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SAMPLE SYLLABUS AND COURSE SCHEDULE: FRESHMAN COMPOSITION
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Expository Writing—English 120/Section 120
Hunter College—Fall 2011
Tuesdays and Fridays 2:10 p.m.–3:25 p.m.
Room 505 Thomas Hunter Hall
Syllabus
Email: syelle.graves@hunter.cuny.edu
Office and mailbox: 1238 Hunter West
Office for fall 2011 office (meeting) hours: 514 Thomas Hunter Hall
Fall 2011 office (meeting) hours: By appointment only, Tuesday–Friday; email for an appointment,
and then ring the doorbell for 514 here in Thomas Hunter Hall (posted by the door with my name).
Required Texts
1. Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russell Durst. They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in
Academic Writing with Readings. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2009.
ISBN: 0393931749
2. Hacker, Diana. A Writer’s Reference. 7th ed. New York: Bedford St. Martin’s, 2009.
ISBN: 0312601433
Both new and used copies of both books have been ordered to Shakespeare & Co. Booksellers, at
939 Lexington Avenue (between 68th and 69th streets). Please bring my name and the course and
section numbers to the store with you. Hard copies of both textbooks are required by the second
class meeting. It is preferred that students do not order the textbooks, since shipping takes several
days (and usually costs extra).
Course Description
This section of Expository Writing is designed to prepare you for college-level writing in all
subjects. The title is taken seriously; very little anecdotal writing and no creative writing will be
assigned. The course is loosely split into two halves: basic logic and rhetoric for essay
composition, for which the first half is designated, and citing/incorporating outside sources into
the college paper, for which the second half is designated.
Course Goals
1. To write essays and develop presentations that express a clear thesis, reflect clear thinking,
and signal orderly progression of thought with smooth and logical transitions.
2. To develop analytic reading and research skills.
3. To make effective use of instructor and peer critiques, to revise and edit early drafts in light
of said critiques, and to proofread written work.
4. To write in standard English prose, observing the conventions of grammar and spelling; to
employ diction appropriate to the audience and free of jargon, and clichés, and be able to
write without depending on first- or second-person pronouns.
5. To produce papers that incorporate and integrate ideas from others and that use substantiating
evidence effectively; to identify all sources with proper attribution.
6. To create a final scholarly research paper employing an acceptable format for citation and
documentation, that meets standard academic and specific course requirements.
SAMPLE SYLLABUS AND COURSE SCHEDULE: FRESHMAN COMPOSITION
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Course Requirements
Along with in-class reading and writing exercises, students are required to write one diagnostic
essay, one in-class essay, one 1–2 page typed essay, one 3–5 page typed essay, one 5–8 page
documented research paper including an annotated bibliography, and a final essay exam. Students
are also required to submit a final portfolio of their work during the last week of classes.
The Portfolio
1. A cover letter, describing the 120 experience and the papers in the portfolio
2. The diagnostic essay
3. One revised out-of-class essay, with at least one draft attached
4. The unrevised in-class essay
5. The final research paper, with one early draft, a works cited page, and an annotated
bibliography
Grading Policy
Attendance/Participation
In-class writing/homework/Bb submissions/drafts
Essays (10% each, including one in-class essay)
Research Paper + Annotated Bibliography
Final Exam
Portfolio
15%
20%
30%
35%
Pass/Fail
Pass/Fail
Attendance
There are a total of 28 class meetings; each absence will result in a deduction of one
point from this total, and the resulting percentage at the end of the semester will constitute the
15% attendance/participation grade. As per department policy, any student who misses more
than six class sessions for any reason will fail the course. If you know you will be absent, or
have a serious/debilitating illness or injury, please contact me as soon as possible. Finally, after
an absence, it is your responsibility to come to me for handouts and assignments that you missed,
and also to get missed notes from other students.
Tardiness and Participation
Attending a class includes timely arrival and participation as well as being physically present;
therefore, a half point will be deducted from the total of 28 points for every incidence of arriving
late, leaving early, or leaving the middle of the class frequently. A full point will be deducted
for refusing to participate, using cell phones or electronics in any form, sleeping, acting
inappropriately towards me or anyone else, etc.
