The search is on for the best writing student writing of 2023-2024. This contest is open to all classes at Moorpark College.  The English Department awards prizes for Expository/First-Person Narrative Writing, Literary Analysis (analytical study of a work of fiction), Critical Analysis (analytical study of a work of non-fiction), and Research.  Nominated essays will also be considered for publication in the Moorpark College Student Essay Anthology. We strongly encourage essay submissions from fields other than English as well. Here are the details:

The professor: 1. Nominates the outstanding essay. 2. Informs the student to fill out the  Student Writing Awards Application Form 2024-2025 (see above).  3. Informs the student ALSO to apply for The Moorpark College Foundation Scholarship. 4. Submits the following: -The essay (in .pdf, .doc, or .docx form ONLY) at mswa@vcccd.edu.                AND -The Student Writing Awards Application Form 2024-2025 (signed and completed by the student) at mswa@vcccd.edu in the same message with the name of the student and the mode of the essay in the subject line. Again: Please formally nominate the student(s) in question. Note: the student must be either continuing at Moorpark College or transferring to a university in Fall 2025. Many students self-nominate and many faculty submit incomplete submissions! These instructions are crafted to ensure successful submission, so please follow them closely. The committee wants to accept your student's work!  To ensure complete comprehension: 1. Students cannot send in their own essay. 2. Faculty forward BOTH the nominated essay and the Student Writing Awards Application Form 2024-2025 in the SAME email that nominates the student in question. 3. Remind the student to apply for the Moorpark College Foundation Scholarship. 4. The student's name and the mode of their submission should appear in the subject line.   Out of fairness to all who work hard to meet the deadline, late submissions will NOT be accepted. Submit early! Incomplete submissions will NOT be accepted or forwarded to committee members. The committee can no longer request faculty members to send in missing documents or to reformat attachments with faulty formats, nor can it inform faculty that documents are missing.   Deadline: Noon, Monday, December 16, 2024, but undertake these steps now!

The student: 1. Applies for the Moorpark College Foundation Scholarship. 2.Forwards the nominated essay (in .pdf, .doc, or .docx form ONLY - no other formats!) to their professor. 3. Forwards the signed and completed Student Writing Awards Application Form 2024-2025 (see above) to the professor. 4. Ensures that the nominated essay and the signed and completed Student Writing Awards Application Form 2024-2025 are in the SAME email.  5. Ensures that their full name and the mode of their submission is in the subject line of their email to the nominating faculty member. Should the submission be a combination of modes, the students should indicate the primary one. Note that incomplete submissions will not be forwarded to committee members. Understand too that the committee will no longer reach out to faculty members with requests for missing documents, reformatted attachments, etc. There will be no exceptions for anyone. Please submit all requested items the first time. Note that a hard-copy version of the submission form is not necessary. Deadline: Noon, Monday, December 16, 2024, but undertake these steps now!

Sage Publications, an independent international publisher of journals, books, and electronic media located in the Conejo Valley, generously supports the Student Writing Awards with an annual grant of $1,000, which is divided among winning entries.

The Best of SEA Magazine, 2015-2020, is a newly published anthology containing the finest research essays, narrative non-fiction essays, and literary analysis essays produced by students at Moorpark College. Enjoy! 

ENGLISH 10A  Workshop format. Concentrates on the techniques of writing fiction and poetry through the production of original works followed by discussion and analysis. Applies to the Associate Degree. Transfer credit: CSU; UC. CAN: ENGL 6

ENGLISH 10B  Introduces advanced study of literary forms, emphasizing prose and poetry through practice, discussion and analysis. May be taken two (2) times for credit. Applies to the Associate Degree. Transfer credit: CSU; UC

ENGLISH 47  Provides instruction in editing and publication of a creative arts magazine and other types of student writing projects. Includes reading, evaluating, editing, and producing literary manuscripts for publication in a variety of formats.  Applies to the Associate Degree. Transfer credit: CSU

ENGLISH 47L  Provides practical experience in editing and producing literary manuscripts for publication in a creative arts magazine and in other types of student writing projects in a variety of formats. May be taken two (2) times for credit. Applies to the Associate Degree. Transfer credit: CSU

THE MOORPARK REVIEW is an award-winning literary journal produced by Moorpark College students.  Each Spring, the review publishes original fiction and poetry from Moorpark students, faculty, staff, and alumni.  

For more information, contact Jerry Mansfield.

The English Department Scholarship, funded by donations from English faculty, celebrates the outstanding achievement of Moorpark College students in English. The recipient will receive a check for a minimum of $500 at the annual scholarship ceremony.

This award does not replace or duplicate the Student Writing Awards, funded by Sage Publications, which specifically reward fine writing. Instead, this scholarship recognizes a student’s overall high quality in a range of English classes, including grades, class participation, commitment to English as a field of study, and writing.

Criteria:

• a minimum of 30 units, of which at least 24 must be completed at Moorpark;
• a minimum of 12 units in English completed at Moorpark, including at least one advanced literature course (above M01B) or one creative writing course;
• a minimum 3.2 GPA overall, with 3.5 in English classes

Process:

• Faculty notifies student of nomination and gives him/her information and deadlines.
• Faculty nominates outstanding student in a letter of reference (students do not apply), including
  • student’s class participation and leadership,
  • quality of writing,
  • any special strengths in English,
  • other relevant supporting information.
• Student writes a personal essay (two pages, double-spaced), discussing his/her interest in English, plans for further education and career, and any other relevant information.
• Student submits unofficial transcript verifying criteria.
• Faculty fills out application and forwards packet to department chair. 

Judging:

A panel of three or more instructors will read and rank the applications. The department chair will compile the rankings and forward winner(s) to the Scholarship Office. Student must attend the scholarship ceremony to receive the award.

Timeline:

Wed. March 31: Student submits essay and unofficial transcript to nominating instructor.

Wed. April 7: Instructor forwards application form, letter of recommendation, student essay, and transcript to judging committee via email.

Fri. April 16:  Recipient’s name submitted to Scholarship Office.

Sat. May 15:  Awards ceremony (online); recipient should plan to attend the ceremony.

Application

Student Information:

Student’s name: ____________________________________________

ID number: ________________________________________________

Email address: _____________________________________________

Telephone number: _________________________________________

Faculty Information:

Nominating faculty name: ____________________________________

Telephone number: _________________________________________

Signature and date: _________________________________________

This application contains:

•   Application (this form)
•   Letter of reference from nominating faculty
•   Student’s personal essay
•   Unofficial transcript

English Department Scholarship

Information for Student Nominee

Congratulations! You have been nominated for an English Department Scholarship by your instructor. Just being nominated for this award is an honor; in addition, winners will receive a $1000 scholarship, which must (for tax reasons) be used for tuition or textbooks.

In order to qualify for this scholarship you must meet the following criteria:

• a minimum of 30 units, of which at least 24 must be completed at Moorpark;
• a minimum of 12 units in English completed at Moorpark, including at least one advanced literature course (above M01B) or one creative writing course;
• a minimum 3.2 GPA overall, with 3.5 in English classes.

Your instructor will write a letter of recommendation describing your class participation and leadership, your writing, and your special strengths in English.

