Heartland Community College
Humanities & Fine Arts
Course Syllabus for Students
Course Prefix and Number: ENGL 102.31HY, 102.32HY
Course Title: Composition II
Credit Hours: 3
Lecture Hours: 2 Online Hours:
1
Days and times the course meets:
102.15HY M 10-11:50
102.20HY M 1-2:50
HOMEWORK IS IN ADDITION TO THE THREE HOURS OF CLASS/ONLINE
CONTACT.
Catalog Description:
Prerequisite: Successful completion of ENGL 101 [grade of "C" or better] or equivalent.
A continuation of ENGL 101, providing further practice in the skills developed in that
course but with an emphasis on the rhetorical strategies used in informative writing,
including logical analysis, critical thinking, the interpretation and evaluation of primary
and secondary sources, and the conventions of academic discourse. A research paper
is required.
Instructor Information:
Instructor name: Keely R. Austin
Phone number to contact instructor: 268-8612
Instructor e-mail address, if one: keely.austin@heartland.edu
Location of instructor’s office: ICN 2016
Hours and days of instructor’s office hours:
M
12-1, 3-4
T
1-2, 4:45-5:45
R
4:45-5:45
Texts:
None
Notice of Canceled Class Sessions
Cancelled class sessions, for all HCC classes, will be listed under Cancelled Class
Meetings in the A-Z Index and under Academic Information in the Current Students
page on the HCC Web site. Go to http://www.heartland.edu/classCancellations/ to learn
what classes have been cancelled for that day and the upcoming week. Be sure to
check the last column, which might contain a message from the instructor.
Relationship to Academic Development Programs and Transfer:
(Indicate if course is General Education/IAI)
ENGL 102 fulfills 3 of the required 9 semester hours of credit in communication for the
A.A. or A.S. degrees. It transfers as part of the General Education Core Curriculum
described in the Illinois Articulation Initiative.
Course Objectives (Learning Outcomes):
After completing this course, the student
should be able to:
Establish and maintain a voice that is
appropriate to the selected rhetorical
context and is situated effectively within
research and supporting evidence
Demonstrate theoretical and practical
understanding of the relationship between
audience and purpose, and produce texts
that address a variety of audiences and
discourse communities effectively
Engage inquiry in evaluating differences in
perspectives and opinions—including
critical self-assessment of one’s own
perspective and its relationship to the
perspectives of others
Develop an essay that demonstrates
effectively organized and presented
reasoning and supporting evidence
Select, evaluate, synthesize, and interact
effectively with multiple sources, including
those from academic discourse,
subordinating them to the writer’s
purpose; creating confidence that they
have been represented fairly; and
documenting them in MLA or other style
appropriate to the discipline
Develop an effective writing process that
includes successful strategies for
inventing, choosing, and narrowing a
topic; exploring and developing ideas
through research and critical reading; and
employs global and local revision and
editing strategies
Learning Assessment
Outcome
Portfolio
CO5
In-class assignments, Portfolio,
Quizzes, WebCT assignments
In-class assignments, Class
discussion, Portfolio, Quizzes,
Annotated working bibliographies,
WebCT assignments
In-class assignments, Portfolio, and
Quizzes, WebCT assignments
CT2
In-class assignments, Portfolio, and
Quizzes, Annotated working
bibliographies, WebCT assignments
CT4
In-class assignments, Portfolio, and
Quizzes, WebCT assignments
CO 5 (Communications Outcome 5): “Students communicate ethically through
monitoring their behavior and interactions with others.”
CT 2 (Critical Thinking Outcome 2): “Students determine value of multiple sources or
strategies and select those most appropriate in a given context.”
CT 4 (Critical Thinking Outcome 4): “Students actively reflect on their answer, approach,
or solution and act upon those reflections to improve the final result.”
Course/Lab Outlines:
(Discourse Communities Approach with students working on broad categories, e.g., the
humanities, the sciences, business, nursing, the social sciences, etc.)
Unit 1: Introduction to course – summaries, paraphrase, syntheses and critiques
Unit 2: Conventions, rhetorical strategies, forum analyses across broad disciplinary
communities
Unit 3: Writing about the same topic for different forums (writing for class wide circulation
and writing for insiders).
Unit 4: Inviting students to focus on disciplines that are of interest to them. Analyzing
specific forums and writing about discipline specific topics
Unit 5: Research approaches in specific disciplinary communities
Method of Evaluation (Tests/Exams, Grading System):
Student assessment will be based on the following:
Portfolio of revised writings:
60%
Process Assignments, which may include, but are not limited to the following: in-class
assignments, quizzes, class discussion, WebCT assignments, and annotated working
bibliographies:
40%
Final grades will be determined according to the following scale:
92 to 100% = A
83 to 91% = B
74 to 82% = C
65 to 73% = D
Grading Policy:
Grading in this course will be consistent with grading criteria set forth in the Course
Guide and the Policies and Procedures documents.