If you do arrive late, always come to me at the end of class so I can count you as present; I
generally don’t stop the class to add latecomers to the roster.
Blackboard
Course materials (paper handouts, extra reading assignments, syallabi, etc.) will be posted to the
Blackboard site, which you can log on to via the CUNY portal. In addition, any changes to the
syllabus, and any communications from me will be posted in the announcements section of the
site, so keep an eye out for any sudden announcements or changes to the syllabus there, and
SAMPLE SYLLABUS AND COURSE SCHEDULE: FRESHMAN COMPOSITION
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check the site before each class meeting. I also have each announcement forwarded to your
Hunter email accounts. It is also your responsibility to learn how to use and navigate
Blackboard—a vital tool and requirement for many of your future courses.
Email
In order to use Blackboard, you must use your Hunter email account. Since I use this as the
primary means of communication with all of you, it is mandatory that you check your Hunter
email every day. I strongly urge you to either import your Hunter email account into your
primary email address, or forward your Hunter email to it. That way, you’ll never have to log on
to your Hunter account, but you won’t miss important correspondence and announcements. You
are welcome, however, individually, to email me from whichever email address you prefer to use.
Work Submissions and Format
Late work will not be accepted without prior request, and I reserve the right to lower grades on
late work. Excessive or frivolous requests for extensions will not be granted; if extenuating
circumstances arise, please contact me as soon as possible. When I do agree to give an
extension, I usually pick and announce a mid-semester date after which I won’t accept any
outstanding assigned work. On the other hand, I am generous when it comes to accepting
revisions to raise grades.
Assigned readings often come with short written assignments about the readings. When the
schedule does not list any written assignment, there will likely be an in-class version, either in
quiz form or as a group exercise. Be sure to read each assignment carefully and come to class
with notes on these readings.
All homework and essays should be ready to be handed in at the beginning of class on the day
they are due. The policy for all assignments is as follows:
1. When two assignments are due on the same day, always hand them in on separate sheets of
paper.
2. Multiple pages of one assignment must be stapled together.
3. Anything handwritten must be clear and legible without scratches or cross-out lines. Such
markings count against your grade in the same way that typos in a typed document do.
4. Properly label your work with your name, the date, and the assignment’s name.
5. Whether hand written or typed, submissions must be on full-sized paper (8.5” X 11”)
All formal writing assignments must adhere to the following format:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Typed
Double-spaced
One inch margins all around
Twelve-point size
Times New Roman font
Inserted page-numbers (upper right-hand corner)
SAMPLE SYLLABUS AND COURSE SCHEDULE: FRESHMAN COMPOSITION
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Multiple drafts of an assignment are required, not optional, unless I make an exception.
Although final grades of essays count towards the 10% of the total, earlier drafts are graded and
averaged into the homework grade. If a second or third draft is handed in without any
revisions made, or with my comments ignored, it will receive a failing grade.
In addition, certain major assignments (these are marked with an asterisk on the course
schedule) must also be submitted to me on Blackboard; electronic submission should be made at
the time you print, as both copies must be identical. These submissions are counted as part of
your homework grade, and averaged in as failures if not completed. Submissions are made
through the Assignments tab on the course page, where you will upload the document file.
Please give the document a name that includes part of your name and the assignment’s name
when you save it. Also, you can only submit the assignment one time (if you run into trouble
with this, contact me to remove it so you can resubmit).
These electronic submissions are due at the start of class. At some point later that day, I will log
on Bb and note each one received. I won’t be able to repeatedly log on and check for missing
ones, so anyone who submits after that time must notify me by email. I don’t receive
notification of Bb electronic submissions, so I can’t log on constantly after that due date, and
without notification from the student, the submission won’t be counted.
Finally, please note that I do not print out assignments except with prior arrangement due to
extenuating circumstances, and I do not grade electronically. Whether or not an electronic
copy is required, a printed copy is always required. Furthermore, the paper copy will not
be graded until the electronic copy is received.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. Plagiarism is defined as word-for-word copying
without acknowledgment of the language or ideas of another writer, and without either placing it
in quotation marks or setting it aside as a blocked quotation. Having another person write or
dictate any part of one’s composition is forbidden. In addition, a writer must never use
information, no matter how brief, without acknowledging its source. In order to prevent
plagiarism in this course, SafeAssign via Blackboard will be used.
