COURSE SYLLABUS

COURSE INFORMATION

Course Number: ENGL 1301

Course Title: Composition I

Course Description: Intensive study of and practice in writing processes, from invention and researching to drafting,
revising, and editing, both individually and collaboratively. Emphasis on effective rhetorical choices, including
audience, purpose, arrangement, and style. Focus on writing the academic essay as a vehicle for learning,
communicating, and critical analysis. Lab required.

Course Credit Hours: 3

Lecture Hours: 3
Lab Hour: 1

Prerequisite: Meet TSI college-readiness standard for Reading and Writing; or equivalent

Student Learning Outcomes:

State-mandated outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes.
2. Develop ideas with appropriate support and attribution.
3. Write in a style appropriate to audience and purpose.
4. Read, reflect, and respond critically to a variety of texts.
5. Use Edited American English in academic essays.
Additional Collin Outcome: Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to do the
following:
1. Demonstrate personal responsibility through the ethical use of intellectual property.

Withdrawal Policy: See the current Collin Registration Guide for the last day to withdraw.

Collin College Academic Policies: See the current Collin Student Handbook
The College District may initiate disciplinary proceedings against a student accused of scholastic dishonesty.
Scholastic dishonesty may involve, but is not limited to, one or more of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism,
collusion, use of annotated texts or teachers editions, use of information about exams posted on the Internet or electronic
medium, and/or falsifying academic records.
Collin faculty are required to report alleged violations of scholastic dishonesty to the Dean of Student Development,
who then investigates the case, and renders an administrative decision.
Faculty are not allowed to assign a grade to the work in question until the Dean of Student Development renders a
decision
Students found responsible for scholastic dishonesty offenses will receive an authorized disciplinary penalty from
the office of the Dean of Student Development.
Additionally, students found responsible for scholastic dishonesty will be assigned a penalty in this class that
ranges from a grade of F on the assignment to a grade of F for the course

Americans with Disabilities Act:

Collin College will adhere to all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and guidelines
with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required to afford equal opportunity. It is
the students responsibility to contact the ACCESS office, SCC-G200 or 972.881.5898 (V/TTD:
972.881.5950) to arrange for appropriate accommodations. See the current Collin Student
Handbook for additional information.

Religious Holy Days: Please refer to the current Collin Student Handbook.
6.24 Repeating Courses

Grades of all courses taken will be recorded on the students transcript. The highest grade earned will be used in
computing the grade point average and applied toward degree or program requirements. Beginning fall 2002, a course in
which a grade (including W) has been received can be repeated only one (1) time to replace the grade. The grade received
does not affect the students ability to repeat a course.

Registration holds will be placed on courses that have been attempted twice.

When a course is repeated:

1. Only one (1) course/grade will be counted in a students GPA.
2. The highest grade will be used in GPA calculations.

Courses repeated before fall 2008 will have only the last grade and credits (whether higher or lower) earned used in
computing the grade point average and applied toward degree or program requirements.

Veterans should consult the Director of Financial Aid/Veterans Affairs before repeating any course. Students planning to
transfer to another college or university should check with a Collin College academic planning consultant (advisor)
or with receiving institutions for their repeat policies. See the Registration Guide for details on specific courses.
Student Handbook, p. 69
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Instructors Name: Sean Ferrier-Watson, Ph.D.

Office Number: D-120 (meeting students in G231)
Office Hours: MTWR 5:00-6:00PM (call my office to confirm availability)
or by appointment
Phone Number: 972-516-5053
Email: sferrier-watson@collin.edu
Website: Canvas and www.seanferrierwatson.wordpress.com

Class Information
Section Number: 1301.1SE
Meeting Times: MTWR 6:00-8:00PM; F 6:00-8:00PM (Date: 7/7)
Meeting Location: SCC BB131
Minimum Technology Requirement: Computer with internet access and ability to send emails and login to our
class website; it must also house appropriate writing software (i.e., compatible with Canvas and Microsoft Office
Word).
Minimum Student Tech Skills: Students are expected to be familiar with typing papers on a keyboard, surfing
the internet, and other basic computer literacies
Netiquette Expectations: Students are expected to send emails from their Collin account with clear subjects and
appropriate signatures for identification purposes; responses to emails should be expected within 48 hours during
weekdays; emails will rarely receive responses on weekends and holidays.

