ENG 111 Course Policies Instructor: Patrick Williams Office: TE 224 Office Hours: MWF: 9:00 a.m.

9:50 a.m. TTh: 11:00 a.m. 11:50 a.m. Phone: Email: pbwilliams@waketech.edu

ENG 111 Course Policies

Attendance
Wake Technical Community Colleges attendance policy requires that you attend 90% of this courses meetings. If you miss more than 10%, you will be dropped from the course, which can result in a failing grade. The following is a breakdown of allowed absences (depending on the course) during the fall and spring semesters: MWF class meetings: TTh class meetings: 5 absences allowed 3 absences allowed

Since most of this class is based on discussions and class participation, faithful attendance is required and expected. If you are absent from class, you will not be able to participate in, nor learn from, class discussions and activities. Being absent often will affect you grade in a negative manner. If you enter class after the start time, youll be counted as tardy. Three tardies count as one absence. If you enter the class more than 20 minutes late, you are considered absent for the class meeting. If you need to leave class early, you must notify me and get permission before class starts through either an email or a quick conversation. Do not approach me during a class to ask if you can leave early. If you leave early without permission, you will be counted as tardy or absent for the entire class meeting, depending on the time you leave. Also, please remember that there are no excused or unexcused absences. An absence is an absence, regardless of the reason.

Schedule
A tentative schedule of assignments and due dates will be provided. Any changes made to the schedule will be announced in class. Therefore, if you miss a class meeting, email either a classmate or me to ensure that you are aware of what is due during the next class meeting.

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Make up work/ late work

There is NO make up work unless you have some valid documentation as to why you were not in class when the work was completed or handed in to me. If you plan on being absent, contact me via email before the class meeting to receive the assignments for the day. If you are absent on a due date, type up the work that is due and email it to me for credit.

Essay Assignments
Essay Drafts: You must submit a preliminary draft before submitting a final draft for all major essay assignments. Failure to submit a preliminary draft results in a 0 for the entire assignment. I will not grade a final draft if I have not seen the work in progress. Also, be sure to submit your preliminary draft on time. For each (calendar) day the preliminary draft is late, I deduct five points from the overall assignment. For example, if you submit your preliminary draft one day late, the highest grade you can receive on the entire assignment is a 95. Make sure to turn all assignments in on time. An essay assignment (final drafts and portfolios) turned in late will be docked a letter grade for each (calendar) day that it is late. After four days have passed since the due date, I will not accept the assignment as it will result in a failing grade. You may ask for an extension on essay assignments, but your request must come at least one class meeting before the due date. However, asking for an extension does not guarantee one. 24 Hour Rule: If you have questions or concerns about a graded, weighted assignment (essay, test, or presentation), you must wait 24 hours after receiving my comments and your results before approaching me to discuss the assignment. This time period allows you to carefully consider my comments and to consider what specific points and questions you would like to address. This will help our conversations about graded material be more productive and precise. Revision Option: Towards the end of the course, I will offer a voluntary chance for you to revise and resubmit one graded essay. This assignment is not a simple editing exercise; I require students to make substantial changes and write analytical explanations of the changes made. The assignment will be presented with a prompt to help you successfully complete it.

Rubric
The following is the general rubric I use to grade essays. When grading your final draft, I will insert this rubric with comments into your file. You will receive both a numeric grade and its corresponding letter grade.

ENG 111 Course Policies 1. Applies the writing process and meets the required due date. (10 points) Note** If the assignment is turned in late, ten points, or a letter grade, will be deducted from the final grade for each day the essay is late. 2. Understands, remembers, and applies the concepts and rules for effective peer review. (10 points)

20/20 points.

Content:
1. Describes and introduces the topic effectively to open the essay. 2. Understands and applies the assigned rhetorical strategy. 3. Understands the role of a thesis and creates one to encompass the entire essay. 4. Understands and applies the purpose for topic sentences. 5. Understands and applies the use of content to support the thesis statement and topic sentences. 6. Understands and demonstrates effective organization. 7. Develops the topic by providing appropriate content. 8. Demonstrates the effective use of quotations, paraphrasing, and summarizing (if applicable). 9. Effectively concludes the assignment by tying loose ends and bringing closure to the essay. 10. Effectively applies MLA formatting.

55/55 points

Style and mechanics:

1. Applies appropriate college-level word choices. 2. Applies standard written English for clarity. 3. Recalls and applies standard rules for punctuation. 4. Recalls and applies standard rules for capitalization, spelling, typing, etc.

25/25 points

FINAL GRADE

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Responses
In lieu of a reading journal, you will be required to write one page responses to either assigned readings or assigned prompts. If you are writing a response to an assigned reading, the reading must be what we plan to discuss the day the response is due. For example, if we were to cover Ralph Ellisons Battle Royal on a Monday and you had a response due that particular Monday, the response should cover Ellisons text. This is to ensure that what you respond to was not already discussed in class. The purpose of this response is to help you develop your own ideas and to bring those ideas to class for participation and discussion. In regards to the content of a response to an assigned reading, there are numerous topics you can cover in your response. For example, you can discuss how the text makes you feel a particular way (angry, sad, happy, etc.); ideas or memories the text brings to mind; or why you may not understand the text. In your response, youll focus on outside elements that could influence the way you interpret a text. As critical readers, thinkers and writers, we must understand that interpretation is based on much more than the words comprising a text; interpretation can be influenced by our environment, beliefs, values, personal tastes, etc. The current response dates are on your tentative schedule (but they can be subject to change). Follow the listed guidelines to ensure that you complete the assignment: Create a response consisting of one full page of text that either focuses on its respective assigned reading or assigned prompt. Apply MLA format, such as a heading with your name, instructors name, class and section, date, and a centered title. Double space the document as well. Avoid writing a plot summary. Do not simply retell the text under analysis. It can be in first person as it is a personal response. Use standard written English and avoid mechanical and grammatical errors.

For the responses, if you complete the assignment correctly, you receive full credit. I do not award partial credit for any responses. If you complete the assignment incorrectly, I will give you one warning. The response is due at the beginning of class on its assigned due date. If you are absent on a day when a response is due, you may submit the assignment via email on the assignments due date. If you do not have it ready when you enter class, you may not submit it after class, even if you simply left it at home. Be prepared for class by ensuring you have the response with you before you walk through the classrooms door. **The instructor reserves the right, acting within the policies and procedures of Wake Technical Community College, to make changes in course content or instructional techniques without notice or obligations.**