Course Description

English 125: Introduction to College Writing.  Research, reading, and writing for college studies. 4 Hours, 4 Credits

Course Section

Designate a specific section such as MN3, PQ2.

Time and Place of Course Meetings

Provide room numbers, days, and times courses meet.

Contact Information

Provide office location, phone number, email address, and office hours. 

Required Texts

List book titles, and indicate where students can purchase, borrow, copy, and/or download. To emphasize the importance of modeling proper citation, please adhere to MLA format when listing required texts on your syllabus.

Basis of Final Grade

Provide the breakdown of specific assignments by percentages.  That is: Paper #1:  15%. 

Remember that according to the Assignment Recommendations, this course requires  at least three (3) formal essays that are the result of drafting and revision.  

These formal papers must be worth at least sixty percent (60%) of the final grade.

The final examination should be 10% of the final grade.  

 Requirements and Regulations

Include attendance, lateness, and conduct policies. 

The Department of English has adopted a common attendance policy for multiple section courses (English 125, English 200, and Writing 300).  Your syllabus should include the following statement:

Success in this class depends on regular and punctual attendance. The English Department's policy for multiple section courses such as this one is:

 Then include the applicable policy based on the number of days per week your class meets:

 For classes that meet twice a week use this wording:

• Students in classes that meet twice a week may miss no more than five (5) sessions.
• Six (6) absences are grounds for failure.
• Missing 15 minutes of class—arriving late, departing early, or leaving during class-- counts as half an absence.

For classes that meet once a week use this wording:

• Students in classes that meet once a week may miss no more than two (2) sessions.
• Three (3) absences are grounds for failure.
• Missing 15 minutes of class—arriving late, departing early, or leaving during class-- counts as half an absence.

 

Plagiarism Statement

Provide definition of and policy regarding plagiarism: i.e. Deliberately submitting someone else's work as your own is a serious offense that will result in an F for the course. For more information about plagiarism, see The York College Bulletin, “Definitions and Examples of Academic Dishonesty” and Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab resource,“Avoiding Plagiarism.”

 Learning Objectives (please list ALL of the objectives as they appear below)

•  By the end of the course, students will demonstrate progress in:
•  Reading critically scholarly, journalistic, editorial, reflective, visual, and on-line sources.
•  Employing interpretive reading strategies, such as thesis identification, methods of argumentation, and content summary.
•  Developing communication skills by responding orally and in writing to sources drawn from varied disciplines.
•  Formulating a thesis and providing evidence to support it.
•  Recognizing plagiarism as a breach of ethics, identifying it when it occurs, and correcting it by conveying the concepts and ideas of others using students’ own words and proper citation.
•  Writing short (two-to-five page) well-developed formal papers that are logically organized, free of serious grammatical errors, and integrate sources using paraphrase, summary, and appropriate documentation.
•  Understanding that writing is a process that requires critical evaluation of ideas, content, and word choice through revision and proof-reading.
•  Functioning as members of an academic community by practicing discipline, following directions, preparing formal essays according to academic conventions, and participating respectfully and thoughtfully in discussion and debate.

Course Outline of Assignments and Activities

Provide a detailed week-by-week outline of assignments and activities.

__________________________________________________________________________

Printable Version

Sample Syllabus

English 125: Introduction to College Writing

Research, reading, and writing for college studies. 4 Hours, 4 Credits

This course introduces students to all aspects of the writing process, from the invention of ideas to the evaluation of completed essays. The multiple meanings of independence, rebellion, and freedom will be the focus of our reading, writing, and thinking.

In addition to our work on essay writing, we will concentrate on reading critically, developing communication skills, formulating thesis statements, conceptualizing arguments, integrating sources, and achieving clarity and precision in all forms of written and verbal expression. 

REQUIRED BOOKS AVAILABLE AT THE COLLEGE BOOKSTORE

Fields of Reading: Motives for Writing. Ed. Nancy R. Comley, et. al. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007.

Companion Website: http://Bedfordstmartins.com/fields

Diane Hacker. The Bedford Handbook for Writers. Eighth Edition. Bedford/St. Martins, 2010.

Companion Website: http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/bedhandbook7enew/Player/Pages/Main.aspx

REQUIRED TECHNOLOGY

Access to the Internet from York College, home, or work

York College email account: setup instructions http://york.cuny.edu/it/webteam/live

Word-processing program, such as Microsoft Word

Knowledge of how to attach files in word and rich text formats: file extensions .doc and .rtf

REQUIREMENTS

1. Punctuality and Attendance:  Your presence, participation, and commitment to learning are vital in English 125. Therefore it is essential that you arrive on time for each class meeting and complete assignments as scheduled. If you are compelled to miss class, or you cannot complete assignments because of illness or emergency, you need to let me know. Speak to me personally--either by calling or visiting me during office hours--leave a note in my mailbox in AC 2A16, or send me an email message.

 2. Assignments Must be Completed as Scheduled. NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED, NOR CAN ANY MISSED WORK BE MADE UP UNLESS THERE IS A LEGITIMATE EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCE. If this is the case, you must contact me so we can discuss alternative arrangements. At that time I will decide whether the assignment will be downgraded half a grade for each day late.

