Fall 2023 Course Syllabus Course: ENGL-1301 (Section: 03, CRN: 90019) Composition I

Instructor Information
Instructor	Dr. Michelle Judice
Email	judicemw@lamarpa.edu
Phone	(409) 984-6352
Office	Student Success Center - Room: 129
Office Hours	M-W-F: 10 - 12 AM, 1:30-3:30 PM  Please speak with me in advance to confirm that I will be in the office and available.
Additional Contact Information	The BEST way to contact me is email: judicemw@lamarpa.edu
Course Information
Description	Intensive study of and practice in writing processes, from invention and researching to drafting, revising, and editing, both individually and collaboratively. Emphasis on effective rhetorical choices, including audience, purpose, arrangement, and style. Focus on writing the academic essay as a vehicle for learning, communicating, and critical analysis.
Required Textbooks	Textbook Purchasing Statement: A student attending Lamar State College Port Arthur is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer. No textbook required; however, students MUST have access to the internet outside of class in order to read assignments.
Additional Materials/Resources	None.
Corequisites/Prerequisites	TSIA2 complete in English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR)
Learning Outcomes	Upon successful completion of this course, students will: Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes. Develop ideas with appropriate support and attribution. Write in a style appropriate to audience and purpose. Read, reflect, and respond critically to a variety of texts. Use Edited American English in academic essays.
Core Objectives	* Communication Skills: Students will demonstrate effective written, oral and/or visual communication. * Critical Thinking Skills: Students will engage in creative and/or innovative thinking, and/or inquiry, analysis, evaluation, synthesis of information, organizing concepts and constructing solutions. * Teamwork: Students will demonstrate the ability to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal and consider different points of view. * Personal Responsibility: Students will demonstrate the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making.
Lecture Topics Outline	Standard English grammar and punctuation review Modern Language Association (MLA) format ( parenthetical citations and Works Cited)  LSCPA email and Blackboard  Practice writing: discussions, responses, and practice essays Narrative: what it is and how to write one  Description: what it is and how to write one Process Analysis: what it is and how to write one Compare/Contrast: what it is and how to write one Argumentation/Persuasion: what it is and how to write one
Major Assignments Schedule	Essay 1: September 17 Essay 2: October 8  Essay 3: October 22 Essay 4: November 5 Essay 5: November 19  In-between essays there will be several practice writing assignments, response papers, and quizzes   Discussions MUST ALL be finished by November 30
Final Exam Date	December 7, 2023 - 8:0 AM   Through  December 7, 2023 - 9:0 AM
Grading Scale
Determination of Final Grade	Essay 1: 10%   Essay 2: 15%   Essay 3: 20%   Essay 4: 20%   Essay 5: 20%    Miscellaneous: 15%  (Discussions, Responses, Quizzes, Practice essays)  Rules for Ethical Use of AI in College English Class and Avoiding Plagiarism   Originality and Attribution: All work submitted must be original and created by the student. When using AI or any other technology, proper attribution must be given to the sources, tools, or models utilized in the creation of the work. No Automated Content Creation: Students are not allowed to use AI or any automated content generation tools to produce entire essays, papers, or assignments. The use of AI to write complete pieces is considered plagiarism and academic dishonesty. Prohibited AI Applications: Students may not use AI tools or language models to paraphrase or rewrite existing works, including published articles, essays, or academic papers, without proper citation and permission. AI as a Supportive Tool: While students are encouraged to leverage AI for research, language checking, grammar correction, and idea generation, AI should only be used as an aid, not as a substitute for the student's own critical thinking and creativity. Understanding the AI Output: If students use AI-generated content as part of their research or writing process, they must thoroughly understand the material and be able to explain it in their own words. Cite AI Tools and Models: When referencing or discussing AI models or tools in your assignments, provide proper citations and acknowledge the specific resources used. Avoid Plagiarism of AI-Generated Content: If AI-generated content is used in an assignment, ensure that it is properly paraphrased, cited, and integrated into the overall context of the work. Individual Work Requirement: Collaboration and discussion are encouraged, but each student must submit their own original work. Sharing or copying AI-generated content between students is considered plagiarism. Consult with the Instructor: If you are unsure about the ethical use of AI in a particular assignment, consult with the instructor beforehand to get clarification and guidance. Educational Purpose Only: The use of AI tools should be solely for the purpose of improving writing skills, learning, and enhancing the educational experience. Exploiting AI for unfair advantages is strictly prohibited. Regular Plagiarism Rules Apply: The college's standard plagiarism policies and penalties apply to any instances of AI-related plagiarism. Consequences may (most likely WILL) include failing the assignment, course, or facing disciplinary action. Ignorance is NOT a defense. Continuous Learning: Students are encouraged to stay informed about ethical considerations related to AI usage, plagiarism guidelines, and the college's policies on technology and academic integrity.   Remember, the primary goal of using AI in the English class is to enhance learning, creativity, and critical thinking. Ethical use of AI tools will not only protect students from academic misconduct but also contribute to their academic growth and development as responsible scholars.                                                           (Updated Fall 2023)
Course Policies
Instructor Policies	I will not discuss your grades over the phone or by email. If you want to discuss your grades, you must come talk to me in person, either after class or we can schedule a time to sit and talk in my office. Rudeness, to me or to another student, will not be tolerated. WE are each coming with baggage and we do not know what others are dealing with in life. I know it sounds cliche but be kind. I believe in and will work hard to include diversity, equity, and inclusion in our class (look up these words if need be!). Our society, your future workplace, is made up of people from all backgrounds, much like college classes. Professional success depends on us being able to work side-by-side with colleagues who are quite different, in various ways, from ourselves.  Some in this class were in Honors English while others were not. Some graduated high school two months ago and others twenty years ago. For some in this class, English comes easily but others struggle with it; some love writing and some hate it.  My policy is to help everyone in this class, no matter what their writing ability level is. Please be considerate and patient if we are reviewing a concept you have already mastered because the person behind/beside/in front of you might be struggling with it.   We will have fun in this class. I enjoy (absolutely adore) my students. At the end of every semester, students write, on the evaluations of the class,  how much they enjoyed it (much to their surprise!)  While I am quite blunt and tough (the students write) I am extremely fair and helpful.
