PELLISSIPPI STATE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE 
MASTER SYLLABUS 
ENGLISH COMPOSITION I 
 ENGL 1010 (formerly ENG 1010)
Class Hours: 3.0   Credit Hours: 3.0  
Laboratory Hours: 0.0   Date Revised: Fall 02  
       
Catalog Course Description:    
  Study and practice of expository and persuasive writing.  Topics include essays and reports, with emphasis on research, writing processes and effective formatting.
Entry Level Standards:    
   The student is expected to be able to conceive ideas about a topic and to organize and develop them in coherent paragraphs and compositions which are free of patterns of major grammatical error.  He or she should be able to vary writing style for different readers and purposes and to improve his or her own writing by restructuring and re-writing.  The student should be able to employ basic research techniques in gathering and reporting information. 
The student should be able to read on the college level and to reason logically.
Prerequisite:    
   Satisfactory placement test scores; for non-native speakers, TOEFL score of at least 525 or satisfactory completion of DSPW 0700 and DSPW 0800.
Textbook(s) and Other Reference Materials Basic to the Course:  
   Reid, Stephen. The Prentice-Hall Guide for College Writers.  PSTCC custom 2nd 
 edition.  Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2000.

Harris, Muriel.  Prentice Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and Usage.  4th ed. Upper Saddle 
 River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2000.

