Syllabus

Click here to download the Course Syllabus as a PDF file. 

Laura Garrett
Office: E & T 608
Office Hours: MW 9:40am-11:30am, 3:20-4:00pm
Campus Phone: (323) 343-4156
English Dept: (323) 343-4140
Email: lgarret@calstatela.edu
Course Web Site: http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/lgarret/095

Learning Objectives

• Develop the ability to focus an essay upon a single assertion triggered by a writing prompt
• Use effective writing process strategies in invention, drafting, revising, and editing
• Develop critical reading strategies for both narrative and expository prose
• Use both narrative and expository structures to organize essays
• Demonstrate fluency by developing essays with sufficient specific detail
• Revise writing based on criteria articulated in the rubric and feedback from peers and the instructor
• Edit writing to eliminate major errors in English sentence structure, punctuation, and usage

The purpose of this course is relatively straight-forward:  To work on improving your ability to think critically about texts (in whatever form you encounter them) and communicate clearly your ideas.  No magic solutions will be offered nor will you be taught a one-size fits all college essay format.  Upon successful completion of this course you will be eligible to take English 096. 

Required Work

There will be weekly reading and writing assignments in this class.  You will need to plan ahead carefully in order to complete the following tasks on time:

§         Weekly reading assignments

§         Four short essays (at least 3 pages each)

§         Two revised essays

§         One final exam essay

§         A reading journal in which you will summarize and respond to a book of your own choosing.

Please note that every assignment (the readings, the essays, and the journal entries) is required.  I will not accept a portfolio from anyone who has failed to complete all of the assignments.

Policies

Expectations: Attendance is mandatory. I will take attendance at the start of every class. If you are not present I will mark you absent. Arriving late will count as half of an absence. If you miss more than four classes (or are late more than eight times) you will be disqualified from taking the final and therefore will fail the class. The English Department has a firm policy that states that no student may miss more than 20 percent of the class meetings. If you must miss a class for a valid reason, please call the department number or email me and leave a message that includes how I can reach you so that we can make sure you don't fall behind the rest of the class. English Department policy states that composition students must attend the first two classes of the quarter to retain their place in the class. Any student who is absent either the first or second class meeting will be dropped and the space given to another student who is trying to add. 

Throw nothing away, and bring paper, our text, your book and your journals to class every time, unless otherwise instructed.

In conjunction with regular attendance, you must keep up with the work.  Late work is not acceptable and a missing assignment is counted as an absence.

Supplies: You will need some regular, lined notebook (8.5 x 11) paper, some dark-ink pens (blue or black), and one pen in a bright, unusual color—this we'll use for our class workshop exercises.  It’s a very good idea to purchase a decent American language dictionary in addition to any two-language dictionaries you might already own.  From the bookstore pick up at least two standard-sized (8.5 x 11) bluebooks (exam books) to use for your reading journals and a 8.5 x 11 Manila folder for your portfolio.  Our texts are Greek Drama, edited by Moses Hadas, and The Everyday Writer, edited by Andrea Lunsford.  They should be in the bookstore.  I will supply other supplemental texts.

Your Portfolio: For this class, ultimately you will be evaluated on the basis of three writing samples:  two essays written during the quarter, revised and edited (with rough drafts attached beneath the revision), and your final exam.  Due dates for each revision are noted on the schedule. 

Respect: Please turn off all cell phones, iPods, MP3 Players, and other electronic devices before class begins.  If you text during class, this indicates that you are not interested in what the class is doing or what I am saying, and therefore, not interested in passing the class.  Careful—you may get your wish. Please be respectful of the classroom experience of others.

Plagiarism: All students are expected to do their own work.  Please refer to the Academic Honesty Policy.  Plagiarism/cheating leads to failing the class and serious trouble for you. If you plagiarize or otherwise misrepresent the source of your work, you will receive a zero on the assignment and be reported to the Student Disciplinary Officer.

If you panic and are tempted to plagiarize or cheat, DO NOT. Contact me and we can negotiate a solution. Once you cheat, it is too late for you to negotiate anything.

Grades: Unless announced otherwise, these are the final grades that can be assigned:

  CR—Credit: You pass the course and are eligible to enroll in English 096
  NC—No Credit: You must retake English 095

ADA Accommodations: Reasonable accommodation will be provided to any student who is registered with the Office of Students with Disabilities and requests needed accommodation.  

Some Tips for a Successful College Experience

• Take care of your own records. Every quarter, print out a copy of your grades. Keep them in a file folder. Keep everything the University sends you in a file folder. You might need it!

• Check your campus email daily. This is the main way that the University (and I) will keep in touch with you. You are responsible for every email that has been sent, whether you have read it or not.

• Use your campus email for all things professional or academic. I don’t want to text with you, and I don't want to get email from someone called "hotchick69" or some other silly name. It makes you look unprofessional. If you use your campus email, you automatically look professional.

• Do not get behind. The quarter system goes by in a blur—it is like a train that has left the station. If you miss one class here, that is like missing a week or two of high school. We will go on without you and not remember who you are if you return. Every day, do your work and you’ll be fine.

• If you have to work at a job, do your best to work no more than 20 hours a week. Why, you ask? See above, I reply. If you can, don’t work until the summer.

• Utilize the many resources available to you on campus. Visit the Writing Center, the Tutoring Center, and your professor! We want you to succeed, but you have to make it happen. No one will hold your hand or do your work for you, but we are happy to help how we can.

• Show the professor that you care about the class, that you want to pass it and learn the material. You do this by reading the reading assignments, completing writing assignments on time, visiting the professor when you need help, and by paying attention in class. This means no texting or "sleeping" during class. It sends an incredibly negative message about your interest (or lack thereof) in passing the class. It’s been my experience that something is "boring" to those who don’t understand it. If you find a class or assignment "boring," ask yourself what you can do to learn more about it so it becomes more interesting to you.

So welcome to Cal State LA! The adventure begins! I wish you well.