ENGLISH 102: Writing II Spring 2010
Instructor: Mrs. Tonya Northenor, Assistant Professor Email: tonya.northenor@kctcs.edu
Office: L212 (inside suite 211, upstairs in Learning Resource Center) Office Phone: (270) 686-4586
Website: http://legacy.owensboro.kctcs.edu/tnorthenor/
Office Hours: Mon.,Wed, Fri. 8-9 a.m./Mon. & Wed. 11a.m.-12:30 p.m./Mon. 2-3 p.m. /Tue. & Thur. 8:30-11 a.m.
Students may contact the instructor in person, by email, or by phone during these office hours or schedule an appointment at another time. I may sometimes be unavailable during office hours due to meetings. Email is the best way to reach this instructor. Students will be contacted normally through their KCTCS email addresses by instructors and advisors.
Course Description: Argumentative writing. Provides further instruction in drafting and revising essays that express ideas in Standard English, including reading critically, thinking logically, responding to texts, addressing specific audiences, developing research skills, and documenting sources. The class includes brief reviews of grammar and research mechanics and usage. Pre-req.: ENG 101 or equivalent test must be taken before 102. ENG 101 and 102 may not be taken at the same time.
“Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.” -Zora Neale Hurston
“What is research, but a blind date with knowledge.” – William Henry
Required Texts:
Behrens, Laurence and Leondard J. Rosen. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 10th ed. New York: Longman, 2005. Print.
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th. ed. New York: MLA, 2003. Print.
O’Dell, Carol. Mothering Mother: A Daughter’s Humorous and Heartbreaking Memoir. Largo, FL: Kunati, 2007. Print.
Recommended Materials:
*A disk, flash-drive or other method/s of backing-up your work. Loss of work is
not an acceptable excuse for late or missing assignments. You do not need to
bring these disks to class with you unless we meet in the lab.
*A dictionary and thesaurus of your choice are also helpful or access to an online version.
*A grammar handbook, like Hodges’ Harbrace Handbook or Simon & Schuster Handbook for Writers.
Web Enhanced: This class is a web-enhanced course. This means that you will occasionally be asked to do work that requires internet access (BlackBoard discussions, handouts made available online, basic online research, etc.).
Grade Scale:
100 – 90% A 89 – 80%
B 79 – 70% C 69-60%
D 59% and below E
Course Grading:
In-class writing, quizzes, short essays or assignments, reading responses (homework) 12 %
Essay 1:
Summary
15 %
Essay 2: Common Reading Journal Project
18 %
Essay 3: Rogerian Argument / Major Research Paper 40 %
Essay 4: Interview Project 15 %
In-class writing, quizzes, short essays or assignments, reading responses: This category is composed of in-class work and shorter writing assignments. Short assignments or reading responses must be typed, double-spaced in standard MLA-style. Each assignment will be worth a designated number of points and you will be given a score based on the quality of your work and effort on the assignment. All of these assignments are designed to test or enhance your knowledge of class material or skills, and some will be components that will help you progress in your major research paper. These tasks may be related to grammar / citation skills or to themes of current assignments. Points will be deducted from any late assignment. Late work will not be accepted after one week past the due date for the assignment. It is your responsibility to turn in work ahead of time if you will miss the class during which it is due. In-class writing or quizzes can not be made up unless there is an acceptable, documented excuse.
The Common Reading: As a part of class work, we will participate in OCTC’s Common Reading project. Each semester a book is selected with the hope that the whole campus can read the same text and share a common experience. We will read the semester’s selected book and participate in a project of related writing and discussion. For more information about the book and associated events, and for links to resources, see the website: http://legacy.owensboro.kctcs.edu/reading/
Essays: A detailed assignment sheet will be given for each essay with rules and guidelines for that assignment. Your work must follow the assignment requirements or the paper either will not be accepted or the grade for the paper will be reduced. The essays must be typed and double-spaced, in standard MLA style. All components are required to be turned in with the final draft of the essay, and any missing components will result in a 10-point deduction from the paper’s grade. For each day the paper is late the grade will be reduced 10 points. Papers will not be accepted after one week past the due date for the assignment. It is your responsibility to turn in a paper ahead of time if you will miss the class during which it is due.
CLASS POLICIES:
Plagiarism: All work for this course must be written by you exclusively for this course. You know that using another’s work and claiming it as your own is wrong. However, using another person’s work, ideas, paper or other such materials without clearly and appropriately acknowledging the source (by using in-text and works cited documentation) is also plagiarism and is a serious academic offense. Students are expected to follow MLA and research guidelines presented in class and found in their handbook/s. Plagiarism is a special concern in a research-based course so be sure that you give credit (according to the guidelines we will discuss during the semester) for any ideas or words not your own. If you have any questions please consult your text or see your instructor or a tutor. Any student caught plagiarizing will receive an automatic grade of “E” for the course. Students are referred to the Code of Student Conduct, available at: http://www.octc.kctcs.edu/Current_Students.aspx
Attendance/Class Participation: Your ability to profit from the course and to be a useful contribution to class discussion and activities depends on your own willingness to invest adequate time and effort. Therefore, each student should strive to attend class regularly and to be an active participant. Tardiness is distracting to classmates, and the instructor, and will likely result in the student missing important announcements. If you are late, it is your responsibility to inform the instructor at the end of that class.
Students who are excessively late will not be counted as present. Students who are unprepared to participate during a class (i.e. sleeping, failing to have read assignments, using cell phones or laptops inappropriately during class, or talking/behaving disruptively) will be counted as absent for the day. If you are text-messaging during class you will be asked to leave the classroom and not return.
