ENC 1101-___
Supplemental Syllabus
Spring 2008

Instructor:  Kenya Thompkins, Ph.D
Email:   thompkik@tcc.fl.edu
Office:  Room 260 EN Building  Office phone: 201-8040
Office and Writing Center Hours:  TBA

Required Materials:
Course Text Book and Handbook
A TCC Email Account (Please do not email me using other accounts.  I will open and respond only to your TCC email address, not your Hotmail, Yahoo, Earthlink, Compuserve, etc. email accounts.)
A folder and an IBM compatible Diskette; About $30 for copying drafts; Access to a computer

Supplies: You will be responsible for some photocopying expense for this class in order to share your writing with your peers. 

Catalog Description:
ENC 1101 College Composition (3 credits)  Prerequisite:  ENC 0020 and REA 0002 or adequate placement test score.  This course centers on reading and writing activities that support critical inquiry.  Stressing writing as a process, the course emphasizes the rhetorical principles of academic writing, including the following: thesis statement, development with specific information and analysis; organization and transition; diction, tone, and sentence style; and the grammar and mechanics of standard formal English.  Substantial writing component.  Fulfills state writing requirement.  Lecture 3 hours.  Students must complete this course with a “C” or better before enrolling in other communication courses.

Course Goals: The composition courses I teach aim to help students improve their writing skills in all areas: discovering what they have to say, organizing their thoughts for a variety of audiences, and improving fluency and rhetorical sophistication.  Therefore, in an effort to accomplish these goals, you will do the following:
Ÿ	Write and revise numerous out of class papers, 
Ÿ	Respond to impromptu topics and write well developed, cogent in class essays
Ÿ	Write sustained exploratory journals, 
Ÿ	Devise your own purposes and structures for those papers, 
Ÿ	Work directly with the audience of your peers to practice critical reading and response in small and large collaborative groups,
Ÿ	Learn many new writing techniques, and
Ÿ	Learn to use appropriate language and style in various written discourses

My Wish for You:  In addition to the above course goals, I also try to design a curriculum that reinforces process pedagogy for the individual student.  Hence, my ultimate goal is to provide you with an experience that will help you do the following:
•	Develop a greater understanding about the subject
•	Learn more about yourself as a student
•	Learn more about yourself in relation to the larger community, particularly an “educated” or “informed” community

Responsibility of the Student (Adapted from the TCC Catalog)
YOU must assume the ultimate responsibility for your education.  Thus, YOU are expected to do the following:
Ÿ	Be an active and involved learner;
Ÿ	Meet minimum course requirements;
Ÿ	Seek information and answer questions;
Ÿ	Take notes and maintain a writer’s journal;
Ÿ	Comply with College rules and policies;
Ÿ	Behave in a manner which demonstrates respect for others and self;
Ÿ	Seize this opportunity to learn and Enjoy the learning process; and
Ÿ	Strive to make this class a successful learning experience for all (i.e., YOURSELF, your peers, and your teacher).

Course Requirements: 
1.	Class Papers:  
•	Three formal out of class papers, edited and polished (about 25 pp. total), approximately two drafts and revisions of each of the three formal papers. 
•	Two in-class papers, edited and polished (approximately 2-4 pages).  
•	Students must write all in-class papers (graded and impromptu).

All formal written assignments must be turned in to me in order to pass the course. FAILURE TO SUBMIT ALL PAPERS, INCLUDING LATE PAPERS THAT EVENTUALLY RECEIVE AN “F” GRADE, WILL AUTOMATICALLY RESULT IN A GRADE OF “F” FOR THE COURSE. Papers include all drafts and revisions.  Drafts will be checked to see that page requirements have been met and some degree of revision/change/thoughtfulness has gone into each draft. Final papers will be graded on editing, organization, thoughtfulness, and audience-awareness. If students are not revising their papers during the drafting stage, a grade may be assigned to each draft that will be factored in the final grade for each paper.  All other written and oral work will be graded on meaning or content and appropriateness to the assignment.  All out of class papers must be completed to earn a passing grade in this course.

Drafts, Revisions, and Final Papers: You’ll always need to make several copies of your drafts and revisions (not final papers) before you come to class. I will tell you when drafts are due.  You may handwrite drafts and revisions, but I recommend and encourage typing them (the page minimums are based on typed texts with 1-inch margins, about 250 words per page). In some cases, I will ask you to email your paper to group members for out of class drafting.  Final papers must be typed (no covers or title pages). All your written work must have your name, my name, and the date at the top of the first page, with page numbers on all following pages, etc.

Please remember that your audience will consist of me and your peers in this class. Therefore, your writing for this class is nearly always public writing in the sense that others will be reading, hearing, and commenting on it.  However, please understand, I will be assigning all grades.

Papers / Assignments:  Please save all written assignments (i.e., formal papers, journals, etc.) on an IBM compatible disk (or to your H: drive).  At the end of the semester, this diskette will be included in your student file.  Please do not save any other course's papers or assignments on this diskette because the diskette will not be returned to you.  These diskettes are for my records.  It is important that you make copies of all of your papers and any subsequent grades and notations for your records.  If you disagree with your final grade, you will need to produce all your papers from this class.

