Effective Date of this Description/Syllabus: Spring 2014
Prepared by: Dr. Rhonda Wilcox
Office: Honors House 104
Phone: (678) 359-5296
email: rhonda_w@gordonstate.edu
Spring office hours: TR 12:30-1:45; T 3:30-4:30;
W 12:15-2, 3:30-5:45; R 3:30-4:00
Course
Description/Syllabus
Course
Designation (discipline abbreviation & number): ENGL 1102
Course
Title:
Composition II
Class
hours per week: 3
Laboratory
hours per week: 0
Credit
hours: 3
Division
offering course: Humanities
Course
description for college bulletin:
A composition course emphasizing interpretation and evaluation that
incorporates a variety of advanced research methods.
NOTE: If
you are presently enrolled in any Learning Support English or Learning Support
Reading course, you are not eligible to take any regular English (ENGL) course. If you have not received a C in
English 1101, you have not met the prerequisite for English 1102. For most
institutions, a C or better is required for transfer.
If you need academic accommodations for a disability,
you must first contact the Office of Counseling Services.
You may call Dr. Laura Bowen of that office at 678-359-5585. Her office is in
Room 212 (second floor) of the Student Center.
Course
objectives:
English 1102 continues
the work of English 1101, with greater emphasis on literature, research,
analysis, and logical argument. Upon completion of English 1102, a student
should be able to:
understand and explain college-level reading;
write clear, coherent, well-constructed expository
essays which are logically and specifically developed, which contain few
serious errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics, and which unite style with
purpose;
understand quotation, documentation, and proper
research techniques;
demonstrate effective oral presentation of
college-level ideas;
demonstrate the ability to follow oral and written
instructions.
The
course thus addresses the college's expected outcomes for general education in
college-level reading and writing, bibliographic research and resource use, and
oral communication. Students will also have experiences related to the general
education outcomes in aesthetics.
The
Humanities Divisions formally stated objectives for all English 1102 classes
are:
Literacy
Objective
Students must
further advance their reading, comprehension, and response skills, both written
and oral, in relation to nuanced and complex texts.
Critical
Thinking Objectives
Students
should develop or significantly improve their ability to
Synthesize,
for example in the use of multiple texts as support for an original idea.
Reflect
on argumentative and research writing processes and products.
Develop
and respond to individualized critical questions.
Process
Objectives
Students should
develop or improve their ability to recognize and apply complex writing
processes, including but not limited to the following:
Increased
awareness of process fundamentals as stated in the process objectives section
of the ENGL 1101 Course Objectives. [See below.]
Strategies
and skills for academic research.
Strategies
and skills for framing and developing an argument.
Strategies
and skills for critical interpretation.
Product
Objectives
Students
should develop or improve their ability to produce an organized, coherent, and
developed essay demonstrating a mastery of Standard Written English.
Successful demonstration of these skills includes the following:
Increased
competency in rhetorical strategy as related to audience, tone, and purpose in
a variety of contexts.
Articulation
and understanding of complex subtleties involving a thesis idea.
Demonstration
of the ability to correctly apply modal competency in research and
argumentative situations.
Demonstration
of advanced documentation skills, including but not limited to the analysis,
interpretation, and appropriate documentation of primary and secondary critical
texts.
Competency
in grammatical and mechanical correctness.
Competency
in timed writing situations such as the Regents Exam.
* Process
Objectives of English 1101
Students
should develop or improve their ability to recognize and apply complex writing
processes, including but not limited to the following:
Prewriting,
through various forms of invention.
Writing
and drafting.
Rewriting,
through revision and editing.
*LIBRARY
HOURS: 7:45am-10pm Mon-Thu; 7:45am-5pm Fri; 2-10pm Sun
Course
content:
English 1102 is a rhetoric-based writing course. For this class, the student
will write the following papers:
1.Literary analysis (no outside research), 500-600+ words
(15%, in-class)
2.Argumentative essay (some research), 700-800+ words (15%,
out-of-class); one third of this grade is constituted by an associated oral
presentation
3.Annotated bibliography (outside research), 500+ words
(10%, out-of-class)
4.
Thoroughly documented literary research paper of at least 1500 words (excluding
outline, bibliography, etc., from the word count) with a minimum of 5 secondary
sources: i.e., a term paper (25%, out-of-class)
5.
Optional revision of essay 1, 2, 3, or 4 (to be averaged with the original
grade; out-of-class)
6. Final
exam, 500+ words (25%, in-class)
Students
will be required to produce out-of-class papers on a computer (available in the
Instructional Complex and library; or students may use their own).
Any
student who fails to turn in any of the essays (except the optional revision)
will fail the course. Any student who fails the in-class final exam will
receive no higher than a D in the course.
Class
participation, brief writing assignments (e.g. in-class paragraphs), pop
quizzes (usually on reading assignments), and exercises will make up the
remainder of the student's grade.
The kinds of instruction may include class preparation for writing, small-group
critiques of finished essays or preparatory work, oral presentation and
evaluation of papers, lectures, discussions, and other activities.
