Download Instructor: Erica Reeves Office Room

Instructor: Erica Reeves
English 1A
MWF 10:00-10:50
Room: Douglass 106
Office Room: Calaveras 142
Office Phone: 278-6349
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: M 9-9:45
“The beautiful part of writing is that you don’t have to get it right the first time, unlike,
say, a brain surgeon.” --Robert Cormier
Welcome to English 1A
English 1A is an intensive writing course designed to introduce you to college-level skills
such as critical thinking, sophisticated essay-writing, and academic discourse. You will
have numerous opportunities this semester to gain confidence and exhibit improvement
in your writing skills; after all, writing is a process with multiple stages of thought,
development, and revision. By the end of the semester, if you work diligently in this
course (and I have confidence that you will!) you will be equipped with the necessary
tools to ensure future success throughout your entire academic experience and beyond.
For some of you, English 1A may be your introduction to a new community—the
academic community. Learning to share ideas and articulate yourself effectively is
empowering in any community or social situation. For instance, you and your fellow
classmates comprise a classroom community of developing writers in which knowledge
is generated and shared collectively through class discussion and peer response.
Therefore, in this class individual effort is supported and enriched by the collaborative
work you do with your peers. So take a deep breath and relax as you voyage into the
depths of your potential as a writer, a thinker, and a Sac State student.
Course Objectives
 To demonstrate how thoughtful revision throughout the writing process leads to a
clear, coherent final product
 To become acquainted with academic discourse—the language of the
university—and the conventions of academic writing
 To develop and refine critical reading and thinking strategies
 To participate in a comfortable and forgiving learning environment, where
collaboration with peers and the sharing of ideas is essential to learning
 To compose meaningful expository essays which utilize appropriate structure,
development, and usage (GE Area A-2 learning goals)
Required Texts
 A Writer’s Reference (5th Edition) by Diana Hacker
 Various course readings to be downloaded from the following website:
www.csus.edu/englishta/English_TA_Texts.htm
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Grade Distribution
 Participation
 Informal Reading Responses
 Miscellaneous Short Assignments
 Essay #1- Literacy Narrative
 Essay #2- Extended Definition
 Essay #3- Persuasive Research Project
100 pts.
100 pts.
200 pts.
200 pts.
200 pts.
200 pts.
1000 pts.
Please note: If a student shows consistent improvement over the course of the semester,
this will have a positive impact on the final grade.
Participation
As aforementioned, the focus of this class is the idea of community where you and your
fellow classmates are responsible for generating and sharing knowledge. Therefore, you
are required to be present for all peer response workshops and demonstrate engagement
in all class discussions. The larger academic community you now belong to is a
conversation, both written and oral, that evolves when you voice your ideas. For all of
your courses, and especially this course, you must participate and take risks or your
grade—and more importantly—your learning will suffer.
Informal Reading Responses
There will be no quizzes, and certainly no pop quizzes, in this course. Instead, informal
reading responses will be required on a weekly basis. Reading responses will help you
practice your ability to critically read, analyze, and evaluate written texts. Take these
responses seriously; consider them as prewriting for your upcoming essays. Your
reading responses will be graded on a scale of + (excellent),  (satisfactory), or (poor). If you do not complete a response you will receive a zero.
Miscellaneous Short Assignments
In addition to informal reading responses and formal essay assignments, you will
complete several short writing assignments this semester, each geared toward some
essential aspect of writing. For example, rewriting the story of Cinderella will help you
understand the importance of audience awareness while composing a letter to the
Sacramento Bee’s editor helps you practice the art of concision.
Writing Assignments
Each essay you write this semester will be completed in a series of three or four drafts.
Please recognize, however, that writing is a dynamic process, often requiring more than
four revisions for a satisfactory product. In fact, I myself substantially revised this
syllabus a number of times! Therefore, I encourage you to produce as many drafts as
necessary for your personal writing process. First drafts are exploratory—you are often
still struggling to get all your ideas down on the page. As you compose your
intermediate drafts, your ideas will gradually shift from malleable to more concrete ideas.
I expect your final drafts to be polished and compelling with virtually no grammar,
punctuation, or spelling errors. The final draft is the only draft that is officially graded,
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and must be handed in to me at the beginning of class on the day it is due along with each
of your preceding rough drafts. I am, however, giving you the opportunity to rewrite one
of the three essays for a better grade.
Sequence of Writing Assignments
The following is a preview of the major essay assignments you will be working on this
semester:

Essay #1- Literacy Narrative
For your first assignment, you will reflect upon your personal literacy
development, including reading, writing, and the language(s) you speak. How did
your family foster your learning at a young age? How do you expect your
learning to shift in the academic community? Through substantial introspection
and analysis, you will ease yourself into the writing process by learning to
articulate your personal experiences.