“Hunter College regards acts of academic dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism, cheating on
examinations, obtaining unfair advantage, and falsification of records and official documents) as
serious offenses against the values of intellectual honesty. The college is committed to
enforcing the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity and will pursue cases of academic
dishonesty according to the Hunter College Academic Integrity Procedures.”
Other Course Policies
1. Come to class on time and prepared to participate. Participation includes having
assignments completed, bringing needed materials, contributing to discussions in a
respectful, positive manner, and working on what is assigned during the class period.
2. Keep the syllabus and course schedule and any changes made to them on hand. Know
when writing assignments are due. Know when reading should be completed.
3. Bring both books to every class. Buying older editions of the books and/or searching for
SAMPLE SYLLABUS AND COURSE SCHEDULE: FRESHMAN COMPOSITION
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5.
6.
7.
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readings online is unacceptable.
Keep all of your work and handouts; do not throw anything away under any circumstances.
Keep electronic copies of everything you type for the class, and be certain to save them
separately when you revise them (never overwrite a previous draft).
Check the class Blackboard regularly.
Electronic devices of any kind, including devices for note-taking, are not permitted for any
reason without my prior consent.
Stay in touch with me! The importance of communicating with your professors is
immeasurable. If problems arise with your work, I cannot help you unless you email or
come to my office before the assignment is due.
Academic Accommodation
“In compliance with the American Disability Act of 1990 (ADA) and with Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Hunter College is committed to ensuring educational parity and
accommodations for all students with documented disabilities and/or medical conditions. It is
recommended that all students with documented disabilities (Emotional, Medical, Physical
and/or Learning) consult the Office of ACCESSability located in Room 1124 East to secure
necessary academic accommodations. For further information and assistance please call (212772-4857) /TTY (212-650-3230).”
Any student who needs special accommodations must come to me and tell me what those needs
are, so I can verify this with the ACCESSability office; there is no need to tell me what the
disability is. Anyone who suspects a need for such accommodations is encouraged to go to the
office for assistance.
SAMPLE SYLLABUS AND COURSE SCHEDULE: FRESHMAN COMPOSITION
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Expository Writing—English 120/Section 120
Hunter College—Fall 2011
Tuesdays and Fridays 2:10 p.m.–3:25 p.m.
Room 505 Thomas Hunter Hall
Tentative Course Schedule (subject to change as the semester progresses)





Asterisks (*) indicate assignments that must be submitted on Bb as well as on paper
Other readings and homework assignments will be given in class, emailed, and updated on Bb; you are
responsible for filling them in to your course schedule. Only the major written assignments are listed here.
Readings are due on the day they are listed in the course schedule.
Take notes as you do your readings and come to class prepared to discuss and write about what you have
read.
All assignments are in They Say/I Say unless specified otherwise.
Week
1
Tuesday
Friday
August 26 (Class 1)
Welcome!
CLASS:
-Course Introduction
READ:
DO:
2
August 30 (Class 2)
September 2 (Class 3)
CLASS:
-Diagnostic essay
CLASS:
-Writing Center Visit
READ:
-Preface (xi–xx) and Introduction: “Entering the
Conversation” (1–14).
READ:
-“Don’t Blame the Eater” (153–156)
-Chapter 1: “‘They Say’: Starting with What Others Are
Saying” (17–27).
