Course Syllabus
ENG 102 Composition 2 Section 1101
Western Nevada College
Mission: The mission of the AA degree is to provide the academic knowledge and skills for
successful transfer to meet higher education goals.
Associate of Arts Program Outcomes-- The successful student will:
● Meet the general education student learning outcomes.
● Identify, describe, and apply information, theories, methodologies, and approaches
from the social sciences and humanities/arts.
● Produce effective projects, papers, and reports.
● Integrate knowledge and skills from the study of social sciences and the humanities/arts
to think critically about and develop solutions to contemporary and/or enduring
problems.
● Succeed at transfer institution.
Success threshold: students who transfer to baccalaureate programs at UNR or UNLV will
succeed at a rate equivalent to or greater than those who begin similar programs at the
respective universities.
Course Syllabus – Spring 2016
T/TH 8:00 – 9:15 a.m.
Cedar 313
Instructor: Gary Brady-Herndon M.A.
gary.brady-herndon@wnc.edu
Number of Credits:
3
Transferability of Course within Nevada: This course transfers within Nevada.
1. Course Description
Continues the study of expository writing. Students read and analyze writing and discursive techniques of
interpretation, argument, and research.
II.
Course Objectives
The purpose of this course is to provide a foundation of knowledge that allows students to further their
study of Literature and/or apply knowledge to meet their personal and professional needs. The
information in the parentheses after a course objective refers to the specific general education (GE)
learning outcome that the objective meets. Objectives without this information are not linked to WNC’s
general education program.
Upon completion of this course the student should be able to:
1. Present substantially error-free prose suitable in style and content to the purpose of the document
and the audience. (GE 2)
2. Recognize, analyze, and apply the elements of various genres (types) of literature.
3. Understand and use critical thinking and creativity to select and apply terms used to analyze literature
suitable for arguments regarding literary texts. (GE 9) (GE 7)
4. Discuss, research, and write about literature with critical insight, precision and clarity. (GE 4)
III.
Topics
1. Short Stories
2. Poetry
3. Literary Research and/or Criticism
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Clifford, John and John Schilb. Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martins, 2015. 6th ed.
Microsoft Office or Open Office word processing program (free from http://www.openoffice.org/ (Links to
an external site.)). Do not turn in papers in PDF format.
INSTRUCTOR AVAILABILITY:
Instructor: Gary
Brady-Herndon
Phone Number: Email: gary.brady-herndon@wnc.edu Please this use email to contact me.
Spring 2016 Office Hours:
Bris 350H
Office Hours by appointment:
11:00 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS:
Short Story Analysis
(150 pts.)
Poetry Analysis
(150 pts.)
Poetry Essay Peer Review (25 pts.)
Literary Comparison Essay
(100 pts.)
Research Proposal
(50 pts.)
Annotated Bibliography
(100 pts.)
Research Paper
(300 pts.)
Peer Edit
(25 pts.)
Daily Reading Quizzes
(100 pts. total)
Attendance grade
(100 pts.)
1100 pts total.
EVALUATION METHODS AND GRADING CRITERIA:
For average work, you will earn an average grade, which is a "C". A further important item of note: in
general, papers that do not meet the minimum page/word count requirements will earn a grade no higher
than a "C-". Major assignments (the 3 essays and the research project,) must be completed in order to
pass the class. Finally, Students will be expected to submit all papers via Turnitin.com.
Participation weighs in more heavily in this course than in most others - you are expected to contribute to
class discussions regularly. I am here to guide you. When you have questions, ask. But I
also place great responsibility on your shoulders. You must take an active role in
your education. Sitting here, trying just to "absorb" what is going on is not likely
to help you much. Learn to read carefully and ask questions as soon as you feel
lost.
As of March 17, 2015, the DSS office has moved to Cedar 209. Please advise all faculty members in your
divisions of this change and encourage them to include a disability statement on their syllabi. Below
please find sample statements they may want to consider:
Western Nevada College supports providing equal access for students with disabilities. This syllabus is
available in alternate format upon request. Susan Trist (DSS Coordinator) is available to discuss
appropriate academic accommodations that students may require. Please contact Susan Trist (775-4454459 or susan.trist@wnc.edu) at your earliest convenience.
ROUGH DRAFTS:
I am willing to look at rough drafts via email or in person, provided
they are submitted to me at
least 1 week prior to the due date of essay. However, I will only provide commentary and
feedback - I will not engage in grade speculation.
Grading: I do NOT mark every single error on your papers, especially grammar and mechanical
errors. I will point out major and recurring errors, but there will be others that I will not mark.
WITHDRAWAL PROCESS AND RESPONSIBILITY:
In order to withdraw from a class, a student must fill out the requisite paperwork before the final
withdrawal date. I will not withdraw you from this course; you must do it yourself! You will not be given a
grade of “W” if you stop attending class. You will earn a grade for work completed during the semester
unless you properly drop the course through the registration office. If a student simply stops attending
class, or fails to turn in major assignments, a grade of “F” will be issued as the final grade. The Last
Day to Drop is April 1, 2016 with a “W”.
COURSE POLICIES AND EXPECTATIONS:
Attendance
While the temptation to skip class is a common one, I would strongly advise against that mentality. I take
attendance at the beginning of class. If you are not in the classroom when I take attendance you will be
counted absent. If you come in late, I will mark you late. Two late entries counts as one missed day of
class and will figure into your accumulated total absences (see below). You cannot make up missed
attendance points. If you leave before the class ends, I will change your attendance grade from Present
(P) To Left Early (Le). Two Le marks counts as one absence. If in the case of a question about
raising a student’s grade from say a 79.5 (C) to 80 (B-), I will use the student’s attendance as a
determining factor in whether or not I give the extra point to raise the grade. If you accumulate four (4)
absences during the semester, I will make you aware of the absences and give you a warning. Missing
six (6) classes will result in a failing grade for the course.
Most days you will be given a reading activity or a homework sheet to complete before the next
class. When you arrive to class, you will have a 10 point quiz over the reading assignment (or I will
assess your completed homework sheet, etc.). Quizzes cannot be made up; you must be in class when
the quiz is given in order to have a chance to earn those points. No Exceptions!!! I will not go back
and review questions for those who arrive late, so make sure you are on time and remain for the entire
period; otherwise you will miss many easy points. You are responsible for the material covered in
class. If you miss a class, make sure to get the information, notes, announcements, etc. from a
classmate.
Late Work
The due dates for all assignments are important.

If you miss a due date in the Canvass assignment folder, I will
allow you a three day grace period past the due date with one
letter grade deducted per day.

No work will be accepted three days after the due date.

If you miss a due date, email me telling me why. If I find you
excuse acceptable, I will tell you to email the paper to me.

Do not email me papers without my consent. Period.

Post your papers in Canvas before the due date. If you have
trouble posting to Canvas, you need to find out how. See me and
I can direct you to training.

Do not wait until the last minute to post your work. Post early in
the anticipation that Canvass may be experiencing errors.

If an emergency arises, please contact me ASAP. Communication
with me before an essay is due provides you the only means to
explain unforeseen circumstances and exercise other options.

Telling me you are going to miss class for a camping trip, family
reunion, or anything similarly lame or insignificant is not an
acceptable excuse.
Important: All major assignments (the (3) three major essays and
the research paper) must be completed in order to pass the class.
This means that if you choose to not to complete an assignment by the
due date and receive zero points, you will still need to submit it before
the end of the semester (without credit) in order to attempt to pass the
course via the points you have earned.
Cell Phone/Electronic Devices:
While Cell phones and iPods are convenient, their presence in the classroom can be distracting. Once
class begins, all devices of this type (including laptop computers unless permitted by the instructor)
should be turned off or switched to a vibrate setting while you are in class. Failure to do so will initially
result in a warning; subsequent violations of this policy will result in an absence for the day. This policy
includes texting during class or using phones/laptops for Facebook! The best policy is to leave your
laptop, tablet and phone off during class. If you have pressing matters to tend to with your device,
please step out into the hall (or I will ask you to do so).
Common Civility
Entering a college classroom demands that you treat others in a manner that is supportive of academic
inquiry, curiosity, and shared learning. By respectfully acknowledging your similarities and differences
with other students, you will learn a great deal about yourself. Consequently, if you are able to argue and
discuss topics in a civil and reasoned manner (even those you feel most passionate about), you will have
empowered your own voice and increased the likelihood that you will be heard and taken seriously by a
professional audience. Furthermore, common respect involves being adult enough to not disturb others
with side conversations. In this class, only one person should be talking at a time. Whether it is the
instructor or a classmate, please give the individual speaking your full attention, as we will do when you
wish to speak. Failure to be civil and courteous to your colleagues and/or professor will result in a loss of
attendance/quiz points or dismissal from the course.
ACADEMIC HONESTY STATEMENT:
The College is committed to academic integrity in all its practices. Cheating on papers, tests or other
academic works is a violation of College rules. No student shall engage in behavior that, in the judgment
of the instructor of the class, may be construed as cheating. This may include, but is not limited to,
plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty such as the acquisition without permission of tests or
other academic materials and/or distribution of these materials and other academic work. This includes
students who aid and abet as well as those who attempt such behavior. BUYING an essay, copying and
pasting information from sources without attribution or willfully submitting someone else's work as your
own are instances of academic dishonesty that will result in failure of the class, at the very least. In a
word – do not even consider it. In addition, you may not turn in papers written for
another class to fulfill the assignments for this one. Acts of academic dishonesty will result
in an F grade for the assignment. A second instance of academic dishonesty will result in an F for
the course. Please refer to the student handbook for more information of the College’s academic
dishonesty policies. If you have doubts, ask me.
RIGHT OF REVISION STATEMENT:
The instructor and Western Nevada College reserve the right to make reasonable changes to this
syllabus and/or schedule as necessary.
Continued enrollment in this course indicates that you have read and agree to
follow the course policies and procedures discussed herein.
*This schedule is just a rough estimation of our activities this semester and may change substantially and
for any reason as the semester dictates*
**All assignments refer to the Making Literature Matter, unless otherwise noted**
Tentative Schedule
Fall 2016
English 102
Date
Jan. 26
Week 1
Assignment
Introduction to the Course: review of syllabus, course
expectations, and policies.
Introductory remarks and review: 5 paragraph academic essays as
a template of longer essays.
Diagnostic Writing
Jan. 28
Date
Ch. 1 What is Literature? /How and Why Does it Matter?
Pgs. 1-8, pgs. 11-14
Ch. 2 How to Read Closely
Pgs. 16-21, 25-32, 40-46
Week 2
Assignment
Feb. 2
Review of academic language, formal tone, and MLA
documentation.
Assign 1st essay: Short Story Analysis.
Feb. 4
Chapter 3: p. 47-66,
Read Chapter 5: p. 115-130
Read the “Little Red Riding Hood Cluster”: p. 1393-1407.
Date
Week 3
Assignment
Feb. 9
Discussion of the reading assignment. Identifying, digesting, and
critiquing themes.
Read O’ Brien “Things We Carried” p. 1516
Read Dubus “Killings” on p. 1123
Feb. 11
What are themes and how do we recognize them? Analysis of
stories based on Short Story structure
Read Gilman “The Yellow Wallpaper” p. 231
Read Chopin’s “Desiree's Baby” p. 649
Date
Week 4
Assignment
Feb. 16
Discuss theme analysis through short story structure.
Read O’ Connor “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” p. 1173
Read Poe “The Cask of Amontillado” p. 1117
Feb. 18
Lecture on converting structural aspects into “points” to support
thematic interpretations.
Read Faulkner “A Rose for Emily” on p. 1102
Read Carver “What We Talk about When We Talk about
Love” p. 655
Date
Week 5
Assignment
Feb. 23
Theme-based Writing: “Reading between the lines”. Discuss
assignment and analyze themes. Grammatical concerns and
common paper errors.
Read Hawthorne “Young Goodman Brown” on p. 1345
Read Cather “Paul’s Case” pg. 896
Feb. 25
Discuss reading assignments. Q & A over paper topics, format,
structural concerns, and MLA style and works cited pages.
Read Williams “The Use of Force” p. 1333
Sedaris “Tasteless” pg. 541
Espada Link for next time:
http://www.martinespada.net/Poems.html
Rednecks
General Pinochet at the Bookstore
Blessed are the Truth Tellers
The Republic of Poerty
Imagine the Angels of Bread
Date
Week 6
Assignment
Mar 1
Short Story Analysis Due!!!
Assign Poetry Analysis.
Bring to class a favorite poem (or two) to discuss and share with
the class.
Reading Martin Espada Readings Link Selected Poems
Blasphemy
Rednecks
http://www.martinespada.net/Poems.html
Mar 3
Read Ch. 5 pgs. 136-149
Espada: The Republic of Poetry
General Pinochet at the Bookstore
Date
Mar 8
Week 7
Assignment
Assign Poetry Analysis
Introduction to Poetry Analysis- Elements of poetry, word/image
interpretation, and visualization.
Read Dickinson “I Am Nobody! Who Are You?” 847
Read “Disrespecting Death” poetry cluster Oliver,
Donne, Thomas, and Szymborska pgs. 1317-1322
Read Wordsworth “The Solitary Reaper” pg. 81
Mar 10
Date
Visual clues of descriptive language. The power of image-based
language.
Read Arnold p. 607
Read Lawrence p. 1027
Read Piercy p. 1037
Read Ríos p. 292
Week 8
Assignment
Mar 15
Discuss the metaphoric value of poetry. Symbolism of pervasive
metaphors and the themes they illuminate.
Read Frost p. 71
Read Frost p. 1300
Mar 17
Discuss the reading assignment and elements of poetry
Read Heaney p. 1018
Read Keats p. 582
Week 9
Mar. 22
Spring Break
Mar 24
Week 10
Date
Assignment
Mar 29
Poetry discussion wrap up.
Read Eliot pg. 601
Read Shakespeare p. 581
Mar 31
Introduce Othello paper coming up
Bring a copy of your rough draft to class
Read Kumin p. 8
Read Sexton p. 841
Week 11
Date
Apr 5
Peer Edit Poetry Essay
Apr 7
Assign Literary Compare/Contrast Paper
Othello: Discussion of Acts 1-3
Week 12
Date
Assignment
Apr 12
Poetry Essays are due at midnight.
Othello: Discussion of Act 4-5
Discuss Comparison Topics
Bring three topics to class for next time.
Apr 14
Assign Research paper and Proposal
Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle
Brainstorm Paper topics.
Week 13
Date
Apr 19
Literary Comparison Due at midnight
Read Chapter 3 p. 64-80 Discuss in Class
Brainstorm Paper topics. Introduction to synthesis paper writing
and analytical styles. Discuss individual articles and paper topics.
Apr 21
Proposal due at midnight
Assign Bibliography
Discussion of analytical research writing.
Research methods and strategies.
Handouts:
Read and discuss Handouts
Week 14
Date
Assignment
Apr 26
Library Day
Apr 28
Discuss organizational options and the various types of arguments
for these research papers.
Read Martin Luther King’s: Letter from a Birmingham jail p. 1281
Decide on an organization plan for your paper. We will discuss and
write about your plan in the next class.
Week 15
Date
Assignment
May 3
Annotated Bibliography Due
Discuss Final Paper
Complete an outline of your final paper in sentence format and
bring it to class
May 5
Final discussion over MLA citation & final questions over
organization and structure?
Discuss final outlines
Week Sixteen
Date
May 10
May 12
Introduction/Thesis, Body and Conclusion Discussion. Bring a copy
of your intro/thesis and conclusion to class for discussion.
Prepare a rough draft of the final research paper and bring three
copies of it to class next time.
Peer review of final Research Paper.
Week Seventeen
Assignment
Date
May 17
Research Paper due at midnight
In class consultation with instructor. Bring any questions about the
Research Paper for discussion. Not a mandatory class.
May 19
No Class
May 21
Semester ends