Essay #2- Extended Definition
Now that you have written about your personal experiences—an inherently
authoritative position—you will learn to collaborate with your fellow classmates
to create knowledge and meaning. Your second assignment asks you and your
peers to define your world, as you work in groups to create definitions for terms
like society, individuality, and culture. This essay will help you analyze the
transient nature of knowledge as it transforms through different social settings at
different times.

Essay #3- Persuasive Research Project
For your final essay, you will use extensive research to create a provocative and
sophisticated argument for your choice of audience. What changes or
improvements do you want to see in the future and from whom? Remember, if
the world is a conversation, you must actively assert your voice to effect change.
The possibilities are endless and you have the freedom to make this assignment
your own undertaking.
Peer Response Workshops
Each of the three essays you compose this semester will be examined at least once in a
peer response workshop. All writers can benefit from eliciting feedback and support
from their peers at some stage in the revision process. Each in-class workshop is an
opportunity for you and your fellow classmates to give and receive constructive criticism
and valuable feedback. You will be required to bring three copies of your essay on peer
response workshop days. The inability to attend a peer response workshop not only
disrupts the collaborative nature of this class, but will detrimentally affect your paper’s
grade.
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One-On-One Conferencing
For the first essay you write this semester, as well as the last, you and I will meet together
for a one-on-one conference. These conferences are the best way for me to acquaint
myself with your individual needs and likewise an excellent opportunity for you to voice
any questions or comments that may arise regarding your learning experience thus far.
Please come prepared for each conference as I can only give as much feedback as your
draft warrants. Attendance at the first conference is mandatory, while the second
conference is optional. In lieu of these conferences, I will be canceling class two days
this semester.
Classroom Etiquette
Since you are all adults, I plan to treat you as such until you give me a reason to treat you
otherwise. Adult-like behavior includes showing up to class on time and on a regular
basis, setting your cell phone to vibrate, treating your instructor and your fellow
classmates with respect, and being prepared to contribute to class discussion. If I notice
that tardiness or classroom behavior has become disruptive, I reserve the right to dismiss
perpetual offenders from class and mark them absent from class for that day.
Attendance
Attendance is mandatory; no more than three absences are permitted. I will not
distinguish between excused or unexcused absences, so I recommend that you use your
absences wisely. Absences in excess of three will result in your final class grade being
lowered by one third (i.e. from an A- to a B+). If you miss six classes, you are subject to
fail this course. In the past, I have had to fail students based solely on poor attendance
and not as a reflection of their completed coursework, so don’t let this happen to you!
In addition, I will not accept late papers and/or assignments unless a) it is a lifethreatening emergency and b) you inform me of said emergency ASAP. Please note: an
extended vacation in Maui, the inability to find a parking space, and “my dog ate my
homework” are not life-threatening. Furthermore, I will not accept reading responses,
rough drafts, or any other assignment through email. I do understand that life is full of
the unexpected, so please talk to me about any unforeseen circumstances. Also, since
you are now a member of a community of writers, your peers are your most reliable
resource. I strongly suggest exchanging contact information with at least two classmates
at the beginning of the semester.
Plagiarism
The word plagiarism is derived from the Latin word plagiarius, which translates as
“kidnapper” (MLA Handbook 30). There are two types of plagiarism: unintentionally
using someone else’s ideas without citing the source, and deliberately passing off
someone else’s ideas as your own. Both types of plagiarism are unacceptable. If you
have questions about citing sources, please come visit me during office hours. Do not
kidnap someone else’s ideas! Plagiarism may result in a failing grade for this course, but
could also get you suspended or expelled from the university.
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The CSUS Writing Center
Become a member of the CSUS Writing Center community! The Writing Center is a
wonderful resource available to all students absolutely free. The tutors are not available
to proofread or edit your papers, but they will help you with prewriting, clarity,
organization, and writing strategies. The Writing Center is located at 128 Calaveras Hall.
Call 278-6356 to set-up an appointment either Monday-Thursday from 10am to 6pm or
Friday from 10am to 1pm.
Services to Students with Disabilities
Students with visual, hearing, mobility, or learning disabilities are provided support and
special accommodations through the Services to Students with Disabilities (SSWD)
office. You may visit the SSWD office (1008 Lassen Hall) for more information or visit
the website at www.csus.edu/sswd.
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