| Competencies | Texts and Materials/Tools | Assignments |
| Grading | Course Policies | Attendance |
| Revision Policy | Plagiarism | Extra Stuff |
| Basic Information | Details |
| General | English 100: Composition I Davin K. Kubota (Mr. K. / Mr. Kubota) OFFICE: Kalia 216 : 734-9(170) --this # has voicemail, so feel free to leave a message. |
| Office Hours | Office Hours: see main website |
| Drop Off Box | I have a mailbox within Kalia 101 (the Kalia Main Office)--You may place important materials such as quizzes or late assignments in this mailbox. The mailbox is listed under Kubota. This mailbox is generally "safer" than the usual method of depositing essays: underneath my door. |
| Course Prerequisites | English Placement Examination or C or better in ENG 22; grade of CR+ from ESOL 94. See me if you have questions about these prerequisites or about the difficulty level of this course. If you have not MET the prerequisites for English 100, you may be asked to withdraw from the course, so it's in your best interest to double-check. |
| MINIMUM REQUIREMENT: | To receive a passing grade of "C or better" in English 100,students will complete a minimum of 5000 words of finished prose, roughly equivalent to 20 typewritten pages. You must also complete ALL of the major essays to pass the course. (the department's rule) Failure to complete any one of the major essays may result in a failure for the course. |
| Course Description: | ENG 100 students will develop strategies for effective college writing, with an emphasis on critical reading and thinking. This course includes instruction in the composing process and practice in various kinds of writing, including analysis, interpretation, and research writing from sources. By the end of the course, students will complete a minimum of 5000 words of finished prose, roughly equivalent to 20 typewritten pages. |
UH Written Communications hallmarks:
English 100 is a foundations course which fulfills the Written Communication
Foundation Requirement for degrees at UH-Manoa and Kapi‘olani Community
College. To satisfy the Written Communication Requirement, a course will:
| introduce students to different forms of college-level writing, including, but not limited to, academic discourse, and guide them in writing for different purposes and audiences; |
| provide students with guided practice of writing processes–planning, drafting, critiquing, revising, and editing–making effective use of written and oral feedback from the faculty instructor and from peers; |
| require at least 5000 words of finished prose–equivalent to approximately 20 typewritten pages; |
| help students develop information literacy by teaching search strategies, critical evaluation of information and sources, and effective selection of information for specific purposes and audiences; teach appropriate ways to incorporate such information, acknowledge sources and provide citations; |
| help students read texts and make use of a variety of sources in expressing their own ideas, perspectives, and/or opinions in writing. |
KCC-Specific Competencies
By the end of the semester students should be able to:
| Employ a writing process which includes gathering information and exploring ideas, developing and supporting a point of view or thesis, organizing, revising, editing, and proofreading. |
| Produce different forms of college-level writing, such as narrative, analytical, and persuasive essays, whose content, organization, diction, and style are effectively adapted to various writing situations, purposes, audiences, and subjects. |
| Analyze and evaluate the logic, evidence, and strategies of an argument (written and/or presented in a visual or digital medium). |
| Analyze and interpret a literary work (nonfiction, fiction, poetry, or drama) or other textual material. |
| Find and evaluate information from a library, from the Internet, or from other sources; synthesize relevant findings in his/her own writing without plagiarizing. |
| Work effectively with fellow students and the instructor in providing and receiving written and verbal feedback on assigned work. |
| Write a coherent in-class response to an assigned question or topic. |
-- TEXTBOOK purchases: The Art of Styling Sentences by Ann Longknife and K.D. Sullivan (mandatory) Pocket Style Manual by Diana Hacker (optional) |
The Kapi'olani
Computer Labs are available for your use, but the schedule of open lab times
may be limited. You will also need an active email account in case I may need
to contact you or if you need to download materials / save and send your in-class
writing;
--Manila folders (1) for your major assignments.
--Copies of your essay's draft(s), several for your workshop group and one
for me to look at.
Only one copy of the FINAL DRAFT is sufficient.
