Course Syllabus

Fall 2025 | ENG-1061-VU02 - English Composition

In Person Class

Standard courses meet in person at CCV centers, typically once each week for the duration of the semester.

Faculty

Matt Messier
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Ashraf Alamatouri

General Education Requirements

English Composition

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

In this course, students develop effective composition skills and research techniques. Students learn strategies for organizing, evaluating, and revising their work through extensive reading of a variety of essay styles and literary texts; apply writing and research techniques to their papers; and demonstrate proficiency in first-year college-level writing and information literacy.

Essential Objectives

1. Consistently apply an appropriate writing process that includes planning, drafting, revising, and editing.
2. Demonstrate in written work an awareness of the relationship among writer, subject, audience, and purpose.
3. Demonstrate writing proficiency with a range of rhetorical approaches to include narration, exposition, argument, and critical analysis and recognize the stylistic and structural strategies in the writing of others.
4. Discuss writing by authors from diverse backgrounds to explore how perspectives and experiences may shape voice in composition.
5. Focus written work around an explicit central thesis, a position statement or proposition advanced by the writer that is arguable and supportable and develop the thesis systematically, using specific details and supporting evidence.
6. Compose written work that demonstrates effective use of sentence structure, paragraphing, grammar, syntax, punctuation, and spelling.
7. Discuss the use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the writing process, including appropriate use, prompting techniques, and proper attribution.
8. Demonstrate proficiency in research writing skills by completing one or more papers that:
a) Develop and support an arguable thesis;
b) Locate, evaluate, and incorporate appropriate scholarly and professional sources, including primary and secondary evidence as needed, to address an academic research question;
c) Appropriately acknowledge and document sources, using standard MLA or APA styles.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV computer recommendations Support page.

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

This course uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations.

Fall 2025 textbook details will be available on 2025-05-19. On that date a link will be available below that will take you to eCampus, CCV's bookstore. The information provided there will be specific to this class. Please see this page for more information regarding the purchase of textbooks/books.

ENG-1061-VU02 Link to Textbooks for this course in eCampus.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Methods

IV. Readings:

-Required

ENGLISH COMPOSITION READER (CCV CUSTOM TEXT)

SeeLink to Textbooks

V. Assessment

1. Argumentative Research Project (30% of course grade) This will give you practice at writing a structured argumentative essay which is requirement for the Seminar For Educational Inquiry (SEI) and necessary for graduation.

a. Research Paper (involves 6 stages that add up to 20% of your course grade and results in a 5-page final paper)

1. Research Topic (1% of course grade)

a. Find a topic that you can create a thesis from (For an argumentative paper).

1. A thesis must be:

a. Brief (focused and clear)

b. Backed by scholarly/authoritative sources

c. Arguable (opposed by credible sources)

2. Contact the CCV Library and acquire 3 scholarly sources for your research project. (2% of course grade)

1. Contact the library through:https://help.libraries.vsc.edu/Links to an external site.
2. Ask them for scholarly sources related to your topic/thesis.Top of Form
3. For this assignment, just submit the hyperlinks for your 3 scholarly sources along with a brief explanation of your experience contacting the library.

3. Thesis (2%)

a. A thesis must be:

1. Brief (focused and clear),

2. Credible (backed by scholarly/authoritative sources),

3. Arguable (opposed by scholarly/authoritative sources)

4. Outline/Source List (3% of course grade)

1. Outline

1. Brief and easy to follow
2. The main section headings are alignedwith the reasons defending your thesis position
3. The subsection headings revolve around how or why reasons defending the main section they are related to.
4. This will help ensure that your draft reads as a persuasive essay rather than an informational one.

2. Source List

1. 5 sources (At least 3 scholarly, the other 2 can be credible)
2. Include hyperlinks for all sources

5. First Draft of your paper (5% of course grade)

a. Submit 4 parts in one Word document:

1. Title page, Outline, 5 pages of text, and Works Cited page.

2. See “Sample Paper” in Module 1 for proper format

b. Important considerations include:

1. Following your outline with thesis driven information

2. Being clear up front what you are trying to say

3. Using good transitions

4. Avoiding repetition

5. Including 15 - 25 in text citations (MLA format)

a. Half should be from your scholarly sources

6. Works cited list should be an MLA or APA format.

a. Include the URL's for each source

c. Draft Assessment

1. Your raw score will be based on the Rubric

2. This will give you an idea of how close your paper is to meeting the standards

3. Raw scores will be scaled 2 assignment pts (So for example if you got a 6 out of 8 on the assignment, it would be scaled toan 8)

4. NOTE: Drafts can only be submitted once. You can submit it early but can’t resubmit once it is graded.

6. Final Paper (7% of course grade)

a. Addresses all first draft feedback

b. Final Draft can only be submitted once. You can submit it early but can’t resubmit once it is graded.

b. Two student presentations (10% of course grade)

1. Thesis/Outline/Sources Presentation (4%)

a. Present Thesis/Outline

b. Discuss your Librarian interaction

. c. Present 2 Scholarly/ credible sources in MLA or APA format.

One scholarly that supports your thesis and one credible that refutes it.