Participation (or Attendance):
Attendance and participation are necessary for students who wish to improve their
writing skills. Arriving tardy or leaving class early will result in a lowered
attendance grade for that day.
Class Participation:
Students will be asked to participate in class, small group, and partner discussions as
well as turn in written assignments completed in and out of class (some of which will be
collected for credit).
Incompletes:
Consistent with departmental policy; make an appointment with the instructor to discuss
whether an individual case qualifies for a course incomplete. Individual units and
assignments will be graded as 0/F, not incomplete.
Extra Credit: None
Make-up of tests and assignments:
Students will be allowed to turn in ONLY 2 assignments late (save these for sick days).
Late assignments must be turned in to the File Upload Folder for “Late Assignments”
within 48 hours of the original due date or they will not be accepted (therefore receiving
a grade of 0/F). The final portfolio may not be turned in late even if the student has not
used the “free late turn-ins” during the semester. This is due to the communal grading
requirement.
Deadlines:
Because your time is valuable, and so is mine, deadlines are firm. If you have to miss a
deadline, refer to the “make-up of tests and assignments” policy. Make an appointment
to discuss any issues you may have with your instructor DURING OFFICE HOURS, not
during class.
Student Conduct:
 No Children in the classroom (HCC policy)
 No food or drinks (except water) in the classroom
 Turn off cell phones and pagers
The single most important aspect in any of my classes is mutual respect between the
class participants. As there will be many voices and experiences present in the
classroom, it is my expectation that participants will behave in respectful ways toward
each other, as well as toward me, in large and small group discussions, questions, and
written responses. Many opportunities to learn and grow are presented when there is
space in a classroom for disagreement and difference of opinion; I simply ask that a
basic respect for each other be the basis for any interaction or communication, including
rudimentary courtesies such as taking turns in discussion (and not dominating the
discussion), not interrupting other speakers, paying attention when others are speaking
or presenting, not working on tasks for other classes while in this class, and remaining
physically present and mentally engaged for the whole class period. Come to class on
time and leave when class is over or has been officially dismissed. Turn off cell phone
ringers during class unless you have discussed an emergency need with me before any
specific class.
Required Writing and Reading:
MLA and APA-style documentation styles will be introduced and required. Students will
complete 3-4 major research-based projects and will revise 2 for a minimum of 12
pages. An 8-pg. (2000 words), 5-source paper is required. Further, students are
assigned several process writing assignments in class and online. Readings from
textbooks and handouts are assigned.
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a fundamental principle of collegial life at Heartland Community
College and is essential to the credibility of the College’s educational programs.
Moreover, because grading may be competitive, students who misrepresent their
academic work violate the right of their fellow students. The College, therefore, views
any act of academic dishonest as a serious offense requiring disciplinary measures,
including course failure, suspension, and even expulsion from the College. In addition,
an act of academic dishonesty may have unforeseen effects far beyond any officially
imposed penalties.
Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to cheating, aiding or
suborning cheating or other acts of academic dishonesty, plagiarism, misrepresentation
of data, falsification of academic records or documents and unauthorized access to
computerized academic or administrative records or systems. Definitions of these
violations may be found in the college catalog.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the presenting of others’ ideas as if they were your own. When you write a
paper, create a project, do a presentation or create anything original, it is assumed that
all the work, except for that which is attributed to another author or creator, is your own.
Plagiarism is considered a serious academic offense and may take the following forms:
1
Copying word-for-word from another source and not giving that source
credit.
2
Paraphrasing the work of another and not giving that source credit.
3
Adopting a particularly apt phrase as your own.
4
Using an image or a copy of an image without crediting its source.
5
Paraphrasing someone else’s line of thinking in the development of a
topic as if it were your own.
6
Receiving excessive help from a friend or elsewhere, or using another
project as if it were your own.
Note that word-for-word copying is not the only form of plagiarism.
The penalties for plagiarism may be severe, ranging from failure on the particular
piece of work, failure in the course or expulsion from school in extreme cases.
