Syllabus

Sonoma State University
Department of English (Arts & Humanities)
English 100A First Year Composition, Fall 2016


Instructor Contact Information
Name: Gillian Estes
Office Location: Nichols 361
Email: estesg@sonoma.edu
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon; and by appointment
It is best to contact me via e-mail; allow 24 hours for a response (I typically do not respond to e- mail on weekends).

General Course Information
Class Days/Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:20 am -10:35 am
Classroom: Stevenson 2079

Course Description
English 100A is designed to help you study and practice expressing facts and ideas in a variety of rhetorical situations, including those you experience as a college reader, writer, and speaker. This semester emphasizes expository writing, analytical reading, and critical discussion as we study principles of investigation and strategies for developing an effective writing style.

Our focus for the year will be Identity, and how our writing—from texts to essays—reflects who
we are. We will address issues of gender, race, socioeconomics, and more. Some of these issues will be tough to tackle, so I ask that we all treat each other with respect, and come to class with an open mind.

Course Objectives: English 100 A (Fall Semester)
1. Critically read, analyze, and evaluate a variety of non-fiction and academic texts from a
range of disciplines, focusing on rhetorical strategies and an understanding of audience,
purpose, and context. Learn to read like a writer in order to discern the rationale for a writer's rhetorical choices.

2. Practice a repertoire of reading strategies: learn to differentiate between fact and opinion; to
understand an author's ideas, values, and assumptions; and to read for the ideology of a
text in order to detect what is emphasized, what is obscured, and what is missing in a text.

3. Read actively and use metacognition to develop college-level reading skills: learn to set a
purpose for reading, to ask questions, to annotate the text, to use fix-up strategies when comprehension breaks down, and to respond purposefully to a writer's ideas.

4. Write well-developed, well-organized texts in multiple genres, including thesis-driven
arguments; use a variety of rhetorical effects to enhance cogency and clarity. Produce 4 to 5 essays (not including drafts) totaling 5,000 words minimum.

5. Employ a variety of sentence structures and organizational patterns to illustrate clearly the
logic of ideas.

6. Learn and employ self-editing skills in conjunction with course mini-lessons on Standard
English grammar, appropriate diction, and usage conventions. Use a writer's handbook to detect and to address errors; take ownership over the writing produced.

7. Practice presenting persuasive oral arguments; develop active listening skills in order to
interpret, evaluate, and engage critically with new ideas.

Required Texts/Readings
Textbook
Emerging: Contemporary Readings for Writers. Editor: Barrios, Barclay. 2015, Bedford/St.
Martins.

Other Readings

Additional articles and links to other resources will be posted regularly on Moodle. It is best if you can print these articles, allowing you to bring copies to class. If you do not have access to a printer at home, please visit the Library for printing services.

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Policies and Expectations:
Attendance is essential. You can't receive credit for work we do in class if you are not there. If you miss more than two classes, your grade will be affected. Activities done in class are an essential part of the course content and typically cannot be made up. If you miss a class, please check Moodle; I also encourage you to come to my office hours to discuss the material and ask questions. I do not summarize missed classes via email; I encourage you to find a class partner or come talk to me. Your activity record on Moodle (reading articles, checking out links, writing and responding to entries) is also considered as part of your participation in the course.

If you miss numerous classes (or stop attending class), or if you do not complete all required work for the course, you will not pass the class. It is your responsibility to drop yourself from the class if you are unable to keep up.

Warning: If you do not pass English 100A, you will need to complete an equivalent course at a
community college (Santa Rosa Junior College) during the spring; English 100A is not offered in
the spring at SSU. Effective with the 2016-17 academic year, you must complete this requirement
by the end of the Spring semester of your first year or you will risk being disenrolled from the university.

****New for the 2016-17 academic year: Effective with the Fall 2016 semester, a grade of C- or
better is necessary to satisfy the GE Area A2 requirement for graduation. Note that a student can
pass English 101 or English 100A-100B with a D- or better; however, he or she will not have
satisfied Area A2 and must repeat 101 or 100B and pass with a grade of C- or higher (it's Engl
100B that fulfills the Area A2 requirement, not Engl 100A). At SSU, A2 is satisfied by either
English 100B, English 101, or English 1A transfer credit, plus coursework in A3 and C3.

I am here to support you this year. Please let me know - via email, or in person - if you are a
finding any aspect of the course particularly difficult or problematic in some way. If you have
specific questions about texts or assignments, please post them on Moodle, as these may be shared by others and I can respond easily to all of you.

Classroom Etiquette:
Cell phones must be turned off before you enter the classroom. There is NO texting during class. If you are found to be using a cell phone during class time, you will be asked to leave the room, and you will be marked absent for that class session, which may affect your grade. Laptops for note-taking purposes are welcome in class during lectures and writing time, as long as they are not distracting to others around you. If you find yourself distracted by someone's computer use in class, please let me know. Laptops and other electronic devices must be closed during class discussions and small group work unless directly relevant to the task at hand.

