1 Welcome to English Composition II Engl 1302 – Fall 2014 (Alief-Hayes) CRN: 32609 Tues/Thur, 12.30-2.20 3 Credit Hours / 48 hours per semester Lecture / Core Curriculum Instructor: Dr. David Brenner Contact Information: david.brenner@hccs.edu HCC Learning Web = http://learning.hccs.edu/faculty/david.brenner Office Hours: before/after classes and by appointment Please contact me concerning any problems that you are experiencing in this course. Do not wait until you have received a bad grade before asking for help! Feel free to contact me before or after class, and I’ll be glad to discuss things with you. Also, be sure to take advantage of the additional support made available by HCC for you: On-line tutoring is also available through askonline.net. You must, however, plan in advance and submit your work well before its due date in order to receive timely advice. You are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the free tutoring available to you in the Writing Centers at Northwest College. Tutors can help you organize and develop ideas for your writing assignments and to work on problems in grammar and sentence structure. Tutors do not write, rewrite, edit, or correct papers for you, but they can help you to do the tasks better yourself. (However, neither the tutor nor any person—your mother, your high school teacher, your friend, and so on—other than your instructor is the final judge of your work.) Prerequisites: English 1301 or the equivalent Instructional Materials/Required Textbooks: 1. Brenner’s “Learning Web,” i.e., all texts / readings posted to the Learning Web by this professor 2. June Johnson. Global Issues, Local Arguments: Readings for Writing, Third Edition, Pearson Longman Publishers. 2013 (GI) [Warning: use only THIS edition!] 3. English 1302 Study Guide (SG) [Paperback available in HCC bookstores] 4. Two “blue books” for completing all in-class exam assignments Turnitin.com Website Coordinates: Your out-of-class essays also MUST be electronically submitted via turnitin.com. Otherwise, you will receive NO CREDIT for the assignment. Once you have set up an account at turitin.com, your Class ID and Enrollment Password for this class are 8751561 and 32609, respectively. Changes may be made to the syllabus during the semester. If so, a revised version of it will be provided on the Learning Web. 2 Course Description: A more extensive study of the skills introduced in English 1301 with an emphasis on critical thinking, research, documentation techniques, and literary and rhetorical analysis. Prerequisite: English 1301 or a satisfactory score on the CLEP Exam. Credit: 3 semester hours (3 lecture hours). Course Goals: In English 1302, we seek to provide writing instruction and practice that will help students master critical analysis of reading selections (both fiction and non-fiction) and the research process, as well as to continue to creatively implement persuasive/argumentative writing techniques. All elements of English 1302 require students to apply critical thinking and writing skills introduced in English 1301. How Goals and Description Apply to You: 1302 is a challenging course because it requires you to formally analyze, research, argue, and write academic essays. In addition, the second start version is highly accelerated. If you get behind, it will be very difficult to catch up again. The good news? After you have completed the course, college and other writing should not be an obstacle, but instead one of your strengths. Students who come back to see me say they have done well in other courses and knew how to approach assignments and projects because of what they learned in this class. My goal is have you gain the skills needed to express yourself in a variety of writing with confidence and proficiency. Student Learning Outcomes: To successfully complete 1302, you will: 1. Apply basic principles of rhetorical analysis 2. Write essays that classify, explain, and evaluate rhetorical and literary strategies employed in argument, persuasion, and various forms of literature. 3. Identify, differentiate, integrate, and synthesize research materials into argumentative and/or analytical essays. 4. Employ appropriate documentation style and format across the spectrum of in-class and out-ofclass written discourse. 5. Demonstrate library literacy. Learning Objectives: 1. Demonstrate the ability to coherently analyze: divide a text into rhetorical parts, name the parts, identify examples that illustrate each part, and evaluate the contribution of each in one or more essays; 2. Apply the basic principles of critical thinking—evaluation, analysis, and synthesis— in written essays that persuade or argue; 3. Distinguish fact from opinion in others’ writings and evaluate whether they prove their points and/or whether they can be appropriately used as sources in documented papers; 4. Research and write documented paper(s) using proper MLA style; 5. Find and evaluate library books, journals, magazines, and/or databases to find information on a topic or issue; Changes may be made to the syllabus during the semester. If so, a revised version of it will be provided on the Learning Web. 3 6. Expand the scope, confidence, and creativity of written expression English Program Student Learning Outcomes (Composition, Literature, Creative Writing, and Technical Writing) 1. Write in appropriate genres using varied rhetorical strategies. 