English Composition and Reading (INGL 3201) COURSE SYLLABUS, Spring 2013

University of Puerto Rico, Mayagez Campus College of Arts & Sciences Department of English Instructor: Elenita Irizarry

GENERAL INFORMATION
Number of Credits: 3 Contact Period: 45 hours Telephone: (787) 951-7023 Office Hours: 12:30-2:30 M&W or by appointment Office: CH-323F (CeIBA) Class: Chardn-222 E-mail: elenita.irizarry@upr.edu

Note: The course syllabus may be amended throughout the semester in order to meet course objectives and/or correct unintended errors.

COURSE DESCRIPTION
English Composition and Writing (INGL 3201): Practice in writing compositions and making oral reports upon selected readings, including essays, short stories, poems, dramas and novels. Attention will be given as needed to grammar and idiomatic expressions. This course or its equivalent is a requisite for graduation.

PRE/CO-REQUISITES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS

English Composition and Writing (INGL 3201) is designed to improve students reading, writing, listening and speaking abilities in English using based on a variety of non-fiction texts. Attention will be given to increasing grammatical accuracy in the context of academic writing and research. Together, we can build on your current knowledge so you can successfully use English in your field of study and future career paths.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
After completing this course, you should have learned to: Reading Analyze and discuss texts. State an authors intended meaning, purpose and point of view. Recognize the organizational structure of selected texts. Identify supporting evidence. Speaking Give an oral presentation without reading from a script. In pairs or small groups, participate in an open-ended, extended dialogue, using everyday English, about familiar/self-chosen topics or situations, as supported by class discussion of topics/themes, classroom reading, vocabulary development, and so on.
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Writing Narrow a topic. Write a thesis statement. Provide supporting details for all general statements in your essays. Organize the content of your own writing. Write introductory, body, and concluding paragraphs. Demonstrate evidence of the ability to revise, edit and proofread your own work. Engage in peer review. Working through a series of drafts, write a well organized and effective essay on a given topic and/or in response to a text. Write a persuasive essay. Write a basic research paper. Write in formal academic style. Use MLA, APA, or other formatting system. Use MLA, APA, or other system of documentation (including quotation, paraphrase, and summary methods) to avoid plagiarism. Evaluate and use library and/or information technologies (e.g. data bases). Apply Basic English grammar within the context of your own writing.

ASSESMENT STRATEGIES
Class Participation Group Work Essays Reflective Portfolio Formal Oral Presentation

TEXTS AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Course Text 1. Clouse, Barbara Fine. A Troubleshooting Guide for Writers. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2005 or newer edition. 2. http://owl.english.purdue.edu 3. A Bilingual Dictionary Course Media Throughout the semester, we will be using audiovisual and visual media (such as films, photographs, short videos, and/or illustrations) to facilitate our learning process. Additional Course Requirements and Resources For this course, computer access is required. You should check your university e-mail account to receive information I send. We will also be using an electronic classroom website: http://t.co/lgZBpTyf. We will also be using Twitter for Impromptu Reaction Papers. The English Department counts with its very own computer lab, which can be found at the Chardon Building, room 326, and it is open from Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Please make sure to sign the lab's attendance sheet before using one of the computers. The library also provides computers for the student body.

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EVALUATION POLICIES
The chart below lists the distinct tasks required in this course and the total of points that these tasks represent: Evaluation Method 3 Essays 10 Reaction Papers Group Work Class Work Oral Presentation Reflective Portfolio Final Paper Total Points 300 pts. (100 pts. Each) 100 pts. (10 pts. Each) 50 pts. 75 pts. 100 pts. 75 pts. 100 pts. 800 pts Grading System A 100.0 90.0% 800 720 pts. B 89.9- 80.0% 719 - 640 pts. C 79.9 70.0% 639-560 pts. D 69.9-60.0% 559 480 pts. F 59.9- 0% 479 - 0 pts.

Please be aware that an A is a grade assigned for exceptional work only. If your work for the course does not reflect this quality, please do not expect an A. Essays: These papers should be written in academic format in response to class discussion and readings. Each paper should be revised in a series of drafts as you develop your own individual approach to pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading. As part of your grade you will visit the Writing Center in the Celis Bldg. Office 323 during your writing processes. They are Open from 8:00AM - 4:30PM Type of Paper Expository Essay Argumentative Essay Research Paper Due Date February 6, 2013 March 6, 2013 April 8, 2013 General Idea After watching Kiran Bir Sethi Teaches Kids To Take Charge, you will write an expository essay where you explain at least 3 things that we can do to make this world a better place. After we have discussed several controversial Topics, you will prove your point of view about one of the topic. You should research about your current major, current career opportunities, graduate school requirements related to your field and find information (in the database) about current scientific innovations in your field.

