FALL 2016 SYLLABUS
ENGLISH 102-1005 & ENGLISH 102-1012
COMPOSITION II - ONLINE
COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN NEVADA
PROFESSOR YELENA BAILEY-KIRBY
______
Assignments open and close at noon on Mondays unless indicated otherwise in course schedule. / E-mail:
/ Office & Mailbox:
246 U (K-Building)
Classroom:
Online in Canvas / My Website:
/ Office Phone:
702-651-5617
Office Hours: 2:00 – 4:00 P.M. (Mon/Wed) & 3:30 – 5:00 P.M. (Tues)
[Please contact me at least a day in advance if you want to make an appointment
outside of office hours, and I will be more than happy to help you.]
(Note: This course syllabus and schedule is tentative. Adjustments may be made to the syllabus at my discretion and other guidelines will be announced for specific assignments.)
- COURSE DESCRIPTION:English 102 is a continuation and extension of English 101 and equivalents with attention to analytical reading and writing, critical thinking, and research methodologies, while emphasizing interpretation, analysis, synthesis, and argument. Prerequisite: ENG 100, or 113 or 101 or 101 G.
- COURSE OBJECTIVES/OUTCOMES:
The student will be able to: - Develop writing that demonstrates critical reading and analytical thinking skills.
- Use the writing process to create well-developed, research-based essays.
- Create an argumentative and/or exploratory thesis supported by textual evidence.
- Summarize, evaluate, analyze, synthesize, and document source material.
- Use appropriate technologies to prepare written assignments.
- REQUIRED TEXT:Smarter Writing: A Student’s Guide to College Composition and Researchby Yelena K. Bailey-Kirby
(Note: you can access all the supplemental reading and course materials/assignments for the semester as FREE links on my website:
- MATERIALS:For a ground class, you should have a pen, USB/flash drive, paper, pocket stapler, pocket dictionary, an active e-mail address, and a binder with dividers. In order to stay organized, you will have the following sections in your binder:
- Section one will hold your class syllabus.
- Section two will hold your lecture notes and other helpful material/resources.
- Section three will hold your in-class group discussions/exercises.
- Section four will hold your writing assignment guidelines and drafts of papers/essays.
However, for an online class, you do not need a binder, but it’s a good idea to create a “FILE” on your computer or a USB/flash drive, so you can keep all of the course assignments/materials separate from your other courses and documents. It will help you stay organized when you can access your work and guidelines for assignments under one “FILE”.
- CANVAS – CSN’S LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: CSN uses a learning management system called Canvas. Students will log into it to access online courses and course materials. Directions to Log into your courses are as follows:
- Once the semester begins, you will continue to login to the CSN Online Campus as you normally would be going to
- Once logged in, you will see the standard list of all the courses in which you are enrolled. Please go to for more information on CANVAS, including training guides and login info.
- Once you are acquainted with the CANVAS menu and e-mail features, look for “ASSIGNMENTS” for each assignment’s drop box and make sure to submit work in the specific drop box to each assignment.
- If you have technical difficulties in CANVAS, you should contact the help desk: 702-651-HELP (4357) / [Local] 800-630-7563 [Toll-free]. Otherwise, there are CANVAS quick start guides to help you navigate CANVAS, and they are provided for you as links in the course shell.
(Note: For this online course, an Assignment DROP BOX opens at noon on Mondays and closes the following week at noon on Mondays for all assignments. See the due dates in the syllabus schedule as well as in Canvas. Otherwise, peer review feedback on rough drafts (of the analysis paper, comparison-and-contrast synthesis, and research paper) are assigned at noon on Mondays and are due by noon on Fridays. The due dates/times are labeled clearly in Canvas for each Assignment’s drop box, so please make sure to submit your work on time.)
- STUDENT REFUND POLICY: Note the CSN refund policy for course withdrawal below.
100% withdrawal first week of instruction
50% withdrawal before the end of the 2nd week of instruction; and
No refund after the start of the third week or for application or admissions.
More information is available at including information about short-term class refunds.
- STUDENT ACADEMIC WARNING/PROBATION/SUSPENSION POLICY: If students’ cumulative GPA falls to 2.0 or lower after attempting at least 12 credits, they will receive an academic warning, so that they have time to seek help. Continued performance at 2.0 or lower in future semester course work can lead to academic probation or academic suspension. Students on academic suspension will not be able to enroll in classes for a semester. More information is available at
- COUNSELING/ADVISING CHANGES:If you are a new student or have no declared major, you will meet with a CSN success coach for all your advising needs, including course planning and career exploration services. Success coaches are located in student services areas and their contact information is available at If you are a student who has declared a major, CSN has assigned you a counselor who is an expert on your declared major and can help you effectively navigate your program. This counselor’s office is located in the academic school (i.e. the School of Arts & Letters) in which your declared major resides. To find out whom your counselor is and make an appointment, go to or contact the CSN Call Center at 702-651-5555.
