Summer 2009 CRN 31358

1

English Composition II Online: Course Syllabus Instructor: Ms. Anastasia Bojanowski Office: Building 1/ 351

E-mail: Please use course mail in WebCT Phone: 407-582-2116

Office Hours: MTWR 12:00-1:00 PM & 4:45-5:45 PM (May 11-June 17 only) & Wednesday 6:00-8:00 PM (online only: full summer) & by appointment [please make requests for appointments at least 24 hours in advance]

*Please note that I am teaching 1:15-2:50 & 3:00-4:35 MTWR during Summer A (May 11-June 22); therefore, I am not available for office hours during those times Course WebCT: http://webct6.valenciacc.edu

Required Texts & Materials:

• Booth, Alison et al. The Norton Introduction to Literature. Shorter 9th ed. New York: Norton, 2006. ISBN: 0-393-92615-X.

• College level dictionary*

• The course will also require access to a computer and the internet (all Valencia Community College campuses have computer labs for student use).

*The literature in this course will present language with which you are not familiar. You are expected to be able to define and understand key terms in the text and incorporate them in your own writing.

CLAST: To satisfy the College-Level Academic Skills Program (CLASP) students must take and pass the four components of the College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) after earning 18 college-level credit hours including ENC 1101 and ENC 1102 or equivalents and a General Education Area 3 Mathematics course or document satisfaction for the CLASP requirement by a state-approved alternative method.

Gordon Rule Statement: ENC 1102 is a Gordon Rule, class, requiring multiple college-level writing assignments. Students need a C or better to receive credit for this course. In order to receive a grade of C or better, students must complete all informal and formal writing assignments with a grade of C or better. All pre-writing assignments must be turned in with the correlating essay. You must complete every writing assignment to pass this course.

Disability Statement: Valencia Community College is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities. This syllabus is available in alternate formats upon request. Students who need accommodations must be registered with Student Disability Services before requesting accommodations from the professor. Students with disabilities, who need accommodations in this course, must contact the professor at the beginning of the semester to discuss needed accommodations. No accommodations will be provided until the student has met with the professor to request accommodations. Course Description (from Valencia catalogue): Development of essay form, including documented essay; instruction and practice in expository writing. Emphasis on clarity of central and support ideas, adequate development, logical organization, coherence, appropriate citing of primary and/or secondary sources, and grammatical and mechanical accuracy. This is a Gordon Rule course, which requires 6,000 words of writing. Minimum grade of C required if ENC 1102 is used to satisfy Gordon Rule and general education requirements. Objectives: Valencia faculty members have defined four interrelated competencies:

1. Value: make reasoned value judgments and responsible commitments 2. Think: think clearly, critically, and creatively. Analyze, synthesize, integrate and evaluate in

many domains of human inquiry. 3. Communicate: communicate with different audiences using varied means 4. Act: act purposefully, reflectively, and responsibly

Summer 2009 CRN 31358

2

These competencies prepare students to succeed in the world. These competencies are outlined in the College Catalogue. In this course, through classroom lectures and discussions, group work, and other learning activities, you will further develop a mastery of these competencies.

Course Rationale: The intention of this course is to familiarize you with academic research writing, which includes the ability to analyze other’s written work (both literature and research), explore meaning, conduct academic research and incorporate both the resulting analysis and research into a coherent formal essay. Further, the students should be fluent in the ethics of research.

While the course description from the catalogue is cut and dry, it should be understood that the course focuses on literature, which will require you to develop analysis specific to literary theory. We will be examining short stories and poetry that will require that you consider relevant historic, social, and political movements affiliated with each text. We will be including literary terminology significant to the literature covered (i.e. what is the author’s intention, what does the protagonist represent, how is alliteration used in the poem, etc.)

We will study short stories from the 20th century in a multi-cultural perspective. We will cover major themes such as Southern Gothic Literature, Existentialism, Magical Realism, Doppelganger Motif and Literature from the Diaspora. By the end of this section, you will be familiar with structure of short stories as well as elements of short fiction and techniques used to develop themes.

