North Arkansas College
English 1023: Composition II
3 Credit Hours
Instructor: Dr. Phillip Howerton. Office: M154G.
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 12:00-2:00.
Office Phone: 870-391-3107. E-mail Address: phowerton@northark.edu
Catalog Course Description
Instruction continues [from ENGL 1013] to emphasize developing students’ writing skills but
also introduces the literary genres: prose fiction, drama, and poetry. Students prepare and write a
research paper dealing with a literary work. Student-instructor conferences individualize
instruction each semester.
Prerequisites
A student must receive a “C” or better in English 1013 in order to enroll in English 1023.
Next Course in Sequence
None
Audience, Rationale, and Anticipated Outcomes
English 1023 is designed to prepare students with the critical thinking, reading, and writing skills
necessary for success in other college courses and in their personal and professional life beyond
college. This course requires critical thinking and problem solving skills applicable across
disciplines; life skills such as teamwork, interpersonal relationships, ethics, and study habits;
clear oral and written communication; use of technology; and discussion of issues relevant to a
diverse global society. Therefore, it specifically addresses five of the six General Education
Learning Objectives listed in the North Arkansas College Catalog as being part of North
Arkansas College’s Philosophy of General Education.
Course Objectives
ENGL 1023 builds upon the mechanical and organizational skills students have developed in
ENGL 1013. In addition, students will read a variety of literary texts; relate the requirements of
the literary genres to the contents of a particular short story, novel, play, or poem; articulate a
response to literature in class discussion and writing; and incorporate the views and perceptions
of others as they create and support their own views and perceptions. Students’ performances on
quizzes, exams, short written responses, and essays will assess their achievement of these
objectives.
Required Texts
Hacker, Diana. Rules for Writers. 5th ed.
Kirszner and Mandell. Portable Literature. 7th ed.
Course Requirements
The minimum amount of writing required in all sections of Composition II at Northark is five
essays and a research paper.
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Grades
Assignment One: Summary and Outline. 50 points.
Assignment Two: Comparison and Contrast (Fiction). 100 points.
Assignment Three: Annotated Bibliography. 100 points.
Assignment Four: Outline. 50 points.
Assignment Five: Research paper, 100 points.
Assignment Six: Paraphrase and Outline. 50 points.
Assignment Seven: Poetry Explication. 100 points.
Assignment Eight: Revision of Research Paper. 100 points.
Assignment Nine: Drama Paper. 100 points.
In-Class Activities: 100 points.
Mid-Term Exam: 100 points.
Final Exam: 100 points.
Total: 1050 points
Letter Grades
•90-100% A •80-89% B •70-79% C •60-69% D
Papers
Papers must be word processed, doubled spaced in 12 font, and documented according to MLA
guidelines. In order to be awarded college-level grades, these papers must exhibit all the qualities
of fine academic writing, such as unity, organization, development, critical and original thought,
and correctness—in other words, you must demonstrate all of the basics that were covered in
Composition I. Prompts will be provided.
Late Work
Unless the student has made special arrangements with the instructor well in advance of the due
date, late work will not be accepted and will be given a grade of zero.
Emergencies happen, so do not plan to complete your assignments the day or night before they
are due. Do not approach me with trite and retroactive excuses. Make your education a priority
and you will not need excuses.
Attendance
There are several educational opportunities that do not require attendance, but this is not one of
them. If you do not have time to attend this class, you should not enroll in this course.
When you have achieved your fifth absence, regardless of the reasons, you will be assigned a
grade of “F” for this course. I do not need to know why you were absent.
Arriving twenty minutes or more late equals an absence. Three late arrivals of less than twenty
minutes each equal an absence.
Leaving class twenty minutes before the end of class equals an absence. Three early departures
of less than twenty minutes each equals an absence.
If there are factors in your life—such as family concerns, a demanding work schedule, lack of
transportation, medical complications—that will interfere with your regular attendance, do not
enroll in this course and expect to be exempt from the rules.
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Extracurricular Activities
Students involved in extra-curricular activities are not exempt from the policies stated above.
Absences accrued due to required attendance of college-sanctioned events will not be
automatically counted toward the total of classes missed. However, these students are required to
schedule a conference with the instructor within a maximum of one week following the class
period missed to discuss the material that was delivered on the date they were absent. Any
student who does not attend these required conferences will be counted absent and will not be
allowed to make up the work missed. Participation in these activities temporarily excuses the
student from attending class, but it never excuses the student from responsibility.