In addition, you need to provide:

•   a personal essay (two pages, double-spaced), which should give a clear idea of your special interest in English, your plans for further education and career, and any other information you consider relevant.
•   an unofficial transcript that verifies the units and GPA above.

Again, congratulations on your nomination for this scholarship.

Timeline:

Wed. March 31: Student submits essay and unofficial transcript to nominating instructor.

Wed. April 7: Instructor forwards application form, letter of recommendation, student essay, and transcript to judging committee via email.

Fri. April 16: Recipient’s name submitted to Scholarship Office.

Sat. May 15: Awards ceremony (online); recipient should plan to attend the ceremony.

Congratulations to our English Department Scholarship recipients! 

 

2022-2023 Winner

• Casey Bisetti

2021-2022 Winners

• Brady Flavin
• Sarah Gyurkovitz
• Timothy Miller

These criteria apply to typical papers in English composition and literature courses. These standards do not consider a student's effort or ability; they apply only to the finished paper itself. Instructor may consider the context of the paper (type/level of the course, point in the semester, in-class preparation, focus of the assignment) in assigning a grade.

The grading criteria documents  may be accessed below (MSWord versions may take a moment to load)

NARRATIVE FORMAT                             

Standard Grading Criteria

Grading Criteria for Expository Essays with Source Citations

Grading Criteria for Literary Analysis

CHART FORMAT

Standard Grading Criteria

Grading Criteria for Expository Essays with Source Citations

Grading Criteria for Literary Analysis

Sample Essays

The following examples demonstrate some of the qualities of a well-written essay.  The sample papers include comments from an instructor, detailing the strengths and weaknesses of each paragraph.   The English M01A paper features well-developed paragraphs, logical argumentation, and reliable sources.  
 

English M01A - Sample Paper

MSWord Version

PDF Version

This page is designed to provide assistance to faculty, both in and out of the classroom. The links below will give you information on how the department functions and the resources that are available to you.

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT HANDBOOK

The purpose of this handbook is to give faculty information on how the Department functions and what resources are available to them. If you have questions, call the Division Office (ext 1443), Sydney Sims, the Department Chair (ext 4730), or your assigned mentor. Complete information is available in the Moorpark College Catalog, the Schedule of Classes, and your contract.

Additionally, faculty can download various forms, get college updates, and access class rosters, by going to MyVCCCD.    

DIVISION OFFICE OPERATIONS

The Division Office is open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM; the extension is 1443.

The Division Dean is Monica Garcia. Her Administrative Assistant is Christie Rossi (ext 4928). If you have clerical requests for the Division Office, please allow three working days. 

Please respond quickly to messages and requests for information. Returning forms in a timely manner reduces delays on important projects. If your phone number, address, or e-mail address changes, notify the office immediately so that we can get information to you quickly and accurately.  

DUPLICATING RESOURCES

The copy center is located in the Student Center. You have access to two copy machines on a walk-in basis (the Division Office will assign you an auditron number). Alternatively, you may submit a Xerox Request form to have the copy staff complete jobs for you. The Xerox Request forms are available in the copy center. Requests should be made at least 48 hours in advance.

FACULTY OFFICE HOURS

Full-time instructors are obligated to hold one office hour per week for every class taught, with at least one office hour on every teaching day. Please turn in the Office Hour Card to the Division Office and post your hours on your office door. Adjunct instructors are paid for one office hour per semester. Currently, there is no dedicated office space for adjuncts, but many full-time instructors are willing to share their offices. Please let the Department Chair know if you would like to share space.

Each instructor will be assigned a campus voice-mailbox. Check your mailbox frequently so accumulated messages don't clog the system.  A list of voice-mail numbers for all English faculty can be found on the English Department website.

TEXTBOOKS

English instructors may choose textbooks that reflect their own strengths and interests. Sample textbooks are located in the Division Office, and there is a list of texts by various instructors for each course. NOTE: do not use the same textbook for developmental (03,02) and transfer level (1A) courses.  Faculty textbook adoptions are made through the Moorpark campus bookstore via Faculty Enlight.  Desk copies should be ordered directly from the TEXTBOOK SALES REPRESENTATIVES.

SYLLABI

During the first week of classes, give your students a syllabus that includes:

● A chronology of learning activities

● Due dates for papers, projects, and assignments

● A clear statement of your grading policies

 ● A clear statement of your attendance policy. The college policy (yours may differ) is that students who are absent 1/9 of the total number of class hours may be dropped. 

● A statement about ACCESS (Disabled Student Services).   Sample statement

● Some words of wisdom about classroom civility and respect for diversity

● Course objectives that reflect those found in the Course Outline of Record

CLASS ROSTERS

 Rosters for your classes can be downloaded through MyVCCCD.

SUBSTITUTES

If you need a substitute, please make arrangements with a colleague and inform the Division Office of the substitution; otherwise we can arrange one for you. If you arrange a trade or courtesy sub, please get prior approval. There is a general policy that classes in which students miss many hours need to be covered; however, a single-hour class meeting may just be canceled. Final determination will be made by the Dean.

EVALUATIONS

All instructors are evaluated every six semesters (excluding summer) by a committee consisting of the Dean, the Chair, and a peer in the discipline (full- or part-time) selected by the evaluatee. The committee members visit the classes and discuss their observations with the evaluatee.

All instructors are evaluated by the students of one preparation each semester. The Division Office will send out forms and instructions for this evaluation.

SCHEDULING

Fall, Spring, and Summer schedules are planned by the Department Chair to meet students' requirements. We try to accommodate faculty preferences and requests within the constraints of classes and hours that generate the best enrollments and use of available rooms.

FLEX ACTIVITIES

Instructors are paid for a certain number of hours of professional development per semester; you are therefore obligated to complete those hours. The Flex Day Committee schedules activities during the week before classes and throughout the semester; you may choose to do these or other professional development activities as part of your flex time. Full-time faculty are obligated for 36 hours a year, including participation in the Mandatory Flex Day at the beginning of the Fall semester. Part-time faculty (except those teaching only late-start classes) are obligated for flex hours equal to their normal weekly teaching load (thus, if you teach 6 hours a week, you need to complete 6 hours of flex activities).

All flex activities need to be recorded on a Flex Activity Form and submitted to the Division Office by the end of the Spring semester.

PROBLEM STUDENTS

If you have difficulties with a student and need an administrator's assistance, the official procedure is to first seek the assistance of the Division Dean. If the issue cannot be resolved at that level, it should be taken to the Behavior Assessment & Care (BAC) Team.

PAPERWORK

Please be conscientious in fulfilling your contract obligation to turn in final grades within 48 hours of you last final exam. Late grade submissions create hardship for students in registration and transfer.

COMMITTEE SERVICE

Full-time instructors are expected to serve on College and Department Committees. Standing committees include Academic Senate, Campus Environment, Course Learning Outcomes, Curriculum, District Council on Student Learning Fiscal Planning, Safety, Staff Development, Student Learning Outcomes, Student Success, Student Service Council, Technology, LLR, and Wellness. If you have an interest in one of these committees, please notify the Dean. Part-time instructors are invited (though not expected) to participate in committees. 

TRAVEL AND CONFERENCES

Faculty can apply for funds up to $500 to attend a conference; the $100 per faculty member that VCCCD allocates for faculty travel is currently pooled. If a faculty member does not want to apply for the $500, and just use the $100 allocation, they must opt out of this "pool." The form for opting out is on the Professional Development website.

