English 101 – 95: English Composition I

Saturdays / 9:00 am – 1:00 pm / Quincy PP 403 / 3 Credits

Course Syllabus

Instructor Information

Instructor Name: Dr. Timothy Murphy

Instructor Email: Timothy.Murphy@Quincycollege.edu

Dean’s Office Phone: Liberal Arts & Professional Programs: 617-405-5920

Course Description

Writing is often seen as a method of communicating what we know. While that is an important function of writing, one that allows us to inform and persuade others, and one that we will discuss over the course of the semester, writing is also an important tool for inquiry. Writing is itself a means of learning, of figuring out what we believe, and of sorting through difficult issues while formulating, developing, and refining our ideas and arguments. Good writing is as much about quality thinking as it is about putting words down on the page.

Because the process of writing is similar whether you’re a novice or an expert, we may explore some concepts that you have addressed in the past, whether in high school or other college / university courses. However, I hope that this class gives you the opportunity to take the discoveries you have previously made and expand and enhance them.

 

It is also important to note that, practically speaking, this is a required course for all students who have demonstrated acceptable writing proficiency as measured by a standard test or satisfactory completion of ENG 090.  This course will emphasize developing the student's ability to articulate his/her thoughts in writing a coherent, unified, and well-structured composition.  The student will write a series of papers.  The student will also learn the techniques needed to produce a library research paper.  The required research paper is a major component of the course. 

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO 1. Read critically and distinguish between opinion and evidence.

CLO 2. Compose unified coherent paragraphs that develop topic sentences with detailed support.

CLO 3. Compose essays using various rhetorical strategies.

CLO 4. Compose essays with a developed thesis.

CLO 5. Compose a research paper following commonly accepted standards.

CLO 6. Utilize various strategies (discovering ideas, providing evidence, idea organization, revising and editing) to write essays in class and outside of class.

CLO 7. Develop proficiency in oral communication through a brief class presentation.)

(CLO = Course Learning Outcome)

Prerequisites and Co-requisites: Completion of ENG 090 or placement into ENG 101.

Course Materials and Resources

All materials will be available through our class Canvas site. You can access them on your laptop/tablet in class or else print them out beforehand

Course Delivery Format

On Campus (C): This course meets on campus according to the schedule posted above. Most of the course content will be delivered through lectures and other activities conducted during class meetings. Additional course resources are available via the Canvas Learning Management System to supplement the textbook or provide interaction with the content and/or assessment.

Communication and Feedback

There are different options for communicating with me. One would simply be speaking to me before or after class with questions or comments. This time could also be used to schedule a Zoom meeting with me, although it could be done by email as well. In either case, you will receive an invitation for the Zoom meeting with a link via your Quincy College email.

 

Regarding email, you should get into the habit of checking yours while you are in this, or any other class, at Quincy College. I will always try to respond to your emails with 24 hours Monday through Friday, so if you have not gotten a response to an email you have sent after 24 hours during the weekdays, please feel free to reach out to me again in case I missed it.

 

Although my email is on the top of this syllabus, I will post it here again just as a reminder, timothy.murphy@quincycollege.edu.

 

  NOTE: Please refer to the 2023-2024 Student Handbook for information about using your QC   email.

Regarding your work, you should expect to receive it back with a grade and / or comments in a week, although it may take a bit more time with your longer assignments, such as formal essays. Writing quality essays can take some time and providing quality feedback for them can also take some time.

  

Attendance/Participation

Since this course is both reading- and writing-intensive, recommendations for success are as follows:

• Come to class!
• Keep up with the reading assignments. Neglecting the reading for one week means having to do double the amount of reading for the next week.
• Make use of the instructional materials provided to support your academic success in the course. Study guides, lecture notes, etc. are designed to direct your focus and help you understand the reading.
• Always contact the instructor with questions/concerns about course work.

 

On the policy side of the equation, if you miss more than two class meetings, it pains me to tell you, but, you will lose 2.5% points from your total class grade (out of 100%) for every additional class missed. This policy is in place because it is very difficult to do well in a writing course if you are not present, prepared, and actively participating in discussions, exercises, and workshops.

 

Three late arrivals are equivalent to one absence.

Class Cancellation Policy

In the event that a class has to be cancelled, an announcement will be posted outside the classroom and on the course home page in Canvas; an email will also be sent to the class. If a class is cancelled, students should always check for additional announcements regarding assignments prior to the next class.

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING WORK

• Assignments are due by the beginning of every class period unless specified that we will work on them in class.
• All assignments should be typed, formatted clearly, and proofread. Use MLA or APA.
• Assignments should be submitted online on Canvas unless otherwise noted. I will explain how to do this in class.
• All assignments are due on their due date, regardless of whether or not you are in class. Missing class is not an excuse for turning in work late.

Grading Policy

Your grade in the course will be based on the following assignments in the table below. The due dates for the assignments will be posted on Canvas and feedback about your work will also be provided on Canvas.

