ENGLISH COMPOSITION SYLLABUS (ENGL 1102)
SEMESTER & YEAR
INSTRUCTOR: M. Livingston
OFFICE:
OFFICE HOURS:
EMAIL:
CLASS SCHEDULE:
CRN:
Day/Time:
Location:
PREREQUISITE: grade of C or higher in English 1101.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: In this class, we will examine a variety of texts with a particular
eye towards gender constructs in Western society from the nineteenth century to the present. I
will provide select gender theory and Victorian readings for our analysis, while you will be
responsible for bringing in contemporary texts – be they videos, visuals on the web, pictures
you’ve taken, or linguistic texts – that reflect twenty-first century conceptions of gender. In
identifying such ideals in the Victorian period and comparing them with modern ones, we will
determine which ideals have evolved in the past two hundred years, and which continue to
undergird our modern conception of what is masculine, and what is feminine.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: The table below provides an overview of the goals set for this course
by the Board of Regents of the University of Georgia and the Writing and Communication
Program here at Georgia Tech. These are the general goals for the class, and I will outline
specific goals for each assignment in the particular assignment description.
Board of Regents
University System of Georgia
Rhetoric: focuses on available
means of persuasion, considering
the
synergy of factors
such as context,
audience, purpose,
role, argument,
organization, design,
visuals, and conventions of
language.
Process: for communication—
for example, creating,
planning, drafting,
designing, rehearsing, revising,
presenting,
publishing—are
recursive, not linear.
Learning productive
processes is as
important as creating
products.
Georgia Tech’s
Writing and Communication
Program
Objective
Outcomes
Objective
Outcomes
“Understand
rhetorical
contexts for writing
by
establishing the
writer’s role, the
audience, and the
purpose of the
project.”
“Use conventions of
writing mechanics,
usage, and style to
communicate effectively
for the given audience,
purpose, and format.”
Understand registers
and variations within
discourses.
“Approach writing as
a way to think and
communicate ideas to
others.”
“Use recursive
processes that include
collecting information,
focusing, ordering,
drafting, revising, and
editing.”
Explore individual and
collaborative
processes in
multicultural and
international contexts.
“Demonstrate the
techniques and skills
of research, integration of
source material, and
documentation.”
Apply strategies for
addressing academic and
professional
audiences.
Create artifacts that
demonstrate the
synergy of rhetorical
elements.
conventions of
language.
Construct, select,
and deploy
information based on
interpretation and
critique of the
accuracy, bias,
credibility, authority,
and appropriateness
of sources.
Modes & Media: Activities
and assignments should use a
variety of
modes and media—
written, oral, visual,
electronic, and
nonverbal—singly
and in combination.
Contexts and cultures of modes
and media are critical.
“Adjust writing to a
variety of contexts,
including electronic
environments.”
“Read and respond
to various texts for
purposes of
interpretation,
analysis, synthesis,
evaluation, and
judgment.”
Distinguish and
evaluate multimodal
communication —
WOVEN (Written,
Oral, Visual,
Electronic, and
Nonverbal).
Create WOVEN
artifacts that
demonstrate
interpretation,
analysis, synthesis,
evaluation, and
judgment.
REQUIRED TEXTS: (Obtain the edition indicated; no other editions will be acceptable.)
 Groner, Rachael, and John F. O’Hara. Composing Gender: A Bedford Spotlight Reader.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2014. Print.
 Dickens, Charles. The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Edition TBD.
 Hardy, Thomas. Jude the Obscure. Edition TBD.
 Georgia Tech e-Book (best price by purchasing at (http://ebooks.bfwpub.com/gatech.php)
 Other Texts (located on Desire2Learn (D2L)) or Online: You are expected to bring an
electronic copy to class on the day we discuss each work, or to print out a copy and bring to
class on the day we discuss each work.
o Arola, Kristin L., Jennifer Sheppard, and Cheryl E. Ball. Writer/Designer: A Guide to
Making Multimodal Projects. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2014. [Selected Essays
from]
o Young, Iris Marion. On Female Body Experience: “Throwing Like a Girl” and Other
Essays. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2005. Print. [Selected Essays from]
o Street Harassment Video. “10 Hours of Walking in NYC as a Woman.” Online video
clip. YouTube. YouTube, 28 Oct. 2014. Web. 20 Dec. 2014.
o Red Pill Philosophy. “Saying Hi To a Woman = Harassment? Yes According to
Feminists.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 29 Oct. 2014. Web. 20 Dec. 2014.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Participation
 Daily Work including Homework and In-Class Work, Class Discussion,
Reading Responses, Conferencing, and Quizzes

