Fall 2014
English 15E: Creative Writing--Nonfiction Prose
Schedule #59392
Online

Ms. Eileen Apperson
Office: HUM 60
Office hours: T/TH/F 11-12 
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.

“Reading a memoir gives you a more acute idea of what it feels like to be alive.” –Bernard Cooper, November 12, 2009, Reedley College
	
Recommended (not required) Text/Materials:
West of the West, Mark Arax
Blackboard access

Minimum Class Requirements to Pass English 15E:

Writing Assignments:  

Discussion Board Posts—weekly Discussion Board posted will be required.  These posts will cover various topics regarding CNF, assigned authors’ work, and reflections on that week’s writing exercises.

Writing Exercises—weekly writing exercises will be assigned.  These exercises are short and varied, usually practicing the week’s topic.  These exercises may be used as a starting point for your own writing to be workshopped during the semester.  You will be reflecting on these exercises on the Discussion Board as well.  

Short Prose—weekly writing, usually two pages minimum each.  These too may be a starting point for your longer essays.  At least two revised short prose pieces will be included in the final portfolio of your written work.

Workshopped Prose—two five page (minimum) original prose pieces of your own will be workshopped during the semester.  Copies of these must be posted 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 weekly exercises and short prose are only accepted within one week after the due date and will be given a lower grade.  Late workshop prose pieces may not be workshopped and will detrimentally affect your final grade
 		  
Due Dates: 
Generally, assignments will be posted by noon on Friday for the following week.  Assignments for the week will be due Fridays at noon.

If you do not respond to the first Discussion Board post by the due date, you will be dropped from the course.  

Discussion Board Posts:  
Multiple posts will be due weekly.  See each week’s instructions for questions and additional guidelines.  The more thorough and complex your responses and replies, the higher your score will be.  Use academic language when writing your responses—no texting language.  

Reading Assignments:  
Short published prose—weekly published prose will be assigned and used as a catalyst for the weekly writing and discussion board assignments.

Attendance/Participation:  
Class participation is vital in a workshop class such as this.  Points will be given to exercises, short and workshopped prose, and discussions board posts including quality of responses to peers’ writing as well as assigned readings and general conversation about the nonfiction genre.   Your final grade will suffer the consequences of lack of participation.  It is a good idea to check Blackboard and email on a daily basis.

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 weighted 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=40% (all previous drafts must be included)
10+ pages of revised workshopped prose
10+ pages of revised writing exercises/short prose

Writing assignments completion grade=30%
20+ pages of short writing assignments
10+ pages of prose for workshop

Participation=30%
Written responses to assigned readings
Written responses to peers’ writing
Written responses to weekly Discussion Board conversations/questions

*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.	Evaluate manuscripts of both professional models and student efforts on the basis of intention, merit, and craft, using shared critical vocabulary.
B.	Recognize and employ effective strategies for composing essays 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