English Composition I Syllabus

EN 161: English Composition I

This course reinforces grammar skills and sentence construction. Primary focus is on paragraph development and paragraph organization to promote more effective writing skills.
Credits 4
Prerequisites

Completion or testing out of EN 160.

Course Objectives
  1. Students will apply standard writing conventions, including grammar, spelling, punctuation, word usage, capitalization, and sentence structure when composing sentences and paragraphs.
  2. Students will produce professionally written assignments.
  3. Students will demonstrate the application of writing conventions and professional vocabulary in their assignments.
  4. Students will practice writing conventions through systematic testing and/or class projects.
Instructional Materials

Henry, D.J. Writing for Life Paragraphs and Essays MLA Update, Columbus:  Pearson: 2017.

Websites: Quizlet.com, Owl at Purdue, KnightCite.com, Cabell County Public Library

Teacher provided resources, such as a vocabulary list with definitions available during the class, format for cover pages and outlines.

Minimum Technology Requirements

For this class, you will need Microsoft WORD. Using WORD will allow you to save using your last name first. 

Helpful websites are: polishmywriting.com, scribbens.com, the OWL at Purdue, Cabell County Public Library, Gale Databases (listed under Current Students on the school website), KnightCite.com, and Merriam Webster Dictionary.com.

Minimum Technical Skills Requirements

Only a few basic skills are needed to write papers: 

  • How to set the font and font size
  • How to double-space
  • How to center
  • How to bold a word(s).
  • How to copy and paste
  • How to write an email with an attachment
  • How to search a search engine, such as Google
  • How to use the “save as” option
  • How to write an outline with the instructions that are given
  • How to use spelling and grammar check
  • How to set line spacing
  • How to indent a paragraph
  • How to view Power Point presentation
  • How to read, save, and print Adobe documents in PDF
Course Policies

Instructor Requirements

  • Please keep me abreast of happenings in your life that prevent you from completing assignments or events we need to celebrate.
  • Attend class. Focus while you are in class. Ask questions. Be curious.
  • The final must be taken to pass the class.
  • Most of all, enjoy the class and our time together.

You may expect a response from me, Monday through Thursday, in 24-48 hours (though many times I respond much sooner). I don’t check my email as frequently on Fridays or the weekends. You may still email me during those times, by all means, but just be advised that it will be at least Monday before I get back to you.

Etiquette on the internet is called netiquette. The expectations for all written work is that the writer consider the reader and do to them as you would like them to do to you. You can review excerpts from “The Core Rules of Netiquette” from the book Netiquette by Virginia Shea here:  http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html

 

All work is due on Sundays by 11:59pm, Eastern Standard Time unless otherwise noted. If you submit it by Thursday, you can earn five extra points per assignment. Finals are due by 11:59 pm Friday of the final week. Please plan accordingly. 

Your grade in the class will be determined by the papers you write (worth 100 points each), and the forums (varying points). Work is due on Sundays at 11:59pm (unless otherwise noted). For each week, there are listed resources in addition to the text. Below the announcement of the due date, there are listed the assignments. Please do not attempt the assignments without reading the resources and text. Following the format specifically is extremely important.

Student Evaluation:

Your grade in the class will be determined by the papers you write (worth 100 points each), and the forums (varying points). Work is due on Sundays at 11:59pm (unless otherwise noted). For each week, there are listed resources in addition to the text. Below the announcement of the due date, there are listed the assignments. Please do not attempt the assignments without reading the resources and text. Following the format specifically is extremely important.

Grading Scales

A = 90% - 100%                   

B = 80% -  89%         

C = 70% -  79%           

D = 60% -  69%         

F = below  60%   

Course Outline

(tentative and subject to change)

 

Communication

Emails will be responded to no later than 48 hours or by the end of business on Monday for mail received over the weekend.

College Policies

Academic Honesty Policy
The college has a firm policy against academic dishonesty, including cheating or plagiarism. Students guilty of academic dishonesty will be administratively dropped from the course with a grade of ‘F’ and subject to disciplinary action, which may include suspension and dismissal. 

Please refer to the Academic Honesty Policy for detailed information.

Late Assignment Policy

Meeting deadlines, being dependable, and applying appropriate time management are all foundational elements of professional behavior. These same attributes are also required while participating in college courses because the skills, knowledge, and student learning outcomes must be obtained in a specific order and within a certain amount of time.

