English 101, Section 3169Syllabus: Spring 2008 Yablon 1

When: Thursdays, 6:45 p.m. until 9:55 p.m.Where: H-105Who: Brian Yablon, Adjunct Assistant Professor of EnglishEmail: yablonba@lavc.edu Telephone: (818) 947-8264

Required The Longman Reader, 8th Edition by NadellTexts: Herodotus: The Histories translated by Blanco

Recommended: MLA Handbook for Writers, 6th Edition by Gibaldi

To begin with, this is probably the last class where you will be concerned with mastering “standard English” grammar and fluency. After you leave this class, your teachers will assume that you have mastered it. (Remember that “standard” English is not the only type of English usage but it is the accepted and expected usage in the worlds of academia and employment.) So, we will spend a fair amount of time on this subject. You have to demonstrate that you have mastered this “standard English” use of language in order to pass the class.

Another purpose of the class is to improve your reading comprehension skills. We will discuss finding main ideas and supporting details, making inferences, and making judgments based upon our reading. We will talk about point of view and bias, and we will differentiate between reading for pleasure and reading for necessity. We live in a world of far too much information to take in and digest. So, we will talk about ways to sift through texts to find what is useful and necessary and skim over what is filler and unnecessary.

Also, one of the aims of this class is to expose you to a wide variety of writing tasks. Essentially, you need to become aware of several types of writing formats – and to be able to recognize when you would use a particular writing format and, of course, use it. You will study more writing formats than we’ll have time to write, but you will be asked to demonstrate your ability to write at least some of the formats as well as your understanding of other formats.

We live in a world that requires clear and effective communication, especially in writing. We also live in a world where information is manipulated, orally, visually, and in writing. This course will expose you to how written information is manipulated in order to achieve a particular purpose. So, you will be able to manipulate information yourself and recognize when someone else is attempting to manipulate you.

I do hope you enjoy this class. We will embark on a wonderful journey together!

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“Tentative” Assignment Dates and PointsReading reaction February 7 0 pointsSyllabus agreement February 14 5 pointsEssay #1 March 13 50 pointsMidterm exam April 10 50 pointsGetty Villa assignment April 17 25 pointsInternet assignment May 1 20 pointsEssay #2 May 8 50 pointsFinal examination May 15 50 pointsEssay #3: Term/Research Paper May 29 100 pointsOral presentations May 22 or May 29 25 pointsParticipation/Attendance February 7 to May 29 75 points Total points possible 450 points

All of this is “tentative” and may be change depending upon the pace and progress of our particular class. Relax.

Dates Discussions/Activities Readings To Do/What’s DueFebruary 7 Introduction Discuss

ideas on reading, writing, and their relevance to your lives. Why are we here anyway?

Discuss note-taking

A Ticket to Work...Or a Ticket Out: A Survey of Business Leaders

A one-page reaction to tonight’s reading.

Please read the syllabus.

Begin reading the Longman book.

Begin reading Herodotus.

February 14 Description Narration Types of Reading Writing Process Term-Research paper Review syllabus

questions

Longman “The Reading

Process” p. 1-11 “The Writing

Process” p. 12-70 “Description” p. 71-

83 “Narration” p. 123-

136.

Syllabus agreement. Read your Longman

book, and pay attention to the grammar section at the end of the book. Come to class with questions about that section, please.

February 21 Exemplification Argumentation-

Persuasion

Longman “Exemplification” “Argumentation-

Persuasion”

Continue to read your Longman book and finish reviewing the grammar section.

Dates Discussions/Activities Readings To Do/What’s DueFebruary 28 “Dear John” letters

Spelling MLA formatting

Longman “Fragments” p. 635 “Comma Splices and

Please bring your Longman book to class, and continue

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Draft descriptions Precise, vivid writing Discuss revising texts Sentence variety (type,

structure, length

Run-ons” p. 636 “Faulty Subject-Verb

Agreement” p. 636

to read. Write your first

draft of Essay #1 and bring it to class on our next meeting.

