English Composition 101

Freshman Studies
Lecturer: Mr. Dabian Witherspoon
Classroom: CC
Section: _____ Time: _____
Phone: 443-885-4262 Email Address: dabian.witherspoon@morgan.edu
Office: ______
Office Hours: T/Th 9-11 or by appointment
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND OUTLINE

FALL 2013
I. GRADING SYSTEM AND EVALUATIONS:
A. The following grading system is utilized in assessing students work:
A (100%-90%) Superior Achievement
B (89%-80%) Commendable Achievement
C (79%-70%) Average/Minimum
D (69%-60%) Poor. Unacceptable (Repeat Course)
F (59% or below) Failing. Unacceptable (Repeat Course)
C
Adequate work, demonstrating a general competence in satisfying the learning objectives and
expectations of the course. Demonstrates understanding of basic course content as demonstrated
by grades on assignments, projects, examinations and other evaluated work.
B
Very good work, demonstrating a clear understanding of the objectives and expectations of the
course. Demonstrates generally high quality of content, presentation, and/or performance as
demonstrated by grades on assignments, projects, examinations and other evaluated work
A
Superior work, distinguished by comprehensive mastery of learning objectives, timely production
and exceptionally high quality of content, presentation, and/or performance as demonstrated by
grades on assignments, projects, examinations and other evaluated work. Indicates a high degree
of motivation, self-reliance and responsibility,
D
Marginally acceptable work, indicating difficulty in achieving the learning objectives and
expectations of the course. Understanding of basic course content is impaired as demonstrated by
grades on assignments, projects, examinations and other evaluated work...
F
Unacceptable work, indicating serious difficulty in achieving the learning objectives and
expectations of the course. Understanding of basic course content is seriously lacking as
demonstrated by grades on assignments, projects, examinations and other graded work.
Tutoring: Several free tutoring options are available on campus (by appointment), including the
Department of Englishs Writing Lab (443-885-3165) in the library and the Center for Academic Success

and Achievement (CASA) Resource (443-885-3380). Online tutoring is available through Blackboard. If
you have any questions on how to use it, please see the Technology Services section on the Morgan
website or call the IT Department at 443-885-4357. Start early. Do not procrastinate.
Tutoring extra credit is worth 5 points per essay. I will require proof that you received tutoring,
including the dates as well as the tutors name and contact information. Forms are available from the
tutoring labs. Last-minute tutoring does not count. You must receive tutoring as the course progresses (at
least once during the pre-writing/rough draft stage and the final draft stage of each paper). For extra
credit, you may only use the Blackboard online tutoring for one of your essays.
Students who have disabilities and/or special needs must meet with me as soon as possible, preferably
during the first week of class.
It is the students responsibility to keep up with her or his work, grades, and progress in the course.
Assignments which are turned in more than one week after the due date will not be accepted, unless
the student has an official excuse.
In all evaluation, the grade will be reduced, regardless of the quality of the work, if the work is
submitted late, incomplete, or insufficient.
Students who choose not to actively participate in the daily progress towards published work will have
points taken away from their class participation grades.
B. EVALUATION AND POLICIES (ASSESSMENTS AND GRADE POINTS)

Quizzes (3 total; covering grammar, sentence structure, and essay structure)

Midterm Exam and Final Exam
Essays (5 total; including diagnostic, midterm, and final)

C. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Because ours is a community of scholars, the College of Liberal Arts regards academic dishonesty as a
serious offense. Academic dishonesty (plagiarism) is an act in which a student claims the work of another
(without authorization, attribution, or citation) as his/her own. This includes and is not limited to written,
oral, videotape, audiotape, photograph or web site sources. It is in fact a form of stealing.
A student may not use a direct quote, a paraphrase of anothers idea, or substantive ideas without
providing credit for the source of information. Plagiarism even extends to submitting the same paper or
portions of a paper previously written for two different assignments.
Policy:
If an instructor suspects a student of plagiarizing, the instructor may discuss his concerns with the student
first because often plagiarism often results from carelessness. The student is then advised or reminded of
strategies that safeguard against plagiarism.
If the plagiarism is substantial, the instructor may fail the student, or report the case to the Chair of the

Department. In consultation with the Chair of the Department, the instructor may elect to refer the
incident to the Departmental Student Faculty Adjudication Committee.
See also current edition of the University Catalog.
II.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Morgan State University Policy

Attendance Policy
Students are expected to attend every class. In the event of unavoidable absence, the student will
submit written verification of the reason for the absence. The student is responsible for all work
whether or not he or she is present. If a student accumulates more than three unexcused absences,
the student will receive an F for the course.