Your views, ideas, and comments are important to the class, therefore, it is crucial that you are prepared for our class discussions and group activities. You are expected to have completed the required reading and writing assignments for the day before you come to class.

Please be respectful of your peers' views, ideas, and comments. Be mindful that disruptive behavior, such as side talking, interferes with the educational process of your classmates and will not be tolerated.

Course Requirements
Grade Distribution
Essays (4), with revision/drafts 60.00% In-class writing activities 15.00% Language analysis work (in class) 15.00% Participation (attendance and discussion) 10.00%

Grades are calculated on a straight percentage basis, with 90-100% equaling an "A", 80-89% equaling a "B", and so on. Anything below 60% will fail.

How to get an "A" in this class:
1. Come to class regularly, prepare, and participate in classroom discussion and group work. You cannot get an A in this class if you miss too many classes, no matter how well you do on your homework/papers.
2. Complete all of the homework. Do all assigned readings at least once and be prepared to discuss them in class.
3. Begin written work early and revise essays before turning them in for a grade.
4. Revise essays when permitted for a higher grade.
5. Ask for help! Ask me, ask at the Writing Center, ask a librarian for research help, ask a friend to read your essay.
6. Come to office hours. Working through a paper with the instructor is a great way to have any of your concerns/questions answered.

Late work: Arrangements for turning work in after its due date, if necessary, should be made in advance. While I can appreciate the possibility of emergencies, unaccounted-for late work will be subject to grade penalties, at the rate of 10 percent for each class day late.

Moodle Course
Moodle is an essential component of our work together, so please be familiar with it and refer to it frequently. Submission of work on-line: Papers and/or homework can be turned in electronically via Moodle on or before the due dates listed. All work (unless completed in class) must be typed.

Sorry no exceptions. You must take responsibility for documents that get "lost" or delayed in cyberspace. I will let you know if I cannot open a document but this may cause your paper to be late. SPECIFIC DUE DATES FOR ALL ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE NOTED ON MOODLE. MOST ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE UPLOADED DIRECTLY TO MOODLE OR TO TURNITIN VIA MOODLE.

If Moodle is giving you trouble, please refer to the following:
Moodle Help and Student Computing Resources
Contact the IT Help Desk http://www.sonoma.edu/it/helpdesk/ if you need assistance with Moodle
or other information about computing and information technology at SSU. Three ways to contact
the IT Help Desk are:
Writing Center
The Writing Center is filled with helpful people! You will be required to visit the SSU Writing Center to work with a tutor on at least one assignment during the course of the semester. We will also be completing at least one workshop per semester in the Writing Center, and there will be extra credit opportunities. The Writing Center is located on the ground floor of the Schulz Library.

Appointments are not required, but are strongly recommended as the Writing Center gets fairly busy. Please note: Writing Center tutors will not edit or proofread your essay, but they will teach you self-editing techniques, and will provide plenty of helpful feedback. I really encourage you to take advantage of their services!

University Policies You Should be Aware Of
There are important University policies that you should be aware of, such as the add/drop policy; cheating and plagiarism policy, grade appeal procedures; accommodations for students with disabilities and the diversity vision statement. See Important Policies and Procedures for Students http://www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/policies/studentinfo.shtml.

Dropping and Adding
Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drops, academic
renewal, etc. How to Add a Class http://www.sonoma.edu/registration/addclasses.html has step- by-step instructions.

Registration Information http://www.sonoma.edu/registration/regannounce.html lists important deadlines and penalties for adding and dropping classes.

Campus Policy on Disability Access for Students
Students with disabilities: If you have a disability that needs accommodation, please let me know immediately so that we can find the best possible solutions for your needs. You should register with the campus Disabled Student Services (DSS), located in Salazar Hall 1049, phone 664-2677, TTY/TDD: (707) 664-2958. DSS will provide written documentation of your verified disability with the recommended accommodation and an authorization. See SSU's policy on Disability Access for Students http://www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/policies/disabilitypolicy.htm

Academic Integrity
Students should be familiar with the University's Cheating and Plagiarism policy http://www.sonoma.edu/UAffairs/policies/cheating_plagiarism.htm. Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at Sonoma State University and the University's policy, require you to be honest in all your academic course work. Instances of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Cheating on exams or plagiarism (presenting the work of another as your own, or the use of another person's ideas without giving proper credit) will result in a failing grade and sanctions by the University. For this class, all assignments are to be completed by the individual student unless otherwise specified.

Additional Resources
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
CAPS is a unit of the division of Student Affairs of Sonoma State University. CAPS offers confidential counseling to students experiencing personal problems that interfere with their academic progress, career or well being. The CAPS website http://www.sonoma.edu/counselingctr provides information only. If you would like to talk with someone or make an appointment, please call (707) 664-2153 between 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.

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