This semesterr, you will complete four (4) Writing Projects (4-6 pages each),
worth 60 percent of your grade; You may also be asked to complete a take-home
final writing assignment, which serves as a wrap-up to the semester (10%). You
are expected to work on HOMEWORK and on any grammar exercises / supplemental
exercises that I assign you (25%). I also have "feedback cards," which allows
me to see how you're doing in class, and also allows you to ask me questions
about course materials/homework. Completion of these cards can be worth up to
15 percent of your PARTICIPATION GRADE. Extra credit in my class varies; I can
give anywhere from 1 to 10 percentage points based on the quality of such assignments.
This course emphasizes the process of writing. For all major assignments, you
will submit a draft of your essay which I will review along with your peers.
You will be graded only on the revised versions of your projects. (e.g. the
final draft).
1 .Scene/Place Essay that has Expository, Descriptive and Narrative Elements (4-5 pages) 12.5%
2. Ad-Analysis Essay, that helps to bridge into the Argumentative Essay (3 pages) 12.5%
3. Argumentative Essay that has Expository, Argumentative, and Evidence-based Elements(minimum 1200 words) 12.5%
4. Analytical Essay that has Literary, Analytical, and Evidence-based Elements.(minimum 1000 words) 12.5%
5. (Final essay examination (minimum 800 words) )10%*May not necessarily apply to Summer School.
5a. Portfolio Assessment: If no Final is given, a portfolio method of grading will be assigned 30%
6. In-Class Responses (1-3 pages) / Short HW Assignments / Grammar Work/ Professionalism 10%
7. Student-Teacher Revision Conference 1% extra credit applied to final grade.
8. Feedback Cards + Sign-In Sheets + In-class Discussions that demonstrate Class Participation + Quizzes (10 %)
Please remember: You must complete ALL MAJOR ESSAYS to pass this course; you cannot do two essays and neglect to do the others. Also, if you fail to turn in your end-of-semester portfolio, you lose 30 % of your grade.
It is possible, in this class, to earn more than the allotted 100 percent out of a 100. In semesters past, I have had students who earned a 120% out of a 100; not only were their essays EXCELLENT, but they had EXCELLENT essay and participation grades. The record for most papers revised was 12 revisions on one paper. The student went on to win a 10,000 dollar scholarship based on the paper.
List of Penalties:
| Occurrence | INFRACTION |
| Late assignment/paper | 10 percent reduction per one week, 20 percent after that. |
| Missing draft(s) (1st, 2nd, 3rd) | -6 points per draft + permanent infraction; |
| Plagiarism | You receive an "F" for the first infraction and I will discuss the occurrence with you; You "fail the class" for additional acts of plagiarism such as the following: failure to cite properly or use proper quoting rules, poor paraphrasing of the original source, buying or copying an essay or blog entry that exists online, submitting a friend's paper instead of your own, hiring a ghost-writer, weakly rehashing an essay that you've submitted in another course, generally relying on fraudulent acts or sources during the production of an essay. Read here about plagiarism and stay informed. |
| Lack of participation as gauged by the failure to complete feedback cards/Tardiness | -3 to -10 points as applied to daily Participation grade. |
List of Bonuses:
| Occurrence | Bonus |
| Attendance at a cultural, literary, artistic event, followed up by a 1-2 page summary/opinion of that event. | +10 HW points added to HW grade. |
| Submission of work into a KCC-related publication. | +10-20 HW points added to HW grade. |
| Participation in Service-Learning Project. | + point(s) varies (see me for details) |
| Individual, case by case written extra-credit assignments, usually about 2-3 pages in length. | + point(s) varies (see me for details) |
| Revision of Papers | + point(s) varies (depends on how well you revise, beyond just fixing grammar errors) |
| Optional Assignments | + point(s) varies |
Please keep in mind that bonus, extra-credit work will normally not improve a failing grade; extra-credit points are not worth as much as points garnered from the major assignments.
