ENGLISH 1302--PRN
COMPOSITION II COURSE SYLLABUS
Instructor: Dr. Maxine Montgomery
ENGLISH 1302: Composition II—PRN
Office: Rio Grande Campus—ATT 103
Office Hours: Wednesday 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.; for online office hours, contact instructor
Mailbox: RGC 204 Mailing address: 1212 Rio Grande
Austin, TX 78701
Email address: Voice mailbox: 512-223-1790 X26372
Website: http://www.austincc.edu/maxinem
Course Description
ENGL 1302 - English Composition II (3-3-0)ENGLISH 1302 is a continuation of English 1301 with intensive study of and practice in the strategies and techniques for developing research-based expository and persuasive texts. The course will emphasize 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 through structural analysis of the rhetoric of short stories and the seven elements of fiction.
This section is a print-based Distance Learning Section. Course content and transferability are identical to classes offered on campus.
Warning! Your greatest enemies in this course are time (the passing of which you cannot prevent) and procrastination (which you absolutely must avoid in order to succeed).
Distance learning requires self-discipline and steady progress.
Orientation
Before a paper may be submitted, students must attend the scheduled on-campus orientation or read the syllabus very carefully and complete the orientation exercise found on the last page.
Prerequisites
Enrollment in ENGL 1302 requires credit for ENGL 1301, or its equivalent, with at least a grade of C. Professor will verify.
Course Objectives/Rationale
The goals of Composition II are to promote
• Critical thinking, reading, and writing within an intercultural context
• Clear, coherent, confident, and effective communication
• Collaborative learning
• Literary analysis
• Rhetorical methods, research strategies, and conventions of documentation
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of English 1302, students should be able to
· Analyze and discuss parts of a short story and show the ways in which they relate to the story as a whole
· Write objectively, concisely, and analytically about short stories in a style that clearly communicates meaning, builds credibility, and inspires belief or action.
· Discuss central idea, character, conflict, setting, point of view, language, and tone in a short story
· Relate elements of fiction to the short story as a whole
· Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative research processes
· Develop ideas and synthesize primary and secondary sources within focused academic arguments, including one or more research-based essays
· Analyze, interpret, and evaluate a variety of texts for the ethical and logical use of evidence
· Apply the conventions of style manual appropriate to the English discipline (MLA)
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of English 1302, students should be able to
• Think, read, and write critically
• Effectively use referential (interpretive/analytical) writing
• Critically analyze fiction
• Appreciate and understand how the elements of fiction work together
• Develop ideas and synthesize primary and secondary sources within focused academic arguments, including one or more research based essays
Discipline/Program Student Learning Outcomes
The following outcomes are developed in all English Composition students:
• Expanded critical reading ability
• Mastery of the subject, using compelling, relevant content
• Ability to analyze a piece of fiction to identify the elements in the writing assignment
• Present information in a unified and coherent manner, with a thesis clearly stated and supported
• Effectively employ a wide variety of relevant and credible materials with correct citations (when required) in order to demonstrate mastery of research skills
• Demonstrate use of standard American English writing conventions (grammar, spelling, usage, punctuation, and formatting) and the ability to communicate to readers with clarity and fluency
General Education Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the general education component of an Associate’s Degree, students will demonstrate competence in:
· Critical Thinking - Gathering, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating, and applying information
· Cultural Awareness - Comparing, contrasting, and interpreting differences and commonalities among peoples, ideas, aesthetic traditions, and cultural practices
· Ethical Reasoning - Identifying and applying ethical principles and practices
· Interpersonal Skills - Interacting collaboratively to achieve common goals
· Life/Personal Skills - Demonstrating effective learning, creative thinking, and personal responsibility
· Technology Skills - Using appropriate technology to retrieve, manage, analyze, and present information
· Written, Oral and Visual Communication - Communicating effectively, and adapting to purpose, structure, audience, and medium
Required Text: Fiction 100 by Pickering
Recommended Handbook: Easy Writer (4th ed.) by Lunsford
Instructional Methodology
Students will write and revise as necessary five papers which may be submitted to the instructor by U. S. mail, electronically via email, by placing them in the instructor’s mailbox, or presenting them to her during her office hours. The students will take a C Test at any ACC Testing Center. A
B level paper and an A level paper may be submitted in the same way as described for the homework papers.
Participation:
Turning in Papers
Papers may be submitted to me during my office hours at Rio Grande Campus-- ATT 103, by U.S. mail, inter-campus mail, or by email. When emailing papers, students must send them as an attachment only, using Word or a pdf file. All papers should be DOUBLE-SPACED with the student’s name written at the top of the paper. Allow 48 hours minimum (excluding weekends and holidays) for the paper to be graded. It is the student’s responsibility to contact me to find out if a paper is accepted before submitting the next paper. Remember that a paper must be corrected before a new one is submitted.
Requirements: Papers and Assignments
This course will focus on seven elements of fiction:
· central idea
· character
· conflict
· point of view
· setting
· language
· tone
These elements will be incorporated into five writing assignments for a minimum total of 2500 words) and using a cumulative approach. In at least one essay students must demonstrate their mastery of research skills and MLA documentation style by using parenthetical documentation and providing a list of works cited containing at least one primary source and a variety of secondary sources (see http://library.austincc.edu/help/mla/ ).
Grading
The professor will use the following system of grading:
System 1: ACCEPT/EDIT/REVISE/REWRITE
All students in all sections must receive ACCEPTED on the writing assignments to be eligible to receive a Test Permit to take the Departmental Exam. Additional assignments are required for the grades of B and A.
