ENGL 1302:
COURSE SYLLABUS:
ENGL 1302: Composition II
Instructor Contact & Course Information
Semester: Summer 2015
Instructor:
Crystal M. Johnson
Email Address(es): crystal.johnson1@hccs.edu
Office Hours: By Appointment
Course Prerequisites: English 1301 or satisfactory score on the CLEP Exam
Course Description and Goals: This course is a more extensive study of the skills introduced in ENGL 1301 with an emphasis
on persuasive techniques, style, and research skills.
This course will provide you with the basic tools and skills essential in developing a clear, concise writing style. Upon
completing the course, you will have gained an understanding of rhetorical devices, how to use them effectively and writing as a
process. You will also acquire research and documentation skills that will help you in upper level courses.
To excel as a writer, however, you must excel as a reader, and perhaps more importantly, as a thinker. You will develop the
critical and analytical skills that will help you in both academic and professional environments. In short, the skills you develop
in this course will enable you to express yourself clearly and effectively. You should also be able to critically examine different
kinds of information and arrive at an informed decision or opinion based on that analysis. Further, you will learn how to
articulate that opinion in writing and verbally so that it achieves the desired effect on your audience
Student Learning Outcomes:
In completing this course, students will be able to:
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 on assignments.
5. Demonstrate library literacy.
HCC Policy Statement – ADA
Special Conditions
If you have any special conditions, extenuating circumstances, or needs that may affect your progress in this course, please notify
me. Discuss with me any special accommodations that you have documented through the Ability Support Services counselors so
that we may better meet your needs.
Academic Integrity:
Students are expected to be familiar with the HCC policy on academic honesty (as detailed in various HCC publications) and are
responsible for conducting themselves with honor and integrity in fulfilling course requirements. HCC officials may initiate
penalties and/or disciplinary proceedings against any student accused of scholastic dishonesty (which includes, but is not limited
to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion). Should you have any questions about proper handling of source material for
your writing, consult the MLA guidelines, your professor and/or a tutor (FAC 321-B). Evidence of plagiarism results in a grade
of F.
Course withdrawal: If you elect to withdraw formally from any HCC class and thereby receive a “W” on your grade transcript,
you must contact a HCC counselor or your professor prior to the withdrawal deadline for the current semester to initiate the
process. If you do not do so and simply cease to attend, you will receive a final grade by default (quite likely “F”) based on your
course average in relation to the full slate of required assignments.
The consequences for academic dishonesty are determined by the professor, or the professor and academic dean, or the professor
and chief student services officer and can include but are not limited to
1. Having additional class requirements imposed,
2. Receiving a grade of zero or "F" for an exam or assignment,
3. Receiving a grade of "F" for the course,
4. Being withdrawn from the course or program,
5. Being expelled from the college system.
Required Materials:
Read, Reason, Write (11th edition) by Dorothy Seyler
The Little Seagull Handbook (Bullock and Weinberg, Norton, 2011).
The following is a good online resource: Purdue Online Writing Lab
POLICIES
Classroom Respect:
As college students, you are expected to behave in a courteous and respectful manner toward your instructor and fellow students
at all times. You should avoid acting belligerently or in a belittling manner in e-mails or peer revisions, openly challenging the
instructor’s authority, or otherwise displaying disruptive behavior. Verbal harassment of instructors or fellow students through
email will not be tolerated. Should any of these offenses occur, I will have a private e-mail or Chat conference with the
student(s) in question; if the behavior continues, however, I will refer that individual to the Dean of Students for further
disciplinary action.
Email Etiquette:
All correspondence with me as your professor should be respectful and professional at all times. Email should follow those
guidelines. Therefore, every email you send will have a subject line, salutation, and electronic signature. Lastly, do not use poor
grammar or text language in your emails to me.
