A SYLLABUS FOR

ALTERNATIVE HONORS COMPOSITION

TWO CREDIT HOURS

COMMUNICATIONS

Instructor: Debra Brown

Email:dbrown@crowder.edu
Work Phone: 455-5484; Home Phone: 775-2151
Office Location Newton Hall, 339
Office Hours

CROWDER COLLEGE
FALL 2007

Course: Alternative Honors Composition

Credit Hours: 2

Course Description: Qualified students develop more polished writing skills by

intensive practice in rhetorical patterns. Techniques of argument, higher level cognitive
skills, and guided independent study are combined into a one-semester completion of
required composition course work. This course fulfills a portion of communications
general education requirements.
Course Objectives: To polish the writing and reasoning skills of the students and to
introduce them to the use of semantics, rhetoric, and argument.
Texts: Bachmann, Susan and Melinda Barth. Between Worlds. 5th Ed. 2004.
Course Outline
Reading, Discussing, and Writing. The students read a variety of essays ad discuss both
the ideas presented as well as the structure of the pieces through independent writing.
Many of the compositions grow out or these exercises.
Argument: The use of rhetoric, logic, and argument is explored through the readings and
research based writing.
Literary Analysis: Students sharpen their analytical skills through reading, discussing,
and writing about selected short stories and poems.
Research Methods: The student will be using outside sources to help advance their
writing skills. This will include library research and the use of other mediums which might
require MLA documentation.
A. 3 papers, length will range from 3-5 pages, some using outside sources. 100
points each.
B. Journal: 100 points
Methods of Evaluation: Grades are determined through an evaluation of compositions
suggested by the reading material; by examination; and by the quality of the ideas
proffered in the journal.
A= 100-92%
B= 91-85%
C= 84-75%
D= 74-65%
F= 65 and below
Scoring Rubric for Honor Level Essays
A indicates work that is superior in every way. An A paper will be clear,
precise, original, and interesting; it will be free of errors in grammar, spelling,
mechanics, and punctuation; it will show careful and thorough thinking about
the assignment; it will substantially exceed the basic requirements of the
assignment.

Essay is appropriate for the assignment; clearly stated, sharply focused main
idea (thesis statement)
Clear and consistent subject; presents a reasoned and creative approach;
analyzes issues clearly and precisely; fair minded

Demonstrates focused, unified, and coherent organization without seeming

mechanical or awkward

Is richly developed and detailed, with relevant support showing depth,

breadth of thought

Shows an awareness of audience

Evidences precise diction; superior control of sentence variety, and

transitions; reads very smoothly

Acceptable college-level grammar, mechanics, spelling, and usage with only

a few minor flaws

B indicates work that significantly exceeds the basic requirements of

the assignment. A B paper will have few or no errors in grammar, spelling,
mechanics, or punctuation; it will be clear, interesting, and well-organized; it
will show careful thinking about the assignment. Note that simply meeting the
requirements is insufficient to receive a grade of A or B.
Essay appropriate for assignment; clearly stated and focused thesis
statement
Clearly addresses the subject ;analyzes issues clearly
Is effectively and consistently organized
Shows some depth and complexity of thought
Is substantially developed, with relevant supporting details
Shows an awareness of audience
Demonstrates control of diction, sentence variety, and transitions; no
distracting sentence problems
Acceptable college-level grammar, mechanics, spelling, and usage
with only a few flaws
C indicates work that meets the basic requirements of the assignment.
Note that a C is the standard for this course (and is considered satisfactory
by the University--see the catalogue). C papers will show good understanding
of the assignment; they will be clearly written and organized; they will work
towards the goal of the assignment. C papers may have a few errors in

mechanics, but all writers in this class are expected to work to correct those
errors.

Essay acceptable for assignment; clear main idea although perhaps not as
focused or well stated as in a 5 or 6 paper
Adequately addresses the subject but may not always make his/her
interpretation clear

Is organized, but some parts may not seem well connected

Shows clarity of thought but may lack complexity; lapses into weak reasoning
at times

Is adequately developed, with some detail, but support may not always be
strong and apparently relevant to main idea; content may be vague or
general rather than specific

Some awareness of audience

Demonstrates competent writing, but some sentences may lack variety and
diction may be imprecise in areas

May have some flaws in grammar, mechanics, spelling, and usage.

