Course Syllabus

SALEM COMMUNITY COLLEGE

ENG 102-20 (Online): ENGLISH COMPOSITION II

                   Instructor:     Jennifer Martin, Assistant Professor of English

                   Course Location & Times:   Online through Canvas

                   Email:   jmartin@salemcc.edu

                   Phone:   (856) 351-2660

                   Office Location:  Donaghay Hall, room 210B           

                   Office Hours:    Tuesdays 1:00-4:00pm and by appointment 

“Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you; it means learning to respect and use your own brains and instincts; hence, grappling with hard work.”
―Adrienne Rich (American poet, essayist, and feminist, 1929-2012)

A. COURSE DESCRIPTION:

English Composition II is the second part of the first-year college-level English writing program. Its purpose is to enhance students’ ability to read and think critically, to research and evaluate evidence competently, and to write clearly. It focuses on helping students develop the skills needed to approach a body of material, to analyze it, and to explicate it. Students will write interpretive, evaluative, and analytical essays and an appropriately documented research paper, all of which contain properly constructed thesis statements. English Composition II is a requirement in most programs leading to an A.A., A.S., or A.A.S. degree. English Composition II is recommended as an open elective to all other students. Prerequisite: Successful completion of ENG 101.

 

B. COURSE PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES:

In this course, students will:

1. employ active reading strategies to interpret and evaluate complicated texts
2. examine the rhetorical components of argumentation 
3. review the components of the writing process
4. use the writing process and conventions of academic writing to compose research-based analytical and argumentative essays 
5. locate, evaluate, appropriately integrate, and document source material into writing using Modern Language Association (MLA) documentation format
6. employ the writing process in the completion of an individual research project that proves a thesis, and present the project in the final draft form of a 1,500 word essay
7. examine the ethical implications of research-based argumentation and persuasion 

For a full description of the outcomes associated with each learning objective, see the ENG102 master syllabus here.  

 

C. REQUIRED TEXT

• Simon & Schuster Handbook for Writers, 10^th (2013) by Lynn Quitman Troyka and Douglas Hesse [ISBN: 978-0-205-90360-3]. You can purchase this textbook at the SCC Bookstore on the Carneys Point campus. You can also purchase this book online through Amazon here. 

 

D. COURSE ATTENDANCE POLICY:

• The faculty at Salem Community College believe students must regularly attend all of their classes in order to learn the material presented and attain the course learning outcomes. The expectation for consistent attendance is the same in online classes as it is in face-to-face classes; therefore, your attendance in this course will be tracked and you will be given an attendance/participation grade worth 15% of your overall course grade. Your attendance/participation grade will be based on your regular participation in Discussion posts, timely completion of quizzes, submission of essay assignments (including outlines and rough drafts), and participation in peer review. 
• At a minimum, each week, you will be required to log on and review the week's course material in the modules and participate in a weekly Discussion post. The Discussion posts are interactive, so to receive full credit, you must post a discussion thread by 11:59pm on Tuesday night and respond to at least two (2) of your classmates' discussion threads by 11:59pm on Thursday night. In addition, many weeks you will have reading assignments, quizzes to complete, and essay assignments to submit, so you'll need to manage your time wisely. I recommend scheduling at least six hours per week to work on assignments for this course.  Here is a scheduling tool to help you manage your time; I strongly recommend creating a schedule like this at the beginning of every semester: Study schedule.doc 

E. ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS & GRADE CALCULATIONS:

To pass this course, students must achieve a passing course average using the following calculation:

1. Three Formal Essays (750+ words)                            30%
2. Research-Based Argument Essay (1,500+ words)    20%
3. Discussion Posts                                                         20%
4. Quizzes                                                                         15%
5. Attendance/Course Participation                              15%

                                                                                                           100% 

The final grades assigned will be as follows:

A	93-100	4.0
A-	90-92	3.7
B+	88-89	3.3
B	83-87	3.0
B-	80-82	2.7
C+	78-79	2.3
C	73-77	2.0
C-	70-72	1.7
D+	68-69	1.3
D	60-67	1.0
F	59 & <	0
F/A	Failure due to attendance
N/A	Never attended
W	Withdrew

 

Essays: You will be responsible for completing four (4) essays assignments throughout the semester. Instructions for these assignments will be provided in the course Modules. You will be required to submit both a rough draft (on which you will receive feedback) and a revised draft (on which you will be graded) for each essay assignment. Both rough and revised essays must be typed, MLA formatted (12-point regular font, double-spaced with one-inch margins), and should be carefully proofread. Points will be deducted from assignments that are too short, rushed, or not proofread. Further instructions and grading rubrics will be explained in the course Modules. Please refer to the course Calendar for due dates. Essays not submitted on their due date may be penalized a whole letter grade. Essays more than one week late may not be accepted. If--for whatever reason--you cannot submit an essay by its due date, please contact me to make alternative arrangements ahead of time. 

ESSAY #1: Analysis essay  (750+ words)

ESSAY #2: Synthesis of sources (750+ words)

ESSAY #3: Research-based position argument essay (1,500+ words) *20% of course grade

ESSAY #4: Final essay exam—persuasive essay on topic assigned by instructor (750+ words)

*A note about the peer-review process:  Each essay you write in this course will go through a peer review process. For full credit, you must submit a completed typed draft (including academic documentation for research-based essays) to designated peer review sessions (see course calendar for dates). You must also fully participate in these peer review sessions by providing feedback to at least two (2) classmates. Participation in these peer-review sessions counts toward your Attendance & Participation grade.  You will receive very valuable feedback from your peers (and often from me, your instructor, too), so please make sure you check back on your rough drafts to carefully read and consider the feedback you have received before you complete the final drafts of your essays. 