2. Write in appropriate genres to explain and evaluate rhetorical and/or literary strategies employed in argument, persuasion, and various genres. 3. Analyze various genres of writing for form, method, meaning, and interpretation. 4. Employ research in academic writing styles and use appropriate documentation style. 5. Communicate ideas effectively through discussion. Instructional Methods: To fulfill my personal goal of making you the best writer and thinker you can be in the short span of a semester, you will experience a variety of instructional methods. Although you will be involved in collaborative activities—discussion, group work, and peer reviews—I will give you very specific guidance as to how to write analyses and arguments. On more difficult assignments, you will be provided guidelines to direct you through the prewriting stages where you will be expected to reflect deeply upon an issue or an analysis. Also, models of exemplary student writing will be available for your review. CORE Curriculum Competencies: This course stresses the HCC CORE Competencies of reading, writing, speaking, listening, critical thinking, and computer literacy. Minimum Writing Requirement: To be good on a computer, one must spend many hours on it. To become a good shortstop in baseball, one has to field endless amounts of grounders. To be a good writer, one must . . . . As in any other skill, practice advances mastery: 6,000 words is the minimum amount required in this course! Student Grading and Assessment The quality of your work will be assessed throughout the semester. Prior to each of the major assignments, you will receive detailed instructions on the parameters of the assignment and how its components will be evaluated. All of the assignments listed here should be submitted in MLA format (for examples, see the Purdue OWL website and your textbooks). Pay attention to the additional guidelines below—and those provided on my Learning Web. Make sure to always proofread your assignments carefully. Allow yourself time to review for not only content but also grammar and syntax (i.e., sentence structure). 10% Critical Rhetorical Analysis of a Text – a 1000+-word out-of-class analysis where a student illustrates whether an author effectively proves his point or not. Changes may be made to the syllabus during the semester. If so, a revised version of it will be provided on the Learning Web. 4 10% Written In-Class Midterm Analysis --a 750+-word in-class midterm where a student analyses an audience based on an author’s use of appeals to logic, emotion, and credibility. Blue books must be submitted one class period prior to the exam (with your name in the top righthand corner). 20% Researched Argumentative Essay (i.e., “Term Paper”): Three preliminary stages, including an annotated bibliography (500+-words) and a rough draft (i.e., a 1000+ word essay) using MLA documentation/citation throughout. 15% Researched Argumentative Essay (i.e., “Term Paper”): Final draft - a 1500+ word essay. This fifth and final stage of the “term paper” assignment requires you to perfect – or at least revise significantly!--your rough draft. 10% Written In-Class Final Essay: a 750+ word in-class argumentative paper that takes a stand on an issue in a text discussed in class and refutes two opposing ideas (but also makes concessions!). Blue books must be submitted one class period prior to the exam (with your name in the top right-hand corner). 15% Class Participation (quality trumps quantity) 20% Quizzes (2 will be dropped; short answer questions only!) All assignments will be discussed in detail in class during the semester. Although I will provide handouts that outline the requirements and grading criteria for these tasks, students may fail the course if they do not keep up with assigned readings or pay attention in class. Work that is off-topic or fails to follow instructions will not be given credit. You will receive the grade you earn. One letter grade will be deducted for each class day an out-of-class assignment is late. Workshops and quizzes may not be made up. However, one letter grade will be added for each class day an out-of-class assignment is early. Where to Find Copies of Specific Assignments and Written Support for this Class: On my HCC Learning Web site (as noted above), this syllabus as well as the calendar, assignments, handouts, and other materials concerning this class and English composition are available to read, reread, download and/or print. Instructor Grading Criteria: Papers and essays: All of these will be graded by English Discipline standards, which include grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, word usage, tone, and mechanics. Changes may be made to the syllabus during the semester. If so, a revised version of it will be provided on the Learning Web. 5 Midterm and Final: In addition to the average of grades on out-of-class writing, a student must obtain a passing average (70 - 100) on in-class writing in order to make at least a C in the course. If the average of in-class writing is a D (60 - 69), the student must receive a D in the course. If the average of in-class writing is an F (0-59), the student must receive an F in the class. (The average of in-class essays is formed by counting the first in-class essay once and by counting the last one twice.) Grading Scale: Grading will be reflected by traditional letter grades, A through F. The number equivalents are: A (90-100%): The student demonstrates superior ability and originality. Thorough knowledge of the material is displayed. The quality of submitted work is consistently high with minimal, superficial stylistic or rhetorical errors. B (80-89%): The student demonstrates above average ability. Knowledge of the material exceeds basic requirements: moments of strong insight and/or creativity are demonstrated. The quality of submitted work contains few stylistic or rhetorical errors. C (70-79%): The student presents work that adequately treats the assignment. A “C” paper may also include minor erroneous evaluation of the material and/or sources and/or minor misinterpretations of the assignment. Errors in proofreading, mechanics, style, and rhetorical devices appear throughout less than 50 percent of the essay. D (60-69%): The student submits below average work. This typically indicates that a student has erroneously evaluated the material and/or sources AND/OR has misunderstood the assignment. In addition, the work may also contain repeated mechanical and stylistic errors that compromise the clarity of the student’s writing. F (0-59%): The student submits sloppy, poorly organized work containing excessive stylistic and rhetorical errors. The work displays little student effort and interest and/or does not reflect the assignment. Out-of-Class Assignments: You are responsible for keeping up with the reading and homework. Throughout the semester there will be daily quizzes. Readings are from both printed and online materials. When the readings are online, you should bring printouts to class. Don’t try to access the readings from cellphones/smartphones! Out-of-Class Essay Submission Formats: All out-of-class essays (three) must be submitted at the beginning of class on their due dates in the following HARD COPY format: Typed on white paper (8.5 x 11) in black ink (handwritten assignments not accepted) Double-spaced, with 1” margins, 12-point plain font (e.g., Times New Roman) MLA format (if you need a review of MLA paper format, visit: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ ) Points will be deducted from papers that do not meet requirements. The final drafts of your out-of-class essays must also be electronically submitted via TurnItIn.com (information for each section can be found above, on page one of this syllabus), or else you will receive NO CREDIT for the assignment: Revision/Rough Draft Policy: If the student opts to revise her essay, she is encouraged to read carefully through the instructor’s comments, discuss revision strategies with the instructor, and/or also seek Changes may be made to the syllabus during the semester. If so, a revised version of it will be provided on the Learning Web. 6 additional guidance from a tutor. A student has ONE WEEK from the day she has received her graded paper back from the instructor to resubmit a revised version (both a printed copy to the instructor and an electronic copy at turnitin.com). That said, rough drafts are always required on the major out-of-class writing assignments. These are a great opportunity to address the overall direction and organization of your essays. Also take advantage of the in-class peer reviews/evaluations, the instructor’s suggestions, and HCC tutoring services to ensure that your work is of a “passing” caliber or higher. I. GROUND RULES: CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR AND ACADEMIC HONESTY Discipline: Instructors and students in this class share the responsibility of developing and maintaining a positive learning environment. I take my part of this seriously and will inform members of the class if their behavior makes it difficult for me to fulfill that responsibility. As a student, you are asked to respect the learning needs of your fellow learners (see HCC Student Handbook for the complete rules). Since we want each and every student to get as much out of class as possible, adult conduct is expected. Please treat everyone in the class with respect. Disruptive behavior that interferes with teaching and/or learning will not be tolerated; it may result in an administrative withdrawal without refund. In addition, a faculty member may temporarily suspend a student from his/her classroom for the remainder of the class whenever the student is disrupting the class to the point that there is no longer a meaningful learning environment. Electronics in class: Please turn off all cell phones, iPods, and any electronic hand-held device before coming into class. It goes without saying: anyone checking their email, texting, answering their phone, playing a video game or listening to music will be asked to leave for the class period and may be marked absent. If such a device sounds or is used during class, it will be considered a disruption of the educational process (such as other forms of inappropriate