Course Resources

Textbooks:

Losh, Elizabeth, and Jonathan Alexander, ed. Understanding Rhetoric: A Graphic Guide to Writing. Boston: Bedford,
2013. Print. ISBN: 978-0-312-64096-5.

Optional Texts:

MLA Handbook, 8th ed. Modern Language Association of America, 2016. Print. ISBN: 9781603292627.

Other Texts:

Anything published to our classs Canvas account or website as marked on our weekly calendar.

Supplies

1. Three-ring binder for storing class work

2. Flash drive or other means (dropbox.com account, for example) of storing digital versions of essays and other written
material you generate (always, always keep a backup of everything you turn in!)
3. A valid, working Collin College email address that you check everyday
4. Regular access to a computer and internet (additional readings may be available online)

Method of Evaluation

As an expert in my field, I reserve the right to gauge writing on any scale or method my profession and college deem
acceptable. I will assign grades based on my best judgment as an experienced and qualified Professor of English.

Grade Scale:

A= 90 to 100
B= 80 to 89
C= 70 to 79
D= 60 to 69
F= 0 to 59

Participation/Attendance 10%

Participation may include class discussion, readiness for class, homework, attendance, or any other classroom activity.
Attendance is mandatory and vital to your grade. You cannot hope to pass the class without attending regularly. If a
student misses more than three classes, a deduction will be applied to the students participation grade. If a student misses
more than five class days, they can expect to fail for the semester. Attendance is an important part of your grade, so please
do not underestimate the attendance policy. Absences are considered to be unauthorized unless officially sanctioned by
the college. Students must present proof of the incident before an excuse will be issued. If, through a misfortune, a student
should arrive after roll has been recorded, it is the students responsibility to talk with me immediately after class in order
to discuss changing the unauthorized absence to a tardy. If tardies are frequent, they can be counted as absences (three
tardies equal one missed class). This policy also applies to leaving early unannounced. If a problem is serious enough to
miss a significant amount of class, then the student should consider dropping the course or speaking with the college or
appropriate dean.

Daily Writing Journal 15%

Daily journal entries are designed to help students engage the writing process on a daily basis. These response papers can
be handwritten or typed and should always be legible. I encourage students to write about what they have learned in the
previous class or respond to the reading for the day (I typically ask that students go beyond merely summarizing the
reading or class discussion on these entries). These papers are due before the end of class every class day listed below.
The average response paper should be roughly to 1 page in length. They are graded credit or no credit, which will be
indicated by a check or a zero. Late journal entries will not be accepted.

Peer Editing 10%

The peer editing grade will be derived from the peer editing workshops taking place before a major essay assignment is
due. Peer editing is an in-class activity that involves heavy reflection and revision on rough drafts of your essay
assignments. In order to receive full credit on peer editing days, students must bring in written materials to work with and
participate in group revision activities. If students fail to bring in the required materials, I may allow the student to assist
others in the revision process for half or partial credit, but such circumstances will be decided on a case by case basis.
Students consistently failing to participate or bring materials might be counted absent or given no credit for the activity at
all. If students miss all peer editing days, further penalties may follow on the participation and attendance grade. Students
can also fail the class in such cases. Revision and group work is important to your grade and to the writing process.

Lab 10%

The lab component is an integral part of this writing class. Over the course of the semester, you will need to complete a
combination of four selections from the list below. Lab work is not the same as regular daily coursework that you must
complete to stay on track for the class; it is, instead, designed as an additional writing-focused activity to help you
improve your writing throughout the term. During the semester, you will need to track and provide evidence of
completing these lab requirements outside of class on four occasions during the semester (the due dates for these are
shown on the schedule below). You will use the attached signature sheet to verify tutor sessions and events. The lab grade
can be earned by completing the following objectives before one of the due dates: complete a two-page review of a movie
or event you have attended (i.e. concert, football game, etc.), complete an in-person or online writing center session, or
complete a Writing Center or library workshop. These are all completion assignments, meaning fulfilling the minimal
requirements for the assignments will count as 100%. Completing online writing center sessions or attending workshops is
easiest way to satisfy the requirement. The purpose of the lab component is to gain feedback about your
writing and scholarship from outside our classroom. If you complete an online writing center session or tutor-text, you
must print off the confirmation slip and return it to me in order to receive credit. Additional instructions and resources will
follow. Here is a link to access the Online Writing Lab (OWL): https://www.collin.edu/writingcenter/online.htm.

