English 101: College Composition
Spring 2013

Required Text from bookstore (or wherever you prefer to shop): Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong, translated by Moss Roberts

• To ease the portfolio process, review the Portfolio Preview handbook. It has examples that show the college's, the department's, and my expectations for your writing (which are all pretty much the same!). Online Portfolio Preview Handbook
• Either the Rhetoric and Composition Wiki Handbook or the Wadsworth (or any other) Handbook. We won't use the handbook in class; instead, you'll use it as a resource.

Official Course Description:This course develops and sharpens the basic principles of writing college-level essays. Students work on a series of essays to improve their ability to write clear, detailed prose and to use texts to support their claims. Competence in mechanics and standard English usage is assumed of all students taking ENG 101. A grade at or above a 2.0 requires successful completion of the portfolio process.

Unofficial Course Description: This course has been designed with a focus on international awareness funded in part by a grant from the Pacific Northwest International Education Association. As part of the course design, I spent a month in China teaching English at the Harbin Institute of Technology. We are going to read and respond to materials that provide some insight on China while reading, thinking, talking and writing about how writing and thinking are used to inform and persuade. We'll include the analysis of texts and how they make meeting using words, images, sounds and more. We are going to approach the reading and writing in this class to see how reading, thinking and writing can help us as we search out understanding and/or awareness in our own lives while also gaining some new insights on China.

On Being Successful: One of the most important behaviors promoting student learning and success in college, aside from doing what directed when directed to do so, is a student making the time to sit down and visit with their instructor, professor or teacher, call them (and me) what you will. Along with actually visiting me in my office, this means emailing or blogging questions when you are unsure of things, even if you think you are being a "pest." Better a "pest" (and I rarely think of students in this way) than stumbling blindly along and doing less well than you otherwise would had you asked questions and run ideas by me. Doing this is no guarantee you will excel. What it means is you will do better than you would otherwise. How much better cannot be predicted, but it will depend on how willing and able you are to take and follow advice. Don't come in (or email) the day before or after something is due hoping we can turn the inadequate into the excellent; come by the moment you find yourself in need of help. Be willing to avail yourself of other help as well, such as the peer tutoring services provided by the college. (Both online and in-person are available.) Doing so is a sign of strength, not weakness. This is the sort of thing that will pave your avenue to success in this and all other classes.

In this class, you will need internet access (campus, home or work), an open mind (but not so open everything might fall out). Because this is a hybrid class, we will do a good bit of our work online, so you will need an open mind (but not so open everything might fall out), the ability to make the time to get work done, a willingness to learn and a sense of adventure. In a typical quarter, it's expected you'll allot 15 hours a week to a five credit class. Because this is a hybrid, that means about 2.5 hours a week in class and 12.5 doing homework. The class workload is predicated on this expectation though workload will vary from week to week. All work is directly related to the essays you must complete to succeed and to future academic success.

Portfolio Dates