This document outlines the syllabus for an English Composition I course at a college. It provides information about course sections, required texts, course description and objectives, assignments and grading, attendance policy, and a tentative schedule. The course aims to develop students' writing abilities in different rhetorical situations and modes through assignments such as essays, journals, and a final portfolio. Students will learn writing and revision processes as well as skills in areas like research, grammar, and computer literacy. Assignments include 3 essays, class work, quizzes or presentations, and a final portfolio. The course has strict attendance and no withdrawal/incomplete policies.

1. 1
ting: AManual for the Digital Age, Brief Second Edition. Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012. Print. (Comes with Ne
eb.
Paltz E Course: Composition I
nglish Composition) NY: Pearson, 2012. Print.
Course Number: ENG160-01, 02, and 03—GEIII / Fall 2012
Course time and location
• Section 01: Location: LC 110 / Days and Times: M/R: 1:40P-2:55P
W: 1:40P-2:40P
• Section 02: Location: HUM 301 / Days and Times: M/R: 4:30P-5:45P
W: 4:30P-5:30P
• Section 03: Location: LC 110 / Days and Times: M/R: 12:15P-1:30P
W: 12:15P-1:15P
Instructor: Prof. Rigolino Email: rigolinr@newpaltz.edu (I am easiest to reach via email.)
Office Location: JFT 802a Office hours: M/: 11:00-12:00 T/F: 11:00-12:30
Phone extension: x2731 (Try email first.)
Required Texts (available at Campus Bookstore)
Course Description
Course Description
Training in critical reading, the process of composing, academic forms of writing, and computer
literacy. Movement from expressive to expository writing. Papers assigned to develop particular
writing techniques. A first-semester English course.
1

2. Objectives
By semester’s end, students will demonstrate the ability to:
• To develop the ability to write in different rhetorical situations, i.e., for different
purposes, occasions, and audiences.
• To develop the ability to write effectively in a variety of rhetorical modes.
• To develop the ability to write well-developed, well-organized, and clear paragraphs and
essays.
• To enhance the thinking necessary in all college courses, i.e., reflecting, observing,
explaining, comparing, summarizing, synthesizing, analyzing, and interpreting.
• To approach writing as a process, i.e., planning, shaping, drafting, revising, editing, and
proofreading.
• To increase the ability to write grammatically and coherently.
• To critique one’s own writing and the writing of others.
• To evaluate courses of information using criteria such as currency, authority, objectivity,
accuracy, specificity, and relevance.
• To use information ethically and legally (i.e., to avoid plagiarism).
• To develop oral presentation skills.
• To develop computer information literacy.
• To demonstrate basic knowledge of library skills.
Course Overview:
Composition I develops students’ abilities to write grammatical and coherent sentences and to
develop ideas fully an in an organized fashion. The course will develop students’ abilities to
produce distinctive pieces of writing based upon individual thinking and experience. It also will
stress and lead students through the composing process as they develop better understanding of
their own writing processes . . . (Composition Program Handbook 11).
ng Requirements and Grade Distribution
e ssays (3-4 pag e s e ach) 7 5%
lass e ssays; 1 0%
als; q uizze s; o ral re po rts 1 5%
re d Final Po rtfo lio (P/F)
Participatio n & Library A nme nt (P/F)*
ssig
atte ndance and participatio n is e xpe cte d. Failure s in the se are as will re sult in a de ductio n to yo ur o ve rall co urse g rade o f at le ast half a g rade .

3. 3
NOTE: THERE ARE NO WITHDRAWALS OR INCOMPLETES FOR COMPOSITION I AND II. THIS IS
A COLLEGE POLICY.
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT
Class attendance and participation are expected. For absences less than three and failure to
participate in class, I will deduct points from your class work grade (see last item in list above).
For absences in excess of three, please read below.
Attendance and P articipation
Procedures
osition class requirement and failure to attend will result in failing the course. Also, you are required to meet with our in class tut
ADE So, for example, if you miss one class and three tutoring sessions-or you miss two classes, one workshop session, and one
.
1. Students are expected to engage in all levels of the writing process: prewriting, drafting,
revising, editing, and proofreading. Students will receive ample time to work on their
writing and will receive feedback from both the instructor and their peers.
2. Essays 1-3 may be revised once after the initial grade has been recorded. In most cases,
editing and proofreading alone will not count as a revision. Revision is more substantial,
sometimes requiring the addition of text, deletion of text, and reorganization of text. If a
student chooses to revise an essay, the revision must be submitted within one week of
the day it is returned to him or her. The original grade will be averaged in with the
second grade; however, there is no guarantee that the revision will receive a higher grade.
3. Students receive a grade and feedback on each assignment before the next assignment is
due so that students can learn from the comments. Students are reminded that they can
come visit me in my office hours to discuss their writing at any time during the semester.
Portfolios
Students will be required to submit portfolios of their work in order to receive passing
grades in the course. Keep all of your work. Do not throw anything you write away.
You will need to assess all of your work for possible inclusion in the portfolio. To be
eligible to submit portfolios, students must demonstrate competency in grammar and usage
through an editing exercise and must be passing the course with a D or better.
Composition I: Portfolio Checklist
• Assessment sheet (student, instructor, and reader’s name; oral component met).
3

