ENGLISH 052:  BASIC WRITING II

Phone: 410-780-6525
E-mail: sgabriel@ccbcmd.edu
Office Hours: MWF    9:30-10:00
T     11:00-11:30; 4:30-6:00
R      11:00-11:30 (or by appointment)

QA Compact.  Troyka and Hesse (QA)
                         OR
The Little, Brown Handbook.  9th Ed. Fowler, Aaron, Okooman (LBH)
Pocket Folder to be Portfolio
Computer Disks or Jump Drive (computer sections only)

Calendar Schedule/Planner  (Strongly Recommended)
College-level dictionary
Thesaurus

English 052:  Basic Writing II will expand your writing skills into longer, more complex papers for specific audiences and purposes.  You will learn to produce writing that is coherent, clear, and correct.  Successful completion of English 052 qualifies you for English 101:  College Composition. 

English 052: Basic Writing II has the following objectives:

(1)  You will learn to use the stages of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising and editing) to create clear and focused essays;
(2)  You will develop the ability to write essays that contain five or more well-developed and organized paragraphs;
(3)  You will develop the ability to use language that is appropriate for varying purposes and audiences;
(4)  You will learn to find and correct grammar, punctuation, and usage errors in your own writing.

Success in this class depends on regular attendance; attendance will be taken during every class session.  If you must be absent, it will be your responsibility to see me about work missed. 

Any student who misses more than four class sessions can expect to fail the course.

Please note that tardiness or leaving class early will accumulate as time missed from class; please be on time and remain for the full session.

- All pagers and cell phones must be turned off and put away for the entire class session.  Texting and/or checking messages (unless I have given you permission before class) are not permitted during class.
- Food and drink will be allowed in the classroom as long as you do not create a distraction.  Each student is responsible for cleaning up after himself or herself.   Violation of the food and drink policy will result in banning all consumption during class sessions.
- People who are not registered for this class (children, friends, etc.) may not “sit in” on this class at any time without my prior consent.

You will be working on a series of writing projects during the semester.  Most of these projects will develop from several drafts which will be written outside of class and critiqued through peer evaluation and conferences with me.

In addition, you will write two in-class essays which will be drafted and written during two class sessions—these will serve as a mid-term and end of semester assessment of your progress.

All drafts and final copies of the assigned writing projects are to be typed.

Grades for this class will be either “S” (Satisfactory) or “U” (Unsatisfactory).  Satisfactory is equivalent to a “C” or higher;  Unsatisfactory is equivalent to a “D” or lower.

To pass this course, you must turn in all writing projects.  Without prior arrangements late papers will not be accepted.  Papers turned in late and unexcused will be given an automatic “U.”  For all projects other than in-class essays, you will be expected to have a typed draft of your paper ready for review.  Failure to bring a draft of your project to the peer review sessions will result in an automatic lowering of your final grade on the project.  Final grades will be determined by progress shown throughout the semester. 

In addition to the writing projects, your final grade will be determined by class participation.  This includes the completion of all assigned homework and participation in peer review sessions. 

Work submitted by you must your own; materials taken from other sources must clearly be identified as such.  Proven plagiarism is grounds for failure of this course and may result in a more severe penalty, such as dismissal from a program or from the college. 

You are encouraged to use the services of The Writing Center located in E338.  Tutors are available to offer advice and guidance as you work on your projects for this class.  You can call ahead to make an appointment (780-6799); however, “walk-ins” are also welcome.  In addition, you can receive help from the Online Writing Lab (OWL) located on the CCBC website—access instructions will be provided.

The campus has a number of open access computer labs available.  In the E Building, the Writing Center has several computers for student use during the hours the Center is open.