ENGLISH 1302:  COMPOSITION 2

Course Information Sheet

Fall 2009

Frances Illnicky

Office hours by appointment only

Email:   frances.ilnicky@harlingen.tstc.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION

English 1302 emphasizes critical thinking skills through selected reading, analysis, and discussion, and further development in the principls and techniques of written composition of multiple-paragraph essays, based primarily on selected pieces of literature.

COURSE PREREQUISITES

Successful completion in ENGL 1301.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

Literature: An introduction to Reading and Writing.  Edgar V. Roberts, Henry E. Jacobs.  4th compact ed. Pearson Prentice Hall: NJ. 2008.

OTHER MATERIALS

Student ID (for admission to writing labs); PIN drive; black or blue pens; college-ruled notebook, two (2) pocket folders (color to be announced in class). 

*An essay exam component is mandatory; the instructor has the option of administering this exam as a final or after completing the essay portion of the course. 

ACCOMMODATIONS

If you have a documented disability which will make it difficult for you to carry out class work as outlines and you wish to request reasonable accommodations, please notify me or the Support Services Office within the first two (2) weeks of the semester.  For more information, call or visit the Support Services Office in the Auxiliary Service Building at (956) 364-4520.

COURSE PURPOSE & SCOPE

ENGL 1302 is designed to assist students to further develop their critical thinking and writing skills through reading and studying selected pieces of literature and through writing expository and argumentative prose in response to that reading.  Students will write a minimum of four (4) original essays (two of which will be approximately one to three pages each).  The final writing project (essay #4) will depend heavily on literary research, specifically pointed to literary criticism.  Details will be discussed at length in class.

During the semester, you will gain an appreciation of the difficulties and rewards of producing writing for an audience, but you should leave the course, too, with better control over writing conventions, greater command of the content and structure of exposition and argument, sharper critical thinking ability, and a renewed sense of your own abilities as a reader and writer.

Basic to success in this class is the active role you adopt.  The activites of this class are informed by writing essays, speaking about issues and processes through selected class readings, and completing assigned papers and exams.  To be successful you must read carefully, study consistently, reflect on the issues, discuss and, of course, complete your writing assignments in ta timely fashion.  Your regular attendance in class will benefit your witing goals, and help your classmates as well.

The environment you create both in class and outside of class should be conducive to your reading, writing, talking about and studying the topics and conventions discussed in class; it will take your initiative to find quiet pleaces to read and write, to talk to your classmates, and to arrange conferences with me, if needed.  Writing is both an intellectual and social practice.  To what extent and depth you participate in discussions, readings, and writing is up to you; your active participation in all areas of this class will be reflected in your final earned grade.

Note:  Assignments from this course are subject to being archived for general education assessment.  Procedures will follow protocols as prescribed by research guidelines of the Association for Institutional Research.

ATTENDANCE, GRADING POLICIES, & EXPECTATIONS:

1. STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED OT REGULARLY ATTEND CLASS.  Absences prevent you form obtaining valuable information provided through lectures, class discussions, an d peer reviews.  It is inevitable that absences do affect one's final grade. Exchange e-mail addresses with at least two (2) class peers. If you cannot prevent an absence, this information will prove invaluable, and it can also help you bridge at least some of the information gap that is created when you are absent.  By contacting a class peer, you will have the opportunity to discuss assignments and directions, and bounce any ideas off your classmate.
   In addition to information presented through lectues and class discussions, I periodically give out pertinent excercises or handouts, but I only bring the hand-outs with me for the week in which I distribute them.  If you've been absent and misseda handout, you will need to speak with me so I can provide one for you. It's your responsibility, not mine.  (By the way, I further believe that it is better to come to class a little late, if you must, than not at all.)
2. Excused absences mut follow TSTC's accepted standards: death in the family, hospitalization (yours or immediate family), medical doctor's spp't, etc.  I reserve the right to verify any class absence/excuse, and may ask you to present appropriate paperwork to me.
3. I DO NOT ACCEPT LATE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS.  Period.  No discussion.  Furthermore, no revision/resubmissions, or peer reviews can be attempted for assignments not turned in.  Becuase I do not have room to store them, within on (1) week of returning papers.  I distrop the unclaimed ones.  Therefore, itis a good idea for you to kkep either a hardcopy backup of your paper, or a backup on disc, or a PIN dirve.  I fyou have notified me why you are absent (and I have told you it's an acceptable excuse).  I will keep your paper for a reasonable length of time, but it's your responsibility to ask me for it; however, know that I may not have it with me the day you return to class. With my permission, you may, on a rare occasion, be asked to leave your writing assignment (in your class folder) with Ms. Betty Emerson, Englsih Dept Secretary, in Room 352.  Note: You may do this only with my permission!
4. Turn off all cell phones, beepers, videos/I-pods, videogames or any other devices during class time.  If you are on-call for work, please notify me before class begins and make adjustments to your phone accordingly.  Cell phones are not allowed in class during the final exam.
5. Perodically, you may be asked to use the Writing Lab, W-124.  You must have a valid TSTC college ID and a PIN drive with you or you will not be allowed to use a computer!
6. All course writings are subject to peer reviews which are intergral ocmponents to the writing process; these reviews do figure into your earned paper grades.  Generally, a peer review will be held one to two class periods before the writing assignment is due.  You are expected to participate in each peer review.  You must also bring the prescribed number of copies of your draft for review.
7. Rewrites will be discussed in class.  Be aware, however, that I have strict rules regarding this privilege.
8. Plagiarism is a serious and punishable offense.  Any submission suspected of being plagiariezed will be met with the strictest penalty including, but not limited to, an "F" on the assignment in question.  Possible expulsion from this class or any other penalty will be determined by current TSTC standards.  If your work suggests plagiarism and/or failure to credit your scources properly, knowingly, or unknowingly (icluding failure to paraphrase appropriately), you will be expected and required to present all sources and/or works cited to defend you method of documentation.  If plagiarism is suspected on the final writing assignment, the paper will receive an "F" and that will dramatically affect your final earned.  This instructor reserves the right to include other TSTC instructors in the evaluation process if plagiarism is suspected; consequences are determined by the instructor and/or current TSTC policy.

WRITING ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES:

• Use a two-pocket folder (prscribed color is RED= ENGL 1302) to turn in any of your work.  Print your name and class info clearly on the outside at the top right corner of your folder cover.  (Your work is less likely to be misplaced or lost.)  Also, write the same information on each submitted piece of work.
• Use paperclips, not staples, please!
• Becuase you are learning to become a better writer, I offer you the opportunity to rewrite - within my time constraints and only with my permission - any of the first three (3) writing assignments on which ou may have earned an "F."
• Missed or late assignments do not qualify for "rewrite" status.Just correcting marked errors does not constitute a rewrite; any rewritten assignment must receive your best writing effort, care, and critical thinking.
• Any first handed-in assignment that does not appear to have sincere effort behind it will not qualify for rewriting status.  (I also pay close attention to your writing progress.)
• Any paper that I have labeled "Rewrite" must be turned n within the time limits I have noted on the original.  (Usually, the time limit is one wee) No exceptions.  Failure to turn in a rewritten paper by the given deadline will result in an "F" on that assiignment.
• If you have an unexcused absence the day I return graded assignments to the class, and your paper has an earned grade of "F," you have forfeited any opportunity for rewriting.
• Any rewritten paper's grade replaces the original earned grade; the grade earned on the rewritten paper stands, regardless what is earned on it.  (e.g. if the rewrite earns and "F" then an "F" is recorded.)

 Writing Format:

• Written submissions will be typed, double-spaced in Arial 12-point font.
• Use only one-inch [1"] margins around the textt.
• The Modern Language Association (MLA) format will be followed for documentation purposes.
• Use paper-clips only for multiple page essays.
• Number pages in the upper right hand corner beginning with page two (2).  Use ordinal numbers preceded by your last name, e.g. Ilnicky 2.  If your last name is a common name, like Smith, Garcia, Johnson, then please include your first initial as well.  The first page of any written assignment shold include your name (no nick names), the class and section number, my name, and the date due.

FINAL EXAM: A final exam is given in this class.  Failure to take the final examination in this class will result in an "F" for th ecourse regardless fo previous work and grades earned.

Extenuating circumstances will be dealt with case by case, and must follow TSTC's standards as well as the guidelines set forth within this syllabus for excused absences.  The date and time for the final examination will be announced in class.  An absence on the day of this announcement does not preclude taking the final examiniation.