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ENGLISH 098 developmental WRITING

Contact Information

  • Prof. M. Marca
  • Department of English
  • mary.marca@csun.edu
  • Office Phone: (818) 677-0917
  • Office Hours: TR 9:30-11:00
  • Office: ST 425

Instructional Materials

  • The Contemporary Reader 10th Edition, Gary Goshgarian ISBN: 978-0-205-74144-1
  • Rules of Thumb: A Guide for Writers 8th Edition ISBN: 978-0-07-338400-9
  • A Lesson Before Dying Ernest J. Gaines. ISBN: 0-375-70270-9
  • New Voices 20th Edition, a CSUN publication
  • Also required: Photocopies of your revised essays for workshopping in class. Budget for this.

All books are available at the Matador Bookstore.

Additional Materials

  1. Required Materials:
    8 1/2” x 11” notebook paper
  2. Three 2-Pocket Folders (2 for essays and 1 for storage)
    Email account (free at any CSUN computer lab)
  3. Three Green/Blue books (for In-Class essays.)

Important Notices

Plagiarism Policy: DON'T DO IT.
Plagiarism is “Intentionally or knowingly representing the words, ideas, or work of another as one’s own in any academic exercise.” (CSUN Catalog.) “Cheating or plagiarism in connection with an academic program . . . (is) an offense for which a student may be expelled, suspended, or given a less severe disciplinary sanction.” (CSUN Catalog.)

Policies

Student Conduct Code

Academic Policy

English Major: The Creative Writing Option

Class Accommodations

Accommodations will be extended to Students with Disabilities. If you will need this accommodation, please notify instructor as soon as possible.

  1. Center On Disabilities
  2. National Center On Deafness

Course Information Overview

Course Description

“Intensive study of basic writing skills with focus on students’ own writing.”
(CSUN catalog.)
This course is designed to prepare you for English 155 with the study and practice of college-level writing. A major part of the writing process is having something to say, so you will also practice analytical thinking and the transfer of those thoughts to the written word in the form of essays. At the end of the semester you will enclose three essays and all of their rough drafts, along with one in-class essay, in a folder. This portfolio will then be submitted to a team of instructors who will read them and decide if your writing is ready for University Writing.

Course Prerequisites

Prerequisite:

Completion of English 097 or equivalent, or a score of 142-150 on the EPT.

 

Course Requirements

In order to receive Credit for this class, you must pass BOTH the classroom portion of the course AND the portfolio evaluation.
Attendance:
  1. We will work on writing in every class. If you miss class, you miss important work that cannot be made up. Because of this your grade will be affected after three absences, and you will automatically fail for more than five absences (three weeks = 20% of the class).
  2. Class starts at 8:00 a.m. sharp. If you are late to class you will miss important material, therefore, two tardies equals one absence and might put your grade in jeopardy (see above.)
Assignments:
  1. The reading assignments are to be done by the day due, and the reading responses posted in Moodle before class begins. You are required to participate in the discussions and you cannot do so if you have not read the assignment. Unannounced quizzes will be given at regular intervals, usually during the first five minutes of class.
  2. All written assignments are to be completed by the day they are due. Essay rough drafts are to be workshopped with your group, so you must bring enough copies for the group and one extra for me.
  3. Homework assignments are an essential component of this class and will be collected at unscheduled intervals, usually unannounced. Keep homework pages in a folder and bring to class.
  4. On-line tasks are to be completed as assigned.
Essays: NO LATE PAPERS ACCEPTED!!!
  1. You will be required to complete three revised essays and at least three in-class essays.
  2. Each revised essay will be developed from a written prompt and must undergo at least two rough drafts. Each draft must be workshopped with your peers. To receive credit, the essay must show substantial revision in the final version.
  3. During each revised essay cycle, the student is required to meet at least once with our class tutor, or a tutor in the LRC, or make an office visit with the instructor.
  4. Revised essays must be typewritten, double-spaced, with one-inch margins, and in MLA format.
  5. In-class essays are written once, in the classroom, without prior prompting.

PORTFOLIO:

At the end of the semester, if you have satisfactorily completed all of the classroom work, you will be allowed to submit a portfolio of your essays to a committee for evaluation. The portfolio must contain the three revised essays with rough drafts attached, one of the in-class essays, and a cover letter to the portfolio reader.

Grading Guidelines for Essays:

B represents solid, readable writing that does what the assignment asks. B-level writing demonstrates concrete support for claims, fine organization, and substantive thoughtfulness, but it is not rich in specific detail. B-level writing is free of grammatical problems.


A represents a writing level of unusual polish and style, and often takes a surprising angle in developing a topic. A-level writing is rare, because it shows consistent excellence. A-level writing always surpasses assignment expectations.


C represents writing which probably satisfies all the requirements of an assignment. However, such writing lacks sufficient, concrete support needed to illustrate its assertions or prove its point. C-level writing also shows lapses in editing proficiency and contains careless errors.

 

Grading

CLASSROOM GRADE DISTRIBUTION
Revised Essays (15% each) 45%
Grammar Presentations 5%
In-class Essays (5% each) 10%
Class Participation 15%
Short Reading Responses & Freewrites 10%
Pop Quizzes 5%
Novel Reading Journals 10%

 

 

Course Schedule

DUE DATES: Non-negotiable.
Student must keep all originals and give me copies.

 

SCHEDULE:

Weeks 1-4: Personal Narrative: Fitting In
Weeks 5-8: Novel Analysis and Essay
Weeks 9-13: Persuasion Essay and Readings
Weeks 14-16: Portfolio Preparation

Portfolio due: May 10