Composition II – Process, Not Product
ENGL 1213 644, 645, 443, 444
CRN: 25474, 25529, 27034, 27035
TCC West, Liberal Arts Division
Instructor: Travis Bush, M.A.
Associate Dean: Karen Harmon
email: travis.bush@tulsacc.edu
Divison Office Phone: (918) 595.8079
Course Description - The second in a sequence of two courses. The course includes
analysis and evaluation of reading selections and techniques of research and
documentation. While Composition I focuses on developing and structuring a basic
essay, Composition II emphasizes a more advanced, critical, and comprehensive
approach to the writing process. The course also includes a survey of British
Literature and Poetry.
Textbooks and Materials
- Fowler, H. Ramsey and Jane Aaron. The Little, Brown Handbook. TCC Custom
Edition, 12th Edition.
- Delbanco, Nicholas and Alan Cheuse. Literature Craft and Voice. New York:
McGraw-Hill, 2010.
- MLA Handbook (optional)
- Composition Journal
- Word Processor with Microsoft ’97 or better.
- Black or Blue Pens.
Course Objectives
-
Restrict a subject and define a clear purpose
Write well-developed, well-reasoned, and accurately documented analytical
papers that incorporate source material and appropriate MLA
documentation.
Adapt style and voice to a particular audience and writing situation
Identify themes, motifs, and patterns in and among the writings of William
Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, D.H Lawrence,
and Dylan Thomas.
Respond intelligently to ideas found in a variety of texts
Incorporate appropriate technology
Write well-developed, coherent, and unified argumentative compositions
Communication
Communication is critical for any successful class. If there are ever any issues
regarding assignments, absences, tardiness, or late work do not hesitate to email
me. If it is a foreseeable issue, take action immediately so that the issue can be
addressed early on. We will be using our TCC assigned email addresses for this
course.
We will also be communicating through Blackboard via grade postings,
announcements, and folders. Important documents will be uploaded to the
“Content” tab on the Blackboard Course home page. It is critical that you check
Blackboard and your TCC email frequently to stay updated on class activity and
student performance.
Courtesy
You are expected to be courteous and professional to all other members of the class
at all times. While differences of opinion are to be expected and, in many ways,
encouraged, voice your dissent in a manner that is respectful and polite. There will
be times in this course when we will use peer review techniques. Keep all feedback
constructive and relevant. You are also expected to be respectful of the class itself by
avoiding disruptive behavior, arriving on time, and staying for the entire class
period. If you leave before the first half of class, it will be counted as an absence.
Cell phones and other media devices are prohibited in the classroom. After the first
offense, you will receive a warning. After the second offense, you will be asked to
leave the class and you will receive an absence.
Attendance
Consistent and punctual attendance is essential for successful completion of this
course. If you do miss a class, you do not have to provide proof that the absence was
“excused” or “unexcused.” Students who miss more than 9 classes will be sent an
Excessive Absence Report advising them to contact the instructor. Failure to meet
with the instructor, keep agreements made with the instructor, or continued
absences will result in your being withdrawn from the class through the
Administrative Withdrawal (AW) process. The AW can affect financial aid, Veteran’s
benefits, and scholarships.
Tardiness is also to be avoided as much as possible. 3 tardies will be considered an
absence and will be counted toward the total number of absences. If you do come to
class late, please be mindful of the class’ progress and sit in the back quietly with as
few distractions as possible. If a student leaves class before the class is dismissed, it
will count as an absence. If you are tardy more than 5 times you will be asked to
meet with the instructor to discuss accommodations or solutions.
Late Work
Any work completed in class will not be accepted late. Exceptions will be granted on
a case-by-case basis. Any assignments conducted in lieu of class (i.e. instructor
illness, Osage Nation Holiday) will not be accepted late. Homework assignments
conducted outside of class and all essays, excluding the Research Essay, will be
accepted for one week after the deadline with a 5-point penalty (if the assignment is
worth 5 points, it is an automatic zero).
