CRN 83618 Transitional Studies (TRST 1324)

Academic Writing 1

Course Information

Beginning course in writing with emphasis on sentence mechanics and paragraph development.

Class Meetings

Hybrid (on Canvas and In person) - This class is 16 weeks and requires in-person meetings and the use of Canvas. In-person meetings will take place on Thursdays from 10:40 am to 1:00 pm at Mission Campus (Room 214).

Class Dates: 09/02/25-12/19/25 Modules open on Mondays, but we'll meet on Thursdays. You will be expected to complete some work BEFORE our weekly meeting.

Student Learning Outcomes

Identify and use the basic structure of words and sentences as well as rules of mechanics to improve sentence writing.
Write topic sentences that have an effective controlling idea.
Compose major/minor supporting details to develop topic sentences.
Use the writing process to compose short paragraphs for distinct purposes.

Important Dates

First Day of Class 09/2/25 (Module 0) & 9/4/25 (first day IN class)

Midterm Week October 14 - 18

Thanksgiving, NO CLASS 11/27/25

Last Day of Class 12/18/25

Course Expectations

You will have regular classwork each day. A new module will open every Monday. You will have 1 week to complete each module.
You will spend 10 hours a week doing classwork, so set aside time each week to do so.
We won’t be using a textbook. All of the readings will be in the modules or will be a book borrowed from the library.

Course Technology

Canvas

You will use the Canvas Learning Management system [for assignment instructions, submitting assignments, viewing classmates' work, sharing resources, and viewing grades].

I can help with the course material and with some Canvas issues. But, if you need help uploading an assignment or with the mechanics of Canvas, Canvas chat will be of great help to you.

CityZoom Video Conferencing

Request a meeting from me for 1:1 support.

Required Software

Dropping the Class

If you decide to discontinue this course, it is your responsibility to officially drop it. Also, for several consecutive, unexplained absences, the instructor may drop a student.

Attendance

Students who fail to attend the first class or do not log in to an online class after the first week and participate in a learning activity will be dropped from the class. It is strongly advised that if you need to miss more than one class/homework deadline in a row that you contact me to avoid being dropped from the class.

Late Policy

All assignments are due at 11:59 p.m. PST on the due date. Submissions more than one week late are not accepted without prior arrangement.

Standards of Conduct

Students who register in CCSF classes are required to abide by the CCSF Student Code of Conduct. Violation of the code is basis for referral to the Student Conduct Coordinator or dismissal from class or from the College. See the Office of Student Affairs.

Collaborating on or copying of tests or homework in whole or in part will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and result in a grade of 0 for that test or assignment. I encourage students to share information and ideas, but not their work. See these links on Plagiarism:

Encourage Academic Integrity and Prevent Plagiarism

Citing Information Sources

Student Expectations

You will succeed in this course if you meet the following expectations:

Complete the assigned activities. Please let me know as soon as you can concerning difficulties you may have in getting assignments in on time.
Complete the discussion posts and replies within the given window of time. Our discussions are much more vibrant when we all participate!
Complete the weekly quizzes, the final project, and the final exam on time.
Think critically about the weekly topics. Is something surprising? Is it new to you? How does it contrast with what you know about XYZ, or how does it compare to ABC?
Do your own and your best work.

Grading

Methods of Evaluation

Each week you will work through the module and complete the reading and other assignments. As you move through the module, you may ask me or other students for clarification. There will be time in each class to clarify assignments, ask questions, and to learn new content.

Exams

There will be online quizzes throughout the course. The material comes from the readings, class lectures, and supplemental materials. If an exam is missed, a zero will be recorded as the score. It is your responsibility to take the online exams by the due date. You will have 3 attempts on each quiz.

Grading Policy

Visit the “Grades” in Canvas to keep track of your grades. I grade as often as I can and post grades and comments on the online Canvas gradebook.

How do I view my grades, teacher comments, and an assignment rubric as a student?

Grades will be assigned as follows:

Grading

Letter Grade	Percent
A	90% - 100%
B	80% - 89%
C	70% - 79%
D	60% - 69%
F or FW	<60%

An “F” grade indicates that a student attended, participated, and completed the course but failed to master the course curriculum.

Academic Accommodations

If you need classroom or testing accommodations because of a disability, or have emergency medical information to share with me, or need special arrangements in case the building needs to be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible.

Students seeking disability-related accommodations are encouraged to also register with Disabled Students Programs and Services located in Room 161 at the Mission Center (1125 Valencia Street, Room 161, San Francisco, CA 94110)

(415) 920-6038. Please see the DSPS website (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. for more information and alternate locations.

The DSPS office at Mission Center is staffed only part of the week.

To make an appointment, you can also call the DSPS main number at 415-452-5481 and let the front desk staff person know that you want an appointment at the Mission Center.