English 1301: Composition 1 Syllabus

Ms. Frances Burt

Instructor of English

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Office phone: 817-760-5894

Email address: fburt@hillcollege.edu

Email messages will be responded to within 24-hours on weekdays. Weekends may take a bit longer.

Office Location: JCC Campus Admin Bldg, #130 (Cleburne)

Office hours (available fast email reply, or by office phone):

• Mondays and Wednesdays 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
• Tuesdays and Thursdays  11 am – noon

I am also available by appointment for virtual office hours using Zoom.

The most important thing for you to know is that this class is designed to teach you how to improve your writing and critical thinking skills. Do not worry if you think that you’re not a good writer. All things get better with practice—including your writing skills. We will go through this process together.

Let’s Get Writing! Ann Moser, editor. Virginia Western Educational Foundation, Inc., Free e-book: https://vwcceng111.pressbooks.com/

This is a fully online class. Students must have regular access to a computer with a stable internet connection. Students must also have access to a back-up, in case of technical issues. Students are permitted to use computers at any HC campus, or at other sites like public libraries.

Students have access to Microsoft 365 for free, which includes programs such as Microsoft Word and Powerpoint. Enter you college email at the Microsoft 365 for Students website and follow instructions that will be sent to your email.

You can find our course in Schoology, which you can access from the Hill College website. Schoology assignments sometimes require attaching a file. Microsoft Word files and PDF documents work best. If you use Google docs or Apple’s Pages, you will need to convert your file to a Word file or a PDF before uploading to Schoology.

This course uses a program called Biometric Signature, or Bio-Sig, to verify student identity. Major essays will be submitted to Unicheck. There is no extra download or cost for these programs.

Reports of discrimination based on disability may be directed to the ADA/Section 504 coordinator.  The College District designates the following person to coordinate its efforts to comply with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, which incorporates and expands the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended:

Name:            Lizza Trenkle

Position:         Vice President Student Services

Address:        112 Lamar Drive, Hillsboro, TX  76645

Telephone:     (254) 659-7601

Students with qualified and documented disabilities may request accommodations which will enable them to participate in and benefit from educational programs and activities.  Students should contact the Academic Advising and Student Success Center for more details at: 254-659-7650 for Hillsboro, 817-760-5650 for Cleburne, or 817-295-7392 for Burleson.

If you ever feel confused or "behind" in the course, or if you ever feel like you're "not getting it," then email me (anytime!) and we can discuss your questions. (Of course I’m not always available to respond immediately!)

There are three major essays in this class. Each essay will require a rough draft, careful revision, and a final draft.

• Essay 1: 10% - Narrative Essay
• Essay 2: 15% - Compare/Contrast Essay
• Essay 3: 25% - Argumentative Essay
• Discussion Boards, Journal Entries, other Assignments: 40% - This includes all work other than final drafts of essay assignments and essay revision activities.
• Revising/Editing Assignments: 10% - Includes peer review and self-revising activities

Course Policies

• Plagiarism or Academic Dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. The inclusion of uncited material, whether quoted or paraphrased, will result in the grade of a zero.
• We are a community of learners who will listen to one another, acknowledge each other, and respect one another. We will not all agree; we will all get along. Be polite to others on any interaction activities such as discussion board postings. Our class will be a safe space for all learners, no matter what.
• All assignments will be submitted through Schoology. Do not email me work instead. (It would be acceptable to email me work if you are experiencing technology problems at the last minute!)
• Just like any class Attendance is important! Since this is an online course, “attendance” is taken by your participation in the course. Logging into the course and participating each week is required.
• If you are having trouble with the pace, material, expectations, personal matters, or anything else relevant, please communicate with me as soon as the trouble starts. I will work with you to create a plan for success.

All your written work that includes quotes, paraphrases, summary or source information should include internal citations and a Works Cited list. You are expected to use MLA format for all citations.

All essays and longer assignments should be formatted according to MLA guidelines.

Resources for MLA support are provided in the course.

Reports of discrimination based on sex, including sexual harassment or gender-based harassment, may be directed to the Title IX Coordinator.  The College District designates the following person to coordinate its efforts to comply with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended:

Name:          Jamie Jaska

Position:       Director of Human Resources

Address:       112 Lamar Drive, Hillsboro, TX  76645

Telephone:   (254) 659-7731

The College District prohibits discrimination, including harassment, against individuals on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, genetic information, or veteran status in the administration of its educational programs, activities, or employment policies. Retaliation against anyone involved in the complaint process is a violation of College District policy and is prohibited.

We are a community of learners who will listen to one another, acknowledge each other, and respect one another. We will not all agree; we will all get along. Students may not disrupt our open community of learning with disrespect, rude or assaultive language, personal attacks or profanity. Our class will be a safe space for all learners, no matter what.

I strongly encourage you to develop true conversations in the Discussion Board. By this, I mean do not post only enough to meet the minimum word-count. This is your opportunity to debate and discuss with your classmates; it is also an opportunity to ask each other questions. I will be monitoring and participating in discussions and expect more participation than simply trying to meet your word-count obligation

This syllabus, the course policies, and the course calendar are subject to change. Changes will be announced using the “Updates” feature in Schoology. You are responsible for checking announcements to ensure you’re on track and informed.