Essay #1: Conceptualizing Your Writing Process 10%

Writing is often a tough and strenuous process for new college students, but most students become comfortable with the
process after a little practice. The best way to start conceptualizing the way you write or to find your voice as an author is
to think critically about your own writing process. For your first essay, consider the writing you have done in the past and
discuss what frustrates you most about writing. Try to identify what you believe are the best and worst parts of your
writing process. Try to answer the following questions in your essay: What is your favorite thing about writing? What do
you hate most about writing? Do you have any strategies or techniques that are particularly helpful as you write? If you
had your choice, what kinds of things would you like to write about in school? The essay should be 1,000 words, double
spaced, in MLA format. You may rely on our readings and class discussions for resources for writing this paper. If you
quote or use other sources, a works cited page and in-text citation will be required.

Essay #2: Rethinking Scholastic Dishonesty 10%

Plagiarism is a concept that often baffles first-year college students. If students have heard of the term before, they
frequently believe it to mean only the word-for-word theft of anothers ideas or simply the failure to place quotation
marks around certain borrowed phrases. While these accounts can and do frequently represent acts of plagiarism, the term
in academe has a much broader, more nuanced meaning. To help you better understand the concept of plagiarism within
the academy, particularly as it applies to specific disciplines and their writing practices, I would like you to write a
plagiarism policy of 1,000 words. You should write this paper from the perspective of a school administration (keep in
mind all we have discussed about plagiarism). The paper should try to consider the following questions: How is
plagiarism defined? What do you consider plagiarism? How will you and your school enforce violations of your policy?
How would you keep your policy fair and balanced? You may rely on our readings and class discussions for resources for
writing this paper. The paper must follow MLA formatting guidelines for student writers. If you quote or use other
sources, a works cited page and in-text citation must be provided.

Essay #3: Visual Rhetoric in Modern Advertising 15%

Rhetorical fallacies are falsehoods told to intentionally mislead or distract an audience from critical flaws or shortcomings
in an argument, often masked as indisputable truths or legitimate and well-founded departures from the task at hand.
Fallacies have a long history in the discussion and study of rhetoric, harkening back to the ancient Greeks and beyond, but
they can also be found throughout modern times as well. We see fallacies employed in political debates, around the dinner
table, in classrooms, and just about anywhere else where arguments are being made, but ethical scholars and savvy
interlocutors try to avoid and unravel fallacies at all costs. This essay will call upon you to study the nature of modern
fallacies through examining the way they are used in advertising, especially the way images are adapted to mislead or
capture the attention of an audience. You will need to select an ad or series of ads and explain their use of rhetorical
fallacies, particularly their use of visual rhetoric. Drawing from our class discussions and readings, your essay should try
to answer the following questions: Who is the target audience of the ad? How do the ads you looked at attempt to
persuade their target audience? What kinds of fallacies appear in the ad? Do you believe they are being used effectively?
In other words, do you believe the ads actually con their target audiences? The completed assignment should be 1, 000
words in length, not including the works cited page. If sources are cited, a works cited page must appear.

Essay #4: Literacy Hero, Rebel, or Victim Narrative 15%

Using Bronwyn T. Williamss Heroes, Rebels, and Victims: Student Identities in Literacy Narratives and other literacy
scholars we have look at this semester as a lens, examine the way language, rhetoric and literacy have shaped your life
and writing. Try to identify yourself under Williamss theory of student writers and describe the experiences that led you
to this conclusion. The paper can take the form of a personal narrative (story) or first-person essay and cover the following
questions: What or who is the controlling agent(s) or sponsor(s) of your literacy practices? What events lead you to
believe this? What in your writing do you feel has been positively or negatively shaped by these events and practices?
Finally, how do you feel Williams and the other scholars we have studied have contributed to your understanding of your
own reading and writing practices? The completed assignment should be 1,450 words, not including the works cited page.
If sources are cited, a works cited page must appear.