2. Writing on Demand and with a Purpose:  Throughout the semester, you will complete many assignments and activities that will prepare you for the demands of writing in-class essays in this and other classes and writing impromptu correspondence in other rhetorical situations.  In addition to the in-class papers mentioned earlier, you will write at least two (2) impromptu in-class papers; the papers will be scored on a scale of 1-6.  Also, you will complete many editing exercises.  These assignments will help you recognize audience expectations; copy edit existing drafts on demand; and write, copy edit, and revise original essays on demand.  

3. Personal Narrative, Expressive, Reflective Journal:   At least ten (10) informal exploratory journal entries (a minimum of 400 words per entry).  Journals should be thoughtful and show the depth of your thinking process.  A list of topics will be provided.  At times, we will share journals in class, so be sure to write things you are comfortable talking about with others.  At times, I will ask you to post your journal entries on blackboard.  You will be asked to respond to your classmates’ entries.  I will provide further instruction throughout the semester.  This assignment is considered a major out of class assignment and must be completed in order to pass the course.

4. Two individual conferences:  Everyone is required to schedule two individual conferences.  Failure to attend a scheduled conference will be counted as an absence.

5. Class Participation, Workshops, and Daily Activities:  Participation requires thoughtful, active, and responsible participation and citizenship, including oral discussion, preparation for class, in-class informal writing, workshops, class discussion, blackboard discussion, timely arrival to class, and conference attendance.   Being the class clown does not constitute positive class participation, nor does insulting anyone during class discussions.  We will be discussing some highly debatable and controversial issues, so having an open mind during discussions is a must.  However, please know that I reserve the right to squash any conversations and ask anyone to leave the class if anyone intentionally insults or offends another classmate.

Class participation is an important part of the class. You will frequently engage in group workshops for both paper revisions and reading discussions. Each out of class paper assignment will have one or two revision workshops, and reading and observation discussions may take place in small groups or as full-class discussions. Paper workshops should be a "hands-on" experience where you write on each other’s drafts, make notations, and ask questions.  Please note that you will receive a grade on all rough drafts.

Grading Scale:
70% of Grade - Essay
10%	Mid-term In-Class Essay (Multiply your grade times. 10)
10%	Final In-Class Essay (Multiply your grade times .10)
15%	Out of Class Essay One (Multiply your grade times .15)
15%	Out of Class Essay Two (Multiply your grade times .15)
20%	Out of Class Essay Three (Multiply your grade times .20)
10%	Writing on Demand and with a Purpose (Multiply your grade times .10)
10%	Personal Narrative, Expressive, Reflective Journal (Multiply your grade times .10)
10%	Class Participation  (Multiply your grade times .10.  For class participation, you will start the semester with 100 points. You will lose 8 points each day you miss class.  You will lose 8 points each day you are tardy.  You will lose 5 five points each day you fail to complete a homework assignment or in-class activity.)

Final Grade:
A:  100-90	B:  89-80	C: 79-70	D:  69-60	F:  59 and below

I assume everyone in the class will finish the semester with at least a passing grade.  That assumption will not hold true if the following conditions prevail:
•	You don’t keep up with the readings, writings, and discussion board.
•	You don’t attend classes regularly.
•	You fail to contribute time and work to your projects and/or fail to support your peers through discussion and reading of drafts.
•	The quality of your projects is not professional in format or content.
•	You do not utilize the learning resources on campus.
I’m available for mid-term conferences, of course, where together we can evaluate your progress.

Repeating Courses (Excerpt from the TCC Catalog)
In accordance with State Board of Education Rule 6A-14.0301, students may have only three (3) attempts per course including the original grade, repeat grades, and withdrawals at any point in the semester.  A fourth attempt may be allowed only through and academic appeals process based on major extenuating circumstances.  The fourth attempt paperwork is handled by the Counseling department.  Please call Counseling at (850) 201-8440 to schedule an appointment to meet with a counselor to discuss your circumstances and to start the appeals process.

Late papers: All late papers will be reduced by a letter grade each day they are late.  In other words, a late paper that receives an “A” will be reduced to a “B” and lowered accordingly after each day.  Papers submitted a week late will receive an automatic “F”.  Even if your grade is reduced to a failing grade, you must still submit the paper in order to satisfy the requirements for a possible passing final grade in the course.     

Attendance: I keep strict attendance and will adhere to the following attendance policy in this class.  Please note that you will receive a grade of “F” if you miss over five (5) days.  If you miss more than five (5) days before Monday, March 24, 2008, I will administratively withdraw you from class.  And NO!  I do not recognize excused and unexcused absences.  Either you are present or absent.  When absent, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed.   Word of advice:  Save your absences for when you get sick, for family emergencies, and/or for special occasions.