Each student will have a minimum of three required conferences with the
instructor. Either the student or the instructor may schedule additional
conferences. Students MAY NOT MISS OTHER CLASSES in order to attend a required
English conference. If a student is found to be missing another class in order
to attend a conference for this class, the relevant essay will be penalized
five points. Any student who has genuine difficulty scheduling a conference
should discuss the problem with the instructor outside class.
Required
Texts:
Harris, Muriel, and Jennifer L. Kunka. Prentice Hall Reference Guide. 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall/Pearson, 2011. Print.
Literature and Ourselves: A Thematic
Introduction for Readers and Writers. 6th ed. Ed. Gloria Mason Henderson et al.
New York: Pearson-Longman, 2009. Print.
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic, 2012. Print.
Required folder: Attach papers (essays and
revisions) in the folder, earliest assignments on the bottom. AT THE END OF
THE SEMESTER, TURN IN THE FOLDER (required to pass).
Recommended Text:
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English
Language. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin, newest edition.
Grading
Policy:
Standards: A=90-100; B=80-89; C=70-79; D=60-69; F=below 60
B+
=88; B =85; B- = 82; C+ =78, etc.
The following description of grade standards (composed by the faculty of Elon College) further explains the evaluation process:
A:
This indicates clearly superior
work. The A theme has significant content and a clear purpose that it
successfully accomplishes without major errors of any kind. Its organization
and style are appropriate to the subject, which is so restricted that it can be
intelligently treated within the limits of the paper. It handles the mechanics
of punctuation, sentence and paragraph
construction, and the choice of diction and idiom logically and appropriately.
B:
This indicates writing that is clearly of good quality. Although the B theme
will probably lack some of the insight and tight control of superior work, it
demonstrates the same ability of handling significant content according to a
clear purpose. Its organization and mechanics are free of major errors.
C:
This represents average college work, but it possesses few distinguishing
qualities. It may show some breakdown in logic and organization, careless
proofreading, and a deficiency in writing mechanics.
D:
This grade indicates a piece of writing that falls below average college work.
Although the D theme may show a potential for average achievement, it is flawed
by mechanical errors, such a s those of spelling,
punctuation, and capitalization. It does manage to convey its ideas to the
reader, but its organization is probably weak.
F:
This indicates unacceptable college writing. It is likely to be marred by
serious errors of punctuation, spelling, diction, sentence and paragraph
construction. The subject is likely to be incoherently presented.
Some
examples of serious errors are: sentence fragments; comma splices; fused
sentences
Some examples of lesser errors are:
capitalization mistakes; inappropriate (vs. inaccurate) diction
Student Evaluation of Instruction: Near the end of this course, you may be asked
to evaluate the instruction of the course. Your honest responses will help make
this a better course. Also, please feel free to make suggestions during the course. Remember, I want to
hear from you.
Plagiarism,
Cheating:
The
English faculty of Gordon College views any form of cheating as a serious
violation of commonly accepted standards of honesty. All student work must be
solely that of the person submitting the work. Any giving or receiving of
unauthorized help from others or from notes or other materials during the
course of taking a quiz, test, or exam or in writing a paper will result in an
F on the work; any use of forbidden materials such as rough drafts during the
course of in-class writing will also result in an F for the assignment. Note
that an F on the work involved in cheating is the minimum punishment; a zero on
the work is another possible consequence; if justified by aggravating
circumstances, the matter may be referred to the Academic Dean or (according to
a rule approved by the Faculty Senate in Fall 2009) the Dean of Students. See
the Academic Dishonesty Policy in the Academic Catalog (pp. 60-61).
Moreover,
when source materials are used in the writing of papers, the student must
document such use of sources both by clearly indicating material being used as
quotation and by giving proper recognition when ideas or information has been
paraphrased or summarized; the following principles enunciated in the section
on avoiding plagiarism in James D. Lester's Writing
Research Papers: A Complete Guide, 8th edition, should be scrupulously
observed:
1. Acknowledge borrowed
material by introducing the quotation or paraphrase with the name of the
authority. This practice serves to indicate where borrowed materials begin.
2. Enclose within quotation
marks all quoted materials.
3. Make certain that
paraphrased material has been rewritten into your own style and language. The
simple rearrangement of sentence patterns is unacceptable. [To illustrate: It
is unacceptable to simply rearrange sentence patterns.]
4. Provide specific in-text
documentation for each borrowed item. For example, MLA [Modern Language
Association] style requires name and page for all in-text references.
Requirements differ for other fields . . . .
5. Provide a bibliographic
entry on the Works Cited page for every source cited in the paper.
6. Omit [from the
bibliography] sources consulted but not cited in the text. This point is important.You do not want your instructor leafing back
through the paper trying to find your use of a source that, in truth, was not
cited. (140-41)
Furthermore, you must avoid collusion. Here is
a definition from the Humanities Division Chair: Collusion is defined as receiving excessive help to the point that
a work can no longer be considered the product of a single author and therefore
cannot be accurately assessed an individual grade. If I suspect a submitted
work to be the result of collusion, I reserve the right to refuse credit for
that work if the claimed author is unable to demonstrate sole authorship. A
good way to avoid this problem is to get help from the Student Success Center
rather than from family or friends.