DO:
DO:
-Exercise 2 on page 14
3
September 6 (Class 4)
September 9 (Class 5)
CLASS:
CLASS:
-Expository essay strategies
READ:
-Chapter 2: “Her Point Is’: The Art of Summarizing”
(28–38)
READ:
DO:
DO:
SAMPLE SYLLABUS AND COURSE SCHEDULE: FRESHMAN COMPOSITION
Week
4
5
6
Tuesday
7
Friday
September 13 (Class 6)
September 16 (Class 7)
CLASS:
-Research paper topic assigned
CLASS:
-Essay 1 assigned
READ:
-“MLA 2” in Writer’s Reference (376–379)
READ:
-“Being Fat Is Ok” (206–209)
DO:
-Essay assigned in class on 9/9
DO:
September 20 (Class 8)
September 23 (Class 9)
CLASS:
CLASS:
READ:
READ:
-“Fat as a Feminist Issue” (200–205)
-Chapter 3: “‘As He Himself Puts It’: The Art
of Quoting” (39–47)
DO:
-Research paper topic approval
DO:
-First draft of essay 1*
September 27 (Class 10)
September 30
CLASS:
-Voila quiz assigned
-Essay 2 assigned
-Annotated bibliography assigned
READ:
NO CLASS
[ONGOING WORK: Voila Quiz, final draft/essay 1]
DO:
-Research paper topic Bb (only) submission*
7
October 4 (Class 11)
October 7
CLASS: MEET IN LIBRARY: Room E609
NO CLASS
READ:
[ONGOING WORK: Readings, library homework]
DO:
-Voila Quiz (online only)
SAMPLE SYLLABUS AND COURSE SCHEDULE: FRESHMAN COMPOSITION
Week
8
9
Tuesday
October 14 (Class 13)
CLASS:
CLASS:
READ:
-“Obesity: Much of the Responsibility Lies with
Corporations” (172–180)
READ:
-“Writing About Texts” in Writer’s Reference (67–77)
DO:
-Library homework assignment
October 18 (Class 14)
DO:
-Annotated bibliography*
-Second draft of essay 1*
October 21 (Class 15)
CLASS:
CLASS:
READ:
-“Me Against the Media” (284–292)
-“Do Buddhists Believe in God?” on Bb in Course
Materials/Readings (bring printed out copy to class)
READ:
-Chapter 5: “‘And Yet’: Distinguishing What You Say
from What They Say” (64–73)
DO:
October 25 (Class 16)
October 28 (Class 17)
CLASS:
-Midterm review
CLASS:
-Brief research paper outline assigned
READ:
DO:
11
Friday
October 11 (Class 12)
DO:
-First draft of essay 2*
10
8
November 1 (Class 18)
CLASS:
READ :
DO:
-Brief outline research paper*
READ:
DO:
-Midterm practice essay
-Second draft of essay 2*
November 4 (Class 19)
CLASS:
-In-class essay (MIDTERM)
READ:
DO:
SAMPLE SYLLABUS AND COURSE SCHEDULE: FRESHMAN COMPOSITION
Week
12
Tuesday
November 11 (Class 21)
CLASS:
CLASS:
READ:
READ:
-“Thinking Outside the Idiot Box” (231–235)
DO:
-First draft research paper*
DO:
-Third draft of essay 2*
November 15 (Class 22)*Last week to withdraw*
November 18 (Class 23)
CLASS:
CLASS:
READ:
READ:
DO:
-Second draft of research paper*
DO:
November 22
November 25
NO CLASS: Thursday Schedule
NO CLASS: Thanksgiving Break
[ONGOING WORK: Final draft of research paper]
[ONGOING WORK: Final draft of research paper]
November 29 (Class 24)
December 2 (Class 25)
CLASS:
-Portfolio requirements assigned
CLASS:
READ:
READ:
DO:
DO:
*Last possible date to turn in overdue assignments,
accepted with permission only*
13
14
15
Friday
November 8 (Class 20)
9
SAMPLE SYLLABUS AND COURSE SCHEDULE: FRESHMAN COMPOSITION
Week
16
17
Tuesday
Friday
December 6 (Class 26)
December 9 (Class 27)
CLASS:
-Final exam requirements introduced
CLASS:
-Discussion for final exam
READ:
READ:
-Two essays for final exam
DO: -Portfolio (including final draft* and cover
letter*)
DO:
December 13 (Class 28)
December 15
FIRST HALF FINAL EXAM
SECOND HALF FINAL EXAM
Time: 12:00 p.m.– 2:00 p.m.
Room: TBA
Have a great break!
Notes:
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