University of Texas at Arlington

English 0300

Introduction to Critical Reading and Writing

Summer 2012

Instructor: Richard Gaines Office: 417 Carlisle Hall

E-mail: rgaines@uta.edu Office Hours: T & R 9-10 and by appt.

English Office Phone: 272-2692 The best way to reach me is by email.

Classroom: Preston Hall 101 Otherwise, leave a message with the

Meeting Times: MTWR 10:30-12:30 English Office.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

English 0300 is designed to enhance reading and writing skills necessary for first year college

work. Students will develop critical reading skills and master the basics of academic essay

writing. In addition, English 0300 fulfills TSI requirements for reading and writing.

CLASS MATERIALS

Required Purchase: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Rebecca Skloot. This is the UTA

OneBook for 2011-2012.

All other class materials are available on Blackboard or will be handed out to you as necessary.

You will be expected to print out materials and bring them to class as directed.

To access Blackboard, go to https://elearn.uta.edu and log in the same as if you are logging in to

check your email.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Reading outcomes: To successfully complete this course, students should be able to:

1. Determine the meaning of words and phrases in context.

2. Understand the main idea and supporting details in reading passages.

3. Identify the writer’s purpose, point of view, and intended meaning.

4. Analyze the relationship among ideas in written material.

5. Use critical reasoning skills to evaluate reading passages.

6. Apply study skills to reading assignments.

Writing Outcomes: To successfully complete this course, students should be able to:

1. Write an adequately formed essay that communicates a message to a specific audience.

2. Have a clear focus and purpose in writing.

3. Develop supporting details for main points in writing.

4. Write an essay that adequately organizes and sequences material within the essay and

within paragraphs.

5. Write acceptable English sentences although they may contain minor errors in sentence

structure, usage, and word choice.

6. Observe standard mechanical conventions such as spelling and punctuation.

EVALUATION

Evaluation in the course will be based on essays, summaries of readings, reading quizzes, and in-

class writing. Final grades are P, Z, or F.

Grade Explanation Consequences

P The average for all

assignments and quizzes is

70% or higher at the end of the

semester. Good attendance.

You satisfy TSI requirements

for reading and writing: no

more THEA tests and no more

0300.

Z The average for all

assignments and quizzes is

below 70%. All assignments

have been turned in on time.

Good attendance.

You can either retake 0300 or

retake a standardized test to be

TSI complete.

Z does NOT affect GPA.

F The average for all

assignments and quizzes is

below 70%. Assignments have

not been turned in, quizzes not

taken, and/or poor attendance.

Same as earning a Z, except

that an F will negatively affect

your GPA.

GRADE BREAKDOWN

Reading Quizzes 25%

Summaries 20%

Essays 30% (first two essays=25%; last essay=5%)

OneBook Assignments 10%

Final Exam 15%

Total 100%

ATTENDANCE POLICY

You are allowed to miss three classes without penalty (three classes = 6 hours). Every 50 minute

absence after that will result in your final grade being lowered by 5%. For every 50 minutes that

we meet, you can be late up to ten minutes. At ten minutes or later, you will be assessed one hour

of absence.

If you are absent or late, it is your responsibility to find out from classmates what was covered

during your absence. I encourage you to get the email addresses and phone numbers of at least

two classmates.

LATE ASSIGNMENTS

I do not accept late assignments. I will make exceptions in cases of emergencies. However, to

turn in any assignment late, students must present proper documentation (note from doctor,

accident report, etc.). The same policy will be applied to making up reading quizzes. In-class

work, however, cannot be made up.

CELL PHONES (Including other electronic forms of modern communication)

Turn all such devices OFF during class (do not put them on vibrate—they need to be completely

off). If you are using an electronic device for class purposes, make sure any ringers or other noise

makers are turned off.

IMPORTANT NOTE

Any student who passes the reading and writing sections of the THEA test (or any other

acceptable test equivalent, e.g. Accuplacer) while enrolled in English 0300 will automatically

receive a P grade for the course. Students MUST present their test scores in person to academic

advising:

University Advising Center

241 Davis Hall

817-272-3140

uac@uta.edu

An advisor will send me confirmation that you have satisfied TSI requirements. If I do not

receive such confirmation, I will assume that you have simply decided to stop coming to class,

and will assign you an F at the end of the semester.

Any student who passes THEA or a similar test after receiving a Z or F but before enrolling in a

subsequent semester will not be required to re-enroll in 0300. In such cases, students must still

present their scores to advising.

Contact Assessment Services for testing instruments, regulations, times, and costs (817-272-

3670; www.uta.edu/assessment). Also, if students believe they are exempt from this class, they

can go to http://www.uta.edu/admissions/successinitiative.php for information about exemptions.

POLICY ON DROPPING THE COURSE

Students who are in the course in order to satisfy TSI requirements cannot drop the course unless

TSI requirements have been satisfied (for those enrolled for other purposes, the final drop date is

July 31st). Students may withdraw from all their courses and from the university, but they cannot

drop English 0300 without meeting TSI requirements and still stay at UTA. If students wish to

test out of the course, they can do so by retaking the THEA or other approved tests and receiving

a passing grade on them.

ACADEMIC INTEGERITY It is the philosophy of The University of Texas at Arlington that academic dishonesty is a

completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form. All persons

involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations

and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the University.

