Syllabus
Post Baccalaureate in Pre-Health
ENGL 1010: English Composition I – Accelerated – 8 Week – Spring 2 2024
Credits - 3
Description
English Composition I is a three-credit college writing course to prepare students for the fundamental knowledge and skills of college-level expository writing and critical thinking. Areas of focus include idea presentation and organization, audience, point of view, authorship, paragraph and essay coherence, and technology-mediated evaluation of grammar, mechanics, and originality. Students are introduced to strategies for rhetorical writing, writing-as-process and product, and thinking-as-writing. An introduction to argument structure and writing from sources culminates in an academic essay as a comprehensive course assignment.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to
- demonstrate writing as iterative and process-oriented.
- distinguish audience, context, and purpose for written communication.
- apply rhetorical strategies for effective context-specific written communication.
- construct a relevant and compelling argument essay supported by credible secondary sources.
- revise an essay draft to improve focus, development, and organization, using appropriate grammar, mechanics, and APA style.
- critically reflect on the development of new and current academic writing knowledge and skills.
Assignments
All assignments are designed to prepare students for drafting and revising a complete academic essay written in APA style (7th ed.), which is the culminating assessment for this course.
Discussions:
Two discussions, one in Week 1 and one in Week 4, encourage critically thinking about writing concepts and sharing learning among students. Discussions include one initial post and responses to two peers.
Skill Building Assignments:
Skill building assignments provide opportunities to practice strategies for writing an essay draft and reflecting on the writing process.
Scaffolded Writing Assignments:
Scaffolded writing assignments engage students with evaluating, analyzing, and applying skills while drafting sections of the academic essay.
Key Assessments:
Academic Argument Essay Draft: students will submit a complete essay draft in week 7 and receive feedback from the instructor to improve writing skills.
Revised Academic Argument Essay: students will revise and submit their academic essay based on instructor feedback and a self-evaluation strategy.
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Assignments | Grade points |
|---|---|
| Discussions (2 x 3pts each) | 6 |
| Pre- and Post-Writing Skill Assessments (2 x 3 pts each) | 6 |
| Writing Skill Development Assignments (8 x 3 pts each) | 24 |
| Scaffolded Assignments for Essay (8 x 4 pts each) | 32 |
| Reflection Journals (2 x 3pts each) | 6 |
| First Academic Argument Essay Draft | 12 |
| Revised Academic Argument Essay Draft | 14 |
| Total | 100 |
Grade Scale
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
| B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
| C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
| D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Schedule
Week 1: Mar 20 – Mar 26
Week 2: Mar 27 – Apr 2
Week 3: Apr 3 – Apr 9
Week 4: Apr 10 – Apr 16
Week 5: Apr 17 – Apr 23
Week 6: Apr 24 – Apr 30
Week 7: May 1 – May 7
Week 8: May 8 – May 14
| Week | Topic / Assignment | Due Dates |
| 1 |
Writing Skills Pre-Assessment Writing as a Process and Product Discussion 1 |
Assignments due Tuesdays 11:59 PM EST. Initial Discussion Post due Friday 11:59 PM EST. Response Posts due Sunday 11:59 PM EST. |
| 2 |
Audience Analysis Prewriting Practice The Rhetorical Diagram |
Assignments due Tuesdays 11:59 PM EST. |
| 3 |
Academic Voice, Tone, and Style Evaluating Paragraph Cohesion Academic Identity and Authorship |
Assignments due Tuesdays 11:59 PM EST. |
| 4 |
APA Essay Template Preparation Academic Essay Topic Selection Draft Thesis Statement Discussion 2 |
Assignments due Tuesdays 11:59 PM EST. Initial Discussion Post due Friday 11:59 PM EST. Response Posts due Sunday 11:59 PM EST. |
| 5 |
Locating and Evaluating Sources Selected Source Summary The Argument Map Strategies and Tools for Library Research Reflection |
Assignments due Tuesdays 11:59 PM EST. |
| 6 |
Argument Structure as Topic Sentence Outline The Essay Thesis Paragraph First Support Argument |
Assignments due Tuesdays 11:59 PM EST. |
| 7 |
Academic Essay Full Draft Persuasion and Audience Reflection |
Assignments due Tuesdays 11:59 PM EST. |
| 8 |
The Revised Academic Essay Writing Skills Post Assessment/Cover letter |
Assignments due Tuesdays 11:59 PM EST. |
Student Resources
Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies. Questions? Email: prehealth@une.edu.
Online Peer Support
Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.
Instructor and Support Contact Information
Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.
UNE Libraries
- Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Brightspace.
- Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.
Further Assistance
Your student service advisor monitors course progression and provides assistance or guidance when needed. They can assist questions regarding ordering course materials, University policies, billing, navigating the course in Brightspace, and more.
Policies
Attendance Policy
Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation. Review the full attendance policy.
Assignments
Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted. Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded. Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
Proctored Examinations
The University of New England has contracted with ProctorU to provide students with the most convenient online exam proctoring system. This system provides a simple, no cost to the student, secure, online proctor for exams and allows the student to take all the exams at home and on their own schedule.
Upon enrollment into the course, each student will register with ProctorU and establish a login name and password. This will give the student access to all of ProctorU's services. When ready, students will schedule each of their proctored exams with ProctorU. Exams must be scheduled at least 72 hours in advance to avoid fees. Prior to taking their exams, students must be sure that they have downloaded the ProctorU Chrome or Firefox extension and are using the most current version of Chrome or Firefox. They must also be sure their testing site's connection meets the minimum requirements by using ProctorU's "Test It Out" utility.
Upon the exam day and hour, students will log in to ProctorU and click on "exams". After following the procedures outlined at ProctorU's website, the student will log in to Brightspace and locate their correct exam. The proctor will then allow student access to that exam.
Students must use ProctorU and must follow all proctoring requirements for their exams to be credited.
Information about exam attempts can be found in your course.
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Programs: Technical Requirements
Course Length
A schedule of lectures and assignments is included in this syllabus.
Courses in the program are equivalent to one-semester courses designed to be completed in 6 or 8 weeks
- Enrollment in the course begins the day your section opens which is listed in the Academic Calendar found on the Student Success Portal.
- Course due dates, start and end dates are in respect to Eastern Time.
Withdrawal and Refund Policies
Please review the policies in your confirmation email. Contact PreHealth@une.edu with any questions.
Grade Policy
Students are expected to attempt and complete all graded assignments and proctored exams by the end date of the course. Contact support with any questions.
Transcripts
Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, only the student may request official transcripts. This may be done online by going to the University of New England Registrar website and following the directions on the page.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submission of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.