The semester also focuses on the writing process to encompass analytical reading and research. The writing process includes initial interpretation of the assigned literature, some of which will be recorded in journals. These journals may serve as the foundation of formal essays. Academic writing requires that papers are focused and clear: we will be using a four part rhetorical arrangement of formal essays. I ask that essays be outlined and revised to reach an academic standard of structure and organization of the literary analysis. Revision will also include changes to achieve an academic tone and format papers according to MLA standards. The process of revising papers will be modeled online. Points will be given for the revision process only if it is complete.

We will end the semester with a larger research project. During the research project we will discuss the rationale and ethics of research. You will be asked to select an author of the short stories covered in class and chose another short story by that author as a basis for the research project. The project will require a planned approach to analyzing the two short stories, academic research to support this analysis and a record of research in the form of an annotated bibliography. The research will serve as a supplement to the student’s own interpretation of the two short stories by the selected author chosen as the focus of the project.

Darned good information to ensure that you pass this course: • I want you to read all of the assignments. A copy of the hardcover edition of the Norton

Introduction to Literature book is available in the library (East Campus at the Reserve desk [2nd floor] under Della Paul and in my office (for photocopying).

• Follow each assignment carefully. We will discuss how to interpret assignments in class, yet if you have any questions, please let me know.

• Obstacles to success: In the event of problems (personal, attendance, or academic), students should contact the instructor at the onset. The professor cannot undo damage but will help with damage control.

• Keep up with assignments. Once you are behind, it is difficult to catch up.

• Please check WebCT regularly (at least once a week) for course updates.

• Remember that you are responsible for turning in all assignments on time. Please do not e-mail me outlines, journals or essays after the deadline: I will not accept them.

Summer 2009 CRN 31358

3

Attendance: To participate, you need to be in class, on time, having completed your work and being prepared to participate in class discussion. This class only meets for six weeks, thus each class meeting counts threefold. Students can benefit from each other through class discussion/ group work. This sharing of ideas is essential to developing listening, thinking, speaking, and writing skills. Students are expected to attend every class meeting. I cannot accept habitual tardiness or absence.

You are allowed four (4) absences. Except in extraordinary cases, any student who misses four (4) classes will be immediately withdrawn from the course. Also, tardiness causes a disruption in the class and often results in your missing important information. Three (3) tardies will equal one (1) absence. *Withdrawing from the class within deadlines is the student’s responsibility. Students withdrawn from the class for excessive absences will receive a W for the course or a WF if after the withdrawal deadline.

*Withdrawing from the class within deadlines is the student’s responsibility. Students withdrawn from the class for excessive absences will receive a W for the course or a WF if after the withdrawal deadline.

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism: Academic Honesty Policy Number 6Hx28:10-16 (from the VCC Student Handbook) All forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited at Valencia Community College. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, furnishing of false information, forgery, alteration or misuses of documents, misconduct during a testing situation, and misuse of identification with intent to defraud or deceive.

All work submitted by students is expected to be the result of the students’ individual thoughts, research and self-expression. Whenever a student uses ideas, wording, or organization from another source, the source shall be appropriately acknowledged, following MLA guidelines for documentation.

Plagiarism: Anything you write for this course is your intellectual property. Any information you use to support your ideas, whether you quote that information directly, paraphrase it indirectly or summarize to emphasize or support your own ideas is the intellectual property of your source. This means that any outside information you use DOES NOT belong to you; if you use outside sources, you must show credit by citing the sources in your essay and on a separate works cited sheet. Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism. Not familiarizing yourself with the documentation or the characteristics of plagiarized material for this course does not excuse plagiarism. Whether intentional or unintentional, plagiarism will result in an automatic 0 on the plagiarized work and an F for the course.