STAFF RESOURCE CENTER

Downstairs in the Library, the SRC has computers (PCs and Macs), VCRs, a laminator, and other resources available for staff use.

OFFICIAL COURSE OUTLINES

Make sure your syllabi are in accord with the Official Course Outlines for the classes you are teaching. Outlines for English 1A, 1B, and 1C are available on the English Department website. You can also get them from the Division Office, MCShare, or from the Curriculum Representative.

SELF-PLACEMENT AND PREREQUISITES

The English Department does not use a placement test; instead, students choose their own entry-level class after completing a Self-Placement Guide (Appendix 1). They do this either during orientation or on their own through Counseling; it takes about 20 minutes. Most higher-level English classes have a prerequisite of 1A, which is also electronically enforced.

ADDING STUDENTS

English 1A, 1B, and 1C are capped at 27. We encourage you to add a few students at the beginning of the semester to make up for predictable drops. However, adding more than a few jeopardizes our class caps, throws off the fall/spring scheduling balance, and compromises quality of instruction—not to mention your sanity. In any case, you may not add more than your room can hold.

Students may drop and add classes at will within the first few weeks of the semester (deadlines are printed in the Schedule of Classes). If a class is full, students need to get an authorization code from the instructor.

ATTENDANCE POLICY (see also "SYLLABI")

According to the Catalog, "when a student's absence exceeds in number 1/9 of the total class contact hours (in a full-semester class, absences equal to twice the number of hours the class meets per week), the instructor may, after due warning, request that Admissions and Records drop the student from the class." It is wise to establish a clear attendance policy in your syllabus, announce it at the beginning of the semester, and follow it consistently.

PAPER GRADING STANDARDS

The Department has recently adopted a common set of standards, or "rubric," for grading papers.  Your use of these standards is optional. You may wish to distribute them to your students along with your syllabus.

MENTORING

New part-time instructors are assigned an informal mentor from among the long-term members of the faculty. Your mentor is available to answer questions and provide moral support; you may also wish to attend each other's classes and discuss teaching techniques.

MOORPARK REVIEW AND THE STUDENT ESSAY ANTHOLOGY

Send your good writers to Tracy Tennenhouse (ext 4737) for publication in our literary magazine.  Fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, and art are accepted.

STUDENT WRITING AWARDS

Save your best student writing to submit for a Departmental award in the spring. Sona Dombourian organizes the committee to judge the entries, choose the awards, and solicit contributions.

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT SCHOLARSHIP

The English Department Scholarship, funded by donations from English faculty, celebrates the outstanding achievement of Moorpark College students in English. The recipient will receive a check for a minimum of $500 at the annual scholarship ceremony.

FACULTY MEETINGS

Meetings are usually held on the fourth Thursday of each month at 3:30.

DEPARTMENT WEBSITE

Ryan Kenedy (ext 4890) maintains the English Department website. Please contact him about content or links.

 

History of Website Administration

 

Ryan Kenedy is the current web administrator. He updates and edits the website (Fall 2014-Present). He uploaded it to a new platform (Summer 2020).  

Jerry Mansfield uploaded the website to a new platform (Summer 2008). He updated and edited the website (Fall 2008-Summer 2014). 

Kara Lybarger-Monson incorporated Nils’ content and created the rest of the website (Fall 2005-Spring 2006). It was published during the summer of 2006. She updated and edited the website with the assistance of Dean Adams, Webmaster (Fall 2006-Spring 2008). 

Nils Slattum initiated ideas and created content for the early stages of the website (Fall 2004-Spring 2005). 

Instructors should consult the official Course Outline of Record (COR) for the classes they are teaching and should include on their syllabi the COR's Course Objectives.  You can access the full list of COR's by clicking on the appropriate link below. 

English

ESL

Humanities

ENGL M01A: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Emphasizes expository writing that demonstrates the principles of thesis and support, logical organization and development, clear paragraph and sentence construction, control of diction, and command of the conventions of English usage. Develops research, documentation, analytical, and interpretive reading skills.  

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to

1. compose several expository papers from 2 to 7 pages long, totaling 5,000 words, employing such skills as: logical organization, control of diction, awareness of audience and purpose, and adherence to the conventions of academic prose. 

2. compose timed essay examinations with clear thesis, logical organization, convincing arguments, and specific supporting detail.

3. organize and compose a 5-7 page research paper incorporating and accurately documenting a variety of appropriate source materials.

4. analyze a variety of essays and at least one book-length work.

5. demonstrate critical thinking skills in oral and written discussion of assigned readings.

6. identify and assess the main idea of essays and write clear, relevant responses in informal journal entries and formal essays with a clear statement of thesis, focus, or controlling idea.

7. utilize the stages of the writing process: generating ideas, drafting, revising, and editing. 

8. develop paragraphs which incorporate appropriate rhetorical strategies, effective transitions, and convincing support.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. write a thesis-driven essay that is clearly organized, supported by relevant evidence, uses academic prose, and follows up-to-date MLA citation conventions.

2. demonstrate critical reading, writing, thinking, and research skills through analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of a variety of material encompassing varying viewpoints.

 

ENGL M01AH: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Emphasizes expository writing and research, demonstrating principles of thesis and support, rhetorical organization, control of diction, clear sentence and paragraph construction, and command of the conventions of English usage. Develops analytical and interpretive reading skills. Honors work challenges students to be more analytical and creative through expanded assignments, real-world applications and enrichment opportunities.

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to

1. compose several expository papers from 2 to 8 pages long, totaling 6,000 words, employing such skills as: use of the stages of the writing process (generating ideas, drafting, revising, and editing); awareness of audience and purpose; clear statement of thesis, focus, or controlling idea; logical organization; full and convincing development of ideas, including appropriate rhetorical strategies, paragraph construction, effective transitions, and convincing support; control of diction; adherence to the conventions of academic prose.
2. compose timed essay examinations with clear thesis, logical organization, convincing arguments, and specific supporting detail.
3. organize and compose a 6-8 page research paper incorporating and accurately documenting a variety of appropriate source materials.
4. analyze a variety of essays and at least one book-length work.
5. demonstrate critical thinking skills in oral and written discussion of assigned readings.
6. identify and assess the main idea of essays and write clear, relevant responses in informal journal entries and formal essays with a clear statement of thesis, focus, or controlling idea
7. utilize the stages of the writing process: generating ideas, drafting, revising, and editing. 
8. develop paragraphs which incorporate appropriate rhetorical strategies, effective transitions, and convincing support.
9. HONORS: demonstrate critical thinking in class participation and expository writing assignments related to substantial readings in select primary sources, perhaps involving book-length selections of non-fiction centered on one particular focus or theme.
10. HONORS: interpret and present the results of research and/or close, careful reading of primary texts, perhaps centered on one particular focus or theme. Findings may be presented in a public forum such as a lecture, Internet posting or literary magazine.
11. HONORS: take a leadership role in class discussions, oral reports, peer groups, panel presentations, and similar projects.
12. HONORS: exhibit independent and creative thought by successfully completing assigned class projects and written work.
13. HONORS: demonstrate an increased sensitivity to issues of ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, and age in accordance with the theme of the course.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. write a thesis-driven essay that is clearly organized, supported by relevant evidence, uses academic prose, and follows up-to-date MLA citation conventions.