Submission
All assignments conducted outside of class will be submitted via email as a Word
Document attachment (.doc OR .docx) unless otherwise noted. Assignments that are
sent as an email or in the wrong file format will not be accepted.
For any major assignment except for the Research Essay, each student or group of
students has one opportunity to send a draft of their work to the instructor for
feedback before the actual deadline. As a general rule, using this early submission
option will positively impact the grade you receive on the assignment. The
assignment must be sent as a Word Document via email at least 36 hours before the
deadline.
Grading
Grades are not negotiable. The grade you earn is determined by the quality and
consistency of your work. For smaller assignments, you should receive a grade via
Blackboard or hard copy typically on the next day of class. For major assignments,
expect at least a week delay in receiving your grade and feedback. It is extremely
important to review and understand any feedback given to you by the instructor.
Check and calculate your grade frequently. You are responsible for keeping up
with your own progress. There will be no extra credit opportunities available in
the course unless the instructor stipulates otherwise. The total points you have
earned by the end of the semester divided by the total points possible will
determine your course grade.
For this course, we will use a traditional grading scale:
100-90% = A, 89-80% = B, 79-70% = C, 69-60% = D, 59-50% = F.
Inclement Weather
If extreme weather conditions or emergency situations arise, TCC always gives
cancellation notices to radio and television stations. This information is also posted
on the TCC website www.tulsacc.edu. It is the student’s responsibility to also check
the Blackboard for instructions on assignments during inclement weather or illness.
If class is cancelled due to inclement weather or illness, assignments will continue to
be due on the date assigned unless otherwise noted. Students may be asked to
participate in an on-line discussion post for a short reading. Class is not cancelled
if the teacher is ill. If the teacher is absent, always check blackboard for
information regarding class activity.
Resources
The Technology Center provides free reading and writing services to supplement
your course work. Consultants can help you build analytic reading skills, effective
writing skills, and solid research techniques. In addition to general assistance
pertaining to reading and writing coursework, you can receive assistance with
source evaluation and documentation along with Internet research strategies.
Technology Learning Center: (I-166) Phone: 595.8122
Reading and Writing Consultants: (I-166) Phone: 595.8063
Reading and Writing Lab, Liberal Arts Division: L-164
Academic Dishonesty (cheating) is defined as the deception of others about one’s
own work or about the work of another. Academic dishonesty or misconduct is not
condoned or tolerated in the Tulsa Community College (TCC) system. TCC adopts a
policy delegating certain forms of authority for disciplinary action to the faculty.
Such disciplinary actions delegated to the faculty include, but are not limited to, the
dismissal of disrespectful or disorderly students from classes. In the case of
academic dishonesty a faculty member may:
- Require a student to redo an assignment or test, or require the student to complete
a substitute assignment or test
- Record a “zero” for the assignment or test in question
- Recommend to the student that the student withdraw from the class, or
administratively withdraw the student from the class
Plagiarism is claiming, indicating, or implying that the ideas, sentences, or words of
another are your own. It includes having another person do work claimed to be your
own, copying the work of another and presenting it as your own, or following the
work of another as a guide to ideas and expressions that are then presented as your
own without citing the original source. To avoid plagiarism, place quotation marks
around any language that you borrow from a source and substantially change the
wording to paraphrase in your own words and document the source using
parenthetical citation. Plagiarism will not be tolerated and will result in a “zero”
grade on the assignment in question. Two offenses of plagiarism are grounds
for the student’s withdrawal from the course.
Course Withdrawal
The deadline to withdraw from a course shall not exceed ¾ the duration of any
class. Contact the Counseling Office at any TCC campus to initiate withdrawal from a
course (‘W’ grade) or to change from Credit to Audit. Check the TCC Academic
Calendar for deadlines. Students who stop participating in the course and fail to
withdraw may earn a course grade of an “F” which may result in negative
consequences with financial aid and/or scholarships for students. Excessive
absences do not constitute an official withdrawal.
Do not ask me for an Administrative Withdrawal (AW) if you are failing the class at
the end of the semester. You may withdraw up to the official withdrawal deadline.
