College Writing: English 105

Fall 2022   

Classroom Instructor:            Kristen Gallucci

Section Number:                   English 105 -09

Sections Day/Time:              M and W: 8:00- 9:15 AM

Class Dates:                           8/29-12/15

Classroom Location:             Academy Hall 301

Office Hours:                         By appointment

Instructor E-mail:                  Kristen.Gallucci@nichols.edu

Cell Number:                         (401)996-9463 (use this number as the primary one to call or text) DO NOT CALL BETWEEN 9 PM- 6 AM

**Syllabus is subject to change.**

The Nichols WAY:

We will write different types of papers, but they will all provide you the space to think about yourself and the wider world in ways that help you find meaning and connect you to the course. Regardless of how you may feel about your writing abilities, use this course as an opportunity to better understand yourself and develop your writing skills as you write about things you care about.

Required Texts & Materials:

All of your readings are provided to you electronically through Canvas. So, please print out, read, and have your electronic readings ready for class.

 

Course Description and Structure:

This introductory writing course is designed to build writing skills and to increase students’ enjoyment of writing through extensive practice. The course focuses on teaching students to discover and develop ideas they wish to communicate, and then on the numerous technical skills necessary to make communication effective and engaging. Students will develop their voices, their styles, and their mechanics through multiple writing projects and through a focus on revision. Readings will illustrate the styles and organizational patterns of effective student and professional writers.   

Classroom Conduct policy:

https://www.nichols.edu/files/Nichols-Catalog-20-21-WEB.pdf

 

Key Themes for the Course:

Self:

• Self-Awareness: Who am I today?
• Reflection: Where have I come from? What got me here?
• Personal Development: How can I learn to communicate to develop myself and my ideas? How can I explain/illustrate these ideas?
• Self-Actualization: How can I use reflection on past experiences and current parts of my life to understand who I am and what/why I value?

Group:

• Self-Awareness: How do I read and understand the writings of my classmates?
• Reflection: How/why do I struggle to read others’ ideas or to communicate with others?
• Personal Development: How can I learn to communicate to connect with others? How can I recognize and address different audiences?

World:

• Personal Development: Where do I want to go in life?
• Engagement with the World: How can I think about the ideas of others and respond to them?
• Reflection: How do my experiences embody/address/engage with larger humanistic values and questions?
• Self-Actualization: What do I want my mark on the world to be? How will I put my ideas and desires into practice?

 

Overview of Assignments:

Paper 1: Reflection Paper

This paper should be a minimum of 700 words/ 2pages (10%)

Paper 2: informative Essay

This paper should be a minimum of 1,100 words/ 3 pages (15%)

Paper 3: Cultural Analysis

This paper should be a minimum 1,350 words/ 4 pages (15%)

Paper 4: Personal Development: Where do I want to go in life?

(700-900 words; 2-3 pages)

 

Assignments and Journal Responses   

To engage with readings and help prepare for papers, you are required to write 11 responses (graded out of 10) (approx. 1 page/350 words).  These will be due before class on Canvas, and there are no make-ups for late work.  This ongoing informal writing will help you actively engage with the material, and hopefully, provide ideas for your papers. Be prepared to discuss your responses.  I will provide you with prompts. (10 x 1% each =10%)

 

Drafting /Participation:

Participation includes coming to class having read and thought about your readings; submitting a complete draft on peer workshopping days; engaging in peer workshopping; joining class discussions.  On the final days of the course, you will deliver a presentation, which addresses an aspect of your growth over the course of the semester. 

(25%)

 

A Final Portfolio:

Your final project will reflect your writing process and growth as a writer over the course of the semester. The portfolio will include: revised versions of your 3 major papers and your 2-3 page 4^th paper, and a 1-page Introduction.  This will be a polished, proofread portfolio and will include proper MLA citations.  (25%) 

 

Course Objectives:[1]

At the end of each outcome, there is a code relating to College Learning Outcomes and English Program Outcomes, which are footnoted.

Course Outcomes Upon successful completion of this course, students will:	Assessment Student achievement of these outcomes will be measured by:	Related College/Program Outcomes These activities fulfill the following:
Personally engage with their own writing and with the ideas of others	Drafting/Participation	E2 C1, 4
Explain and maintain a focus throughout an essay	Paper 1	E3 C1
Produce and support positions	Paper 3	E3 C1
Develop clear, logical sentences	Portfolio	E3 C1
Demonstrate reading comprehension and analytical skills	Journal Responses	E2 C2

Grading Policy:

Grading Scale

	A: 93-100%	A-: 90-92.99%
B+: 87-89.99%	B: 83-86.99%	B-: 80-82.99%
C+: 77-79.99%	C: 73-76.99%	C-: 70-72.99%
D+: 67-69.99%	D: 63-66.99%	D-: 60-62.99%
	F: 59.99 & below

 

Attendance Policy:

**Read this carefully**

You need to come to class to pass this course.  This means you need to come to class on time and be prepared.  Being prepared for class means that you have done the assigned reading or necessary writing/research before coming to class. 

