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English Composition 2

ENG 1002 Home Page | Illinois Valley Community College

ENG 1002-05 Syllabus (Spring 2012)

Instructor

Randy Rambo
Office: A313
Phone: (815) 224-0338
E-mail: randy_rambo@ivcc.edu
Home Page: http://www.ivcc.edu/rambo
Course Home Page: http://www.ivcc.edu/rambo/eng1002.htm

Office Hours
Monday/Wednesday: 9:00-9:50 a.m.,1:00-2:00 p.m.
Friday: 9:00-9:50 a.m., 12:00-12:30 p.m.
(and by appointment)

Required Text

McMahan, Elizabeth, Susan X. Day, Robert Funk, and Linda Coleman, eds. Literature and the Writing Process. 9th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice, 2011. Print.

Course Description (from the college catalog)

English Composition 2 continues the study and application of rhetorical principles of expository writing in developing effective sentences, paragraphs, and essays, with particular emphasis on analyzing and writing expository prose. Students' essays will be based upon their readings or poetry, drama, and fiction. The research writing will be developed from the literature. Successful completion of English 1001, or its equivalent, is a prerequisite for enrollment in this course.

Expected Student Outcomes

Upon successful completion of English Composition 2 Online, students will be able to

  1. Read a variety of texts with understanding and appreciation;
  2. Understand invention as a part of the writing process;
  3. Organize and develop ideas effectively and logically in essays;
  4. Develop effective, logical, and well-supported arguments;
  5. Understand and use a variety of rhetorical methods for developing ideas;
  6. Maintain a consistent and appropriate viewpoint, tone, and voice;
  7. Strengthen essays through the revision process;
  8. Write essays free from common stylistic weaknesses;
  9. Write essays free from excessive errors;
  10. Write essays effectively incorporating a variety of sources;
  11. Become familiar with research strategies and the purpose of research;
  12. Understand documentation and plagiarism; and
  13. Use word-processing software as a writing tool.

Course Work and Format

Course work for students in English Composition 2 Online includes

  1. Reading assignments: approximately 10 chapters and various literary works from Literature and the Writing Process, by Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X. Day, Robert Funk, and Linda Coleman; secondary sources on selected works of literature; selected web sites; course web pages; and student essays.
  2. Essay assignments: a total of three essay assignments--Essays 1 and 2 and Essay 3 (a short research paper). The minimum required length for each essay is 1000 words.
  3. Optional revisions: students will have the option to revise and resubmit one or two of the three essays referred to above. 
  4. Research paper: one research paper following MLA (Modern Language Association) standards on a work or works of literature. The required minimum length of the research paper will be given later in the course (expect about 8 pages as the minimum length).
  5. Written peer critiques of student writing;
  6. Exercises over grammar and punctuation, style, and other aspects of writing;
  7. Quizzes over reading assignments;
  8. A final exam (over the same type of material covered for the exercises).

Assessment

Writing assignments will be evaluated and graded according to the grading standards in IVCC's Style Book. Additional assessment criteria will be given for specific assignments. For example, students are expected to follow the conventions of MLA citation and documentation for papers requiring documentation. Any additional assessment criteria for assignments will be clarified when assignments are given.

Final course grades will be determined as follows:

15% = Essay 1
15% = Essay 2
15% = Essay 3
30% = Research Paper
10% = Final Exam
15% = Miscellaneous Assignments*

*Miscellaneous assignments include peer critiques, quizzes, and exercises.

Course work that is not submitted or that is significantly below the minimum requirement for the assignment will receive a "0," not an "F."

At the end of the semester, final course grades will be calculated using the following scale:

90-100% = A
80-89% = B
70-79% = C
60-69% = D
0-59% = F

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend class regularly. Absences may result in a lowered course grade, and more than six absences may result in a withdrawal from the course without warning. Please be on time for class. Students who are persistently late for class must meet with the instructor to discuss the situation.

Plagiarism and Cheating

Plagiarism is the use of another person’s ideas, information, or exact words in your own writing without properly acknowledging your source in accordance with a standard system of documentation. In writing classes, plagiarism most often occurs when students use someone's else work and submit it as their own.

Make sure that all of the work you contribute to the class is your own. If a student is discovered submitting work that is plagiarized, depending on the severity of the plagiarism, the student will receive a grade of "F" on the assignment; will receive a grade of "0" on the assignment, without the option to revise it; or will receive a failing grade in the course. In addition, the student's name and a description of the incident will be reported to IVCC's Office of Academic Affairs. The Office of Academic Affairs will keep a record of these submissions. According to IVCC's "Student Code of Conduct," "when a student has been identified as committing an act of academic dishonesty twice" in any courses, the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Vice President of Student Services "will conduct an investigation, which may include a formal hearing, and will recommend or impose appropriate discipline."

General Policies / Requirements for Successful Completion of the Course

  1. Come to class regularly and come to class prepared. Students are expected to complete all reading and writing assignments. Failure to complete assignments may result in a substantial reduction of the course grade. The following policy applies to Essays 1, 2, and 3: a draft of at least 700 words will be due at the time of peer critiques. If a student does not have a draft of at least the minimum required length, one letter grade will be deducted from the revised draft of the paper. The same policy applies to the research paper, with a longer minimum required length at the time of peer critiques.
     