We at HJC understand that sometimes students encounter circumstances that make it difficult to always meet the required course deadlines. This Late Work Policy is in place to accommodate that. In all circumstances, whenever possible, contact your instructor when you anticipate that you will be submitting work late.

The deadlines for most courses typically follow the pattern below, but it is your responsibility to confirm this and be aware if there are any assignments that may have different deadlines for one reason or another.

The first post in each Discussion Board is usually due on the Wednesday night of each module/week.

Most other assignments are due by 11:59 pm on Sunday evening of each module/week.

  • All assignments must be submitted by the required due date.
  • Missing assignments due to absence must be submitted within 1 week of return.
  • Late submissions of assignments will result in a reduction of 10% of the total points possible per day (e.g., 1 day late = -10%, 2 days late = 20%, etc.) up to one week. Anything over 1 week late will result in a grade of 0.
  • To receive full credit for late work, students must provide documentation for an excused absence, or it will be subject to the same treatment as any other late work. Documentation examples include court documents, hospitalization, etc.

Instructors may also choose to deduct less points at their discretion.

If for some reason a student temporarily loses the ability to connect to Canvas due to technical issues it is the student’s obligation to submit assignments by the original due dates. Temporary remedies can be connecting via a public WiFi spot, using school facilities to connect, or use of private networks through friends and family.

In extreme cases, when none of these solutions are available, the student may contact their instructors through other means and ask permission to submit their work directly, in a method that can be received by the instructor. Under no circumstances can methods of delivery outside of Canvas be used without explicit instructor permission. (If this ever happens the instructor should somehow note it).

Minimum Technology Requirements

Having access to a reliable desktop or laptop is required for HJC online courses. This requirement ensures students have the essential technologies to complete online courses successfully. Mobile devices, such as mobile phones and tablets may be utilized as additional tools to assist with completing online courses.

Online video conferences and calls are often the best way for instructors to assist students in many situations. A web camera and microphone are necessary for successful online conferences. 

Safari and Chrome: Office 365 is designed to work with the current version of the Safari and Chrome browsers. Microsoft Edge: Office 365 is designed to work with the latest version of the Microsoft Edge browser.

Internet Explorer: Office 365 is designed to work with Internet Explorer 11. We recommend that you upgrade to Internet Explorer 11 if you are using an earlier version. Office might continue to work with versions of Internet Explorer other than Internet Explorer 11, but Office can’t provide any guarantees.

Firefox: Most Office 365 apps are designed to work with the current version of Firefox.

Some courses may have additional technology requirements beyond those listed here. Additional requirements will be listed in your Canvas course room.

Basic Office 365 apps are free and available to students with their HJC Outlook account. For additional questions and help with the required technologies, please contact help@hjc.edu

Minimum Technical Skills Requirements

 To complete online courses successfully, you must be able to perform the following basic technical skills before starting the class

  • Use the learning management system, Canvas
  • Use HJC email with attachments
  • Download, save, and upload files in Canvas

For additional questions regarding the required technologies, please contact help@hjc.edu

Technology Support
To be a successful online learner, certain technologies are necessary.  Please keep in mind that certain classes may have additional technical requirements. You should be able to find additional technical requirements in your syllabus or your canvas course room. If you have any questions about the technology requirement, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at 304-697-7550 or support@hjc.edu

Accessibility Information
Huntington Junior College is committed to full compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. For additional information, please access accessibility policy. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us at 304-697-7550 or pjustice@hjc.edu if you have any additional questions.

Copyright Policy
As an institution of higher education, Huntington Junior College strongly believes in intellectual property. As such, Huntington Junior College respects intellectual property and has made it a priority to ensure all employees and students respect the copyrights of others. If you have any questions about our copyright policy, please access the copyright policy

Privacy Policy
The college understands the importance of protecting your information and privacy. Our Privacy Policy provides additional information on the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act.

Other Student Success Services
Please access Student Success page for other student success services information, such as financial aid, lab hours, parking, library, transcripts, and career services on the college

If you need to speak with a person regarding any college policies and guidelines, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the college at 304-697-7550 

This information is standard for each course but specifics may vary based on the delivery method of the course you are taking. Please follow the information provided by your instructor.

This syllabus is subject to change.