Dr. Gavin Schulz
English 1302, HCCS--Southwest
Spring 2010
Course Syllabus
PURPOSE OF THE COURSE
The purpose of Composition II is to foster the understanding that all aspects of a written
text must be viewed as “craft,” that, like fiction, drama, or poetry, essays must be crafted with
care. To further this end, this course provides instruction and practice that will help students
master a variety of writing situations. This will enable students to build upon the writing
process, upon critical reading skills, upon computer skills, and upon the research process—
generating essays that demonstrate thesis-driven, analytical thinking.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Email: gavin.schulz@hccs.edu (I cannot print from email at home)
I am available to meet with you M/W/F from 6:30-7:00 a.m. and 11:00-11:30 a.m. T/Th,
or on an appointment basis.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS
75 Arguments. Ed. Alan Ainsworth. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2008.
Fowler, H. Ramsey, Jane E. Aaron, and Janice Okoomian, eds. The Little, Brown Handbook.
11th ed. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2009.
GRADING
1] Three short essays
2] Handbook Quizzes
3] Peer Evaluation Responses
4] Final In-Class Essay
20% (#1)
20% (#2)
30% (#3)
5%
10%
15%
GRADING SCALE
Grades will be assigned in accordance with the “Evaluation Rubric.” Grades will be
assigned on a +/- scale (point equivalents are 88/85/82 for a B+/B/B-, for example).
Note, however, that final grades are on an A/B/C scale. For the purposes of grade
calculation, an average of 90-100 will earn an A for the course; 80-89 will earn a B; 70-79 will
earn a C; 60-69 will earn a D, and 59 or below will earn F’s.
“In Progress” grades: an essay that does not meet the minimum grammatical
requirements for college level writing will be penalized. These essays will be returned and given
one chance to revise them in order to bring the material up to college level. Essays that fail to
meet the minimum passing criteria for grammar after this rewrite will earn an average of two
grades: the grade for the essay and an F for grammar.
PAPERS
All assignments must be submitted to me in class, within the first 15 minutes of class, on
the days that they are due. Papers that are not in my hands, and complete, after 15 minutes will
be considered late. (Note that papers turned in to my box or elsewhere will only be considered
actually turned in when they are in my hands.)
For computer lab classes, while you may print on days a paper is due, you may not work
at the computer on those days.
Papers will not be graded without the electronic copies. If a paper is submitted without
the electronic copy, you will have one class period to submit the other version. After that the
essay will be considered late. Conversely, if an electronic copy is submitted without the hard
copy, you will have one class period to submit the other version. After that the essay will be
considered late.
Late papers will be penalized 10 points, with an additional penalty of 10 points each
successive day they are late. You may, however, turn in either Essay #1 or Essay #2 one day (24
hours) late without penalty.
Essay #3 and the In-Class Final Essay, however, must be competed on the date
assigned—no exceptions. Failure to write the In-Class Final Essay on the final exam day will
result in a 0 for the assignment.
It takes roughly two weeks to grade a stack of essays. However, all essays turned in after
the due dates, for whatever reason, will be placed in a separate pile and will be graded only after
all of the on-time essays have been completed.
Please keep a copy of your papers for your own file; should a paper be lost, it is your
responsibility to give me another.
ATTENDANCE AND WITHDRAWAL POLICY
Attendance is required by HCCS at all class meetings. I am instructed to withdraw
students who have missed six hours or more of class by the last day to drop.
Note, however, that showing up twenty minutes late to class each day does not mean that
you have perfect attendance; it means that you have missed one-quarter of the semester (almost a
month)! Therefore, tardiness of 1/3 of the class period or more will be considered an absence.
You are, in any event, responsible for any material assigned or collected on those days
that you are absent or tardy. If a paper is due on a day that you are going to be absent, it is your
responsibility to find a way to turn it in. Missed exercises/quizzes may not be made up.
Should you decide to drop the class, do not merely stop showing; it is your responsibility
to withdraw from the class; all students still on my roll at the end of the semester will receive
grades (we can no longer assign "W"'s at the end of the semester).
* NEW HCCS ATTENDANCE RULE *
Students who repeat a course three or more times, or who accumulate 6 or more “W”’s
during their college career, face significant tuition/fee increases at HCC and other Texas public
colleges and universities. If you are considering course withdrawal, confer with your
instructor/counselor as early as possible about your study habits, reading and writing homework,
attendance, course participation, and opportunities for tutoring that might be available.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES
Use of recording devices, including camera phones and tape recorders, is prohibited in
classrooms and other locations where instruction, tutoring, or testing occurs. Inappropriate use
of a recording device will be reported to the police and may be a felony offense.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS/CIRCUMSTANCES
Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychological, vision,
hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability
Services Office at the beginning of each semester.
