Composition II Syllabus for 2016-2017
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Instructor Information

Course Information

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

If you have a disability (learning, mental, physical) that affects your ability to participate effectively and have access to any program or service at Amarillo College please contact Disability Services at (806) 345-5639 . Our offices are located in the Student Service Center office 112. More information may be found at www.actx.edu/disability.
Disability Services facilitates access to all programs and services according to the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as well as other federal and state laws.

Amarillo College Web Accessibility Policy Statement

Amarillo College is committed to providing equal access to all programs and services, including all working, learning, and service environments that affect equal access for persons with disabilities. This commitment to provide equal access and opportunity for persons with disabilities is in compliance with federal and state law. Amarillo College also strives to provide Electronic and Information Resources (EIR) that are accessible to all authorized users.

If you find you are unable to access material in an accessible format please contact the Disability Services Office at (806) 345-5639 . This office will work in conjunction with other campus resources to address and accommodate your issue in a timely manner.

Statement for Mental Health and Advocacy & Resource Center:

As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

Administrative Drop Policy

Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016

Student Withdrawal Procedures

Students who wish to withdraw from a class must:

• consult with their instructor to obtain a signed academic withdrawal request form to submit to the AskAC department for processing
• consult with the financial aid office if receiving financial aid
• consult with the Veterans Benefit Coordinator if receiving veteran benefits
• consult with their academic advisor to determine how withdrawing may affect their enrollment in future semesters
  • NOTE:  The Texas Education Code stipulates that students attending Texas institutions of higher education for the first time fall 2007 and later may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career, including courses from which transfer students have withdrawn at other Texas institutions of higher education. (Senate Bill 1231) Rule 4.10.

Privacy Statement

The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students.  If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .

Course

ENGL-1302-006 Composition II

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: ENGL 1301

Course Description

Intensive study of and practice in the strategies and techniques for developing research-based expository and persuasive texts. Emphasis on effective and ethical rhetorical inquiry, including primary and secondary research methods; critical reading of verbal, visual and multimedia texts; systematic evaluation, synthesis and documentation of information sources; and critical thinking about evidence and conclusions.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

English Department Plagiarism Policy (Revised Spring, 2013):

The English Department takes plagiarism seriously.

Plagiarism is defined as the following:  the use of someone else’s exact words that are neither quoted nor cited; paraphrasing someone else’s words without citing them; or using someone else’s research without citing it.

Student plagiarism in the Amarillo College English Department is internally tracked.  To clarify, records will be kept in the Department of those students who have plagiarized.  At the beginning of each new semester, the names of students who plagiarized the previous semester will be sent to all English Department faculty. 

Plagiarism may receive a penalty of a zero.  A subsequent infraction will be deemed a reason for expulsion from the class. At this point, the case will be referred to the Vice President of Student Affairs.

Note: Self-plagiarism will be discussed with the class by each instructor and infractions for such are left up to the individual instructor’s discretion.

 

 

Occupational License Disclaimer

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec, 1 lab)

Class Type

Online Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

 A Rhetoric Handbook for 1301 and 1302. (Same as Comp I)

 Literature: A Portable Anthology, Fourth Edition,Bedford St. Martins, 2017.

 

Supplies

Student Performance

STUDENT PERFORMANCE/LEARNING OUTCOMES (minimum competencies):

After studying the material presented in this course of study, the student will be able to do the following as evaluated by the faculty in the department/program:

1.         Demonstrate an understanding of literary genres through reading a variety of literature representing different authors and time periods.  

2.         Reinforce and enhance writing skills learned in English 1301 by writing rhetorical and interpretive essays over works written in verse and prose.

3.         Know the basic vocabulary of literary and rhetorical analysis.

4.         Use the library, the computer resources in the English Writing Laboratory, or other resources in researching a topic.

5.         Evaluate sources, selecting appropriate evidence for a research paper or several shorter researched essays.

6.         Document primary (all three genres) and secondary sources in standard MLA form for citations and works cited; know the penalties for plagiarism.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

Behavior

CODE OF STUDENT CONDUCT: All rules and regulations set forth in the “Student Code of Conduct” section in the current edition of the Students’ Rights and Responsibilities publication will be followed in this course (see link above).

Disrespect will not be tolerated.  While students are expected to express their own ideas and opinions in the discussion section of this course, students are also expected to use words that are appropriate for a classroom situation. No cursing, personal insults, or disrespectful language will be tolerated. Violation of this rule will result in the loss of points for discussion contributions

The discussion forums in this class provide a great opportunity for you to practice your technical writing style.  Proofread and spell-check your discussion posts, and check your posts and replies for clarity and accuracy. As with emails, avoid using text-message style abbreviations. In addition, proofread your posts for tone. A successful writer is ever-mindful of his/her audience, and your posts should be courteous and professional—even if you are disagreeing with a classmate. Discussion posts with numerous spelling and grammar errors an inappropriate tone will not receive credit.

For full discussion credit, always respond thoroughly to at least two classmates.

Other Responsibilities

• Check your grades regularly in Blackboard. If you have any questions or concerns about your grades, please talk to me as soon as possible.
• If you have questions or concerns about any assignment grade, you must meet with me about your concerns BEFORE the week of finals.
• Read the plagiarism policy on the top of this syllabus. Plagiarism is a serious offense and will result in a zero on the assignment. If you are concerned about plagiarism or are not sure whether you’ve cited sources correctly, please schedule a visit with me or with the Writers’ Corner.

E-MAIL ETIQUETTE: 

 

E-mails sent to your instructors must be addressed and signed.  E-mails, like all academic work, should be carefully scrutinized by their senders, as the senders’ professionalism is reflected in the grammar, spelling and structure of the e-mail.  E-mails should never look like text messages that contain slang words or heavily abbreviated terms.  E-mails that do not meet the aforementioned criteria will not be answered.

ONLINE BEHAVIOR:

Just as in a traditional classroom setting, our online classroom will be a safe environment for students to engage in intellectual discourse.  Slanderous messages, inappropriate language, and offensive materials, as deemed by the instructor, will not be tolerated in classroom discussion boards.

 

 

Grading Criteria

20 % Discussion Boards, Quizzes, and Peer Reviews

60 % Writing (Journal-10%, Essay 1- 25%, Essay 2- 25%)

20 % Final Exam

90-100 = A, 80-89 = B, 70-79 = C, 60-69 = D, Below 60 = F

LATE WORK IS NOT ACCEPTED.

 

 

Attendance

Online Classes:
Online classes meet every day.  Assignments will be due throughout the week. Students are required to log into the course every day in order to check for new announcements and assignments.  I will track the number of times that you log into the online course, as well as your online activity.  Each class week will begin on Monday and end on Sunday.

If during the semester you consider dropping, please check with me first for an alternate plan, one that protects your investment in the course and gives you an opportunity to complete it.  Remember that the deadline for drops this semester is July 18, 2017.

INSTRUCTOR WITHDRAWAL POLICY: If a student wants to withdraw from this class, then the student must send the instructor an email through Blackboard or through his or her official AC email account.

email must include the following information:

• course name and number
• full name and ID number
• A specific reason for the withdrawal

An example of such an email might look like this:

I, Jane L. Doe (ID# ), would like to withdraw from 1301.ZZZ because I was just promoted at work and must move to Botswana and cannot complete the semester in the class.

The completed request must be received by the instructor on or before the last day to withdraw as determined by the Amarillo College calendar. The withdrawal approval will be processed within a few days of the instructor receiving the email requesting the withdrawal from the class. The email from the student must include all required information mentioned above, or the withdrawal will not be processed until all the required information is received.

 

Calendar

Additional Information