Instructor	Ms. Stacy Ross	
Class Time	T TH 8 am - 9:15 am	
Class Location	POR 2 	
E-Mail	stacy.ross@reedleycollege.edu
ms.ross.09@gmail.com	
Office Hours	As arranged	

Course Prerequisites
English 1A or 1AH

Course Description
This course is designed to sharpen your critical reading, writing, and thinking skills beyond the level achieved in English 1A. You will write critical essays in response to text readings and class discussions. You will expand your critical vocabulary, employing terms and concepts related to logic and other rhetorical aspects of argument and persuasion, and be tested on this material. 

We will arrive at many critical thinking goals through a process of reading various college level materials, in-class discussions, various writing assignments, peer editing, and a presentation opportunity.  There are many modes of critical thinking; we will explore many of them through reading and writing.

Blackboard will be supplemental to this class.  This means that each student must have an e-mail address and access to a computer.  Quizzes, assignments, and other course documents as well as grades will be housed on Blackboard. 

Course Outcomes:
In the process of completing this course, students will:
♦	Read and critically evaluate college-level non-fiction material from a variety of sources on themes from different content 	areas.
♦	Identify and analyze the structure of arguments underlying the texts they read.
♦	Evaluate the validity and soundness of arguments.
♦	Identify common formal and informal fallacies of language and thought.
♦	Distinguish between and use deductive and inductive reasoning.
♦	Distinguish factual statements from judgmental statements and knowledge from opinion.
♦	Draw sound inferences from information presented.
♦	Research and evaluate outside sources for use in the development of their own writing.
♦	Receive direct instruction in the writing strategies of summary of a single source, critical analysis of a single source or of two sources with a unified approach, and synthesis of multiple sources.
	♦	Write assigned essays that employ the strategies of summary, critical analysis, and synthesis and that emphasize such tasks as causal analysis, advocacy of ideas, definition, persuasion, evaluation, refutation, and interpretation.
	♦	Demonstrate continued development in writing correct college-level prose by attention to essay structure, organization, and development and to diction and mechanics (punctuation, spelling, and grammar).
	♦	Participate in supervised sessions of individual and group peer review, editing, and revision of writing assignments.
	♦	Identify some of the deliberate abuses and manipulations of rhetoric so they can identify them in general usage and avoid them in their own writing.	

Required Course Materials:
♦  Current Issues and Enduring Questions (9th ed.)  by Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau.
♦  Spiral bound 3 x 5 note cards
♦  A composition notebook 
♦  A folder to keep ALL drafts of your work.
♦  A memory stick or other reliable way to save ALL of your work.
♦  A dictionary and thesaurus.
Course Requirements:
Attendance:  Attendance is required.  Roll is taken at the beginning of every class meeting and you must stay for the entire period.  I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences so please schedule your work and other appointments around our class time and do not bother to bring me a doctor’s note.  If you have a conflict and must miss class, you MUST contact me BEFORE you miss class--not after.  Absence will not serve as an excuse for late work; it is your responsibility to turn in your assignments on time regardless.  Assignments will always be updated and posted on Blackboard; it is your responsibility to check it regularly.  Do not be late! Tardiness will affect your participation grade.

Class Participation: Participation is mandatory.  Class participation includes being present in class and taking part in discussion, whether that is answering questions, asking questions, or participating in conversation. It requires you to have the class assignments read before coming to class.  

Blackboard: You will be required to submit work to Blackboard both in and out of class. Know your user ID and password. I will accept files in the following formats: Word documents (*.doc or *.docx) or rich text format (*.rtf). The Blackboard help desk will be able to help you with Blackboard issues; the help desk number is 1-866-401-7784.  

Essays: You will write five formal out-of-class essays.  Essays may be read both in a workshop by your classmates and by the instructor. Late essays will not be accepted. SAVE ALL DRAFTS. 

Revision and Revision Plans: If you have received an essay grade you are not happy with, you may revise.  In order to revise, you must meet with a tutor in the Writing Center or Tutorial Center to work on your revision and obtain a signature from that tutor.  You cannot revise the final essay.  

Late Work:  You will have 2 “lifelines” you may use during the semester to hand in late out of class work with a penalty of one full letter grade less than what you would have received (EX: If you would have received a B, the late penalty will drop the grade to a C). You must hand in the assignment within one week of the original due date.  In-class work cannot be made up; if you miss class you will not be able to make up the work you missed for credit.  

Homework: Homework is due at the beginning of class on dates indicated by the schedule and as assigned in class. If you cannot attend class, get your work to me before the due date. Your work must reflect college level effort or it will not receive credit.
Proofread! Please be sure to proofread your work before you turn it in.  This means 
check it for spelling, punctuation, correct grammar, complete sentences, etc.

A = 90%
B = 80%
C = 70%
D = 60%
F = 50%

Grading:
70%   Essays (both in class and out of class)			
20%   Homework, In-class work, and Tests/quizzes
10%   Daily Exercises 

*  I do not grade on a curve.  Your earned points are converted into an overall percentage which will determine your grade.  You will be able to check your grades throughout the semester.
*  I do not GIVE grades, you EARN grades.  Your time and effort as well as my time and effort would be greatly diminished if it were any other way.  You are responsible for your own success!! Embrace it!
* Our goal is increased knowledge and mastery of effective writing, not grades.  Therefore, some assignments will not receive points but are still required for completion. 
* Class participation includes being present in class and taking part in discussion, whether that is answering questions, asking questions, or participating in conversation. It requires you to have the class assignments read before coming to class.  