POLICY ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Scholastic Dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:
1] “Plagiarism”--the appropriation of previously written work and the unacknowledged
incorporation of that work in one’s own written work for credit.
2] “Collusion”--the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written
work for credit.
A student guilty of a first offense will earn a grade of 0 on the assignment involved. For
a second offense, the student will earn an F for the course.
Class Assignments/Reading Schedule
(* Assignments are to be completed for the class they are listed under *)
(* Please bring both books to class each day)
Week 1:
Jan. 20] Course Introduction / Diagnostic Essay
Week 2:
25] Sample Diagnostic Essay
27] Introduction to Essay #1 / Citing Anthologies in APA /
Handbook Quiz #1 (bring Handbook!)
Read for class: in 75 Arguments--Chapter 1
Week 3:
Feb.
1] Analysis of Articles / Thesis Statements
3] Introductions / Plagiarism / Handbook Quiz #2 (bring Handbook!)
Week 4:
8] Analysis Paragraph Structure / Handbook Quiz #3 (bring Handbook!)
Turn in (optional): Completed, typed, two-paragraph introduction for review.
10] Opposition/Response Paragraphs
Turn in (optional): Completed, typed, body paragraph for review.
Week 5:
15] PRESIDENT’S DAY HOLIDAY !!!
17] Peer Evaluation of Rough Draft Essay #1
Bring: 2 copies of rough draft (as specified in the Essay #1
assignment sheet)
Week 6:
22] ** Final Draft of Essay #1 Due / Handbook Quiz #4 (bring Handbook!)
Turn in to me: Final draft, any research xeroxes, any peer
evaluation responses, and an electronic copy of your essay
24] Introduction to Essay #2 / Citing web pages in Chicago format /
Handbook Quiz #5 (bring Handbook!)
Week 7:
Mar. 1] Defining Character Traits / Brainstorming Ideas
Read before class: one or more of these stories:
1] Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "The Yellow Wallpaper"
2] Updike, John. "A & P"
3] Bambara, Toni Cade "The Lesson"
4] Baldwin, James. "Sonny's Blues"
5] Jewett, Sarah Orne. "A White Heron"
6] Mansfield, Katherine. "The Garden Party"
3] Cause & Effect Argumentation / Transitions / Conclusions /
Handbook Quiz #6 (bring Handbook!)
Week 8:
8] Conference Day / Handbook Quiz #7 (bring Handbook!)
Turn in (optional): Completed, typed, cause/effect paragraph for review.
10] Peer Evaluation of Rough Draft Essay #2
Bring: 2 copies of rough draft (as specified in the Essay #2
assignment sheet)
Week 9:
15] SPRING BREAK
17] HOLIDAY !!!
Week 10:
22] ** Final Draft of Essay #2 Due
Turn in to me: Final draft, all research xeroxes, any peer evaluation responses,
and an electronic copy of your essay
24] Introduction to Essay #3 / Titles / Handbook Quiz #8 (bring Handbook!)
Week 11:
29] Argumentation / Handbook Quiz #9 (bring Handbook!)
Bring: Essay #1
31] Opposition & Response Paragraphs
Turn in (optional): Completed, typed, body paragraph for review.
Week 12:
Apr.
5] Library & Research Introduction / Legitimate Sources
** Class Meets In: Library Computer Lab
7] Database Research / Handbook Quiz #10 (bring Handbook!)
Week 13:
12] Incorporating Sources
Bring: One book or one magazine/journal article or one
Internet source or one database article
(preferably one you might use as research,
though it can be any book/magazine/journal)
14] In-Text Citations / Handbook Quiz #11 (bring Handbook!)
Bring: One book & one database article,
** Thurs. Apr. 15: Last day to drop with a "W" **
Week 14:
19] Works Cited Citations (Part I)
Bring: One book and one Internet article
21] Works Cited Citations (Part II)
Bring: One magazine & database article
Week 15:
26] Conference/Research Day / Handbook Quiz #12 (bring Handbook!)
28] Conference/Research Day
Week 16:
May
3] ** Final Draft of Research Paper Due ** / Introduction to In-Class Final Essay
Turn in to me: Final draft, all xeroxes of source material, and
an electronic copy of your essay
5] Final Preparation Day
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Final Exam Date (In-Class Essay): Monday, May 10 from 9:00 a.m.-10:50 p.m.
in our regular classrooms.
(** Note: changes can and may be made at the Instructor’s discretion **)