Students are expected to attend all classes and assigned activities during the semester. They may be
excused from class or assigned activities if they participating in a university-sponsored activity or if a
medical emergency arises (including the death of an immediate relative). In case of excused absences (as
described above, students will be permitted to do make-up work. In the case of a university-sponsored
activity, students are required to make arrangements to make up missed work prior to the absence and to
complete make-up work expeditiously (within a week) thereafter. In the case of a medical emergency,
they must arrange to do make-up work immediately upon (within a week after) their return to class. In
cases where the number of classes missed, even for excused absences, is substantial, the professor will
determine if students should attempt make-up assignments or drop the course.
Absences which do not result from university-sponsored activities or medical emergencies shall be
considered unexcused absences. In these cases, students are not eligible to complete make-up work, and
they will receive grades of 0 for the assignments missed.
Excessive absences in a course can seriously threaten your academic progress and can result in the
students administrative withdrawal from that course. More importantly, however, every absence
represents a risk to the students investment, both financial and intellectual, in a course. If you have to
miss a day, make sure that you provide third party documentation in order to be considered as an excused
absence. Moreover, faculty is under no obligation to offer extraordinary assistance to students who are
persistently absent.
TARDIES: Students who report to class more than 15 minutes after the class begins or who leave more
than 15 minutes before the class ends will be considered absent (unexcused) for that class period.
Excessive tardiness will result in a final grade deduction of up to 10%. Students are expected to remain in
class for the entire period. Any student who must be absent, arrive late, or leave early must consult with
the instructor in advance, if possible.
III. TEXTBOOKS & MATERIALS
The following materials are mandatory. It is impossible to pass the course without them:

Bullock, Richard H., Maureen Daly Goggin, and Francine Weinberg. The Norton Field Guide to
Writing. 3rd Ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2013.
Glenn, Cheryl and Loretta Gray. The Hodges Harbrace Handbook. 18th Ed. Boston: Wadsworth,
2013.
InSite: This is the website where students must upload all essay assignments.
Aplia: This is a website that provides extra grammar and sentence structure practice, and it
includes an online version of the grammar handbook.
Important: Purchase The Hodges Harbrace Handbook bundle (that includes InSite and Aplia
access) at the Morgan State University Bookstore. This money-saving bundle is not available
anywhere else.
You must utilize MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Seventh Edition as your style
manual. Consult the MLA guide in your textbook and/or the PDF version available on Blackboard in
the "Assignments" section. Tools such as www.EasyBib.com are also available, but you must
proofread your results.
You will need a notebook to take good notes and a folder to keep up with all of your assignments.
Other course materials, syllabi, assignments, lecture notes, and announcements are available via
Blackboard.
*You may also consult the Purdue OWL website or The Norton Field Guide to Writing website at
http://www.wwnorton.com/write/fieldguide for sample essays, MLA guidelines, grammar practice,
and other supplemental information.
You will also be required to read a novella (TBA) after midterm. A reserve copy will be available at
the library. See announcement for your particular class.
Students must use their Morgan State e-mail accounts when contacting professors via e-mail. If you
have not already received your Morgan e-mail address or if you have difficulty with gaining
access to your Morgan e-mail or Blackboard accounts, contact the IT Department at 443-8854357 as soon as possible, preferably during the first week of class.
IV. PROCEDURES:
A. WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
For every genre of writing listed above, please note that your writings must be typed in MLA
style (including double-spacing, Times New Roman 12 font, one-inch margins, in-text citations,
and Works Cited page).
Student will complete five essays that each must be 3 pages in length. Specific genres will be
announced in class. I may modify these assignments.
I may assign an additional computer lab assignment in conjunction with one of these essays.
The first essay, the diagnostic essay, is a pre-test. It does not count toward your final grade.

