The Community College of Baltimore County

ENGL 052:  Basic Writing II

3 Semester Hours

CCBC: Dundalk	Liberal Arts
Semester: Fall 2006	3  Semester Credit Hours:
Course Number and Title: Engl 052: Basic Writing CR# 91805	Section: 050
Instructor: Anne Roberts	email: aroberts@ccbcmd.edu
Phone:(410) 285-9888	Office: K 215
Main Office: Sue Weglein  (410) 285-9875	Office Hours: MWF 10-11am

  

Provides intensive instruction and practice in writing coherent paragraphs and essays for specific audiences; includes the drafting, revision, and editing processes as well as instruction in grammar, mechanics, and usage.

 Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. employ a generative and recursive writing process that includes invention, planning, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading
2. write for a variety of purposes and audiences
3. develop and organize appropriate evidence
4. use a variety of sentence structures
5. write effective, focused and logically organized paragraphs
6. write topic sentences for individual paragraphs
7. write thesis or controlling sentences for essays
8. write introductory and concluding paragraphs
9. use effective transitions within and between paragraphs
10. write coherent essays , as appropriate to topic, audience and purpose
11. work collaboratively with peers in the development and revision of an essay
12. identify and correct major sentence-level errors (especially sentence fragments, comma-spliced and run-on sentences, subject-verb-disagreement, and incorrect verb tense and form) in their own writing
13. identify and correct minor sentence-level errors (including apostrophes, punctuation, pronoun reference and agreement, and capitalization) in their own writing.

• writing as recursive process
• grammar, mechanics and usage
• audience and purpose
• sentence style and variety
• paragraph development
• essay development and organization
• introductions and conclusions
• transitions
• revision
• editing and proofreading

Individual writing assignments will be determined by the instructor and will be described individually for each section. However, all students will:

1. submit a diagnostic writing sample the first week of the semester
2. write and revise at least six pieces of writing, some of which will be written in class; at least one of the multi-paragraph pieces will be written without the assistance of the teacher or tutors as a means of assessing students’ end-of-semester competency.

Students will demonstrate their readiness to move on to ENGL 101 either through an end of the course portfolio assessment or a cumulative grading procedure, as determined by the instructor. Criteria for either evaluation process will be based on CCBC End-of-Course Competencies for ENGL 052.

Textbooks

The Bedford Handbook, Diana Hacker (7th edition)
A college level dictionary and thesaurus
A journal/notebook for written work

Points and Evaluations

Assignments/tests	Point Value
Assignment 1 (diagnostic)	10
Assignment 2	10
Assignment 3	10
Assignment 4	15
Assignment 5	15
Assignment 6 (final essay)	20
Participation/daily assignments	20
TOTAL POINTS	100

Additional Requirements: Active thoughtful, thorough participation.  Timeliness is extremely important since we are relying on each other to show up and respond to what we are reading and writing

A FINAL PORTFOLIO containing each written assignment with all drafts attached will be assessed at the end of the course.  Final grades will not be a simple average of points but will be based on the instructor’s judgment of the student’s work as demonstrated by the portfolio, as well as daily participation and final written exam.

Grading Policy:

If you plagiarize, you will fail that assignment and possibly the course.  This is left to the instructor’s discretion.

1. Its subject matter is original and is handled in an original way.
2. All generalizations are supported by specific details, and all of     these details are relevant and logically organized.
3. It is completely free of errors in reasoning.
4. Its form is logical and graceful.
5. Its language is both precise and original.
6. All elements of style are appropriate to material and audience.
7. All elements of style are characterized by economy and grace.
8. The structure of individual sentences shows variety and precision.
9. It is lively and interesting.
10. It is completely free of errors in grammar, mechanics and usage.

A B-level essay has the following characteristics:

1. Its subject matter is handled in an original way.
2. All generalizations are supported by specific details.
3. It contains no more than one error in reasoning.
4. Its form is logical.
5. Its language is precise.
6. Most elements of style are appropriate to material and audience.
7. Most elements of style are characterized by economy and grace.
8. The structure of individual sentences shows variety.
9. It is interesting.
10. It has no more than one error in grammar, mechanics, and usage     per 500 words.