Internet Essays and Notes: I consider purchasing or copying an essay or notes from the internet as cheating—in fact, any form of plagiarism is in essence theft. Therefore, I have implemented measures to protect your intellectual property and the intellectual property of others. This is not to be taken lightly! Questions about how to quote or refer to ideas/ work that is not your own should be directed to the instructor BEFORE the essay is completed and submitted for a grade. See pp. 1725-1736 in the Norton book for information about avoiding plagiarism. Important dates for Summer 2009 Memorial Day May 25, 2009 (campus closed) Last day to withdraw June 5, 2009 Last day of class June 17, 2009 (Wednesday) Final Exam* Due by June 22 at midnight (Monday)

Grading Scale for papers: (based on 1000 points)

A = 900-1000 B = 800-899

C = 700-799 D = 600-699

F = below 600

Summer 2009 CRN 31358

4

Grade breakdown: 1000 points possible Reader Analysis essay 145 points Annotated bibliography 150 points Research essay 275 points Writing process 140 points Reader Analysis Outline 20 points

Reader Analysis Peer Revision 20 points Reader Analysis Individual Revision 30 points Research Project Outline 20 points Annotated Bibliography 2 Sources 20 points Research Essay Individual Revision 30 points

Midterm exam 100 points Final exam 15 points (extra credit) Journals 30 points (2 journals, 15 points each) Quizzes 100 points (10 quizzes, 10 points each) In class group work 25 points (5 sessions, 5 points each) Author/Movement Presentation 35 points

Grading Policy

• Essays. Because this is a Gordon Rule course, all essays must meet the minimum requirements for length. Papers that fail to meet the minimum length will be dropped a whole letter grade: 10% of the essay’s total point value.

• Late Work. Missed quizzes, journals, discussions, outlines and peer reviews will be recorded as a zero. Initial drafts not turned in on time and peer reviews not completed by the deadline will forfeit revision points. Please turn in final drafts on time. Late final drafts will be dropped one whole letter grade for each day they are late. I will not accept final drafts that are more than 48 hours late. No exceptions.

• Failure to turn in an essay means that you have failed the class, regardless of your overall grade in the class.

A side note about late work and excuses: First, at this level in your academic career, you should be able to complete all work on time—late work is not acceptable. Your success as a student is largely determined by planning, completing and submitting assignments on time. While, I understand that unexpected situations arise, habitual late work will not be tolerated. In other words, no excuse will allow you to escape the penalty of late work, including the ever increasingly popular computer excuse. Here are some suggestions to avoid some common computer mishaps:

• Save often and in multiple formats (on your computer, disk, flash drive or WebCT folder) • Be sure to clearly label your essay • Don’t wait until the last minute • Understand that not everyone’s computers have the same programs or operate in the same

way (including the ones here on campus) • Save all work in Rich Text Format (rtf) • Ensure that you have saved all responses in quizzes and have submitted them on time.

Further, ensure that all files have been received by WebCT. To do this, please go to the Assignments section of WebCT and click on the “Submitted” tab and then the assignment in question. You need to verify that the correct file is next to the “Attachments” link.

• Double check that you have uploaded the correct file (go to the Assignments section of WebCT, click on the “Submitted” tab and then the assignment. Open the attached file to ensure it is correct. Essays turned in late due to the incorrect file being uploaded will be marked as such.

Summer 2009 CRN 31358

5

Assignment Descriptions

Journal Entries: Please see handout for journal entries (Assignments section). Journal entries are a means through which to familiarize students with literary analysis and to provide a means of initial interpretations from which formal papers can be drawn.

Quizzes: Quizzes will cover the assigned reading and course lectures; further, they are meant to gauge your understanding of the course content and ensure that you are prepared for class discussions and analysis required in both essays. Quizzes will cover readings and ask that you apply theory and practice from class (revision) and interpretation of literature. Quizzes must be completed on WebCT by 3:00 PM on the date reflected on the course schedule. WebCT will block access to quizzes after the quiz’s due date/ time. Quizzes cannot be made up; missed quizzes will result in 0 points. I sincerely suggest either befriending a classmate to remind yourself of quiz dates, texting yourself as a reminder or any other method that will remind you of quiz dates so as to avoid losing significant points.