March 6 Movie Night! Peer review of Essay #1

Longman “How to Say

Nothing in 500 Words” p. 314-326.

Revise your essay and bring the final draft to class next week.

Continue to read your Longman book.

March 13 Cause-Effect Process Analysis

Longman “Cause-Effect” “Process Analysis”

Essay #1

March 20 Movie Night! Longman “Faulty Pronoun

Agreement” p. 638

Finish reading Herodotus and bring the book to class next week.

Don’t forget to visit the Getty Villa in Malibu!

March 27 Spring Break – No ClassApril 3 Review Herodotus Don’t forget to study

for your midterm. It will focus on Herodotus so bring your book to class!

Work on your preliminary outline for your research paper.

April 10 Midterm Exam Research paper preliminary outline

April 17 Comparison-Contrast

Division-Classification Definition

“So What?” (Significance)

Longman “Misplaced and

Dangling Modifiers” p. 639

“Faulty Parallelism” p. 641

“Comma Misuse” p. 641

Getty Villa assignment due

Work on your Internet assignment

Work on your Essay #2 and bring a draft to our next class.

April 24 OWL, Internet, Plagiarism, Writing Centers assignment: Class will be held offsite tonight

May 1 Primary vs. secondary sources

Conferences Peer review of Essay #2 Review internet

homework.

Internet Assignment Work on your term

paper. Finish up your final

draft of Essay #2.

Dates Discussions/Activities Readings To Do/What’s DueMay 8 Work on term paper Longman Essay #2

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Review for final exam Prepare presentations

“Confusing Homonyms” p. 644

“Misuse of Italics and Underlining” p. 645

Study for the final exam. It will focus on the Longman book, so bring it to class!

Complete the research paper final outline.

May 15 Final Exam Research paper final outline due.

Prepare for your oral presentation.

Finish your first draft of your research-term paper and bring a draft to class next week.

May 22 Oral Presentations Peer review of research-

term papers

Presentations Finish up your final

draft of your research-term paper.

May 29 Oral Presentations Essay #3: Term- Research paper,

Presentations

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Please Note: All information presented here is accurate as of February 2008. Of course, things change, so call the appropriate office to find out the most up-to-date hours, locations, and other information.

AssessmentCenter The Assessment Center is located in the Engineering Building, rooms 101

and 102. Their phone number is (818) 947-2587. That’s where you need to take assessments for English, ESL, math, chemistry, Associate Degree competency, and some forms of financial aid.

Admissions & Records The admissions and records department is located in the Administration

Building. Its phone number is (818) 947-2553. That’s where you need to go to add or drop classes and to get official transcripts. The hours of operation vary from time to time, but they’re listed in the schedule of classes. Remember to take care of all of your necessary paperwork!

AssociatedStudent Union: The ASU is located in Campus Center 102. The phone number is (818) 778-

5516. The ASU offers a huge variety of ways to become involved in campus and student life. There’s a cyber café, visits to other colleges, festivals, scholarships, and all sorts of things. Membership is $7 per semester.

Bookstore: The bookstore is located right in the middle of campus. The phone number is (818) 947-2313. That’s where you can purchase all of your textbooks, supplies, computers, and all sorts of other things. The hours change frequently, and they’re posted on the front door. You can also purchase books at: www.lavcbookstore.com.

Business Office: The business office is where you pay for everything. The phone number is (818) 947-2318. Remember, unless you pay for your classes, parking permits, and other services, you cannot participate in campus life.

CalWORKs/GAIN: The California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids and Greater Avenues for Independence office is located in Bungalow 13/14. The phone number is (818) 947-2976. The program offers help with counseling, classes, childcare, books, paid work-study and other stuff.

Citizenship Center: The Citizenship Center is located in Bungalow 13/14. The phone number is (818) 947-2976. The folks at the center will help you with all of your citizenship and immigration information.

