ENC 1101 (Honors)

COURSE SYLLABUS

Instructor: Alejandro Salinas

Department: Communication, Arts, & Philosophy
Office Hours: M: T: W:
Room 1371
Phone: (305)237-6358 R: F: S:
E-mail: asalinas@mdc.edu

Course Description:
The purpose of this course is to help you improve your writing skills, which you're going to be
depending on as you advance through your academic career in college and, more likely than
not, as you advance through your professional career in the real world. The course is based on
the idea that the best way to become a better writer is by seeing how others do it and by doing it
yourself. The best way to learn, in other words, is by simply doing a lot of reading and writing.
In the process, you’ll be asked to participate in a dialogue with the rest of the class so that we
think through important issues in the world and our lives to form personal opinions. This class
doesn’t require you to memorize and write about the “right answers” but to always ask the most
important questions: What do I think? And why do I think it? You will be asked to analyze and
problem-solve—to think critically. These critical thinking skills are vital to good writing.

You'll spend most of your time writing essays in response to the readings from our textbook,
drawing from your personal experiences and current events. The plan is to examine a variety of
models illustrating good writing, and to practice, practice, practiceapplying the many tricks
they teach us.

Always underlying our work will be an emphasis on writing as a process: We will get used to
the idea that writing good essays doesn't mean casually tapping away at your keyboard until
you reach the page requirement. It doesn't mean turning in whatever happens to come out off
the top of your head. Instead, writing should be a more elaborate process in which you plan
what you're going to say beforehand, and in which you go back to repair and polish once you've
finished. The actual writing is only part of the job.

Course Texts:
All our readings will come from handouts and internet links, but I recommend that you get a
handbook that covers research and grammar. If you don’t have one, I recommend Hacker
(listed below), which is available at the bookstore. Note that you can also purchase an online
version for a little less. If you’re interested in the online version or aren’t sure if the handbook
you have is acceptable, please see me.
• Hacker, Diana. Rules for Writers, 5th Ed. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004
• (Can purchase online version at dianahacker.com/bedhandbook)

Assignments:
You'll be required to write four essays and rewrite one of the original four. Length
requirements will vary. For some of your essays, you'll have peer workshops, in which you'll
get into groups, exchange essays, and offer each other comments on how you can improve
them.

Besides writing essays, you'll also be required to complete several shorter assignments. Some
assignments will be evaluated on a check system. If you do an adequate job on an assignment,
showing that you’ve put some time and thought into it, you will receive a check (√), worth 10
points toward your final grade. If you do a less than adequate job, you will receive either a
check minus (√-), worth 5 points, or a zero. Among the most common shorter assignments are
informal responses to readings, which are sometimes completed as announced reading quizzes
during the class period. You may talk about a personal experience the reading called to mind,
you may agree or disagree with a position being taken, or you may comment on points about
style or structure that you noticed in the writing. Sometimes you will be given a topic to
respond to, and sometimes you will have the freedom to talk about anything, as long as you're
coherent and thoughtful. Although the essays make up much of your final grade, the homework
and responses/quizzes will be averaged together to make up another big part, so don't neglect
them.

Service-Learning:
Please note that this course has a service-learning component. You will participate in a 12-hour
service-learning project that will account for about 25% of the semester's grade, and which will
be the subject of some of our writing and class discussion. I will suggest some sites for you to
complete your service-learning, but you’re also welcome to find a site on your own that is more
convenient and fits your interests and passions. Some of you may choose to work as tutors and
mentors with children, mostly low-income, in community centers and schools near our campus;
some may choose to advocate for immigrant rights; and some may choose to work at a
community garden on Saturday mornings. The interactions we have through service-learning
give us a powerful context for understanding the psychology of people and social problems like
poverty and racism..

Service-learning is one of the most exciting and challenging aspects of the course. Keep in
mind, though, that it is not volunteer work. It is not extra work. Service-learning is one of the
many tools we’re using to learn the course content, and it is mandatory.

Class Projects:
Working together as a class or in smaller groups, you will plan and execute projects that will
allow us to share what we’re learning with the campus or community. These projects may be
related to your service-learning, to one or some of the themes we’ll be exploring in class, or to
particular readings. They make take the form of presentations, performances or campaigns. You
may choose to show people something or to organize them into action. You may choose to
blend any number of these possibilities. About midway through the semester, we’ll stop to
process our learning and brainstorm ideas. Part of the purpose in doing these projects is to see
the practical importance of communications skills in the real world. At least one of your essays
will be connected to the projects. Another purpose is to engage in issues instead of to just sit
back and talk about them.

Grading Criteria: (This break down will be open to discussion at the end of the semester
so that your grade reflects what you believe has demonstrated your learning most
accurately and powerfully.)
Essay 1 15%
Essay 2 15%
Service-Learning project 20%
*Essay (15%)
*Journal (5%)
*Hours (5%)
Homework 15%
Class Projects 15%
Final Essay 20%

94-100% = A
84-90% = B
74-80% = C
64-70% = D
50-60% = F

Policies:
• Plagiarism means producing a work that is fully or partly someone else’s and claming it
as your own. Plagiarized work will receive an “F.” If you plagiarize or engage in any kind of
cheating or academic misconduct, you also risk expulsion from the college.
• Late homework and classwork: If you are absent when homework or classwork is due, it
will not be accepted. It is your responsibility to be in class in order to receive all assignments.
• Late essays: If you fail to turn in an essay on the due date, you can turn it in within a
week for a half-letter grade penalty. After one week, the essay will receive a zero. Remember
that failing to turn in any major essay, because they all weigh heavily toward your final grade,
will seriously hurt your chances of passing the course.
• I will hand your papers back to you to keep; it is your responsibility to hold on to them.
• Please turn off cell phones and beepers before coming to class.

Attendance and Participation:

• Class participation is an integral part of a satisfactory grade. Many times, averages fall on
the borderline of two grades, and class participation can make the difference—up to four
percentage points in your overall average.
• Family and medical emergencies are the only valid excuses for absences. A documented
emergency will be dealt with on an individual basis.
• If you are absent three consecutive sessions, you may be automatically dropped from the
course.
• Attendance is taken at the beginning of the period. Coming to class late may count as an
absence.

Drops: Students unable to continue in the course must notify me. It is your responsibility to fill
out an official withdrawal form with the registrar’s office. If you don’t officially withdraw, you
may receive an F in the course.

Academic Integrity: You are expected to adhere to the policies of academic integrity as
outlined in the Students' Rights and Responsibilities Handbook. Violation of the policies will
result in disciplinary action also outlined in the handbook.

See online calendar for course schedule