After that, you will receive the grade that you have earned in the class.
DISABILITY RESOURCES: It is the policy and practice of Tulsa Community College
to create inclusive learning environments. Accommodations for qualifying students
in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act are available. To request accommodations, contact the Education
Access Center (EAC) at eac@tulsacc.edu or call (918) 595-7115 (Voice). Deaf and
hard of hearing students may text (918) 809-1864.
Course Schedule
Weeks 1-2
 Introduction to Syllabus and Course
 Review of Writing Process
 Review of 9 Styles of Writing
 Writing Focus: Collaborative Writing
 Styles of Analysis: Reader-response
Weeks 3-4
 Featured Lecture: ‘Historical Context’
 Elizabethan Period: Selected Soliloquies and Poems by William Shakespeare
 Styles of Analysis: Historical Criticism, New Historicism
 Literary Criticism: Excerpts from Stephen Greenblatt
 ESSAY #1, Shakespearean Authorship, DUE: Sunday, February 8th
Weeks 5-6
 Writing Focus: Writing about Art
 Styles of Analysis: Genre Studies, Marxist Criticism, Cultural Studies
 Jacobean Period: Ben Jonson, Lord Byron, John Donne
 Literary Criticism: Excerpts from Michael Schoenfeldt
Weeks 7-8
 Styles of Analysis: Structuralism, Gender Studies
 Featured Lecture: ‘Romanticism’
 Romanticism: Poems by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge
 The Trip; British Film featuring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon
 ESSAY #2, Film Analysis, DUE: Sunday, March 1st
Weeks 9-10
 Midterm Exam: Friday, March 6th
 Styles of Analysis: Post-Structuralism, Deconstruction
 Writing Focus: Professional Writing – Email, Resume, Cover Letter

Featured Lecture: “Real World Writing”
Weeks 11-12
⋅ Modernism: Poems by Dylan Thomas; Short Story by D.H. Lawrence
⋅ Writing Focus: Scholarly Writing
⋅ Featured Lecture: ‘Scholarly Essay Writing’
⋅ ESSAY #3, Professional Essay, DUE: Sunday, April 5th
Weeks 13-14
⋅ Power Point Presentations
⋅ Peer Review Project
⋅ Research and rough drafting for Research Essay
⋅ First Draft of Research Essay DUE: Sunday, April 19th
⋅ Rough drafting for Digital Portfolio
Weeks 15-16
⋅ Digital Portfolio DUE: Monday, May 4
⋅ ESSAY #4, Research Essay, DUE: Monday, May 4
⋅ Finals Week – Class meets once to take final exam
Major Assignments – Point Breakdown
The course requires 4 major papers which constitute the bulk of the available points
for the class. Additionally, there will be a group presentation and a digital portfolio
that demonstrates an understanding of each of the 9 styles of writing.
There will be a midterm exam and a final exam. Make-up exams are not fair to the
students who comply with attendance and take the exam in-class. Therefore, makeup exams will only be allowed under extreme circumstances and at the teacher’s
discretion. A make-up is more likely to be granted the further in advance the
instructor is notified.
1.) Shakespearean Authorship Essay
30 pts
2.) Film Analysis Essay
40 pts
3.) Professional Essay
60 pts
4.) Research Essay
100 pts
Presentation
50 pts
Peer Review Project
20 pts
First Draft of Research Essay
20 pts
Digital Portfolio: 9 Styles of Writing
30 pts
Midterm Exam
50 pts
Final Exam
50 pts
Important Course Dates – Spring 2015
Jan. 12 – Classes begin
Feb. 16 – President’s Day - Osage Nation Offices Closed – Class not meeting
Mar. 13 – Midterm Exam
Mar. 16 – 22 – Spring Break – No Class
May 4 – 10 – Final Week
*9:15 class – Final Exam – Wednesday, May 6th at 9:00 am.
*10:15 class – Final Exam – Monday, May 4th at 8:00 am.