I may decide to have you submit some of your
work to Turnitin.com. Terms and Conditions of Use may be found at http://www.turnitin.com/static/usage.html.
In general, if you have a question, feel free
to ask it. My goal is for you to learn and to enjoy learning.
Business
procedures
Cell phones,
Blackberries, and other electronic devices: Turn off your cell phones
and any other electronic devices before class begins. Exception: Emergency
personnel may leave theirs on and slip out of class to take phone calls in the
hall when necessary. If you have a job as an EMT (or
similar work), notify me during the first week of classes and be sure to
sit near the door. All students should remember that they will receive a
class participation grade, and cell phone interruptions disturb discussion.
Attendance: You may receive a WF if you fail to attend regularly. If you
receive a WF, you will be ineligible for VA and other financial assistance.
As a matter of courtesy, you should explain your absences to me. However, you
should realize that even "excused" absences count against you--not as
a moral judgment, but simply as a matter of getting business done. As a
college student, you are responsible for all class and assigned work whether
you are present or not. Whenever possible, you should notify me ahead of
time (in person, by phone, by email, or by a note slipped under my office door)
if you must miss a class, so that we can try to make appropriate arrangements.
Leave a message by phone or email during class if need be. Because of the
volume of email I receive, I cannot provide lengthy explanations or commentary
by email. Do feel free to use your email to contact me if you have a problem,
but follow up later by phone or in person. If you must miss a class and cannot
contact anyone, then prepare the next assignment on the tentative schedule.
Some
work, such as in-class essays, can be made up only under special extenuating
circumstances (work not made up gets a zero). Students who miss more than nine
MWF, six MW or TR, or three once-a-week evening classes normally fail the
course. Three tardies equal one absence. In general,
it is a good idea to save your cuts because (1) you may get deathly ill towards
the end of the quarter, and not have enough allotted absences left, and (2)
things actually do happen in class.
Late papers: Late papers, including revisions, are penalized five points
per calendar day. I am very strict about this policy. On the other hand, I am
very reasonable about giving extensions (without grade penalty) for good cause
IF you arrange the matter at least twenty-four hours in advance. If you do not
get an extension beforehand, then the penalty will stand unless you can produce
evidence of serious, unavoidable problems intervening in the composition
process.
My office is in Honors House 104. As noted above, my office hours will
be: TR 12:30-1:45, T 3:30-4:30, W 12:15-2:00 and 3:30-5:45, R 3:30-4:00. Feel
free to visit me to talk about the course (whether you have a problem or just
an interest). You may also leave messages on or under my door. You may call me
at my office at 678-359-5296. My email address is rhonda_w@gordonstate.edu. If
you find yourself involved in an English Emergency, you may also call me at
home (404-373-5328). In general,
LET ME KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON and ASK FOR HELP IF YOU NEED IT!
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Additional
readings may be assigned.
Lit=Literature and Ourselves; RG= Reference Guide
HG=The Hunger Games
Week 1 (1/7-9) Introductory material; writing
sample; Lit: A Rose for Emily, 480
Week 2 (1/14-16) Lit: Harrison Bergeron, 724;
Literary analysis: Lit 1-13
Week 3 (1/21-23) Literary
analysis: Lit 1-13; RG Ch. 6; quotation review, Lit 1433-38
Week 4 (1/28-30); Literary Analysis Essay
Tues. (15%, in-class); required conferences
Week 5 (2/4-6) The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, 729; A Good Man Is Hard to Find, 1075
Week 6 (2/11-13) Argumentation, RG Ch. 7;
Research techniques, RG Ch. 62, 63; begin argumentation assignment work.
Week 7 (2/18-20) Research techniques,
continued; paraphrase review; GC Ch. 66, 68
Week 8 (2/25-2/27) Research techniques,
continued; bibliography, GC Ch. 70; preparation for oral presentation
[March
3: last day to drop classes without WF]
Week 9 (3/4-6) Oral presentation in class Tues.; Argumentative Essay (out-of-class) due Thu. (15% in combination)
Week 10 (3/10-14) Spring Break
Week 11 (3/18-20) Required
conferences; The Hunger Games Ch. 1-6
Week 12 (3/25-27) HG Ch. 7-16
Week 13 (4/1-3) HG Ch. 17-27 (end);
critical essays on HG
Week 14 (4/8-10) Term paper subject due; Annotated
Bibliography due (10%
out-of-class);
Week 15 (4/15-17) Term Paper planning
conferences; research, discussion continued
Week 16 (4/22-24) Term Paper rough draft
due for in-class workshop; Term Paper due Thu. (25%)
Week 17 (4/29) Exam preparation, readings from Lit;
Term Paper feedback; Optional Revision due
FINAL EXAM
For 9:30 class: May 5, Monday, 1:30 pm-3:30 pm
For 2:00 class: May 6, Tuesday, 12:30 pm-2:30
pm