Course Description - Introduction

Introduction, Required Texts, Basic Requirements, Standard Policies | 100 & 100R
Goals & Assumptions, Points of Emphasis | Reading, Writing, Revision

Introduction
Basic Composition (355:100) and Basic Composition with Reading (355:100/099 or “100R”) are preparatory courses for Expository Writing (355:101) at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. Both English 100 and 100R are credit-bearing, college-level courses that will introduce you to the critical reading, thinking, and writing practices that will help you to complete your Rutgers studies successfully. 100 and 100R are skills-based courses, in that they focus on reading comprehension, working effectively with texts, and improving writing skills at the sentence, paragraph, and paper level. The courses are also designed to meet you at your reading and writing level when you enter college, and to prepare you in one semester for the challenges presented in Expository Writing. For specific requirements in 100R, and for the differences between 100 and 100R, see 100 & 100R. By the end of each course, you will be able to compose a 5-6 page paper in clearly written prose that reflects your own point of view, and demonstrates thoughtful engagement with complex readings.

Required Texts:

• Michelle J. Brazier. Points of Departure: A Collection of Contemporary Essays, 2nd edition.

• Heather Robinson, Grammar That Works: Building Your Paper From The Words Up, 2nd edition.

• Any standard college dictionary

Basic Requirements:

All sections of Basic Composition and Basic Composition with Reading require the following work of all students:

• Students read a minimum of six selections from Points of Departure.

• Students write 5 out-of-class essays, including a rough and final draft for each essay. By the term’s end, a student’s final drafts should total at least 25 typed pages.

• Students take an in-class Midterm and Final Exam (essay format, graded pass/fail). They must pass the Final Exam in order to pass the course. See 100 & 100R for additional exam requirements in 100R.

• If you are enrolled in 100R, see 100 & 100R for requirements in the 099 or “reading” portion of the course.

• The lowest passing grade for any essay, and for the course, is a C.

• Students must keep all rough and final drafts in a folder, which teachers will collect for “folder review” twice during the semester.

• Students must demonstrate solid reading comprehension, competence in presenting a coherent project in writing, solid paragraph structure, paragraph development in the service of the project, appropriate and relevant use of quotation, the ability to revise their own papers in the drafting process, and basic sentence-level clarity and correctness.

Standard Policies:

While individual instructors are free to set some course policies, all Writing Program teachers must follow some standard rules:

• Your final grade for the course will reflect the level of achievement you can sustain at the end of the term. It will not be based on an average of all your grades.

• Attendance at all classes is expected. After four absences in 100—or five absences in 100R—you risk failing the course. These absences should cover sickness and documented emergencies.

• During the add/drop period, it is possible to move from one section of 100 to another section of 100, or from one section of 100R to another section of 100R. It is not possible to move from a 100R to a 100 section or to drop either Basic Composition or Basic Composition with Reading. This is a required course. If you placed into 100R, you must register for 100R. If you have any questions about registration policies, you should see a Writing Program Director on your campus or the dean of your college.

• Students must review and abide by the University’s code on plagiarism.

• Teachers may penalize late drafts and late papers.

• ALL GRADES ARE SUBJECT TO DEPARTMENTAL REVIEW.

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