[Adapted from the Modem Language Association’s MLA Handbook for Writers of
Research Papers. New York: MLA, 1995: 26]
Academic Support Center Services:
Library: The Library, located in the Student Commons Buildings at the Raab Road
campus, provides Heartland students with a full range of resources including books,
online journal databases, videos, newspapers, periodicals, reserves, and interlibrary
loan. Librarians are available to assist in locating information. For more information,
please call the Library (309) 268-8200 or (309) 268-8292
Tutoring Services: Heartland Community College offers tutoring in various forms at no
cost to Heartland students at the Tutoring and Testing Center in Normal and at the
Pontiac and Lincoln Centers. Tutors are available at convenient times throughout the
week. Study groups are also available by request. For more information about services
available at each location, please call the Tutoring and Testing Center in Normal (309)
at 268-8231, the Pontiac Center at (815) 842-6777, or the Lincoln Center at (217) 7351731.
Writing Services: Writing Services is open to all HCC students working on their
writing. HCC writing faculty help students apply course outcomes to their papers. Visit
the Tutoring and Testing Center or call the TTC for an appointment: 268-8231.
Testing Services : The Tutoring and Testing Center provides a secure testing
environment for students who are enrolled in online, hybrid, and other distance learning
courses; have a documented disability; or need to take a make-up exam. Testing
accommodations for students having documented disabilities must be arranged by the
student through the Office of Disability Services, and Testing Services will only
administer make-up exams at the request of the instructor. Contact Testing Services at
(309) 268-8231 for more information.
Open Computing Lab: The Open Computing Lab provides free computing for HCC
students at convenient times throughout the week. The computer lab is staffed by
trained Lab Assistants and offers the use of approximately 70 computers, a scanner, a
laser printer, and an electric typewriter.
Specifications for written materials: MLA or APA style required (option depending
on major; must remain consistent throughout semester once chosen).
Syllabi disclaimer: The syllabus is subject to revision. Revisions will be discussed in
class.
Writing Project #1:
Exploratory Essay/Rogerian Essay
Length Requirement: 4-4.5 pages (the Works Cited page is not part of the page
count)
Source Requirement: 4
Documentation Style: MLA (in-text and Works Cited page citations)
Due Date: Week 7
Key Concepts:
Critical Thinking
Source Use (research, summary, paraphrase, direct quotes, in-text and Works
Cited documentation)
Argument structure/Claim Structure
Choose a topic of interest to you and create an argument based on “A Psychologist’s
View: Rogerian Argument.” Begin in the invention stage by listing and producing a
concept map. Consider how to introduce the material by consulting the methods used
by sources you plan to include in the body and begin a full draft that develops the
concept map with specific examples and evidence from your sources. Use both
paraphrasing and direct quoting with correct MLA in-text and Works Cited citations.
Your voice in this paper is academic formal which has implications for grammar,
pronoun use, tone, slang, and other linguistic and stylistic features.
While your personal experience and opinion are interesting, they are—depending on the
ethos you have with your audience—not likely to be sufficient in an academic paper.
One way to gain ethos is to consult and utilize the opinions of other people who are
writing and talking about the topic in your own writing. While writing this essay, you
need to focus on entering the conversation that has taken place before you chose to
join it by doing a brief review of the literature (“lit. review”) to find out other people’s
opinions on the topic and a variety of ways (forms, formats, word choice, formality, etc.)
they write about the topic. This is especially important in the Rogerian argument as you
are asked to represent the “opposing viewpoint” in a way that respectfully and
accurately does so (i.e., someone from that group would say, “I feel like the writer has
represented me fairly and that the writer understands my perspective”).
Consider the checklists on pages 313 and 320 of the chapter handout as a possible
organization for your essay.
Writing Project #2
The Proposal Memo
Length Requirement: 750 word minimum (Works Cited/References page not
included in word count)
Source Requirement: 3 academically acceptable sources (no dictionaries or
encyclopedias; limit of 1 interview that must be written Q/A style; limit of 1
film; ask questions if you are using an unusual source)
Documentation Style: Business style (in-text citations required; memo to be
followed by a References page)
Key Concepts:
Full block style, formal memo
APA/MLA citation
Rhetorical analysis
Forum and Audience analysis
Argument identification for final project
Now that you have written an exploratory essay to discover the speakers related to your
topic, what is at stake, and what kinds of arguments are being made about your topic as
well as an annotated bibliography to find out what sources are available to you, it is time
to determine a main claim that you will develop in your final project. As you begin to
write that argument, there is one more preliminary step to take before you begin writing
a draft: propose an argument after analyzing the texts and contexts pertinent to your
topic.
This proposal will be written in the form of a memo in formal outline format. The three
main sections of the outline will allow you to state the objective of your final project,
describe the problem (as it is defined rhetorically), and offer an analysis of the projected
forum and audience. You have begun working on many of these sections in the WebCT
assignments, and after revision and editing, you will add these to your memo. A model
memo/outline is provided in this assignment sheet.