behavior), and the student may be asked to leave for the rest of the class period. If a student expects an emergency call, he or she must speak to the instructor to receive an exception to this policy. If personal use of electronic devices is excessive in a class, a penalty of a 10-percent deduction on the next major assignment will be enforced! While you may be asked to use electronic devices for in-class purposes (such as workshops), checking your email/Facebook/etc. is ABSOLUTELY PROHIBITED. This is an issue of general professional etiquette. Inattentiveness is distracting to both your instructor and fellow students, and it devalues the overall course. Official HCC policy concerning camera phones, cameras, audio/tape recorders, video recorders and any other electronic device that is capable of recording the human voice or image declares that the “[u]se of recording devices, including camera phones and tape recorders, is prohibited in classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices, and other locations where instruction, tutoring, or testing occurs. Students with disabilities who need to use a recording device as a reasonable accommodation should contact the Office for Students with Disabilities for information regarding [such] accommodations.” Food, Beverages, and Use of Tobacco Products: Please do not consume food during class. Drinks are fine dependent upon building policy. In addition, the use of tobacco products, such as “chew” or “snuff,” is prohibited in the classroom. Changes may be made to the syllabus during the semester. If so, a revised version of it will be provided on the Learning Web. 7 Scholastic Dishonesty: A student who is academically dishonest is unable to demonstrate that the coursework has been learned and that student is claiming an advantage not available to other students. The instructor is responsible for measuring each student’s individual achievements and also for ensuring that all students compete on a level playing field. Thus, in our system, the instructor has teaching, grading, and enforcing roles. You are expected to be familiar with the HCC’s policy on Academic Honesty found in the catalogue. What that means is: if you are charged with an offense, pleading ignorance of the rules will not help you. According to the Student Handbook for the Houston Community College System, scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, collusion, and plagiarism. Cheating on a test includes copying from another student’s test paper and using materials not authorized by the person giving the test; collaborating with another student during a test without authority; knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole or part the contents of an unadministered test; and bribing another person to obtain a test that is to be administered. Collusion means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work offered for credit. Plagiarism means the appropriation of another’s words or ideas and the unacknowledged incorporation of that work in one’s own written work offered for credit. DO NOT PLAGIARIZE ANY MATERIAL: IT IS UNETHICAL, UNADULT, AND A FORM OF STEALING. Plagiarism can also include the use of a student’s prior work in another course and/or school to qualify as an assignment in part for this course. In order to use any pre-existing work, a student must receive permission from both instructors in order to resubmit the assignment for this course. In other words, all assignments must be original; do not use a paper written in another class for this one. SUMMARY OF PLAGIARISM PENALTIES: The punishments for scholastic dishonesty such as plagiarism in this class will be either: (1) a grade of zero (0) for the particular assignment; (2) failing the entire course; or (3) a recommendation for probation or dismissal from the HCC System! II. ATTENDANCE, TARDINESS, AND LATE WORK POLICIES Attendance (roll is taken at the beginning of class): You should understand that your course grade will suffer as a result of absences. And of course, your ability to do the work required will also suffer, and thus grades on that work will be lower. If you miss more than SIX (6) hours of class, excused or nonexcused absences, you should be withdrawn from the course (dependent upon communication with the instructor and/or reasons for absences). That means: if you have missed SIX hours of class, anything beyond this point exceeds the designated HCC limit of absences. If a student stops attending the class, it is his or her responsibility to withdraw formally. A valid reason for missing class is an unavoidable emergency. If you wish to have the absence excused, you must provide documentation for it. If you have a cold or travel plans, they do not qualify as emergencies. If students stop attending the class, it is their responsibility to withdraw formally. If they do not, they will receive an FX grade (a “failing” grade) for the course. Changes may be made to the syllabus during the semester. If so, a revised version of it will be provided on the Learning Web. 8 You are responsible for all assignments even if you are absent or tardy. Do not ask the instructor what you have missed! Instead, you are still responsible for what happens in class, including: o any work due the day you miss class is still due even if you are not there; o any announcements still apply to you if you are not there; and o you should contact another student in your section to find out what you missed. I am glad to meet with you during office hours to answer questions, but I won’t email a summary of the class to you or re-teach that day’s class to you individually. Tardiness: Attendance, participation and your full, undivided attention are the components that most enhance your educational experience. Tardiness limits the above. In addition, it is distracting and often creates logistical issues in the way a class is run. For example, time has to be taken away from the class so that you may understand what everyone else is currently working on. Not only is lateness disruptive, but it is also a breach of professionalism and mature etiquette. Students who make a habit of coming 10 to 15 minutes late will also miss quizzes and other assignments given at the beginning of class. Missed and Late Assignments: You cannot make up quizzes, in-class assignments, group work, and/or peer editing workshops. There are NO makeups on major exams unless arranged in advance. In-class papers must be handed in at the end of class. Failure to hand in an in-class paper will result in a grade of 0 for the assignment. All papers, rough drafts and assignments will be reduced by a full letter grade (10 full points!) for every calendar day past their due date. (By the same token, essay assignments submitted in advance will be eligible for an increase of a full letter grade.) Unlike in other courses, in this course it is always better to turn in an assignment late than not at all. However, students who are late on one of the major out-of-class assignments typically receive final course grades of C or lower. III. EQUALLY IMPORTANT REQUIREMENTS, RULES, AND POLICIES Homework / Class participation: This is a discussion-based course, requiring lots of reading and talking. You are expected to come to class having carefully read and analyzed the assigned texts. Your ability to participate thoughtfully in large and small group discussions will determine your class participation grade. Quizzes: Students should be prepared for quizzes every day. Quizzes will be short (15 minutes) and may require short answers or brief essays. I will drop two quiz grades a semester, no questions asked. Writing / revision workshops: We will workshop required essays extensively, and students are required to attend these classes. You must be prepared to participate thoughtfully since your fellow students depend on your collaboration! Out-of-class essays: In order to be accepted, the final drafts of each of these assignments must be submitted to Turnitin.com as well as printed out in hard copy. We will discuss the procedures for submitting papers to Turnitin.com before the first major essay. Furthermore, you should format Changes may be made to the syllabus during the semester. If so, a revised version of it will be provided on the Learning Web. 9 these essays according to MLA manuscript guidelines. If you do not complete each of these three essay assignments satisfactorily, you will FAIL the class! In-class essays / exams: Blue books are required for each of the two exams. There will be no makeups unless the student provides timely, written, and verifiable documentation of a grave illness or other emergency within 48 hours of the scheduled exam date. Passing / Success: To successfully complete this class, your coursework will demonstrate that you can: analyze the arguments of others and respond appropriately, locate and evaluate credible sources of information, develop reasoned positions in arguments, and demonstrate intellectual integrity by appropriately attributing sources. Professionalism / Etiquette: All class members are expected to treat each other in a courteous and professional manner. This class will mimic, in many ways, a “real-world” working environment, and students are expected to participate professionally: that is, to be on time, arrive prepared, meet deadlines, collaborate with others, and contribute to a positive learning environment. Professionalism includes all of these behaviors as well as regular attendance and voluntary participation in all facets of classroom life. HCC Student Services Information: Student Services provides master’s- and doctoral-level counseling for the Northwest College student body. Advisors are also available at each campus to assist students in creating class schedules, evaluating college transcripts, and completing degree/certificate plans. Student Services regular business hours are the same at the Spring Branch and Katy campuses: Mon-Thu 8:00am-7:00pm; Fri-Sat 8:00am-1:00pm. Locations and phone numbers are: Alief Campus, Room A-111, 713-718-5669; Katy Campus, Suite 150, 713-718-5751; Spring Branch Campus, The Welcome Center, 713-718-5669. For additional information, point your browser to: http://northwest.hccs.edu/northwest/campus-services . Tutoring: You may receive a tutoring recommendation at any point during the semester based on your writing performance. The recommendations are for your benefit; please take them seriously. HCC offers free tutoring. You