2. demonstrate critical reading, writing, thinking, and research skills through analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of a variety of material encompassing varying viewpoints.

 

ENGL M01B: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Develops critical thinking and writing skills in close textual analysis of issues and themes in fiction, poetry, and drama as well as in non-fictional literature and literary criticism. Reviews deductive and inductive reasoning, recognition and avoidance of logical fallacies, and relationships between language and meaning while emphasizing detailed critical analysis.  

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. select evidence from a text to identify and respond to genre, plot, setting, point of view, characters, tone, style, and theme of a literary work.

2. demonstrate an understanding of literary elements (such as theme and tone) using appropriate literary terms.

3. develop and test hypotheses about the relationship of form and content in writing by recognizing the implications of literary forms and language patterns.

4. explain how fiction, drama, and poetry reflect the author's cultural, moral, gender-based, psychological, and philosophical assumptions.

5. evaluate various sources to interpret literature and create original arguments.

6. identify the structure and main points of the literary critical essay.

7. distinguish between fact and opinion and recognize a critic's individual and cultural perspective and bias.

8. apply critical thinking concepts and terms to connect evidence to logical conclusions.

9. distinguish among fact, inference, and judgment in drawing conclusions.

10. identify rhetorical strategies and recognize formal and informal logical fallacies.

11. compose essays, totaling 5,000 words, that effectively employ writing strategies appropriate to the course.

12. produce a 5-7 page research paper, demonstrating familiarity with research techniques, note-taking, organization, and documentation using current MLA guidelines.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. identify elements of literature in a specific work--character, setting, theme, plot, etc.--and explain their significance to the work.
2. demonstrate advanced critical reading, writing, thinking, and research skills through interpretation, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of a variety of material encompassing varying viewpoints. 

 

ENGL M01BH: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Develops critical thinking and writing skills in close textual analysis of issues and themes in fiction, poetry, and drama as well as in non-fictional literature and literary criticism. Reviews deductive and inductive reasoning, recognition and avoidance of logical fallacies, and relationships between language and meaning while emphasizing detailed critical analysis. Honors work challenges students to be more analytical and creative through expanded assignments, real-world applications and enrichment opportunities.

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to

1. select evidence from a text to identify and respond to plot, setting, point of view, characters, tone, style, and theme of a literary work.
2. demonstrate an understanding of literary elements (such as theme and tone) using appropriate literary terms.
3. develop and test hypotheses about the relationship of form and content in writing by recognizing the implications of literary forms and language patterns.
4. explain how fiction, drama, and poetry reflect the author's cultural, moral, gender-based, psychological, and philosophical assumptions.
5. evaluate various sources to interpret literature and create original arguments.
6. identify the structure and main points of the literary critical essay.
7. distinguish between fact and opinion and recognize a critic's individual and cultural perspective and bias. 
8. apply critical thinking concepts and terms to connect evidence to logical conclusions.
9. distinguish among fact, inference, and judgment in drawing conclusions.
10. identify rhetorical strategies and recognize formal and informal logical fallacies.
11. compose essays, totaling 6,000 words, that effectively employ writing strategies appropriate to the course.
12. produce a 6-8 page research paper, demonstrating familiarity with research techniques, note-taking, organization, and documentation using current MLA guidelines.
13. HONORS: arrange and present the results of their semester’s work in various forms, such as oral presentations, multimedia formats, written essays, creative interpretations, and Internet postings to the general public.
14. HONORS: demonstrate independent and creative thought in the successful completion of assigned projects and written work.
15. HONORS: produce writing assignments that total a minimum 6,000 words during the course of the semester.
16. HONORS: demonstrate in-depth insight and analysis in their written work, reflecting an advanced understanding of the subject.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. identify elements of literature in a specific work--character, setting, theme, plot, etc.--and explain their significance to the work.
2. demonstrate advanced critical reading, writing, thinking, and research skills through interpretation, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of a variety of material encompassing varying viewpoints.

 

ENGL M01C: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Develops advanced skills in critical thinking, reading, and writing. Focuses primarily on the analysis and evaluation of non-fiction works to develop logical reasoning as well as analytical and argumentative writing skills.  

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to

1. evaluate college-level material from a variety of sources, such as essays, fiction and nonfiction, digital sources and media presentations (e.g. political debates, ad campaigns, and case studies, etc.). 
2. distinguish among fact, opinion, belief, and prejudice and adequately evaluate the standards used when making these determinations. 
3. identify common formal and informal fallacies of language and thought and distinguish between denotative and connotative language as well as deductive and inductive reasoning. 
4. analyze assignments for underlying assumptions, valid arguments, logical structure, clear reasoning patterns, sound evidence, and rhetorical appeals (ethos, logos, and pathos), the aim being not only to identify these points in general occurrence but also to practice them effectively in his/her own work. 
5. practice research skills by finding outside sources, separating facts from opinion, drawing inferences, validating reliability. 
6. use outside sources to support the development of his/her own ideas and logical reasoning. 
7. compose essays, totaling 5,000 words, that effectively employ writing strategies appropriate to the course.
8. demonstrate effective verbal and written communication skills, assess the critical thinking skills in use, and interact and respond appropriately.
9. produce a 5-7 page research paper, demonstrating familiarity with research techniques, note-taking, organization, and documentation using current MLA guidelines.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. identify rhetorical elements in a specific work -- assumptions, argumentation, evidence, situation, appeals, etc. -- and explain their significance to the work.
2. demonstrate advanced critical reading, writing, thinking, and research skills through analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of a variety of material encompassing varying viewpoints. 

 

ENGL M01CH: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Develops advanced skills in critical thinking, reading, and writing. Focuses primarily on the analysis and evaluation of non-fiction works to develop logical reasoning as well as analytical and argumentative writing skills. Honors work challenges students to be more analytical and creative through expanded assignments, real-world applications and enrichment opportunities.  

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. evaluate college-level material from a variety of sources, such as essays, fiction, and media presentations (e.g., presidential debates, ad campaigns, etc.).
2. distinguish among fact, opinion, belief, and prejudice and adequately evaluate the standards used when making these determinations. 
3. identify common formal and informal fallacies of language and thought and distinguish between denotative and connotative language as well as deductive and inductive reasoning. 
4. analyze assignments for underlying assumptions, valid arguments, logical structure, clear reasoning patterns, sound evidence, and rhetorical appeals (ethos, logos, and pathos); the aim being not only to identify these points in general occurrence but also effectively to practice them in one’s own work in varied writing assignments designed to demonstrate growing levels of skill in these areas.
5. practice research skills by finding outside sources, separating facts from opinion, drawing inferences, validating reliability.
6. use outside sources to support the development of his/her own ideas and logical reasoning.
7. compose essays, totaling 6,000 words, that effectively employ writing strategies appropriate to the course.
8. demonstrate effective verbal and written communication skills, assess the critical thinking skills in use, and interact and respond appropriately.
9. HONORS: produce a 6-8 page research paper, demonstrating familiarity with research techniques, note-taking, organization, and documentation using current MLA guidelines.
10. HONORS: produce correct and articulate college-level English prose in all major assignments and work at an increasingly high level of sophistication in syntax and phrasing.
11. HONORS: demonstrate leadership in class discussions, oral reports, peer groups, panel presentations, and/or other similar projects. 
12. HONORS: demonstrate independent and creative thought in the successful completion of assigned class projects and written work. 
13. HONORS: demonstrate an increased sensitivity to issues involving differences of ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, and age--in accordance with the specific theme of the course. 
14. HONORS: produce writing assignments that total a minimum 6,000 words during the course of the semester. 

