Composition II Syllabus for 2025-2026
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Instructor Information

Office Location

Ordway 103

Office Hours

M-T 11:45-12:45

Course Information

AI Statement

Collusion is defined as “the unauthorized collaboration with another person or by any other means, including artificial intelligence (AI) and computer translators, in preparing work for fulfillment of course requirements.” Using AI like (ChatGPT or Google Gemini) to create a document is considered colluding. The use of Generative Artificial Intelligence on specific assignments is at the discretion of the instructor.

Title IX and Sexual Misconduct Reporting

Amarillo College prohibits discrimination and harassment based on sex, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking, under Title IX and Texas Education Code §51.253–255. Faculty and staff are mandatory reporters and must share any related concerns with the Title IX Coordinator at titleix@actx.edu. Reports and additional information are available at https://www.actx.edu/hr/title-ixtitle-ix. Confidential counseling and advocacy services are available through the Counseling Center and Advocacy & Resource Center.

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 Enrollment Center, Suite 700. 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:

Tutoring for Success applies to any student whose overall performance in the course falls below 75%. The instructor will create the task in the Student Engagement Portal (Watermark) to direct the student to the appropriate tutoring service, which may be faculty- or SI-led, discipline-specific, and/or general. The tutoring service assigned, the due date for when the tutoring must be completed, and the amount of tutoring required are at the discretion of the instructor. Additionally, the task will alert the student’s success team. Students who do not fulfill the assigned tutoring task may be subject to program- and course-specific penalties that could result in a grade reduction and/or in not being allowed to progress in the course until the tutoring requirement has been satisfied.

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.

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

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:

Melodie Graves
Justice Involved Advocate
Student Service Center 117
mgraves24@actx.edu
806-371-5995
Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me

You can also contact 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

Amarillo College English Dept., eds. A Rhetorical Handbook for English,  5th ed., Hayden-McNeil, 2023.

Please note this textbook was edited in May 2023, and old copies may not include the necessary readings.  

Supplies

A computer with reliable access to the internet and a word processing program, such as Word or Google Docs.  

Students must be able to save documents as either Google docs, Word, or as a (pdf).

Student Performance

 

Amarillo College English Department Plagiarism Policy, 

revised Spring 2023

 

The English Department takes plagiarism seriously

 

The Amarillo College English Department defines plagiarism as “using exact words from any outside source without using quotation marks or properly citing them; paraphrasing words from any outside source without citing them; or using research from any outside source without citing it.” 

The Amarillo College English Department defines collusion as  “the unauthorized collaboration with another person or by any other means, including artificial intelligence and computer translators, in preparing written work for fulfillment of course requirements.” Any work produced in part or in whole through plagiarism or collusion may receive a penalty on the paper's grade, up to and including a zero for the assignment.  A subsequent infraction will result in expulsion from the class. At this point, the case will be referred to the Vice President of Enrollment Management. 

 

Self-Plagiarism

Self-plagiarism is defined as turning in your own previous work to meet a current assignment.  Please do not self-plagiarize in this class.


 

State of Texas ACGM Student Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative research processes. 

2. Develop ideas and synthesize primary and secondary sources within focused academic arguments,

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.)

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

Students should act with decorum and maturity with both the instructor and with fellow students.

Grading Criteria

Grading Criteria

 

Literary Analysis Essay 20%

Research Argument Essay 20%

Final Essay 20%

Explication Project 20%

Daily Work (Journals and Quizzes) 20%

A 89.5-100= high achievement

B 79.5-89.4= above average achievement

C 69.5-79.4= satisfactory achievement

D 59.5-69.4= unsatisfactory 

F 0-59.4= unacceptable

Attendance

Calendar

Week 1 - May 26-31Assignments are due on Sunday May 31, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
Week 2 - June 1-7Assignments are due on Sunday June 7, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
Week 3 - June 8-14Assignments are due on Sunday June 14, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
Week 4 - June 15-21Assignments are due on Sunday June 21, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
Week 5 - June 22-28Assignments are due on Sunday June 28, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
Week 6- June 29-July 3FINAL IS DUE ON TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
Literary Analysis - Due midnight, June 7, 2026 
Research Essay - Due midnight, June 21th, 2026 
Explication Project - Due midnight, June 28, 2026 
Final - Due midnight, Tuesday, June 30, 2026 
  
  
Week 1 
AssignmentsReadings, Videos, and Lectures:
Complete readings and lecturesLectures:
Read Literary Analysis AssignmentWelcome
Journal 1 Due: Sunday night week 1Lecture: Literary Analysis Crash Course
Quiz 1 Due: Sunday night week 1Lecture: Literary Analysis Thesis Statements
 Video: "The Punishable Perils of Plagiarism"
 Rhetoric Handbook Readings:
 Academic Writing
 Thesis Statements
 Literary Analysis of Fiction
 Blackboard Readings:
 "Moxon's Master" by Ambrose Bierce
 "Marionette's Incorporated" by Ray Bradbury
 "EPICAC" by Kurt Vonnegut
Week 2 
AssignmentsReadings, Videos, and Lectures:
Complete readings and lecturesLectures:
Literary Analysis Due: Sunday night week 2Lecture: MLA In-text Citations
Journal 2 Due: Sunday night week 2Video: Mining literature for deeper meanings - Amy E. Harter
Quiz 2 Due: Sunday night week 2Video:
The Turing test: Can a computer pass for a human? - Alex Gendle
 Rhetoric Handbook Readings:
 Academic Verb List
 Transition List
 Words and Phrases to Avoid in College-Level Writing
 Quoting and Paraphrasing from a Short Story
Week 3 
Assignments:Readings, Videos, and Lectures:
Complete readings and lecturesLectures:
Read Research Essay AssignmentLecture: Evidence
Journal 3 Due: Sunday night week 3Lecture: Works Cited
Quiz 3 Due: Sunday night week 3Rhetoric Handbook Readings:
 Researching and Reliable Sources
 Finding Reliable Sources on the Internet
 Blackboard Readings:
 Choosing & Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research: Chapters 1-4
Week 4 
AssignmentsReadings, Videos, and Lectures:
Complete readings and lecturesLectures:
Research Essay Due: Sunday night week 4Visual: What Goes in the Parenthesis
Journal 4 Due: Sunday night week 4Lecture: MLA In-text Citations
Quiz 4 Due: Sunday night week 4Lecture: Revisionary Tactics
 Rhetoric Handbook Readings:
 Research Argument Essay
 Classical Argument
 Blackboard Readings:
 Choosing & Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research: Chapters 5-8
Week 5 
Assignments:Readings, Videos, and Lectures:
Complete readings and lecturesLectures:
Read Explication ProjectView Samples
Explication Project Due: Sunday night Week 5Rhetoric Handbook Readings:
Journal 5 Due: Due: Sunday night Week 5Literary Explication
Quiz 5 Due: Due: Sunday night Week 5 
Week 6 
Assignments:Readings, Videos, and Lectures:
FinalLectures:
Final Essay Due: TUESDAY, JUNE 30th, midnightAdvice For In-class Writing
  
PLEASE NOTE:Due dates are subject to change at the discretion of the Instructor.
 This is a college course and may contain adult subject matter.
  

Additional Information

Please note that this course may contain adult subject matter. 

All dates and assignments are at the professor's discretion.

Syllabus Created on:

05/21/26 2:25 PM

Last Edited on:

05/21/26 2:27 PM