4. • Table of contents.
• A self-assessment of your writing regarding this semester; this may be formatted as a
letter to the reader of the portfolio (also called: cover or reflective letter).
• Diagnostic essay (not graded; clean copy).
• Two essays written and revised outside of class with all drafts; attach an unmarked clean
copy on top of the drafts. This must include one argument or analysis essay with MLA
documentation and Works Cited page.
• Midterm exam or second-timed writing (not graded; clean copy).
• Common final exam (not graded; clean copy).
Portfolios will be graded as passing if they are deemed a level 4 on the placement and
proficiency scale. Portfolios that do not contain the required work will not be graded.
Students who do not fulfill the portfolio requirement will receive a grade of R (Repeat) for
the course, which does not affect the student’s Grade Point Average or financial aid. The
student must repeat the course and successfully complete all assignments before a grade will
be determined.
Statement on Academic Integrity
“Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of honesty in their academic work.
Cheating, forgery, and plagiarism are serious offences, and students found guilty of any form of
academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action” (Faculty Handbook 33).
Plagiarism is the unacknowledged (intentionally or unintentionally) use of summary, paraphrase,
direct quotation, language, statistics, or ideas from other sources, including Internet sources. You
must cite according to the Modern Language Association (MLA) format found in Writing: A
Manual for the Digital Age, Brief Second Edition. If you plagiarize all or part of a writing
assignment, you will be reported to the Department of English Chair and/or the Academic Dean.
Statement on Americans with Disabilities Act
“Students with disabilities are entitled to the right to accommodation under Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Ace and ADA of 1990. ADA students are responsible for self-identifying to the
Disability Resource Center, who will inform me of your needs of accommodation related to the
structure of the course” (Faculty Handbook 30).
Schedule of Assignments
Please note: This schedule is tentative and will change based on the needs of the class.
MR = Mercury Reader
WDA = Writing for a Digital Age

