Instructor: Dr. Tamara Holloway
Email: tamara.holloway@wwcc.edu
Office: 111
Office hours: M & W 9:20-10:20
ENGLISH 102
Please keep this syllabus and refer to it often. You will be expected to know when things are due. All readings and
assignments must be completed by the date listed on the course schedule. KEEP ALL COMPLETED WRITTEN
ASSIGNMENTS for this course.
Course Objectives: English 102 is a course in independent research and argumentative writing, designed to help you acquire and
practice the research and writing skills that will be most helpful for you in college and beyond. Through in-class computer work and
library visits, you will become familiar with the research resources available to you as well as how to evaluate and use these
resources. As a class, we’ll engage in an ongoing discussion in several topic areas, including a focus on the internet as a research tool
and an object of critical analysis. Respectful and thoughtful discussion on topics at issue for this discourse community is the central
focus of both class time and formal writing assignments. Argumentative writing, for our purposes, is not writing designed to win,
but to discover, through mutual inquiry, the best reasons for coming to a conclusion. The argumentative essays you will write for
this class are reasoned theses in which you state your position on a topic and support this conclusion with reasons in response to
complex ideas and counterarguments. Our in-class discussions and readings will provide a starting point for the two independent
research products that you will each conduct.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will demonstrate the ability to:
 Collect and evaluate information on a specific topic from a variety of source types.
 Assemble final projects that both analyze the chosen topic and demonstrate a basic knowledge of that topic.
 Formulate a position on a topic in response to that information.
 Assess arguments and sources using critical thinking.
 Employ evidence effectively in support of a position.
 Apply APA and MLA documentation for in-text citations and bibliography.
Required Texts / Materials:
 Rules for Writers, 7th ed. (Hacker)
 A good, college-level dictionary. Spell-check does not suffice.
 All course materials will be available on Canvas. You should check Canvas regularly for announcements.
Course Assignments and Grading: In addition to reading assigned texts carefully and actively participating in class discussions,
students are required to complete the following:
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Inquiry Essay: At the beginning of the term, you will write a two-page Inquiry Essay. Guidelines for this requirement will
be distributed in advance. The Inquiry Essay will be worth 5% of your course grade.
Essays: You will compose one 4- to 5-page midterm essay and one 6- to 8-page final essay in response to our class
readings and discussions and your own original research. For the final essay, you will be required to submit a brief research
proposal, which must be approved by me. You will create two versions of each essay. The first version will be revised
following a peer review process. The second version will be submitted in a two-pocket folder with ALL earlier drafts,
notes, peer reviews and comments. Although the first draft is not graded independently, your peers and I will only be able
to give useful feedback on substantially completed drafts. This means that the more thought and time you put into your
first draft, the happier you will be with your final result. If you do not complete a first draft on time, your grade on
the final draft will be lowered by one full grade. In order to be considered “complete,” your first draft must be a
minimum of 2 pages long. All essays—drafts or final packets—are due at the beginning of the class period on the due
dates listed below. The midterm essay will be worth 20% of your final course grade; the research proposal for the final
essay will be worth 5% of your course grade, and the final essay itself will be worth 25% of your course grade.
Annotated Bibliography: You will compose an annotated bibliography in preparation for writing the final research
paper: we will work on this during the second half of the term. The annotated bibliography will be worth 20% of your
final course grade.
Research Presentation: During the second half of the term, you will be expected to give an oral presentation that
presents your research topic and findings to the class. Guidelines for this requirement will be distributed well in advance.
Your research presentation is worth 10% of your final course grade.
Discussion Questions: For several reading assignments, you will be required to address at least one of the texts (for each
class meeting) in a set of three discussion questions. To receive credit, your discussion questions must be typed.
Discussion questions will be worth 5% of your final course grade.
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Worksheets and In-class Assignments: Throughout the term, you will be required to complete several in-class writing
assignments as well as several take-home worksheets. These will represent 5% of your course grade.
Participation in Discussion: Since this class relies heavily on discussion, the active engagement of everyone is crucial.