Format: Work must be typed on a word processor on white 8.5"X11" paper. It must be formatted to proper MLA specifications; basically, these involve the following: 1. 1 inch margins (top, bottom, left, right); 2. a formatted heading with the following elements: name, name of instructor, class meeting times and days, date, assignment, draft number; 3. a centered title that is preceded and followed by two spaces (hit return twice after the heading and before the introductory paragraph); 4. on every subsequent page after the first, your name plus the page number. |
| Computing: I expect you to adhere to the Interim Policy for Responsible Computing and Network Access and the Critique Lab Policies set by the University of Hawai'i; |
| Readings: Some of the readings may be rather challenging; it is in your benefit to keep up with the reading assignments. It's preferable that you read carefully instead of quickly--using a pen to take notes usually constitutes a better study skill than does using a highlighter. YOU SHOULD not feel embarrassed to consult me about textual confusions and course questions--I enjoy discussing these quandaries with you, because I probably find them perplexing as well. |
| Being prepared in this class: Being prepared for class means that you are ready to discuss relevant selections from the texts assigned, participate in a manner that is both tactful, relevant, and beneficial to all group members, and ready to respond. I would really like for all of us to have a intellectually stimulating discussion rather than having us guess at what's going on in the material. |
Course disruptions: In general, please adhere to the student conduct code on classroom behavior and please turn off cell phones, pagers, beepers, iPod's, PSP's, GBA's, and other devices as they constitute distractions. If you must have your cell phone on for specified medical reasons, please let me know beforehand. If you are in a lab environment, checking MySpace, using AIM, YahooChat, etc. does not constitute a legitimate use of the computer unless it is class-related. Course disruptions due to behavior: If you have not done so already, please read the KCC STUDENT CONDUCT CODE. Essentially, if you make students or instructors uncomfortable with threatening or harassing commentary, please be advised that there are typically disciplinary consequences for such behaviors.
|
| Deadlines: Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day on which they appear in the schedule. You must complete all essays to receive a passing grade in this class. Grades for late assignments, including drafts, will be lowered by 1/3 letter grade (-3 points) for every school day past the due date. I will be happy to discuss any questions you have about grades, but please take at least 24 hours to review my editorial comments before meeting with me about revising for a better grade; |
| Incompletes: I will ONLY give incompletes for the semester in cases of serious medical or family emergencies. As a general rule, I feel that incompletes adversely affect a student's performance in the semester to follow; after all, a student must complete the coursework for that semester as well as the previous one. |
Withdrawals from the Course: It is your primary responsibility to initiate any or all actions relating to your registration status for this course. I DO NOT have the authority to WITHDRAW students from the class. During the semester, if you feel that you need to withdraw due to unforeseen circumstances, it is your responsibility to visit Ilima 101/2 to initiate a change in registration (dropping the course). Students who have NOT made the necessary changes to their registration status and who are no longer attending this course may receive an "F" grade. |
Attendance: You are expected to attend this class regularly and on time. If circumstances arise that make it difficult for you to come to class or to complete your assigned work, please inform me immediately. Don't wait until the end of the semester, when it will be harder to make accommodations. All in all, I prefer it that students attend class even if they are unable to do an assignment due on that day; it takes up my time and other students' time to explain what's been going on when you've missed class. Since your feedback cards constitute 10-15% of your grade, it's in your best interest to attend class regularly.
A feedback card is an index card that I usually give you at the beginning of class. It allows you to ask me questions, make comments, or write about something to get you into a "writerly" mindset.
You will NOT be allowed to make revisions on essays that are late; CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM almost always affects your essay grade, so please TALK TO ME, if you're having trouble keeping up in the class. Some studies indicate that students' grades are typically affected after their fourth absence; after your fourth absence, therefore, you may be contacted by me so that I can ascertain how to assist you better.
Rewriting plays a central role in this class. If you are not satisfied with the grade that I give you for a major assignment, I will allow you to revise that assignment, two times, provided that 1) you meet with me for a mandatory consultation on how to improve that paper; 2) your attendance and punctuality are your strong suits. 3) the paper is turned in on time; I will give you the HIGHER of the two grades, rather than averaging them together, so it is to your benefit to take advantage of my revision policy.
You will have a chance to meet with me after writing your first essay, so that you 1) feel comfortable with talking with me; 2) become more aware of how instructors make comments / grade assignments; 3) get to know me better. This meeting is highly recommended and is worth an additional 1 percent towards your grade.