Percentage
15%
Major Projects
 #1 Identifying Victorian Age Gender Constructs in Fiction [Essay]

20%


15%




20%




#2 Timeline Project – examining the Legal & Cultural Shifts that Impact
Gender Construction – Groups will choose to focus on Evolving Dress,
Education, Career, or Legal Opportunities for (Wo)Men. [Visual]
#3 The Modern Media’s Construction of Gender – What does it mean to be
(Wo)Manly in 21st Century America? [Podcast]
#4 Do You Realize? Website - Exposing Implicit Gender Norms [Digital]
30%
GRADING:
A+
A
97-100 94 - 96
A–
90 - 93
B+
87 - 89
B
84 - 86
B80 – 83
C+
77 - 79
C
74 – 76
D
70 - 73
F
0 - 69
RUBRICS: Major assignments will be graded with the use of a rubric that is available to you on
ULearn. Minor assignments may be graded with a rubric or holistically.
CLASS WORK AND DISCUSSION: You are expected to attend each class prepared to
discuss and engage with the materials presented. Please be aware, if you have not done your
assigned reading and/or writing, you are not adequately prepared for class. If I discover you
have not done your reading on any day, you will be counted absent.
THE MAJOR PROJECTS: The five major assignments you will complete during the course of
this class will give you the opportunity to practice and refine your communication skills in a
variety of modes, each with their own affordances.
For example, in the first assignment, you will construct a text you are already highly familiar
with: the academic essay. In the construction of this text you will show your mastery of the
following: Production of a strong and unique thesis statement; Logical organization; Academic
research; Explication; Consideration of the Antithesis; MLA Style and Citing appropriately; and
Use of standard American English and mechanics.
The second assignment will build on the objectives of the first assignment, and ask you to
collaboratively translate the skills you have shown linguistically into a visual medium. In
particular, you will be asked to create a timeline in a medium of your choosing. I will be looking
to see that you have communicated information and ideas differently than when you were using
only verbal language.
The third assignment asks you to take on another medium, the Podcast, and in this project you
will show your proficiency using Aural modes of communication. As with the second
assignment, I expect to see similar techniques as those showcased in assignment one (a clear
point, organization, research, explication, consideration of alternative points of view, credit given
to your sources, and the use of SAE), but I will also be looking to see that you have used the
alternative affordances allowed you by the medium to the fullest extent. Just as your second
assignment should not be an essay copy and pasted into sections on a screen with pictures, your
third project should not feature an essay read aloud into a microphone.
Finally, you will utilize all modes of communication – Linguistic, Visual, Aural, Gestural, and
Spatial – in the production of a website for your final project. This project will show your
mastery of Written, Oral, Visual, Electronic, and Nonverbal modes of communication.
Late Work:
 Minor and Daily Work: I do not accept any late or made-up minor/home/daily work.

Major Papers and Projects: If you anticipate a problem with a particular deadline, please
confer with me at least one day before the assignment due date to discuss the issue.
Conferring with me beforehand may spare your paper a grade deduction.
Otherwise, I will accept a major assignment after class through midnight of the same day a
paper is due for a five point deduction. Anytime through midnight of the next day is an
additional five points, and so forth.
EXTENSIONS: When I grant you an extension, you will have extra time to complete your
assignment and I will not deduct points for the extra time. Obviously, then, it is in your best
interest to ask me for an extension when you realize you will not be able to complete an
assignment on time instead of submitting it late for a grade deduction. I will grant an extension
only:
 For a major paper or assignment;
 When you ask me for one at least 24 hours before it is due;
 When you have a reasonable justification for needing extra time;
 When you have not already been granted an extension on a previous paper; and
 When I deem your request reasonable.
INCOMPLETES: Receiving an Incomplete: The notation of “I” may be given to a student who,
for nonacademic reasons beyond his or her control, is unable to meet the full requirements of a
course. In order to qualify for an “I”, a student must:
 Have completed most of the major assignments of the course (generally all but one); and
 Be earning a passing grade in the course (aside from the assignments not completed) in the
judgment of the instructor.
When a student has a nonacademic reason for not completing one or more of the assignments for
a course, including examinations, and wishes to receive an incomplete for the course, it is the
responsibility of the student to inform the instructor in person or in writing of the reason. A grade
of incomplete is awarded at the discretion of the instructor and is not the prerogative of the
student. Conditions to be met for removing a grade of incomplete are established by the
instructor.
CONFERENCES: Every student will participate in a one-on-one conference with me at some
point in the semester. A class during the semester has been eliminated in order to provide time
for attendance. You will sign up for a conference date. Attendance is mandatory.
ATTENDANCE:
 First four absences: No penalty, but note that you will not be allowed to make up any work
missed.

