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Fundamentals of Composition /Spring 2011/Chaffey College/Section 64097 Tuesdays and Thursdays/9:30 to 12:20 pm/CHMB 262/Dates: 3-28-11 to 5-18-11
ASSIGNMENTS / Points Possible / YOUR SCORE / NotesMAJOR COMPOSITION PROJECTS (up to 750 points possible)
Major Projects receive letter grades (A, B, C, D, F).
Project assessment includes attention to:
a.) English Department’s grading standards (listed on the next page)
b.) demonstrated levels of success, applying specific course skills (listed on assignment sheets)
Major Project One / 250 points
possible / ___ points
earned /
Major Project Two / 250 points
possible / ___ points
Earned
Major Project Three / 250 points possible / ___ points
Earned
PRACTICE & PROCESS FILES (up to 250 points possible)
Success Center File
(Supplemental Learning) / 90 points
Possible
(30 points each) / Please review the provided supplemental learning form and Writing Center materials for additional details. Activities that are not completed as required do not earn points. / ___ points
earned
Group Activities Participation File
(includes recorded participation in group activities, not directly placed in this file) / 80 points possible
(graded holistically) / Group file points are earned for participating effectively and regularly in group activities. Coming to class unprepared for group activities negatively influences this grade. Missing class time (and, by extension, group activities and projects) negatively influences this grade. / ___ points
earned
Writing Process and Exercises File / 80 points possible
(graded holistically) / Process and Exercise file points are earned for completing and submitting out-of-class work as required. Points are also earned for completing in-class activities as required. Missing class time (and, by extension, activities and/or in-class discussions of out-of-class work) negatively influences this grade. / ___ points
earned
Course Grading Scale
Final Point Total / Course Grade990 – 1000 / A+
920 – 989 / A (Excellent)
900 – 919 / A-
890 – 899 / B+
820 – 889 / B (Above Average)
800 – 819 / B-
790 – 799 / C+
720 – 789 / C (Average)
700 - 719 / Low C
680 – 699 / D+
620 – 679 / D (Below Average)
600 – 619 / D-
0 – 599 / F (Poor)
Assessment of Major Projects:
English Department Grading Standards at Chaffey College
An A paper is excellent in nearly all respects. It shows originality of thought that goes well beyond material presented in class. It is well argued and well organized with a clear, specific, and ambitious thesis. It is well developed with content that is specific, interesting, appropriate, and convincing. It has logical and artful transitions and is marked by stylistic finesse and varied sentence structures. It demonstrates command of mature diction and has few, if any, mechanical, grammatical, spelling, or diction errors.
A B paper is excellent in several respects but may have a less sophisticated thesis, a less
distinguished style, some minor lapses in organization and development, some ineffective sentence structures, and some minor mechanical, grammatical, spelling, or diction problems.
A C paper is generally competent, but compared to a B paper, it may have a weaker thesis and less effective style and development. It may contain some lapses in organization, poor or awkward transitions, less varied sentence structures that tend toward choppiness or monotony, significant problems with mechanics, grammar, spelling, and diction.
A D paper is below average and may present a thesis that is too vague or too obvious to be developed effectively. It generally exhibits problems with organization, support, transitions, sentence structures, mechanics, grammar, spelling, and diction that impede understanding.
An F paper is far below average and may have no clear thesis or central topic. It may
display a lack of organization, support, and development. It may contain major and repeated problems with mechanics, grammar, spelling, and diction and may fail to fulfill the assignment or may be unacceptably brief.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Take This Course?
Enhance your academic, professional, and personal communication skills.
! Practice various idea generation strategies. Select from these strategies to generate topics and to further develop your ideas.
! Develop increasingly sophisticated thesis statements, topic sentences, and other structural elements for creating effective compositions. Focus on connections between these elements and essay organization.
! Incorporate uses of various rhetorical strategies into your writing in order to communicate your ideas in varied and effective ways. Consider ways in which these strategies may be used together as well as individually in order to achieve desired effects in your writing.
! Practice detailed analysis and logical argument. Research, select, evaluate, and incorporate outside sources into your writing.
! Develop your awareness as a writer. Focus on the choices you make in writing and the resulting levels of success. Be cognizant of the resulting effects your decisions have on the ways essays, letters, resumes, and other texts for work, school, home, and social media are received by readers.
! Learn to vary your sentence structure in sophisticated ways and analyze the effects these variances have on your writing.
! Demonstrate professionalism when communicating about writing with others. Practice useful vocabulary and specific strategies, helpful for providing feedback to others in the worlds of college and career.
! Analyze writing for specific higher order and lower order concerns; adopt strategies for addressing these types of concerns.
! Develop active reading, critical thinking, and group collaboration skills, valuable for achieving academic and career success.
! Consider connections between reading and writing. Consider reading and writing connections through classroom, workplace, and social media arenas.
! Consider increasingly sophisticated writing contexts (i.e. purpose, audience, tone, genre, and role). Make informed choices with consideration of writing contexts.
What Are the Professor’s Major Course Roles?
1. Coach 2. Gatekeeper
What should members of the class expect from the professor?
1. I arrive to class on time.
2. I come to class prepared and well-organized.
3. (Gatekeeper Role) I establish appropriately high academic standards and grade major projects according to these standards. Successful completion of the course requires significant academic achievement.
4. (Coach Role) I respect your abilities, and my expectations of you are appropriately high. I remind you, if needed, that you are the one who must make it happen. I provide the environment to help you get there. This environment includes a purposeful, approachable learning environment as well as strategies and encouragement.
5. I develop and share purposeful activities and assignments, designed to help you reach course objectives. I consider connections between these objectives and aspects of your life (college, home, career).
