SPRING, 2025

ENGL 1102, COMPOSITION I, 3.0

ONLINE VIA DESIRE2LEARN

Course Description:

A composition course that emphasizes interpretation, evaluation and a variety of advanced research methods. DISCLAIMER: This is a standard English course at a college level; please be prepared to face themes, facts, comments, policies, etiquette, etc., prevalent in the academic setting.

 

Course Student Learning Objectives (SLOs):

·       Students will demonstrate the ability to interpret, evaluate and synthesize texts and appropriately engage in academic conversations.

·       Students will demonstrate the ability to undertake independent academic research.

·       Students will demonstrate the ability to compose a research essay utilizing a formal academic citation style.

Course Prerequisites:

A grade of C or higher in English 1101.

 

CORE IMPACTS Objectives:

·       A composition course that develops writing skills beyond the levels of proficiency required by ENGL 1101, that emphasizes interpretation and evaluation, and that incorporates a variety of more advanced research methods.

·       Students will communicate effectively in writing, demonstrating clear organization and structure, using appropriate grammar and writing conventions.

·       Students will appropriately acknowledge the use of materials from original sources.

·       Students will adapt their written communications to purpose and audience.

·       Students will analyze and draw informed inferences from written texts.

·       CRCs: Critical Thinking / Information Literacy / Persuasion

Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals.

This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:

·         How do I interpret the human experience through creative, linguistic and philosophical works?

Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome:

·         Students will effectively analyze and interpret the meaning, cultural significance and ethical implications of literary/philosophical texts or of works in the visual/performing arts.

Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:

·         Ethical Reasoning Information Literacy Intercultural Competence.

Course Communication:

·      This course requires students to participate in web-based exercises, which will be included in computing their grade. A course shell been developed for this course in Blackboard and D2L, which includes course assignments, additional web links, multimedia resources and links to the discussion forum. Additional web resources may be added to the page throughout the semester. A copy of this syllabus is also available. In combination, this syllabus and the Moodle course shell explain all the requirements for this course.      

·       Use ONLY your Outlook gordonstate.edu email when emailing me. Do not use the Desire2Learn email program to contact me. Please develop the habit of reading all the posts in the "Ask a Question" forum in Desire2Learn, since many very important issues will be discussed there. If you have a general question about the course, e.g., policies, assignments, dates, Teams sessions, post it in the forum so that all can benefit. In addition, check your gordonstate.edu email often and regularly. I will use the gordonstate.edu email and the "Ask a Question" forum in Desire2Learn frequently to advise you of important information like syllabus and assignment changes, graded assignments, helpful examples and resources you can use toward the completion of your assignments. I will respond to your emails within 24 hours Monday through Friday.

·       When emailing me, please address me in a professional manner and indicate which course you are from. My academic title is "Dr. Perkowski." Please use this form of address when communicating with me.

·       Please read my emails and D2L announcements carefully because many important updates will be communicated this way. Do not send any attachments or links—plain text only (just copy/paste your work.

·       Things happen, naturally, but please do not present me with a problem and expect me to solve it. Instead of sending me comments about issues ending with a period (.), send me possible solutions to your dilemma ending with a question mark (?). Please take the responsibility for being proactive.

·       All Teams lectures are optional to attend but mandatory to review, since vital class information will be discussed therein. These are our class instruction.

 

Course Format:

Online via Desire2Learn (D2L).
This course requires the online equivalent of 600 minutes of instruction time and an additional 2,100 minutes of supporting activities. Use the estimates below to allocate your time in the course and, in addition, plan to work independently for twice the listed time (approximately).
 

Course Resources:

            - Required Text: All the materials are available under Content in D2L

            - Recommended Text: None

            - Additional Resources: None

 

Course Assessments:

·         Grades will be computed based on the combination of the following:

The course points fall 90-100 (A), 80-89 (B), 70-79 (C), 60-69 (D) and 0-59 (F). The grades will be posted in the D2L gradebook within 7 business days after the assignment due date.

You can expect to access the course materials and grades via our course in MyCourses (Brightspace by D2L). Students should check this MyCourses (Brightspace by D2L) course daily, as changes will always be announced and recorded on the course site. Only the first submission of your choice of ONE of the major papers is eligible for credit (choose Fiction Paper, Drama Paper or Poetry Paper).

 

Late Work:

- No late work will be accepted.
- Assignments revised/submitted past the deadline will not be accepted.

 

Final Exam Details:

            - The final exam will be given on May 8, 2025. The date and time of the final exam is set by the registrar and will be posted at midterms. The exam schedule cannot be changed at the convenience of the student. You should not plan to be absent during that week. A make-up final exam will be given only in cases of a verifiable excused absence.

