Freshman Composition

Course Description
This class will teach you to write essays on assigned readings using various methods of development. You also will learn to use library resources to research and write a standard term paper. The readings for the class are non-fictional essays and one book-length prose work. To pass the class, you must write a minimum of 6,000 words (24 typed pages) in the form of five essays and one fully documented research paper. These requirements are set by the department of English and must be met to get a passing grade. All six papers must have a clear thesis and supporting points. The essays should be coherent, concise, and grammatically correct.

Contacting the Instructor
You may leave written or phone messages for me with the secretaries at the Department of English. The Department of English extension is x1620.

Required Material
1. Flanner, Hildegarde. Different Images: Portraits of Remembered People. Santa Barbara: John Daniel, 1987.
2. Perrin, Robert. The Beacon Handbook. 3rd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994.
3. Seyler, Dorothy U. Patterns of Reflection: A Reader. 2nd. ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1995.
4. standard school supplies--notebook, pencil, eraser, pen, folder for your papers, paperclips
5. a dictionary--preferably two, a hardback (unabridged) for home use and a small (abridged) paperback you can take to class
6. typing or computer supplies (you can use the school's machines or a public library's) but will need to provide either typing paper or a disk

Attendance
It is difficult to pick up a book and learn from it without any guidance. I have found students who miss over three weeks of class (in our case, 6 classes) tend to fail. I also have found that students who receive As tend to have missed only one or two classes over the entire semester. You, of course, could be the rare genius who can pass a class having missed many classes--but why risk it? After all, you are paying for these classes! For more information, please consult the college catalog about attendance policies. Remember also attendance is a key part of your class participation grade--one must be there to contribute to the class.

Assignment Due Dates
Because you must write a minimum of 24 typed pages in six essays to get a D or better, we must keep to a disciplined schedule. You will have one week to contact me about any missed or late work. I will consider each case separately and give you a new due date or alternative assignment. In some cases of missed work, you will have no other option than to complete an alternative assignment. For example, a missed quiz or class presentation will likely be replaced by a typed paper assignment. If you do not contact me within one week of your missed assignment, I will assign you a failing grade for it. It is easy to avoid this--just call the Department of English and leave a phone message for me. Emergencies and extreme crises will be given special consideration. No work will be accepted after the last class of the course, unless I have granted you an extension.
Grading Policy
Class Participation and Other Graded Work 10%
Paper One (3 pages) 7%
Paper Two (3 pages) 7%
Paper Three (3 pages) 7%
Paper Four (4 pages) 8%
Paper Five (4 pages) 8%
Library Presentation 4%
Topic Proposal for Research Paper 1%
Bibliography for Research Paper 2%
Thesis for Research Paper 2%
Outline and Revised Thesis 2%
Draft of Research Paper (minimum of 5 pages) 4%
Research Paper (7 pages)6%
Revised Research Paper 6%
Fragment Quiz 2%
Possessive Quiz 2%
Agreement Quiz 2%
Comma Quiz 2%
Vocabulary Test 4%
Grammar Test 6%
Final Exam 8%
Academic Honesty
The school policy on cheating and plagiarism will be enforced. For details, see the college catalogue, page 14. Any time you turn in work to me, you must make clear if any number of words--even only two words- are taken from someone else's writing. I will teach you how to indicate from where you have copied these words. Any use of another's work that is not clearly labeled by the use of quotation marks, parenthetical citation, footnotes, or endnotes, is plagiarism. Typical punishments for plagiarism include failing the assignment or the course. Occasionally, plagiarism results in expulsion from college.

Non-Discrimination Policy
Class discussions are times for expressing our opinions. However, if our opinions hinder the learning process of others, the goal of education is defeated. Thus, the school non-discrimination policy will be enforced:

Sexual harassment and discrimination, which is based on race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, gender, marital status, persons with disabilities, and medical condition, Vietnam Era Veterans, and sexual orientation is prohibited under district policy" (San Bernardino Valley College 1994-5 Catalog, p. 11).

Class Schedule

8/21 Introduction
8/23 Fragment Quiz; Discussion of reader pp. 1-8 and "I Think (and Write in a Journal), Therefore I am"
8/28 Discussion of "On Reading and Becoming a Writer"
8/30 Paper One Due based on topics pp.37-8 in reader (3 pages); Discussion of reader pp. 81-3 and "Lost Lives of Women"
9/6 Possessive Quiz; Discussion of reader pp. 210-12 and "Jogging in Japan"
9/11 Library Tour; Research Workshop
9/13 Discussion of "Symbols of Humankind"
9/18 Paper Two Due based on topics in reader pp. 124-6 or 247-9 (3 pages); Discussion of reader pp. 127-30 and "Conversational Ballgames"
9/20 Agreement Quiz; Discussion of "Lessons from Asian Schools"
9/25 Library Presentations
9/27 Discussion of "The Importance of Fairy Tales" and "The Dive Trip"
10/2 Paper Three Due based on topics pp. 164-6 OR

compare/contrast any on the essays we have read about Asian countries (3 pages); Discussion of reader pp. 250-3 and "Territorial Behavior"