1

College of the Canyons

English 091: Intro to College Reading and Writing

Spring 2015 Course Syllabus

Section #: 13739
Schedule: M/W 8:00am 9:20am
Location: Bonelli Hall 309
Instructor: Eric Barnhart
Email: Eric.Barnhart@canyons.edu
Office Hours: Wednesdays 9:30 - 10:30am

We read books to find out who we are.

What other people, real or imaginary,
do and think and feel... is an essential
guide to our understanding of what we
ourselves are and may become.
Ursula K LeGuin

About this Class:

Catalog Description: Prepares
students to write well-organized,
unified, and coherent essays for a
college audience and teaches critical
reading skills for college-level
reading material. No credit if taken
after ENGL 094 or ENGL 096.

Student Learning Outcomes:

- Compose thoughtful, well-organized, grammatically correct short essays, using properly
documented outside sources and personal experiences to develop a unified thesis.
- Distinguish and analyze basic elements of fiction and non-fiction found in introductory
college readings.
Course Objectives:
- Focus and narrow ideas using prewriting strategies.
- Compose well-organized, source-based short essays.
- Provide adequate support for thesis statements.
- Create unified, coherent, and well-developed writing through revision.
- Apply a variety of patterns of development in writing, such as: persuasion, cause and
effect, and compare and contrast.
- Document external sources with parenthetical citations and a Works Cited list according
to MLA format.
- Edit ones own sentences for sentence boundary, punctuation, mechanics, and spelling
errors.

2
-

Analyze elements of fictions such as: plot, setting, characterization, irony, figurative
language, and theme.
Analyze elements of non-fiction including: authors thesis, main points, supporting details,
and organization strategy.
Synthesize ideas from sources with ones own ideas.

Required Material:
- The Road. Cormac McCarthy. ISBN: 978-0307387899
- Mirror on America. Essays and Images from Popular Culture. Joan T Mims and Elizabeth M
Nollen. ISBN: 978-0312667658
- A working email address that you check regularly
- Regular Internet Access for Blackboard and Class Blog
- Notebook and pens/pencils
- Two-pocket folder for essay submissions
Policies

Anywaybecause we are readers,

we don't have to wait for some
communications executive to decide
what we should think about next
and how we should think about it. We
can fill our heads with anything from
aardvarks to zucchinisat any time
of night or day.
Kurt Vonnegut

Attendance and Participation:

This class is committed to the process of creating
and maintaining a scholarly community. Each class
period will include active discussion/lecture as well
as in-class, graded writing exercises. Therefore,
attendance and participation are vital to your
success and the success of your classmates. If you
miss more than four (4) class periods, you will fall
behind with your work. And if you fall behind,
your grade is in danger of dropping. Additionally, lateness is a distraction, not only for yourself
but your classmates, and not acceptable. For this reason, tardiness will count as half of an
absence. Please be here at the start of class, ready to work, participate, and learn.
If you do arrive late, it is your responsibility to check with me at the end of class to make sure you
are not marked absent.
I expect you to not only be on time, but also fully present. This means that you are responsible
for fulfilling all readings and assignments before you get to class and that you bring the essential
materials needed to participate. If you are not prepared for class, it will show. You will only get
out of college what you are willing to put into it. Respect your time, as well as that of your
classmates my own. If you commit yourself to the process, we will be able to use this classroom as
an environment to grow in. Be present, be active, be involved.
Students who are absent during the first class session will be dropped from the class. If you are unable to attend the
first class but wish to remain enrolled, contact me immediately via email. Additionally, students who miss more
than three classes before the drop date may be dropped from the class.
Classroom Conduct:
Be respectful and you will be respected.

3
Please keep in mind that while I promote and encourage a free exchange of ideas and
information, side-conversations or other disruptive talking when either a fellow student or myself
is speaking is inconsiderate. Furthermore, all commentary
needs to be respectful of the beliefs, opinions, and ideas of
One writes most of all in
others. Students that do not comply with these guidelines will
order to take part in a
be asked to leave for the day, resulting in an unexcused
collective enterprise.
absence. If the problem continues, further action will be
Italo Calvino
taken.
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism:
The College of the Canyons Statement on Academic Integrity and Plagiarism defines
plagiarism as the submission of someone elses work or ideas as ones own, without adequate
attribution. When a student submits work for a class assignment that includes the words, ideas, or
data of others, without acknowledging the source of the information through complete, accurate,
and specific references, plagiarism is involved. This may include dual submission of a similar
work for credit for more than one class, without the current instructors knowledge and
approval Cases of alleged academic dishonesty, such as plagiarism or cheating, will be referred
to the Dean of Student Services for investigation.
In other words: all work that you submit for this course must be your own and must be written
exclusively for this course. The use of all sources (other peoples ideas, quotations, and
paraphrases from published work) must be properly documented. The consequences of
plagiarizing can be extreme.
Some students may worry that they may accidentally plagiarize, which can hinder the writing
process. Dont worry, this course will teach you how to incorporate outside sources and
document them properly.
Email:
Email will be the primary means in which I will communicate with you outside of class. It is your
responsibility as a college student to check your email everyday. You can set up your COC email
so that it forwards messages to another email account (this will ensure that you do not miss
important information from your professors). When you do email me, please include your name
and the class you are in (ex: Eric Barnhart: English 091 T/TH).
Late Work:
Because each assignment is designed to build up to each of the three essays, there is little point in
doing them after the essay is written. Therefore, late work will not be accepted. Late essays will
be accepted (final drafts only), but will be reduced one full letter grade for each day they are late
(this includes days that we do not meet). If you are having trouble with an assignment, discuss it
with me; I am here to help.
Technical Difficulties:
This class will rely on both in-class and Internet activity. I will use the class website and email to
disseminate readings and information, and you will need Internet access to post your Reading
Journals. If you have trouble accessing the Internet, please let me know. There are computer labs
on campus that you can use for free. If you are going to be traveling and know you wont have