Final Exam 5%

The final exam is an in-class essay exam. It will cover one or a combination of multiple topics we have explored this
semester. Details about the final exam will be provided as the date of the exam nears.

Rewrite Policy

Revision is a major part of the writing process. As such, all major writing assignments, with the exception of the final
writing assignment, may be rewritten once for full credit and submitted as a hardcopy. Please speak with me after
assignments are returned to discuss rewriting for a higher grade. No comments are retuned for rewrites.

Reading Assignments

Readings listed on our class schedule are NOT optional. They are an essential part of the class and your learning process.
You must have your reading assignment read before class on the date listed in the syllabus. If you are not doing the
readings before coming in to class, it is a violation of the participation policy and will result in a grade deduction.

Late Policy

I will allow for late papers to be submitted to Canvas, but exams, participation grades, and other assignments cannot be
made up under normal circumstances. If late work is submitted and accepted, I will deduct some points as a penalty,
varying based on the amount of time over the due date. Penalties can become substantial after two weeks after the
deadline (i.e., 30% deduction or more). I expect all of my students to submit their work in a timely fashion. In most cases,
I do not believe it is fair for some to receive extra time on an assignment while others submitted the assignment in a
timely fashion. As such, I rarely grant exceptions to my late policy. If you know you are going to miss a day an exam will
be given, please ask to schedule the exam or essay deadline early rather than asking to do it late. I will not apply penalties
to students taking exams or submitting assignments early; however, I will decide what situations warrant an early exam or
make up assignment. Late work is due by the last class day of the semester under normal circumstances. I will not take
late work after this date unless extreme circumstances warrant such an extension (see Redemption Policy).

Email/Phone Policy

Email is the preferred method of contacting me outside of my office hours. With the exception of weekends, I will
respond to emails within 48 hours. I rarely respond to weekend emails and will never respond during holidays. The only
email address I can respond to is your Collin College email account, so please make sure you are using this account when
inquiring about private student matters (i.e., grades, attendance, etc). This is done to protect your privacy. Please make
sure emails are sent apart from the Canvas account (as they may not appear in my inbox). I will only answer my office
phone during my office hours. I will not return student phone calls for privacy and security reasons, but I will likely
respond to voice messages in an email response.

Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism and other forms of scholastic dishonesty are serious offenses and can result in hefty penalties. If a paper is
suspected of plagiarism, it must be initially reported to the Dean of Student Development; however, as the instructor of
the course, I am usually the arbiter of determining what offense are deemed plagiarism or scholastic dishonesty within my
course and discipline. Students are typically referred to the Dean of Student Development in my class for substantially
quoting a word-for-word source without using quotation marks, failing to identify the author or origin of the idea for
paraphrased (summarized) text, and for submitting a document with over a 50% match on Turn-it-In for un-cited text.
Students are responsible for properly citing sources within their papers, but exceptions to the policy might be made if
evidence of unintentional plagiarism seems to exist (i.e. the professor or Dean determine such circumstances). If students
plan to use writing from previous papers or assignments, they must first receive permission from me in writing and must
reproduce enough revised or original work on the assignment to align themselves with the original work done by other
students in the class; furthermore, if a student plans to expand or work on a project currently being done in another class,
they must also receive written permission from that professor as well. Penalties for violating this policy are determined on
a case-by-case basis and can range from penalties on the assignment to failure of the course. Students can even receive
point deductions and other penalties for failure to engage in careful research conventions like citation and proper
contextualization of source material. For more scholastic dishonesty procedures or plagiarism codes, please see the policy
on the first page of this syllabus or the Collin Student Handbook.
Grading/Return Policy/Essay Integrity

My policy is generally to return major grades at least one week after the assignment has been submitted, not including
assignments accepted after the deadline or works to be rewritten. On rare occasions, there may be an exception to this
return policy, but I will alert students immediately if such an occasion occurs. If you have not received an assignment by
the one-week deadline, it is your responsibility to contact me with your concerns. It is sometimes the case that students
have missed days when papers were returned or have missed an email indicating a change in the return date. A quick
email or conversation with me can easily clarify the matter, so please dont hesitate to contact me with your concerns.
With the exception of Essay #4, all major essays will have comments and will be returned on Canvas. If you dont see
your comments, it is your responsibility to alert me to the problem immediately. Canvas comments have frequently failed
to show due to minor glitches in the systema quick email to me can usually resolve these problems. Note: students are
responsible for learning how to retrieve their grades and comments from Canvas; I am not responsible for returning major
grades by email or in person. Finally, all class essays and writings assignments are held up to academic expectations of
appropriate research and argumentation.