Warning: Any late (unexcused) homework or class assignments may only receive half
credit.
B. EDITING & CONTENT CONFERENCES:
Students will be assigned to groups for editing and content conferences. Each student must bring
several copies (usually four) of his or her essay first draft to share with his or her group
members. Students will also take turns editing each others work, and providing written
feedback. At the end of the conference, each student must collect the written feedback provided
by each editor (group member). Further instructions will be provided in class.
C. STUDENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES:
Students must attend editing and content conferences with me at my discretion. You must come
prepared with your three-part thesis and/or your basic outline as well as any questions. Be ontime and be flexible. These are very short meetings.
D. IN-CLASS & HOMEWORK READING RESPONSES:
You will have in-class activities/assignments to help sharpen your writing skills. In addition,
you may be assigned homework reading responses from the textbook.
V. CONDUCT
Department of English and Language Arts
CODE OF CLASSROOM CONDUCT
This course introduces students to the college culture, and it requires students to engage in mature, serious
and sophisticated study and to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects the purposeful and serious
pursuit of knowledge.
To these ends, this course will require that students and the professor observe the following rules of
classroom conduct, which rules aim at ensuring a positive atmosphere for academic scholarship:
(1) Students and the professor shall be punctual in class attendance. If students must enter class
late, they shall do so without calling attention to their arrival or otherwise disrupting the class
proceedings. They shall never, when entering class late, walk between the professor and the
class. They shall not enter class more than 30 minutes after the class has commenced.
(2) Students and the professor shall not eat in class. They shall be permitted to drink beverages,
provided that doing so does not create a visual or auditory distraction to the class
proceedings.
(3) Students and the professor shall not engage in private conversation with one or more other
students when the class is in progress. Students shall observe rules of civility in doing so.

They shall not be rude and disrespectful by speaking while others are speaking or speaking in
tones that are loud or hostile.
(4) Students and the professor shall respect the opinions of others and accord to their classmates
and the professor the academic freedom to express those opinions in an atmosphere which is
not doctrinaire, prohibitive, or intolerant.
(5) Students and the professor shall avoid personalism and maintain objectivity and
disinterestedness in comments made in class. They shall respect and not make pejorative
references to cultural, educational, or individual differences.
(6) Students may not use telephones and other electronic devices in the classroom, nor use them
outside of the classroom during examinations, unless explicitly authorized by the teacher.
Students who repeatedly violate this policy may be subjected to the following penalties
including written reprimand from the teacher to lowering the final grade, and suspension
from the class.
Violations of these rules of conduct may result in removal from the classroom or more serious penalties,
including but not limited to proceedings for dismissal from the class, suspension from the University, or
dismissal from the University.

Note: Yelling, verbally and/or physically threatening behavior, and other abusive behavior will not be
tolerated. Such behavior will result in your immediate dismissal and an unexcused absence.
You must respect the instructor as the authority figure. You must follow the instructor's rules and
instructions. If you have a problem or a concern regarding the instructor or the course, you must address
the instructor privately and outside of the classroom. Do not be confrontational or make a scene in the
classroom. If you do, you will be dismissed from the classroom immediately and charged with an
unexcused absence.
If I dismiss you from class for disrespecting me or one of your classmates, you will not be allowed to
return to class without submitting a written apology to me and/or your classmate and giving an oral
apology in front of the class.
Cell phones, iPods, and other technical devices should not be turned on or even be visible in the
classroom during class. Students who use these devices in class will be immediately dismissed from class
and charged with an unexcused absence for that class period. Turn off these items before entering the
classroom.
Students must not wear clothing which is inappropriate for the classroom. Sagging pants, hats, do rags,
muscle shirts, shades, pajamas of any type, and revealing attire of any kind must not be worn to class.
Dress in a manner that demonstrates self-respect and respect for others.
Reminder: If you violate classroom policies, you will be dismissed immediately, and you will be charged
with an unexcused absence for that day. In addition, the department and the university have instructed
me to call the police if a student refuses to cooperate, or if a disruptive student refuses to leave after I
have asked her or him to leave.