6. I accept and consider feedback (provided respectfully).
7. I remain consistent in the application of course policies.
8. I do not text in class. I do not answer my phone in class. I do not engage in side conversations while other people are speaking to the class. I do not eat or drink in class. I do not use language in class which is better saved for other contexts. I respect and treat others as I would like to be respected and treated.
What should members of the class and the professor expect from you?
Students will generate lists of expectations which will be copied and distributed.
In addition, Chaffey College features a student behavior code, included in the newest edition of the student handbook. You are expected to follow this code, and as the course professor, I am expected to enforce it. I am familiar with the code; I will enforce it appropriately. You also are responsible for becoming familiar with the code. The code is available in the newest edition of the student handbook. Please consult with me and/or other appropriate college personnel if you have related concerns.
What if I must miss class? Missing a day of this accelerated class is the equivalent of missing a week in a semester class. Given the interactive nature of the class, instruction cannot be effectively duplicated when you miss class time, and missed in-class activities cannot be made up. As a result, when you miss class time, you lose points for missed work and activities, and your opportunities for course success are lowered.
You are urged to attend and participate in class regularly. If you decide to drop the course, you are responsible for dropping by the appropriate Chaffey College deadline.
Is Late Work Accepted?
Work is late if it is not completed and ready for submission at the beginning of class on the original day it is due. (E-mailed work and computer files are not accepted. No work is accepted after the final class.)
Major Projects: You may turn in one of the first two major projects no more than two class sessions late without penalty; I encourage you to save this option for an emergency. Otherwise, major projects are penalized twenty points per late class session.
Supplemental Learning/Writing Center: Supplemental learning activities, completed late, are not stamped in the regular (thirty points) form boxes. However, one activity may be stamped in the extra credit (ten points) box.
Other File Materials: Drafts and other out-of-class materials are reviewed and used during class activities. If you do not have your work on time for class use, you have not met the requirements of the assignment. Therefore, file work that is submitted after the original deadlines is not officially reviewed. A pattern of late and/or missing file work will seriously influence your file grades. Also, not having a file assignment completed on time may put you at a serious disadvantage when completing the major project, associated with that file assignment.
Are extra credit points available this semester?
Each student may earn a total of ten extra credit points this semester.
How may students receive assistance at Chaffey College? Chaffey College features a number of invaluable resources for students; as a Chaffey College professor, I am happy to help you locate appropriate campus resources for your needs and interests. To get started, please consider:
Student Success Centers Chaffey College has created Student Success Centers, which offer free tutorials, workshops, study groups, directed learning activities, and computer/resource access to assist students in their academic development and success.
The Chino Center offers two centers to address all subject areas:
Chino Success Center CHMB-145 (909) 652-8150
Chino Reading/Writing Center CHMB-240 (909) 652-8160
The Rancho Success Centers are designed to address specific subject needs as well as more general multidisciplinary needs:
Math Success Center PS-12 (909) 652-6452
Language Success Center BEB-101 (909) 652-6907
Writing Success Center Library (909) 652-6820
Multi-disciplinary/Reading Success Center BEB-101 (909) 652-6932
The Fontana Success Center supports all academic support needs:
Fontana Success Center FNFC-107 (909) 652-7408
Call the centers or consult the college website at www.chaffey.edu/success/ for more information.
Disability Programs and Services If you have a disability, documented by a physician or other appropriate professionals and wish to discuss academic accommodations, please contact the DPS office at (909) 652-6379. Please be sure to allow adequate time to arrange for an appropriate accommodation.
EOPS and CARE
Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) is designed to ensure student retention and success through academic support and financial assistance for eligible students. Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (CARE) is a program that serves a limited number of EOPS students who are single heads of household parents. It provides additional support services beyond those available through EOPS. The ultimate goal is completion of a certificate program, an associate degree, and/or transfer to a four-year college. Call (909) 652-6345 for more information.
Student Health Services Student Health Services (SHS) is dedicated to assisting students to achieve and maintain optimum physical, mental and emotional health. SHS is committed to providing quality healthcare at a reasonable cost. All currently enrolled full and part time Chaffey College students on the Rancho Cucamonga Campus or any off Rancho campus site may utilize the services of the Student Health Office. Please have your Chaffey ID ready.
Health Services at the Chino Campus CHMB-105 (909) 652-8190 Health Services at the Rancho Campus AD 180 and 170 (909) 652-6331
How may I become more involved (outside of class) at Chaffey? Chaffey College offers a variety of opportunities for campus involvement, including student clubs (Student Activities Office: (909) 652-6590), visual and performing arts programs (School of Visual and Performing Arts: (909) 909/652-6066), and athletics events (Athletics Department: (909) 652-6290).
One Book, One College The One Book, One College Committee strives to create a community of readers across the curriculum at Chaffey College and within the communities it serves. Each year, the committee selects a college book and creates a diverse series of related events. Students are encouraged to participate in these activities to enrich their educational experience at Chaffey.
For additional information about on-campus opportunities, including the College Book program, explore Chaffey College’s website at www.chaffey.edu.
Plagiarism Professor Utsler adheres to the English department’s official Plagiarism policy: “Plagiarism, an unlawful act which is defined as the misrepresentation of the published ideas or words of another as one’s own, will not be tolerated in Chaffey College English courses. At the discretion of the professor, plagiarism may result in zero points for the assignment and/or failing the course.”
Student Learning Outcomes and Course Objectives
To help ensure consistent and appropriate learning experiences for all English 450 students, Chaffey College has established specific student learning outcomes and learning objectives for this course. The following information is duplicated directly from the English department’s official course documentation for English 450.