Participation includes speaking during discussions as well as being active and respectful listeners. If you feel you may have
trouble meeting this requirement, please come see me during the first two weeks of the quarter. We are here together to
create a discourse community, where ideas are shared freely and openly, and this demands the participation of every
student. Students must be prepared to discuss the reading assignment on the day that it is due and must be active members
of the classroom. I expect each student to respond to the ideas of fellow classmates thoughtfully and considerately. I
reserve the right to call on you if discussion flags or if I haven’t heard from you recently. Activities which detract from the
class’s ability to hold meaningful discussion will not be tolerated. Participation is worth 5% of your final course grade.
Course Policies:
All work turned in, with the exception of work you do in class, must be typed and double spaced. You are responsible for
stapling your own work. Assignments that do not meet these basic requirements will not be accepted.
Attendance: Attendance is mandatory. I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences. You are expected to show
up on time and prepared for every class. Three late arrivals will be counted as an absence. You are allowed five absences. Six or
more absences will result in course failure.
If you must be absent, you are responsible for turning in all assignments by the start of the missed class session. You are also responsible
for any homework assigned the day of the missed class session. It is your responsibility to find out about any missed assignments
from the instructor. (Note: If you must miss class, you may turn in any assignments due by email; it will be counted as being on
time as long as the email is sent before the start of the missed class session. However, you are still required to hand in a paper copy
of the assignment when you return to class. If you do not hand in a paper copy, the assignment will not be graded.)
If you must leave class early, it will be recorded as a late arrival.
Late Assignments: Late work will be lowered one full grade for each day it is late, beginning immediately after the class in which
the assignment is due. Weekends count as two days. After four days, late work will not be accepted.
Cell Phones: Cell phones are disruptive and distracting. When you come to class, I expect that the ringer on your phone will be
silenced, and your phone should be put away for the duration of class. If I see your phone out during class, I will ask you to leave
and I will record you as being absent for the day. Failure to comply will result in a significant reduction of your participation grade.
Essay Format: All essays must be typed, double-spaced with one-inch margins, using 12-point Times New Roman font. All pages
must be numbered and stapled. Essays that do not meet these requirements will not be accepted. Work that does not meet
the requirement of the assignment, including minimum length requirements and thematic specifications, will receive a grade of F.
You will revise essays after an in-class peer review session. When you submit your revised essay, you will include your peer review
sheets, your original essay, and all other work you’ve done toward completing the essay in a folder.
Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty is not tolerated in this course or at this college. All work submitted in this course
must be your own and be written exclusively for this course. The use of all sources (ideas, quotations, paraphrases) must be
properly documented using MLA format. In cases where plagiarism has been clearly established, the assignment will be given a 0
and administrative disciplinary action will be pursued. Please see me if you have questions about your use of sources. When in
doubt, cite.
Access for Students with Disabilities: A student with a documented disability may request accommodations by contacting
Claudia Angus, Coordinator of Disability Support Services, at 527-4262 or by email at Claudia.angus@wwcc.edu.
Your continued enrollment in this course indicates that you have read this syllabus and that you understand and accept
its stated expectations and requirements.
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English 102 Course Schedule: Readings are to be completed by the day assigned, with discussion
questions for each assigned reading as indicated.
Week One:
M
1/5
U
1/6
W
1/7
H
1/8
F
1/9
Week Two:
M
1/12
U
1/13
W
1/14
H
F
1/15
1/16
Introduction / Review Syllabus
Inquiry Discussion
In-class writing
Grammar review
Read “No Wonder They Call Me a Bitch” (on Canvas) Discussion questions due
Read “Yarn” (Hand-out) Discussion questions due
Read “Repair sentence fragments” (RFW 148-149) and “Revise run-on sentences” (RFW
156-158)
Read “Outdoors and Out of Reach” (on Canvas) and “Digital Devices” (on Canvas)
Discussion questions due / Complete Sentences Worksheet due
Inquiry Essay assignment distributed
Read “Dinosaur Dreams” (on Canvas) Discussion questions due
* The schedule for the remainder of the quarter will be posted on Canvas.