Tardies:  I recognize many of you are still learning your way around campus and some of you are learning your way around Tallahassee, and I know it’s spring, so there’re many activities/events happening on campus and throughout Tallahassee.  Besides, like flowers, people seem to blossom and are beautiful and radiant like all creatures in nature.  However, class starts when scheduled.  I reserve the right to call the roll at any time during class.  If you are not present when your name is called, you will be marked absent.  If you enter class after I call roll, you will be marked tardy.  Two tardies count as an absence.  PLEASE DO NOT COME TO CLASS 10 MINUTES LATE. If the door is locked, please do not knock on the door.  I will not acknowledge your knocks, if you are late.   Students who come to class late create a disruption, and frankly, it’s insulting to your instructor (ME), your classmates, and should be embarrassing to you.

Please do not do the following during class:
•	Answer or talk on the cell phone (If there are more than two instances when cell phones interrupt the class environment, I will establish a punitive rule.)
•	Eat food
•	Drink any beverages

Course Withdrawal (Excerpt from the TCC Catalog)
Students will not be permitted to add courses after the drop/add period, but may withdraw from courses during the Fall or Spring terms if they do so by the end of midterm, provided the instructor  has not submitted an Administrative Withdrawal (AW) form.  If students are taking only one course and withdraw, then they are withdrawing from college and should follow the instructions relating to withdrawal.  A grade of “W” will be awarded to any student who withdraws from a course provided the student withdraws by the established midterm deadline.

In accordance with State Board of Education Rule 6A-14.0301, students are permitted a maximum of two (2) withdrawals per course.  Upon the third attempt, the student will not be permitted to withdraw and will receive a grade for that course.

TCC’s Attendance / Administrative Withdrawal Policy (Excerpt from the TCC Catalog):  All students enrolled in the College are expected to attend all classes, since regular attendance and regular application constitute the two most significant factors that promote success in college work.  Until midterm during the fall, spring and Summer C terms, any student absent from any class for more time than that class meets in any one week may be withdrawn by administrative action (AW grade). . . . Students reporting to class late or leaving early may be considered by their instructor to be absent.  Students are responsible for completion of all work assigned in class whether they are present or not.  In case of absence, it is the responsibility of the student to contact the teacher.  NOTE:  If you miss more than five (5) days before Monday, March 24, 2008, I will administratively withdraw you from class.  

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is grounds for suspension from the college as well as grounds for failure in this course. It will not be tolerated. Any instance of plagiarism will be reported to the Chair of the program, the dean of Communication and Humanities, and/or the Provost.  If you aren’t sure exactly what constitutes plagiarism, please read the following statement:

Because the purpose of Freshman English is to improve your ability to express yourself in writing, your themes and exercises must be your own work.

To submit to your instructor a paper that is not truly the product of your own mind and skill is to commit plagiarism.
To put it bluntly, plagiarism is the act of stealing ideas and/or the words of another and representing them on your own.
It is a form of cheating and a kind of academic dishonesty, which can incur severe penalties.

It is important, therefore, that you understand what it consists of so that you will not unwittingly jeopardize your college career. 

A plagiarism education assignment that further explains this issue will be administered in this course. Each student will be responsible for completing the assignment and asking questions regarding any parts they do not fully understand.

Gordon Rule: Successful completion of all writing assignments in this course and a final course grade of C or better will allow you to satisfy the Gordon Rule requirement. The college requires you to write 6,000-word minimum, but you will be writing much more than that in this course.  Again, FAILURE TO SUBMIT ALL PAPERS, INCLUDING LATE PAPERS THAT EVENTUALLY RECEIVE AN “F” GRADE, WILL AUTOMATICALLY RESULT IN A GRADE OF “F” FOR THE COURSE.

PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FOLLOWING LEARNING RESOURCES:
(A description of all services is provided in the TCC catalog.)
Academic Computing Computer Labs or Adaptive Computer Lab
English Skills Center
Library
Mathematics Center
Reading Center
Testing Center
Writing Center

ADA: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities ACT (ADA), the College has a designated ADA Coordinator.  The coordinator will oversee and coordinate the College’s efforts to comply with and carry out its responsibilities pertaining to ADA.  The coordinator will serve as the contact person for all ADA policies, procedures, and concerns.  The ADA Coordinator can be contacted at (850) 201--8440.  

Students with disabilities needing academic accommodations should in the FIRST WEEK OF CLASS 1) contact the ADA Coordinator and 2) provide documentation to the instructor from ADA Coordinator indicating the need for academic accommodations. This and all other class materials are available in alternative format upon request.                                        

Important Dates for Main Term:
01/21		Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
03/10-14	Spring Break
03/24		Last day to withdraw from this class
04/19		Last day of regular classes 

It is important that you attend class regularly.  Depending on our progress as a class and the progress of each individual, the schedule may change.  I will make every effort to inform you of such changes in writing.  Any changes will be announced prior to the change going into effect.  Also, I ask that you check your TCC email account and/or blackboard each Sunday evening to check for any changes or announcements.

NOTE:  Again, please note that this document is a supplementary syllabus.  Policies not covered in this supplementary syllabus are covered in the departmental course curriculum.  Remember, this document is designed to complement the departmental course curriculum.  However, in the event that any statement conflicts with the departmental course curriculum, please understand the departmental course curriculum takes precedence.

I am really looking forward to getting to know you as students and writers.  And please know that I’m here to help you be successful in this class.   
Let the journey begin!