A C-level essay has the following characteristics:

1. Its subject matter is complete.
2. Most generalizations are supported by specific details.
3. It contains no more than two errors in reasoning.
4. Its form is logical.
5. Its language is accurate.
6. Most elements of style are appropriate to material and audience.
7. The structure of individual sentences is characterized by standard English.
8. It is interesting.
9. It has no more than two errors in grammar, mechanics, and usage per 500 words.

Students are strongly advised to come to class on time, prepared with work and materials for the day.  These things affect your grade in terms of your ability to participate in class and reap the benefits of your classmates, your instructor, and the writing process as it is taught in this class.  If you are LATE to class, it is your responsibility to come at the end of class and ask me to change your absent mark to a tardy mark.  Do not assume that I will change it unless you come to tell me at the end of class.  I will not be willing to change an absence to a tardy if you tell me after the day on which you were late.  You must remember to tell me on the day the lateness occurred. 

If you are more than 15 minutes late, I will have marked you as absent and I will not change the absence to a tardy. It will remain a tardy.  More than 15 minutes late counts as an absence no matter. 

Three tardies will count as an absence.

More than 3 absences and you risk failing the class.

You are permitted to have 3 absences (or the equivalent of 6 class periods).  After that, you may fail the course.  This is up to the discretion of the teacher.  I expect you to notify me in advance or contact me afterward if you are going to miss class so that you can arrange to get or do any of the work missed. 

All absences are unexcused.  I do not want to see a doctor’s note.  No matter the reasons, it is your job to inform me ahead of time if possible, contact me and another classmate afterward to get missed work/notes and to make up any work missed in a timely fashion, meeting class due dates or suffering the penalties of late work.  Religious holidays are no exception.  IF YOU THINK ARE GOING TO MISS MORE THAN 3 CLASSES, I ADVISE TO TAKE THIS CLASS AT A TIME WHEN YOU CAN FIT IT INTO YOUR SCHEDULE. 

Coming to class more than ten minutes late and coming ill-prepared without writing or reading assignments will be counted as an absence at the discretion of the instructor.   IF YOU THINK ARE GOING TO BE LATE REGULARLY, I ADVISE TO TAKE THIS CLASS AT A TIME WHEN YOU CAN FIT IT INTO YOUR SCHEDULE. 

Here are some tips you should follow which will help you to succeed in this course:

Set aside a specific time each week to work on this course. The estimated amount of time you should spend is 10 hours per week.

Keep in touch with me and your classmates by emailing one another or me or setting up an appointment with me or the writing center.

Familiarize yourself with the deadlines.

Ask for help when you need it. Remember that I consider it important that you keep in touch. Use the telephone, a fax, or make an appointment to meet with me on campus.

When you are using the computer, save your assignments AT LEAST TWO WAYS on your computer.  Discs too often malfunction and the last thing you need is a major frustration or missed deadline.  In addition to saving on desk top and/or disc/jumpdrive, EMAIL YOURSELF a copy of your work and you will have it in a file cabinet in the sky, so to speak. Then you can access it from any computer that has an internet connection.

Important Dates:   FALL SEMESTER    2006

Last day to drop classes with 100% refund	August 25, Friday - By 4:00 pm
Fall Semester Classes BEGIN	August 28, Monday
Schedule  Adjustments Through	September 1, Friday
College CLOSED (Labor Day)	September 2 - 4, Saturday - Monday
Saturday Classes Begin	September 9, Saturday
Last day to drop classes with 50% refund	September 15, Friday - By 4:00 pm
Mid-Terms (Due by Faculty)	October 16, Monday
Last day to withdraw with “W” or change to audit status on transcript	November 3, Friday - By 4:00 pm
Last day to file application and pay fee for June 2007 Commencement	November 15, Wednesday
NO CREDIT CLASSES SCHEDULED	November 22, Wednesday (offices close at 4:30)
Thanksgiving-no credit classes scheduled	November 23 – 26,  Thursday – Sunday
Last day of classes for Fall Semester	December 9, Saturday
Study Day	December 10, Sunday
Fall Semester Final Examinations	December 11 – 17, Monday – Sunday
Final Grades Entered Via Web by Faculty - Due by 10:00 am	December 19, Tuesday
College CLOSED (Winter Recess)	December 23 – January 1, Saturday - Monday
College Reopens	January 2, Tuesday
Last Day to Complete an “I” Grade	March 9, Friday