Course Syllabus

 

 

University of Puerto Rico

Mayagüez Campus

College of Arts and Sciences

Department of English

 

Professor/Instructor: Nihal Dhillon                                            

Office: CH 408 Mondays & Tuesdays 4:30-6:00pm                            Mailbox:

Office Hours:  (1.5 for each section taught)                                     E-Mail: nihal.dhillon@upr.edu

                       

This document may be amended over the course of the semester in order to meet course objectives and correct unintended errors.

 

General Information:

Alpha-numeric codification: INGL 3103

Course Title: Intermediate English I: Section 087

Course Schedule: T-TH 2:15 – 3:30pm

Number of credits: 3

Contact Period: 3 hours of lecture per week

Non-Contact Period: 2 hours of outside assignments for each contact hour (6 hours in total)

 

Course Description (according to the 2012-2013 Undergraduate Catalogue of the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus):

English: Analysis of selected readings, such as essays, fiction, poetry or drama, and practice in writing compositions with attention given as needed to grammar and idiomatic expressions.

 

Pre/Co-requisites and other requirements:

Intermediate English I (INGL 3103) is the first course of a sequence designed for entering students at the Mayagüez Campus of the University of Puerto Rico who have scored 570 or above on the College Board Entrance Examination, but who have not qualified for advanced placement in the Honors Program of the English Department by obtaining a score of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Test. Those students who receive 3 on this test are enrolled in English 3103. Students who successfully pass INGL 3103 must pass INGL 3104 and six additional credit hours in the English department courses to satisfy University requirements. Students who were enrolled in Basic English (INGL 3101 or 3102) in previous semesters, CANNOT take this course. Please see me if you have any doubts about your placement in this course. 

 

 

 

Course Objectives:

After completing INGL 3103, students should be capable of demonstrating the following skills and abilities in the area of writing:

• Recognizing in the texts they read several of the traditional modes of essay development such as narrative, argument, evaluation, causal analysis, and rhetorical analysis
• Effectively developing and organizing the content of their own essays based on one or more of these modes
• Application of the various stages of the writing process to his or her written work, including drafting, peer editing, and publishing
• Utilization of one or more prewriting techniques
• Narrowing a topic
• Stating an author’s purpose and intended audience
• Writing an effective thesis statement and recognize such statements when they are present in the texts they encounter
• Providing relevant supporting details and evidence/justification for relevant statements in their essays
• Recognizing the organizational structure of essays assigned for reading
• Writing successful introductory, transitional and concluding paragraphs for their own essays
• Carrying out an elementary research project using the campus library and/or internet including the proper use of outside sources and the basic forms of documentation
• Demonstrating correct usage of MLA documentation with general formatting, in-text citations, and the Works Cited page

 

Instructional Strategies:

üseminar without formal presentation ü   workshop ¨   art workshop ¨   practice ¨  trip ¨  thesis ¨ special problems ¨  tutoring ¨   research ü      other ¨ please specify:

 

Minimum or Required Resources Available:

Materials, equipment, and physical facilities needed to fulfill the course objectives.

 

Course Time Frame and Thematic Outline:

 

Outline	Contact Hours
I. Introduction to, and application of, the principles of the writing process	8 hours
II. Introduction and practice of proof‐reading and proof‐readers marks for evaluation of writing drafts	3 hours
III. Analysis and application of selected text readings	20 hours
IV. Individual and peer‐editing of student‐produced essays	6 hours
V. Introduction to library‐based research methods VI. Introduction to documentation of sources in MLA format	4 Hours
Total hours:	45 contact hours Three (3) semester credits

Grading System:

þ Quantifiable (letters) 

 

Because the grading scale at our institution does not allow for the reporting of grades of ‐ or + (A‐ or C+ for example), I will necessarily calculate grades according to the following scale. Notwithstanding, students should be aware that an A is a grade assigned for exceptional work only. If your work for the course does not reflect this quality, do not expect an A.

 

 

Grade	Numerical Equivalent
90-100	A
80-89	B
70-79	C
65-69	D
0-64	F

 

 

Attendance:

Attendance of the course is compulsory and will be verified at the beginning of each class. Students are expected to come to class all the time and to always be on time. The student is responsible for all material covered on the day s/he is absent. You must provide the appropriate documentation for an absence to be considered excused and the professor will reserve the right to accept an excuse or not. Excused absences and tardiness, as well as early departures from class, count as ½ of an unexcused absence, so make a point of being in class and on‐time. After the equivalent of three unexcused absences, 10% will be deducted from the student’s final grade per absence. Refer to the below chart for a general idea of the consequences of absences/tardiness/early departures from class. 