Career/TransferCenter: The Career/Transfer Center is located in the Administration Building, room

126. The phone number is (818) 947-2646. This is a place you need to visit frequently and early in your college career. This center will help you with choosing a major and getting to the college of your choice.

Child DevelopmentCenter: LAVC offers both (day) preschool and after-school programs. There’s often

a waiting list. To get on it and get more information, call (818) 947-2931.

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Computer Labs: There are two types of computer labs on campus: the ones that are open to all students, and the ones that are only supposed to be used by certain students. The computer labs open to all students are located in the following places:

Writing Center, Humanities 100 & 102 CCAIVE, Business Journalism Building LAIR, Library Building Lion’s Den, Cafeteria Building

The computer labs open to assigned classes or students only are located in the following places:

Biology 3 students only, B 82 & B 83 Business and CAOT classes only, BJ 108 Chemistry and math classes only, C107 CSIT and Vocational Education students only, BJ 103, BJ 105 Electronics and physics classes only, P108 CAD/CAM students only, E115 Foreign language students only, FL 101 Nursing and Respiratory therapy students only, E 100 Math students, MS 106 CAOT and Business administration courses only, BJ 111 Statistics students only, BSC 110 Speech 61 or 62, Speech lab, basement of Campus Center

Cooperative Ed. Students who are enrolled at LAVC and are employed either full or part time, paid or volunteer status, to a job related to their declared major can enroll in the Cooperative Education Program and earn up to four (4) units of transfer credit! The Cooperative Education office is located in the Job Resource Center in Bungalow 48. The phone number is (818) 947-2333. The fax number is (818) 947-2978.

Counseling: The counselors are available throughout the day and evening to help you plan classes, talk about transferring, and deal with other issues. The office is located in the Admissions Building. The phone number is (818) 947-2546.

DSPS: The Disabled Students Programs and Services office is located in Campus Center 100. The phone number is (818) 947-2681 or TTY (818) 937-2680. This office provides a variety of services, just for the asking. These include: priority registration, sign language interpreters, note-taking and test-taking assistance, and a variety of other services.

EOPS: The Extended Opportunity Programs and Services office is located in Campus Center 116. The phone number is (818) 947-2432. The folks in this office offer services for low-income and educationally disadvantaged students. Don’t overlook this office when considering your financial resources.

CARE: Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education is a part of the EOPS program and provides help for single parents and CalWORKs students. The phone number is (818) 947-2432.

Financial Aid Financial aid is available to just about every single college student – but you have to apply for it! Every year, the college has money left over because not enough people apply for it. Don’t be embarrassed! Remember, even the folks at Harvard (almost half of them) are on financial aid! The deadlines are in the early spring, so apply early. You can contact the

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financial aid folks at (818) 947-2412 or email them at: financialaid@lavc.edu. The office is located between the tennis courts and the north gym.

Health Center: The health center is located in the North Gym. Its phone number is (818) 947-2918. The student health center offers lots of services for current students. Check them out. You can get in with an appointment or just walk in.

InternationalStudents: The International Students office is in the Administration Building. The

phone number is (818) 778-5517. The folks in this office will help with visas, forms and adjusting to new surroundings.

Library: Our campus has a wonderful library with over 132,000 books and 360 subscriptions. Your student ID is also your library card. You can also visit the library at: www.lavc.edu/Library/library.html.

LAIR The Lab for Academic and Instructional Resources is located in the south wing of the Library Building. The phone number is (818) 947-2744. The LAIR offers tutoring and computer services for all students.

Service Learning: The Student Learning program links students with nonprofit agencies as volunteers. It is located in the Administration Building. The phone number is (818) 947-2642. Students who contact me at the beginning of the semester and enroll in the program, can earn extra credit for my classes. You can earn up to ten percent (a full letter grade) of extra credit, but you must be properly enrolled in the program.

TRIO/Student Support Services: The TRIO program. Is funded by the U.S. Department of Education to help

low-income, first generation college students and disabled students. The phone number is (818) 947-2487.