 

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING                                                                                                                                                       

 

Assignment	Parameters and Goals	Percentage of grade
Critical Analysis Essay	3-page analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of an argument (see assignment sheet here on Canvas) ●     develop rhetorical reading strategies	20%

 

	●     identify elements of a text ●     accurately summarize and analyze
Rhetorical Analysis Essay	3-  to 5-page rhetorical analysis of an argumentative text ●        identify author’s rhetorical appeals/choices ●        examine rhetorical context, including racial, social, gender, cultural, and power dynamics ●        identify audience and purpose ●        analyze author’s argument	25%
Public Argument Researched Essay	3-4 page essay persuading a specific audience to take action or change a position on a public issue ●     apply rhetorical concepts to persuade an audience ●     analyze and evaluate sources ●     use sources ethically	30%
Minor writing	Other homework and in-class assignments, including pre-drafting exercises, discussion posts, quizzes, and peer reviews. These may involve brainstorming, outlines, reflections, or other assignments that prepare students for their larger writing projects. Note that drafts are not graded.	20%
Participation	Routine attendance and active involvement in discussion and in-class activities.	5%

 

The table below corresponds with the GPA points awarded for the class.

 

Letter Grade	Percentage (%)	Grade Point Average (GPA)
A	93 and above	4.0
A-	90-92	3.7
B+	87-89	3.3
B	83-86	3.0
B-	80-82	2.7
C+	77-79	2.3
C	73-76	2.0
C-	70-72	1.7
D	60-69	1.0
F	59 and below	0.0
I	Incomplete	0.0
W	Withdrawal	0.0
AUD	Audit	0.0

Additional Information

Canvas Learning Management System (LMS):

If you have any questions about Canvas, please email the IT Help Desk at itsupport@quincycollege.edu or submit a Help Ticket.

Quincy College strongly recommends you use the Firefox or Google Chrome web browser to access and participate in its online and hybrid courses. Internet Explorer is NOT recommended.

Academic Integrity

Quincy College fosters a high standard of academic honesty for students, faculty, and staff, and expects all to adhere to the basic values of mutual respect and responsibility as well as individual and institutional integrity.

To promote the best environment for learning, courses utilize test proctoring and Turnitin, similarity/plagiarism software to maintain integrity of tests and coursework. Please contact your instructors for specific information about the academic integrity software used in your courses.

Our test proctoring software, Respondus Lockdown Browser, does require a working microphone and webcam. A student guide to Respondus Monitor will be made available during the course.

Please refer to the 2023-2024 Student Handbook for more information on our Academic Integrity Policy, Policy 5.15.

Turnitin

Written assignments in the course may be submitted to Turnitin for a similarity/plagiarism review. This can be done by you or your instructor.

Turnitin generates a similarity report of your writing by comparing it with a database of journals, books, websites, student papers and other work. This report can help determine when the sources are used fairly, cited properly, and paraphrased effectively. Detection of similarities does not necessarily mean plagiarism has occurred, as the copied text might be properly referenced.

Turnitin helps to foster academic integrity and encourages you to produce original academic work.

The Use of AI Tools

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, via website, app, or any other access, is not permitted in this class without prior approval by the instructor. Representing work created by AI as your own is plagiarism and will be treated as such.

Course Accessibility Statement

Quincy College is committed to providing access and inclusion for all persons with disabilities. Students with disabilities who need access to course content due to course design limitations should contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) sas@quincycollege.edu or by phone (617) 984-1682.

Please refer to our 2023-2024 Student Handbook for more information about Student Accessibility Services.

Title IX Policy

Title IX prohibits sex discrimination, including sexual misconduct, sexual violence, sexual harassment, and retaliation. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, click here for more information about QC’s Title IX Policies and Procedures.

Course Schedule

 

Date	Topic	Homework (to be done before class)
2/24	Introduction to the class and each other, in-class writing	----
3/2	What is critical and mindful reading, what is academic writing and how did you feel about the texts you responded to? Drafting and getting started on your essay.	WATCH AND WRITE: Sherry Turkle's TED Talk "Connected, but alone?" and written response. Nicholas Carr "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" and written response. READ: Short articles about critical and mindful reading and a sample critical analysis essay
3/9	Reviewing drafts, revising and editing techniques, peer review, essay and body paragraph organization	WRITE: Complete a draft of your critical analysis essay
3/16	Discuss polishing of your final drafts, including MLA, effective signal phrases, and how to avoid plagiarism. Peer sharing.	WRITE: Complete a revised draft of your critical analysis essay
3/23	TBA	TBA
3/30	TBA	TBA
4/6	TBA	TBA
3/6
4/13	TBA	TBA
4/20	TBA	TBA
4/27	TBA	TBA
5/4	TBA	TBA
5/11	FINAL CLASS! YOU MADE IT!

 

This syllabus is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion. Students will be notified of any change to the syllabus via an announcement on Canvas.