Instructor: Tiffany Charleston

Email: charlestontn@lamarpa.edu

Phone: +1 409-984-6419

Office Hours: MW: 11am-1:30pm; 3pm- 5pm. R: 11am-5pm

Additional Contact Information: Email me at any time.

Intensive study of and practice in writing processes, from invention and researching to drafting, revising, and editing, both individually and collaboratively. Emphasis on effective rhetorical choices, including audience, purpose, arrangement, and style. Focus on writing the academic essay as a vehicle for learning, communicating, and critical analysis.

There are no textbook purchases required; I will use multiple open-source textbook chapters instead.

Textbook Purchasing Statement: A student attending Lamar State College Port Arthur is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer.

-Bring paper and a pen/pencil to class.

-Internet access is required for completion of Blackboard assignments.

ENGL-0302 College Reading Skills

ENGL-0317 Developmental Writing II

ENGL-0327 Integrated Reading and Writing

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes.

Develop ideas with appropriate support and attribution.

Write in a style appropriate to audience and purpose.

Read, reflect, and respond critically to a variety of texts.

Use Edited American English in academic essays. 

* Communication skills: Students will demonstrate effective written, oral and visual communication.

* Critical Thinking Skills: Students will engage in creative and/or innovative thinking, and/or inquiry, analysis, evaluation, synthesis of information, organizing concepts and constructing solutions.

* Teamwork: Students will demonstrate the ability to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal and consider different points of view.

* Personal Responsibility: Students will demonstrate the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making.

• What is academic writing?
• MLA Format
• Summary Strategy
• Responding to a Text
• Rhetorical Analysis
• Strengthening Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences
• Organizing an Essay
• Generating Content
• Peer-review Conduct
• How to Argue in an Essay
• Scholarly Research

Essay 1: Introduction Letter

Essay 2: Summary/Response

Essay 3: Rhetorical Analysis

Essay 4: Argumentative Essay

Essay 5: Writing for the Future

Our last essay should be due 12/06/2026 at 11:59PM.

90 - 100=A 80 - 89=B 70 - 79=C 60 - 69=D Below 59 = F

Essay 1 - 10%

Essay 2 - 20%

Essay 3 - 20%

Essay 4 - 20%

Essay 5 - 10%

Misc. Assignments - 20%

Late work policy:

No late work will be accepted UNLESS you contact me beforehand. If you’re ill or unable to complete your work for any reason, contact me and ask for an extension. Communication is an important skill to develop! Shoot me an email.

That being said, I might still grade your work if it is turned in before I catch up on grading.

AI Policy:

Disingenuous usages of AI will be penalized. Do not use AI to generate your writing. You may use AI to check your grammar. Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. I will give you a zero on your first instance of plagiarism or cheating and further academic penalties might be applied.

Personal Policy:

I am a friendly person who is quite animated. I enjoy getting along with my classes, but I will still fail students even if I like them as people. So please, turn in your work!

Attendance is mandatory for this course. If you're going to miss our course, make a plan with a peer to find out what you missed.

Be sure to check your campus email and Course Homepage using MyLSCPA campus web portal. You can also access your grades, transcripts, academic advisors, degree progress, and other services through MyLSCPA.

Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSCPA policies (Academic Dishonesty section in the Student Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Accessibility Services Coordinator, Room 119, in the Ruby Fuller Building. The phone number is (409) 984-6241.

No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. Use of electronic devices is prohibited.

This syllabus is part of LSCPA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.

As per Texas law and LSCPA policy, all LSCPA employees, including faculty, are required to report allegations or disclosures of child abuse or neglect to the designated authorities, which may include a local or state law enforcement agency or the Texas Department of Family Protective Services. For more information about mandatory reporting requirements, see LSCPA's Policy and Procedure Manual.

LSCPA is committed to establishing and maintaining an environment that is free from all forms of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual violence, and other forms of sexual misconduct. All LSCPA employees, including faculty, have the responsibility to report disclosures of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault (including rape and acquaintance rape), domestic violence, dating violence, relationship violence, or stalking, to LSCPA's Title IX Coordinator, whose role is to coordinate the college's response to sexual misconduct. For more information about Title IX protections, faculty reporting responsibilities, options for confidential reporting, and the resources available for support visit LSCPA's Title IX website.

For more information about the Clery Act and crime reporting, see the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report and the Campus Security website.

If you have a grievance, complaint, or concern about this course that has not been resolved through discussion with the Instructor, please consult the Department Chair.