St. Gregory’s University
Humanities Division

English Composition I (EG 1113)
Fall, 2000

Instructor: Yoon Sik Kim, Ph.D. Office: AD 119A Phone: x5165
Hours: MWF 9:00-10:00 and 11:00-12:00; TTh 9:00-12:00
e-mail: yskim@sgc.edu

Catalog Description: EG 1113 is designed to develop students’ writing skills through descriptive, expository, or argumentative writing. Major components include development of effective sentences, well-organized body paragraphs, persuasive essays, and convincing research papers.

Rationale: The composition sequence develops students’ abilities to think clearly, analyze/interpret persuasively, and argue convincingly, and express themselves in purposeful, well-organized, standard written English.

Objectives: By the end of the semester, the student will be able to do the following:

Methods: Instruction includes lecture, in-class exercise/writing, peer Review, and homework. These learning activities will help students focus, develop, and draft ideas into essay form.

Requirements: All assignments must be typed in double-space: a hand-written assignment will not be accepted. To help your teacher identify writing weaknesses as early as possible, all students will take a Diagnostic Evaluation, which is not a part of the final grade.

  1. Students will write four three-paragraph typed essays and one ten-page (including Works Cited) long research paper.
  2. They will take a final examination on grammar, mechanics, punctuation, and documentation.
  3. Students will keep a journal, at least three times a week, one-page per entry, typed in double space. The journal will be graded periodically for its sincerity and length.

Students who fail to take, turn in, or revise any of these assignments will receive an automatic F for the course.

Methods of Evaluation

Four Essays 40% (10% each)
Research Paper 30%
Final Examination 20%
Journal 10%

Textbook

McWhorter, Kathleen. Successful College Writing. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000.

Essays and the Research paper will be graded according to the following criteria:

A Excellent (90-100). An "A" essay or paper is exceptional—stylistically, structurally, and intellectually—with originality. Its content and style stand out by lucid and orderly thinking. To respond to all parts of the assignment, discussed specifically in class, it incorporates the writer’s stance, and shows superior control of language, virtually free of errors in mechanics, punctuation, grammar, organization, and documentation. Sentences are clear—full of 5W 1H supporting details, illustrations, and examples—concise, precise, and concrete.

B Good (80-89). What primarily distinguishes an "A" paper from a "B" paper are originality of thought and expression, and attention to detail. A "B" paper, nonetheless, addresses all parts of the assignment but completes one or more parts less completely or with less control than an "A" paper does. It may show inadequacy or a flaw in stance, reasoning, organization, 5W 1H details, writing, and documentation—requiring an occasional proofreading.

C Average (70-79). A "C" paper comes to terms with all parts of the assignment. The reasoning, organization, stance, details, writing and documentation may be imprecise and inadequate, however. A "C" paper differs from a "B" in that it contains weak stance, organization, few supporting details, poor writing, and inadequate documentation. But it will not be flawed with logical fallacies or superficial reasoning. It will show the writer’s ability to support key ideas and will allow readers to move easily from point to point, despite few organizational flaws. Errors in mechanics, punctuation, grammar, and documentation will not be so frequent as to distract the reader from the content.

D Poor (60-69). A "D" paper ignores major portions of the assignment, especially in stance, organization, content, and documentation. Errors in mechanics, punctuation, and grammar may be numerous, but will not be so serious as to interfere with readability. A "D" paper is a superficial, incomplete, or inadequate response to an assignment. Papers potentially worth a "C" will be lowered to a "D" by inaccurate content, ineffective organization, serious errors in writing, lapses in reasoning, absence of specific 5W 1H details, confusing focus, abnormal brevity, and incorrect documentation.

F Failing (Below 60). An "F" paper lacks specific focus or substance, or shows consistent, serious problems with writing, producing the impression of ineptitude. It either lacks a clear focus, fails to accomplish its intended purpose, or is not usable by the intended reader, for it blatantly ignores the specific instruction given in class discussion. A paper, deemed to be an accidental plagiarism, will also receive an "F," just as an essay whose drafts your instructor has not seen prior to the paper’s deadline.

ATTENDANCE

  1. A student with perfect attendance will benefit when the final grade borders between two grades: the student will be awarded with the higher of the two. As the St. Gregory’s University Attendance Policy dictates, a student may not have more than three absences, which may be grounds for failure.
  2. The absent student will be held fully responsible for the missing information. Under no circumstance will your instructor be obliged to repeat it; therefore, students should get the missing information from other students or their notes.
  3. After one verbal warning, your instructor will also dismiss habitually tardy or disruptive students from the class.

4. Students who are absent at the time of roll will also be considered absent for the whole period. So will the student
who leaves the class early, prior to its termination.

SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

  1. Students are not allowed to take a make-up examination or turn in a make-up essay. Your instructor uses easier questions in the first examination or a simpler assignment in the original essay requirement; therefore, the make-ups tend to be much more difficult than the original assignment, a serious reason why you are discouraged to take any make-up.
  2. The final will be given on time, never early nor late: do not purchase airline tickets before the final examination is officially over. Also, if you must travel out of town on official school functions, turn in your assignment in advance. Works slid under my door will not be accepted: you must, in person, hand them in during the class they are due. Always keep a copy of your work, but you must turn in the original.
  3. A letter grade will be dropped for each day your work is late, counting weekends and holidays. No work will be accepted whose first and second drafts your instructor has not seen in advance.
  4. To receive the assigned grade, all essays must be revised correctly: unrevised or incorrectly revised essays will receive an "F" regardless of the initial grade. After the revision, the essay’s grade may not go up higher than one letter from the original grade. Once revised, all the essays must be turned in immediately: they are St. Gregory’s properties.

5. For all parties involved, a single incident of plagiarism will be grounds for failure in the course.
  1. To maintain a student’s file, each student must turn in a regular manila folder as soon as possible.

Disability Statement: Any student with a disability that will affect his/her progress in this class and registered with student services should inform the professor during or after the first class meeting.

SCHEDULE ASSIGNMENTS

Week 1 Introduction to Course
(8/21-26) Chapter 15 Definition
Reading Sample Essays

Week 2 Writing/Peer Review
(8/28-9/1) Reading/Diagnostic Evaluation
(Bring a Scantron sheet and a #2 Pencil)

Week 3 Peer Review

(9/4-8) Chapter 3
Essay #1 [Definition] due

Week 4 Chapter 9: Narration
(9/11-15) Convention/Writing/Reading Sample Essays
Conference on #1

Week 5 Writing and Peer Review
(9/18-22) Convention/Reading Sample Essays
Essay #2 [Narration] due

Week 6 Chapter 10: Description
(9/25-29) Writing/Peer Review
Conference on #2

Week 7 Writing and Peer Review
(10/2-6) Essay #3 [Description] due

Week 8 Chapter 12: Process
(10/9-13) Writing and Peer Review
Conference on #3

Week 9 Reading Samples and Peer Review
(10/16-20) Essay #4 [Process] due

Week 10 Chapter 17: Argument [Research Paper]
(10/23-27) Writing and Peer Review
MLA Style Documentation
Conference on #4

Week 11 Reading Sample Essays/Writing and Peer Review
(10/30-11/3) MLA Style Documentation
How to do "Research"

Week 12 Peer Review/Revision/MLA Style
(11/6-10) Essay #5 [Argument/Research Paper] due

Week 13 Conference on #5/Convention/MLA
(11/13-17) Revision/Research Paper
Peer Review

Week 14 Revision Due/Convention/MLA
(11/20-24) Oral Presentation

Week 15 Oral Presentation/Convention/MLA
(12/27-12/1) Course Review

Week 16 Finals Week
(12/4-8)