ENGL 1102-246: English Composition II (3 credit hours)

Spring 2017

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WELCOME TO ENGLISH COMPOSITION II!

Welcome to English Composition II. My name is Tiffany Smith. I will be facilitating your learning this semester. This syllabus is a great

way to get to know me, the course, expectations, communication plans, and the schedule of activities. Take your time and read the syllabus

carefully as your understanding of this information will be integral to your success in this class. This course is a ground, face-to-face course

that meets each week on Monday and Wednesday from 1:30 - 2:45pmEST. Enjoy the journey!

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Instructor: Tiffany Smith

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY (teaching style)

English education, inclusive of the English language, is the vehicle by which speakers can learn to convey desired messages. This

process of discovery begins with the ability to decode the English language, and then progresses to the ability to analyze text. The

analysis of text both informs and educates the reader about issues pertaining to self, community, and/or the world one is a part of.

Analysis of text draws individual questions to increase an individual’s knowledge on particular subjects and one’s ability to reason

and make decisions.

If I had to describe my teaching style in a single sentence, based on previous feedback from students, I would say that I expect a lot

but only because I give a lot. I am present throughout the semester, and I work hard to build a curriculum that I believe will enhance

your knowledge of English composition. In return, I expect you to work hard. No student that has worked hard throughout the

semester has failed my course. You may not receive an A, but you will pass and you will learn something!

COMMUNICATION WITH THE INSTRUCTOR

Email Address: tsmith234@gsu.edu (please allow 24 hours to reply to email messages)

Emergency Contact Phone Number: 314-874-7383 (use in cases of emergency only; text messaging is allowed)

Online Course URL: icollege.gsu.edu

Office Hours & Location Office Hours are Tuesdays: 3:30-4:30pmEST. We will meet at 25 Park Place, 22nd

floor.

Will students be able to meet with the

Instructor outside the office hours?

iCollege has a web conferencing application that allows students to meet with the

Instructor online. You can request to meet with the Instructor to address any

questions or concerns you have.

How are questions/concerns answered? 1. Students can meet with me during my office hours.

2. Students can email me using the email address above only. Email

messages will be answered within 24-48 hours of receipt. (Note: Students

are encouraged to cc: themselves on all email correspondence to ensure

delivery.)

3. Students can post questions to the WaterCOOLER discussion topic inside

the iCollege course site. (Click the arrow next to “Communications” and

select “Discussions” to get there.)

Will you be able to share your experience

with the Instructor?

Your constructive assessment of this course plays an indispensable role in shaping

education at Georgia State. Upon completing the course, please take time to fill out

the online course evaluation.

ENGL 1102-246: English Composition II (3 credit hours)

Spring 2017

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COURSE INFORMATION

What is this course all about?

This course builds on writing proficiencies, reading skills, and critical thinking skills developed in ENGL 1101. It incorporates

several research methods in addition to persuasive and argumentative techniques. A passing grade is C. Prerequisite: C or above in

ENGL 1101.

What are the overall course goals?

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

● Analyze, evaluate, document, and draw inferences from various sources.

● Identify, select, and analyze appropriate research methods, research questions, and evidence for a specific rhetorical situation.

● Use argumentative strategies and genres in order to engage various audiences.

● Integrate others’ ideas with their own.

● Use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate for a variety of audiences.

● Critique their own and others’ work in written and oral formats.

● Produce well-reasoned, argumentative essays demonstrating rhetorical engagement.

● Reflect on what contributed to their writing process and evaluate their own work.

How will you accomplish these goals?

Readings & Research

• You will complete reading assignments to enhance your knowledge and understanding of different types of writings.

• You will study how to retrieve reliable source material from both the internet and online journal articles.

Peer Reviews

• The class before the final due date of your essays with be dedicated to peer review workshops, during which we will read each

other’s work.

• You are required to bring a draft of your essay to class to participate in all peer review activities.

Online Discussions

• You will participate in online discussions to both share your essay evaluations and engage with peers on their evaluations.

Group Activities (in-class)

• You will participate in group activities where you will discuss readings and practice evaluating essays.

Essay, Projects & Academic Papers

• You will complete 1 essay, 3 projects, an Annotated Bibliography, and a research paper.

Turnitin Submissions

• All drafts and final papers will be turned in via Turnitin. You will complete written assignments that require you to integrate

reliable web material in your written document by adding direct quotes, paraphrased and summarized data to your written work.

You will submit your papers to Turnitin, so you can 1) evaluate your ability to properly cite information you have added, 2) give

you feedback on your work at the paragraph and sentence level, and 3) offer you a scoring guide so you can see how your essay is

graded.

ENGL 1102-246: English Composition II (3 credit hours)

Spring 2017

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COURSE INFORMATION (continued)

How are assignments administered?

