Composition II Syllabus for 2017-2018
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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 course must complete all steps indicated on the Academic Withdrawal Request form by the course withdrawal deadline.

NOTE: Students who are 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. This withdrawal limitation does not include dual credit or developmental classes (Senate Bill 1231 Rule 4.10.) For more information on Drop and Withdrawal Policies, please visit the Registrar's Office Web site.

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Course

ENGL-1302-004 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

Student Performance

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 knowledge of individual and collaborative research processes.
2. Develop ideas and synthesize primary and secondary sources within focused academic arguments, including one or more research-based essays.
3. Analyze, interpret, and evaluate a variety of texts for the ethical and logical uses of evidence.
4. Write in a style that clearly communicates meaning, builds credibility, and inspires belief or action.
5. Apply the conventions of style manuals for specific academic disciplines (e.g., APA. CMS, MLA, etc.)

In addition to the course description, the skills taught in this course will be primarily achieved through the study of literature.  Also, in addition to the learning outcomes, students will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of literary genres and the basic vocabulary of literary analysis, as well as write a researched literary analysis that utilizes peer review.

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

Notice to Students enrolled in an educational program for preparation of issuance of certain occupational licenses:

Students enrolled in an educational program in preparation for obtaining certain occupational licenses are potentially ineligible for such license if the student has been convicted of an offense. For further information, please contact your advisor, the Legal Clinic, or the faculty member in charge of the educational program that you seek to enroll in. The further information you will receive will include notification to you of your right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the licensing authority in order to clarify your particular situation.

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec, 1 lab)

Class Type

Online Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

No textbook required.

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

30 % Discussion Boards, Quizzes, and Peer Reviews

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 16, 2018.

To withdraw, you must contact me directly or your advisor.  There is a form you will have to fill out and sign.  BOth your advisor and I must sign the form as well.

Calendar

Additional Information