 

You are allowed a total of 3 absences.  It does not matter whether these are excused or unexcused absences. You have a total of 3 absences. (Read this previous sentence again).  If you miss 4 classes your grade is lowered 1/3 of a letter grade.  Say, you have a B+ in the class but you miss 4 classes, then it is lowered to a B.  Each subsequent absence lowers your grade another 1/3 of a letter grade.  So, if you miss 6 classes your grade is lowered a full letter grade (this is not good), i.e. that nice B+ becomes a C+.  If you miss 7 classes (over 3 weeks) you cannot pass the course. The fine print: *If you are more than 20 minutes late for class this counts as an absence. Being late 3 times counts as an absence.  If you are unprepared for class, you will receive a “U” for the day.  Two “Unprepareds” = An Absence.*  For further information, please refer to NC’s attendance policy: https://www.nichols.edu/files/Nichols-Catalog-20-21-WEB.pdf

 

Nichols College Student Absence Policy: Please make note of policy regarding absence documentation on page 2.

(**Nichols College Health Services does not provide documentation for excused absences unless the student is required to leave campus or is quarantined to his/her room. This policy is consistent with our goal of supporting dialogue between faculty and students. Students are responsible for promptly notifying faculty about absences. These are conversations students will have in the future with supervisors in the workplace, and these conversations will serve as an introduction to appropriate workplace behavior.)

Storm Cancellation Policy

Nichols now uses the RAVE Mobile Safety emergency alert system to notify campus of snow delays or closings.  To manage your account, please visit https://www.getrave.com/login/nichols 

If class is cancelled, I will send you an email/post on Canvas to update you about any schedule changes. Please check your email and Canvas for updates.

 

Requirements:

 

Drafting Requirements, Due Dates, and Deadline Extensions:

To pass the course, you must turn in drafts of all major assignments on the days they are due. If you anticipate needing a deadline extension for an assignment draft, you may request one a week in advance of due dates.  I have the right to deny deadline extensions, and/or implement appropriate penalties when you turn in late work.  You cannot pass the course if you do not hand in a draft of each paper within a week of its due date. A 10-point deduction for each day late will be taken if work is not submitted on the due date. You may not turn in late homework assignments, but you may turn in work in advance.

 

Workshop, Peer Critique, and Sharing Your Work:

When you meet in workshop groups to get feedback on your writing, it is your responsibility to have a complete draft.  Sharing your writing is perhaps our single most important course activity.  Take it seriously and work hard to establish the kind of climate that will make it successful. 

 

Technical Support:

If you encounter any technical difficulty uploading files, accessing email, etc., please contact the Help Desk for assistance: helpdesk@nichols.edu | https://help.nichols.edu | 508.213.2206.

 

Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty:

See Nichols College Academic Honesty Policy:

https://www.nichols.edu/files/Nichols-Catalog-20-21-WEB.pdf

Plagiarism means: Presenting the work of another person as one’s own work (including papers, words, ideas, information, computer code, data, evidence-organizing principles, or style of presentation of someone else taken from the Internet, books, periodicals or other sources).

Plagiarism includes quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing without acknowledgement, even a few phrases; failing to acknowledge the source of a major idea or ordering principle central to one’s work; relying on another person’s data, evidence or critical method without credit or permission; submitting another person’s work as one’s own or using unacknowledged research sources gathered by someone else.

• Plagiarism also includes using material from other classes.  You may not submit the same work for two courses without appropriate permission from both professors.

 

Support Services:

• Academic Center for Excellence and Support: ACES tutors are available to assist you with your writing. Appointments are available on a one-time, weekly, or regularly scheduled basis.  To schedule an appointment, call the office at (508) 213-2200.

• Learning Services:  If you have a documented learning difference and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this course, please contact the Office of Learning Services: http://www.nichols.edu/about/offices-and-services/learning-services | 508.213.2293.

• Counseling Services: Nichols College is committed to breaking the stigma surrounding mental health and providing the best possible resources and support to students. If you are looking to get connected with a mental health professional, please contact Nichols College Counseling Services at Counseling@Nichols.eduor 508-213-2108.

For more information about Nichols College Counseling Services and what services are offered, please visit their website https://www.nichols.edu/about/offices-and-services/counseling-services.

We encourage students to advocate for themselves and their mental health needs. Students who have mental health concerns and believe it may be impacting their academic performance, may contact their Advisor, Professor and / or the Assistant Dean for Learning Services 508-213-2293 to discuss arranging for immediate assistance.

 

Conant Library:

Check out the resources of the Library. For example:

• Doing research? The Library’s company and industry reports and scholarly article databases can be of great help not to mention thevfdf books/ebooks.
• If you find something online but can’t get access to the full text, the Library can get it for you. Quickly.
• The Library also has guides (MLA/APA) to help youcite your sources.

 

[1] English Department Outcomes:

E2.  Student will evaluate how their own interpretive approach relates to other analytic approaches to understanding texts and issues.                   

E3.  Students will construct effective, well-organized and coherent analytic, creative, or mixed documents.

 

Nichols College Learning Outcomes:

C1: Communication: Effectively express and accurately comprehend concepts and facts using a range of appropriate and current communication    methods.  

C2.  Critical Thinking & Quantitative Analysis: Utilize qualitative and quantitative problem-solving skills to analyze and interpret information.

C3. Civic & Social Engagement: Articulate an understanding and appreciation of cultural and human differences, acknowledging the interconnectedness of a global society and one’s social and civic responsibility to the community, the nation and the world.