English 102 (AY 2010-2011)
English 102 Composition and Literature
AY 2010-2011
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
[Professor, Office, Phone]
Please note that any section that is designated with an asterisk must be repeated word for word in
the individual professor’s syllabus.
*I. Course Description
Composition and Literature continues the emphasis on writing. Two analytical papers--based
upon studies of the short story, poetry, and drama--and a literary research paper, sequentially
developed, are required.
*II. Rationale
English 102 continues the freshman students’ preparation for college-level writing and provides
students with the opportunity to evaluate literature from a biblical worldview; to examine
structure, aesthetics, and issues; and to organize their thinking in written form. In addition, the
research paper requirement strengthens the students' skills in investigating, analyzing,
synthesizing, and evaluating the ideas of others, while also sharpening students' expression of
their own conclusions. The introduction to literature enriches the students' general understanding
of human experience which will assist them in subsequent courses and in life.
*III. Prerequisites
English 101 or its equivalent.
As stated in the Liberty University Catalog, it is the student’s responsibility to make up any
prerequisite deficiencies, which would prevent the successful completion of this course.
IV. Materials List
NOTE: The following list attempts to include the most recent information for ordering the approved
textbooks. Instructors must use their own discretion in choosing between various versions of current,
approved texts (such as with or without a handbook or with or without readings) and between the various
supplemental "packages" which publishers might offer (such as the addition of a dictionary with the
textbook).
A. TEXTS:
Kennedy, X. J., and Dana Gioia. Backpack Literature. 3rd ed. New York: Longman, 2010. Print.
(ISBN: 020572758).
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English 102 (AY 2010-2011)
Aaron, Jane E. The Little, Brown Handbook, Brief Version. 4th ed. New York: Longman, 2011.
Print. (ISBN: 020576276x)
C. Recommended: A standard, recent COLLEGIATE DICTIONARY. Currently the LU
Bookstore has these dictionaries available:
American Heritage College Dictionary, 4th Edition.
Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition.
*V. Learning Outcomes/Requirements
When students have completed this course, they should have acquired the skills and knowledge
required
A. to produce well-structured, grammatically sound writing in various modes of
discourse;
B. to write a persuasive analysis of a literary work ;
C. to write with clarity;
D. to recognize standard usage in English grammar, word choice (diction),
phraseology, and sentence structure;
E. to apply knowledge of sentence structure to basic sentence editing and revision;
F. to proceed independently through the various stages of research; and to integrate
sources accurately and effectively;
G. to identify the theme and structure of each literary selection as well as the significant
characteristics or elements of each genre studied;
H. to evaluate the literary merit of a work;
I. to identify the major theories of literary criticism and to understand their implications
from a biblical worldview; and
J. to identify ideas in literature and to evaluate them from a biblical worldview.
With regard to the research requirement, the faculty will require the following, without
exception. First, the text of the research paper (excluding title page, outline, working
bibliography, works cited, etc.) must consist of at least 1500 words. Second, a minimum of
seven sources will be used in a working bibliography, representing books, scholarly articles, and
instructor-approved online sources. In addition, no fewer than five sources will be cited in the
final text. The total number of words written in the various papers of this course should be at
least 3000.
VI. Assignments/Requirements
This section is an overview of the assignments. Give a concise statement and brief
description of the assignments. More specific details of the assignment should be
included in section X.
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English 102 (AY 2010-2011)
As a guideline for assignment/requirement development, consider the following:
 Cognitive growth - Learned content which is testable
 Product - Description of things produced such as class papers, projects, etc.
 Process - Expectations for discussion in class, participation in activity/experiment
Identify special needs such as eye cover in labs and other safety requirements.
Identify which learning outcome in V (above) corresponds to each assignment.
*VII. Grading Policies
A. Each instructor will provide students with his or her own criteria and the department's criteria
for the evaluation of student work. Generally, the essays will count for at least half, but not more
than two-thirds, of the students’ final grades. Work evaluated numerically is based upon the
grading scale below:
A…900-1000
B…800-899
C…700-799
D…600-699
F…0-599
All faculty will adopt a 1000 point scale for calculating student grades.
• Thus, an assignment worth 40% of a student’s grade will receive 400 points.
• All grades are numeric
*B. Plagiarism: Each student should know that plagiarism encompasses more than the use of
printed sources without giving proper credit. It means handing in writing in the name of one
person that another person has composed, revised, edited or proofread without the instructor's
approval. Accordingly, the following guidelines are set down, and each English 102 student
must study and understand them from the outset. The instructor will assume, after pointing out
and discussing this policy, that the student will be responsible for understanding and applying it.