Quizzes: Throughout this semester, you will be quizzed on material presented in this course to assess your English grammar/mechanics skills, as well as your knowledge of essay structure and MLA format. It is important you properly prepare for these quizzes. The best way to prepare for these quizzes is to study your textbook and class Powerpoints and to work on practice exercises in your Simon & Schuster Handbook for Writers. See the course Calendar for quiz deadlines. If you miss a quiz deadline, you will not be given an opportunity to take a make-up quiz, but your lowest quiz grade will be dropped.  

Discussion Posts: Each week, you will be required to submit one (1) thoughtful discussion post in response to the weekly prompt and read/respond to at least two (2) of your classmates' posts. Typically, the prompts will be in relation to class readings and/or the current essay assignment. Discussion posts are due by 11:59pm each Tuesday night, and you must read and comment on at least two (2) of your classmates' discussion threads by 11:59pm each Thursday night. Discussion posts should be no shorter than 250 words in length and should be carefully proofread and edited. If you miss a discussion post, you will not have the opportunity to make it up.   

Students’ discussion posts will be graded as follows:

A (100)	The post reflects a clear understanding of the readings; the student answers the discussion prompt fully and clearly; the student contributes comments to classmates' posts that advance the level and depth of the discussion.
B (85)	The post reflects a good understanding of the readings; the student answers the discussion prompt fully; the student contributes relevant comments to classmates' posts.
C (75)	The post reflects a basic understanding of the readings; the student provides a generalized answer to the discussion prompt; the student contributes somewhat relevant comments to classmates' posts.
D (65)	The post shows little understanding of the readings; the student provides a very general and/or vague answer to the discussion prompt that misses key points; the student contributes comments to classmates' posts that are generally vague.
F (<55)	Student clearly did not read assignment(s); student does not adequately answer discussion prompt; student demonstrates a noticeable lack of interest; negatively impacts discussions

 

F. CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS 

What you can expect from your professor:

• A fresh start
• Respect
• High expectations
• An objective (unbiased) analysis of your work
• Prompt and thorough feedback on your work with specific advice on how to improve
• Exposure to a wide variety of academic readings and topics for discussion
• A sincere desire to help you succeed at SCC and earn your degree

What your professor expects from you:

• To log into this course at least once a week, read through all of the information in the Modules, and fully participate in weekly Discussions and complete all assignments (*Remember, to do well in this course, you are going to have to spend approximately six (6) hours per week working on assignments for this course, and through Canvas, I can easily track how much time you are spending in this course.) 
• To carefully proofread all of your writing (including Discussion posts, messages, and emails)
• To ask for help when you need it and to utilize the resources available to you (e.g. Academic Support Lab, Library, my office hours)
• To observe a code of mutual respect—that is, respect yourself, your professor, and your classmates—and to keep a professional tone in all course-related communication
• To take pride in your work, to challenge yourself, and to push the limits of your writing. 

 

G. GENERAL INFORMATION:

Office Hours: I sincerely want you to be successful in this course, so please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. You can message me through Canvas or send me an email at jmartin@salemcc.edu. You can expect to receive a response from me within 24 hours, Mon.-Fri. If you prefer face-to-face contact, feel free to visit me during my office hours which are listed at the top of this syllabus; my office is located on the Carneys Point Campus in the Donaghay Building in room 210B. You do not need to make an appointment to meet with me during my office hours--just show up! I can also be available to meet with you at other times by appointment. 

Feedback on Essays: I will provide feedback on rough drafts of your essays by identifying where revisions are needed, but I will not make corrections for you. Pay close attention to the comments I make on your rough drafts and make every effort to correct errors on future drafts. If you ever have any questions on what a comment means, please don’t hesitate to ask me.

Keeping Track of Grades: It is each student’s responsibility to keep track of his or her academic progress and ask for assistance if needed. I will make every effort to grade your work in a timely fashion and regularly post your grades in the Canvas Gradebook. I recommend you check you grades weekly.  

Tutoring: Tutoring services specifically designed for this course are available free-of-charge for all students at the Academic Support Lab in the Contini Building, room 118. The Academic Support lab has walk-in hours, but you can all call (856) 351-2716 to schedule an appointment. Never hesitate to take advantage of these awesome services!

Disability Support Services: If you have a documented disability and require accommodations, please contact Calvin Cizek, Disability Support Coordinator, at (856) 351-2773, ccizek@salemcc.edu. Mr. Cizek can help you by preparing a letter for your instructors that outlines your right to certain accommodations.

Academic Honesty Policy: There are two basic kinds of plagiarism: deliberate plagiarism and accidental plagiarism. One may sound more acceptable than the other, but they are equally serious academic offenses. The most common act of deliberate plagiarism involves copying another person’s work and passing it off as your own. The most common act of accidental plagiarism involves failing to provide the proper internal documentation for quoted, summarized, or paraphrased ideas from another person, even if you list the source in your Works Cited. In this class, deliberate and accidental plagiarism will be treated the same. The penalty for plagiarism is failure of the assignment and potentially failure of the course and it may result in suspension or expulsion from the College. Please refer to the SCC Student Handbook for additional information regarding College regulations and the handling of plagiarism.

Important Numbers for SCC Students:

• SCC website: www.salemcc.edu (Links to an external site.); main phone number: (856) 299-2100
• Public Safety (856) 351-2911
• IT Help Desk (856) 351-2671
• Student Affairs (856) 351-2761
• Academic Support Lab (tutoring) (856) 351-2716
• Office of Disability Services (856) 351-2773
• Mary Eklund, Instructional Technology Specialist (856) 351-2231, meklund@salemcc.edu *This is who you should contact if you are having problems with Canvas

 

Please note: I will be updating assignment due dates as the course progresses. The assignments and due dates listed below are subject to change.