  2. Be active participants in the class. Active and meaningful student participation is expected, so ask questions, offer comments and suggestions, share your thoughts, make a meaningful contribution to the exchange of ideas in the classroom.
     
  3. Demonstrate a genuine desire to learn and to succeed in the course. A positive attitude can take you far, so be willing to work: read and reread the texts carefully, take pride in your class work, and please see me if you need additional help. You probably need this course for the credit, but try to work hard both to gain the credit and to gain knowledge and better writing skills.
     
  4. Be familiar with IVCC's "Student Code of Conduct" (in the college's Student Handbook), which stipulates the behavior expected of students. Violations of the "Student Code of Conduct" include "disruption of the educational process." This disruption could include conduct that is detrimental to the learning environment of the classroom, such as persistent tardiness, sleeping in class, or other distracting and disrespectful behavior. If you must bring a cell phone to class, of course turn off your phone and do not play with it during the class period. Students text messaging in class or playing with cell phones or other electronic devices in class will be asked to leave the classroom.

Assignments are due on the due dates. In-class assignments cannot be turned in after the class period during which they are assigned and completed. Essay assignments also are due on the due dates. However, the instructor can approve a late submission of an essay if an emergency or some other legitimate situation arises that prevents a student from turning in an essay when it is due. Talk to the instructor if this situation comes up.  

Working in the Computer Lab

All of our class meetings are held in one of the college's computer labs. The computers should help us complete assignments and should not be a distraction from those assignments. While we are in the computer lab during class time, we must work on material related to the course. A student who uses the computer during class time for purposes that are not course related will be asked to leave the classroom; a student who persistently uses the computer during class time for non-course related purposes will be withdrawn from the course. Please ask if you have any questions about whether a particular use of the computers is course related.  

Academic Accommodations

If you need support or assistance because of a disability, you may be eligible for academic accommodations through IVCC's Special Populations Office. Visit office B-204 or call (815) 224-0284 for more information.

Most Important of All

It's my job to help you succeed in the course, so please let me help you. Do not hesitate to ask questions and to see me during my office hours. Also, be aware that additional assistance to help you succeed is available through the college's Writing Center.


Tentative Schedule: ENG 1002-05

This schedule is only an overview of the approximate due dates for major assignments. Please see the course home page for daily assignments. Additional assignments will be given in class. This schedule is subject to change.

Week 1 (1/11, 1/13)
Introductions. In-class Diagnostic Paragraph.

Week 2 (1/16, 1/18, 1/20)
No class Monday, January 16 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day).

Reading assignment:

Week 3 (1/23, 1/25, 1/27)
Discussion of assigned stories and Essay 1. Draft of Essay 1 due for peer critique. Peer critique of Essay 1. Revising Essay 1. Reading assignment:

(Tuesday, January 24: Last day to drop the course for a refund).

Week 4 (1/30, 2/1, 2/3)
Revised Draft of Essay 1 due. Discussion of assigned poems and Essay 2. Reading assignment:

Week 5 (2/6, 2/8, 2/10)
 Draft of Essay 2 due for peer critique. Peer critiques of Essay 2.

Week 6 (2/13, 2/15, 2/17)
Revising Essay 2. Revised Draft of Essay 2 due.

Week 7 (2/20, 2/22, 1/24)
No class Monday, February 20 (All Presidents' Day). Discussion of Essay 3. Discussion of assigned play, Internet research, using secondary sources, and MLA documentation. Reading assignment:

Week 8 (2/27, 2/29, 3/2)
Draft of Essay 3 due for peer critique. Peer critique of Essay 3.

Week 9 (3/5, 3/7, 3/9)
 Revising Essay 3. Revised Draft of Essay 3 due.

Week 10 (3/12, 3/14, 3/16)
Reading assignments to be announced. Discussion of assigned readings and the Research Paper. Work on the Research Paper.

Week 11 (3/19, 3/21, 3/23)
No class Friday, March 23 (Faculty Development Day). Discussion of assigned readings and the Research Paper. Work on the Research Paper.

Week 12 (3/26, 3/28, 3/30)
No class Monday, March 26, to Friday, March 30 (Spring Break).

Week 13 (4/2, 4/4, 4/6)
Discussion of assigned readings and the Research Paper. Work on the Research Paper.

Week 14 (4/9, 4/11, 4/13)
Discussion of assigned readings and the Research Paper. Work on the Research Paper.
(Monday, April 9: Last day for student withdrawal from the course).

Week 15 (4/16, 4/18, 4/20)
Draft of the Research Paper due for peer critique. Peer critiques of the Research Paper.

Week 16 (4/23, 4/25, 4/27)
Revising the Research Paper. Continued work on the Research Paper.

Week 17 (4/30, 5/2, 5/4)
Final Draft of the Research Paper due. Discussion of the Final Exam.

Final Exam
11:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 9

This page was last updated on January 08, 2012. Copyright Randy Rambo, 2012.