• This is a face-to-face course. You are required to meet Monday and Wednesday from 1:30 – 2:45pmEST.

• Assignments are given at each class session and are posted in the online classroom after class. The iCollege course site can be

accessed by visiting the following web page: icollege.gsu.edu.

ONLINE CLASSROOM

Will the course be enhanced with an online classroom?

Yes! Although this is a face-to-face course, students will access iCollege to review course information, check homework

assignments, communicate with peers, check grades and submit writing assignments. You are also required to have internet access, so

you can access the iCollege course site. The iCollege course site can be accessed by visiting the following web page:

icollege.gsu.edu.

What are the technological requirements accessing the online classroom?

iCollege is powered by Brightspace. There are particular technical requirements needed for Brightspace to work on your Windows or

Mac computers. Take a look at the university’s web page for information on connecting to Brightspace. Click here.

What kind of technical support is available?

Technical support is available via the following web site: http://technology.gsu.edu/technology-services/it-services/training-and-

learning-resources/icollege/taking-courses-in-icollege-for-students/.

Students can also contact the Technical Service Desk:

✓ Phone: 404-413-4357

✓ Email: help@gsu.edu

What are the minimum technical skills required for the course?

● You need experience:

○ creating documents in Microsoft Word and uploading files to the computer in cases where papers need to be turned in via

Turnitin in the online iCollege course site.

○ opening and replying to eMail messages. Students must have a university email address and check it regularly.

○ moving between multiple internet windows, so you can easily move around within the iCollege course site.

COURSE MATERIALS

What course materials do you need?

✓ Textbook

○ Title: Guide to First Year Writing, 5th edition

○ Author: Lopez, Elizabeth, Angela M. Christie, and

Kristen Ruccio

○ Publisher: Fountainhead

○ Copyright Date: 2016

○ Binding: Trade Cloth

○ Type: Print

ENGL 1102-246: English Composition II (3 credit hours)

Spring 2017

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COURSE GRADING & ASSESSMENT

Grading Criteria (in-general)

All assignments are graded based on a point system (points earned divided by points possible). Early in the semester, when you are

new to the course and my grading style, the points per assignment are low. As the semester goes on and you repeat many of the skills

learned early on, the points per assignment will increase. Points possible are included for every assignment.

How can you view your grades and progress in the course?

iCollege Online Grade book: Inside the iCollege course site, there is a grade book that includes all of the assignments you complete in

this course. Assignments are graded within 1-2 weeks after completion, and they are posted on iCollege.

How are letter grades determined?

SUPERIOR

100-93 A

92-90 A-

SATISFACTORY

89-88 B+

87-83 B

82-80 B-

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT (Note: A C or better is required to pass this course or have it count as a prerequisite for another course.)

79-78 C+

77-70 C

FAILING

69-60 D

Below 60 F

ASSIGNMENTS

These are points for final, completed work. There will be other assignments leading to the final work.

Points (each)

Essay: Argument Paper 100

Project 1: Visual Analysis 100

Project 2: New Media 100

Project 3: Civic Engagement/Community-Based Writing Essay 100

Annotated Bibliography 100

Research Paper 100

Attendance 5% of total grade

Homework: in- and out-of-class activities 10% of total grade

ENGL 1102-246: English Composition II (3 credit hours)

Spring 2017

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STUDENT EXPECTATIONS

What does the instructor expect from you?

The culture of this classroom is one of respect and kindness for one another. We are all here to support learning for each other. That

means that you are equally responsible for facilitating learning for your peers as I am. We will work together, so everyone is

successful. Most importantly, BE PRESENT when in class. Don’t use class time to talk on your phone, text, or engage your peers

about non-classroom related topics. Please take calls outside the classroom and return when finished.

Also, please use these rules when communicating in the online environment:

1. Be Respectful: respect your classmate by offering constructive communication and criticism. When you need assistance

with something, send a note to me that is respectful not a note that yells at me or uses a disrespectful tone because you are

frustrated.

2. Be Helpful: If you notice that a classmate is struggling with assignment instructions, resources, etc., offer to help.

3. Tell the truth: do not add information to this course site that you did not complete yourself.

4. Do not flame: do not post inflammatory material or derogatory comments to the course site. Do not add fuel to the fire of a

problem. Work to come up with a resolution that will help your classmate, not hurt them.

5. Do not Use ALL CAPS: Do not use ALL CAPS to yell at each other. While use of ALL CAPS can be used to emphasize

words in your writing, it can be seen as offensive.

Will you ever get to turn in late work?

NO LATE WORK IS ACCEPTED. Late work will not be accepted, even for a reduced grade. All assignments should be

submitted, in person, on time, and in the correct format. If you are absent on the day an assignment is due, it is your

responsibility to make arrangements to have the assignment to your instructor by class time. In-class assignments cannot

be made up for credit if you are absent. Please see your instructor if you are having any difficulty completing an

assignment before it becomes late and affects your grade.