Presentations: The sign-up sheet for presentations will be on WebCT. (See handout). In order to alleviate hours of lecture, each student will be required to give a 2-5 minute presentation on an author/ literature/or movement which we will be covering in class. Many of your will find that these subjects that we will be covering in class are new to you. In order to help understand the readings, each student will provide insights to the author/ literature/ movement in a presentation that will be given before we discuss the reading. Therefore, your presentation should inform and engage your classmates.

Essay requirements: Both essays should meet the minimum requirements in length. The essays will each demonstrate analysis of assigned readings of literature. They will show clear and logical reasoning and must be supported by meaningful passages (direct quotations) of the text. We will discuss these assignments in great detail during class sessions.

All papers must be presented in MLA format (please see the Documentation section in the Norton).

First Drafts and Revision

• First drafts are due by midnight on the date indicated on the course schedule.

• Failure to turn in an initial draft by the due date will result in a zero for individual revision for the corresponding essay. (This will forfeit a significant amount of points)

• Suggestions for revision will be assigned via e-mail and modeled in the Discussion section of WebCT (Reader Analysis Essay).

• Suggestions for revision will be posted to the Discussion section of WebCT and must be completed by midnight on the date given on the course schedule.

• Since your fellow classmates are depending on suggestions for revision before the essay’s due date, I cannot accept late postings. Late postings will receive zero points for peer revision.

Final Exams: The final exam will be posted in the Assessment section of WebCT.

• The final exam will cover research and writing with research as well as feedback on the course and will consist of multiple choice questions and a few short answer questions (extra credit).

Summer 2009 CRN 31358

6

Drafting and revision of essays: Both essays will require revision. Revision points will

consist of: 1) peer review (suggestions made online) + 2) individual revision (each student’s own changes) Note: There is an immense difference between correcting and revising initial drafts. Correcting a draft translates into correcting typos, spelling, punctuation, formatting and other surface elements. This is understood as a minimal requirement for college level writing and does equate to revision. Revision of an initial draft involves making significant changes to the first draft, often requiring rewriting parts or all of the draft to create a better focus.

Often writing a draft compels writers to consider their own analysis of a subject and record that analysis in a meaningful way. However, the resulting draft:

may not respond to the assignment (always read the assignment sheet twice before writing any essay in college)

may lack focus needs changes in structure to follow a four part arrangement of classical rhetoric needs deletions and additional writing to establish clarity needs adjustments in word choice and sentence structure to achieve a formal academic

tone requires review for proper MLA standards in format and documentation.

With revision, the content and overall structure of the essay must be examined and possible changes made to ensure that the essay follows the assignment. Afterwards, an examination of organization is given with changes in the order of paragraphs and transitions may be made. Individual paragraphs will be looked at for their focus, ensuring that paragraphs only have one focus and overloaded paragraphs are broken down. Paragraph divisions are readjusted for focus and transitions are added. MLA documentation will also be reviewed for the 3 steps (covered in class). After the larger issues are examined, the essay will see amendments to word choice, sentence structure, and punctuation for clarity and emphasis. Significant revision must be documented on a printed copy of the initial draft.

I am requesting that initial drafts be uploaded to WebCT and published for other students to review. I will model revision and how to make suggestions for revision in class. It is highly recommended that you attend these classes to complete both peer review and individual reviews.

How revision will be graded: You will be asked to review one other classmate’s essay and make suggestions based

on the example revision in class and the questions given online (15 points) Afterwards, the revision of each student’s paper is their sole responsibility. Suggestions

for peer review will be considered. I will distribute a grading/ review sheet for revision that will help guide revision of essays. (20-30 points)

If you need any assistance at any stage of the writing process (outlining, drafting, revision), I highly recommend coming to office hours. I do not make comments on initial drafts �Please let me know if you have any questions about the content of this syllabus. A duplicate copy of the syllabus and the course schedule are available on WebCT.