Tutoring Lab: The tutoring lab is available to all LAVC students with a valid school I.D. It’s in the Math Science building, rooms 109 & 113, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday (and Friday if four or more students commit to a session). Disciplines offered: Anthropology, Astronomy, Environmental Science, Geography, Geology, and Oceanography.

Veterans: The Veterans office is located in the Administration Building. The phone number is (818) 947-2657. The folks in this office can help veterans obtain their benefits under the G.I. Bill. They provide a wide variety of services, all free.

Writing Center: The writing center is located in the Humanities Building and is open for one-on-one tutoring, small group sessions and workshops, and provides use of computers and printers. You are strongly encouraged to visit the writing center throughout the semester. You may also access the writing center online at: www.lavc.edu/WCweb/index.html. You can even get the tutors to look at your papers via email – and it’s free!

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This syllabus is a contract that spells out my responsibilities as well as yours. In order for everyone to be clear on the expectations for the course, I have listed them here.

Participation Because the success of this class hinges on the preparation and participation of its members, you are expected to have the appropriate texts read and any written preparation completed and with you in class. You are responsible for all readings, even if we do not discuss them. Participation also includes active discussion and appropriate behavior. It accounts for approximately twenty percent of the grade in the course. What does that mean? It means that you need to participate in a positive, active manner in order to earn a good grade in the class.

MUGS This stands for Mechanics, Usage, Grammar, and Spelling. We will discuss these topics, along with personal style, on a regular basis.

My Conduct: You can expect from me: That I will be prepared for every class meeting. I will be happy to spend time talking to each of you regarding your

work and progress in class. I will read every word of every paper you write -- I am not very fast

(and I appreciate your patience if it takes me a while to finish reading your papers) but I am thorough. I do not use "readers," so it may take me some time to get your work back to you.

I will be fair -- I will treat every student with the same level of effort and respect.

Attendance: Excessive absences, late arrivals or early departures from class will result in dismissal -- at any time during the semester. Therefore, regular attendance to class is encouraged, especially because of the nature of the material studied. If you need to be away from class, please communicate with me – because your third absence will exclude you from class. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed – and get the appropriate materials – from your classmates.

If, for some reason, you need to drop the course, please do not forget to take care of it officially at the registration office. If you stop showing up to class and forget to officially drop the class, and I forget to exclude you, you will receive an "F" as a final grade in the class and on your transcript. Please avoid this mark by taking care of your responsibilities.

Since you are paying for this class, you should take it as a serious commitment of your time and energy. Please spend your time in class well.

Incomplete: It is the policy of LAVC that students are responsible for dropping classes after the “census” period. If, for some reason, you need to take an “incomplete” in this course, you must request this of the instructor at the time you depart the class. In order to take an "incomplete," you must:

Have finished at least half of the class work and You must be earning a passing grade at the time of the request

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Also, if you take the final exam you may not receive an “incomplete.”

An “incomplete” is only given under dire circumstances – accidents, hospitalizations, or other traumatic events that cause you to miss many sessions of class. An “incomplete” is never used to give more time to earn a higher grade. My experience over the years suggests that most students who get an “incomplete” never complete the coursework, even though they’re given an entire year to make up the work. Please think carefully before requesting an “incomplete” in this or any other class.

Papers: All papers must have the following characteristics. Papers that do not follow these guidelines will be returned to the student without being read or graded.

1) All text double-spaced2) Use a sans-serif font such as Ariel or Chalkboard 3) 12 point height (neither less nor more) 4) Follow consistent MLA formatting 5) A hard copy delivered to the instructor (no disks/emails/excuses) 6) Length: varies per assignment7) Identified as to type of paper being submitted (“Narrative Paper”)8) Given an appropriate title (not a label such as “narrative paper”)9) MLA citations and a Works Cited page, if appropriate.10) Proof of peer review.11) A reflection about the piece of writing submitted12) An outline (for the term-research paper)

Revised Work: Students may revise their lowest scored paper (once) in order to try to improve their grades. Exams, oral presentations, and late papers may not be revised. Please remember that revised papers are graded only after other first-time papers have been read. (They go to the bottom of the pile, but they are looked at.) Revised papers should be turned in stapled on top of the original papers. You have one week from the time you receive your graded papers in order to revise them and turn them in for second consideration. Revised work generally does not receive any comments. No revised work will be accepted after the last day of class.

