PIERCE COLLEGE / ENGLISH 28
MTWTH 9:35-11:00am / Sec. 0745
Y. Cooper-Grigg, Department of English
Office: English 2504 Phone: (818) 710-4324
Office hours: T/TH 11:00-1:00pm and MTWTH 9:00-9:30am. I suggest making appointments
to meet with me! I am available to meet with you!
Email: [email protected] / [email protected]
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Course description
A prerequisite for English 101, English 28 is designed to assist students to make a successful
transition to college writing courses. The course emphasizes improvement of grammar, sentence
structure, paragraph writing, and essay writing. We will also focus on reading carefully and
critically.
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Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of the term, English 28 students will be able to do the following:
1. Write unified, coherent essays with a clear thesis statement and supporting paragraphs.
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Typed essays will be approximately 500-1000 words each and in MLA format
Bluebook essays (in-class) will be 500-750 words each
2. Write essays demonstrating sustained clarity of intention, awareness of audience, and various
writing techniques.
3. Understand the audience's stylistic needs by using sentence variety, parallelism, appropriate
diction, and active voice.
4. Eliminate grammatical, mechanical, and syntactical errors (i.e., fragments, run-ons, comma
splices, subject-verb agreement errors, pronoun agreement errors, and pronoun shifts).
5. Analyze written texts, such as essays (non-fiction) or short stories and novels (fiction) for
main point or theme, content, mode, style, vocabulary, logic, and figurative language.
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Course Objectives
To successfully complete this course, a student must demonstrate knowledge and understanding
of critical thinking, reading, and writing. This knowledge and understanding is evidenced by (1)
having a C or better average on the writing assignments (in-class and out of class) (2) having a C
or better average on the final paper (3) completing the homework and quizzes (as posted on
Canvas), (4) attending and participating in class, (5) passing the Final Exam with a C or better.
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Required Texts and Materials
Students are asked to purchase the following materials:
1. Title: Models for Writers. Authors: Alfred Rosa and Paul Eschholz. Edition: Twelfth.
Publisher: Bedford/St. Martins.
2. The Writer's World: Sentences to Paragraphs / Gaetz and Phadke / 4th Edition / Pearson
3. A notebook/journal for daily in-class assignments and homework (this is VERY
IMPORTANT)!
4. Folders to hold all course materials (do NOT throw away ANY material)
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Course Requirements
Attendance: You should keep in mind that excessive absences have consequences. We will be
completing a lot of writing in-class, so by coming to class you will be completing homework (as
well as tests!) and getting credit for those assignments. When you miss class, you will miss
these writings, and you will not receive credit for these assignments. Also, when you miss class,
you will miss quizzes. Again, quizzes cannot be made up.
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If you miss class during the two weeks of school, you will be excluded.
If you miss more than four classes (two weeks of school), you may be dropped from the
course.
If you decide to stop attending or participating in class, you should officially drop the
course to avoid the "F” on your transcript.
I will drop students who are inactive. Inactivity means that a student has not attended class and
has not completed assignments. I will drop inactive students at the census date and then again
before the final "W" deadline.
Also, please note that course assignments and their due dates may change. Please attend class to
hear about the assignments!
Tutor Requirement: You will be required to meet with a tutor at the Center for Academic
Success OR with me once during this semester. Please bring a completed assignment to the tutor
to review with you. The tutor must sign the work, and you must hand that signed work into
me. In order to pass this class, you must meet with a tutor!
Canvas: All registered students have access to the course Canvas page (the online webpage). To
find this page, go to the Pierce homepage and click on Pierce OnLine. Your homework and
class announcements will be listed on this page. You are responsible for checking Canvas and
completing the assignments on time. Please have a current email address with SSI and check
the Canvas page numerous times a week. You must use a LACCD email to communicate with
me. I can only respond to your school email!
Late work: Late papers will not be accepted; NO EXCEPTIONS. There will be no make-up
assignments or quizzes!
Classroom Rules of Conduct: Having a respectful, safe environment is crucial for academic
success. Writing is a process that involves the development and sharing of ideas. For this
reason, it is crucial for students to be willing to express themselves as well as respectfully listen
to the opinions of others. If you cannot follow these rules of conduct, you will be asked to leave
the class, and you may be reported to the Dean for disciplinary action. This means you should:
1. Give your full attention to the student who legitimately holds the floor to speak, and
when the instructor is speaking, extend the same courtesy.
2. Get to class on time; late arrivals cause distractions for the entire class.
3. For this same reason, do not leave class early.
4. Turn off and put away your cell phone. If your phone rings, vibrates, or is in your hands
during class time, you will be asked to bring candy (a treat) to apologize to the class for
your disruptive behavior.
Please note the school does have a grievance policy:
http://www.piercecollege.edu/offices/compliance/stdgrievance.asp (Links to an external site.)
This course may discuss adult material. If you are uncomfortable with this material, you may
leave class for that class session. Please let me know when the material causes you discomfort!
Plagiarism: Using another writer's work as if it is your own is illegal and will not be tolerated.
Writers who engage in academic dishonesty diminish the achievements of others and deny their
own potential. I will report all evidence of plagiarism to the college. The consequences of
plagiarism can be failure of the assignment, failure of the course, and disciplinary action by the
college.
Disabled Students: If you have a disability and need special accommodations, please let me
know within the first week of class. To receive accommodations, all disabled students must first
visit Disabled Students Services for proper documentation. They can be reached at: (818) 7196430 or http://piercecollege.com/stuinfo/Special/
Stay in Touch: I will happily work with you if you are struggling, but I need to hear from you if
you need extra help. My office is always open. Also, use your classmates for help. Build study
groups for tests and create an email list for homework!
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Grading
Final grades in this course will be based on thoughtful completion of all your work. Final grades
in this course will be based on the following:
50% Paragraphs and Essays (in-class and out of class)
20% Final Paper
15% Final Exam: May 31st 9:00am - 11:00am.
15% Quizzes and Homework Assignments on Canvas
NOTE:
90%-100% = A
80%-89% = B
70%-79%= C
60%-69% = D
59% and lower = F