Download the syllabus and schedule
New York City College of Technology
ENG 1101: English Composition I
Fall 2015
CL19: M 9:00-9:50 AM, Namm 517
LC19: M/W 10:00-11:15AM Namm 418
Professor: Jody R. Rosen
E-mail: jrrosen@citytech.cuny.edu
Mailbox: Namm 512 (English Dept.)
Office: Namm 520
Office Hours: M 2:00-4:00, and by appointment
Ways of Seeing: Adventures with Image and Text
Course Description and Objectives
Ways of Seeing: Adventures with Image and Text is a First-Year Learning Community that brings together this ENG 1101 English Composition I course with Prof. Jenna Spevack’s COMD 1100-LC04: Graphic Design Principles, M/W 11:30-2:00. Students must be enrolled in both courses to complete the Learning Community. It will include field trips, hands-on projects, and cross-sensory experiences to help you discover and express your creative vision. The Learning Community will have a peer mentor, Loubna Aly, who will help you navigate your first semester at City Tech.
English Composition I is a course in effective essay writing and basic research techniques, including the use of the library. CUNY certification in reading and writing is the prerequisite for this course. College-level readings are assigned as the basis for in-class and online discussion and for essay writing. In addition to our three hours of class time, we will have an hour per week of lab time. Students should expect to spend at least six hours per week on work for this class in addition to class time. Through discussion, reading, writing in drafts, collaborating, revising, and presenting work, students will learn to:
- Write clear and logical sentences of varied structure, using correct spelling, conventional punctuation, and correct grammar and syntax;
- Organize sentences into paragraphs and paragraphs into well-developed essays that present persuasive arguments based on specific evidence;
- Draft, revise, and proofread essays of various modes of writing, including narration, description, comparison, argumentation, analysis and reflection;
- Use writing as a process of discovery, building habits of critical thinking;
- Develop a personal writing style.
- Understand the relationship between context and audience
- Read actively, carefully, and thoroughly, looking at details and at the piece as a whole;
- Formulate questions as part of the reading process in anticipation of class or online discussions;
- Demonstrate the ability to summarize, paraphrase, quote, and argue with assigned readings
- Gain expertise with online tools such as blogs, collaborative documents, online writing centers, and library research tools;
- Communicate professionally via e-mail and other online media;
- Demonstrate information fluency—the ability to find, evaluate, use, and create online resources.
Course Requirements:
Textbooks and Supplies:
- Access to a computer, the Internet, and a printer: instead of a textbook, all of our readings will be available online, and much of our writing will be completed and submitted online, with printed drafts due in class. To access our course materials, you will need:
- An OpenLab account: sign up at https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu
- Membership in our OpenLab course, Ways of Seeing: Image and Text
- A functioning City Tech email account: your address should be firstname.lastname@mail.citytech.cuny.edu; access it via the quicklink menu on the City Tech home page.
- Access to the Circulating Collection, the Reserves, and the Databases at the Ursula C. Schwerin Library for supplemental and research materials. You must go to the Ursula Schwerin Library on the 4th floor of the Atrium building to have your ID card activated.
- Access to an online writing guide, such as the Online Writing Lab: http://owl.english.purdue.edu
- A college-level dictionary, such as the American Heritage Dictionary. An online dictionary such as http://m-w.com can suffice.
- A notebook for class notes and reading notes
- Various in-class handouts, including all of your course readings
- A sturdy folder to hold your work and course handouts.
- Any inexpensive hardcover used book, which you will also use in COMD 1100.
Attendance and participation: Attendance and participation are mandatory in this discussion-based, fieldwork-oriented course. Arriving late, leaving during class, or leaving early will count as half of an absence. City Tech’s policy states that four or more absences will result in a WU grade. I will not grant excused absences; instead, use your three permitted absences wisely. Absence is not an excuse for missing or late work; you must get class notes and assignments from classmates and keep up with your coursework. To meet course goals, come prepared, bring any required materials, and contribute to the day’s activity. Your physical presence is not enough! If you do not contribute to the discussion, workshop, or small group activity, I will assume you are unprepared. Similarly, participation on the OpenLab course site is essential for our virtual community. Please be respectful of other viewpoints or opinions in class and online. Distractions such as non-ENG 1101-materials or cell phones are not welcome, since they will negatively affect your participation, and in turn, your success in this course.