Late Work: At the college level, there are few legitimate excuses for late work. Essentially, the only excuses include your hospitalization or a death in your immediate family. Assignments are due as scheduled. Late assignments will not be accepted after one week. Even if you give your work to a classmate to hand in, it remains your responsibility to see that I receive it. Although I would prefer not to receive papers this way, in an emergency you may email me your work as an attachment to your email message. Technical failures do not excuse late work – you have to ensure that I can actually receive and read your work. If you have a

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question, send me a “test” email in advance. Again, my email is: yablonba@lavc.edu. If papers are turned in late, they will receive a 25% grading penalty, and late work may not be revised. Of course, no work will be accepted after the end of the semester.

Office Hours: Office hours will be held one-half hour before class or by appointment. You will also be able to find me in the English department office, H-121.

Extra Credit If extra credit work is given, the total amount of extra credit points cannot exceed 5% (one-half letter grade) of the total amount of points available in the class.

Good Conduct: In this class, we are all adults. As such, everyone is expected to act with good manners. Therefore, as a gentle reminder, please:

Remember to listen attentively while others talk (only one conversation at a time, please).

Please turn your cell phones to the "silent" mode (and remind your family and friends to only call you in an emergency during class times; text messaging and talking on your telephone are simply rude and you will be asked to leave).

Arriving late may be considered rude and you may be marked absent for the class.

Leaving early without permission is rude, and you will be marked absent for the class.

This is college, not high school. Period. If you display poor manners once, you will receive a warning. If

poor behavior persists more than once, you will be dropped from the class.

Please remember that attendance and participation – good conduct – accounts for approximately twenty percent of your total grade.

Misconduct: Unfortunately, plagiarism is the most common form of cheating in an English class. Please always cite your sources. The minimum penalty for cheating (usually plagiarism) in this class will be a grade of "F" and immediate dismissal from the course. It is the only “unforgivable sin” in my class and I take it very seriously. This is no joke, and there are no “second chances.” If you are unsure about what is considered plagiarism, please visit the following web sites:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.htmlhttp://sja.ucdavis.edu/avoid.htmhttp://gervaseprograms.georgetown.edu/hc/plagiarism.htmlhttp://www.collegeboard.com/article/0,3868,2-10-0-10314,00.html

Please note: Sometimes these web addresses change slightly. There are many sites to find information on plagiarism. Purdue, UC Davis, Georgetown, and the College Board are just a few sites to visit. You may, of course, visit our school’s website – www.lavc.edu -- to see what our own Writing Center says about plagiarism as well.

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E-Mail: If you need to get in touch with me before class and I am unavailable otherwise, you may e-mail me at: yablonba@lavc.edu. You may also leave a message, a note, or papers for me in the English office, H-121.

Voice Mail: (818) 947-8264. You may leave a message with me on this voice mail service. I am not used to using it, but I will try to check it frequently.

Getting Stuff: At the end of the semester, if there are any materials that I have not returned to you (term papers, portfolios, or other items), I will put them in a bag or box in the English office – H-121 – and they will stay there for approximately one month after the last day of class. You may pick up your work at your convenience during that time period. Note: exams will not be returned, but are available for review upon request. After approximately one month, the materials will be disposed of. So, please come by to pick up your work!

Assumptions: The focus of this class is on writing – lots and lots of writing. It is assumed that students have mastered “Standard” English grammar to the extent that their papers are easily understandable. If there are problems with Standard English grammar usage, the instructor may ask the student to furnish proof of passing English 21 and/or English 28; or the instructor may advise the student to take some grammar remediation. Students cannot pass English 101 unless they have mastered Standard English grammar and usage. I mean this. Even if the content of your papers is wonderful, if your demonstrated language ability is not acceptable, you will not be able to pass the class. Please talk to me about this if you have questions.