In case of a major extenuating emergency, notify me immediately. If you have extenuating circumstances that require you to

be late, send me an EMAIL (tsmith234@gsu.edu), and we can discuss solutions to your problem.

In case of a valid, documented emergency, absences can be excused and deadlines for major assignments (exams, essays,

annotated bibliography) can be extended. If you have any questions or doubts as to the nature of your absence and its

ability to be excused, ask your instructor as soon as possible. Your instructor is much better equipped to help you

accommodate an absence with advance notice. Ultimately, your instructor reserves the right, at his or her sole discretion,

to excuse (or not excuse) absences for circumstances that are not already outlined on GSU’s Lower Division Studies

Attendance Policy on at www.english.gsu.edu/~lds.

Is attendance mandatory?

YES!

1. IN PERSON: You are expected to arrive to each class session on Monday and Wednesday. If you miss class, it is your

responsibility to find out what you missed. You should: email me (tsmith234@gsu.edu) AND check the iCollege course

site. Students that miss 4 or more class sessions should meet with me to discuss progress in the course.

a. Students MUST arrive within 15 minutes of the start of class AND complete the Intro Writing assignment to

get credit for attending class. 10% of student’s grade is based on student’s attendance in class.

2. ON-LINE: You are expected to complete the assigned online activities. Students that fail to visit the online course site and

complete the online activities will lose points for the missing assignments AND participation points for activities that are

missed.

ENGL 1102-246: English Composition II (3 credit hours)

Spring 2017

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STUDENT EXPECTATIONS

Why is important to be ethical in the class?

In this country, as in many others, college and universities are set up as a marketplace of ideas. This means that the ideas, research,

and words of an individual are considered the PROPERTY of that individual, even though that individual may share them with others

via publication. Just as an inventor is credited for an invention, the writer of an idea must receive credit for that idea. And, just as

inventors are protected by patents, writers, researchers and artists are protected by copyright laws.

To be unethical means you have:

1. presented someone’s work or ideas as if they were your own

2. copied, word-for-word, someone elses writing without putting that passage in quotation marks and identifying the source

3. taken someone’s writing, changing some of the words, and not identified the source

4. taken someone’s ideas or organization of ideas, put them into his/her own words and not identified the source

5. asked someone else to change the student’s writing, a tutor, a friend or relative, for instance AND created the impression that

this is your own work

6. purchased or downloaded papers or passages from the Web

Why is important to NOT plagiarize?

Institutional Policy: Georgia State University defines plagiarism as . . .

“ . . . any paraphrasing or summarizing of the works of another person without acknowledgment, including the submitting of another

student's work as one's own . . . [It] frequently involves a failure to acknowledge in the text . . . the quotation of paragraphs, sentences,

or even phrases written by someone else.” At GSU, “the student is responsible for understanding the legitimate use of sources . . . and

the consequences of violating this responsibility.”

(For the university’s policies, see in the student catalog, “Academic Honesty,” http://www2.gsu.edu/~catalogs/2010-

2011/undergraduate/1300/1380_academic_honesty.htm)

Department Policy: The Department of English expects all students to adhere to the university’s Code of Student

Conduct, especially as it pertains to plagiarism, cheating, multiple submissions, and academic honesty. Please refer to the Policy on

Academic Honesty (Section 409 of the Faculty Handbook). Penalty for violation of this policy will result in a zero for the assignment,

possible failure of the course, and, in some cases, suspension or expulsion.

What resources and support are available to you?

Writing Studio: The purpose of the Writing Studio is to enhance the writing instruction by providing undergraduate and graduate

students with an experienced reader who engages them in conversation about their writing assignments and ideas, and familiarizes

them with audience expectations and academic genre conventions. They focus on the rhetorical aspects of texts and provide one-on-

one, student-centered teaching that corresponds to each writer’s composing process. Although they are not a line-editing or

proofreading service, the Writing Studio is happy to discuss grammar concerns with students from a holistic perspective. Tutors will

be alert listeners, will ask questions and will not judge or evaluate the work in progress. The Writing Studio offers 30 minute sessions

(for undergraduate students) and 60 minute sessions (for graduate students) for face-to-face tutoring. Through Write/Chat, our online

tutoring service, they offer 15-minute sessions that address short, brief concerns. In addition, the GSU Writing Studio will sponsor

workshops, led by faculty and staff, on various topics dealing with academic writing. Please visit the Writing Studio in GCB 976 or

at www.writingstudio.gsu.edu for more information.

Georgia State University Pullen Library is a great source of information about sources (books, magazines, online journal articles,

etc.). They have both in-person and online resources. You will be required to find books in the library catalog, and you may even run

into a situation where the book needs to be ordered. You will be required to find sources in the online database. Familiarize yourself

with library by visiting them AND viewing their web site: http://library.gsu.edu/.