 

College-wide Statements:

·         ATTENDANCE POLICY

o     The classroom experience is a vital component of the college learning experience. Interaction with faculty and with other students is a necessary component of the learning process. Students are expected to attend regularly and promptly all class meetings and academic appointments. Students who are absent from classes bear the responsibility of notifying their faculty that they will be absent and keeping up with class assignments in conjunction with Faculty provisions in the course syllabus. However, faculty will not request information from students about the specific reason for the absence nor documentation from students regarding a request for an excused absence. Students are not required to give faculty the specific reasons for an absence and students are not expected to send any documentation (including medical documentation) to faculty regarding an absence. Students who are absent and wish to submit documentation (including medical documentation) regarding the absence in order to have the absence qualify as an excused absence can submit the documentation to the Dean of Students. The Dean of Students will verify the absence and will notify the faculty member that the request for an excused absence is justified. An individual faculty member bears the decision as to whether a student’s absence is excused or unexcused and whether work will be permitted to be made up. The decision of the faculty in this case is final. However, as with any course-related issue, students may seek additional assistance through the school administration (Department Chairs, Associate Deans, Dean) and may choose to file a written student complaint. Students may also appeal a final grade in a course through the grade appeal process if they feel the faculty’s decision on attendance has affected their final grade. The student complaint process and the grade appeal process are both outlined in the Student Handbook. Students who are absent because of participation in college-approved activities (such as field trips and extracurricular events) will be permitted to make up the work missed during their College-approved absences, provided that the student discussed with and obtained approval from the faculty to make up the work missed prior to the student's going on the field trip. Individual faculty may establish additional attendance requirements appropriate to their course’s context, e.g., lab attendance. A student whose class schedule would otherwise prevent them from voting will be permitted an excused absence for the interval reasonably required for voting.

·         tECHNOLOGY COVENANT

o     Technology will be used to deliver content, provide resources, assess learning and facilitate interaction, both within the classroom and in the larger learning community. This covenant provides a general guideline for the course. I reserve the right to make periodic and/or necessary changes to the covenant, including technology use and communication channels, to accommodate the needs of the class as a whole and fulfill the goals of the course. The technology side of the course (e.g., electronic devices, required software, reliable access to the Internet, correct login information) is the sole responsibility of the students enrolled in online courses.

·         Standards of Academic Conduct and Student Integrity

o     The College expects academic honesty from students and instructors. Students have the obligation both to themselves and to the College to make the appropriate College representative aware of instances of academic deceit or dishonesty. Generally, this entails making the situation known to the instructor and, if needed, to the Dean of the student’s school. Likewise, faculty members are responsible for enforcing the stated academic standards of the College. Instances of violating academic standards might include, but are not necessarily limited to, the situations outlined below:

§  Cheating is receiving or providing unapproved help in any academic task, test or treatise. Cheating includes the attempt to use or the actual use of any unauthorized information, educational material or learning aid in a test or assignment. Cheating includes multiple submission of any academic exercise more than once for credit without prior authorization and approval of the instructor.

§  Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work as though it is your own. In an academic community the use of words ideas or discoveries of another person without explicit, formal acknowledgement constitutes an act of theft or plagiarism. To avoid the charge of plagiarism, students must engage in standard academic practices such as putting quotation marks around words that are not their own, employing the appropriate documentation or citation and including a formal acknowledgement of the source in the proper format. Students are expected to use the proper APA format for citations. An online APA manual can be found at: http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/.

§  Fabrication involves inventing or falsifying any data, information or records.

§  Obstruction is impeding the ability of another student to perform assigned work.

§  Collusion comprises assisting any of the above situations or performing work that another student presents as his or her own.

§  Use of AI is forbidden in this course.

·      Title IX & Mandatory Reporter Information: Gordon State College is committed to providing an environment free of all forms of discrimination and sexual harassment, including sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. If you (or someone you know) has experienced or experiences any of these incidents, know that you are not alone.  Please know also that all faculty members at GSC are mandated reporters. Any student reporting any type of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking must be made aware that any report made to a faculty member under the provisions of Title IX will be reported to the Title IX Coordinator or a Title IX Deputy Coordinator. If you wish to speak with someone confidentially, you can contact the Counseling and Accessibility Services via the email above. The licensed counselors in the Counseling Office can provide confidential support. GSC does not discriminate against any student on the basis of pregnancy, parenting, or related conditions. Students seeking accommodations on the basis of pregnancy, parenting or related conditions should contact Counseling and Accessibility Services at the email above regarding the process of documenting pregnancy related issues and being approved for accommodations, including pregnancy related absences as defined under Title IX.”

