CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE
ENGL 1301 Composition I
Wed & Fri 5:30 pm -7:45 pm
Bldg. 217- Room 202
Instructor:
Contact:
Melissa Hardwick M.A., PhD cand.,
[email protected]
I. INTRODUCTION
ENGL 1301 is CTC's first semester of Freshman English and is designed to meet the first
semester English requirement for students transferring to a senior college or for students desiring
the general education of the first two years of college. The course aims primarily at helping the
student develop skills and techniques necessary for writing effective expository prose. Emphasis
is placed on sentence structure, word choice, paragraph development, and organization of the
whole essay- Analysis of selected expository prose is used to guide the student in writing.
II. LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Organize their thoughts into effective sentences and sentences into paragraphs which
adequately expand a central thought.
 Individually and collaboratively read, reflect, and respond critically to a variety of texts.
 Organize paragraphs into logical, coherent compositions which effectively communicate
to an intended audience.
 Develop ideas with appropriate support and attribution.
 Use Edited American English in academic essays.
III. COURSE REQUIREMENTS
A. Reading Assignments:
Reading assignments from Handbook for Writers and The Longman Reader will be given
frequently.
B. Papers:
Two outlines, two formal drafts, and two formal essays will be written during the semester, some
of which will be written in class, either partially or in their entirety. Students will also complete
a written formal reflection and homework during the term as well. These assignments will be
supplemented by out-of-class exercises.
C. Class Performance:
Students are expected to attend all classes, bring textbooks and other supplies to class, and learn
to take and keep good class notes. All assignments are given in class; hence, if a student misses
class, they will find they have difficulty keeping up with assignments. Students, whether present
or absent, are responsible for all assignments. The student must contact the instructor concerning
missed assignments.
Note: Two or more unexcused absences may result in an Administrative Withdrawal.
D. Class Participation:
Students are to participate constructively in class discussion and attend class regularly and
punctually.
E. Exams:
• Unannounced quizzes covering assigned material may be given -when necessary.
• A final examinations will be given at the end of the course. For the final exam, a
Composition essay with a minimum of 600 words is required.
F. Late policy. My late policy is simple. I ONLY accept one assignment late during the term and
only if I know ahead of time a student will miss an assignment. Student must notify me
by email. I will only take an assignment within 7 days of a deadline. I do not take more
than one late assignment during a term. The late assignment will be penalized 10%.
All work for a given week is due at the start of each class period. “I forgot my work at home”
and/or “can I email it to you” is not acceptable. You must have hard copy of your work
to hand in. NO assignments are accepted electronically for this class.
IV. SEMESTER GRADE COMPUTATIONS
• The possible grades for the course are A, B, C, D, or F.
• The semester grade will be computed on the following basis of 100 points:
o Written Assignments:
Week 2-Essay Outline 1
Week 3-Essay 1 Draft
Week 4-Essay 1 Final Draft
Week 5-Essay Outline 2
Week 6-Essay 2 Draft
Week 7-Essay 2 Final Draft
Week 8-Final Reflection
o 6 Homework Assignments
4 points
5 points
15 points
4 points
5 points
20 points
5 points
12 points total
o Participation/ Pop Quizzes (.50 each): 5 points
o Final Written Examination:
25 points
Outlines must be formally written and typed in a Word document. Additional requirements will
be specified in class.
Drafts must be at least 500 words and must include a thesis and at least 2 well-developed body
paragraphs. Drafts must be formally written and typed in a Word document. Additional
requirements will be specified in class.
V. WITHDRAWALS AND INCOMPLETES
A. Withdrawal from Course:
It is the student's responsibility to officially drop a class if circumstances prevent attendance.
Any student who desires to, or must, officially withdraw from a course after the first scheduled
class meeting must file an Application for Withdrawal or an Application for Refund. The
withdrawal form must be signed by the student.
Application for Withdrawal will be accepted at any time prior to Friday of the 6th week of
classes.
