Soul," pp. 402-412; 9 Oct. First Draft
due. Groups (Remember to bring the Peer Review Sheet!).
7. 14 Oct. Revised Draft due; 16 Oct. Final
Draft due.
8. 21 Oct. Read Chapter Seven, Baldwin, "If Black English Isn't
a Language, Then Tell Me What is?" and Hughes, "Theme for English B"; 23 Oct. First
Draft due. Groups.
9. 28 Oct. Revised Draft due; 30 Oct.
Final Draft due.
10. 4 Nov.-6 Nov. Individual Conferences in my
office. If you do not come when you sign up, you are counted absent
twice.
11. 11 Nov. Holiday; 13 Nov. First
in-class, timed essay.
12. 18 Nov. Group discussion of timed essay. Bring
Peer Review Sheet. 20 Nov. Second in-class, timed essay.
13. 25 Nov. Group discussion of timed essay. 26 Nov.
Thanksgiving Holiday.
14. 2 Dec. Workshop on Cover Letters. Bring a draft
of yours. 4 Dec. No class. Work on your Portfolio.
15. 9 Dec.-11 Dec. Portfolio due in my office
no latter than the beginning of class time on the 11th. Late
portfolios will cause you to fail the course.
16. Portfolios returned. Placement given. Meet in my office at noon.-1
p.m., 18 Dec. (section 38), and 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m., 16 Dec.
(section 66).
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