Athletics
How well a student performs on the field or court will have no impact upon how writing is
assessed in this course.
Syllabus Change
The instructor reserves the right to change the syllabus during the semester and will announce
any changes during class.
Device Policy
Turn off and put away all electronic toys before class or be counted absent.
Incomplete Grades
I will not assign a grade of Incomplete (“I”) unless the student has completed approximately
80% of the course but has not been able, because of illness or other reasons beyond his or her
control, to finish the work assigned in the course. The student must contact the instructor to
request an Incomplete (“I”) and make arrangements for completing the course. The instructor
determines the requirements for making the “I.” An incomplete grade not made up within one
semester automatically becomes an “F” unless the instructor notifies the Registrar’s Office in
writing of a later date.
Academic Dishonesty
Academic fraud and dishonesty are defined in the North Arkansas College Student Handbook.
Any instructor who suspects that cheating or plagiarism has occurred will act in accordance with
the guidelines contained in the Student Handbook. My standard policy is to award a zero to any
paper containing plagiarism and not to allow the student to revise the work for a grade.
ADA Statement
North Arkansas College complies with Section 504 of the rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Students with disabilities who need special
accommodations should make their requests in the following way: (1) talk to the instructor after
class or during office hours about their disability or special need related to classroom work,
and/or (2) contact Student Support Services.
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Grading System and General Rubric
The rules governing the each low order concern (LOC), such as errors in mechanics, grammar, and
punctuation, are objective; therefore, the grading of such errors is objective: in paper one, each such
sentence-level error will cost one point; in subsequent papers these errors will cost two points.
Though more complex than LOCs, high order concerns (HOCs), such as purpose, organization, clarity,
coherence, unity, tone, and development, can also be evaluated objectively by a critical reader. Such
errors destroy the effectiveness of a paper, so these errors have a great impact upon the grade assigned.
If you believe that I am grading your work unfairly, please schedule a conference with me and explain,
using argument, evidence, and analysis, how your writing fulfills the guidelines of a higher letter grade.
Attributes of an A paper:
1. Impressive, specific, engaging, and challenging introduction and thesis.
2. Impressive, specific, engaging, and challenging topic sentences that support the thesis.
3. Thesis statement and topic sentences directly, deliberately, and critically answer prompt.
4. Substantial, original, thoughtful, surprising, and challenging support.
5. Sophisticated transitions.
6. Complex synthesis of source material and student’s critical viewpoints.
7. Well-crafted body paragraphs that demonstrate unity, coherence, and development.
8. Masterful sentence structure and sentence variety.
9. Precise word choice.
10. Correct documentation.
11. Virtually no errors in grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.
Attributes of a C paper:
1. Functional introduction and thesis.
2. Functional topic sentences that support the thesis.
3. Basic and obvious support.
4. Thesis and topic sentence indirectly answer prompt.
5. Mechanical transitions.
6. Simple synthesis of source material and student’s viewpoint.
7. Serviceable body paragraphs that are somewhat unified, generally coherent, and offer some
development.
8. Basic sentence structure with little sentence variety.
9. Little attention to word choice.
10. Inaccurate or incomplete documentation.
11. A distracting number of errors in grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.
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Tentative Schedule
M/6/25: Introduce course and assignments one and two.
Review writing process, thesis statements, five-paragraph essay,
T/6/26: Discuss stories. Discuss comparison and contrast.
W/6/27: Discuss stories. Discuss comparison and contrast.
R/6/28: One due. Discuss stories.
F/6/29: Discuss stories.
M/7/2: Two due. Introduce assignments three, four, and five.
T/7/3: Discuss research.
W/7/4: No Class; Independence Day.
R/7/5: Discuss research.
F/7/6: Discuss research.
M/7/9: Three due.
T/7/10: Four due. Discuss novels.
W/7/11: Discuss novels.
R/7/12: Mid-term exam. Writing workshop.
F/7/13: Five due. Introduce assignments six and seven.
M/7/16: Discuss poetry.
T/7/17: Discuss poetry.
W/7/18: Six due. Workshop.
R/7/19: Workshop.
F/7/20: Seven due.
M/7/23: Eight due. Read Death of a Salesman.
T/7/24: Read Death of a Salesman.
W/7/25: Death of a Salesman.
R/7/26: Nine due. Final exam.
F/7/27: No class, Grades due.
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