ENGL 1102 – English Composition II

Spring 2002

Office: 3-21 A&S  Office phone: 445-3177

Office hours:  R 1:30-3:30; F 1-2 pm, and by appt.                                   

Required Texts

The Bedford Introduction to Literature, ed. Michael Meyer, fifth edition

A Writer’s Reference, Diana Hacker, fourth edition

Course Description

This course is designed to build on the skills you developed in 1101. In this class, we’ll read and discuss poetry, fiction, and drama. In your papers, you will perform close readings of the texts we discuss in an effort to sharpen your critical thinking skills. Strong, analytical readers make compelling, persuasive writers, and this class seeks to help you become both. We will focus on reading, analyzing, and writing about literature as a means of strengthening all your skills in reading, writing, and analysis.

Goals and Outcomes

1)       To reinforce principles of writing acquired in ENGL 1101

2)       To reinforce the principles and strategies of argumentation and analysis acquired in ENGL 1101

3)       To understand the complexities of culture in order to write or speak about them

4)       To create forceful and effective written argument in the academic environment

5)       To reinforce principles of academic research and how to synthesize research in writing so that the insights and documentation are logical and clear

6)       To gain insight into various ways of interpreting texts and presenting insights about them in writing

Assignments

Ø       You are required to read, closely, the assigned stories, poems, and plays by the beginning of class on the date the reading is assigned on the syllabus.

Ø       You will write a total of five essays for this class, and you have the option of revising one of these essays.

Ø       If you choose to revise an essay, you should turn the revision in, along with the original, no later than two weeks before the end of the term; earlier is better.

Ø       One of the five essays will be a research paper (7-10 pages) due about two thirds of the way through the semester.

Ø       The final essay is to be written in class during the second to last week of class.

Ø       The first three essays should be typed, 3-6 pages in length

Ø       All essays should follow the standard MLA format (see pp. 348-350 of A Writer’s Reference); but APA format may be substituted with prior approval of the instructor.

Ø       First drafts should be typed, double-spaced, in standard academic format (except for some in-class writing assignments), and must be made available to all members of your peer-review group on assigned days.

Ø       First draft must be turned in with your final draft in order to receive a grade (not turning in a first draft will automatically lower your overall essay grade by 50%). Not participating in a peer-review session will also substantially lower your final essay grade even if you provide a rough draft.

Ø       Keep copies of all drafts of all essays written for this class in a separate folder to be known as your “portfolio.”

Ø       You should always retain a back-up copy of the work you turn in to me. On occasion, there may be in-class assignments, grammar homework, or quizzes. These cannot be made up.

Ø       Additionally, you will be required to do one in-class and one group presentation.

Ø       Papers are due at the beginning of class. If you wait until the last minute to print out your paper, you rely on temperamental technology at your own risk, which is to say: plan ahead. Papers are due whether your ink cartridge runs out or not or your computer crashes or not. Allow for the possibility of these things, and you’ll give yourself time to reckon with them. Unless an arrangement has been made ahead of time, late papers will be docked half a letter grade for each day they are late.

Workshops

You will participate in small group workshops to facilitate revision. On days rough drafts are due you will bring enough copies of your essay to distribute to all members of your group (normally 3 people; maximum 4). You must read each essay in your group, make comments, suggest improvements, and fill out peer-review worksheets. You will receive a GRADE for your work in revising your fellow students’ essays, so conscientious participation in these workshops directly influences your own final grade on each essay. The goal of the workshops is for you to learn to evaluate all writing more effectively, to see what works and what does not work in essays, and to thereby improve your own writing skills. Failure to make your photocopies available at the correct time will result in your inability to participate in a group session and an automatic 10-50% penalty in your grade on your final essay.

Attendance and Participation

Because much of the work of this class takes place in the classroom, it is imperative you attend regularly; the success of this class depends on your attendance and participation. You will lose points whenever you miss a class, or if you are silent, unengaged, uncooperative, or disrespectful (of other students or the instructor). I will not cajole you into participating, but I will be taking note every class period of your level of engagement (this does not mean you must be aggressive; active listening and alertness are also important measures of participation). It is your responsibility as a member of this class, as well as a part of the requirements for this course, to participate. You can choose to participate or not, just as you can choose to attend class or turn in your papers on time or not. All the choices you make carry consequences. If you choose to be well prepared and participate, you’ll receive credit for your efforts. If you choose to be ill-prepared and remain uninvolved in the class, your grade will reflect this. As for absences, missing more than two classes without a documented, legitimate excuse (such as death in the family or hospitalization) will result in the lowering of your grade. Except in the case of extreme and extenuating circumstances that can be properly documented, missing more than five classes will result in a failing grade for the course. What counts as an excused absence? An absence due to illness will be excused if you notify me before class and bring a dated excuse signed by a doctor upon your return. If there are other urgent reasons you might need to miss class, you will have to document the necessity of doing so in order to be excused. Please arrive to class on time. If you do come to class late, it is your responsibility to make sure you haven't been marked absent and to figure out what you have missed in your absence. Showing up to class late repeatedly is disruptive and disrespectful and will have a detrimental effect on your grade. There is no credit for partial attendance. Missing half the class counts as an absence.

Grades