Students who officially withdraw will be awarded the grade of "W," provided the student's
attendance and academic performance are satisfactory at the time of official withdrawal.
Students must file a withdrawal application with the college before they may be considered for
withdrawal.
A student may not withdraw from a class for which the instructor has previously issued the
student a grade of "F" or "FN" for nonattendance.
B. An Administrative Withdrawal:
An administrative withdrawal may be initiated when the student fails to meet College attendance
requirements. The instructor will assign the appropriate grade on the Administrative Withdrawal
Form for submission to the registrar.
C. An Incomplete Grade:
The College catalog states, "An incomplete grade may be given in those cases where the student
has completed the majority of the course work but, because of personal illness, death in the
immediate family, or military orders, the student is unable to complete the requirements for a
course." Prior approval from the instructor is required before the grade of "IP" is recorded. A
student who merely fails to show for the final examination will receive a zero for the final and an
"F" for the course.
Essay Rubric
Courage Essay and Informative Essay
Score
Content
/Organization
refers to topic;
thesis; order and
focus of ideas;
integrated and
documented
Diction
refers to using
words appropriate
to the audience
and purpose;
choosing words
for deliberate
Sentence
structure refers
to positioning
and varying
sentence length
and rhythm to
create a
Research and
Documentation (if
applicable)
Refers to the
synthesis and
integration of varied
and credible
Grammar/
mechanics
refers to spelling,
word usage,
grammar,
punctuation, and
ability to
Outstanding
Strong
Satisfactory
Limited
Flawed
support; presents
multiple
perspectives;
awareness of
diversity
effect
deliberate
effect;
fragments are a
rhetorical
choice
Well-defined,
insightful focus and
examination of
context and topic;
presents multiple
viewpoints that
show an
understanding of
diverse viewpoints;
Clear focus and
examination of
topic; logical
progression of ideas
with multiple
perspectives
showing an
understanding of
diverse viewpoints;
smooth transitions
Conventional focus
and related support;
limited perspective
showing some
awareness of
diversity; adequate
transitions
Uninformed or
unclear focus;
inconsistent
organization;
transitions do not
connect ideas
No identifiable
focus; no
meaningful
discussion of the
issue; no control of
organization and/or
transitions
Compelling word
choice,
demonstrating
insightful use of
figurative
language
Sentences are
carefully
formed and
positioned with
attention to
emphasis,
rhythm and pace
to engage the
reader
Sentences show
variety in
length, pattern,
and rhythm and
are linked with
appropriate
transitions
Specific word
choice including
metaphor and
analogy
Conventional but
accurate word
choice; wordy
Sentences are
clear but show
too little variety
in length,
pattern and
rhythm
Vague, inaccurate
word choice with
slang, clichés and
jargon
Simple
sentences are
frequent with
occasional fused
sentences and
fragments
Awkward and
unclear
sentences; little
variety; frequent
run-ons and
fragments
Word choice
doesn’t fit
audience or
purpose
research; uses
current MLA (or
other) citation style;
avoids plagiarism
(for Comp1
students)
Credible research is
accurately and
skillfully quoted,
paraphrased, and
summarized to
support ideas;
correct APA or
MLA format
proofread
Clear integration of
varied research
using some
documentation;
Works Cited page
(if applicable)
format is globally
correct
Demonstrates
understanding of
most grammar;
specific comma,
homonym,
pronoun ref errors,
or spell check
errors remain
Integrates
conventional
research as support
relies on quotation;
documentation
shows
understanding
Weak integration of
research; multiple
errors in
documentation
Multiple errors in
sentence structure,
verb agreement,
pronoun reference,
spelling and
punctuation
Poor use of
documentation;
questionable
plagiarism; no
attention to research
Demonstrates
mastery of
grammar, creating
compelling prose;
few to no errors
Frequent errors in
sentence structure,
verb agreement,
pronoun reference,
spelling and
punctuation
Continuous errors
in sentence
structure, verb
agreement,
pronoun reference,
spelling and
punctuation