This document contains the syllabus and introductory materials for a basic writing skills class at Porterville College. The instructor is Melissa Long and the class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:25-3:50pm in room SM 101A. Topics that will be covered include essay writing, grammar, research skills, and a required reading of Brave New World. Students will complete essays, homework assignments, grammar quizzes, and reading journals throughout the semester. The syllabus outlines the grading policy, attendance policy, late work policy, and academic honesty policy.

1. August 23, 2011

2. Instructor: Melissa Long Earned my Master’s degree from Chico State Teaching English for nine years First semester at Porterville College

3. Syllabus BASIC WRITING SKILLS Time and Place: Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:25 p.m. until 3:50 p.m. in SM room 101A Instructor: Melissa Long Phone Number: 791-2264 E-mail: melissa.long@portervillecollege.edu Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:30 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.

4. Roosevelt Quotation “Once upon a time in the dead of winter in the Dakota territory, Theodore Roosevelt took off in a makeshift boat down the Little Missouri River in pursuit of a couple of thieves who had stolen his prized rowboat. After several days on the river, he caught up and got the draw on them with his trusty Winchester, at which point they surrendered. Then Roosevelt set off in a borrowed wagon to haul the thieves cross-country to justice. They headed across the snow-covered wastes of the Badlands to the railhead at Dickinson, and Roosevelt walked the whole way, the entire 40 miles. It was an astonishing feat, what might be called a defining moment in Roosevelt’s eventful life. But what makes it especially memorable is that during that time, he managed to read all of Anna Karenina. I often think of that when I hear people say that they haven’t time to read.” - David McCullough, “No Time to Read?”

5. Textbook Kessler, Elizabeth Rodriguez. Reflect, Inform, Persuade: College Writing Today. Boston: Longman, 2010.

6. Textbook Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Perennial Classics, 1998.

7. Required Materials Notebook with paper that can be neatly removed College dictionary Thesaurus Access to Internet, computer, and printer A binder or folder to keep all of your papers Four different color highlighters

8. Attendance Five points per class i>Click Four absences Regardless of the reason for your absences, you will be dropped after your fourth absence because you cannot make up the class time you missed.

9. Behavior and Conduct Do not talk to other students while I am lecturing Do not talk to other students while other students are talking to the class If you are late, come in quietly and with as little disruption as possible Do not sleep in class; you will be marked absent Turn off and remove from sight all pagers, cell phones, and/or other electronic devices. If someone’s device goes off during class or if I see someone playing with one of these devices during class, that person will receive a warning. If it happens again (by anyone), that person will be asked to leave the class.

10. Requirements Bring your book and notebook to every class meeting Annotate all textbook reading There will be four essays and two paragraphs There will be seven grammar quizzes You are allowed to drop one grammar quiz

11. Inside PC Component You can access lessons and handouts if you want to review or if you miss class

12. Reading Journal Brave New World Must have the pages read before that class session I will give you a prompt in advance Journal entries must be 150 words You can drop one journal entry (or miss one)

13. Grading Your grade will be based on the total points you earn out of the 1000 possible points. You may inquire about your grade at any time (outside of class time, of course.)

14. How I Calculate Assignments Grade Take the number of assignments completed and divide by the number of assignments possible. You get that percentage of 160 points So… Mary would get 100% of 160 points=160 John would get 75% of 160 points=120 Jane would get 50% of 160 points=80 Bob would get 25% of 160 points=40

15. Student Learning Outcomes Organize and develop academically sound paragraphs and essays. Write short papers on a variety of topics. Review and practice essentials of English grammar, mechanics, punctuation, sentence structure and patterns. Have experience with a variety of rhetorical modes. Write as a process. Distinguish fact from opinion. Perform basic library skills.

16. Paper Format All final out-of-class paragraphs and essays: Typed common 12-point font (such as Arial, Courier, or Times New Roman) double-spaced one-inch margin all around name, date, and class should appear in the top left corner of all papers

17. Late Papers Homework and in-class assignments are not accepted late regardless of the reason Graded out-of-class paragraphs and essays will be marked down one grade for each class session they are late You are allowed to drop one grammar quiz grade If you miss a quiz, you will receive a zero, though you may choose to drop that particular quiz

18. Plagiarism You will receive a zero on the assignment You may also be reported to the dean and face serious consequences

19. Americans with Disabilities Act Statement Please let me know if you need accommodation for a disability as soon as possible

20. Semester Schedule Look at the due dates Final will be held Tuesday, December 6, 2011, from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.!

21. Peer Phone Numbers and E-mail Remember that your peers will often be your best resource. In the unlikely event that you are absent, please contact one of your peers to obtain any information you missed. Please do not come to me after you have been absent and ask if you missed anything. This is insulting and I will take it as such. When you are absent, you miss something. (And, yes, it is probably something important because otherwise I wouldn’t take the time to teach it.)

22. Syllabus Agreement Do not do this right now! Read through the syllabus on your own Make sure you understand the difficulty and the level of commitment you will need to have Initial and sign where indicated and bring the agreement back on Thursday This is your first homework assignment and it will count as an assignment

23. Notecards Name (what you want to be called) English Experience (your experience with English classes in the past) What is going on in your life right now? (job, kids, etc.) Why are you here at Porterville College? AA? Make more money at work? Parents/spouse/significant other making you? To transfer? Where? What’s important to you? What shows do you watch on television? What is it about your writing that you need to improve? Anything else you need to know.

24. Icebreaker You must find a person who fits each category You may only have a person once (I suggest starting with the most difficult ones) All writing must be in your handwriting Only speak in pairs (no clusters) Ask if the person fits the category (instead of asking what category the person fits) You may use yourself once First person to complete the entire sheet wins!

25. Homework Get the books Syllabus Agreement