HARRISBURG AREA COMMUNITY COLLEGE VIRTUAL CAMPUS

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1 HARRISBURG AREA COMMUNITY COLLEGE VIRTUAL CAMPUS ENGL102 ENGLISH COMPOSITION II JANUARY 20 MAY 12, 2015 SPRING 2015 SYLLABUS CRN ONLINE INSTRUCTOR Professor: Craig Zacker All communication should be sent through the D2L interface, using the tool. In the event of a D2L failure, you may use one of the alternative communication channels to the right. Office: LAMAIN czacker@hacc.edu Voice mail: (717) Ext: (rarely checked) ONLINE PRIVACY NOTICE Online courses are periodically evaluated. As a part of that evaluation, a sample of correspondence between faculty and students may be reviewed to assess the quality of rapport and interaction between the faculty member and the student. Therefore, if you want to send the instructor an of a personal nature, please put Private in the subject line. Those s will not be opened or reviewed during any course evaluation. COURSE DESCRIPTION This course builds on English 101, connecting thinking, reading, and writing. Research, interpretation, and argumentation are emphasized. Prerequisites are ENGL 101 with a grade of C or higher and completion of ENGL 003, or 007, with grades of C or higher, or their equivalent. LEARNING OUTCOMES Upon successful completion of the course the student will be able to: Read critically to identify and analyze an author s position, purpose, voice, audience, and writing style Recognize fallacious and/or misleading arguments Use an accepted academic format and documentation style Identify, gather, and evaluate information from a variety of primary and secondary sources, including electronic sources Summarize, analyze, and incorporate information and ideas from sources Write at a level of advanced complexity of thought, diction, and style Use audience-appropriate rhetorical strategies to organize and develop academic writing Present conclusions and judgments that are consistent with the preceding arguments and evidence ENGL 102 English Composition II (Rev. 8/10/14) Page 1 of 7

2 HARRISBURG AREA COMMUNITY COLLEGE VIRTUAL CAMPUS REQUIREMENTS TEXTS Barnet, Sylvan and Hugo Bedau. Current Issues and Enduring Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking and Argument, with Readings, 10 th Edition. (Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2014). Krakauer, Jon. Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster. (New York: Anchor, 1997). COMPUTER ACCESS Students are responsible for ensuring that they have computer and Internet access for the entire semester. High speed Internet access is recommended for all online courses. Not having computer or Internet access is NOT an acceptable reason for failure to complete course tasks and assignments. Be sure you have a back-up plan in case your primary Internet connection or computer is unavailable. For example, you can go to a HACC campus library, a public library, or a Wi-Fi hotspot such as those found in many coffee shops and fast food restaurants. BACKUPS Each student should have some means of backing up all of the files they create for this course. A USB flash drive of at least 4 gigabytes will do, as will an account with a free online storage service, such as OneDrive or DropBox. There are also commercial online backup services that can automatically save your files on a scheduled basis. ONLINE RESOURCES Loss of data due to user error or hardware failure is NOT an acceptable reason for failure to submit assignments. All assignments, as well as the latest version of the syllabus and other class documents, are posted in the D2L interface on the web at SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS Notebook, dictionary, secondary file storage (such as a flash drive). ENGL 102 English Composition II (Rev. 8/10/14) Page 2 of 7

3 HARRISBURG AREA COMMUNITY COLLEGE VIRTUAL CAMPUS POLICIES GRADING I will determine your final grade by combining the grades of your submitted essays, quizzes, and final exam with an assessment of your class preparation and participation in discussions and class activities, as follows: Essay #1: Golden Gate Bridge 5% Essay #2: Editorial 10% Essay #3: Argument analysis 20% Essay #4: Research paper 20% Essay #5: Film analysis 10% Quizzes 10% Citations 10% Final exam 15% Writing assignments will be graded according to specific parameters discussed in class or specified in the assignment. A general grading rubric is included in this syllabus that specifies the objectives that students must meet to achieve a superior grade. To successfully complete the course, students must submit all five of the graded essay assignments and take the final exam. Failure to submit an assignment on time will cause you to receive a zero ( 0 ) grade for that assignment. A submitted assignment even an incomplete one will in most cases receive a grade ranging from A to F. Since an F grade translates as 60% for computation purposes, it is far more preferable to receive an F than a zero. ASSIGNMENTS Dropbox folders with details for individual assignments will be supplied through the D2L interface. The assignments are carefully designed and the instructions are explicit. Be sure to follow the assignment instructions carefully. In the majority of cases, poor grades are the result of failure to follow the instructions for the assignment. All graded assignments must be submitted as word processor files in the appropriate dropbox folder. I will not read or accept submissions sent by or any other method. I can accept files created by Microsoft Word (.docx or.doc) or Open Office, or files saved as a PDF or Rich Text Format (.rtf) file. Be sure to proofread carefully for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. For all essay assignments, use the standard MLA document format and a standard 12-point serif font (such as Times Roman), double-spaced. Do not use cover sheets, decorative fonts, backgrounds, or colors. The craftsmanship behind a document is always an important indicator of the writer s interest and sincerity. The appearance of your submissions should be indicative of careful thought and appropriate for the document type and the intended audience. The aesthetic impression a document makes on its audience can often be as important as the content. For most of the assignments in this course, the process is at least as important to your grade as the final product. The more effort you put into an assignment, the more likely you are to receive a high grade. Keep multiple drafts of all digital files and be sure to save and back up your work on a regular basis. The computer ate my homework is not a valid excuse for a missing or late assignment. The college provides computers and printers for your use in the libraries and at various other campus locations. DEADLINES You must submit all graded assignments before 11:59 PM on the day they are due to receive credit. A separate dropbox folder, with the due date, will be provided for each assignment. No late submissions will be accepted ENGL 102 English Composition II (Rev. 8/10/14) Page 3 of 7