- ATTENDANCE: Attendance is mandatory, so you are only permitted THREE absences. With an online course, the standards are similar to a ground class except we are not meeting physically in a classroom setting. For example, if you have not been logging into Canvas each week at least once to keep up with assignments, and if you have already missed more than three weeks as well as fallen behind in your work because you have failed to post on the online discussion thread, provide peer review feedback, and/or have not submitted work in the drop box during those absences, you can automatically fail the course because there is no make-up of work (unless a medical emergency – supported by documentation).
Keeping this in mind for the online class, the assignment drop boxes will open every Sunday at noon and close more than a week later on Mondays at noon. However, peer review feedback is assigned on Mondays after rough drafts are submitted at noon, and then, the peer review feedback is due on Fridays by noon
- As you can see, you have several days in a week to submit your work, so be aware, weekly assignments like practice activities are always due by noon on Mondays, but you can always submit it early as soon as the drop box opens.
- In addition, you must provide feedback for your peer’s rough drafts when we do peer review of essays. For instance, if students submit their essay by the Monday deadline, you will need to go to the drop box after the noon deadline; read the peers’ rough draft assigned to you; and post your typed peer review feedback in the comment box or attach your feedback as a Word document to your peer by the end of the week on Friday before the noon deadline.
- Do not be late or you will receive an automatic late grade of (F/55%) on an essay or zero if you do not submit an essay at all! It is important to log into Canvas every week and stay on track with the schedule/deadlines, so you don’t fall behind or if the instructor sends important announcement.
When you are going to be “absent” or, in other words, cannot login to submit work because you are ill, hospitalized, and/or out of town for a funeral, you should e-mail the instructor at or leave a message on her voice-mail at 702-651-5617, so you don’t fall behind on assignments or receiving important notes. It is your responsibility to get in contact with your instructor when you have an emergency that prevents you from submitting work in the drop box every week and/or posting on the online thread every week. Do not make excuses, but try to communicate at least within twenty-four hours of your “absence” because it is crucial to keep communication open in an online course. Also, if you have a valid excuse for “missing” this online course, you need written proof, such as a doctor’s note, or there are no make-ups of assignments. Otherwise, excessive absences may result in withdrawal or failure of the course.
You are permitted up to THREE absences for the entire semester, but once you exceed these THREE absences, you are subject to failing the course (Grade: F).
Excessive absences may lead to failure of the course; however, if a medical emergency is supported by written proof from a doctor/hospital, a student will be permitted to make-up a poem, for instance, but you are still counted absent, and not excused for missing class. If you need to be absent for most of the semester, you should withdraw from the course and take it when you can attend class and submit work on time.
Although you are allowed to have up to THREE absences, your work must still be submitted in the drop box or sent an e-mail attachment on due dates with an explanation to your instructor about your absence or dropped off in her mailbox in 246 (K-building) with a brief note on the due date unless it’s a medical emergency and you are making other arrangements with your instructor. Hence, you must submit your work on due dates if your absence isn’t supported by a doctor’s note because there are no make-ups of quizzes, practice activities, and other writing assignments when you miss class.
Extensions are only given to students who have medical emergencies. If a student requests an extension, it must be due to a major medical emergency (i.e. surgery, hospitalization, etc). Otherwise, students will not be given extensions for other reasons because they procrastinated or other excuses. You are adults now, so you need to stay on schedule, be responsible, and stay organized if you want to succeed in this course. You need to make the choice and commitment to have a strong work ethic because the course does have a great deal of reading and writing assignments.
If you know that you will be absent because you are taking a personal day off (by taking a family vacation, getting married and going on your honeymoon, celebrating your birthday, changing your work schedule/shift, court date, etc.), you need to alert me as soon as possible in writing via e-mail and you must submit the assignment beforehand. There are no extensions for these personal days/events because they ARE NOT a medical emergency or death in the family. If you want to avoid being penalized on assignments, then you need to let me know in advance, so I can record/document it and schedule a time for you to take a quiz early or submit a poem early because your instructor will not allow you to submit it late for a personal day or just because you changed your work schedule.
Moreover, students cannot take liberties to miss more than one class period for a funeral. You may take one day to mourn or attend a funeral if it local in Nevada. However, if the funeral is out of state, you are permitted up to three days to attend the wake and funeral, but if you need to be absent for several weeks in a row, and it results in missing most of the semester as well as assignments/quizzes because the death has taken its toll on you, you will need to withdraw from the course and speak to a CSN counselor.