4
access to the internet, plan ahead so you can still get your work done on time. If your internet
stops working and you are supposed to post something online but cant, print it out and bring it
to class so I can see you did the work, even if you couldnt post it. I didnt have Internet is not
an acceptable excuse for not turning in your work. You can access computers on campus for free
in the TLC and the ASG Lab in the Student Center.
Students with Disabilities:
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that reasonable accommodations be provided for
students with physical, sensory, cognitive, systemic, learning, and psychiatric disabilities. Please
contact me at the beginning of the semester to discuss any such accommodations for this course.
Visiting the TLC (The Learning Center):
The Learning Center exists to provide free help to students with any assignment at any point in
the writing process, from brainstorming to outlining to proofreading a final draft. The tutors in
the TLC are kind and well-qualified. Each session will provide you with up to 30 minutes of oneon-one assistance. Please note that the tutors are there to assist you, they will not fix things for
you. I want you to take full advantage of this service, so you will be required to visit the TLC at
least once for each essay before the final draft is due.
The Learning Center also offers free computer access.
Course Overview:
Assignments and Grades:
Assignment(s)
Attendance and Participation
Reading Journals
Essay 1
Exercises & Peer Review
Essay
Essay 2
Exercises & Peer Review
Essay
Essay 3
Exercises & Peer Review
Essay
Reflection Letter
Portfolio
Total

Percentage of Grade
10%

Total Points Possible

100

10%

100

10%
10%

100
100

5%
15%

50
150

5%
15%
5%
15%

50
150
50
150

1000

5
Grading Scale:
I will use the following grading scale. There are, as you can see above, a total of 1000 points for
the semester. Grades are determined as follows:
(A) 900 1000

(B) 800 899

(C) 700 799

(D) 600 699

(F) 599 or below

Essays:
Essays will be 2-3 (essays 1 and 2) or 4-5 (essay 3) complete pages in length and based upon a
prompt I will distribute in class and on Blackboard. Each essay needs to be accompanied by an
MLA-style Works Cited page (not included in the 2-3 page requirement).
Exercises:
For each essay you will complete activities and assignments leading up to your final draft. These
will include: prewriting exercises, first drafts, peer reviews, TLC consultation, among others. You
will collect these together in a final packet (you will use your two-sleeve folder for this) and hand
it in with your final draft.
Reading Journals:
We will regularly engage in in-class reading journals where you will be responsible for writing to
a response to a given prompt on the assigned reading. You will be required to turn these reading
journals in prior to the start of class on the day they are due. You will receive full credit on these
journals as long as you do the reading, follow the prompt, and post them on time. And since
these journals are an integral part of your reading and writing development, you will only be
allowed to miss one journal assignment.
Portfolio:
This will include one of your three essays, one other writing assignment from this class, and a
reflective letter. You may choose whichever essay you like most or feel represents your best work.
This essay will need to be significantly revised from its original state. We will discuss the details of
the portfolio later in the semester. In order to be eligible to turn in a portfolio, you must turn in
all three essays no later than Monday, .
Important Dates:
Monday, February 16th: No Class (Washington Holiday)
Sunday, February 22nd: Last day to drop w/out a W
April 5th-11th: No Class (Spring Break)
Friday, May 8th: Last day to drop with a W
Monday, May 25th: No Class (Memorial Day)
Wednesday, June 3rd: Last Day of Class

And by the way, everything in

life is writable about if you have
the outgoing guts to do it, and the
imagination to improvise. The
worst enemy to creativity is selfdoubt.
Sylvia Plath

6
If You Ever Need Help:
Because there are only sixteen weeks in a semester, we will be moving at a fast pace. If you find
yourself having trouble with class, or if you are experiencing problems that are affecting your
schoolwork, please contact me as soon as possible. If I dont know whats going on, I cant help. I
want all of my students to succeed and will do as much as I can to facilitate your success.
The TLC offers many supplemental lessons and classes; I encourage you to take advantage of
this valuable resource. Check out their website at www.canyons.edu/offices/TLC, or drop by
and visit them (theyre in the library).
If you are feeling overwhelmed, depressed, or anxious, and youd like to talk to someone, please
consider the services at Student Health and Wellness Center. Enrolled students can get
counseling for free. Theres nothing wrong with needing help or wanting to talk to someoneI
do so myself. Check out their website at www.canyons.edu/Offices/Health or call 661-362-3259.
Syllabus Adapted from Professor Melissa Filbeck

7
Tentative Class Schedule
Essay 1: Social Literacy (Persuasive Essay)
Begins: February 11th
Exercise 1 (Summary): February 18th
Exercise 2 (Letter to the Author): February 23rd
Exercise 3 (Letter to a Friend): February 23rd
Exercise 4 (Essay Brainstorm): February 25th
First Draft: March 2nd
Final Draft: March 9th
Essay 2: Mirror on America (Cause and Effect)
Begins: March 4th
Exercise 1 (Building a Foundation): March 16th
Exercise 2 (Annotated Bibliography): March 18th
Exercise 3 (The Dialogue): March 18th
Exercise 4 (The Proposal): March 23rd
First Draft: March 25th
Final Draft: April 1st
Essay 3: The Road (Compare and Contrast)
Begins: March 30th
Exercise 1 (Book Review): April 27th
Exercise 2 (Film Review): May 4th
First Draft: May 11th
Final Draft: May 18th
Portfolio Due: May 27th
Final: June 3rd