SPRING 2008

ENGLISH 1102—Composition II, sections 2 and 8: Families and Relationships

Instructor: Lisa Propst

Office: Humanities 153                                                                         

Office Phone: 678-839-4155                                                                           

Office Hours: Wed. 12.30-4.30, Thurs. 9.00-12.00, and by appointment

E-mail: lpropst@westga.edu

URL: www.westga.edu/~lpropst

Course Description and Learning Outcomes
 

People tell stories all the time: through conversations, e-mails, books, actions, and gestures. This course centers on stories about families and relationships. It ranges across poetry, drama, fiction, and film from several periods and cultures. Throughout the semester, you will continually write and revise your work, edit your classmates’ writing, and discuss your reactions to the stories you encounter.

The course serves as a continuation of English 1101 and as an introduction to more sophisticated study of argument and textual analysis, focusing on the composition of increasingly complex analytical essays about written and visual texts. Students must demonstrate advanced competency in critical analysis and interpretation of texts. General and specific learning outcomes are listed in the department website:

http://www.westga.edu/%7Eengdept/FirstYearWriting/ENGL1101and1102/English1102CourseDescription.htm

COURSE MATERIALS, ASSIGNMENTS & GRADING

Required Texts:

·          Elaine Maimon, Janice Peritz, and Kathleen Yancey (eds.), A Writer's Resource: A Handbook for Writing and Research, 2^nd edition (Boston: McGraw Hill, 2007)

·          Alice Munro, Away From Her (London: Vintage, 2007)

·          Amy Tan, The Joy Luck Club (New York: Penguin, 2006)

·          Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart (New York: Anchor, 1994)

·          Two films: Short Cuts (1993), dir. Robert Altman, and Igby Goes Down (2002), dir. Burr Steers

·         Short readings which will be available online.

All texts are available at the UWG bookstore. 

Other Materials:

·          A college-level dictionary

·          A stapler

·          Internet access, a UWG e-mail account, and a reliable printer

·          A thumb drive to save work for class

Assignments:

·          Four 1250-1500 word essays written outside of class. Each of these essays will make use of revising opportunities. Your last two essays must incorporate secondary research. You can find details about the requirements of these essays at: http://www.westga.edu/~engdept/FirstYearWriting/ENGL1101and1102/OutOfClassWritingAssessment.htm

·          Two sixty-minute in-class essays, one in week 9 and one in week 17. Details about the in-class essay and the grading scale are available at: http://www.westga.edu/~engdept/FirstYearWriting/ENGL1101and1102/InClassWritingAssessment.htm

·          In-class writing exercises, quizzes, peer editing, and short homework assignments

Grading:

All assignments must be completed in order to pass this course.  NOTE: You must earn a letter grade of C or better in order to pass ENGL 1102.

                  In-class writing, quizzes, and short homework assignments                             5%

                  Class participation                                                                                         5%

                  Essay 1                                                                                                         10%

                  Essay 2                                                                                                         15%

                  Essay 3                                                                                                         20%

                  Essay 4                                                                                                         25%

                  In-Class Essay 1                                                                                           5%

In-Class Essay 2                                                                                           15%

Numerical grade equivalents: A+ = 98; A = 95; A- = 91; B+ = 88; B = 85; B- = 81; C+ = 78; C = 75; C- = 71; D+ = 68; D = 65; D- = 61; F = 50

COURSEWORK POLICIES

 The Writing Center:

I encourage you to visit The Writing Center at various points in the writing process.  Regardless of writing skill level, one may always benefit from an intelligent discussion with knowledgeable peers.  The Writing Center is located in TLC 1-208.  To make an appointment, call (678) 839-6513.

Office Hours and E-mail:

I encourage you to meet with me during my office hours any time you have questions or would like to discuss the course. If you cannot make it to my office hours, set up an appointment to meet with me at another time. You are also welcome to drop by my office, outside of scheduled office hours, whenever I am there. I welcome e-mail correspondence. However, e-mail cannot replace an actual meeting. It is difficult to respond to your questions and needs solely through e-mail, especially if your questions are general. E-mail is most effective when you have specific questions that don’t require in-depth discussion.

The Regents’ Examination:

The Regents’ Examination is a two-part test of minimum-level reading and writing proficiency.  Students must take this examination after passing English 1102 or after 30 hours of coursework.  In the hour-long written portion of the Regents’ Exam, students are required to write an essay based on personal experience and a general understanding of current events.  The essay is expected to be clearly focused, well articulated, and relatively free from patterns of error; however, no particular studying should be necessary for the exam besides a few general rehearsals, a general cognizance of current events, and close attention to the lessons of English 1101 and 1102.  Students who do not pass the Regents’ Exam by the time they have completed 45 hours of coursework are automatically placed in classes which provide additional writing support.

General Info:  http://www.gsu.edu/rtp

Sample Topics:  http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwrtp/topics.htm

Plagiarism & Academic Dishonesty:

The Department of English and Philosophy defines plagiarism as taking personal credit for the words and ideas of others as they are presented in electronic, print, and verbal sources. The Department expects that students will accurately credit sources in all assignments. An equally dishonest practice is fabricating sources or facts; it is another form of misrepresenting the truth. Plagiarism is grounds for failing the course.