The University of Hawai'i regulations strictly forbid plagiarism and collusion. Submitting someone else's work as your own, arranging for someone else to do your writing for you (ghost-writing), incorrectly paraphrasing, directly plagiarizing as your own, improperly citing online or paper-based textual resources, or purchasing or copying existing papers will earn you a failing grade for the assignment and may result in a failing grade in the class. Please review your current Schedule of Classes section on plagiarism and ask about any issues that you do not understand. In addition, I expect you to adhere to UH's Interim Policy for Responsible Computing and Network Access and the Critique Lab Policies.
Please refer to the K.C.C. General Catalog and be familiar with the Student Conduct Code. Copies of this Student Conduct Code are also available at the Office of the Dean of Student Services. Disruptive Behavior as defined by KCC will not be tolerated. I also feel that cell phones constitute a disruption to the course, so please ensure that your cell phones are turned off prior to entering the classroom. Food and drink are not allowed near computers, so please consume them prior to class if you have class in a lab environment.
Being professional in the college environment means being responsible for your education. Tardiness and chronic absenteeism are not signs of professionalism; after all, if you were consistently tardy or absent from work, your employment would be terminated. Please keep in mind that poor attendance and punctuality affect your performance in this class. I reserve the right NOT to allow you to revise work if you are consistently absent and/or tardy to this class. I feel that your BEING in class and BEHAVING in a professional manner will ultimately assist you in being a better writer; hence, your attendance and punctuality seem logical, if not crucial.
I have dedicated several hours during each week and EACH weekday towards helping you. Many college students feel that it is awkward or unnecessary to seek help from an instructor, especially at the university level. Nevertheless, speaking from my own experience, directly consulting the instructor on the instructor's expectations on certain assignments, or simply "talking story" with the teacher has been invaluable towards my education. If you have the attitude, "Seeing da teachah is nutting fo' be shame about," then I think you have a good attitude towards getting the BEST out of your education. I am available during office hours or by appointment to answer any questions you may have regarding the course work. Please try to see me when you are having difficulties rather than "suffering in silence."
I typically give extra credit points to those students who attend school-sponsored events, such as a lecture, performance, or concert. Please keep in mind that extra credit will not have a significant impact on a failing grade. To receive such extra credit, a one to two page write up of the event, including a summary and an opinion of the event must be submitted. Students, as a whole, do not enjoy publishing their work. They are "shame" about their work, thinking that it isn't good enough, or that it constitutes an embarrassing expose about their lives. I encourage student publication and rewards students 'just for trying.' If you simply apply to have your work published, I will reward you with extra credit for each of your papers. It goes without saying that you should do your best to work with me and others to ensure that your paper is ready for publication; as such, I encourage you to see me for help on how to revise your essays.
Disability access statements
Extended time in a distraction-free environment is an appropriate accommodation
based on a student's disability. If you do have a disability and have not disclosed
the nature of your disability and the support you need, you are invited to contact
the Special Student Services Office, 734-9552, ‘Ilima 105. These and all
other course materials are available in alternative formats.
If you are a first or second semester student at KCC and have questions about
campus resources, or need help adjusting to college, contact the First-Year
Experience (FYE) program at kapstart@hawaii.edu or call 734-9245.
The electronic communications policy adopted in December 2005 establishes the University of Hawai'i Internet service as an official medium for communication among students, faculty, and staff. Every member of the system has a hawaii.edu address, and the associated username and password provide access to essential Web announcements and email. You are hereby informed of the need to regularly log in to UH email and Web services for announcements and personal mail. Failing to do so will mean missing critical information from academic and program advisors, instructors, registration and business office staff, classmates, student organizations, and others.
Every semester, I have a different final thought that I like to add to the end of my syllabus. This year, my final thought is, "No mo' nutting fo' be shame about." Every human being makes mistakes, in writing, relationships, on the job, whatever struggle it is you have in life. It is my sincere hope that you write, earnestly, from the heart, not being ashamed about who you are or how you write. It will be both your job and mine, as well as your fellow classmates' job to work towards improving your writing, but I'd rather that you did your best, feeling proud of who you are as a person rather than having you cower behind a sense of fear or shame about your writing. Fear is your own worst enemy in this class, especially the fear of making a mistake in the eyes of your peers. Writing proceeds from the lessons learned from the mistakes you make.
Note: This syllabus is subject to revision.