ENGL 121 - College Composition  

• Description
• Statement on General Education and Liberal Learning
• Overall Course Objectives
• Major Topics
• Course Requirements
• Other Course Information
• Grading Rubric

ENGL-121 transfers as university-parallel freshman English. It guides students through the expository writing process through close reading of contemporary critical discourse and teaches the rhetorical arts of argument and persuasion through critical thinking, reading and research.

Students will develop an understanding of themselves as readers and writers of world cultures who participate with others in responsible public discourse and have moral and ethical responsibilities in that discourse; students will also examine the relationship among writer, audience, and purpose, and practice writing prose through a recursive process.

Students completing this course should be able to write persuasive, researched and documented essays (of at least 1,000 words) demonstrating the conventions of standard written English and manuscript presentation.

Prerequisite:  Eligibility to enroll in ENGL-121 is based on English placement test scores or the successful completion of required developmental English course work. (3 hours weekly).

A liberal education prepares students to lead ethical, productive, and creative lives and to understand how the pursuit of lifelong learning and critical thinking fosters good citizenship.  General education courses form the core of a liberal education within the higher education curriculum and provide a coherent intellectual experience for all students by introducing the fundamental concepts and methods of inquiry in the areas of mathematics, the physical and natural sciences, the social sciences, the arts and the humanities, and composition.  This course is part of the general education core experience at Howard Community College.

Upon completion of this course the student will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of various writing invention strategies for generating ideas and gathering information;
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the relationships among writer, audience, and purpose;
3. Formulate clear thesis statements;
4. Organize ideas logically and appropriately to support the thesis statement;
5. Edit, revise, and proofread to achieve more effective communication of ideas;
6. Provide constructive feedback to another student’s writing in a workshop setting;
7. Use study skills and techniques for answering in-class essay exam questions;
8. Employ critical thinking skills as a writer;
9. Apply various editorial and revision strategies to enhance communication;
10. Demonstrate in writing awareness of an appreciation for other world cultures.
11. Demonstrate the ability to use word-processing, appropriate software programs, and electronic resources for writing and revision;
12. Effectively locate, evaluate and incorporate several sources of information using library resources and electronic media;
13. Demonstrate the primary principles of scholarly inquiry and research;
14. Demonstrate advanced conceptual skills and knowledge of researched essay conventions and documentation (MLA or APA).

1. Writing as a Recursive Process
2. Creating the Expository and Persuasive Essay
3. Employing Effective Library and Electronic Research Techniques
4. Documenting Sources
5. Writing the Effective Research Paper
6. Writing with Authority and Integrity

Specific assignments and procedures for evaluating student performance in the class (i.e., grading) will be described in the individual class syllabus, but all sections will include the following:

1. Students will produce 15-20 pages of formal writing in at least four discrete essays, including one researched, documented essay of at least 1,000 words.
2. Students will write, at least, one in-class essay in response to an exam prompt or question.
3. At least 80% of the final grade will be based upon writing, both formal and informal.
4. ENGL-121 approaches writing as a continual process of learning in which assignments are interdependent; therefore, students must complete all formal assignments to successfully complete the course.

ENGL-121 is a Composition Core course. On HCC’s main campus, this course is taught in a networked, computerized environment.

An ‘A’ paper is of outstanding quality in content, organization, and style.  The essay fulfills the given assignment in every given respect, contains no factual errors or misuse of sources, and constitutes a mature, carefully prepared college-level essay. The prose is lively and eloquent. It may have an unusually high degree of originality and sophistication and may go well beyond the assignment’s expectations.

• The paper not only fulfills the assignment and is correct in all of its facts and sources, it goes beyond the specified requirements to offer a fresh, ambitious, sophisticated and/or intellectually challenging approach to the assignment.
• The paper presents an original, complex, or imaginative thesis, firmly supported by thoughtful, relevant and persuasive evidence.
• The organizational structure is smooth, logical, and coherent, with well-chosen transitions.
• The prose is clear, apt, and occasionally memorable; the paper may demonstrate an unusually high degree of insight and precision.
• The paper is virtually free of major mechanical errors in punctuation, grammar, spelling, and sentence structure.

 
A ‘B’ paper is of above average quality in content, organization, and style. The essay fulfills the requirements of the assignment, contains no factual errors or misuse of sources, and demonstrates thoughtful organization. The prose is confident and accurate. While ideas may lack full development, the essay demonstrates an effort at originality and sophistication.

• The essay fulfills all requirements, and, in either style or content, may significantly go beyond the requirements.
• The paper presents a thoughtful and specific thesis and is developed with logical and appropriate details.
• The organizational structure is clearly discernible through unified and coherent paragraphs and appropriate transitions.
• The prose is fluent and clear with concise diction and varied sentence structure, perhaps containing some especially eloquent or original passages.
• While there may be occasional punctuation or spelling errors, the essay is generally free of major grammar and sentence structure errors.

 
A ‘C’ paper is of average quality in content, organization, and style.  The material generally lacks originality and seems less distinguished.  It shows an evident effort to formulate a good thesis; it has support for that thesis and reveals obvious organizational strategy.  The prose is occasionally awkward and unclear.

• The paper fulfills the assignment, meeting all specified requirements.
• The paper presents a thesis supported by relevant material.
• The organizational structure is discernible and logical.
• Transitional devices may, at times, be missing or ineffective.
• The sentences lack fluency and structural variety.
• There are occasional grammar, punctuation and sentence structure errors.

 
A ‘D’ paper is below average in content, arrangement, and/or style. It may contain some good ideas but lack a sense of structure and direction or fail to support those ideas well. Such a paper may even be well-written (or glib) and well-organized, but show a lack of effort to engage the text seriously, or it will be superficial or lacking in clear thought.

• The paper fails to adequately meet the requirements, and may show    misreading of text or assignments.
• The thesis may be unclear or missing or may not be logically or adequately supported.
• Organization may be faulty or difficult to follow.
• Transitions between and within paragraphs may be missing or ineffective.
• Word choice may be weak, lacking precision and vitality.
• The paper may contain many errors in punctuation, grammar, and spelling and/or serious errors in sentence structure, such as fragments and run-ons.

 
An ‘F’ paper is failing in content, organization, and/or style.

• The paper may not fulfill the assignment or meet specified requirements.
• The paper frequently fails to present a thesis which may be missing, misplaced or unsupported. 
• The unsupported paper may lack specific detail or example.
• Coherence of the paper may be affected by inadequate organizational structure including lack of unity or transition between ideas.
• Coherence and fluency may also be affected by inadequate sentence skills and problems with grammar, spelling and punctuation including multiple incomplete or run-on sentences.

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