Fall 2009
English 15E: Creative Writing--Nonfiction Prose
Schedule #53340
Thursday 3:00-5:50pm, HUM 58

Ms. Eileen Apperson
Office: HUM 60
Office hours: M-F 10-11 
Office phone: 638-3641 ext. 3223
email: eileen.apperson@reedleycollege.edu

Course Objective:
	The objective of this course is to learn the elements, appreciation, and craft of the nonfiction prose genre, develop constructive criticism skills used in responding to others’ writing as well as to one’s own, and to engage in the practice of writing nonfiction prose.
	
Required Text/Materials:
	TBA
	Copies of papers for workshopping purposes

Minimum Class Requirements To Pass English 15:

Writing Assignments:  
	Writing Exercises—weekly writing exercises (both in-class and out-of-class) will be assigned.  These exercises are short and varied, usually practicing the style and/or topic of a published work.  These exercises may be used as a starting point for your own writing to be workshopped during the semester.  At least five of these exercises will be revised for inclusion in the final portfolio of your written work.
	Prose—two five page (minimum) original prose pieces of your own will be workshopped during the semester.  Copies of these must be provided to each student one week prior to the workshop date.  Revised pieces must be included in the final portfolio.
	Note: 
1.	Keep all drafts of your writing.  These will be required for your portfolio and final grading purposes.
2.	It is expected that all writing will be generally free of grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. 
3.	Late papers are only accepted within one week after the due date and will be given a lower grade.
 		  
Reading Assignments:  
	Short published prose—weekly published prose will be assigned and used as a catalyst for the weekly writing assignments.
	TBA

Attendance/Participation:  
Good attendance is vital in a workshop class such as this.  Points will be given to various in-class activities which cannot be made-up at a later date.  Participation includes class discussion during workshops as well as assigned readings and general conversation about the nonfiction genre.    

Other course information:

Plagiarism:  Plagiarism is the act of using another person’s words as your own. You will be caught, reported to the administration, and your college record will be in jeopardy.

Accommodations: Please inform me of any special circumstances you might have.  If you have special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including alternate media requests, please notify me immediately.  Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate your needs.

Grading:  You will be graded on a point system scale.  In addition to participation, these grades will be based largely on the completion of assignments, correctness, and degree of revision of your written work and less on talent.  If you are failing the course at mid-term, you may automatically be dropped.  *Grading percentages are as follows:

Portfolio=50% (all previous drafts must be included)
10+ pages of revised workshopped prose
10+ pages of revised writing exercises

Writing assignments completion grade=25%
20+ pages of short writing assignments
10+ pages of prose for workshop

Participation=25%
Mostly oral (some written) responses	to peers’ writing
Workshop preparedness and participation
Discussion

*All assignments are subject to change.  Additional assignments may be added at any time.
		 				
100% - 90% = A, 89% - 80% = B, 79% - 70% = C, 69% - 60% = D, 59%-50% = F

COURSE OUTCOMES FOR ENGLISH 15E:

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

A.	Use critical vocabulary essential for discussing either professional models or student efforts.

B.	Employ effective strategies for composing a story and recognize those same strategies in professional models.

C.	Evaluate others’ manuscripts on the basis of intention and merit.

D.	Evaluate their manuscripts on the basis of received criticism.

A final, important note:  Keep in mind that in this class, and for your entire academic future as well, your education is dependent upon you.  Your instructors are resources and facilitators.  It is you who is responsible for the learning that takes place.

“Ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.” 
–George Washington Carver