Feedback and Commentary:
All assignments, papers, quizzes, and blogs will be submitted via a drop box through Eagle Online. You will never email me
your assignment. I will download your assignments and papers through word; therefore, every assignment should be typed in
Microsoft word and saved as a doc or docx file. I will only accept those files. This rule does not apply to discussion question
responses.
Tutoring:
Free academic tutoring and assistance with your assignments is available to all students at HCC:Central.
Communication:
All communication in this course, including email, discussion and chat posts should be conducted in a professional, collegial
manner. Please respect the following guidelines.
Netiquette:
Grammar
Use proper sentence structure, grammar, spelling and punctuation. Online lingo and abbreviations that are commonly used in
texting or instant messaging should not be used in your online communication.
Online versus Face-to-Face
Be aware that online communication is much different than face-to-face interaction. Since nonverbal cues cannot be read, be
careful not to post a message that could be misconstrued by others. Humor and satire can be problematic in online
communication.
Avoid Caps
The use of all capitals in your writing means you are SHOUTING, and it is considered rude.
Emoticons
Keep them to a minimum.
Be Polite
Promote productive conversation by being polite and respectful when disagreeing with others.
Take Pride in what you Publish
Think before you hit Send or Post. Is your response meaningful, well-constructed and to the point? Are you sending an email
with a subject title that is relevant? Is your communication presented in a well-organized, respectful and professional manner?
Take pride in what you publish to your online community.
Attendance Policy:
Due to the workshop format of this course, attendance is mandatory. Attendance is taken every time you post to the discussion forum. To be marked present
for class, you must have completed the assignment for that particular date (a discussion forum posting or a response to another student's posting, for example)
Attendance affects your overall course performance because participation in discussion forums is expected. These assignments cannot be made up, regardless
of the reason for student’s absence.
* Because the first two weeks are critical to your success, if you miss two or more discussion forum posts during the first two weeks of class, you may be
dropped from the course.
It is highly recommended that you do not miss any class (discussion forum postings or participation entries) in the semester—missing class and not turning in
work are the two main reasons for students doing poorly in ENGL 1302.
Dropping Class:
1. If you think that you cannot successfully complete this course, talk with me about how we can work more
intensely together to help you be successful. If you do decide to not finish the course and want to drop it,
YOU must complete a drop form and turn it in to the registration office yourself.
2. However, Texas has laws about how many classes you may drop before it will stop paying its part of your
tuition. Check these laws out with a counselor or advisor before dropping classes.
3. Neither you nor I can drop you after July 13th.
Make -Up Work:
You are responsible for all work assigned in this course and for posting those assignments on time.
Late Policy:
Each day an assignment is late, the grade will be penalized by 10%. Participation points are always due by Sunday. You cannot
earn participation credit after the week has ended.
NOTE: I offer no extra credit.
Changes to Assignment Schedule and Course Policies:
The instructor reserves the right to update the course policies, assignments, and schedule at any time. Changes may be made
throughout the semester. It is the student’s responsibility to keep up with changes as they are announced.
Discussion questions, mini essays, and participation requirement: Every week, you will respond to 2 discussion questions.
Discussion question 1 will be due every Tuesday; discussion question 2 (mini essay) is due every Thursday. Those discussion
questions will be available under each module folder. In addition to discussion questions, students are required to post 4 replies
to fellow students, which will be due every Sunday.
*Students only need to make 4 replies in total by Sunday. You can choose to post your participation posts in discussion forum 1,
discussion forum 2, or an accumulation of both.
1.
In order to receive discussion question 1 credit, your response must be around 150-300 words. (this word limit is for
each question, unless noted otherwise).
2.
In order to receive discussion question 2 (mini essay) credit, your response must be around 300-400 words, with at least
three paragraphs (intro, body, and conclusion). (unless noted otherwise).
3.
Substantive participation has the desired effect of moving classroom discussion forward and/or contributing to the
overall learning. For this class, substantive means that your message has substance and helps to further the discussion of
course content. Substantive messages often include contributions of additional ideas and sources, insights or questions
about classmates' comments, connections to the course readings, or ways of applying the lessons from the course. As a
rule of thumb, your substantive comments should be at least several sentences in length, about 50-75 words.
