Course Syllabus

English 101: Composition I 

Course: English 101: Composition I

Section Number: 1056 (this is an important number, so learn it-- you will need to write it on all your assignments and in all your e-mail correspondence with me). 

Instructor: Mr. Shinn

E-Mail: jshinn@tmcc.edu

Office Phone: (775) 673-7211

Office Location: RDMT 207-D

Office Hours: M/W 12:30pm-3:00pm & by appointment.

Prerequisite: Prerequisite: Grade C- or better in English 96 or qualifying placement from one of the following options: high school unweighted cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above, ACCUPLACER Reading Comprehension scores, SAT, or ACT. If  ACCUPLACER scores fall within a specified range, required corequisite is Read 135. See English department webpage for more details.

Course Hours/ Credits: 48/ 3.0

Start Date:  Monday, 23 August 2021

End Date: Wednesday, 8 December 2021 @ 11:59pm

Meeting Days: Mondays & Wednesdays

Meeting Times: 11:00am-12:15pm

Location: Sierra 116 at the Dandini Campus

Textbooks:  

  1. (Required): Lundsford, Andrea. Let's Talk... A Pocket Rhetoric (with The Little Seagull Handbook 4th Ed. Ebook & In Quizitive for Writers). Norton. 2021.  ISBN: 978-0393427189.
  2. (Required): Other readings will be provided via .PDF files on Canvas

Materials: 

  • Pens/ Pencils 
  • Paper/Notebooks 
  • Textbooks & Readings 
  • Internet Access
  • Access to a computer and a word processor (e.g. Microsoft Word, Mac’s Pages, or Google Docs)-- all are available in TMCC's Learning Commons (aka Library). 

Course Description: 

English 101: Composition I Writing is an intensive course designed to strengthen
college level writing skills, with particular attention to persuasion, analysis, synthesis, and an
introduction to research methodologies. Focus on process through drafting, revising and editing is emphasized. Conventions of Standard Written English are reviewed. Additionally, critical reading strategies of college level texts are developed.

Course Objectives: 

This course focuses on the following objectives: 

  1. Reinforce students’ communication skills by listening, reading, and writing using proper English;
  2. Model and strengthen sound analytical thinking; and
  3. Explain and practice research methodologies.

Course Learning Outcomes: 

 By the end of this course, students will have learned to do the following: 

  1. Practice and develop the writing process such as prewriting, drafting, revising, giving and using feedback and editing.
  2. Identify methods for evaluating sources.
  3. Use a citation format to cite sources of information.
  4. Begin to synthesize, use fairly, and credit the ideas of others
  5. Produce a claim-based, supported argument
  6. Use general conventions of academic English
  7. Identify and utilize purpose, audience, and structure of various types of writing
  8. Demonstrate critical reading skills through interpreting, analyzing, discussing, and evaluating a variety of texts.

Course Grading Requirements: 

This course is graded upon the following criteria and percentages: 

Assignments (e.g. Attendance, Short Essays, Quizzes, Homework, Workshops, and Readings): 40%

The Major Essays: 60% (there will be 3 major essays this semester)

Total: 100%

Course Grading Scale: 

This course is assigned letter grades based upon the following percentage scale: 

A 93%-100%

A- 90%-92%

B+ 87%-89%

B 83%-86%

B- 80%-82%

C+ 77%-79%

C 73%-76%

C- 70%-72%

D+ 67%-69%

D 63%-66%

D- 60%-62%

F 0%-59%

Course Principles & Policies: 

The following is a list of principles and policies that apply to this course. Please, familiarize yourself with them as I will refer you back to them when any of these issues arise.

  1. A Principle of Professionalism & Respect: You are expected to conduct yourself in a professional, respectful manner. Please, act with politeness, courtesy, and civility towards me and your fellow students. As such, refrain from cursing or acting a fool. Failure to act with civility, professionalism, and respect will result in disciplinary action. 
  2. Academic Integrity Policy: You are expected to maintain academic integrity. Any form of plagiarism and/ or cheating is a lack of academic integrity. Plagiarism is attempting to pass someone else’s work off as your own, and cheating is attempting to obtain credit for work by any dishonest, deceptive, or fraudulent means. Neither will be tolerated and will immediately earn you a failing grade for the assignment and potentially the entire course. For more information, see TMCC's "Regulations for Academic Dishonesty." 
  3. Attendance Policy: Attendance is directly linked to your grade. For every day that you are absent or tardy, it negatively affects your grade, and there are no “excused” absences (other than active military duty). If you are absent, you are still responsible for all course work. Also, TMCC faculty do not give "W" grades; you must self-withdraw from the class if you decide you are not able to complete this course.
      • The last day to change/ add a course: Saturday, August 28, 2021
      • The 100% course refund deadline:  Saturday, August 28, 2021
      • The 50% course refund deadline: Sunday, September 12, 2021
      • The last date to audit or withdraw from a course: Thursday, October 28, 2021

        • If you do commit to this course, you can’t miss more than 20% (6 class sessions) of the course or you will automatically fail the course.

