HomeMy WebLinkAboutWRT-101 Bergen Community College
Division of English
Composition and Literature Department
Course Syllabus
WRT 101 - (Section): Composition I
Semester and Year
Meeting Time and Location
Instructor’s Name
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Email Address
Course Description
English Composition I provides students the opportunity for extensive practice in critical
reading and thinking, and academic essay writing. This course emphasizes the writing
process and concentrates on the organization and development of ideas. Students will
develop their reading and writing skills, and learn how to integrate primary and
secondary sources into their writing for the purpose of supporting a thesis. The
prerequisite in this course is EBS-011, EBS 021, ALP-063, or by placement exam.
Student Learning Objectives
As a result of meeting the requirements in this course, you will be able to:
1. Read, analyze, and interpret a variety of texts. (PLG 1) (Gen Ed Goal 1 a)
2. Respond to texts, in discussion and writing assignments, demonstrating an
understanding of each text’s central arguments. (PLG 2) (Gen Ed Goal 1a, b;
6 a, b)
3. Incorporate the fundamentals of academic essay writing such as gathering
ideas, developing and clearly stating theses, organizing, drafting, revising,
and editing. (PLG 3) (Gen Ed Goal 1 c, d)
4. Move from personal responses to formal academic essays, including
appropriate, properly formatted evidence from both primary and secondary
sources. (PLG 4, 5) (Gen Ed Goal 1 c)
5. Accurately incorporate the ideas of others using summary, paraphrase, and
direct quotation. (PLG 4, 5) (Gen Ed Goal 1 c; 6 b)
6. Incorporate the academic requirements, tools, and techniques of research
through the resources of contemporary information science including the
employment of current MLA style for text presentation, in-text citations, and
2
Works Cited pages for essays and research papers. (PLG 6) (Gen Ed Goal 4
a, b, c, d)
Course Requirements
You will be required to do the following:
1. Write at least four multi-paragraph essays of at least 500 words that respond to or
incorporate aspects of class readings/texts.
2. Complete other writing exercises such as summaries, journals, reading responses,
reading comprehension questions, quizzes on reading assignments, letters, resumes -
both in and outside of the classroom.
3. Read, interpret, analyze and write critically on variety of texts.
4. Conduct independent research and write a 5-7 page research paper, using MLA style.
5. Submit papers that adhere to MLA manuscript requirements and which demonstrate
effective proofreading and editing.
6. Participate in class discussions and other in-class (individual or group) activities
necessary to produce quality expository prose.
Course Texts and Other Recommended Materials*
A reader (required):
Kessler, Elizabeth Rodriguez et al. Norton Mix: Composition
New York: Norton, 2013
A handbook (recommended) such as:
Glenn, Cheryl et al. The Writer’s Harbrace Handbook. 2nd ed. Boston: Thomson, 2004.
ISBN 0-8384-0338-7.
or
Hacker, Diana. A Writer’s Reference. 6th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2003.
ISBN 0-31241-369-6.
3
*Adjuncts are required to select from the approved department texts listed.
Grading Policy
[Your grading policy must be included in the syllabus you distribute to students.
The policy below is an example of one approach among many. It is provided here as
an example. It should not be interpreted as the English Department’s policy on
grading. Instructors may use the approach below or devise a fair and balanced
grading policy of their own. Instructors must include an explicit statement on
penalties for late or missed assignments.]
Your final grade will be computed in the following way: four essays and revisions, 50%;
research paper, 25%; journals, quizzes, and homework 15%; and class participation, 10%.
Attendance Policy
[Your attendance policy must be included in the syllabus you distribute to students.
The policy below is an example of one approach among many. It is provided here as
an example. It should not be interpreted as the English Department’s policy on
attendance. Instructors may use the approach below or devise a fair policy of their
own; however, the BCC policy must be included.]
BCC Attendance Policy: “All students are expected to attend punctually every scheduled
meeting of each course in which they are registered. Attendance and lateness policies
and sanctions are to be determined by the instructor for each section of each course.
These will be established in writing on the individual course outline. Attendance will be
kept by the instructor for administrative and counseling purposes.”
Class Attendance Policy: Poor attendance will affect your grade. If your absences exceed
twice the number of weekly meetings, your grade will be lowered. If you are absent
excessively, you can expect to fail the course. Arriving late to class can affect your grade,
too. If you arrive to class late twice, I will count that as one absence.
Statement on Plagiarism
Statement on Learning Assistance Center
file: comp1.syllabus.070704
revised 082112