Classroom Conduct

I expect all students to be respectful of me and their classmates while attending one of my class sessions. As such,
students should act civilly in my class and abide by the behavioral rules stipulate by Collin College in their student
handbook. Failure to do so might result in being asked to leave the room. Cell phones, laptop computers, and other
devices, if not being used for the class, may count as a distraction and may be viewed as disrespectful to your classmates
and myself. Anything deemed as an unnecessary distraction can also be grounds for dismissal. Please be considerate of
others when attending one of my classes and refrain from making inappropriate comments or insulting speech. This policy
of polite and appropriate discourse also applies to assignments and other forms of in-class writing. Failure to abide by
these stipulations can impact an assignment grade.

Grade Redemption Policy

On rare occasions, students in breach of any of the above policies or grading criteria may request a second chance under
the Grade Redemption Policy. Students may only qualify for this policy until mid-semester or on rare occasions longer. If
I deem your situation worthy of redemption, I will ask you to draw up a contract agreeing to our terms of redemption. If
you violate any part of this contract, I have the authority to declare the contract broken and assign you an F for the class. I
also retain the right to declare the contract null-and-void at any point in the semester. This policy is NOT a right. Student
contracts are only available at my discretion.

Interactive Course Requirements

This course makes use of an online learning component provided by the Canvas platform, accessible by logging into
CougarWeb with the ID and password provided by the college. Our Canvas section will house readings, handouts,
gradebook(s), an assignment dropbox folder to submit essays, links to important websites and documents, and the class
syllabus. You are required to visit this site before every class to access the schedule and check for important updates and
announcements.

You will submit major essays and receive grades on them through this online platform and by using the assignment
dropbox feature. Criteria for grading and regulating essays are the same as listed above. Assignments are due at 11:59PM
on the day they are listed as due on the syllabus. The essay you submit is your official submission, meaning NO deletions
or multiple uploads, so only submit it if it is ready for my viewing.

Late work may be subject to penalty. Students are also responsible for turning in assignments in an Office Word friendly
format. If you encounter legitimate technical problems (error in the system) submitting on Canvas preventing you from
making the deadline, you are responsible for contacting the help desk and copying the professor on the subsequent email
chain as proof of the problem. Leniency will only be granted if a legitimate error has occurred. I do NOT consider being
unfamiliar with Canvas a legitimate excuse. All students are responsible for learning to operate their instructional material
and find the means to access Canvas.

Note: the Canvas grade-book does NOT reflect your official grade for the class, but merely the average of your
major essay gradesparticipation, attendance, the daily writing journal, lab, and the final exam will NOT be
reflected in this grade-book.

Course Calendar:
Summer I 2017
UR=Understanding Rhetoric
CANV.=Canvas
LC=Lab Credit Due (review options above)

June
Week 1
5 First Day!
Class Introduction
Review of Syllabus & Class Schedule
Assign Peer Groups
English, A Brief History of Language and Writing
Rhetorical Situation: Audience, Occasion, & Purpose
Homework: upload two sentence bio to Canvas
6 Rhetoric Through the Ages & Writing to Argue
Why Rhetoric? pp. 35-55 (UR)
Using Ethos, Pathos, & Logos
Arguing Beyond Pro and Con, pp. 143-159 (UR)
Submit Journal Entry #1: just write about the reading assignment above
7 Writing Intros & Conclusions That Matter
Group Activity & Discussion
Introduction: Spaces for Writing, pp. 1-13 (UR)
Activity and Discussion
Writing Titles
Submit Journal Entry #2
8 Reading Critically; Formatting & Submitting a College Paper
Strategic Reading, pp. 67-103
Activity and Discussion
Submit Journal Entry #3
LC1: submit lab credit 25%

