Summer 2008

Dear Internet Student,

Welcome to English Composition 101 on the Web! By enrolling in this class, you have made a commitment to higher education that requires self-motivation and discipline beyond that which is demanded by traditional classroom instruction. Your success in this class is largely dependent on honoring this commitment. Please take the following quiz to learn about what is required for online students http://uva-weblearn.net/distance-quiz.asp
This quiz is largely informative, so be sure to submit it for online grading and feedback.

This section of English 101 is also a "topics" course, entitled "Voices of the Big River": This course will focus on the diversity in the American culture, with special focus on the unique work of writers of the southwest and Mexico, particularly Sandra Cisneros (author of House on Mango Street and Woman Hollering Creek, and Rudolfo Anaya (author of Bless Me Ultima). Their "exquisite prose and wondrous storytelling" express the combination of the Chicano-American cultures.

The section in which you have enrolled will have an online orientation. While you are waiting for classes begin, please go to the WebCT/Blackboard page from the campus homepage http://www.stchas.edu/

Read over the information posting there: "Getting Started on WebCT/Blackboard" and "The Student Guide to WebCT/Blackboard." WebCT/Blackboard courses will not be available to students until five working days prior to the start of the semester.

The required texts are Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for CriticalThinkingand Writing 7th edition by Colombo, Cullen, and Lisle, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, Bless Me Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya, and the Brief Thomson Handbook, as well as the local English Department Handbook. For information on purchasing your textbooks by telephone, call the bookstore at 636-922-8431. You may pay by VISA, MasterCard, or Discover. Special arrangements can be made to purchase books with a mailed check. There is an additional $5.00 charge to cover shipping.

The class will follow a schedule similar to an on site course. Please log on at least 4-5 times a week (this is a form of attendance) and keep up with class assignments. You will post assignments and interact with other students through the Internet site. The course outline of dates is on the posted syllabus and calendar. We expect that both your writing skills and your computer literacy will improve during the course of the semester; however, you must have some basic computer skills in order to work successfully in this class.

If you have questions, feel free to contact me at 636-922-8574 or by e-mail at the following address: gfeng-checkett@stchas.edu. I look forward to meeting you online.