do not need to make an appointment for these services. Visit the Writing Center page for the Northwest Campus on the HCC website at: http://northwest.hccs.edu/northwest/faculty-staff/instructional-support/writing-center . On-line tutoring (almost 24/7) is also available at http://hccs.AskOnline.net. To reach the helpdesk for IT/computer-related issues at HCC, one should call 713.718.8800. The HCC Libraries offer assistance in finding and documenting resources. If you would like help with research, you may contact the librarians. For locations and times, see http://library.hccs.edu/about/locations.php. “Ask a Librarian” services are available at http://library.hccs.edu/learn_how/askalib.php. See your “Student System Sign-In” records if you need help finding your library barcode. HCC Course Withdrawal Policy: If you feel that you cannot complete this course, please take the time to meet with me to discuss why you feel it is necessary to do so. I may be able to provide you with suggestions to enable you to complete the course. Your success is important to us. Beginning in fall 2007, the Texas Legislature passed a law limiting first-time entering freshmen to no more than SIX total course withdrawals throughout their educational career in obtaining a degree. To help students avoid having to withdraw from any class, HCC has instituted an Early Alert process by which your professor may alert you and HCC counselors that you might fail a class because of excessive absences, poor academic performance, and/or in-class behavioral problems. It is your responsibility to Changes may be made to the syllabus during the semester. If so, a revised version of it will be provided on the Learning Web. 10 visit with your professor or a counselor to learn about what, if any, HCC interventions might be available to assist you – online tutoring, child care, financial aid, job placement, etc. – to stay in class and improve your academic performance. If you plan to withdraw from the course, this must be done PRIOR to the withdrawal deadline in order to receive a "W” on your transcript. Last day for Administrative/Student Withdrawals: November 12-ish, 4:30 p.m. If a student stops attending the class, it is his or her responsibility to withdraw formally. If he or she does not, he or she will receive an FX grade for the course. Students who enroll for most credit CEU classes for a third or more times will be charged an additional $50.00 per semester credit hour and $3.00 per contact hours. International Students: Receiving a W or an F in a course may affect the status of your student visa. Once a W or F is given for the course (after you have formally submitted a withdrawal form), it will not be changed to an F because of any visa considerations. Please contact the International Student Office at 713-718-8520, if you have any questions about your visa status and other transfer issues. HCC Policy Statement – ADA Accommodations / Services to Students with Disabilities: Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Services Office at the respective college at the beginning of each semester. Faculty are authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office. For questions, please contact Donna Price at 713.718.5165 or the Disability Counselor at your college (at Northwest, 713.718.5422).To visit the ADA Web site, log on to www.hccs.edu, click “Future Students,” scroll down the list and click on the words “Disability Services.” EGLS3 – Evaluation for Greater Learning Student Survey System: At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is necessary to improve teaching and learning. During a designated time, you will be asked to answer a short online survey of research-based questions related to instruction. The anonymous results of the survey will be made available to your professors and division chairs for continual improvement of instruction. Look for the survey as part of the Houston Community College Student System online near the end of the term. FINAL NOTE: On the Intrinsic Value of This Course [adapted from Dr. Chris Carney]: English 1302 is possibly one the most valuable classes you will take in your entire college career, and certainly if you plan to transfer to a university. Why? Because of the higher emphasis this class places on critical thinking, logic, persuasion, argumentation, and research skills. In short, this course will activate and sharpen your critical thinking and other cognitive skills more than many other classes you will take in your college career. Here, you will deal with some complex issues (without easy fixes) in order to practice thinking hard about problems, their causes, potential solutions, realistic obstacles to proposed solutions, and the challenging ethics that pertain to such problems. In addition, this class will challenge you to think critically about cultural norms and the messages you might have otherwise received passively—particularly those messages delivered to you via mass media! [ Changes may be made to the syllabus during the semester. If so, a revised version of it will be provided on the Learning Web. 11 Changes may be made to the syllabus during the semester. If so, a revised version of it will be provided on the Learning Web.