You are allowed four absences before your class grade is affected in a class that meets three days a week and three absences in a twice-a-week class. You are only allowed two absences in a once-a-week class. However, you should remember that any absence will affect your ability to stay on-track with the class discussion, assignments, and other exercises and activities. For each absence over the allowed number, regardless of the excuses, your course grade will be reduced by 1/2 a letter grade (5 points). Exceptions to this policy will be made only under extraordinary circumstances. It is your responsibility to find out, before the next class, what you missed - from your teacher or a reliable classmate. If you know in advance that you will miss class, let your instructor know ahead of time in order to avoid getting behind on your coursework.
Late work: It is important that you submit your work on time. Any assignment not turned in during the time it is collected in class is late. The penalty for any late assignment is 10% (a letter grade) for each day the work is late. The instructor is not obligated to allow absent students to make up quizzes, tests, or in-class exercises, which may be given at any time during the course. If you want to be allowed to make up work that you missed due to a documented excuse (emergency doctor visit, etc.) without a penalty you must submit a written copy of the excuse to your instructor during or before the next class period. Note: “Late” means any work not turned in before or at the beginning of the class period in which it is due. NO papers will be accepted after the last official day of the class (during Finals Week).
Extra Credit: At certain points throughout the semester students may have the opportunity for extra credit through participation in English-related events (a play, a Common Reading presentation, etc.). Opportunities will be announced as they arrive. Students who wish to earn make-up points or extra credit (applied to the homework grade) need to fully participate in the specified event/s and then write an adequate 1-page response, due the next class period. Limit 2.
Class Conduct: Students are expected to review and abide by the Standards of Professional Conduct and other expectations, available at http://www.octc.kctcs.edu/Current_Students.aspx. In particular, students are expected to respect others’ opinions.
Cancellation Policy: The Instructor will not cancel classes due to inclement weather, but the college administrators may; any such cancelled class will be made up at the end of the semester. During wintry weather, watch local news/radio reports for cancellations of OCTC classes. You may want to sign up for the free SNAP text-message cancellation and emergency alert system, available through OCTC’s website.
Withdrawal Policy: Students may choose to withdraw at any time during the semester. Through mid-term, those who withdraw will automatically receive a grade of “W”; however, after that date the instructor will assign either a “W” or an “WE” at their discretion.
Option to Repeat: Students who are repeating this course must have filed an “Option to Repeat” form with the registrar.
Tutoring: Your instructor will be happy to meet with you during office hours or by appointment to answer questions or review assignments. You may also want to seek additional help through the free tutoring services of the Teaching and Learning Center, located in the on-campus Library (LRC). Phone: 686-8964.
Disability Statement: KCTCS is in compliance with the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted by federal agencies and programs receiving federal financial assistance. If you feel you have a qualifying condition, please consult someone in Counseling (Campus Center, room 102, phone: (270) 686-4527).
Final note: Consider this syllabus as a “contract” between you and your instructor. You are expected to review the syllabus and ask questions (if any) about its content within the first week of the semester. You will then be expected to abide by the policies as described in this syllabus.
Cross-Curricular General Education Competencies: In addition to the course-specific objectives listed above, coursework is also designed to develop in students the following cross-curricular general education competencies (and to meet many criteria within the QEP.
For QEP standards, please see: http://legacy.owensboro.kctcs.edu/ir/qep/Plan/objectivesprojected.htm):
I. Communicate Effectively
1. Read and listen with comprehension.
2. Speak and write clearly using standard English
3. Interact cooperatively with others using both verbal and non-verbal means.
4. Demonstrate information processing through basic computer skills.
Assessment examples: Respond in writing, and in discussion, to the ideas of other writers, classmates, community members, etc. Problem solving assignments. Word processing all assignments beyond in-class writing.
II. Think Critically
1. Make connections in learning across the disciplines and draw logical conclusions.
2. Demonstrate problem solving through interpreting, analyzing, summarizing, and/or integrating a variety of materials.
Assessment examples: Summarizing the ideas of others on a variety of topics. Analyze others’ arguments. Consult sources through research.
III. Learn Independently
1. Use appropriate search strategies and resources to find, evaluate, and use information.
2. Make choices based upon awareness of ethics and differing perspectives/ideas.
3. Apply learning in academic, personal, and public situations.
4. Think creatively to develop new ideas, processes, or products.
Assessment examples: Prepare a paper using appropriate depth, number and variety of sources. Create compromises/solutions that take into account the perspectives/concerns of an audience and the writer.
IV. Examine Relationships in Diverse and Complex Environments
1. Recognize the relationship of the individual to human heritage and culture.
2. Demonstrate an awareness of the relationship of the individual to the biological and physical environment.
3. Develop an awareness of self as an individual member of a multicultural global community.
Assessment examples: Read and respond to diverse authors writing about contemporary, often global, concerns. Consider and articulate your own views on a variety of subjects.
ENG 102 Grade Tally Sheet
In-class writing, quizzes, short essays or assignments,
reading responses (homework) ________ x .12 (12%) = _______
At mid-term:
______ / ______
At the end of the semester (including extra credit):
______/_______
Essay 1: Summary ________ x .15 (15 %) = _________
Essay 2: Common Reading Journal Project ________ x .18 (18 %) = _________
Essay 3: Rogerian Argument / Major Research Paper ________ x .40 (40 %) = _________
Essay 4: Interview Project _______ x .15 (15 %) = _______
Total = _________
Absences _______ (Points subtracted for absences) - _____
Final grade (A, B, C, D or E) = _________
Important page numbers in MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers:
*Research paper 1st page example (heading, page numbers, title, long-quotation examples): 117
*Works Cited page example (heading, title, spacing, hanging indents, and ABC order): 131
*Complete list of Works Cited page entries (by type of source): 123-212
*Plagiarism chapter: 51-61 *Parenthetical (in-text) documentation 213-232