Syllabus

MEETING & CONTACT INFORMATION

REQUIRED MATERIALS

There are no required texts to purchase for this class. All materials will be posted on OpenLab. All students are required to create OpenLab accounts, and to have the necessary materials for any given class in hardcopy. There will be no phone or computer access during text discussions.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

English 1101 is designed to help you strengthen your ability to read closely and critically, write clearly and persuasively, and further develop other rhetorical skills so you may communicate ideas effectively. This semester we will delve into the rich history of New York City through the examination of various texts, including essays, stories, poems, and films. Through close reading and discussion of these works students will learn how to critically interpret and communicate ideas in a professional capacity.

During this course you will write several short essays and one long research essay. There will be frequent in-class writing to help you develop and revise your ideas. These projects will hone student ability to both critically and imaginatively consider information, as well as develop fresh, sophisticated arguments that are thoroughly researched and sharply presented.

In order to best attain the above goals, English 1101 balances seminar-style discussions with heavy student participation; brief lectures; hands-on work in writing workshops and guided “lab” exercises; and regular one-on-one conferencing with your professor.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

 Students who successfully complete English 1121 will be able to:

• read and listen critically and analytically, identify an argument’s major assumptions and assertions and evaluating its supporting evidence;
• write clearly and coherently in varied, academic formats including formal and research essays, using standard written English and appropriate technology to critique and improve one’s own and others’ texts through guided peer review;
• demonstrate research skills using appropriate technology, including gathering, evaluating, and synthesizing primary and secondary sources;
• support a thesis with well-reasoned arguments, and communicate persuasively across a variety of contexts, purposes, audiences, and media;
• formulate original ideas and relate them to the ideas of others by employing the conventions of ethical attribution and citation.

COURSE POLICIES

Attendance & Participation: Students must come to class and sustain positive, productive membership in the classroom community of student-writers. It is imperative that you regularly participate in class discussions, and that you convey the utmost of respect toward your peers. Participation is 10% of your overall course grade.

 Tardiness, ill-preparedness, and cell phone/outside technology use will be counted against student attendance at the instructor’s discretion. This includes headphones. Regular disruptions like this may result in a student being asked to leave.

 Taking notes on your cellphone is not permitted; it will be assumed you are using your phone and will negatively affect your participation grade. Please stow your cellphones away to avoid any temptation or confusion. Laptops are not allowed until the research paper unit at the end of the semester.

 **As per the New York City College of Technology handbook: “Attendance and class participation are essential and excessive absences may affect the final grade.”

 Classroom Preparedness: Please be punctual and come with a notebook dedicated to this class, a writing utensil, and hardcopies of the reading for each respective day. Any homework required for that class needs to be finished and students need to be prepared to engage in discussion.

Assignment Formatting Requirements: All work must be typed in Times New Roman 12-point font, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins. All work must be in MLA format. In the top right hand corner of the first page you must always include: your name, my name, the course name and number, and the date. This information should be single-spaced. Page numbers need to appear in the top right-hand corner, beginning on the second page. All work must be in hard copy and stapled—it will not be accepted otherwise. Please make sure you give yourself enough time to print items before class!

Deadlines & Late Policies: You need to secure my permission for extensions at least 24 hours in advance of the due date. In most cases I am happy to provide a short extension; however, they will not be given retroactively.

 There will be no make-up exams administered unless a student has documentation such as a letter from a doctor or advisor.

 Plagiarism: Appropriating the ideas or writing of another person, whether intentionally or unintentionally, without proper acknowledgement of the source, is considered plagiarism. It is unacceptable and will ensure your failure in this class, and will additionally be reported to the College.

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.”

— NYCCT Statement on Academic Integrity

Students with Special Needs: Students who need special help with the course, such as note-taking, free tutoring, additional time and/or a distraction-reduced environment for tests and final exams, may contact The Center for Student Accessibility, located in the Atrium Building 237 (A-237). You may also telephone: 718-260-5143.

 The Writing Center: You are encouraged to visit the Atrium Learning Center (ALC) for extra assistance with papers: http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/students/learningcenter/. Visit Namm AG-18 or call 718-260-5874 to make an appointment.

 Office Hours: Please be punctual and prepared for meetings with me. Feel free to email me in order to find a time that works for both of us.

 Email: Please be sure to always include a subject entry in your emails. I will respond within 24 hours, except on weekends, and expect you to do the same. Please do not email me with questions that can be answered either by this syllabus or an assignment description which has been provided for you already!

 ASSIGNMENTS

 Response Papers—250-290 words/1 page: Throughout the semester students will complete five short response papers. Topics will be posted on Blackboard and are meant to generate ideas and understanding regarding the texts, as well as act as the foundation for larger papers. You need to bring hardcopies of these to class on the day due and be prepared to use them for that day’s discussion before handing them in.

 Essay #1—600-900 words/2-3 pages

 Essay #2—600-900 words/2-3 pages

 2 Paper Draft Peer Reviews—600-900 words/2-3 pages

Research Paper Outline

 Research Paper—1,500 words/5 pages

 Panel Discussion

 Final Exam

 GRADING