Attendance Policy	Research has shown a cause and effect relationship between attendance and college success. Students with more than two-three absences from the course will receive an academic penalty. PLEASE be sure to talk to me, or email me, and let me know what is happening; I want to help you through the course and totally understand that unplanned events happen.  I WILL be in class so you are expected to be in class also. I will be on time to class, so you are also expected to be in class when it starts. In other words, walking in late once, is all right; walking in late every time is not acceptable.  IF you miss class, PLEASE ask a classmate what you missed and what is due. In fact, ask a couple classmates (yes, this means meeting people!)  Email me to ask only AFTER you have checked with a classmate.  IF you quit attending, I WILL NOT drop you, which means an F (no matter the grade average when attendance ceased). PLEASE come see me with a drop slip for a Q instead of the F that I will be forced to submit if you do not drop yourself. If you do not know an Advisor's name, ask me; I will give you a contact name and number.
Additional Information	You will write. A LOT. This English Composition class is a basic writing class. Composition means composing/writing, which means students do a lot of practicing this skill, just as a person would practice driving, cooking, singing, knitting, running, fishing, or working on a vehicle. The more we do, the better we become.  Long story short: almost each time we meet we look at good writing and then we will practice writing to become better ourselves. PLEASE turn in assignments on time. If it is one day late ten points will deducted, two days late, twenty points, and it will not be accepted after that.  I trust you. I trust you until you show me that I can't trust you. PLEASE write your own assignments. You will not become better at writing if a friend, sibling, significant other, or Uncle Google, humans or artificial intelligence, writes it for you. If you submit work from any of these sources, I may or may not find out (but if you don't write it yourself, you do not learn anything and you do not improve so what is the point of being in the class?) Plagiarism is unacceptable. There will be consequences for submitting, intentionally OR unintentionally, anything you did not write yourself. The first time, a plagiarized submission will be given a 0, with NO makeup. The second time, the student will be given an F. Again, PLEASE review the AI section posted above.  You can succeed. I assume you are enrolled in this class with the goal of passing it. My goal is to help you become better writers AND pass this class. However, you MUST want success and try as hard as I am going to try. This means not just being in class physically but also being present mentally and paying attention; it is extremely rude to be on the phone in any way while in a class. I will be so happy to see you in class and I will focus on the purpose of this class: preparing you to write in future classes and/or preparing you to write in the workplace. You CAN do this!  Please ask questions. If we are going over something and you do not understand (chances are very good you are not the only one!), please ask any questions. Sometimes I just assume you know it or think we have already covered it, so don't hesitate to ask. Helping students is what instructors are in the classroom for!
Institutional Policies
MyLSCPA	Be sure to check your campus email and Course Homepage using MyLSCPA campus web portal. You can also access your grades, transcripts, academic advisors, degree progress, and other services through MyLSCPA.
Academic Honesty	Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSCPA policies (Academic Dishonesty section in the Student Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty.
ADA Considerations	The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the the Office for Disability Services Coordinator, Room 231, in the Madison Monroe Building. The phone number is (409) 984-6241.
COVID 19 Information	The Lamar State College Port Arthur (LSCPA) Student Code of Conduct COVID 19 Policy requires students who have been diagnosed with COVID 19 to report their condition directly to their local health department. Students should also contact their course faculty to report their quarantine status. In addition, this policy requires all students to wear face coverings when directly exposed to COVID 19 in compliance with the criteria included in the policy. For more information please refer to the COVID 19 link on the LSCPA website.
Facility Policies	No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. Use of electronic devices is prohibited.
HB 2504	This syllabus is part of LSCPA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect	As per Texas law and LSCPA policy, all LSCPA employees, including faculty, are required to report allegations or disclosures of child abuse or neglect to the designated authorities, which may include a local or state law enforcement agency or the Texas Department of Family Protective Services. For more information about mandatory reporting requirements, see LSCPA's Policy and Procedure Manual.
Title IX and Sexual Misconduct	LSCPA is committed to establishing and maintaining an environment that is free from all forms of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual violence, and other forms of sexual misconduct. All LSCPA employees, including faculty, have the responsibility to report disclosures of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault (including rape and acquaintance rape), domestic violence, dating violence, relationship violence, or stalking, to LSCPA's Title IX Coordinator, whose role is to coordinate the college's response to sexual misconduct. For more information about Title IX protections, faculty reporting responsibilities, options for confidential reporting, and the resources available for support visit LSCPA's Title IX website.
Clery Act Crime Reporting	For more information about the Clery Act and crime reporting, see the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report and the Campus Security website.
Grievance / Complaint / Concern	If you have a grievance, complaint, or concern about this course that has not been resolved through discussion with the Instructor, please consult the Department Chair.
Department Information	General Education and Developmental Studies Chair: Steven Zani Email: zanisj@lamarpa.edu Phone: (409) 984-6431