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. identify rhetorical elements in a specific work -- assumptions, argumentation, evidence, situation, appeals, etc. -- and explain their significance to the work.
2. demonstrate advanced critical reading, writing, thinking, and research skills through analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of a variety of material encompassing varying viewpoints.

 

ENGL M10A: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Introduces techniques for effective creative writing through writers’ workshop. Examines techniques in fiction and poetry writing, criticism, and revision through the production of original works followed by discussion and analysis.  

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. recognize effective creative writing.
2. analyze and explain the techniques used in his/her original writing.
3. apply techniques of effective revision that take into account an audience.
4. choose the best strategy regarding character, setting, style, and point of view in his/her original short stories.
5. choose the best strategy regarding various poetic devices in his/her original poetry.
6. present constructive and supportive criticism of others’ writing.
7. compile a representative portfolio of revised creative writing.
8. select original work for submission to a publisher of an on- or off-campus literary magazine.
9. present original work to a live audience.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. write a story that effectively creates conflict, crisis, climax, and resolution.

 

ENGL M10B: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Practices critique and revision of original work in poetry and fiction and stresses writing techniques useful for finding a voice. Introduces advanced study of literary forms, emphasizing prose and poetry through practice, discussion, and analysis with a goal of publication.  

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. recognize and differentiate between effective and ineffective creative writing.
2. recognize trends and practices in professional creative writing.
3. defend the techniques used in her/his own original writing.
4. apply techniques of effective revision that take into account an audience.
5. choose the best strategy regarding various literary devices in their genre of choice (for example, choices of setting and point of view in fiction; form and persona in poetry).
6. present written and oral constructive and supportive criticism of others’ writing.
7. select original work for submission to a publisher of an on- or off-campus literary magazine.
8. develop a “voice” specific to one of the two genres.
9. present his/her work to a live audience.
10. develop character, setting, style, and point of view in their original short stories.
11. recognize and articulate the principles of creative writing.
12. incorporate various poetic devices in their original poetry.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. demonstrate a personal writing style and use effective revision strategies in creative pieces.
2. use research to evaluate contemporary publishing opportunities alongside compiling a representative portfolio of revised creative writing.

 

ENGL M13A: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Surveys American fiction, non-fiction, and poetry from the colonial period to the end of the Civil War. Includes works of Bradstreet, Edwards, Franklin, Poe, Melville, Hawthorne, Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman, Dickinson, Equiano, and Stowe.  

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. describe the important works of major writers of American literature from 1600 to 1865.
2. describe the evolution of the aesthetics that make up the American sensibility of the period as reflected in its literature.
3. express the relationship between form and content, especially in early colonial literature with its theological, legal, and allegorical focus.
4.  demonstrate an understanding of the intellectual, historical, and critical issues of early American literature.
5. demonstrate skills in careful, active and interactive reading, critical analysis, and interpretation.
6. demonstrate an understanding of the works and a mastery of composition and critical thinking skills by writing approximately four essays on literary topics, totaling at least 5,000 words.
7. demonstrate an understanding of the works and an aptitude for oral communication through participation in the class.
8. describe the contributions of mult-ethnic and women writers of the period.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. identify and discuss important issues, themes, and historical and cultural contexts in the works of American literature in the period.

 

ENGL M13B: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Surveys American fiction, non-fiction, drama, and poetry from the post-Civil War era to the present. Includes works of Twain, Frost, Hemingway, Eliot, Hughes, Morrison, and selected other authors, poets, dramatists, and essayists.  

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. describe the important works of the major writers of American literature from 1865 to the present.
2. express the relationship between form and content in the literature of the period.
3. describe the evolution of the aesthetics that make up the American sensibility of the period as reflected in its literature.
4. demonstrate an understanding of the intellectual, historical, and critical issues of post-Civil War American literature.
5. demonstrate skills in careful, active and interactive reading, critical analysis, and interpretation.
6. communicate an understanding of the works and a mastery of composition and critical thinking skills by writing approximately four essays on literary topics, totaling at least 5,000 words.
7. communicate an understanding of the works and an aptitude for oral communication through active informal and/or formal verbal participation in the class.
8. describe the contributions of Native American, African-American, immigrant, and women writers of the period.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. identify and discuss important issues, themes, and historical and cultural contexts in the works of American literature in the period.

 

ENGL 14: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Introduces the study of poetry, emphasizing theme, imagery, figurative language, symbolism, rhythm, and diction. Includes poetry in English and in translation.

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. describe the forms and variety of poetic expression.

2. apply critical thinking skills to the understanding, interpretation, and analysis of poetry.

3. identify the form and content of a poem and recognize how they shape the poem's meaning.

4. recognize the significance of particular works in their biographical, historical, and cultural context.

5. assess the significance of particular works to contemporary culture and to the student's own experience.

6. demonstrate understanding of the works and a mastery of composition and critical thinking skills by writing approximately four analytical essays totaling at least 5,000 words.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. identify the form and features of a poem and explain how these impact the poem's meaning on its own and in relation to its biographical, historical, and cultural contexts.

 

ENGL M15A: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Surveys major works of British literature from the Anglo-Saxon period to the 18th century in their literary, historical, and cultural contexts. Includes selected works from Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, and other major authors.  

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to

1. demonstrate familiarity with the content and themes of major works of British literature from the Anglo-Saxon period through the 18th century.

2. relate the literature to its historical and cultural context, and demonstrate adequate understanding of the major traditions and genres of English literature.

3. explain the significance of the works to the life of their respective periods and to contemporary life.

4. demonstrate skills in careful, active reading, critical analysis, and interpretation.

5. demonstrate understanding of the works and a mastery of composition and critical thinking skills by writing approximately four analytical essays totaling at least 5,000 words.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. identify and discuss important issues, themes, and historical and cultural contexts in the works of British literature in the period

 

ENGL M15B: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Surveys major works of British literature from the Romantic period to the present in their literary, historical, and cultural contexts. Includes selected works of major Romantic, Victorian, and 20th- century writers.  

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. demonstrate familiarity with the content and themes of major works of British literature from the Romantic period to the present.
2. relate the literature to its historical and cultural milieu and demonstrate adequate understanding of the major traditions and genres of English literature.
3. express the significance of the works to the life of their respective periods and to contemporary life.
4. demonstrate skills in careful, active reading, critical analysis, and interpretation.
5. to demonstrate understanding of the works and a mastery of composition and critical thinking skills by writing approximately four analytical essays totaling at least 5,000 words.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. identify and discuss important issues, themes, and historical and cultural contexts in the works of British literature in the period.

 

ENGL M16: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Focuses on the analysis and interpretation of representative short stories and novels. Examines the connection between content and form in fiction, and compares/contrasts the approaches, content, and style among various writers, cultures, and time periods.

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. identify and analyze elements of fiction, including plot, character, setting, tone, point of view, theme, style, symbol, metaphor, irony, and imagery.