 

Unexcused Absences (or equivalent)	Maximum Grade for Course
1-3	A
4	B
5	C
6	D
7 +	F

 

 

Evaluation Strategies: While a final, graded exam is compulsory for all students registered in INGL 3103, this course is based primarily on writing essays, not on exams or quizzes. The below chart lists the distinct tasks required by your instructor, the quantity of each, and the percent of the total grade these represent.

 

	Quantity	Percent
Blog Postings	30	30%
Essays	3 (2@10pts & 1@15	35%
Oral Reports	1	6%
Peer response groups	3	9%
Final Exam	1	10%
Other assignments and attendance		10%
TOTAL:		100%

 

 

 

Essays: Two essays @10 points each are two expository pieces. Each essay must be 500 words or longer and each will be introduced and explained and a rubric will be given out with the requirements. The third essay @ 15 points is a researched argument paper and requires you to use outside sources and to document them properly. This paper will be at least 700 words in length.

 

Blog and postings: Each student will respond on a blog on wordpress.com and use it to post his or her written responses to assigned readings that are either in your textbooks or posted on the blog. Each posting must be a minimum of 250 words and should suggest a clear thesis statement that tells the reader your idea or position regarding the reading. Each post is worth 3 points each and will be graded based on the length, clarity of ideas, and suggested thesis. There are a total of ten readings with responses for the semester starting the second week of the course and ending the fourteenth week. (See dates on course schedule)

 

Peer response groups: Each student is expected to bring in a first draft of his or her essay at a specified time in the semester (See course schedule). In a group of four students you will read and respond to the work of each student in the group, offering suggestions for improvement. In order to receive the 3 points you must 1) attend class that day, 2) bring in a draft and two copies of your work, 3) give useful suggestions to the author, 4) be able to revise your essay and improve it based on the suggestions of your peers.

 

Final Exam: All students are required to take a final exam in this course. The date, time, and instructions will be given out to students near the end of the semester.

 

Oral Report: Each student will work in a small group to present one of the chapters from the book to the rest of the class in the form of an oral report/presentation.

 

The English Writing Center (EWC):

Students should take responsibility for obtaining help as needed. In addition to the instructor’s office hours, the English Writing Center, located in the Admissions Building, Room 7, is open Mondays‐Fridays from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The EWC  supports all reading and writing needs including the reading of texts, vocabulary development, pre‐writing, drafting, content development, organization, and the preparation of final drafts. For more information, call (787) 265‐ 5451. 

 

Extra Credit:

The only way to receive extra‐credit points in this class is to receive tutoring for the purposes of this course in the English Writing Center (EWC). Each of your visits to the EWC must be documented. The EWC provides a form that is stamped with the date of your visit and your tutor will sign it. You will submit this form to me after your visit in order to receive an extra credit point. You may receive a total of up to 10 extra credit points (10% of your grade). Each visit to the EWC lasts approximately 30 minutes. Please refer to the Facebook page for the EWC as well as the informational video (links

provided in Moodle). 

 

 

Bibliography/Required Course Texts:

 

 

Ruszciewicz, J. (2012). How to Write Anything with Readings. Boston: Bedford/St. Marten’s

 

Additional Recommended Resources (These books may be accessed in The Writing Center)

 

Axelrod, R., and Cooper, C. (2009). Axelrod and Cooper’s Concise Guide to Writing.5^th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Marten’s.

Bishop, W. and Strickland, J. (2006). The Subject is Writing. Portsmouth, NH/ Boynton/Cook.

 

Graff, G. and Birkenstein, C. (2010).  They Say, I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing.2nd ed.  W.W. Norton & Company

 

Hacker, D. (2007).  A Writer’s Reference with Extra Help for ESL Writers. 6^th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Marten’s.

 

Lunsford, A. (2009). The Everyday Writer. 4^th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Marten’s.

 

McWhorter, K. (2009). Successful College Writing. 4^th ed. Bedford/St. Marten’s.

 

Raimes, Ann. Keys for Writers. 5^th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008.[1]

Rosen, L. (2009). The Academic Writer’s Handbook. 2^nd ed. Boston: Pearson Longman.

 

Wysocki, A., and Lynch, D. (2009). The DK Writer’s Handbook. Boston: Pearson Longman.  

 

Online Resources:

 

Companion Website for How to Write Anything

http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/howtowrite1e

This website offers students a guide and reference for materials and topics addressed in the book. To use this site you will need to register as a student. Registration is free and only takes a few moments.

