ENG 1002 Home Page | Illinois Valley Community College

English Composition 2

ENG 1002-08 Syllabus (Fall 2019)

• Monday/Wednesday/Friday 10:00-10:50 a.m. (Room B-213)

Instructor

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

Office Hours
Monday: 11:00 a.m.-12:50 p.m., 2:00-2:30 p.m.
Wednesday: 11:00-11:50 a.m.
Friday: 11:00 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
(and by appointment)

Required Texts

Bullock, Richard, et al. The Little Seagull Handbook with Exercises. 3rd ed., Norton, 2017.

Mays, Kelly J. The Norton Introduction to Literature. Portable 12th ed., Norton, 2017.

Course Description (from the college catalog)

English Composition II 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 of literature and other texts. The library research writing will be developed from those readings. The course includes the use of various computer applications, including word-processing and the Internet.

General Education Goals

Students successfully completing ENG 1002 will be able to demonstrate the ability

1. To apply analytical and problem solving skills to personal, social, and professional issues and situations.
2. To communicate successively, both orally and in writing, to a variety of audiences.
3. To understand and use technology effectively and to understand its impact on the individual and society.

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. Use word-processing software and the Internet to assist in the writing process;
11. Understand the principles of research;
12. Understand the use, citation, and documentation of sources; and
13. Understand strategies for developing and writing research papers.

Course Content

The course content of English Composition 2 Online includes the following:

1. Analysis and response to a variety of texts
2. Peer response to student writing
3. Self-assessment
4. Study of the Essay form

• Audience and purpose
• Thesis statement and topic sentences
• Rhetorical strategies and methods of development
• Transitions and logical progression of ideas
• Style and voice
• Review of grammar, punctuation, syntax, and mechanics

5. Revision and editing strategies
6. Research strategies and the purpose of research
7. The proper use, citation, and documentation of sources

Assignments

Course work for students in English Composition 2 Online includes

1. Reading assignments: information on writing and understanding literature and various literary works from The Norton Introduction to Literature, portable 12th edition, by Kelly J. Mays; secondary sources on selected works of literature; selected webpages; course webpages; and student essays.
2. Essay assignments: a total of two essay assignments. One of the essays is a short research paper. The minimum required length for each essay is 1250 words. 
3. Research paper: one research paper on multiple works of literature following MLA (Modern Language Association) standards. The minimum required length of the research paper is 2500 words (about seven or eight double-spaced pages).
4. An optional revision of Essay 1, Essay 2, or the research paper, to be submitted at the end of the course;
5. Peer evaluations of student writing;
6. Exercises over reading assignments, grammar and punctuation, style, and other aspects of writing;
7. Quizzes over reading assignments.
8. A final exam covering the type of material appearing on the exercises, including grammar, punctuation, style, and other aspects of writing discussed in class.

Assessment

Writing assignments will be evaluated and graded according to the grading standards in IVCC's Stylebook. 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
40% = Research Paper*
10% = Final Exam
15% = Miscellaneous Assignments (miscellaneous assignments include peer critiques, quizzes, and exercises)
  5% = Participation and Attendance

*Important: The college requires that students who earn a failing grade on the Research Paper cannot earn a "C" or higher in the class. A failing grade on the Research Paper must mean a "D" or "F" in the course even if the course grade would be higher using the percentages given above.

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

Participation and Attendance

Students are expected to attend class regularly and to be on time for class. Absences may result in a lowered course grade, and more than six absences may result in a withdrawal from the course without warning.

Five percent of the course grade is determined by a student's participation and attendance. Each student begins with a "Participation and Attendance" score of one hundred percent, but this grade will be lowered by five percent for each absence and for each time a student is late for class. The only exceptions are absences due to college-related activities, such as field trips or sporting events for student athletes.

The "Participation and Attendance" grade may also be lowered by five percent for each occasion when a student engages in disruptive behavior in class, such as using a cell phone in class, using the computer for anything unrelated to the class, and persistent chatting.

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. For each essay and the research paper, a draft of a minimum required length will be due at the time of peer critiques. If a student does not have a draft of the required length, one letter grade will be deducted from the revised draft of the paper.
    