FINAL
Tuesday May 15, 2012
8:00-9:50
Please plan accordingly!  There will be no accommodations made
for travel or other scheduling issues.

A Quick Note on Email and Blackboard Etiquette
Emails and Blackboard are for educated thought, discussion and communication.  They are not the appropriate venue for comments in the style of text message, nor is it appropriate to write in verbal slang as if you are emailing a friend.  Please remember that this is an English writing course so you should use proper punctuation and grammar when sending an email or posting on Blackboard.  Thank you!
Campus Policies:
Cheating and Plagiarism: Students at Reedley College are entitled to the best education that the college can make available to them, and they, their instructors, and their fellow students share the responsibility to ensure that this education is honestly attained. Because cheating, plagiarism, and collusion in dishonest activities erode the integrity of the college, each student is expected to exert an entirely honest effort in all academic endeavors. Academic dishonesty in any form is a very serious offense and will incur serious consequences. 
Cheating is the act or attempted act of taking an examination or performing an assigned, evaluated task in a fraudulent or deceptive manner, such as having improper access to answers, in an attempt to gain an unearned academic advantage. Cheating may include, but is not limited to, copying from another’s work, supplying one’s work to another, giving or receiving copies of examinations without an instructor’s permission, using or displaying notes or devices inappropriate to the conditions of the examination, allowing someone other than the officially enrolled student to represent the student, or failing to disclose research results completely. Plagiarism is a specific form of cheating: the use of another’s words or ideas without identifying them as such or giving credit to the source. 
Plagiarism may include, but is not limited to, failing to provide complete citations and references for all work that draws on the ideas, words, or work of others, failing to identify contributors to work done in collaboration, submitting duplicated work to be evaluated in different courses without the knowledge and consent of the instructors involved, or failing to observe computer security systems and software copyrights. Incidents of cheating and plagiarism may result in any of a variety of sanctions and penalties, which may range from a failing grade on the particular examination, paper, project, or assignment in question to a failing grade in the course, at the discretion of the instructor and depending on the severity and frequency of the incidents. For more information, contact the Vice President of Student Services’ Office or the Vice President of Instruction’s Office.
Nondiscrimination Statement: Reedley College and the North Centers comply with all Federal and state rules and regulations and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion or age. This holds true for all students who are interested in participating in educational programs and/or extracurricular school activities. Harassment of any employee/student with regard to race, color, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion or age is strictly prohibited. Limited English speaking skills will not be a barrier at Reedley College to participation in Vocational Education programs. Inquiries regarding compliance and/or grievance procedures may be directed to the college’s Title IX Officer and/or the Section 504/ADA Coordinator.
If you have a verified need for an academic accommodation or materials in alternate media, please contact me as soon as possible.  I will work with the DSPS office to make sure that you get the help that you require.  In order to get accommodations, you must be signed up with DSP.
Disruptive Behavior and Sexual Harassment: Reedley College is committed to the principle that instructors and students must treat each other with courtesy and respect, and it will take action to enforce college policies regarding behavior that violates this principle. These policies are set forth in the student code of conduct at Reedley College. (RC Catalog 49) If you need a brochure, please ask.
Final Thoughts
♦ Please realize that your instructor passionately loves literature and try your darndest to 
   share her enthusiasm.
♦  Please return the respect that I have for each of you, back to each other as well as to me.
♦  Please believe that writing well (and accurately) is difficult for most of us but it is a 
    learned skill that can be practiced and nurtured until it becomes easier and more 
    effective.  Believe in your ability!!
♦  ASK FOR HELP!!! 
♦  Turn your cell phones and pagers to silent and keep them out-of-sight.  Yes—this 
    means that even text messaging is hereby outlawed in class.  If I see your phone in use  
    during class, you will be asked to leave class.
♦  Do not be late to class
♦  No eating in class—we are sharing a learning environment with other students 
    and they shouldn’t have to sit in or smell our mess.
♦  It is your responsibility to officially withdraw from this class should you choose to not 
    attend.  If you fail to do so, you will receive an “F.”  
Important Dates
9 January 2012	Start of Spring Semester	
20 January 2012	Last day to drop a full-term class for refund	
27 January 2012	Last day to register for a full-term fall class	
27 January 2012	Last day to drop a fall full-term class to avoid  a “W”	
16 January 2012	Martin Luther King Jr. day (no classes held, campus closed)	
10 February 2012	Last day to change a fall class to/from a Pass/No-pass grading basis	
9 March 2012	Last day to drop a full-term class (letter grades assigned after this date)	
17 February 2012	Lincoln day (no classes held, campus closed)	
20 February 2012	Washington day (no classes held, campus closed)	
2 April - 6 April 2012	Spring Break (no classes held, campus closed)	
14 May 2012	FINAL