For each source explain:

1. Where you got the sources

2. How they support/refute your thesis

3. How they are scholarly/ authoritative?

d. 10-15 minute length

2. Facilitate a discussion/debate (6%)

a. Facilitate a 10-15 minute discussion/debate

1. Present three different credible perspectives about your research topic

2. Include specific details that argue for each perspective

3. Lead a discussion/debate surrounding your thesis

a. This should be the biggest part of this presentation

b. Be prepared to answer all kinds of questions about your topic

c. Know your sources so you can refer to them throughout the discussion

2. Other Essays

a. Narration 10%

b. Description 10%

c. Exposition 10%

d. Length: 2-3 pages

e. All essays must include a thesis and outline.

f. All essays will be peer reviewed

3. Responses to the Readings 20%

a. From the textbook or student papers

4. Class participation 20%

a. Rubric category (See rubric for more details)

1. Active engagement

b. Divided attention (Unapproved cell phone/laptop use, working on unrelated material, etc.) affects participation and can significantly impact your final grade.

c. Classroom discussion

1. Please give all presenters your undivided attention and be respectful of counter opinions

2. Our discussion represents an opportunity to learn from and share different perspectives about a variety of topics. Hopefully we can gain insight from classmates’ perspectives and appreciate what everyone has to say.

3. Challenge yourself to participate if you are not comfortable with classroom discussion

4. If you find yourself participating disproportionally during the discussion, please allow others the chance to contribute.`

5. Overall Participation (Between +5pts and -40 course points)

a. Based on attendance (No participation over a week = 1 absence)

b. If you have 100% attendance, your final course grade will be increased by 5 pts

c. After one absence, a student's final grade will be reduced.

1. Two absences reduce a student's final course grade by 5 course points

2. Three absences reduce a student's final course grade by 15 course points

3. Four absences result in course failure (-40 pts)

d. Late arrivals, early departures, or other time away from class can add to total number of absences

VI. In-class lab period

a. To help you complete your assignments, there will be a weekly 30-45 minute lab period starting around 1:45 -2:00pm.

b. We all have to be in class during this time.

VII. If you need extra help:

a. See “Academic Support Services” found in the “Course Resources” Module

d. Call/email anytime with questions.

VIII. Course Schedule: (Assignment due dates are in in red. Late assignments will receive no credit. See Canvas Pages for dates)

Weekly Schedule

1. Week 1 (Sept 2-8)

Reading Assignment

-The English Composition Reader (TECR) 7-35

- Pick one Sample student paper to read (Between pages 39 - 90)

- Proper paraphrasing vs plagiarizing

2. Week 2 (Sept 9-15)

Reading Assignment

-TECR 91-99, 361-381

Assignments

Research Project Assignment #1 “Research Topic” Due Sept 15

3. Week 3 (Sept 16-22)

Reading Assignment

-TECR 99-113, 381-384

Assignments

Research Project Assignment #2 “Library Assignment” Due Sept 22nd

Rough draft for your narration essay (for peer review) due by September 22nd

4. Week 4 (Sept 23-29)

Reading Assignment

-TECR 113-128, 384-394

Assignments

Research Project Assignment #3 “Thesis” Due Sept 29th

Peer reviews for narration essay Due Sept 29th

5. Week 5 (Sept 30-Oct 6)

Assignments

-TECR 128-139

Narration essay due October 6th

6. Week 6 (Oct 7-13)

Reading Assignment

-TECR 139-158, 394-397

7. Week 7 (Oct 14-20)

Reading Assignment

-TECR 158-172

Assignments

Presentation Due

Research Project Assignment #4 “Outline” Due Oct 20

Rough draft for your description essay (for peer review) due Oct 20

8. Week 8 (Oct 21-27)

Reading Assignment

-TECR 172-192, 397-400

Assignments

Peer reviews for description essay Due Oct 27

9. Week 9 (Oct 28-Nov 3)

Reading Assignment

-TECR 192-203

Assignments

Description essay due Nov 3rd

10. Week 10 (Nov 4-10)

Reading Assignment

-TECR 205-209, 223-235

Assignments

Research Project Assignment #5 “1^st Full Draft of your paper” Due Nov 10

11. Week 11 (Nov 11-17)

Reading Assignment

-TECR 236-245, 251-256, 400-403

Assignments

Rough draft for your exposition essay (for peer review) due Nov 17

12. Week 12 (Nov 18-24)

Reading Assignment

-TECR 259-261, 274-78, 290-296, 403-407

Assignments

Peer reviews for exposition essay Due Nov 24th

13. Week 13 (Nov 25 – Dec 1)

Reading Assignment

-TECR 310-321, 341-345, 348-352

Assignments

Exposition essay due Dec 1st

14. Week 14 (Dec 2-9)

Reading Assignment

-TECR 407-416

Assignments

Facilitation Due Dec 9

Research Project Assignment #6 “Final Paper” Due Dec 9

Miscellaneous

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

CCV strives to mitigate barriers to course access for students with documented disabilities. To request accommodations, please

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center.https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity

CCV has a commitment to honesty and excellence in academic work and expects the same from all students. Academic dishonesty, or cheating, can occur whenever you present -as your own work- something that you did not do. You can also be guilty of cheating if you help someone else cheat. Being unaware of what constitutes academic dishonesty (such as knowing what plagiarism is) does not absolve a student of the responsibility to be honest in his/her academic work. Academic dishonesty is taken very seriously and may lead to dismissal from the College.

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity

Apply Now for this semester.