To:
From:
Date:
Re:
I.
II.
Keely R. Austin
Student Name
24 October 2006
[Project Proposal Title]
Statement of Objective
[Promote an idea or behavior; argue for the use of x over y; devise a plan of
action; describe the improvement or decline of a situation; explore several
solutions, finally supporting one, etc.]
Statement of Problem
A.
Introduction
[Answer the journalistic questions (who, what, when, where, why, and
how) regarding your topic.]
B.
Contextual Analysis
III.
[Describe the relevant contextual issues that affect your topic. (Choose at
least three and develop with sources: historical, spiritual/religious,
cultural, locational, geographical, political, class, etc.)]
C.
Textual Analysis
[Describe the use of words and/or images relevant to at least 3 different
groups/factions/sides of the issue.]
Forum/Audience Analysis
A.
Forum
[Answer questions from Porter (WebCT Weeks 6 and 8); Write your
answers in essay/paragraph form, not in Q/A format.]
B.
Audience
[Describe the readership of your final project (i.e., the readership of your
forum); not in Q/A format.]
*****Note and replicate the format of this memo
Keely R. Austin
English 102
Project Proposal
Grading Rubric
Writer:
Grade:
I.
/100
Statement of Objective: Promotes an idea or behavior; argues for the use of x over y; devises a
plan of action; describes the improvement or decline of a situation; explores several solutions,
finally supporting one.
10
II.
8
7
6
Not Included
Statement of Problem
A.
Introduction: Answers the journalistic questions (who, what, when, where, why, how)
regarding the topic.
10
B.
10
C.
10
III.
9
9
8
7
6
Not Included
Contextual Analysis: Describes the relevant contextual issues (historical,
spiritual/religious, cultural, locational, geographical, political, class, etc.
9
8
7
6
Not Included
Textual Analysis: Describes the use of words and/or images relevant to different
groups/factions/sides of the issue.
9
8
7
6
Not Included
Forum Audience Analysis
A.
Forum: Addresses several questions related to the topic’s background and discourse
conventions (Who speaks/writer? To whom do they speak/write? What do they
speak/write about? How do they say/write it [form, style]?).
10
B.
10
9
8
7
6
Not Included
Audience: Addresses several questions related to the proposed audience of the final
project (Describe the audience. What is their position? Why will they read the report?
What does the audience already know about this topic? What information will be new to
the reader? What is the most important thing for the reader to understand from the
report? List terms and/or procedures that are important to the research but that the
audience may not be familiar with. Include terms that are used in a new or unique way.
Thoroughly report analytical data supporting your conclusions.)
9
8
7
6
Not Included
IV.
Outcomes
A.
Voice: Demonstrates examination of one’s own perspective and its relationships to
others’ perspectives; recognizes differences; formal, academic tone used; no shifts in
audience reference.
10
B.
10
C.
10
D.
10
9
8
7
6
Not Included
Purpose and Development: Paper puts forth purpose that meets terms of assignment
and provides general framework for paper; developed with paragraphs that support and
maintain purpose; paragraphs developed with coherent sentences; key terms and
positions thoroughly defined and implications for audience and topic explored; supporting
ideas clarify and support thesis and purpose.
9
8
7
6
Not Included
Support: MLA documentation or other format correct; main claims supported by
subclaims; reasoning clear and without fallacies; support correctly integrated into
sentences; support appropriate for rhetorical context; credibility of support established
and maintained throughout the work.
9
8
7
6
Not Included
Language Conventions and Style: Demonstrates correct grammar, mechanics,
punctuation, and usage.
9
8
7
6
Not Included
The Final Project
Due Date: Week 17
Separate the project into 4 distinct stages/parts:
What do you want to learn at each stage (learning outcome, concept, skill, etc.)?
How will you learn it (video, reading, writing, lecture, class discussion, small
group work, in-class activity, consulting an expert, reading sources, etc.)?
What texts will result from the project at each stage (invention work, drafts, peer
responses, questionnaires, essays, videos, scripts, artwork, etc.)?
How will you evaluate the learning outcomes for each resulting text/stage (self
assessment, peer response, instructor response, etc.)?
How will you incorporate the criteria from the grading contract categories at each
stage?
Writing Project 2
Concepts, skills, and activities (one focus each
phase):
A.
B.
C.
D.
Texts Produced (at least one each phase)
A.
B.
C.
D.
Assessments (at least one each phase)
A.
B.
C.
D.
Calendar