4.
Short comments, such as "Good idea" or "I agree," do not constitute substantive posts on their own. Neither do
comments that are unrelated to the topics at hand (for example, "I saw that movie, too!") If you say you agree about
something, please explain why you agree, and add an additional insight or question.
5.
Please do not tell another student, "you're wrong," "it's not true," "you don't know what you're talking about," or any
similar comment. These comments are insulting and do not encourage discussion.
6.
Lastly, please keep in mind that this is an English class; therefore, reasonable expectations of grammar and punctuation
skills are expected for all blog and discussion question posts.
Tutoring:
Tutoring: For free assistance on any of the writing requirements for this course, visit the English Department Writing Lab in
FAC 321-B. Check the sign posted on the door there to determine specific hours of operation during the current term. (It’s
generally open mornings through early evenings, Monday through Thursday, plus half a day on Friday.
Open Computer Labs: Computers are available for word processing in FAC 302, SJAC 204A, JDB 203-204, the library, and
elsewhere on campus. Check those sites for open hours.
Assignments with Point Distribution:
Major Assignments
Points of Final Grade
Due Date
Writing Assignment 1: Visual Rhetoric Analysis
Writing Assignment 2:Annotated Bibliography
Writing Assignment 3: Proposal Paper
150
100
200
June 28th
July 12th
July 26th
Discussion blogs (Due Tuesdays)
100
Due Weekly
Mini Essays (Due via discussion blogs Thursdays)
Participation
Class work/Homework
Total
150
150
150
1000
Due Weekly
Due Weekly
Due weekly
Grading Scale:
The evaluation of a student’s course progress and final grade is based upon the degree of mastery and of course outcomes. The
grade breakdown for this class is as follows:
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
0-59
A
B
C
D
F
Changes to Assignment Schedule and Course Policies:
The instructor reserves the right to update the course policies, assignments, and schedule at any time. It is the student’s
responsibility to keep up with changes as they are announced.
*NOTE* All chapters below are in your textbook unless otherwise noted.
The instructor reserves the right to update the course policies, assignments, and schedule at any time. Changes may be made
throughout the semester. It is the student’s responsibility to keep up with changes as they are announced.
Discussion questions, mini essays, and participation requirement: Every week, you will respond to 2 discussion questions.
Discussion question 1 will be due every Tuesday; discussion question 2 (mini essay) is due every Thursday. Those discussion
questions will be available under each module folder. In addition to discussion questions, students are required to post 4 replies
to fellow students, which will be due every Sunday.
*Students only need to make 4 replies in total by Sunday. You can choose to post your participation posts in discussion forum 1,
discussion forum 2, or an accumulation of both.
1.
In order to receive discussion question 1 credit, your response must be around 150-300 words. (this word limit is for
each question, unless noted otherwise).
2.
In order to receive discussion question 2 (mini essay) credit, your response must be around 300-400 words, with at least
three paragraphs (intro, body, and conclusion). (unless noted otherwise).
3.
Substantive participation has the desired effect of moving classroom discussion forward and/or contributing to the
overall learning. For this class, substantive means that your message has substance and helps to further the discussion of
course content. Substantive messages often include contributions of additional ideas and sources, insights or questions
about classmates' comments, connections to the course readings, or ways of applying the lessons from the course. As a
rule of thumb, your substantive comments should be at least several sentences in length, about 50-75 words.
4.
Short comments, such as "Good idea" or "I agree," do not constitute substantive posts on their own. Neither do
comments that are unrelated to the topics at hand (for example, "I saw that movie, too!") If you say you agree about
something, please explain why you agree, and add an additional insight or question.
5.
Please do not tell another student, "you're wrong," "it's not true," "you don't know what you're talking about," or any
similar comment. These comments are insulting and do not encourage discussion.
6.