5. L of J
ist ournal Readings and W riting Assignments: From The MercuryR eader
Note: Y will read other selections fromMR in addition to these.
ou
5
WEEK M 8/27W Diagnostic Essay Writing Workshop: Date Assignment is
1WEEK 8/29R Various Class Activities: Introduction to DUEDescriptive
courseEssay 1 Assigned / Oral Report
2WEEK 8/30M Groups AssignedNO CLASSWriting
Paragraph with
3WEEK 9/3W 9/5R Workshop: Various Class Activities: Work Photograph DueEssay 1
4WEEK 9/6M on Essay #1 Proposal and on Journal Proposal Due/ Journal 1
5WEEK 9/10W #1Discuss Journals and Essay Due “Theme for English
6WEEK 9/12R ProposalsPeer Critiques of Essay B.” / “My Name”/ in
#1Writing Workshop: Various Class
7WEEK 9/13M Activities: Peer Critiques of Essay Drafts
Mercury ReaderRough
8WEEK 9/17W (Continued Work)/ Review Chapters 1-4 Draft of Essay #1
9WEEK 9/19R and 6 & 7 in WDARevision Strategies/ DueReading “Shitty First
10WEEK 9/20M Review Chapters 1-4 and 6 & 7 in Drafts”(MR); Due with
11WEEK 9/24W WDANO CLASSWriting Workshop: ResponseFinal Copy of
Various Class Activities: Final Editing
12WEEK 9/26R Touches/ WDA Chapter 6Introduction to
Essay #1 DueQuote
13WEEK 9/27F Essay #2Review Chapter 4 in WDA/ Response Homework
14WEEK 9/28M Introduction to Malcolm XNO DueJournal #2 Due/
15WEEK 10/1W CLASSJournal #2 Discuss and Oral “Homemade Education”
16JOURNAL 10/3R Report Group 1HA JIN TALK EXTRA in MREVERYONE
CREDITReview Chapter 16 in
#1 10/4M PLAN TO
WDAWriting Workshop: Various Class
10/8T Activities: Work on Proposal for Essay #2 ATTENDJournal #3 Due
“Theme for 10/9W and on Journal #3NO CLASSMONDAY / “College Pressures”
English B” 10/10R CLASSES MEETWriting Workshop: MR/ Oral Report Group
by Langston 10/11M Various Class Activities: Work on Journal #1
Hughes and 10/15W #4 and on Essay #2Peer Critiques of
“My Name” 10/17R Essay #2Writing Workshop: Various Class Also, Essay #2 Proposal
Activities: Final Editing of Essay #2Intro
by Sandra 10/18M to Fresh Perspectives/ Midterm/ Essay
DueJournal #4 Due /
Cisneros 10/22W #3Library SessionWriting Workshop: “School v. Education” /
10/24R Various Class Activities: Work on Essay “What Is Intelligence,
JOURNAL #2 #3 Proposal / Fresh Perspectives / (Ha Anyway?”/ MR/ Oral
10/25M
Jin) / Journal #5Oral Report Group Report Group #2Rough
“Homemade 10/29W #3and Discussion of Journal #5/ WDA
Draft of Essay #2
Education” 10/31R Chapters 8-11Midterm: PT IWriting
DueFinal Copy of Essay
by Malcolm 11/01M Workshop: Various Class Activities:
11/05W Midterm: PT 2WDA Chapters 17-21Black #2 DueEssay #3 Proposal
XJOURNAL
11/07R Solidarity DayWriting Workshop: Various Due
#3 Class Activities: WDA Chapters 8-11Oral
11/08M Report Group #4/ WDA Chapters 17- Journal #5 Due / “The
“College 11/12W 21Peer Critique of Essay #3Writing Case Against College” /
Pressures” 11/14R Workshop: Various Class Activities: Final
MR / Oral Report Group
by William 11/15M Editing of Essay #3/ WDA Chapters 17-
21Introduction to Essay #4 ProjectNO #3Fresh Perspectives
Zinsser 11/19W
CLASSNO CLASSWriting Workshop: Submission is
JOURNAL #4 11/21R
Various Class Activities: Final Portfolio DueJournal #6 Due/
11/22M Workshop and Workshop for Final
“School vs. “Public and Private
11/26W Presentations for Essay #4 ProjectIn-
Education” 11/28R Class Essay Exam II TodayWriting
Language” /
by Russell Workshop: Various Class Activities: Final “Spanglish”/ Oral Report
11/29M
Baker and Portfolio Workshop and Workshop for Group #4Rough Draft of
12/03W
“What Is Final Presentations for Essay #4 Essay #3 DueFinal Copy
12/05R ProjectPresentationsPresentationsLAST
Intelligence, 12/06M of Essay #3 DueEssay #4
CLASSCommon Exam Day
Anyway?” Project Proposal is
5

6. by Isaac 12/10W DueJournal #7 Due/
AsimovJOU 12/12F “Serving in
RNAL #5 12/14Assig Florida” /MR Oral
nment: Report Group #5Final
“The Case Write 350+ Portfolios Due/ Essay #4
Against words, Project Due
College” total, in
response to
By Caroline
the
BirdJOURNA
following
L #6
questions
“Public and in the
Private textbook.
Language” Your total
by Richard word count
Rodriquez is 350+
and words.
“Spanglish”
Questions
by Janice
on
Castro and
Rhetorical
Dan
Strategy
CookJOURN
and Style:
AL #7
p. 72.
“Serving in Question 2
Florida” by (“Rewrite
Barbara this
Ehrenreich poem...”)
AND
Writing
Assignment
s: p. 75 /
Topic 2
(Write an
essay...)
Assignment
: Write
350+
words,
total, in
response to
the
following
questions:
Questions

7. 7
on
Meaning:
p. 58 #1
and #2
AND
Questions
on
Rhetorical
Strategy
and Style:
p. 58
#2Assignm
ent: Write
350+
words,
total, in
response to
the
following
questions:
Writing
Assignmen
ts:
Questions 1
and 2 on
pp. 24 and
25Assignm
ent: Write
350+
words,
total, in
response to
the
following
questions:
Writing
Assignmen
t Questions
on p. 137
(Choose
either
question 1
or 2)
AND
Writing
7

8. Assignmen
t Question
#1 on p.
3Assignme
nt: Write
350+
words,
total, in
response to
the
following
questions:
Questions
on
Meaning:
#1 on p.
142
AND
Writing
Assignmen
ts: Choose
either
question #1
or #2 on p.
142Assign
ment:
Write 350+
words,
total, in
response to
the
following
questions:
Questions
on
Meaning:
#1 and #2
on p. 47
AND
Writing
Assignments:
#3 on p.
79Assignme
nt: Write
350+

9. 9
words, total,
in response
to the
following
questions:
Questions
on
Meaning:
#1 on p.107
AND
Writing
Assignment
s: #2 on p.
108
9