4 Due to the potential for web site, Internet, or computer problems, it is strongly recommended that you do not wait until the last minute to submit an assignment. ACADEMIC HONESTY In virtually any discipline, submitting someone else s work as your own can have severe ethical, professional, and legal consequences. In the academic world, plagiarism can result in grade reduction, failure of the course, or suspension from the college. To avoid plagiarism, all material quoted, paraphrased, or summarized from any primary or secondary source must be notated as such and cited using the correct scholarly format. Gray areas abound, particularly in the digital age, but deliberate plagiarism, cheating, or any other form of academic dishonesty will be punished extremely harshly. At minimum, you will receive a zero for the assignment. Multiple offenses will result in failure of the course, and in egregious cases, the college authorities will be notified. ATTENDANCE Online courses at HACC eliminate the need for travel to a campus and adherence to a set class schedule, but in terms of attendance, they are no different from classroom-based courses. Regular attendance is as important in an online course as in a classroom one. Students that fail to log on for two consecutive weeks may be suspended from the course until they contact the instructor with sufficient explanation for their absence. Continued absence from the course interface can result in grade reduction or failure of the course. According to guidance from the federal Department of Education, an institution must demonstrate that an online student participated in class or was otherwise engaged in an academically-related activity for attendance purposes. Logging into an online class without active participation does not meet their definition of attendance. HACC is asking faculty to confirm a student's participation in an academic activity when reporting attendance. Examples of academic activities include, but are not limited to, the following: Submitting an assignment Taking an exam Participating in an interactive tutorial or computer-assisted instruction Participating in online discussion about academic matters Initiating contact with the faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject being studied in the course If no such activity occurs before the designated online attendance confirmation date, the student will be reported as never having attended class and will be dropped from the course.. WITHDRAWAL POLICY Any student wishing to withdraw from the class without a grade must do so by the date specified in the academic calendar as the 50% refund deadline. Students requesting withdrawal after the 50% refund deadline and before the midpoint of the course will receive a grade of W, as long as the student has been attending class in a manner consistent with the attendance policy, has completed the required graded assignments, and has not been guilty of academic dishonesty. Students requesting withdrawal after the midpoint of the course will receive a grade based on their current standing. Students that are passing will receive a W; students that are failing will receive an F. Students that can provide written documentation of serious illness, death in the family, active duty military service, or similar circumstances preventing completion of the semester may receive a W. Deciding at the last minute that you don't have the time or the inclination to complete the required work is not a valid excuse for withdrawing from a course, and will cause you to receive an F grade. ENGL 102 English Composition II (Rev. 8/10/14) Page 4 of 7