Penalties for plagiarism will be severe: an "F" on an assignment without opportunity to do
it again and an "F" for the course.
1. Any fact not common knowledge, any idea, phrase, or paraphrase which is taken from
a printed source, from a lecture, sermon, or radio broadcast must be documented.
2. Any work submitted in English 102 will be understood to be the work of the student
submitting it and his work alone. Taking credit for someone else's proofreading ability,
suggestions, ideas, or words is plagiarism. An exception to this definition is group work
assigned and directed by the instructor. Unless the instructor assigns such work, students
should do their own writing, revising, and proofreading.
3. If a student has availed himself of the services of a tutor, officially designated by
the university or unofficially, it will be understood that the tutor will confine his services
to helping a student develop and express his or her own thoughts, making suggestions to
help the student fulfill the assignment guidelines, and supplementing the work that the
professor does with the student in conferences and class. A tutor in his proper role
never does work for a student or supplies specific words, phrases, or ideas. The student
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English 102 (AY 2010-2011)
bears responsibility for his own work. He must not submit a tutor's work as his own, and
he must not blame his errors on the tutor.
4. If the student submits a paper typed by someone other than himself, it will be
understood that the typist has not changed anything from the student's script or rough
draft. The student may not blame the typist for errors not corrected on the draft given to
the instructor.
5. "Self plagiarism" is when a student submits written work from another course or
another context as if it is original work for a current writing assignment. This is not
acceptable.
*C. Grading Rubric for English Papers.
Content
- Purposefulness - Factual Accuracy - Thoughtfulness - Appropriate Support & Development
- Perceptiveness - Soundness of Logic - Depth of Knowledge
Good
Informative/Persuasive
Appropriate to Audience &
Purpose
Clear, Restricted Thesis
Thorough Development of Thesis
Fair
Demonstrates Basic Understanding
of the Ideas Discussed But Support is
Limited
Adequate Range
Deficient
Little Meaningful Content
Thesis Clear but Needs Restriction
Mostly Relevant but Lacks Some
Needed Detail
Thesis Vague
Inadequate Development of Thesis; Lacks
Sufficient Detail
Does Not Show Understanding of Topic
Relevant to Topic
Perceptive, Concrete Details
Support Meaningful Sophisticated
Ideas
- Intelligibility
Effective Introduction, Body
Paragraph(s), & Conclusion
Graceful Transitions
Ideas Clearly Supported
Organization
- Orderliness of Presentation
Clear & Functional Introduction, Body
Paragraph(s), & Conclusion
Some Transitions Needed
Loosely Organized but Main Ideas Stand
Out
Lacks Discernible Introduction, Body
Paragraph(s), and Conclusion
Few or No Transitions
Lacks Logical Sequence of Ideas
Succinct
- Fluency of Language
- Use of Action Verbs
Diction & Style
- Effectiveness of Sentence Structure - Adequacy of Vocabulary
- Adequacy of Tone
- Integration of Concrete Detail
Appropriate Vocabulary
Precise Word Choice
Tone Appropriate to Audience
& Purpose
Shows Mastery of Word
Choice & Usage
Sentence Variety Throughout
Mostly Active Voice & Action
Verbs
Effective Use of Concrete
Details
Adequate but Simplistic
Vocabulary
Some Vague/Imprecise Language
Tone Adequate to Audience &
Purpose
Occasional Errors in Word Choice
& Usage
Limited Sentence Variety
Overuse of Passive Voice & “To
Be” Verbs
Limited Use of Concrete Details
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Limited Vocabulary
Generally Vague
Ineffective Tone Does Not Support Writer’s Intention
Frequent Errors in Word Choice & Usage
Confusing/Ineffective Use of Concrete Detail or Support
Lacking Altogether
Repetitious Language
English 102 (AY 2010-2011)
Grammar & Mechanics
- Grammar, Mechanics, & Usage - Spelling - Format
Essentially Free of
Errors
- Documentation
Minor Errors
Glaring Errors*
Meaning Conveyed Despite Errors
Unacceptable Inattentive to the Conventions of Written
Discourse
Shows Acceptable Neatness & Attention to
Detail
* NOTE: A GLARING ERROR is a mistake or pattern of mistakes that forces the reader to interrupt his/her reading to search for needed clarity
or meaning. GLARING ERRORS undermine the writer’s credibility and point to insufficient editing. Typical GLARING ERRORS include
egregious misspellings; fragments; fused or run-on sentence constructions; comma splices or errors in punctuation when using conjunctions;
disagreement between subjects and verbs; disagreement between pronouns and their antecedents; and confusing shifts in tense, person, or
number.