I. Week/Unit/Topic Basis:    
 This is a suggested plan of assignments for the semester. Instructors should choose readings, prepare writing assignments, and provide their own schedule of assignments.
  Week  Topic
  1 Writing Sample; Ch. 1 Writing Myths and Rituals; Ch. 2  Purposes and Processes for Writing
  2-3 Ch. 3 Observing ; Ch. 4 Remembering; Assignment 1:  Personal essay 
  4-5 Ch. 5 Reading; Ch. 6 Investigating;  Assignment 2:  Investigating essay (documented, as necessary)
  6-8 Ch. 7 Explaining;  Ch. 8 Evaluating; Ch. 9 Problem Solving; Assignment 3:  Explaining/Analyzing essay  (documented)
  9-10 Ch. 10 Arguing; Ch. 14 Writing Classical Argument; Assignment 4:  Analysis of an Argument (in-class essay) 
  11-12 Assignment 5:  Argument essay  (documented)
  13-14 Ch.  11 Responding to Literature; Assignment 6:  Literature essay (primary sources documented)
  15 Folders completed and submitted; Final Essay  (written in class at final exam period)
  16 Final Exam Period
II. Course Objectives*:    
  A. Produce clear writing by means of a process.  I, V
  B. Write clearly, logically, and concisely and according to specified format.   I, V
  C. Write to accomplish the writer's goals and provide for the reader's needs.   I, III, IV, V, VI
  D. Select appropriate rhetorical patterns to inform, to explain,  and to persuade.  I, III, IV, VI
  E. Demonstrate familiarity with primary and secondary research.  III, VI
  F. Transfer principles learned in ENGL 1010 for effective writing across the curriculum.  I, V, VI
*Roman numerals after course objectives reference goals of the university parallel program.
III. Instructional Processes*:     
Students will:      
  1. Collaborate in teams for peer review of drafts to analyze audience and message, to develop and organize ideas, and to evaluate drafts as to effectiveness and clarity. Communication Outcome, Personal Development Outcome, Problem Solving and Decision Making Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy 
  2. Analyze and write sample business letters/memos using word processing software. Communication Outcome, Problem Solving and Decision Making Outcome, Technological Literacy Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy
  3. Listen to guest speakers from various businesses to discover demands of written communication in the work world. Personal Development Outcome, Transitional Strategy
  4. Read assigned essays and participate in class discussion.  Communication Outcome, Problem Solving and Decision Making Outcome, Cultural Diversity and Social Adaptation Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy
  5. Write analytical, expository, argumentative essays using word processing software. Communication Outcome, Problem Solving and Decision Making Outcome, Technological Literacy Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy
  6. Develop research skills using library sources and the Internet to find information pertinent to essay topics.  Technological Literacy Outcome, Information Literacy Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy
  7. Develop oral presentation skills to present individual and group information from research.  Communication Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy
  8. Use tables, graphs, and/or charts to help draw conclusions from the data.  Communication Outcome, Problem Solving and Decision Making Outcome, Numerical Literacy Outcome, Information Literacy Outcome,  Active Learning Strategy
  9. Internalize the work ethic by regularly attending class, being punctual, being dependable, cooperating with the teacher and other classmates, contributing to class discussion and projects, and acting in a professional manner while in class. Personal Development Outcome, Transitional Strategy
*Strategies and outcomes listed after instructional processes reference Pellissippi State’s goals for strengthening general education knowledge and skills, connecting coursework to experiences beyond the classroom, and encouraging students to take active and responsible roles in the educational process.
IV. Expectations for Student Performance*: 
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
1. Use a process approach to writing.  A, B, C, D
2. Analyze audience.  C
3. Use appropriate level of diction.  C
4. Develop and organize ideas and information about an essay topic.  A, B, C, D
5. Develop a thesis statement for an essay.  C
6. Follow recognized patterns to write essays and letters.  D
7. Write correspondence that is easily understood.  C
8. Locate source materials.  E
9. Use primary and secondary research in essays. E
10. Document to avoid plagiarism.  E
11. Proofread and edit all writing carefully.  B
*Letters after performance expectations reference the course objectives listed above.
V. Evaluation:
A. Testing Procedures:
 Seven major writing assignments will constitute a minimum of 70 percent of the final grade and will be weighted at the discretion of the instructor.  Two of these assignments will be written in class.  Other in-class writings, such as responses, essay questions, letters/memos, exercises, and quizzes, as well as peer reviews, homework assignments, and corrections may constitute 30 percent of the final grade.  Suggested point weightings are listed below: 
   Personal/Narrating Essay                    10%
   Investigating Essay                              10%
   Explaining/Analysis Essay                  10%
   Argument Analysis (in class)               5%
   Argumentative Essay                           15%
   Literature Essay                                     15%
   Final Essay (in class)                              5%
   Other assignments                                30%
     (including letters/memos, 
    exercises, quizzes, oral
    presentations, peer reviews, 
    corrections)                                        _____
                                                                   100%
B. Laboratory Expectations:
 None
C. Field Work:
 None
D. Other Evaluation Methods:
Within the limits outlined above, the instructor is free to set individual performance standards in rewarding for revisions, folder submission, absenteeism, required typing, etc.  Each instructor will adhere to the College attendance policy and the policy on academic dishonesty as described below.
E. Grading Scale:
 Instructors will assign grades based on agreed upon departmental standards.
VI. Policies:
A. Attendance Policy:
Attendance, promptness, and participation are essential to success in college courses.  The general attendance policy of the College states that  students must be present for at least 75 percent of scheduled class meetings in order to receive credit for the course; thus, students who miss 25 percent of class meetings will fail the course.  Therefore, any student who must miss an excessive number of classes for any reason is advised to withdraw from the College under the "Mitigating Circumstances" provision as described in the PSTCC Catalog. 
B. Academic Dishonesty:
Any student found engaging in an act of academic dishonesty will be promptly dismissed from the course with a grade of F. 
Academic dishonesty includes the following:
    Plagiarism--presenting someone else's words or ideas as your own;
    Collusion--allowing other people to write, to revise, or to alter significantly the text of a
    paper  that is supposed to be your work alone.
C. Other Policies:
Essays will be marked with numbers from the Prentice Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and Usage and with instructor comments.  Students are required to make all corrections according to instructor's directions before the grade on an essay is final.  Essays, revisions, and corrections will be kept in a Harbrace folder throughout the semester and collected by the instructor at the end of the semester.  The English Department does not return student folders.  Students who wish to retain copies of essays should make photocopies.