Lastly, please keep in mind that this is an English class; therefore, reasonable expectations of grammar and punctuation
skills are expected for all blog and discussion question posts.
Tutoring:
Tutoring: For free assistance on any of the writing requirements for this course, visit the English Department Writing Lab in
FAC 321-B. Check the sign posted on the door there to determine specific hours of operation during the current term. (It’s
generally open mornings through early evenings, Monday through Thursday, plus half a day on Friday.
Open Computer Labs: Computers are available for word processing in FAC 302, SJAC 204A, JDB 203-204, the library, and
elsewhere on campus. Check those sites for open hours.
Changes to Assignment Schedule and Course Policies:
The instructor reserves the right to update the course policies, assignments, and schedule at any time. It is the student’s
responsibility to keep up with changes as they are announced.
*NOTE* All chapters below are in your textbook unless otherwise noted.
Week 1 (June 8-14):
Readings
Ch. 1: “Writers and their Sources,”
Assignments Due
- Discussion question 1: Due Tuesday
Ch. 2: “Responding Critically to Sources,”
- Discussion question 2: Due Thursday
Ch. 3: “Understanding the Basics of
Argument,”
Ch. 4: “Writing Effective Arguments”
- Participation: Due by Sunday (respond to 4
students)
- Complete bio by Monday
-Complete Student Contact Assignment (by
Monday)
Understand requirements for Writing Assignment
1.
Week 2 (June 15-21):
Readings
Ch. 5: “Reading, Analyzing, And using Visuals and
Statistics in Argument,”
Ch. 6: “Learning more About Argument,”
“Words We Remember” by Frank Luntz (366)
Assignments Due
- Discussion question 1: Due Tuesday
- Discussion question 2: Due Thursday
- Participation: Due by Sunday (respond to 4
students)
“What’s Up Doc? A Bloody Outrage, That’s What”
by Katherine Ellison (358)
-Rough Draft for Paper 1 due Friday.
- Peer Review Due Sunday
Week 3: (June 22-28)
Readings
Ch. 7: “Definition Arguments”
Assignments Due
- Discussion question 1: Due Tuesday
Ch. 8: “Evaluation Arguments”
- Discussion question 2: Due Thursday
Peggy Orenstein, “I Tweet, Therefore I Am” 380
- Participation: Due by Sunday (respond to 4
students)
-Paper 1 Due Sunday
-Understand requirements for paper 2.
Week 4: (June 29-July 3)
Readings
Ch. 12: “Locating Sources,”
Assignments Due
- Discussion question 1: Due Tuesday (Annotated
bib)
Ch. 14: “Formal Documentation,”
- Discussion question 2: Due Thursday
(Annotated bib)
- Participation: Due by Sunday (respond to 4
students)
-library assignment due Monday
Week 5 (July 6-12):
Readings
-Ch. 9: “The Position Paper,”
Assignments Due
- Discussion question 1: Due Tuesday
-Ch. 10: “Arguments About Cause,”
- Discussion question 2: Due Thursday
- Participation: Due by Sunday (respond to 4
students)
-Paper 2 Due Sunday
Understand requriments for paper 3
Week 6 (July 13-19):
Readings
Ch. 11: “Presenting Proposals,”
Ch. 13: Writing the Researched Essay,”
Thompson’s “What’s More Expensive Than Toing to
College, not Going to College” 453
Week 7 (July 20-26):
Readings
Readings TBA
Assignments Due
- Discussion question 1: Due Tuesday
- Discussion question 2: Due Thursday
- Participation: Due by Sunday (respond to 4
students)
Assignments Due
- Discussion question 1: Due Tuesday
- Discussion question 2: Due Thursday
- Participation: Due by Sunday (respond to 4
students)
-Rough Draft for Paper 2 due Monday.
-Peer Review Due Wednesday
-Paper 3 Due Sunday
Week 8: No Classes this week
(July 27-August 2)
Readings
No Readings Due
Assignments Due