*D. Standards: Effective academic writing should display the following characteristics:
1. Worthwhile CONTENT—a perceptive, engaging exploration of a topic using
appropriate support.
2. A solid ORGANIZATION—clear, logically presented Introduction, Body
Paragraph(s), and Conclusion focused on a controlling thesis and with sufficient
transitions.
3. Appropriate DICTION AND STYLE—fluency of language, adequacy of
vocabulary, appropriateness of tone, effectiveness of sentence structure, use of active
voice and action verbs, and graceful integration of support.
4. General correctness with regard to GRAMMAR AND MECHANICS—
observance of accepted grammar, mechanics, usage, spelling, format, and the
conventions of standard written English.
*E. Format: Students should format all academic writing in accordance with the
MLA guidelines as described in the assigned handbook or as directed by the instructor. Unless
otherwise noted, all graded writing submissions will be typed.
F. Guidelines for Grades: (see Grading Rubric for English Papers)
1. Written work achieving consistent ratings of good with respect to the
four standards will receive a grade of 900-1000.
2. Written work receiving a rating of good in two or three of the four
standards and not less than fair in the other(s) will receive a grade of 800899.
3. Written work rated fair in three or four of the areas and not having any area rated
deficient will receive a grade of 700-799.
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English 102 (AY 2010-2011)
4. Written work that is rated deficient with respect to one or more of the four standards
will receive a grade of 699 or below. NOTE: Ordinarily the grade of “F” is reserved for
those papers that in some blatant way simply do not meet the requirements of the
assignment.
VIII. Attendance Policies
For the good of the Liberty University student body, a consistent attendance policy is needed so
that all students in all majors will understand the expectations of faculty in all their courses. In
general, regular and punctual attendance in all classes is expected of all students. At times,
students will miss classes. These absences will be identified as either excused or unexcused and
will be handled per the policy below.
Excused Absences
 Excused absences include all Liberty University sponsored events, to include athletic
competition or other provost-approved event.
 Absences due to medical illness that are accompanied by a doctor’s note will be excused.
 Absences due to family situations such as a death in the family or a severe medical
condition will be excused
 Students will not be penalized for excused absences and will be permitted to make
arrangements to complete missed work.
Unexcused Absences
 Classes that meet:
o Three times per week will permit three unexcused absences per semester.
o Twice per week will permit two unexcused absences per semester.
o Once per week will permit one unexcused absence per semester.
 Questions regarding unexcused absences must be resolved by the student with the
professor within one week of the absence. Students may appeal these decisions to the
respective dean within one week.
 Extraordinary circumstances regarding excessive absences will be addressed by the
student with the faculty member, department chair, and dean as required.
 Penalties for each unexcused absence over the permitted number per semester will be as
follows:
50 points for classes that meet 3 times per week
75 points for classes that meet 2 times per week
150 points for classes that meet once per week
 Students who are late for class 10 minutes or less are considered tardy but present for the
class. If a student misses in-class work due to tardiness, the faculty member may choose
not to allow the student to make up this work. Three class tardies will be counted as one
unexcused absence.
 Students who are more than 10 minutes late for class are considered absent
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English 102 (AY 2010-2011)
IX. Other Policies (These policies should be reproduced exactly as stated below)
Dress Code
Students are expected to come to class dressed in a manner consistent with The Liberty
Way.
Honor Code
We, the students, faculty, and staff of Liberty University, have a responsibility to uphold
the moral and ethical standards of this institution and personally confront those who do
not.
Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct includes: academic dishonesty, plagiarism, and falsification. See
The Liberty Way for specific definitions, penalties, and processes for reporting.
Disability Statement
Students with a documented disability may contact the Office of Disability Academic
Support in DH 2016 to arrange academic accommodations. For all disability testing
accommodation requests (i.e. quieter environment, extended time, oral testing, etc.) the
Tutoring / Testing Center is the officially designated place for all tests administered
outside of the regular classroom.
DROP/ADD POLICY
A Fall/Spring course may be dropped without a grade, tuition, and fee charges within the
first five days of the semester. From the sixth day until the end of the tenth week, a
Fall/Spring course may be withdrawn with a grade of W
Classroom Policies
The inappropriate use of technology, such as cell phones, iPods, laptops, calculators, etc.
in the classroom is not tolerated. Other disruptive behavior in the classroom is not
tolerated. Students who engage in such misconduct will be subject the penalties and
processes as written in The Liberty Way.
X. Agenda of Class Sessions
[Topics per day/week]
[Assignments per date: Tests, Due Dates for Writing, Other]
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