 

How to Recognize Plagiarism Tutorial

http://www.indiana.edu/~istd/

This website provides a one to two hour tutorial created by the School of Education at the Indiana University Bloomington to “help you to understand and recognize plagiarism”. It also allows you to print a certificate upon passing a related test. Your professor may require you to turn in your signed certificate “as evidence that you have confirmed your understanding of plagiarism and how to recognize it”.

 

The Internet Detective

http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/

“a free online tutorial that will help you develop Internet research skills for your university and college work. The tutorial looks at the critical thinking required when using the Internet for research and offers practical advice on evaluating the quality of web sites.”

 

The Longman Guide to Contemporary English Online

http://wwsw.ldoceonline.com/index.html

Search any word in an online version of the CD-ROM of the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (updated edition). Includes “selected headwords pronounced in British and American English” as well as “selected example sentences pronounced, to help you improve your intonation.”

 

The Owl at Purdue

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

“The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University…houses writing resources and instructional materials….Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist them with many writing projects, during any stage of the writing process.”

 

Thesaurus.com

http://thesaurus.reference.com/

Roget’s New Millennium Thesaurus “includes a brief definition, synonyms, and antonyms (where appropriate)” for each entry. “Arranged in easy-to-use dictionary-style format, with more than 18,000 entries.”

 

Tomísimo

http://www.tomisimo.org/dictionary/

“Tomísimo^TM is an English-Spanish, Spanish-English Dictionary that makes finding words easy by automatically searching in both languages. Tomísimo… aims to provide an unabridged, bilingual dictionary for the English and Spanish languages.”

 

Bylaw 06-33 (Institutional Policy on Partial Exams Offered Outside of Regular Class Hours):

According to article 6 of bylaw 06-33 (Institutional Policy on Partial Exams Offered Outside of Regular Class Hours), “Partial exams offered outside of the established course period should not conflict with other classes, laboratories, or departmental exams in the program of studies of the students registered for a course. If it is not possible to accommodate students at the same time, or if a valid excuse is submitted by one or several students in a timely manner prior to the exam, the principle of equity demands that these students be tested at another time, in conditions equivalent to those of other students in the section”. Article 7 indicates that “scheduling conflicts that cannot be resolved between the student and the professor can be directed to the attention of the director or the directors of the corresponding departments, programs, or offices”. Contrary to what some professors have indicated to students, there is no reason why they should miss classes when they confront situations like this. As such, an absence from a class due to an exam in another course will not be excused.

 

According to Law 51:

All reasonable accommodations according to the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) will be coordinated with the Dean of Students (Sra. Wilma Santiago) and in accordance with the particular needs of the student. Any student needing such accommodations should contact the Office of the Dean of Students in the Decanato de Estudiantes building,

 

NB: The Dean of Students notifies the professor of accommodations that must be made for a student via a formal letter, however students’ disabilities are NOT disclosed to the professor.

 

Departamento de Orientación:

On the first floor of the Decanato de Estudiantes (across from the José de Diego building), you can access counselors who can advise you on managing your stress, your time, and the various pressures that you might be confronted with in your first year (or future years) at the Colegio. Don't be timid about seeking help when you need it. Recognizing your need for help and actively seeking resources to support you is a sign of maturity. For further information, link to http://www.uprm.edu/orientacion/index.html or to schedule an appointment, call (787) 832-4040, extensions 2040, 3372, or 3864. This department is open Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

 

The Writing Center:

Students should take responsibility for obtaining help as needed. In addition to the instructor’s office hours, the Arts and Sciences Writing Center, located in Celis 323. The hours are Monday-Friday 8am to 4:30pm.

The Writing Center supports all reading and writing needs including the reading of texts, vocabulary development, pre-writing, drafting, content development, organization, and the preparation of final drafts. Contact Dr. Kevin Carroll (Kevin.carroll@upr.edu), the administrator, if you have any questions or concerns about the Writing Center.

 

Academic Honesty:

As per Cert. 45, 2005-06, it is the institutional policy of the Mayagüez Campus to observe the highest standards of intellectual and scientific integrity and to pursue the prosecution of all violations. Violations include plagiarism (using the work, processes, ideas, and results of others without proper credit). Moreover, Article 14(A)(2) of the UPR General Regulations for Students identifies cheating as a punishable conduct.

 

As such, a professor may present a formal complaint to the Campus Disciplinary Board if she or he believes a student has committed plagiarism. If the professor pursues this line of action, Article 15 of the UPR General Regulations for Students stipulates that the repercussions may be the following:

• A written warning which will be included in the student’s official record
• Probation for a determined period of time
• Suspension for a determined period of time
• Administrative permanent withdrawal from the UPR system
• Other sanctions provided by special regulation