As a student of LAVC, everyone has access to the school’s computers as well as email system. It is assumed that students will use these resources if they cannot access computers on their own. It is assumed that students will use the Writing Center in the Humanities building, if possible. The computer lab is right next door.

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English 101

Course Catalogue Description: This course teaches students to write college-level essays as a result of and in response to reading and analyzing college-level texts. The course focuses equally on writing and critical reading. Students will learn to prepare a substantial research paper in which they accurately, clearly, and coherently synthesize ideas and information from a variety of sources and points of view.

Schedule Description: The basic principles of writing college-level nonfiction essays and research papers.

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

1. Analyze college-level texts2. Formulate appropriate college-level essay topics and generate ideas for supporting

them;3. Write (compose) college-level essays in response to college-level texts;4. Employ the conventions of academic discourse;5. Demonstrate logical thinking and reasoning;6. Compare, contrast, and evaluate a variety of opinions on the same issue or topic;7. Analyze audience requirements;8. Locate information in the library and on the Internet to support a research topic;9. Evaluate electronic and print sources;10.Analyze and synthesize information and ideas into a substantial research paper;11.Demonstrate a mastery of the differences among direct quotation, paraphrase,

and plagiarism;12.Demonstrate the ability to cite sources according to MLA style documentation;13.Assess early drafts and revise them to improve organization, coherence, support,

focus, and word choices;14.Proofread to improve sentence structure, punctuation, grammar, capitalization,

spelling, and usage;15.Within the context of the essay, understand the elements of sentence structure,

punctuation, capitalization, grammar, spelling, and usage;16.Demonstrate and employ effective sentences, using a variety of sentence

structures, subordination and coordination, parallelism, and appropriate word choice;

17.Demonstrate an understanding of multicultural values.

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Course content and scope: Outline of topics to be included in this course:

1. Analyzing academic texts to determine their purpose, thesis, tone, style, and methods of development;

2. Generating ideas for writing by assessing the writing situation and using discovery strategies, such as listing, freewriting, asking questions, and especially annotating texts;

3. Essay structure: Introduction, thesis, support, and conclusion. How to write well-constructed essays that state an explicit thesis, supporting paragraphs that use material from academic sources as well as the writer’s own experience and ideas, and a satisfying conclusion;

4. Conventions of academic discourse;5. Making effective arguments by using sound reasoning and avoiding logical

fallacies;6. Addressing opposing opinions in argument;7. Assessing audience requirements, including an audience’s knowledge of a subject,

interest in a subject, and possible attitudes towards it;8. How to conduct effective library and Internet research, including a presentation by

a librarian and a tour of the facilities;9. Criteria for evaluating both print and Internet sources, including such qualities as

currency of information, possible bias, and accuracy of information;10.Synthesizing sources into an essay to support a position or to argue against one;11.MLA form of documentation, including in-text citations and works cited page;12.How to avoid plagiarism by summarizing and paraphrasing correctly, using

quotation marks properly, and citing sources;13.Revision, editing, and proofreading, including making sentence-level and global

revisions, editing for greater clarity and style, and proofreading to correct minor errors.

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Grading scale: Every item is given a numerical grade, and the grading scale is a straight ten-percent scale. So, here are the percentages:

A = 90% - 100% D = 60% - 69%B = 80% - 89% F = 00% - 59%C = 70% - 79%

Standards for English Compositions (From the English Department)

To the student: The main purpose of English composition is to help you learn to write expository prose in such a way that a thoughtful, mature, educated reader will pay respectful attention to your ideas. The following criteria may guide your development as a writer. Please note that these criteria are concerned only with measurable achievement, not the amount of effort that goes into writing the essay.