 3. Tools: Please bring pens, paper, syllabus, and required books to each class meeting. Log on to our Blackboard course site at least two times a week.

 4. Participation: Whether we are meeting in class, at the computer lab, in the library, or online, you must be prepared for active engagement with ideas, texts, and classmates.  Be ready to read aloud, exchange ideas and opinions with a partner, and/or participate in small group discussions.

 5. No Electronic devices: When class is in session, all electronic devices must be TURNED OFF.

EXPECTATIONS AND PENALTIES IF NOT MET

A challenging and rewarding learning experience in English 125 requires respect for intellectual investigation, the collaborative learning endeavor, and all members of the York community.

Success in this class depends on regular and punctual attendance. The English Department's policy for multiple section courses such as this one is:

• Students in classes that meet twice a week may miss no more than five (5) sessions.

• Six (6) absences are grounds for failure.

• Missing 15 minutes of class—arriving late, departing early, or leaving during class-- counts as half an absence.

• Monday through Thursday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM (Phone Support)

• Monday through Thursday: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM (Voice Mail/Technician on site)

• Friday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM (Phone Support)

• Friday: 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM (Voice Mail)

• Saturday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM 

• Formal writing assignments, including multi-draft essays, and an essay written in class:  70%

• Informal Writing Assignments, including first rebellion essay, reflective responses, and online discussion participation: 20%

• Department Final Examination:  10% 

• Reading critically scholarly, journalistic, editorial, reflective, visual, and on-line sources.

• Employing interpretive reading strategies, such as thesis identification, methods of argumentation, and content summary.

• Developing communication skills by responding orally and in writing to sources drawn from varied disciplines.

• Formulating a thesis and providing evidence to support it.

• Recognizing plagiarism as a breach of ethics, identifying it when it occurs, and correcting it by conveying the concepts and ideas of others using students’ own words and proper citation.

• Writing short (two-to-five page) well-developed formal papers that are logically organized, free of serious grammatical errors, and integrate sources using paraphrase, summary, and appropriate documentation.

• Understanding that writing is a process that requires critical evaluation of ideas, content, and word choice through revision and proof-reading.

• Functioning as members of an academic community by practicing discipline, following directions, preparing formal essays according to academic conventions, and participating respectfully and thoughtfully in discussion and debate.

If you disrupt the in-class or online learning environment, you will be asked to leave the course. 

BLACKBOARD COURSE SITE

Blackboard makes it possible to have a web-based virtual classroom. Through this user-friendly site, students can obtain course documents, such as syllabi and assignments, as well as engage in online discussion. Blackboard can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection. 

CUNY PORTAL ACCOUNT: Students must have a CUNY Portal account in order to access Blackboard. If you do not have a CUNY Portal account, please register for one by following the instructions at: http://york.cuny.edu/it/acet/blackboard/assets/portal.pdf

If you already have a CUNY portal account but you have forgotten your username and/or password, go to http://york.cuny.edu/it/acet/blackboard/faq/forget_uid_pw.shtml for instructions on how to retrieve your username and obtain a new password.

ACCESSING ENGLISH 125 COURSE SITE: To access our English 125 Blackboard course site, you need to first log on to the CUNY Portal www.cuny.edu . After logging in with your username and password, click the first link in the Blackboard Gateway module: Spring ’09 Courses—Blackboard 8.0.

To learn how to navigate the Blackboard course site and use Blackboard features, go to the following website: http://york.cuny.edu/it/acet/blackboard/student

If you are having technical difficulties, contact the York College Help Desk located in AC-2E03.

Call (718) 262-5300 or E-mail: helpdesk@york.cuny.edu

ASSIGNMENTS

 1. Frequent reading and writing assignments completed inside and outside of class, and online

 2. Unannounced reflective responses to readings

 3.  Three formal essays, one of which will be written in class under time constraints

 4. A Departmental final examination

 GRADING

       Paper 1: 15%          Paper 2: 30%          Paper 3: 25%

PLAGIARISM

Deliberately submitting some one else's work as your own is a serious offense that will result in an F for the course. For more information about plagiarism, see The York College Bulletin 2008-2009, “Definitions and Examples of Academic Dishonesty” (39-40), and Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab resource, “Avoiding Plagiarism,” http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html

 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 By the end of the course, students will demonstrate progress in:

 YORK COLLEGE RESOURCES

 Computers with Internet access are available in the library and in computer labs.

 York College Library: http://york.cuny.edu/library

 York College Computer Labs: http://york.cuny.edu/it/acet/computer-labs

 York College Writing Center: http://york.cuny.edu/student/writing-center

Located in the Academic Core 1C18,  The Writing Center assists students with writing skills. The Center offers scheduled tutoring, drop-in tutoring and workshops. For more information, stop by, call (718) 262-2494, or check the Writing Center Website.

English as Second Language (ESL) Tutoring Center

Tutoring is available for ESL students in Academic Core 3C08. Call (718) 262-2831 for schedule.