Reaction Papers: Students should have or open a twitter account, add the instructor @wondering_minds and respond to 10 impromptu tweets, which will be announced 24-48 hrs. prior to the deadline. You should be able to answer in 140 tweets or less, and be able to respond to any comments I might tweet back. We are exercising our brains not our grammar, so for this particular assignment you do not have to worry about spelling. Group Work: Throughout the semester, we will pair in small groups to work on collaborative assignments. I have great faith in the work ethic that distinguishes a colegial and I am hopeful everyone works well in groups, since the grade reflects the quality of the groups work. Class Work: Throughout the semester, we will have impromptu class assignments where we discuss quotes relevant to class discussion.
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Oral Presentation: Students will prepare for several oral presentations through out the semester. The presentations should be between 12-15 minutes long, and students should be dressed in professional attire. Type of Oral Presentation Date Description Oral Presentation: Infomercial April 24, 2013 You will have 12-15 minutes to provide your sales pitch for a product you invented. (Business attire is required since your classmates are the heads of the company you are trying to sell your product to.) Reflective Portfolio: You should keep all your work (Essays: from your first rough draft to your final graded paper, Group Work: Copies, Oral Presentation: Slides & Brochure, In-class work: Copies) by date in a 2inch binder. You should include an Autobiography, Introduction, Table of Contents and a conclusion. Community Outreach: I believe we are very lucky to be college students in the best university in Puerto Rico. I also believe it is our responsibility to give back to our community in order to make our island a better place. So, students who participate in community service projects, at my discretion, will have the opportunity to receive up to 100 bonus pts, which will substitute the lowest grade.

GENERAL COURSE POLICIES

Attendance to class is compulsory at our institution and will be verified with an attendance sheet. Students are expected to attend and to always be on time. You must provide the appropriate documentation for an absence to be considered excused and the instructor will reserve the right to accept an excuse or not. Excused absences and tardiness, as well as early departures from their hours, count as of an unexcused absence, so make a point of being on time. After the equivalent of three unexcused absences, 10% will be deducted from the students final grade per absence. Students who do not submit their assignments for the virtual classes on time will be considered absent and any make up assignments will be at the discretion of the instructor. Refer to the below chart for a general idea of the consequences of absences/tardiness/early departures from class. Unexcused Absences (and/or equivalent in tardiness) 1-3 4 5 6 7+ Maximum Grade for Course A B C D F

Electronic Devices While we live in a technologically advanced society, Cellphones, music players, and other electronic devices are distracting and should not be used in class. If your phone goes off in class, you can either bring chocolates for the entire class for our next meeting or the entire class has to write a 5-page essay about cellphone etiquette, which will count towards the reaction papers grade. Academic Dishonesty I have high hopes for the excellent college students that I know you are and the outstanding professionals you will become. However, there are some individuals that fall through the cracks so I have included this section to deter those who plagiarize their way through school. It is expected that all students comply with the institutional policies present within the University of Puerto Rico. Part of this policy is the persecution of students who violate the intellectual and academic integrity of this institution. Plagiarism, or the intentional use of another persons work without giving appropriate credit, is a serious academic offense that wont be taken lightly in this course. In addition, keep in mind that there are other forms of academic dishonesty that will not be tolerated either, such as: a) Cheating on a quiz, test, or exam; b) Writing an essay in Spanish and translating it using programs such as Google Translate, among others; c) Downloading an essay from the internet; d)
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Paying/soliciting another person to write your paper; and e) Turning in an assignment that was used for credit in another course. If it is determined that a student committed any of the academic offenses mentioned above, he or she will receive a grade of zero (0%) on that particular work. Nevertheless, if the act of academic dishonesty is serious, or if multiple acts are done consecutively, the student might face the possibility of being reported to the appropriate academic authorities, where he or she might face consequences such as suspension or possible expulsion from the UPR system. Disruptive Behavior Again I have high hopes that this will not be an issue, but I just would like to state the penalties for intolerable behavior. Any disorderly/unsettling attitude or activity that interferes with the class will not be accepted. Any student that demonstrates disruptive behavior, in any form (i.e. disrespecting an instructor or fellow students, texting or listening to music during class, etc.) will be given an initial warning from the instructor. If any disruptive behavior continues to take place after the initial warning, the student will be asked to leave the class and given and administrative drop. Respect, Tolerance, and Open-mindedness I believe our generation is keen on social justice and I am sure we will not have any problems regarding respect, tolerance and open-mindedness, however I want to state that personal attitudes and judgments towards sensitive topics such as religion, sexual orientation, and politics should be kept aside from this course.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Students with Disabilities Even if you are not registered with the office of reasonable accommodation, please feel free to approach me and we can make arrangements to ensure your success in our class. All reasonable accommodations according to the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) will be coordinated with the Dean of Students and in accordance with the particular needs of the student. Any student needing such accommodations should contact the Office of the Dean of Students in the Decanato de Estudiantes building, Office DE-6 (in front of the Jos de Diego building). For more information, please call (787) 265-3862 or (787) 832-4040, exts. 3258 or 3274. You may also email tcruz@uprm.edu or m_rosado@uprm.edu. Consult the Servicios a Estudiantes con Impedimentos website (http://www.uprm.edu/sei/index2.htm) for more details. NB: The Dean of Students notifies the professor of accommodations that must be made for a student via a formal letter, however students disabilities are NOT disclosed to the professor. Department of Orientation On the first floor of the Decanato de Estudiantes (across from the Jos de Diego building), you can access counselors who can advise you on managing your stress, your time, and the various pressures that you might be confronted with in Colegio. Don't be timid about seeking help when you need it. Recognizing your need for help and actively seeking resources to support you is a sign of maturity. For further information, link to http://www.uprm.edu/orientacion/index.html or to schedule an appointment, call (787) 832-4040, extensions 2040, 3372, or 3864. This department is open Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m

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