I also reserve the right to penalize your grade in the course, up to one full letter grade, for your improper
conduct and/or your failure to cooperate with me as your instructor. This includes your failure to follow
instructions.
VI. MODIFICATIONS OF THE COURSE
The professor reserves the right to modify the content and requirements of the course, when
circumstances warrant doing so. All modifications to the content and requirements articulated in this
syllabus will be submitted to students (or submitted via Blackboard) prior to the last day for dropping the
course.
To accommodate unusual circumstances, the instructor reserves the right to make reasonable changes in
the syllabus while the course is in progress. Any understanding between the student and the instructor,
including but not limited to, changes, exceptions, or modifications to course assignments and procedures,
must be in writing. Any questions of interpretation of course requirements or of misunderstandings
between a student and an instructor will be at the discretion of the instructor.
VII. COURSE EVALUATIONS
Per the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, the online evaluation is not an option. Students must
complete the EAC Outcomes Evaluation via Blackboard.

The Course Evaluation survey will be made available before final exams begin.
The free app for the course evaluation can be downloaded via the following links or QR
code links to the major smart phone provider app stores.
Via the app, students may log in with their Blackboard password and complete any
available surveys.

iTunes:
http://bit.ly/wFhMLt

Android:
http://bit.ly/xLTDPE

Windows:
http://bit.ly/NaW3p1

COURSE OUTLINE
(tentative)

WEEK 1
Review syllabus & course requirements
Mandatory Diagnostic Essay (Pre-Test)
Keys to Success at Morgan
Academic English Vernacular versus the Black English Vernacular discussion
Grammar Review (lecture/guides/worksheets)

Grammar Review cont.

In-class activity
Quiz

WEEK 2-4

WEEK 5

Lecture on Writing a Five-Paragraph essay

Lecture on writing strong paragraphs
Research/Resources
Academic Honesty

Read Rhetorical Situations, Chapters 1-6

Rhetorical Situations in regards to Purpose and Audience
Rhetorical Situations in regards to Genre and Stance
Rhetorical Situations in regards to Media/Design class discussion

WEEK 6
Read Processes, Chapters 22-24
Processes in regards to Collaborating and Generating Ideas.
Read Processes, Chapters 25-26
Processes in regards to Drafting and Assessing a Draft.
Read Processes, Chapters 27-28
Processes in regards to Getting a Response and Revising, Editing, and Proofreading.

Read Chapter 7: Writing a Literacy Narrative and Chapter 15: Memoirs

Quiz

WEEK 7
Writing A Memoir
Introduce DML activity (if applicable)
Literacy Narrative
Memoir thesis/outline due
Peer Editing and Content Conferences (First draft due)
Read Chapter 8: Analyzing a Text
WEEK 8
Midterm Week

Midterm Exam: Memoir Essay Due (TBA)

Student-Teacher Conferences
Read Chapter 10: Arguing a Position

WEEK 9
Textual Analysis
Library Resources Review
Scrutinize Sample Essay
Textual Analysis thesis/outline due
Peer Editing and Content Conferences (First draft due)

WEEK 10
The Argumentative Essay
Group Activity
Textual Analysis Essay Due
Peer Editing and Content Conferences (Argumentative essay thesis/outline due)

Read Chapter 8: Analyzing Texts

Argumentative Essay Due

Writing a Literary Analysis Essay

Basic Elements of Visual Storytelling
Literary Theory
Film Screening

WEEK 14
Original Written Text v. Film Adaptation
Literary Analysis thesis/outline due
Peer Editing and Content Conference (First draft due)
In-class writing

WEEK 15
Conference Week (Literary Analysis Essay)
Last day of class: Friday, December 6
Tutoring forms/proof due
Special project due (if applicable)

WEEK 11

WEEK 12

WEEK 16

Final Exam: Literary Analysis Essay Due (Date: TBA)

Rev. 08/2013