Writing: This is a writing course, so you will write in class, on the course site, and outside of class. There will be due dates for drafts and finished versions of projects, but you will be responsible for pacing your work and completing drafts. Formal assignments should be submitted using MLA formatting—further details will be posted on our OpenLab site. Projects are due digitally by the beginning of class unless otherwise noted. If you have a legitimate reason for requesting an extension for a project, ask me at least 24 hours before the due date. Projects submitted late but without an extension will be severely penalized. In-class writing will contribute to your essay assignments, and will affect your essay grade, your in-class writing grade, and your participation grade. These pieces of informal writing must be accessible in your writing folder, since we will return to texts, themes, and ideas throughout the semester. Revision is an essential part of writing. Projects will include both draft and revised versions. Please be aware that revision is not the same as correcting errors—it requires re-envisioning your work, refashioning and rewriting it. Guidelines for required revisions will be available with the project description. If you would like to revise a project after I have graded it, you must first make an appointment with me and adhere to our revision contract.
Homework: Homework is listed on the schedule of classes. This list is subject to change, so consult with the online schedule for the most current assignments. Homework assignments can will include reading, blogging, drafting projects, and other writing assigned on a rotating basis. Homework assignments are listed for the date they are assigned, rather than the day they are due.
Course site: In addition to our class meetings, this Learning Community will share a virtual community on the OpenLab (https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu). You will need your City Tech email account to create an account on the OpenLab, and then you will need to join our course (https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/groups/ways-of-seeing-fylc-fall-2015). Course readings will be available on our OpenLab site, as will project assignments, handouts, class notes, and informal assignments in various format; we will also hold discussions there as well. You will be responsible for posting assigned homework and other assignments as announced. Additionally, each student will maintain an ePortfolio on the OpenLab as well to curate work from throughout the semester. Guidelines and further details are available on our site.
Grading: Your course grade will be calculated based on the following percentages, which reflect the value of the entire project; missing any component will result in a lower grade. Passing ENG 1101 is contingent upon attendance and the successful completion of all assignments and the final exam.
Project #1 (Profile biography and avatar reflection): 10%
Project #2 (Walking and Writing in Overlapping New Yorks): 15%
Project #3 (Aesthetic Mapping): 15%
Project #4 (Gallery Contribution): 15%
Final Exam (Essay on an Article): 10%
Oral Presentations (Critiques, Projects): 5%
Course Site writing and participation (including homework, summary, glossary, posts and comments): 15%
In-class participation, quizzes, and in-class assignments: 15%
Support: I strongly encourage you to speak with me during my office hours or by appointment—this is one of the most direct and effective ways to improve your work or to seek advice! You can also reach out to me via email, though please do not expect an immediate response. Email should be sent from your City Tech email address or OpenLab account. Other support at City Tech includes your Learning Community peer mentor, the College Learning Center, the Academic Advisement Center, and the Counseling Service Center. Students with disabilities should consult with the Student Support Services Program for documentation and support, and should speak with me privately to coordinate appropriate accommodations.
Academic Integrity:
Policy on Academic Integrity: “Students and all others who work with information, ideas, texts, images, music, inventions, and other intellectual property owe their audience and sources accuracy and honesty in using, crediting, and citing sources. As a community of intellectual and professional workers, the College recognizes its responsibility for providing instruction in information literacy and academic integrity, offering models of good practice, and responding vigilantly and appropriately to infractions of academic integrity. Accordingly, academic dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and at New York City College of Technology and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion.”
Plagiarism, the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research, or writing as your own, intentionally or unintentionally, is not tolerated at City Tech. Using proper documentation (MLA style for citations) and thorough textual analysis will help you avoid plagiarism. Any cases of academic dishonesty will result in a grade of zero and appropriate measures taken. If you are confused or have any questions about what plagiarism is and how you might avoid it, please contact me before your assignment is due. Read more about City Tech’s academic honesty policies: http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/aboutus/docs/policies/CUNY_ACADEMIC_INTEGRITY_6-2011.pdf.
* * *
Schedule: Class topics, readings, homework assignments, and project due dates are subject to change. Please refer to the online schedule for the most up-to-date version: https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/rosenspevackfylcf15/english-composition-1/schedule/