In System 1, the student’s final grade will be determined by the number of papers marked ACCEPTED by the professor. Grades are not assigned to individual papers and averaged.
Each paper will be marked ACCEPTED, EDIT, REVISE, or REWRITE. Students are required to edit, revise, or rewrite their papers until they are accepted. Students may submit only one paper at a time; when one has been accepted, the student may submit the next one. In addition, compliance with the professor's system of deadlines and activities may determine eligibility for a grade of B or A.
ACCEPTED: The paper fulfills the objectives of the assignment and is relatively free of grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors.
EDIT: The paper fulfills the objectives of the assignment but contains errors. Similar errors must be avoided in subsequent papers in order to progress in the course.
REVISE: The paper needs improvement in style, organization, and/or development.
REWRITE: The paper does not fulfill the objectives of the assignment. A new paper must be written on different story.
B Requirement: To earn a B, a student must receive ACCEPTED on all work for a C plus receive ACCEPTED on one of the following papers. Paper B will be evaluated ACCEPTED or REWRITE only. Rewrite must be on a different story.
(1) Write a well-developed analytical paper focusing on a single element of an assigned short story. Minimum length: 1000 words
(2) Write an evaluative paper (with clearly stated criteria) on an assigned story.
Minimum length: 1000 words
A Requirement: To earn an A, a student must receive ACCEPTED on all work for both a C and a B plus receive ACCEPTED on one of the following papers. Paper A will be evaluated ACCEPTED or REWRITE only. Rewrite must be on a different story or stories.
(1.) Write an analytical paper comparing and contrasting two short stories according to guidelines provided by the professor. The student must emphasize those elements of fiction most important to the central idea. Length: 1000 words
(2.) Following guidelines provided by the professor, write a documented analytical paper based on an assigned short story. Length: 1000 words.
Learning Lab Policy for B and A Papers
Departmental policy allows students to receive only very general assistance writing B and A papers in Composition I and II. Examples of such assistance include pre-writing activities and review of writing principles and of grammar and documentation conventions in response to student questions.
The Departmental Exam
Students must take the Departmental Exam under supervision in a Testing Center. Testing center policies and hours may be found at http://www2.austincc.edu/testctr/ The student will be given a story to read, and then write a critical analysis of at least 600 words. The professor will provide more detailed instructions about the test, which will be evaluated ACCEPTED or RETEST only. If the student does not pass the Departmental Exam on the first try, he or she may retest once. The paper must identify central idea, discuss three of the elements of fiction, and demonstrate the following:
• Coherence, analytical thinking, and an understanding of the story
• Adherence to stylistic, grammatical, and mechanical conventions
Withdrawal Policy
Students without 4 papers completed by the stated date in the schedule below will be withdrawn from the class. It is important to know that The Texas State Legislature has passed a bill stating that students who first enroll in public colleges and universities beginning in Fall 2007 and thereafter may not withdraw from more than six classes during their undergraduate college career. See ACC Student Handbook for further information.
Awarding of INCOMPLETE as a Final Grade
A student who has 4 papers accepted by the date designated in the schedule is eligible for an Incomplete in the class.
Scholastic Dishonesty
Acts prohibited by the College for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty (e.g., cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work). Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research, or self-expression. Academic work is defined as (but not limited to) tests and quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations; and homework. Scholastic dishonesty may result in withdrawal from or a failing grade in the class.
Student Freedom of Expression
Each student is strongly encouraged to participate in class. In any classroom situation that includes discussion and critical thinking, there are bound to be many differing viewpoints. These differences enhance the learning experience and create an atmosphere where students and professors alike will be encouraged to think and learn. On sensitive and volatile topics, students may sometimes disagree not only with each other but also with the professor. It is expected that faculty and students will respect the views of others.
Student Rights and Responsibilities
ACC students have the rights accorded by the U.S. Constitution to freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, petition, and association. These rights carry with them the responsibility to accord the same rights to others in the College community and not to interfere with or disrupt the educational process. Opportunity for students to examine and question pertinent data and assumptions of a given discipline, guided by the evidence of scholarly research, is appropriate
in a learning environment. This concept is accompanied by an equally demanding concept of responsibility on the part of the student. As willing partners in learning, students must comply with College rules and procedures.
Enrollment in the College indicates acceptance of the rules set forth in this policy, which is administered through the office of the campus dean of student services. Due process, through an investigation and appeal process, is assured to any student involved in disciplinary action.
General Provisions
The purpose of this policy is to identify the rights and responsibilities of ACC students, to specify acts prohibited and standards of conduct required, and to set a range of appropriate penalties when rules are violated.
Due Process
College disciplinary procedures respect the due process rights of students.
Emergency Action
Provisions are included to protect the College and members of the college community in emergencies and other instances requiring immediate action. Even in such instances, the College will take reasonable steps to provide for due process.
Administration of Discipline
The campus Dean of Student Services or the appropriate faculty administrator shall have primary responsibility for the administration of student discipline. The campus Dean of Student Services works cooperatively with faculty members in the disposition of scholastic violations.
Students with Disabilities
Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes. Students are encouraged to register with OSD three weeks before the start of the semester.
Safety Statement
Austin Community College is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for study and work. You are expected to learn and comply with ACC environmental, health and safety procedures and agree to follow ACC safety policies. Additional information on these can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/ehs.
Because some health and safety circumstances are beyond our control, students should become familiar with the Emergency Procedures poster and Campus Safety Plan map in each classroom. Additional information about emergency procedures and how to sign up for ACC Emergency Alerts to be notified in the event of a serious emergency can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/emergency/.