Course Syllabus

Syllabus

Course Description

This course prepares students to produce clear, well-developed, well-organized, grammatically correct writing. The curriculum is designed to give students guided practice in drafting, revising, and editing essays. The course is also designed to develop the skills that enable students to interpret and analyze published texts. In addition to readings assigned in class, students respond to texts they locate themselves through research and write at least one documented or research essay.

Course Materials

There is no text for this class.

Grades

Your final grade will be based on the following criteria:

Schedule of Readings

The reading schedule for this class is contained in the individual assignment sheets I will be handing out to you.

Classroom Practices and Procedures

• Attendance: Students who miss four classes without a reasonable excuse will be unable to pass. It is your responsibility to let me know—in person, through email or voicemail—why you were absent. Please do so in a timely manner. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what work you missed and to make sure you are prepared for the next class.
• Lateness: Chronic lateness is unacceptable. If you cannot make it to class on time, then you should not be registered for this class. If you are going to be more than 15 minutes late to class, please do not come; it is disruptive and is unfair to me and your fellow students. You can let me know what happened at our next class meeting and, if appropriate, I will excuse the absence.
• Preparedness: Students who come to class unprepared will be given an unexcused absence and asked to leave for the day. For the purposes of this class, being prepared means having at least made an attempt to do the assignment for the day, having your textbook in class, and having a pen and a notebook. If you are asked to leave for the day, it is your responsibility to find out what work you missed so that you will be prepared for the next class.
• Failure/Withdrawal: If you are failing the course and wish to receive a W, you must tell me. If you do not tell me, you will receive an F.
• Format: All assignments for this class must be typed, double-spaced, unless I specify otherwise. I will not accept handwritten work.
• Paper Due Dates: Unless you are absent, you must hand in your assignments on the day they are due. Papers that are one day late will automatically lose one grade, and I will read and comment on those papers at my convenience. Except in the case of absence, I will not accept papers more than one day late.
• Rewrites: With the exception of short homework assignments and any quizzes that I decide to give, all work that you produce in this class can be rewritten for a better grade. Rewrites are due no later than one week after the original assignment has been handed back to you. Unless you are absent, I will accept no rewrites after that deadline.
  • There are two exceptions to this rewrite policy: If you make an appointment to see me and/or to go to the Writing Center to work on your essay, then you rewrite is due one week from the date of the appointment.
  • IMPORTANT: For rewrites to be graded, you must also hand in the original assignment. Not having the original assignment will not count as an excuse for handing a rewrite in after the one week deadline has passed.
  • If you choose to rewrite an assignment, you will receive the grade of the rewrite, meaning that if the rewrite is not as good or better than the original, your grade for that assignment will go down.

Writing Cheating & Plagiarism

Neither cheating nor plagiarism will be tolerated in this class and if I catch you deliberately doing either, you will fail this course for the semester. No exceptions.

The Writing Center

Students should avail themselves of tutoring in writing available in The Writing Center located in Bradley Hall. These services are to be considered an integral part of the coursework and will help the student master the necessary knowledge and skills for this class. The Writing Center’s phone number is (516) 572-7612.

The Center for Students With Disabilities

If you have, or suspect you have, a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that may have an impact on your ability to carry out the assigned coursework, I urge you to contact the staff at the Center for Students With Disabilities, Bldg. U (behind the old College Union), 572-7241, TTY 572-7617. The counselors at CSD will review your concerns and determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation will be kept confidential.

Classroom Conduct

I expect you to conduct yourself in this class in a respectful and professional manner. Students who disrupt the class in a way that makes it impossible for me to teach and/or for their fellow students to learn will be subject to the policies and procedures outlined in the Student Code of Conduct in the college catalogue.

Source for this example syllabus: http://jdlink.us/LgrSb0