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, use of cell phones in class, or other distracting and disrespectful behavior. Cell phone use in class is prohibited unless permission is granted for course-related use of phones, such as the taking of pictures of information presented in class. Please keep cell phones out of sight. Students text messaging, using cell phones or other electronic devices without permission, or engaging in other disruptive behavior in class will lose "Participation and Attendance" points and may be asked to leave the classroom. Students consistently engaged in disruptive behavior may be withdrawn from the course.

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. Students who use the computers during class time for purposes that are not course related (reading or writing e-mail, playing games, working on assignments for other classes, surfing the Internet for information unrelated to the course, etc.) will be asked to leave the classroom.

Academic Accommodations

If you need support or assistance because of a disability, you may be eligible for academic accommodations through IVCC's Disability Services. See the college's Disability Services Web page 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 1002-08

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 (8/16)
Introductions.

Week 2 (8/19, 8/21, 8/23
Miscellaneous information. Read Robert Frost's "Mending Wall" (not in the textbook). In-class Diagnostic Paragraph on "Mending Wall." Read Joyce Carol Oates' "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" (Mays 94-109); Gabriel Garcia Marquez' "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings: A Tale for Children" (Mays 362-68); John Updike's "A & P" (Mays 437-43); Quiz over the reading assignment. Discussion of Essay 1.

Week 3 (8/26, 8/28, 8/30)
Continued discussion of assigned stories and Essay 1. Read selection from "Fiction: Reading, Responding, Writing" (Mays 12-20, 32-56); selection from "The Literature Essay" (Mays 1255-1269); "The Writing Process" (Mays 1279-94).

(Wednesday, August 28: Last day to drop the course for a refund).

Week 4 (9/2, 9/4, 9/6)
Draft of Essay 1 due for peer critique. Peer critique of Essay 1. Revising Essay 1.

No class Monday, September 2 (Labor Day).

Week 5 (9/9, 9/11, 9/13)
Revised draft of Essay 1 due. Reading assignment to be announced. Discussion of Essay 2 and assigned readings.

Week 6 (9/16, 9/18, 9/20)
Continued discussion of Essay 2 and assigned readings. Discussion of using, citing, and documenting secondary sources.

Week 7 (9/23, 9/25, 9/27)
Draft of Essay 2 due for peer critique. Peer critiques of Essay 2 drafts. Revising Essay 2.

Week 8 (9/30, 10/2, 10/4)
Revised draft of Essay 2 due. Reading assignment to be announced. Discussion of the assigned readings and the Research Paper.

No class Friday, October 4 (Development Day).

Week 9 (10/7, 10/9, 10/11)
Reading assignment to be announced. Discussion of assigned readings and the Research Paper. Work on the Research Paper.

Week 10 (10/14, 10/16, 10/18)
Discussion of assigned readings and the Research Paper. Work on the Research Paper.

Week 11 (10/21, 10/23, 10/25)
Discussion of assigned readings and the Research Paper. Work on the Research Paper.

Week 12 (10/28, 10/30, 11/1)
Discussion of assigned readings and the Research Paper. Work on the Research Paper.

Week 13 (11/4, 11/6, 11/8)
Draft of the Research Paper due for peer critique. Peer critiques of the Research Paper. Revising the Research Paper.

(Monday, November 4: Last day for student withdrawal from classes)

Week 14 (4/11, 4/13, 4/15)
Revising the Research Paper. Continued work on the Research Paper.

No class Monday, November 11 (Veterans Day). 

Week 15 (11/18, 11/20, 11/22)
Continued work on the Research Paper. Final Draft of the Research Paper due.

Week 16 (11/25, 11/27, 11/29)
What to expect on the Final Exam.

No class Wednesday, November 27, and Friday, November 29 (Thanksgiving Break).

Week 17 (12/2, 12/4)
Graded Research Paper returned. Discussion of the optional revision. Final Exam Pre-Test. Answers to the Final Exam Pre-Test.

Final Exam
10:00 a.m., Friday, December 6