5 Students may request a grade of I (Incomplete) if, after completing a substantial part of the semester, they can demonstrate that factors beyond their control have caused them to require additional time to complete the required work for the course. In my classes, I grades are all but unknown. STUDENTS IN NEED OF ACCOMMODATIONS: Students with disabilities who are in need of accommodations should contact the campus disability coordinator listed below. Coordinators for each campus are listed here: EEOC POLICY 005 It is the policy of Harrisburg Area Community College, in full accordance with the law, not to discriminate in employment, student admissions, and student services on the basis of race, color, religion, age, political affiliation or belief, gender, national origin, ancestry, disability, place of birth, General Education Development Certification (GED), marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, genetic history/information, or any legally protected classification. HACC recognizes its responsibility to promote the principles of equal opportunity for employment, student admissions, and student services taking active steps to recruit minorities and women. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act ( PHRAct ) prohibits discrimination against prospective and current students because of race, color, sex, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, handicap or disability, record of a handicap or disability, perceived handicap or disability, relationship or association with an individual with a handicap or disability, use of a guide or support animal, and/or handling or training of support or guide animals. The Pennsylvania Fair Educational Opportunities Act ( PFEOAct ) prohibits discrimination against prospective and current students because of race, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, handicap or disability, record of a handicap or disability, perceived handicap or disability, and a relationship or association with an individual with a handicap or disability. Information about these laws may be obtained by visiting the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission website at HACC Lebanon Campus and Virtual Learning Deborah Bybee Coordinator, Disability Services 104R 735 Cumberland Street Lebanon, PA Phone: dabybee@hacc.edu ENGL 102 English Composition II (Rev. 8/10/14) Page 5 of 7

6 ESSAY GRADING RUBRIC UNSATISFACTORY SATISFACTORY SUPERIOR CONTENT The thesis of the essay is unclear or missing entirely. Paragraphs lack topic sentences and supportive detail. The writing is thin, with few concrete examples or illustrations to support generalizations. ORGANIZATION The organization of the essay is confusing. The essay is over-reliant on pronouns, such as thing, it, and you, rather than exact nouns and verbs. Ideas are repeated, not developed with specific information. The essay is missing a conclusion. MECHANICS Sentences are not grammatically correct. The vocabulary is elementary, not college level. Pronoun usage is inconsistent. There are frequent usage, spelling, diction, or punctuation problems. RESEARCH Sources are lacking, biased, or inappropriate. Information from sources is not adequately incorporated into the body of the essay. Inline citations and Works Cited list are missing, inadequate, or contain major or consistent errors in formatting. The thesis of the essay is apparent, but too broad or general. Paragraphs have topic sentences and adequate development, with some details and information. The writing is adequate, with some concrete support for generalizations. Clarity of thought can improve. The organization of the essay is satisfactory. The introduction lacks background information. The plan of development is evident, but the paragraphs need more specific information. The conclusion is weak. Sentences are overly simple, lacking in subordination or coordination. The vocabulary is adequate, but could stand improvement. There are minor lapses in grammar, usage, and punctuation. Sources are too general and lacking in authority. Information from sources is incorporated without introductory phrases. The inline citations and Works Cited list contain occasional errors in the MLA 7 th Edition formatting. The essay contains a significant thesis, supported with substantial and relevant information. Paragraphs include topic sentences and are coherent and unified. The writing is strong, and the essay includes a wealth of relevant details, examples, or imagery. The organization of the essay is clear. The introduction gives background information, a clearly-stated thesis, and a development plan. Body paragraphs have topic sentences, and are developed with specific information. The conclusion summarizes the essay. Sentences are skillfully constructed, effective, and varied. Vocabulary used is vivid, accurate, and original. The writing is without serious flaws in grammar or mechanics. Sources used are relevant and authoritative. Information from sources is introduced and incorporated smoothly and appropriately. The inline citations and Works Cited list are formatted correctly using the MLA 7 th Edition documentation style. ENGL 102 English Composition II (Rev. 8/10/14) Page 6 of 7

7 CALENDAR MODULE 1: JANUARY FEBRUARY 1 Critical Thinking Reading: Current Issues, Chapter 1 Assignment: Essay #1: Golden Gate Bridge MODULE 3: FEBRUARY MARCH 1 Critical Reading II Reading: Current Issues, Chapter 3 MODULE 5: MARCH Critical Writing II Reading: Current Issues, Chapter 6 Reading: Into Thin Air MODULE 7: APRIL Using Sources Reading: Current Issues, Chapter 7 Assignment: Annotated Reference List MODULE 2: FEBRUARY Critical Reading I Reading: Current Issues, Chapter 2 Assignment: Essay #2: Editorial MODULE 4: MARCH Critical Writing I Reading: Current Issues, Chapter 5 Assignment: Essay #3: Argument Analysis MODULE 6: MARCH APRIL 5 Literary Criticism Reading: Current Issues, Chapter 12 Reading: Into Thin Air Assignment: Essay #4: Research Paper MODULE 8: APRIL MAY 5 Visual Rhetoric Reading: Current Issues, Chapter 4 Assignment: Essay #5: Film Analysis FINAL EXAM: MAY The dates and details of this calendar are subject to change. ENGL 102 English Composition II (Rev. 8/10/14) Page 7 of 7