C A “C” essay is a competent work, a success. It states a clear thesis and supports that thesis with factual evidence. The thesis is appropriate for an essay of the length assigned – that is, neither too broad nor too narrow in scope – and is adequately developed. Most of the secondary opinions relate clearly to the thesis and are supported. Generally, each paragraph contains one subordinate idea clearly related to the thesis and details explaining and supporting that idea. The train of thought is generally clear. The ideas expressed may not be particularly original, but they are more than mere platitudes. The paper shows competence in grammar: The sentences are nearly all complete and not run together; there are few or no dangling or misplaced modifiers; pronouns consistently and clearly refer to antecedents and agree in number with those antecedents; subjects and verbs agree in umber; tense, diction, spelling, and punctuation generally follow the conventions. A “C” paper answers the assignment, is reasonably well organized, and has some details.

B A “B” essay demonstrates not only the competence of the “C” essay in form and content but, in addition, shows originality in both style and concepts. The diction is accurate and economical. The paper exhibits skill in using the concepts of emphasis and proportion. Details are more vivid and abundant than in a “C” essay.

A An “A” essay contains ideas unusually significant, original, or otherwise exceptionally rich. The supporting details are abundant, unusually vivid, and strikingly appropriate. The reasoning is such that a thoughtful, educated reader can find the ideas, if not necessarily convincing, at least well worth considering. The paper shows awareness of the exact meanings and flavor of the words used. The sentences possess special fluency, force, or elegance. They show skill in using coordination, subordination, parallelism, emphasis, and metaphor. The “A” essay contains very few errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, or in the construction of sentences or paragraphs.

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D A “D” essay lacks one or more of the qualities named above for the “C” essay. Its thesis may be trite, insufficiently explored, or both. It may fall below the “C” level because its thesis or development is too narrow, to broad, or otherwise inappropriate for the paper assigned. A “D” essay frequently supplies insufficient evidence for its thesis and subordinate opinions. Its organization is unclear; its paragraphs are underdeveloped; fragmentary or comma-spliced sentences occur more than once or twice; pronouns are often misused. The paper usually contains several errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar. Note: a paper that does not demonstrate an acceptable mastery of “Standard English” usage, regardless of the quality of the content, will earn a “D” or “F” grade.

F An “F” essay either does not clearly respond to the assignment (and is thus given an “F” despite its merits) or lacks several qualities named for the “C” paper. It may contain a trivial or poorly explored thesis. The paper may be only a collection of loosely related opinions. It probably will show a poor grasp of paragraph organization. It may contain enough fragmentary or comma-spliced sentences to suggest a failure to understand what a sentence is. The paper may contain many disagreements between noun and pronoun or between subject and verb. It often contains many errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar. Note: a paper that does not demonstrate an acceptable mastery of “Standard English” usage, regardless of the quality of the content, will earn a “D” or “F” grade.

Honors Honors papers are expected to be superior to “regular” papers. Generally, they should be longer, go to greater depth, and demonstrate a more sophisticated sense of style and writer’s voice. Also, more papers and/or examinations may be assigned. Papers are viewed through an “honors” lens. That is, an “A” paper for a “regular” student would be considered a “B” paper for an “honors” student, and so forth. The designation of “honors” involves a commitment to demonstrate work worthy of that title.

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Syllabus Agreement

You must complete and sign this form in order to pass the course. By signing this form, you indicate that you have read the course syllabus, and you agree to abide by the policies it contains.

Signature:_____________________________________________

Please complete the following. Print clearly and make certain the information is complete. Inform me of any changes that occur during the semester (yablonba@lavc.edu)

Name ________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________

City_____________________________ State___________ Zip Code _____________

Phone_____________________ Cell Phone__________________

Email ____________________________@__________________

Please answer the following questions:

1. What are your goals for this course? That is, what do you hope to achieve by taking this course?

2. What strengths in reading, writing, and speaking do you possess?

3. What are the challenges that you would like to work on during this course?

4. What other information would you like me to know at this time?