D indicates substandard work. D papers usually have many errors in

spelling, punctuation, and mechanics, and they are often sloppy or show lazy
thinking. D writers usually are too lazy to spell-check. The style and
organization are usually awkward and confusing and show that the writer
hasn't thought very hard about the assignment. D papers are typically too
short.

Framework and subject are very fuzzy; paper seems unfocused; little critical
thought displayed
Simple words are frequently misspelled; conventions of Standard English are
lacking.

May distort or neglect important elements/issues dealing with the subject ;

unfocused main idea

Interpretation may be simplistic or stereotypical in thought; may demonstrate

bias

May demonstrate problems in organization

May have generalizations without supporting detail or detail without

generalizations; may be undeveloped; little relevant support

May lack audience awareness

May show patterns of flaws in language and syntax; confused words; lack of
precision in word choice

Grammar, mechanics, spelling, and usage may not conform to conventions

of standard English, distracting the reader from the content

F indicates substandard work. I usually reserve this grade for students who
turn in an exceptionally poor paper, full of errors in grammar, spelling,
mechanics, organization, reasoning, etc.; for students whose papers fail to
meet the requirements of the assignment in some substantial way; or for
students whose papers are late. Remember that if you are caught
plagiarizing, you will fail.

Failed attempts to fulfill the requirements of the assignment

Deliberately off-topic papers.

Paper so incompletely developed as to suggest or demonstrate

incompetence.

Paper wholly incompetent mechanically; unacceptable college writing

Attendance Policy: This course relies mainly upon the completion of assignments
through the medium of the computer. This makes an attendance policy somewhat
unnecessary, obviously. However, there will be scheduled dates on which students and
instructor will meet, so it will be important that the student be available for that time
period. If an absence is unavoidable, advance notification is expected. Disks will also be
turned in on time.

Alternative Honors Composition

Hello!
This course is an addition to the Honors classes offered to those students who have
completed both Composition 101 and 102 successfully, as you have. Hopefully, the
reading assignments and the writing that you will do as a result of these readings will
help polish your writing and help you in developing some of your own ideas that come up
during the semester. My belief is that sophisticated writing is not only writing that is
mechanically correct and read smoothly, but it is also, primarily, writing that says
something. The typical essay on My Summer Vacation might have few comma errors,
but usually it communicates few ideas of any value.
Computer Disks: After each journal entry and/or any work you do on the formal writing
assignments, be sure and save your work on your personal disks. You will need four
disks, PC compatible. Two of these are the disks that you will be leaving g in my mailbox
in the Newton Hall Lounge, directly opposite my office. You will deposit all of your
assignments there as well as collect all returned or extra materials I will be giving you.
The other two disks will be copies that you will keep in case of computer or human
errors! Label on disk Journal: Brown, one disk Journal: Your Name, one disk
Finished Work: Brown, and the fourth disk Finished Work: Your Name.
Journal: The readings in the text cover themes that revolve around major issues that
seem to be pertinent to the society we live in. Some are short, autobiographical
narratives; others are scholarly essays commenting on the writers perspective. I will
also assign other articles, from both my collection as well as the internet. After reading
these selections, I would like you to comment by writing in a journal, which you will start
on the disk you will call, strangely enough, Journal.
Using a Microsoft Word document, date each entry of your journal, and after each
reading, put down some of your thoughts that the readings stimulate. Label which
reading you are commenting on as well. This journaling can be done continuously on
just one document. With some of the readings, I will list a few questions that might help
focus your thoughts. I will look at the journal prior to our meetings, but I will not grade
this folder until the end of the semester. While this needs to be readable, I will not be
looking at the mechanics or style of this writing (though I do expect a quick run of a
spelling and grammar check!) . This is a prewriting stage, so feel free to elaborate as
loosely as youd like. I would like you to be fairly extensive with this, though, and not limit
it to just five or ten sentences. After you finish reading the selected assignments, deposit
your journal disk in my mailbox, at least three days prior to our scheduled meeting time.
This will give me a chance to read the entries and get some idea where your thoughts
are going.
Formal Essays: Following the completion of the readings and the journal entries, you
and I will meet and discuss what you might find interesting to write on and what might
help to advance those ideas. The formal essay that will evolve from this you will, after
completion, place on the disk called Finished Work and deposit again in my mailbox. The
formal papers will be due consecutively. You will again use Microsoft Word for these
assignments. I will grade these and return the disk to you.

Scheduled Meeting Times

My Office, Newton Hall 339: 10:30 am
Time:
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4.
5.

Friday, September
Friday, October
Friday November
Friday, November,
Friday, December