2. compare and contrast different authors’ treatments of theme, character, and subject matter.

3. examine literary criticism of assigned works and incorporate the criticism in writing assignments.

4. apply different critical approaches to a particular author or work.

5. reconstruct the historical development of the short story and the novel.

6. differentiate the conventions of sub-genres of fiction (e.g., romance, detective, horror, western, and science fiction).

7. compare and contrast different works of fiction, authors, and/or literary periods.

8. discuss social, historical, philosophical, cultural, psychological and aesthetic themes in fiction.

9. define several critical approaches to literature (Marxist, feminist, etc.) and apply them to specific works of fiction.

10. explain the significance of the works to the life of their respective periods and to contemporary life.

11. demonstrate understanding of the works and a mastery of composition and critical thinking skills by writing approximately four essays totaling at least 5,000 words.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

1. compare and contrast different authors’ treatments of theme, character, and subject matter using evidence and analyzing it from specific works.

 

ENGL M17: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Surveys several plays, including comedies, histories, tragedies, and problem plays. Discusses works of Shakespeare in their social context. Introduces the sonnets.

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. demonstrate familiarity with plots, main characters, and themes of 8-12 Shakespeare plays.
2. demonstrate understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare's sonnets' metrical and thematic devices.
3. demonstrate understanding of Shakespeare's language and poetic and dramatic devices.
4. demonstrate familiarity with Shakespeare's life and with some of the familial, social, religious, and political context of the Elizabethan period.
5. demonstrate critical judgment about the quality of Shakespeare's works and analyze their relevance to modern life.
6. demonstrate understanding of the works and a mastery of composition and critical thinking skills by writing approximately four analytical essays totaling at least 5,000 words.   

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. Describe the characters and themes of a Shakespeare play in its historical and cultural contexts.
2. identify and describe the metrical, structural, and thematic devices of Shakespeare's sonnets.

 

ENGL M20: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Introduces the study of drama in its historical, cultural, and biographical context. Studies plays ranging from ancient Greek tragedy to modern drama, emphasizing analysis and sound critical judgment.

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. demonstrate an understanding of drama from the early Greeks through the Elizabethans to modern drama and the Theatre of the Absurd, as well as an awareness of non-Western dramatic traditions.

2. identify figurative language, connotation and symbolic imagery in drama and explain its importance.

3. discuss social, historical, philosophical, cultural, psychological and aesthetic themes in drama.

4. compare and contrast types of plays and theatrical material from different eras and playwrights.

5. demonstrate an understanding of the importance of staging to the meaning of a play and to drama in general.

6. analyze the role of drama in the life of both individuals and societies.

7. demonstrate understanding of the works and a mastery of composition and critical thinking skills by writing approximately four essays totaling at least 5,000 words.

8. read and apply the principles of literary criticism to the interpretation of plays.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

1. compare and contrast different authors’ treatment of staging and social, historical, philosophical, cultural, psychological, and aesthetic themes on specific works. 

 

ENGL M29A: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Introduces the 39 books of the Old Testament and the Old Testament Apocrypha through lecture, reading, and discussion. Emphasizes literary qualities such as characters, recurrent themes, motifs, images and symbols, as well as major genres and representative forms of Biblical writings.

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. recognize the literary structure, organization and general content of the Old Testament.
2. identify the specific literary forms (heroic narrative, epic, narrative poetry, lyric poetry, biblical encomium) found in the Old Testament.
3. recognize and evaluate specific literary devices such as theme, character, image, and symbolism.
4. describe the history of the Old Testament and identify its social, cultural, and literary contexts.
5. evaluate the influence of Hebrew Biblical traditions and literature on later Western culture and literature.
6. employ research techniques and critical thinking skills.
7. demonstrate understanding of the works and a mastery of composition and critical thinking skills by writing approximately four analytical essays totaling at least 5,000 words.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. identify and describe the specific literary forms--heroic narrative, epic, narrative poetry, lyric poetry, biblical encomium--in the Old Testament..
2. identify and describe the social, cultural, and literary contexts of the Old Testament.

 

ENGL M29B: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Introduces the New Testament through lecture, reading, and discussion. Emphasizes literary qualities such as characters, recurrent themes, motifs, images and symbols, as well as major genres and representative forms of Biblical writings.

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. recognize the literary structure, organization and general content of the New Testament.
2. identify the specific literary forms (gospel as a literary form, parable, narrative, sermon, epistle, oratory, apocalypse) found in the New Testament.
3. recognize and evaluate specific literary devices such as theme, character, image, and symbolism. 
4. describe the history of the New Testament and identify its social, political, cultural, and literary contexts. 
5. evaluate the influence of New Testament literature on later Western culture and literature.
6. employ research techniques and critical thinking skills.
7. demonstrate understanding of the works and a mastery of composition and critical thinking skills by writing approximately four analytical essays totaling at least 5,000 words.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. Identify and describe the specific literary forms--gospel, parable, narrative, sermon, epistle, oratory, apocalypse--in the New Testament.
2. identify and describe the historical, social, political, cultural, and literary contexts of the New Testament.

 

ENGL M30: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Surveys important works of literature from the earliest records to about 1650 CE. Includes works from the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Africa.  

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. trace the origin and development of literary traditions in the great civilizations of the world, both Western and non-Western.
2. relate the literature to its historical and cultural milieu, and demonstrate some understanding of the major intellectual and aesthetic concepts influencing these works.
3. describe common themes, genres, and styles, as well as significant differences, among authors of different periods, countries, ethnicities, social classes, and genders.
4. recognize and analyze figurative language and other literary devices.
5. recognize and articulate the complexities and challenges of translating literature. 
6. demonstrate skill in active reading, interpretation, and criticism in class discussion, group activities, and oral presentations.
7. demonstrate understanding of the works and a mastery of composition and critical thinking skills by writing approximately four analytical essays totaling at least 5,000 words.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. identify and discuss important issues, themes, and historical and cultural contexts in Western and non-Western works of world literature in the period.

 

ENGL M31: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Surveys important works of literature from about 1650 CE to the present. Includes works from the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. trace the origin and development of literary traditions in the great civilizations of the world, both Western and non-Western.

2. relate the literature to its historical and cultural milieu and demonstrate some understanding of the major intellectual and aesthetic concepts influencing these works.

3. describe common themes, genres, and styles, as well as significant differences, among authors of different periods, countries, ethnicities, social classes, and genders.

4. recognize and analyze figurative language and other literary devices.

5. recognize and articulate the complexities and challenges of translating literature.

6. demonstrate skill in active reading, interpretation, and criticism in class discussion, group activities, and oral presentations.

7. demonstrate understanding of the works and a mastery of composition and critical thinking skills by writing approximately four analytical essays totaling at least 5,000 words.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. identify and discuss important issues, themes, and historical and cultural contexts in Western and non-Western works of world literature in the period.

 

ENGL M40: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Introduces children's literature, focusing on its literary aspects. Includes discussion and literary analysis of the specific features, historical development, basic genres and kinds (fairy tale, fantasy, picture book, adventure story, and contemporary realistic fiction) of children’s literature. Covers classics from the golden age of children’s literature (1846 to 1908), 20th century picture books, poetry, and contemporary books for elementary and middle grade readers.  

