TULSA COMMUNITY COLLEGE SOUTHEAST CAMPUS
COURSE SYLLABUS
ENGLISH 1213.347
ENGLISH 1213.352
Composition II: Sexualities, Genders and Nationalities
Fall 2007
Instructor: Victoria May Thorne
Call #:31498
Room/Meeting Times: TTH 9-10:20am,NSUBA C136
Call#: 31502
Room/Meeting Times: TTH, 11- 12:20am, Rm 3116
TO CONTACT YOUR INSTRUCTOR:
NSUBA: Office C144 or Mail Box: see Staff Assistant Jeanni
TCC Southeast: Mail Box: Academic and Campus Services (ACS), Room SE2202
Email: Victoria.may@mail.tulsacc.edu
At TCC-Southeast
TO CONTACT THE DIVISION OFFICE:
Division: Communications Division
Associate Dean: Judy Leeds
Office: Room 1202
Phone Number: 595-7694
TO CONTACT ACADEMIC & CAMPUS
SERVICES:
Director: Ann Craig
Office: Academic and Campus Services (ACS),
Room SE2202
Phone: 918-595-7673
COURSE PREREQUISITES: See Student Manual.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The TCC Catalog description states “A continuation of English 1113
(Freshman Composition I), Composition II involves critical reading, thinking, and writing. The course
includes analysis and evaluation of reading selections and techniques of research and documentation.” This
course deals specifically with critical reading, argumentation, and research-based writing and is designed to
improve your college-level reading and writing skills.
You will read an average of 30-50 pages per week, write and revise four major essays, including a 6-8 page
research paper, and complete various miscellaneous assignments. One of the first three essays may be
revised and re-submitted for a chance at a higher grade, at the end of the semester
Quizzes may be given periodically. Your final exam will consist of a timed, in-class essay.
NEXT COURSE IN SEQUENCE: None
TEXTS (REQUIRED):
The Little, Brown Handbook, 10th edition, Fowler & Aaron
Current Issues and Enduring Questions, 8th edition, Barnet & Bedua
TCC Southeast Campus Student Manual for Composition I and II
and Advanced Composition I, English Faculty
A good collegiate dictionary (recommended)
CD-WR or jump drive on which to copy assignments (highly recommended)
COURSE OBJECTIVES: See Student Manual.
TEACHING METHODS: Each class period will involve a variety of activities including lecture,
discussion, group work, and writing. Outside of class, you are expected to read approximately 50 pages a
week from the required texts and to complete various “practice writing” assignments and exercises.
This course will include lecture, class discussions, in-class writing and small group discussions, as primary
means of accomplishing course objectives. I will also utilize outside sources, such as video and other texts,
which I will provide, either in the classroom or on Blackboard for our use.
In my experience both as student and instructor, it has become evident that writing is a process and that
there are two (or more) sides to every argument. In this course we will review and enhance our critical
reading and thinking skills. We will specifically engage in critique of and response to a variety of issues of
past controversy and continuing importance, such as: sexuality, gender and nationality, as topics for our
class discussions and writings. These topics will naturally lend themselves to personal and strong opinions,
but it is the goal of this course to move beyond the personal response, to a well-argued, researched and
coherent written response.
For more information, see your Student Manual, available in the campus bookstore or on our course’s
Blackboard page..
DISABLED STUDENTS/ADA POLICY: If you feel you have a disability that may require special
accommodations, please see the Disabled Student Services/ADA Policy
in the “Teaching Methods” section of your Student Manual.
GRADING:
Grades will be determined according to the following scale:
Essay 1 (analysis/evaluation of argument) 100 points
Essay 2 (argument with CIEQ sources)
100 points
Essay 3 (researched position paper)
250 points
Essay 4 (literary analysis)
100 points
Final exam
200 points
In-class participation
100 points
Miscellaneous Daily Assignments
150 points
TOTAL
1000 points
A=1000-900; B=899-800; C=799-700; D=699-600; F=599-0
Essays, including the final exam, will be graded using the criteria described in your Student Manual.
DAILY WORK: Miscellaneous assignments include quizzes, research preliminaries, worksheets, and/or
writing exercises, all of which will be graded according to how well the student understands the skill or
concept addressed in the assignment. Incomplete assignments and sloppy or hastily completed assignments
may not receive full credit. Missed assignments cannot be made up under any circumstances.