You can find information about the University policies for handling Academic Dishonesty in the student handbook: http://www.westga.edu/assets/docs/studentHandbook2007.pdf (see “Student Rights and Responsibilities”).

The department of English has assembled the following resources to help prevent plagiarism: http://www.westga.edu/~engdept/Plagiarism/index.html

Excessive Collaboration:

By the end of the term, students should demonstrate the ability to produce independent writing (writing without collaborative assistance of peers, writing tutors, or professionals in the field) that shows a level of competency in both ENGL 1101 and 1102. Although classroom activities and out-of-class assignments may highlight collaborative learning and collaborative research, excessive collaboration (collaboration that results in the loss of a student's voice/style and original claims to course-related work) is considered another form of academic dishonesty and therefore will not be permitted.

Late Work:

I will deduct ten percent from the overall grade of the assignment for each day (not each class period) that an assignment is late. This means that if you submit your essay up to 24 hours late, it will lose ten percent; if you submit it between 24 and 48 hours late, it will lost twenty percent; etc. An essay is late if it is not submitted to me at the beginning of the class period. I will not accept assignments more than one week past the deadline. If you find it necessary to miss class on a day that work is due, you should submit your work to me before the class period in order to avoid losing marks.  All assignments must be submitted in hard copy unless I specifically approve e-mail submission in advance. Extensions may be granted, at my discretion, only under exceptional circumstances (for example, medical emergencies). If you have a serious problem that will affect your ability to complete your work on time, talk to me about it as early as possible.

Revision Policy:

You may revise and resubmit any out-of-class essay that earns a C- or lower, provided that you originally submitted your essay on time and that you participated fully in peer editing (i.e. you had a full-length essay on peer editing day, you peer edited someone's essay, and someone peer edited yours). Your revision is due one week after you receive your graded paper. The revision will receive no higher than a C+. Some revisions may result in a lower grade. In this case, I will count the higher of the two grades. If you choose to revise and resubmit a paper, I encourage you to consult me AND the writing center during your revision process.

Format for All Papers:

All work should be typed and stapled, in 12-point Times New Roman font, with 1-inch margins, and should use MLA format.

Extra Credit and Previous Work Policy

·          There is no extra credit work in this course

·          Work completed for another class will not be accepted for fulfilling the requirements of this course.

IMPORTANT DATES:

Due Dates:

Mon. Feb. 11                                   Out-of-Class Essay #1: Final Draft

Fri. Feb. 29                                      Out-of-Class Essay #2: Final Draft

Fri. Mar. 7                                        In-Class Essay #1

Wed. Apr. 2                                     Out-of-Class Essay #3: Final Draft

Fri. Apr. 25                                      Out-of-Class Essay #4: Final Draft

Wed. Apr. 30                                   In-Class Essay #2

Holidays:

Mon. Jan. 21                                     No classes: Martin Luther King Day

Sat. Mar. 15 to Sat. Mar. 22             No classes: Spring Break

CLASSROOM POLICIES

Attendance Requirements:

Students will be administratively withdrawn from class based on the following attendance policy.  For classes that meet three times a week, a student is allowed four absences. Upon the fifth absence, the student will be withdrawn.  For classes that meet twice a week, a student is allowed three absences.  Upon the fourth absence, the student will be withdrawn.  Be aware that no distinction exists between excused and unexcused absences.

Communication Policy:

The official communication method for this class will be through campus e-mail (MyUWG). You will be responsible for checking your MyUWG email, since I will be using that address to correspond with you. You should also look under “My Courses” on your MyUWG for relevant files, announcements and so on.

Disruptive Behavior:

Students will be administratively withdrawn from class for exhibiting behavior that disrupts the learning environment of others. Such behavior includes—but is not limited to—arriving late for class, allowing cell phones to ring, speaking disrespectfully to the instructor and/or to other students, checking email or surfing the web, and using personal audio or video devices. If you miss a quiz or a written exercise because of lateness, you cannot make it up. If you are sleeping during class, I will count you as absent.

Participation:

Participation is essential to your success in this course. Five percent of your grade is based on it. Participation does not mean right answers or brilliant comments; it includes any productive contribution to class discussion. Making thoughtful comments on the class material, asking questions, and responding supportively to your classmates all count.

Special Needs:

If you have a registered disability that will require accommodation, please see me at the beginning of the semester.  If you have a disability that you have not yet registered through the Disabled Student Services Office, please contact Dr. Ann Phillips in 137 Parker Hall at (770) 836-6428.

COURSE CALENDAR

 While this syllabus is carefully planned, I may occasionally change portions of it (for example, readings, assignments, and due dates). I will announce changes in class. You are responsible for periodically checking the online syllabus for modifications, particularly if you have been absent. Unless otherwise noted, all readings and assignments are due the day they are listed on the syllabus.