In a course such as this one that involves a major writing component, students may be tempted to

plagiarize. Plagiarism is the act of “tak[ing] ideas or writing from another and offer[ing] them as

one’s own (Webster’s New World Dictionary 456). Plagiarism is unacceptable at UTA, and any

who plagiarizes will receive an F on the paper in question and may receive an F in the course and

be referred for additional administrative action.

In addition, other sorts of dishonest behavior are not acceptable at UTA. "Scholastic dishonesty

includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any

work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an

examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the

attempt to commit such acts." (Regents’ Rules and Regulations, Series 50101, Section 2.2)

DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION

The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter

of federal equal opportunity legislation; reference Public Law 92-112 - The Rehabilitation Act of

1973 as amended. With the passage of federal legislation entitled Americans with Disabilities Act

(ADA), pursuant to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, there is renewed focus on providing this

population with the same opportunities enjoyed by all citizens.

As a faculty member, I am required by law to provide "reasonable accommodations" to students

with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Student responsibility

primarily rests with informing faculty of their need for accommodation and in providing

authorized documentation through designated administrative channels. Information regarding

specific diagnostic criteria and policies for obtaining academic accommodations can be found at

www.uta.edu/disability. Also, you may visit the Office for Students with Disabilities in room

102 of University Hall or call them at (817) 272-3364.

At UTA we are dedicated to assisting all students with disabilities. If you have a disability which

requires specific accommodation, you must inform your instructor IN WRITING AT THE

BEGINNING OF THE SEMESTER and register in the Office for Students with Disabilities. If

you have a disability, please let your instructor know as soon as possible.

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES AVAILABLE The University of Texas at Arlington supports a variety of student success programs to help

students connect with the University and achieve academic success. These programs include

learning assistance, developmental education, advising and mentoring, admission and transition,

and federally funded programs. Students requiring assistance academically, personally, or

socially should contact the Office of Student Success Programs at 817-272-6107 for more

information and appropriate referrals.

The English Writing Center

The English Writing Center, Room 411 Central Library, will be open from Jun 4-July 5 (closed

for the July 4th holiday) and July 10-Aug. 09, 2012. Hours are M/W 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., T/Th 10

a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m. Students must register first at www.uta.edu/owl before

making face-to-face or online appointments. Choose the <Register> tab on the left and choose

<Click Here> for first visit. Once the registration form is complete, students may schedule

appointments at www.uta.edu/owl/appointments, by telephone at 817 272-2601 during normal

business hours, or by visiting the Writing Center in person. Appointments begin on the hour and

are scheduled for 45 minutes. Students should bring a printed copy of their assignment guidelines

and their typed draft. Students who come to the Writing Center without an appointment will be

helped on a first-come, first-served basis as consultants become available. Writing Center

consultants are here to assist with any aspect of writing, from understanding an assignment,

brainstorming, revising an early draft, to polishing a final draft. However, the Writing Center is

not an editing service; consultants will not correct grammar or rewrite assignments. I encourage

each of you to use the Writing Center.

When you go to the Writing Center, be sure to take the following items with you

a. assignment sheet and syllabus

b. hard copy of your paper

c. relevant supporting materials (e.g. any handouts related to the assignment)

Class Schedule (subject to change as necessary and/or desired)

Assignments need to be completed before coming to class unless otherwise noted.

Week 1 Reading Writing Assignments Due

Tuesday July 10 Introduction to Class

Overview of

Blackboard

Writing Diagnostic (in

class)

Wednesday July 11 “Students In Shock”

Writing Cause Effect

Thursday July 12 “Students In Shock”

continued

Writing Cause Effect

Week 2 Reading Writing Assignments Due

Monday July 16 “How About Low

Cost Drugs for

Addicts?”

Writing a Summary

Writing Essay

Questions

Cause Effect Draft 1

Tuesday July 17 “How About Low

Cost Drugs for

Addicts?”

continued

Writing a Summary

Writing Essay

Questions

Wednesday July 18 “How About Low

Cost Drugs for

Addicts?”

continued

Summary 1 Draft

Thursday July 19 Reading Quiz 1

Immortal Life 1 (in

class)

Week 3 Reading Writing Assignments Due

Monday July 23 “Let’s Really Reform

Our Schools”

Writing an Argument Final Cause Effect

Final Summary 1

Tuesday July 24 “Let’s Really Reform

Our Schools”

continued

Writing an Argument

Wednesday July 25 “Let’s Really Reform

Our Schools”

continued

Writing Summary

Response

Thursday July 26

Immortal Life 2 (in

class)

Writing Summary

Response

Summary 2 draft

Argument draft 1

Week 4 Reading Writing Assignments Due

Monday July 30 “Why Do Schools

Flunk Biology?”

Writing an Argument

Tuesday July 31 “Why Do Schools

Flunk Biology?”

continued

Writing an Argument Final Summary 2

Wednesday August 1 “Why Do Schools

Flunk Biology?”

continued

Writing an Argument

Thursday August 2 Reading Quiz 2

Immortal Life 3 (in

class) Final Argument

Summary Response

Draft

Week 5 Reading Writing Assignments Due

Monday August 6 Sample Student

Essay: Narrative

Writing a Narrative

Tuesday August 7 “Television Changed

My Family Forever”

Writing a Narrative

Wednesday August 8

Writing a Narrative Final Summary

Response

Thursday August 9 Reading Quiz 3

Immortal Life 4 (in

class) Narrative Essay due

Final Exam: August 13 10:30-12:30