To earn at least a "C" for in-class participation, students must attend class regularly, come to class prepared
(bring textbooks), and participate earnestly in class discussions and activities. Students who participate
consistently and knowledgably will earn B's and A's.
Extra credit will not be offered.
LATE WORK: Late essays ONLY may be submitted in the Academic and Campus Services Office, Room
SE2202, within 72 hours of the due date. Essays will be consider late if they are submitted after class has
started and will be penalized one letter grade for each day late regardless of the reason for being late; in
addition, late essays will not be graded and returned as promptly as essays submitted on time. After 72
hours, late essays will be accepted unless the student has contacted me to explain his or her situation.
Other course work will not be accepted late under any circumstance, and you cannot make up missed
quizzes. If you miss an assignment or a quiz, you will receive a “0.”
ATTENDANCE/WITHDRAW POLICY: Because work completed in the classroom cannot be duplicated
outside the classroom, you must plan to attend class regularly. If you are unable to attend class, contact a
student from the class to find out what you missed.
Missing more than three (3) hours of class, whether due to skipping, illness, family emergencies or workrelated conflicts, will affect the final grade via your “in-class participation” points. If you stop attending
and do not withdraw, you will receive an “F” as your final grade in this course. Contact the Counseling
Office at any TCC campus to initiate withdrawal from a course ('W' grade) or to change from Credit to
Audit.
English Professors assign "AW" or "I" grades only when genuine emergencies prevent a student from
completing the class and/or from withdrawing before the deadline and only when the student is earning a
satisfactory ("C" or better) grade.
INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY: To determine if the college will close due to inclement weather,
students should consult radio and television broadcasts and the TCC home page. The college’s goal is to
have a message on the air by 6:00 a.m. for day classes and by 4:15 p.m. for evening classes. In the event of
inclement weather, students should consult the Blackboard site for this class for announcements concerning
possible adjustments to assignments and deadlines.
PLAGIARISM POLICY: Please see “Academic Procedures” in your Student Manual. Essays that contain
plagiarism, whether accidental or intentional, will receive a “0.” All essays will be checked for plagiarism
using the SafeAssignment feature in Blackboard.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY OR MISCONDUCT: Academic dishonesty or misconduct is not condoned
nor tolerated at campuses within the Tulsa Community College system. See the college’s Academic
Integrity Statement, located on the course web site in “course documents.”
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE: Students should show respect and courtesy to fellow classmates and
participate earnestly in class activities. Entering class late, talking during lectures, sleeping during class,
making fun of or attacking another's viewpoint, and/or behaving in a disruptive or combative manner are all
considered inappropriate and may be grounds for dismissal from class; in addition, such behavior will
affect the in-class participation grade. Cell phones or pagers must be turned off during class; if an
emergency arises, the campus police can phone our classroom. Finally, school policy does not permit
students to bring children to class.
E-MAIL POLICY: All TCC students receive a designated “MyTCC” email address (ex:
jane.doe@mail.tulsacc.edu). All communications to you about TCC and course assignments will be sent to
your MyTCC email address; and you must use MyTCC email to send email to, and receive email from, the
instructor regarding this course.
Though e-mail can be an effective way for communicating with instructors and classmates, students are
reminded to exercise good judgment when using electronic communication. Students are also reminded to
use professional business demeanor.
Students occasionally send me ideas or drafts for comment; as I am very busy I will do my best to get back
to you but this is not always possible. Please do not ask me to comment on a draft that is less than a week
out from its due date. I will not accept coursework via e-mail.
FORMAT FOR COURSE WORK: All major writing assignments must be typed, and saved as either a
Microsoft Word 97-2003 file (no .docx files, please) or, if you use a word processing program other than
Microsoft Word, as a rich-text document. You will always submit two copies of writing assignments: one
will be submitted for grading, and the other will be submitted to SafeAssignment to be checked for
plagiarism. Students who do not submit required assignments to SafeAssignment will receive a “0” for the
assignment. For the final draft of major essays, you should follow MLA format as described in the
Handbook.
WRITING CENTER: See “Teaching Methods” in Student Manual. To make a tutoring appointment or to
find out more about upcoming workshops, call 595-7749.
I strongly encourage you to seek help outside of class on your writing at the Writing Center. Although the
staff will not write any part of nor edit your paper, they can assist you in spotting habitual grammatical
errors, improving your thesis statements, generating ideas and content, developing paragraphs with
evidence, and improving your style. Please call ahead of time to make an appointment.