Finally, you need written proof like a death certificate, obituary announcement in the newspaper, and/or funeral program, etc. Too many students have been dishonest about the death of a family member, so you need written proof, and you will be allowed to make-up the work for this one day. It doesn’t give you permission or an excuse to not submit work or be late for the rest of the semester. You should submit the work by the next class meeting if you missed the day to attend the funeral and stay on track with the assignments.
- E-MAILING INSTRUCTOR/LEAVING HER A VOICE-MAIL: It is important that you contact your instructor if you have a question or will be absent. Foremost, you should be clear by identifying your first and last name as well as the English course/section and class time in an e-mail and/or voice-mail message. Also, you need to leave a phone number with area code, so the instructor can return your call, especially if you have an emergency situation, or in case, the e-mail bounces back. Finally, you should briefly explain your situation or any questions that you have. It is your responsibility to contact the instructor and keep the communication open.
For example, if you have a death in the family or a medical emergency, you should not disappear for several weeks and then make excuses for falling behind. Instead, you (or in case, you are hospitalized or can’t call yourself, a family member/friend) should contact the instructor immediately and make arrangements for the days/weeks that you will be absent, so the instructor can work with you and accommodate you under the circumstances. Do not make excuses that you couldn’t contact me because I can be reached by phone, e-mail, or in person if someone wants to stop by my office. It’s as simple as the following examples.
Example E-mail:
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT: Missing class today
Professor Bailey-Kirby,
I will need to miss class today because I have a doctor’s appointment, soI have attached today’s journal assignment with this e-mail, and I will provide you with a note from the doctor during our next class. Please let me know that you have received the attachment.
John Smith
ENG 275 on M/W at 12:30 p.m.
Cell: (000) 555-5555
Example Leaving a Voice-mail:
Hi Professor! This Is Mary Smith in ENG 275 on Mondays and Wednesday at 12:30 p.m., and I will need to miss class today because I have a doctor’s appointment. If I’ve missed any work, please call me at (555) 555-5555. Thank you!
(NOTE: Your instructor will try to contact you via e-mail or phone within forty-eight hours of receiving your message during weekdays [Mon-Fri] between the hours of 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. during the fall or spring semesters; however, your instructor does not access the internet on weekends. Hence, if you write or phone her on the weekend [Sat-Sun], she will respond to you on Monday.)
- PARTICIPATION: You must participate in and contribute to classroom workshops, discussions, and other assigned activities. In the case of a borderline grade, participation may be a determining factor. To attend class and merely be physically present does not constitute participation. You should be actively participating by critically thinking, analyzing, and interpreting the reading and then verbally responding to classroom discussions or other exercises.
Please raise your hand when you want to speak; do not blurt out answers or interrupt classmates when they are speaking; and show others the same respect that you deserve to have when you are speaking. Furthermore, when the instructor is giving directions or speaking, students should be listening and not chatting with their neighbor. It is rude and disrespectful to your instructor as well as to your peers who may be writing down directions, specific requirements of an assignment, or answers to their queries.
- STUDENT CONDUCT: CSN is committed to maintaining a positive learning environment for its students and a positive working environment for its faculty and staff. Disruptive or abusive conduct will not be tolerated at CSN, and the faculty will follow the procedures for dealing with disruptive and abusive conduct. Therefore, students should familiarize themselves with the CSN policy and procedure on student conduct by reading the following links:
Your instructor intends to treat you with respect and fairness, and if you leave your manners at home, your instructor will politely ask you to leave class because your behavior has been disruptive and inconsiderate. She expects
you to bring your manners and treat everyone with respect. Moreover, if a student continues to disrupt class or be disrespectful with repeat offenses, you can be removed from the class and sent to meet with my Department Chair. We will discuss some core values during the first week and establish an environment of mutual respect for everyone.
Moreover, you should not be texting during class. If you are seen texting, you will be asked to put your cell phone on my desk, then pick it up after class, and finally bring donuts for the entire class for the next class meeting when you do not follow this rule. If you do not stop texting in my class and do not heed my warning with the light penalty of bringing donuts, you will get a zero on each weekly quiz every time that you decide to text and interrupt my class. Hence, do not take your cell phone out in class at all and keep it in your book bag or pocket during class. It is rude and will not be tolerated, but if it is a day that you are expecting an important call (i.e. family member is in the hospital), you need to tell the instructor at the beginning of class. Otherwise, there are no exceptions, so put away the phones during class.