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. appraise the different criteria used to evaluate the field of children’s literature.
2. identify the different categories of children‘s literature and different types within those categories.
3. apply critical thinking skills in the identification of literary techniques and thematic patterns in the historical development of children’s literature.
4. discuss the content and themes of selected works of children’s literature.
5. identify the different kinds of pictorial content in picture books and assess the effect of that content upon text.
6. demonstrate skill in careful, active reading, interpretation, and criticism.
7. demonstrate understanding of the works and a mastery of composition and critical thinking by writing research papers, analytical papers, and exam essays.
8. demonstrate an understanding and an appreciation of children’s literature through class presentations and oral readings.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. identify and describe the written and pictorial content, themes, and genres of selected works of children’s literature and analyze their effects on the text.
2. describe the impact of historical context on literary techniques and themes in children’s literature.

 

ENGL M47: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Editing and publication of Moorpark Review, a creative arts magazine, and other types of student writing projects. Reading, evaluating, editing and producing literary manuscripts for publication in a variety of formats.

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. create criteria to use for evaluating and selecting submissions.
2. evaluate original manuscripts, including fiction, poetry, essays, drama, and visual arts.
3. appraise and prepare submissions for publication.
4. recognize and apply standard proofreading and editing conventions.
5. demonstrate collaboration in groups and with other campus programs as needed to assemble, publish, and distribute the literary publication(s).
6. Organize promotional activities through interaction with campus and community.
7. select the aesthetics of layout and design of literary magazines and other similar publications.
8. organize and schedule tasks related to the production of literary publications.
9. demonstrate sensitivity to the social, political, and legal influences and effects of selection and publication of literary manuscripts.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. create and use criteria to evaluate original manuscript submissions and select the aesthetics of layout and design for publication.
2. ucollaborate to edit and organize submissions and design elements into a cohesive journal or magazine.

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ESL M01: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Focuses on listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills of beginning English language learners, using daily activities and topics of general interest. Includes group and class discussions and oral presentations. Covers vocabulary acquisition; accurate pronunciation; and grammar review of parts of speech, parts of the sentence, sentence structure and patterns, and verb tenses; reading comprehension of brief paragraphs and essays; and writing paragraphs.  

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. demonstrate comprehension and respond to brief oral presentations (e.g., ask questions to gain clarification) with sufficient proficiency to meet everyday needs.
2. reconstruct the main ideas of oral material (TV/video, CD, brief lectures).
3. recognize and use correctly vocabulary of daily transactions, frequently-used idioms, and phrases on labels, billboards, signs, and forms.
4. communicate on familiar topics.
5. demonstrate the correct grammatical use of the simple and progressive present, past, and future tenses in speech and writing.
6. restate and explain the main ideas of brief readings.
7. create a paragraph on various non-technical topics with correct grammar and sentence structure.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. write paragraphs on various topics with correct grammar and sentence structure and recognize and correctly use basic English vocabulary.
2. read and comprehend short, simple texts in English.

 

ESL M02: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Focuses on listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills of intermediate English language learners using general interest and academic subjects. Includes group and class discussions of text material, TV/video segments and lectures and oral presentations. Stresses vocabulary acquisition, accurate pronunciation, and intonation; grammar study of sentence structure, compound and complex sentences, and reduction of grammar errors; reading comprehension and critical thinking; and writing multi-paragraph essays. 

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. demonstrate listening comprehension of brief (3 to 5 paragraph) lectures and 15 to 30 minute TV/video segments.
2. recognize and use American speech patterns, sentence structure, and intonation.
3. discuss topics of general interest and express personal opinions, orally summarize lectures, and make brief speeches.
4. produce grammatically correct simple, compound, and complex sentences.
5. restate the main ideas of essays read and summarize assigned readings orally and in writing.
6. differentiate between an essay’s thesis and supporting details, recognize non-stated implications, identify authorial tone.
7. organize and write concretely developed multi-paragraph essays.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. demonstrate comprehension of readings and media in oral presentations on topics of interest.
2. compose a multi-paragraph essay that demonstrates awareness of effective organizational strategies, evidence usage, and varying sentence constructions.

 

ESL M03: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Focuses on listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills of advanced English Language Learners, using cross-curricular and current events subjects. Includes discussions of text and selected materials, TV shows/videos, news programs, lectures, and one complete feature film. Emphasizes vocabulary acquisition, accurate pronunciation, and intonation; grammar study of sentence correctness and style; reading interpretation, analysis, and application; and writing essays developed by a combination of rhetorical modes. 

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. demonstrate fluency in group conversations and individual presentations.
2. interpret intonation, differences in vocal register, tag questions, and other voice signals to recognize the intent of a specific communication.
3. demonstrate a wide range of speaking vocabulary in both informal situations and academic subject discussions.
4. employ correct sentence structure and grammar in speaking and writing.
5. comprehend college-level texts, newspaper editorials and technical material and apply critical thinking skills of interpretation, analysis and application to broader, related areas.
6. identify the key concepts and overall meaning of lectures, live presentations, TV shows, documentaries, and news programs and discuss them or summarize them in writing.
7. formulate well-structured, concretely developed, and grammatically correct essays of five or more paragraphs.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. comprehend and analyze college-level texts.
2. write a well-structured, concretely developed, grammatically correct multi-paragraph essay that utilizes a wide range of vocabulary in both informal and academic discussions.

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HUM M07: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Examines various art forms such as music, literature, painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, and film, from the perspective of the humanities. Emphasizes the history, techniques, meaning, and evaluation of individual works of art.  

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. describe elements of the humanities in relation to one’s past and potential experiences.

2. identify and describe elements and techniques used to create a work of art.

3. evaluate, compare, and critique several genres of art and music.

4. recognize different ways of perceiving a work of art.

5. distinguish representative characteristics of the arts specific to a historical period.

6. identify how a specific theme is shared among the arts.

7. discuss the influence of the history of politics, culture, and science on aesthetics.

8. explain how art is an expression of the human condition.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. identify and describe elements and techniques used to create a work of art.

2. distinguish representative characteristics of the arts specific to a historical period.

 

HUM M10A: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Introduces human cultural heritage from earliest times to approximately 1000 CE, emphasizing major ideas of several periods of Western civilization. Examines literature, philosophy, music, painting and sculpture of each era. Highlights ethical choices and aesthetic responses possible within each period. 

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. identify and compare the belief systems (e.g., religious, philosophical, and political) of past cultures.
2. evaluate and discuss the historical reasons why these differing beliefs developed.
3. recognize and debate the range of ethical and aesthetic choices available to men and women in each period.
4. identify and analyze significant major works of art, philosophy, and literature primarily in, but not exclusively limited to, the Western tradition.
5. describe varied forms of artistic expression and the aesthetic criteria that govern such choices.
6. demonstrate an understanding of other peoples by identifying and discussing significant values found in these unique and varied cultures. 

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. identify and analyze significant works of art, philosophy, and literature, primarily but not exclusively in the Western tradition.
2. demonstrate an understanding of other peoples by identifying and discussing significant values found in their cultures. 

 

HUM M10B: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Introduces human cultural heritage from 1000 CE to the present, emphasizing major ideas of several periods of Western civilization from the Renaissance to the Modern world. Examines literature, philosophy, music, painting and sculpture of each era. Highlights ethical choices and aesthetic responses possible within each period.  