·       ADA, IEP, and 504: If you have a documented disability as described by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, you may be eligible to receive accommodations to assist in programmatic and/or physical accessibility. The Counseling and Accessibility Services office can assist you in formulating a reasonable accommodation plan and in providing support in developing appropriate accommodations to ensure equal access to all GSC programs and facilities.” Contact Counseling and Accessibility Services at aliciad@gordonstate.edu.

·       COVID updates: https://www.gordonstate.edu/corona-virus/index.html

·       Religious Holidays: GSC acknowledges that the academic calendar can sometimes conflict with major holidays from among our diverse religious traditions. If you need to miss class to observe a religious holiday, just let me know beforehand so we can figure out how you’ll get your work completed.  

·       School-Related Absences: If you need to miss class because of a school-related activity (sports, field trips, etc.), please contact me beforehand.

·       GA House Bill 280: See the University System of Georgia at the following link  http://www.usg.edu/hb280.

Miscellaneous Student Resources:

·      Tutoring: The GSC Student Success Center provides tutoring services for students on a variety of topics. They also provide online academic resources. Please see the Student Success Center’s website for more information.

o   NetTutor This free online tutoring is available 24/7 via D2L. To access, select “Tools/Resources” from within the D2L course. Then select NetTutor and pick the subject. Leave a question or start live tutoring (link to tutoring hours will be in upper right corner). You can use the chat feature or ask tutor to turn on audio. These sessions are recorded, so you can watch them multiple times.

·      D2L: Brightspace by D2L is GSC’s online learning management system (LMS). Course materials and your gradebook are housed on D2L. Here are the instructions for getting into our course, in case you’re new to this system:

o   Go to the homepage  www.gordonstate.edu.

o   Choose “My Gordon” link (top middle of page).

o   Choose “Brightspace by D2L.”

o   Log in with GSC email username (do not include @gordonstate.edu) and current GSC email password.

o   Once D2L opens, choose our class under the “My Courses” widget (on far right of page).

o   Choose “Content” on the course navigation bar at top to view our course materials.

o   Do Note that you cannot see any of your courses in D2L until the first official day of classes. If you add the class in Banner Web during the Drop/Add period, it will take an overnight process for you to be added into D2L.

·      Assistance with D2L: 

o   If you cannot log in, consider resetting your password here (passwords must have uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers/symbols, must be at least 10 characters and cannot include name/username).

o   If you still cannot log in or if you have some other weird problem, then email d2lhelp@gordonstate.edu and provide your name, your 929 number and the course/section information. This email is checked M-F, 8-5.

o   You also have access to a 24/7 Live Chat hosted by the University System of Georgia.  Chat live here.
 

·      Assistance with computer hardware (i.e., loading Microsoft Office, removing a virus from your computer, etc.)

o   You can call GSC Information Technology at 678-359-5008. They are open M-F 8-5. If you leave a voicemail, please include your name, 929 number, a brief description of the problem and a call-back number.

o   You can go to GSC Information Technology in the Instructional Complex Building, room 109.

·      Computers on Campus: There are computers all over the campus if you need to use one, including in the first-floor computer lab of the Instructional Complex (IC), as well as in Academic, Russell, Smith, Nursing & Allied Health Services, Hightower Library and the Student Success Center. If you live in the residence halls, there are computer labs located there as well.
 

·      Counseling and Accessibility Services Office: If you (or someone you care for at GSC) feels overwhelmed, depressed or in need of support, please contact this office for free counseling.  alisonb@gordonstate.edu

o   Please know that there is also a 24-hour crisis line available: 1-800-715-4225.

·      Highlander House: If you or someone you know is facing food insecurity or needs toiletry items, check out this free student success resource: SARC 113.
 

·      Career Services Center: Our Career Services Center offers many forms of assistance for you, such as Kuder Interest Assessments; Career readiness, preparation and assistance; internship preparation and opportunities; Toastmasters; Professional Development Events; and Community Engagement and Service-Learning opportunities (328 Lambdin Hall, 678.359.5719).

·      Library Services:  The Hightower Collaborative Learning Center & Library offers Gordon State students specialized library research assistance. Students can meet with their personal librarians for one-on-one help in each discipline, major or course to search and evaluate information sources effectively. Go to http://libcal.gordonstate.edu/ to schedule an appointment by clicking the Personal Librarian tab or click on the Presentation Practice Room tab to make a reservation. For immediate help, call 678-359-5076 or stop by the Circulation/Check-Out Desk. You can also Ask a Librarian or drop by the Circulation/Checkout Desk. Check the library’s website for hours, electronic resources and LibGuides (subject or class specific research guides).

 

Course Calendar: