ENGLISH 280, section I01 - COLLEGE COMPOSITION
Kathleen O’Donnell-Brown
Simpkins 316
Office Phone - 309/298-1426
Email contact is preferred through WesternOnline. If WO is not available, please
email me through Zimbra – k-odonnell-brown@wiu.edu
Course Materials:
From Critical Thinking to Argument – 4th Edition. Barnet and Bedau. Approximately
$20 new. Available through WIU bookstore or other venue. ISBN 978- 1-4576-6174-7
A Pocket Style Manual – 6th Edition. Hacker. Approx. $27 new. Available WIU
bookstore and other venues. ISBN 978-0-312-54254-2
Course Objectives: For a complete list of the various objectives for this course, see the
English Department’s handout
http://www.wiu.edu/cas/english/writing/F15%20ENG%20280%20Handout.pdf
By the end of the course, students will have learned the basics of writing for upper-level
college courses, including basic research strategies and documentation of outside sources.
Developing strong skills in analytical reading and critical thinking are also objectives in
this course; therefore, reading complex materials and examining controversial issues will
be important components of the course. Our focus for the course will be contemporary
social issues.
There are two prerequisites for English 280:
1) Completion of English 180 (or a first semester writing course accepted for
transfer) with a grade of C or better. If you did not earn a C or better in 180, you
must repeat the course before taking 280.
2) Completion of a minimum of 24 semester hours of college credit.
Plagiarism: Please read carefully the section on Academic Dishonesty from the
departmental information handout. Any student caught in plagiarism is subject to
penalties ranging from failing the assignment to failing the course and being reported to
CAGAS. Penalties and procedures are outlined in the Student Handbook
http://www.wiu.edu/policies/acintegrity.php
Please also read the WIU document on student rights and responsibilities:
http://www.wiu.edu/provost/students.php
Course Grade: To receive credit for English 280, students must earn at least a “C” grade
(73%). Grades possible are “A”, “A-“, “B+”,“B”, “B-“, “C+”, “C”, “U”, “F”.
“U” means a student must repeat the course but his/her GPA will not be affected. “F”
means a student must repeat the course and the grade WILL affect his/her GPA. Again,
the date for withdrawal is Nov. 1st. Contact the Distance Learning department or the
University Registrar’s office for more information.
Points earned divided by points possible will result in a percentage and corresponding
grade.
“A”: 93-100%
“A-“: 90-92%
“B+”: 87-89%
“B”: 83-86%
“B-“: 80-82%
“C+”: 77-79%
“C”: 73-76%
“U”: 60-72%
“F”: Below 60%
Assignments: Four major essays are required for this course; if you do not complete all
essays, you will probably not pass the course. Students will also be required to complete
timed writings (equivalent to an in-class essay) and other, shorter writing assignments,
such as summaries or responses to readings. Complete instructions for each semester will
be contained on the unit schedules. There will be four units in this course adding up to a
total of about 500 points. This may be different from some online courses you may have
taken where you were allowed to work at your own pace. Because of the nature of this
course, assignments will be due each week on Monday night and students will interact
in discussions and readings. Each unit will be posted about one week before its beginning
date.
Late Work: Late assignments (quizzes, summaries and other smaller writing
assignments) may be turned in up to one week late and will receive a 50% deduction of
the possible points. Late essays may be turned in up to one week late and will receive a
10% deduction of the possible points. Exceptions will be made only in the case of severe
illness or bereavement. Please contact me in a timely manner if you are having problems
meeting deadlines or in understanding assignments.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact me through the email function on
our Western Online course page. If that function or page is not available, you may use
the Western Zimbra account – k-odonnell-brown@wiu.edu
My office hours this semester are from 10-12 MWF. You may call my office then if you
wish to speak to me directly– 309/298-1426. I can also speak with you at other
prearranged times. Just let me know.
If you were force-enrolled in this course, you will need the permission of the instructor
and the Director of Writing in order to drop. If you wish to drop this course you will need
to speak with me first, and I will forward your request to the Director for consideration
(permission is not granted automatically). If you need permission to drop, plan
accordingly. The drop date is a SUNDAY, meaning you will need to get both permissions
by Friday, when instructors are on campus.
In accordance with University policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),
academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the
need for an accommodation. For the instructor to provide the proper accommodation(s)
you must obtain documentation of the need for an accommodation through Disability
Resource Center (DRC) and provide it to the instructor. It is imperative that you take the
initiative to bring such needs to the instructor’s attention, as he/she is not legally
permitted to inquire about such particular needs of students. Students who may require
special assistance in emergency evacuations (i.e. fire, tornado, etc.) should contact the
instructor as to the most appropriate procedures to follow in such an emergency. Contact
Disability Resource Center (DRC) at 298-2512 for additional services.
If problems or concerns arise, please contact me as soon as possible. I cannot help with
issues I do not know about. Although course structure or other things may seem
confusing, we will work through them. Just be patient, read the instructions and course
information carefully, and ask when you have questions.
Important Guidelines for Success in an Online Course:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Self-discipline and the willingness to work individually.
Reading the syllabus and other course documents frequently.
Checking the WesternOnline course site almost daily for updates and news.
CAREFULLY and thoroughly reading all assignments.
Planning ahead so that assignments can be submitted on time – allowing for
potential technology problems.
ASSIGNMENT ADDENDUM:
Essay #1 – Analysis – ≈10%
Student will write an essay analyzing a published argument from a periodical
source. Areas of analysis to be discussed include audience, purpose, technique, evidence,
persona, language, etc.
Length – minimum 3 pages
Evaluated on discussion of analysis areas above including examples and quotes,
along with correct conventions of Edited American English.
Essay #2 – Editorial – ≈10%
Student will write a brief editorial with a claim and reasons, including published
evidence.
Length – 2 pages (800 words maximum)
Evaluated on strength/clarity of claim and logical reasons supported by outside
evidence including statistics, facts, quotes, and examples. Must be in correct Edited
American English.
Essay #3 – Media Comparison/Contrast – ≈15%
Student will write an essay comparing and contrasting two films or documentaries
using a variety of analysis areas, such as theme, audience, purpose, technique, etc. Use of
MLA for documentation is required.
Length – minimum 4 pages
Evaluated on organization of information, thoroughness of analysis including
support from movies/documentaries and published critiques of movies/documentaries.
Must be in correct Edited American English and use correct MLA documentation form.
Essay #4 – Argument Essay – ≈24%
Student will write a researched argument using MLA documentation.
Length – 8 page minimum
Evaluated on clarity of argument, use of credible evidence as support, correct
MLA documentation form, and correct Edited American English. Students MUST get at
least a 70% on this essay in order to pass the course.
Mid-Term In-Class Essay – ≈6%
Student will respond to a choice of questions concerning an article read and
discussed in class.
Length – 2 page minimum
Evaluated on clarity of answer, use of support from readings and personal
experience, and use of correct Edited American English.
NOTE: This may not be the order in which papers are written – see Unit Schedules
for more information.