ENGL 1102-246: English Composition II (3 credit hours)

Spring 2017

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STUDENT EXPECTATIONS

What if you would like additional course support?

Georgia State University complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students who

wish to request accommodation for a disability may do so by registering with the Office of Disability Services. Students may only be

accommodated upon issuance by the Office of Disability Services of a signed Accommodation Plan and are responsible for providing

a copy of that plan to instructors of all classes in which accommodations are sought.

According to the ADA (http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_bills&docid=f:s3406enr.txt.pdf):

‘‘SEC. 3. DEFINITION OF DISABILITY. ‘‘As used in this Act: ‘‘(1) DISABILITY.—The term ‘disability’ means, with respect to

an individual— ‘‘(A) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such

individual...major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating,

sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and

working. ‘‘(B) MAJOR BODILY FUNCTIONS.—For purposes of paragraph (1), a major life activity also includes the operation of a

major bodily function, including but not limited to, functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder,

neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions.

What if you completed most of the course but need more time to finish?

In order to receive a grade of "incomplete," a student must inform the instructor, either in person or in writing, of his/her inability

(non-academic reasons) to complete the requirements of the course. Incompletes will be assigned at the instructor's discretion and the

terms for removal of the "I" are dictated by the instructor. A grade of incomplete will only be considered for students who are a)

passing the course with a C or better, b) present a legitimate, non-academic reason to the instructor, and c) have only one

major assignment left to finish.

What if you decide you want to take this course at a later date?

There are many things to take into consideration when electing to withdraw from a course. For information about withdrawing from a

course, click here: http://registrar.gsu.edu/registration/withdrawals/.

For English Majors!

English Majors and the Graduation Portfolio

The English department at GSU requires an exit portfolio of all students graduating with a degree in English. Ideally, students should

work on this each semester, selecting 1-2 papers from each course in the major and revising them, with direction from faculty

members. The portfolio includes revised work and a reflective essay about what you’ve learned.

Each concentration (literature, creative writing, rhetoric/composition, and secondary education) within the major has specific items to

place in the portfolio, so be sure to download the packet from our website at

http://english.gsu.edu/undergraduate/undergraduate_resources/senior-portfolios/. In preparation for this assessment, each student

must apply for graduation with the Graduation office and also sign up in the English Department portfolio assessment system at

http://www.wac.gsu.edu/EngDept/signup.php.

The Senior Portfolio is due at the midpoint of the semester you intend to graduate. Please check the university’s academic calendar for

that date. Please direct questions about your portfolio to a faculty advisor or the instructor of your senior seminar. You may also

contact Dr. Stephen Dobranski, Director of Undergraduate Studies, for more information.

ENGL 1102-246: English Composition II (3 credit hours)

Spring 2017

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COURSE SCHEDULE

NOTE: this schedule is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion. Students can expect to get notifications of the change in the during

the class session and via the iCollege course (announcements/start here page). A more specific daily course schedule can be found in the

iCollege course site on the Weekly Coursework page.

WEEK: Monday, Wednesday TOPIC

Week One: 1/9, 1/11 Introduction to the Class, iCollege and the Syllabus

Syllabus Quiz (iCollege)

Start the Argument Paper

Week Two: 1/16 (no school – MLK Day),

1/17

Essay: The Argument Paper

Week Three: 1/23, 1/25 Drafting/Finalizing the Argument Paper

Week Four: 1/30, 2/1 Project: Visual Analysis

Week Five: 2/6, 2/8 Drafting the Visual Analysis

Week Six: 2/13, 2/15 Drafting/Finalizing the Visual Analysis

Week Seven: 2/20, 2/22 Project: New Media

Week Eight: 2/27, 3/1 (Midpoint) Drafting the New Media project

WEEK: Monday, Wednesday TOPIC

Week Nine: 3/6, 3/8 Drafting/Finalizing the New Media Project

Week 10: 3/13, 3/15 Spring Break! Enjoy the week off!

Week 11: 3/20, 3/22 Annotated Bibliography

Week 12: 3/27, 3/29 Initial Sources for Annotated Bibliography

Week 13: 4/3, 4/5 Finalize, Evaluate, Organize and Annotate Sources

Week 14: 4/10, 4/12 Summarizing, Paraphrasing and Quoting – Drafting the Annotated Bibliography (AB)

Week 15: 4/17, 4/19 More Drafting of the AB – Primary Research

Week 16: 4/24, 4/26 No Classes – Final Exam Week

Finalize Annotated Bibliography due by 4/26 at 11:30pmEST

May 4th Final Grades Submitted to GoSolar

Yeah! You have reached the end of the syllabus.

Proceed to iCollege to take the Syllabus Quiz.