  4. Late Assignment Policy: I do not accept any late work. Each of your assignments will have a due date and time and must be turned in by that deadline. The only exception to this policy are Essays No. 1 & 2; I will accept them as late but only at the discounted grade of 10% for every period of 24-hours that they are late. 
  5. Make-up Assignment Policy: I do not offer make-up assignments or extra-credit. Either may be granted at my discretion, but they are rare.
  6. Revision Policy: Once you’ve received a letter grade for Essay No. 1 or No. 2, I will allow at least a week's time to revise that essay, if you choose, in order to improve the grade.
  7. Audio/ Video recording Policy: Covert video-taping of class or unauthorized audio recording of class is prohibited by law and by Board of Regents. This class may be videotaped or audio recorded only with my written permission. In order to accommodate students with disabilities, some students may have been given permission to record class lectures and discussions. Therefore, students should understand that their comments during class may be recorded.
  8. ADA Policy: If you feel you may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, meet privately with me to discuss your specific needs and contact the Disability Resource Center at (775) 673-7277 or (775) 673-7111 in RDMT 122 to establish documentation of a disability and to coordinate reasonable accommodations.
  9. Course Evaluation Policy: You will receive an email notification approximately three weeks prior to the end of the semester to complete instructor evaluations on Canvas.  The invitation sent from WebCollege’s evaluation kit goes to your preferred email inside Canvas. The evaluations will be available twenty-four hours a day until the course ends. Instructors will not be able to see the evaluations until grades have been posted, and even if I could see the evaluations, answers are still anonymous.
  10. Student Success Policy: Students who complete their college-level math and English courses early have much higher graduation rates, and your success is our priority. The Board of Regents for all Nevada colleges and universities requires students to complete their college-level English and math courses within their first year of school.  If you have declared that you want to earn a degree or certificate, you will need to continue to enroll in English and math until you complete the college-level classes required for your academic program.  Please contact Academic Advisement at 775-673-7062 for more information.
  11. COVID-19 Policy: For Fall 2021 semester, all TMCC courses are restored to their previous seating capacities and can permit up to 100% occupancy for all face-to-face activities. Capacities for student support services such as Tutoring are also fully restored. Masks are no longer required for those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, however, those who have not been fully vaccinated must wear a face covering while at any TMCC physical location, whether or not others are present. If public health circumstances change, TMCC will issue further guidance as needed.
  12. COVID-19 Policy (for In-Person/ Hybrid Courses): 
    • Unvaccinated students who cannot wear a mask due to medical reasons are to contact the Disability Resource Center. Face shields cannot be worn in place of a mask, but may be worn in addition to a mask.
    • Regardless of your personal vaccination status, if you are sick and/or if you test positive for COVID-19, stay home and contact your instructor by email/Canvas. Do not endanger others by coming to TMCC when you are sick.
    • The modality, standards, and requirements listed in this syllabus may be modified at any time by the course instructor, based upon new guidance from TMCC. Notice of such changes will be made by Canvas course announcement in writing or via email. A modified syllabus with changes will be posted on the Canvas course.

Tutoring & Learning Center (TLC) Services: 

Tutoring services are free for all enrolled TMCC students. For this class, you will be required to utilize the TLC’s tutoring services to have each of your major essays reviewed before they can be turned in. You are free, however, to use the TLC at anytime for any educational needs you may have. 

You’ll need to make an appointment for tutoring; there are two ways to do that: 

  • For In-Person Appointments: Login to Canvas, go into English under “My Courses,” then click “TLC at TMCC” in the navigation menu on the left. This will take you to the TLC page where you can login and book an appointment. The TMCC Tutoring and Learning Center (TLC) is located in Sturm Library in the Sierra Building on the Dandini campus. The TLC also has a computer lab for student use and offers printing.  
  • For Online Appointments: Login to Canvas, go into English under “My Courses,” then click “Smarthinking Tutoring” in the navigation menu on the left. This will take you to the Smarthinking online tutoring hub. You’ll click “Submit My Writing or Career Documents” and then “Essay Center” to upload your essay to have it reviewed online. 
  • Login Assistance: For help with your username or password go to my.tmcc.edu/support
  • More Information: For more information on the TLC, go to tmcc.edu/tutoring/ 

Once you book a tutoring session either in person or online, the tutor will send you a report that has a confirmation of the completed session, what you discusses in the session, and their advice on how to improve your writing. You will need to save this after-session report and upload it to Canvas for class credit. 

Final Notes & Suggestions: 

  1. Use Your TMCC E-Mail:  You have a TMCC e-mail, and you should get in the habit of using it since all course and campus information is communicated through it. You can access it by going to the TMCC homepage, clicking “Current Students” on the bottom of the page, and then clicking “Student Email Login.” Your username and password are the same ones you use for Canvas. 
  2. Use Canvas: Login to Canvas daily. Announcements are made on Canvas; assignments, quizzes, and essays are all due on Canvas; and any changes to the syllabus or curriculum are made on Canvas. Also, as a word of caution, don’t rely solely on the Canvas app to notify you of course changes; it often does not display all due dates.  You should log in to a laptop/ desktop to see any changes. 
  3. Don’t Procrastinate: It doesn’t improve performance, and you don’t “work better under pressure” (for proof, see bit.ly/2MvaC7P). Stay on top of the readings, assignments, and essays. Managing time instead of running out of it is what will reduce stress and help you truly “work better.” 
  4. Prioritize: Prioritize the three major essays. You can not pass this class if you do not turn them in, and I will not offer any way to make them up. 
  5. Communicate: If you a struggling in class, don’t understand something, or need help (i.e. academic advisement, counseling, veteran support, or anything else) don’t hesitate to ask me. I will do all I can to personally help or get you into contact with someone who can. Lastly, you can see a list of the resources TMCC offers students by clicking the “TMCC Resources” link in the navigation menu in this course on Canvas. 

Printable Version of the Syllabus: 

If you want/need a printable .PDF version of the syllabus, you can click here on ENG 101, 1056 - Syllabus (Fall 2021).pdfEnglish 101 Syllabus to download it.