GENERAL EDUCATION GOAL STATEMENT: The General Education Goals are designed to ensure
that graduates of Tulsa Community College have the skills, knowledge, and attitudes to carry them
successfully through their work and their personal lives. General Education Goals relevant to this course
include Critical Thinking, Effective Communication, Engaged Learning, and Technological Proficiency.
OTHER: Occasionally, when genuine emergencies or problem situations occur, the course policies outlined
here can be modified to help a student complete the course if the student has been attending regularly, has
completed most assigned work, and is earning at least a "C." It is always in your best interest, therefore, to
contact me immediately if a crisis situation prevents you from attending class or completing assignments.
This syllabus is subject to change as determined by specific needs of the class. Students will be given
written notification of changes.
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE
LB-Little, Brown Handbook; CIEQ=Current Issues and Enduring Questions
LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW FROM CLASSES: Friday, November 9 th.
The topics and readings in the first column will generally take the week to work through; the readings
should be done BEFORE class. I will give you specific direction about readings throughout the week;
quizzes will be given periodically; Essays are due at the BEGINNING of the class period.
WEEK 1: Composition I Review
Review Chapters 1-4; 23-26 and 40 in LB; Writing Pre-Test; read syllabus, Student
Manual, review Composition I objectives
WEEK 2: Critical Reading
Read CIEQ p. 3-18 & 31-47, in-class; Susan Jacoby , “A First Amendment Junkie”
(CIEQ 41-44); Susan Brownmiller, “Let’s Put Pornography Back in the Closet”
(CIEQ 52-54);annotation/summary of selected CIEQ reading
WEEK 3: Reading Critically, Introduction to Argumentation
NO CLASS MONDAY, September 3RD
Read CIEQ p. 75-110 & 325-36, Ronald Takaki, “The Harmful Myth of Asian
Superiority” (CIEQ 117- 118); practice analysis; Visual Rhetoric: Images as
Arguments (CIEQ 141, 151-155); Jean Kilbourne- video
WEEK 4: Understanding Analysis and Evaluation
Read CIEQ 356-80 &177-90, logical fallacies; Monty Python clip; Jeff Jacoby,
“Bring Back Flogging” (CIEQ 191-93); Jonathan Swift, “A Modest Proposal”
(CIEQ 212- 220)
WEEK 5: Understanding Analysis and Evaluation
LB Ch. 9
WEEK 6: Writing Arguments
Read CIEQ p. 221-255, LB Ch. 10
WEEK 7: Synthesizing Arguments
Chapter 20: Sex Education: Should Condoms Be Distributed in Schools? (CIEQ
567- 576); Chapter 27: Sexual Harassment: Is There Any Doubt about What It is?
(CIEQ 774-790;Full Frontal Feminism; Brady, “I Want a Wife” (CIEQ 978);
additional readings
WEEK 8: Working with Sources
LB Ch. 44-45, review LB Ch. 47 for MLA Documentation
WEEK 9: Finding Sources
LRC orientation, read chapter 42-43 in LB
WEEK 10: Finding and Limiting Your Argument
Read Chapters 42-43 in LB; CIEQ 257-278; Sign Up for Conferences; LRC Time
WEEK 1:1 Spring Break-
Peer Review for Essay 1- bring 3
copies to class
ESSAY 1 DUE
Peer Review for Essay 2
ESSAY 2 Due
March 17 - 23
WEEK 12: Conferences—REQUIRED
LRC Time Evaluating Sources
Read LB Ch. 46, sample research papers
WEEK 13: Writing the Paper
CEC for drafting, peer review
LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW FROM CLASSES- Friday, April 4th
WEEK 14: Writing Literary Analysis
Read CIEQ p. 465-94 (Frost, Deutsch, Alonso)
Conferences—no class
LRC Time
Annotated Bibliography due (Tues)
Peer Review for Essay 3
ESSAY 3 Due
WEEK 15: Writing Literary Analysis
Read LB Ch. 50; Chopin, “Story of an Hour” and Gilman “The Yellow Wallpaper”;
Marvell “To His Coy Mistress” and Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Pruefrock”
(CIEQ 940-944)
WEEK 16More Lit Readings; Review for final exam;
Last Day of Class: Thursday 24th
Finals: April 26 - May 2
ESSAY 4 Due