COMP 100-SS: Composition (CRN 228)
MWF 12:00-12:50, SCHU 307
Home -- Policy Statement -- Syllabus -- Assignments Sheet -- Key for Writers Online -- Civil Rights Links -- Research Links
Required Texts:
D’Angelo, Raymond. The American Civil Rights Movement: Readings and Interpretations. New York: McGraw, 2001. ISBN 0072399872
Raimes, Ann. Keys for Writers. 4th ed. Boston: Houghton, 2005. ISBN 0618437851
Course Description:
Catalog Description: Development of clear, effective communication of ideas in writing. Background reading. May be repeated for up to 6 s.h. credit.
Translation: In this course, you will practice and hone both your researching and writing skills. We will use the Civil Rights Movement, past and present, as the focal point of your research, and by the end of the semester, you will have completed a research portfolio containing a library research narrative, an annotated bibliography, and both a rough draft and a final draft of an argumentative research paper. Further, we will spend portions of the semester exploring various issues in grammar and mechanics as they pertain to your own writing. In addition to meeting in the traditional classroom setting, you will be required to attend several conferences to discuss your research and writing.
General Education Attributes: LA, BC2, and CPA
SUNY General Education 2 Attribute Student Learning Outcomes: Basic Communication (BC2) Students will produce coherent texts within common college-level written forms; demonstrate the ability to revise and improve such texts; research a topic, develop an argument, and organize supporting details; develop proficiency in oral discourse; and evaluate an oral presentation according to established criteria.
Course Requirements:
Attendance: You are expected to attend class and to be prepared to discuss the assigned readings and homework. Because this course is so small, chronic absences will be particularly noticeable. If you are unable to come to class, it is your responsibility to make up the work you missed and to get notes from a classmate or from me during my office hours. See below for the University Policy on WIs due to excessive absences.
Class Discussions: I like to make my courses student-centered, so I try to limit lectures. There will be times that I need to present materials in lecture format, but you are always welcome to ask questions as they occur to you. I expect everyone's full participation in each activity, though I do not expect perfection in class. Do not be afraid to make mistakes (or to answer if you think you might be wrong) because you cannot learn without making mistakes.
Assignments: See the separate Assignments sheet for more specific information about the individual assignments. We will also discuss each assignment in detail as it comes up in class. Your final grade will be broken down as follows:
Assignment Formatting: All assignments must be submitted according to MLA formatting guidelines. For this class, do not use a title page for any of your papers unless instructed to do so in class. Use a 12-point font (yes, I can tell the difference) in Times New Roman (no fancy fonts in this class and no use of Courier). Failure to follow formatting instructions will result in your paper’s grade being lowered. I will explain what MLA formatting looks like to the class before the first paper is due. You may also find instructions for it in your handbook.
Grammar and Mechanics: We will spend a portion of this class discussing specific grammar and mechanical problems common to students as well as any significant errors in your writing that appear as the course progresses. At the end of the semester, you will take an exam covering grammar and mechanics during the final exam period. In addition, some time during the second week of classes, we will as a class develop a grammar and mechanics rubric that will be applied to all formal papers. This rubric will be separate from the content rubrics applicable to your papers.
Late Work: I will accept work no more than one week late. All late work will lose 10%. If you know that you won’t be able to get work in on time, see me before the due date, and we may be able to make arrangements for an extension.
University Policies: The following policies can be found in your Student Handbook or the Code of Student Conduct (both available online) and are particularly applicable to this class.
Flagrant Non-Attendance
• Students missing 25% or more of class, any time from the second week of class up until the last day to withdraw from an individual course (see Keydates and Deadlines or Faculty Reference Guide for specific dates) may be removed from the course by the instructor.
• The Registrar will assign a “WI” (Involuntary Withdrawal) grade.
• Students appearing on the final grade sheet will be assigned a final grade (not a “W”, Incomplete or Pending grade), regardless of student’s class attendance.
Final Exams
Instructors must follow the final exam schedule as posted in Keydates and Deadlines (www.oneonta.edu/registrar). The final exam week is part of the 15 class weeks required by the State Education Department. If an instructor does not hold a final examination, the final examination period must be used as the final class day. Exceptions to this may be made only in an emergency and only with prior approval of the department chair and the division dean. Under no condition shall a study day be used to administer a final exam. Students are held responsible for selecting a course schedule with the final exam schedule in mind. There is no policy preventing a student from having exams in one day.
Student Disability Services (SDS)
SDS provides a base of personal and academic support for students with a documented history of disability. The office provides consultation, advocacy, referral, testing and classroom accommodations. Students should call for an appointment (607) 436-2137. Located at 209 Alumni Hall.
All individuals who are diagnosed with a disability are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. As such, you may be entitled to certain accommodations within this class. If you are diagnosed with a disability, please make an appointment to meet with Student Disability Services (SDS), 209 Alumni Hall, ext. 2137. All students with the necessary supporting documentation will be provided appropriate accommodations as determined by the SDS Office.
It is entirely your responsibility to contact SDS and concurrently supply me with your accommodation plan, which will inform me exactly what accommodations you are entitled to. You will only receive accommodations once you provide me with an SDS accommodation plan.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Academic dishonesty is defined as any act by a student that misrepresents or attempts to misrepresent to an instructor or any College official, the proficiency or achievement of that student or another student in any academic exercise for the purpose of influencing a grade on a piece of assigned work, on an examination or quiz or in a Course as a whole, or that is intended to alter any record of a student's academic performance by unauthorized means.
A Student deemed guilty of an act of academic dishonesty may, depending on the nature of the offense, be subject to one or more of the following measures: failure of the assignment or examination, failure of the course, or dismissal from the College. Furthermore, for a second offense, referral of the case to the Standing Disciplinary Board is mandatory. The penalties that may be assessed by the Board are listed under the Procedures of the Standing Disciplinary Board as published in this publication; however, the normal penalty is suspension or dismissal.
It is the Student's responsibility to read and understand the policy on all aspects of academic dishonesty as published in this publication and the Undergraduate Catalog. However, individual faculty members may wish to explain the policy as it relates to their courses. It is emphasized that a student who has any questions about what constitutes academic dishonesty has the responsibility of clarifying them by conferring with his/her instructors.
Examples of Academic Dishonesty:
The following examples, although not all-inclusive, are intended to help students understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. Other acts should not necessarily, be considered as falling outside the scope of this policy because of their absence from this list.
• Plagiarism that is, using materials from another's work without acknowledgment, using quotations without identification as such or paraphrasing without specific identification of the source.
• Copying and/or modifying another person's computer file, program, printout, or portion thereof for use in an assignment without permission of the instructor.
• Knowingly permitting one's computer file, program, printout, or portion thereof to be copied or modified by another student for use in an assignment without permission of the instructor.
• Unauthorized giving or receiving of information on an examination, laboratory procedure, or other exercise.
• Taking an examination for another student or allowing another student to take an examination for you.
• Altering or attempting to alter a grade on any piece of graded work, a grade written in an instructor's personal records, or a grade written on any College form or transcribed in any official College record.
• Submitting a College form with a forged signature.
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