Week 2
12 Proofreading & Peer Review
Proofreading: The Skill We Neglect to Teach (CANV.)
Bring draft of essay to class
Peer Review for Essay #1
Essay #1 Due (submit to dropbox by 11:59PM tonight))
13 Understanding Plagiarism
How to Fight College Cheating, Lawrence M. Hinman (CANV.)
The Rules of Attribution, Deborah R. Gerhardt (CANV.)
Copy This, Carolyn Foster Segal (CANV.)
Submit Journal Entry #4
14 Understanding Plagiarism Cont.
The Truth about Plagiarism, Richard A. Posner (CANV.)
Anonymous Source Is Not the Same as Open, Randall Stross (CANV.)
Scholastic Dishonesty and Plagiarism section from Student Handbook (CANV.)
Colleges Need Honor Codes, Burrell (CANV.)
Comparing plagiarism policies
Submit Journal Entry #5
15 Using Our Library Resources & Citing in MLA; What is peer review?
 Tracking Down Sources- Coming Clean with Citation, pp. 187-207 (UR)
Keeping the Story Straight, pp. 182-187 (UR)
What is peer review for scholars? Class activity
LC2: submit lab credit 25%
Bring MLA handbook

Week 3
19 Peer Review
Bring completed draft of Essay #2
Be prepared to workshop with peer group
Essay #2 Due (submit to dropbox by 11:59PM tonight)
20 Visual Literacy & Fallacies as Rhetorical Device
Understanding visual rhetoric
Scott McCloud excerpt and activity
List of Common Fallacies (CANV.)
Exploring Visual Literacy, pp. 14-23 (UR)
Last Day to Withdraw from Summer I
Submit Journal Entry #6
21Issues Behind Deception in Rhetoric Part 1
No face-to-face class meeting today; assignment and reading online
Allegory of The Cave, Plato (CANV.)
Watch video by clicking Plato Allegory of The Cave link on Canvas
Submit Journal Entry #7 online (Canvas) by 3:00PM, June 26
22 Issues Behind Deception in Rhetoric Part 2
No face-to-face meeting today; assignment and reading online
Excerpt from The Prince, Niccol Machiavelli (CANV.)
Submit Journal Entry #8 online (Canvas) by 3:00PM, June 26

Week 4
26 Visual Argument; Passive Voice & Second Person
Discussion & Activity
LC3: submit lab credit 25%
No reading assignment
Discussion & Lesson
Extra Credit Journal Entry
27 Peer Review for Essay #3
Bring completed draft of Essay #3
Be prepared to workshop with peer group
No Journal Entry Due
Essay #3 Due (submit to dropbox by 11:59PM tonight)
28 Literacy Narrative Discussion
Heroes, Rebels, and Victims: Student Identities in Literacy Narratives, Bronwyn T. Williams (CANV.)
Literacy Practices, Barton & Hamilton (CANV.)
Submit Journal Entry #9
29 Literacy Sponsors (long article, so start early)
Literacy Sponsors, Deborah Brandt (CANV.)
Discussion
Submit Journal Entry #10
July
Week 5
3 Literacy in Parts
Literacy in Three Metaphors, Sylvia Scribner (CANV.)
Becoming Literate, Andrea R. Fishman (CANV.)
 Writing Identities, pp. 113-135 (UR)
Submit Journal Entry #11
4 Fourth of July Holiday
No Class!
5 Literacy Victims? & Brainstorming Session
Literacy Behind Bars (CANV.)
Rebel Music, Daniel Felsenfeld (CANV.)
Mother Tongue, Amy Tan (CANV.)
Se Habla Espanol, Tanya Maria Barrientos (CANV.)
Always Living in Spanish, Marjorie Agosin (CANV.)
Entering the Final Frontier with Publication, pp. 257-267 (UR)
LC4: submit lab credit 25%
Submit Journal Entry #12
Extra Credit Journal #2
6 Peer Review
Bring completed draft of Essay #4
Be prepared to workshop with peer group
Essay #4 Due (submit to dropbox by 11:59PM tonight)
7 Final Exam:
Friday, July 7th
SCC BB131
@6-8PM