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. identify and compare the belief systems (e.g., religious, philosophical, and political) of past cultures.
2. evaluate and discuss the historical reasons why these differing beliefs developed.
3. recognize and debate the range of ethical and aesthetic choices available to men and women in each period.
4. identify and analyze significant major works of art, philosophy, and literature primarily in, but not exclusively limited to, the Western tradition.
5. describe varied forms of artistic expression and the aesthetic criteria that govern such choices.
6. demonstrate an understanding of other peoples by identifying and discussing significant values found in these unique and varied cultures. 

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. identify and analyze significant works of art, philosophy, and literature, primarily but not exclusively in the Western tradition.
2. demonstrate an understanding of other peoples by identifying and discussing significant values found in their cultures. 

 

HUM M11: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Examines what causes humans to engage in various forms of conflict and what effects those conflicts have on the individuals who participate in them. Explores armed conflicts and nonmilitary conflicts such as civil rights actions and civil disobedience. Investigates the possibilities of justifiable conflict and what impact conflict has on the ideas of humanity.

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. explain how conflict has become a part of the human condition.

2. identify the effects of conflicts on those directly and indirectly involved.

3. describe how conflict is apprehended and depicted in various art forms.

4. analyze the ideas of nature and power and their relation to conflict.

5. differentiate between types of conflict.

6. discuss if and when conflict is necessary and/or applicable.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. identify causes that lead to conflict and assess the impact of social and physical conflict. 

2. analyze whether social or physical conflict is appropriate or necessary.

 

HUM M14: Official Course Description and Objectives

Every course at Moorpark College follows an official Course Outline of Record (COR). Here are the course description from the Catalog and the learning objectives from the COR; they give you a good idea of what kind of work to anticipate and what you can expect to learn in this class.

Description: Examines the ideas, traditions, and values of the United States of America. Investigates the architecture, crafts, fine art, literature, and philosophy of different periods in the history of the United States. Explores the impact of the humanities on the trajectory of the country. 

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. identify important artists, philosophers, political ideas, social events, and writers through different periods of the history of the United States.

2. discuss the interrelationships between the artists, philosophers, political ideas, social events, and writers of the United States throughout its history.

3. analyze the important concepts found in the art, literature, and philosophy of the United States.

4. understand and evaluate the symbolism in United States architecture of the culture and values of the American people.

5. identify and describe the values and ideas of people that are found throughout the history of the United States.

6. derive independent determinations concerning the humanities in the United States both historically and in contemporary culture.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO’s)

Every course also has specified outcomes to be assessed regularly, to ensure that students are actually learning what instructors intend them to learn. Here are the CLO’s for this course:

1. identify past and present philosophical and artistic trends in the United States of America.

2. describe the elements and techniques used to create works of art in the United States of America.

Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) Assessment is an ongoing, evidence-based approach that indicates the extent to which programs, courses, services, and all college units achieve their intentions. Assessment uses a feedback loop that involves identifying desired results; collecting and analyzing relevant information (data); and then using the findings to stimulate discussions and direct activities that can improve student learning, instructional delivery, curricula, programs, and/or services. 

Generally, measurable outcomes are a means to determine what students know, think, feel or do as a result of a given educational experience. Outcomes assessment, including course (CLOs), program (PLOs), general education (GLOs) and institutional levels (ILOs), allows us to discover if the students are learning what we expected them to learn. 

Moorpark College has adopted a 5-year assessment schedule anchored in the 5-year curriculum review cycle. For instructional programs, all assessment results will be gathered and analyzed one year before the program is due to go through curriculum review.  For service and support programs, assessment tends to be completed more often, but it is agreed that programs will gather and analyze their assessment information at least once every five years.  Assessment results and analyses inform program planning and curriculum development, as reported on the Annual Program Plans.

The college migrated to eLumen in fall 2020. Watch the tutorial below to learn how to input assessments into eLumen: 

 

For questions, email the English Department SLO Coordinator, Ryan Kenedy, or the campus SLO Coordinator, Rachel Beetz  rbeetz@vcccd.edu.

Grading Rubrics

Standard Grading Criteria

Standard Grading Criteria (Research)

Standard Grading Criteria (Literature)

Evaluation Forms

      A1  Self-evaluation                                 

      A2  Contract Tenured Faculty

      A3  Probationary Faculty                                 

      A4  Non-Contract Faculty

Flex Forms

Flex Contract - Full-Time Faculty (To be submitted at the end of each academic year)

Flex Contract - Part-Time Faculty (To be submitted at the end of each academic semester)

Flex Day Activity Form

Campus Forms

Misc Campus Forms

Transitions

 

"Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction."

                                           —Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince 

The goal of “Transitions” is to help students transition from high school to college English. In order to accomplish this, “Transitions” seeks to foster relationships and understanding among faculty at both levels.  Many (more than 40%!) of our local high school students attend or will attend Moorpark College and it is the goal of Transitions to encourage the English faculty at different levels—middle school, high school, and college—to meet to discuss common issues, concerns, goals, and dreams.

Faculty from Moorpark College’s English Department are currently partnered with schools in the Moorpark, Simi Valley, Conejo Valley, and Las Virgenes Unified School Districts. And, as you read this, more partnerships are being formed with middle schools, high schools, community colleges, and 4-year universities across California.  Members of Moorpark College’s English faculty bring the discussions to their partners, visiting their host schools and acting as a point of contact for them throughout the academic year.   

Past and current topics of discussions include:

• The Language of English Instruction (Common Core, AP, IB, ERWC, College)

• Approaches to Teaching Reading and Writing

• Grading principles and practices

• Student Learning Outcomes

• Reading Lists and Expectations

• Best Practices Sharing

If you are interested in getting involved with Transitions, as a faculty member at Moorpark College or as a faculty member at a middle or high school, community college or 4-year university, please contact:

Transitions Coordinator: Dr. Katie Booth (kbooth@vcccd.edu)

 

Best Practices Workshops

In Best Practices Workshops, colleagues are asked to share an assignment associated with a particular topic. When we share our assignments, we learn from each other how best to teach our unique student population in a casual yet productive environment. Sometimes speakers provide information specifically to enhance our knowledge of a subject area, such as students with disabilities and ACCESS services.

 Upcoming Best Practices Workshops are listed below. Please R.S.V.P. by sending an email to klybargermonson@vcccd.edu

 

Sabbatical Reports

Kara Lybarger-Monson - Sabbatical Report

Kara Lybarger-Monson - General Presentation - PowerPoint

  Louis Agregan

  Eric Barnhart

  Jeffrey Brown

  Brian Burns

  Craig Carroll

  Glenn Collins  

  Janet Cross

  Patrick Egan

  Mario Garcia

  Randy Gifford

  Joelle Hannah

  Jessica Hasson

  Kimberly Lewis

  John McMullen

  Lynette Morinini

  Silvia Neves

  Ann O'Bryan

  Mahta Rosenfeld

  Diana Shamiryan

  Jennifer Smith

  Jeffrey Sosner

  Aaron Stell

  Anton Talarico

  Lawrence Tuck

  Vita Watkins

  Lori Wolf

  Brian Yablon

  Brian Young