Each additional absence: I will subtract three points from your Final Grade.

Tardiness: Being tardy to class is rude to your classmates (as your entrance interrupts a class
they have already begun) and to me. Three tardies will count as ONE of your four permitted
absences.
o If you are late to class, it is your responsibility to see me directly after that class so I can
mark your presence in the roll book; otherwise, you will be considered absent for that
day. You are tardy if you arrive in class after I have taken roll.
You are responsible for everything that goes on in class whether you are present or not. You
should introduce yourself to a couple of other students in the class and obtain their contact
information so that in the event you must miss class, you can find out what you missed.
ACADEMIC HONESTY AND PLAGIARISM: Plagiarism, or taking credit for the words
and/or ideas of others without properly crediting them, is dishonest, unethical, and in some cases
illegal, and thus, absolutely, entirely, unequivocally, one hundred percent unacceptable. Do your
own work and give credit where credit is due. If I find that any portion of any work you submit
in this class has been plagiarized, you will receive a “0” for the assignment. (Note that this
would make it very difficult to pass the course. Lesser penalties may be imposed at the
instructor’s discretion.) I will also report you to the Communications Department and/or College
for Academic Fraud.
Students should be familiar with the section on Academic Honesty in the student handbook and
should feel free to consult me if they have any further questions.
Examples: You may be guilty of plagiarism or academic dishonesty if you:
 Use identical, or very similar language, to communicate another person’s idea(s) without
giving that individual proper academic credit.
 Use another person’s idea(s) without giving that individual proper academic credit.
 Copy and paste (from anything) except in the use of quotations, and where those quotations
are properly cited.
 Fail to cite properly.
 Make use of any unauthorized aid in the completion of graded work for this class.
 Collaborate with someone else on an assignment, unless authorized by me.
 Falsify or fabricate information (for example, in citing your sources).
 Submit work to this class that you produced for another class.
DISABILITY SERVICES: Georgia Tech complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act
and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. No retroactive accommodations will be provided in
this class. If you have a documented disability and anticipate needing accommodations in this
course, please make arrangements to meet with me soon, preferably in the first week of the
semester or as soon as you become aware of your need for accommodation. Prior to our meeting,
if you have not already done so, please request that ADAPTS staff verify your disability and
specify the accommodation you will need.
DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT: Georgia Tech does not discriminate on the basis
of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S.
veteran. This class adheres to those guidelines. Alternative viewpoints are welcome in this
classroom. However, statements that are deemed racist, sexist, classist, or otherwise
discriminatory toward others in the class will not be tolerated. No form of harassment or
discrimination is allowed in this class. In keeping with the professional nature of this course,
only professional behavior is acceptable between the instructor and the students and between
students. No harassment of any kind is allowed in class including but not limited to gender, age,
ability, religion, sexual orientation, and ethnicity.
COMMUNICATE WITH ME: If you have any concerns, issues, or difficulties about anything
regarding this class, come and speak with me after class or send me an email at any time. I
check my email at least once every day so this is an excellent way to contact me. Many times
larger problems can be avoided by talking to me early.
EMAIL: When contacting any of your professors via email, remember to use appropriate email
etiquette:
 Be sure to include a meaningful subject line; this helps clarify what your message is about
and may also help the recipient prioritize reading your email.
 Just like a written letter, be sure to open your email with a greeting like Dear Dr. Jones, or
Ms. Smith:
 Use standard spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. THERE'S NOTHING WORSE THAN
AN EMAIL SCREAMING A MESSAGE IN ALL CAPS.
 Write clear, short paragraphs and be direct and to the point; professionals and academics
alike see their email accounts as business.
 Read through your email before sending it to make sure that your message is clear and that
you haven't made any serious grammatical mistakes.
This syllabus reflects a general plan for the course. Deviations from this syllabus may
become necessary as the semester progresses. Students are responsible for taking note of
any changes that may occur. I reserve the right to alter the guidelines set forth in this
Syllabus under any circumstances I deem appropriate.