Course Syllabus
Wiley College: THE PLACE WHERE EVERY STUDENT CAN SUCCEED
COURSE SYLLABUS
ENGL 2301
DEPARTMENT OF ENLGISH
ENGL 2301 BL – Advanced English Composition
GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Robert Hamilton OFFICE: TH 233
EMAIL: rhamilton@wileyc.edu PHONE: N/A
PREREQUISITE COURSES: The successful completion of ENGL 1301 and ENGL 1302
TEXT BOOK: All readings are free and online, and will be provided via links on the course website.
METHODS OF INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY: Lecture, discussions, written exercises, essay writing, quizzes, small group work, peer evaluations, PowerPoint presentations, collaborative learning activities, online discussion boards, and critical analyses, emphasized and reinforced through AVID.
METHODS OF EVALUATION: Students will be evaluated largely based on their writing and the improvement of their writing over the course of the semester. Students will also be evaluated based on their participation in class and online (discussions, exercises, quizzes, etc.). This is a Blended Course. Students will meet Tuesday in class for face-to-face instruction. Thursday, students will check the course syllabus schedule of assignments to complete assigned work and submit online when requested.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
A comprehensive study of advanced composition through writing and reading of expository essays with emphasis on logical thinking and grammatical correctness.
OBJECTIVES
After successfully completing this course, students should be able to:
- Write expository essays using several rhetorical techniques;
- Demonstrate variation in writing for audience, purpose, and level of formality;
- Conduct independent research and other writing assignments;
- Practice practical writing for real-world scenarios, including cover letters, résumés, and professional letters/emails;
- Develop competencies required for teacher certification (English-Education students)
GENERAL EDUCATION COMPETENCIES
The General Education Competencies emphasized (E), reinforced (R) or assessed (A) in this course are:
- Communication (E) (R) (A)
- Critical Thinking and Reasoning Skills (E) (R) (A)
- Information Management (E) (R) (A)
- Technology Literacy (E) (R) (A)
- Cultural/Global Awareness and Social Responsibility (E) (R)
- Appreciation for the Arts
- Religious and Spiritual Awareness, Ethical and Moral Development
STUDENTS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING ENGL 2301 SHOULD BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES IN ALL OF THE FOLLOWING AREAS:
Knowledge (K)
K1: Demonstrate the ability to research from a variety of sources and evaluate, analyze, and synthesize the information.
K2: Demonstrate the ability to synthesize approaches to problems, issues or dilemmas.
K3: Demonstrate original and critical thinking including the ability to analyze written texts.
Skills and Applied Knowledge (S)
S1: Accurately and subtly apply critical terminology and concepts.
S2: Demonstrate proficiency in written communication.
S3: Appraise a given context and apply theory to real-world situations.
S4: Write fluently and edit carefully.
Attitudes (A)
A1: Question the status quo, think critically about how given actions affect other people, and act appropriately as fully engaged and empowered citizens.
A2: Demonstrate knowledge of contemporary issues related to cultural diversity in the United States and other areas of the world.
SOFTWARE AND SUPPLIES
Students should familiarize themselves with the class website.
COURSE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
General Policies
Classroom Netiquette: Respect the opinions and comments of other students, as well as those of the instructor. It is important that you actively participate in classroom activities and discussion board because your performance in the classroom is graded on your responses.
Contact: If you have any issues email me as soon as possible! It is your responsibility to make sure that you are able to both access and use the course online. I am here to help you and I want to help you, but you have to make the first step.
Fine Print: As the instructor, I reserve the right to add to or amend these policies and assignments during the course of the semester. Any changes will be discussed in class in advance and will appear on JICS.
Opt Out: It is very useful for students to see examples of previous student work. If you would be uncomfortable with your work being seen by other students (with identifying information removed) please send me an “opt out” email, otherwise I will assume that you assent to this policy.
SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENTS
- Late Assignments: late work will not be accepted. All assignments, drafts, and responses must be turned in by the stated due dates and times.
- Making up work & Revisions: in cases of emergency absences, and with the permission of the instructor, students are responsible for turning in assigned work the next class period; late penalties may apply. Projects cannot be rewritten after the final grade has been assigned.
- Document submission formats: only three file types will be accepted: .doc and .docx are preferred, however, I will take a PDF in a pinch. Do NOT turn in a .wps file, it cannot be opened and your paper will be considered not turned in until one of the approved formats arrives. All drafts will be submitted via the course website.
- Forum Questions: Questions for most units will be posted online to the class website. Answers should be thorough and original, and meet the stipulated length requirements (usually 150, 200, or 250 words). All forum assignments require interaction with at least one fellow student; your work is not complete until you have posted your own content and commented on someone else’s.
- Papers: you will write four papers of varying length. All papers must be submitted online
TECHNOLOGY
Email Use
Wiley College recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The college encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a student’s Wiley College email address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a Wiley College student account. This allows the college to maintain a high degree of confidence in the identity of all individuals corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. Wiley College furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with college personnel.
Participation in this course will require use of Wiley College email ONLY in accordance with College policy. Be sure to check with the Instructional Technology department to ensure that your email account is in order and your computer is working properly. You always have the option to come to campus and use the computers in the labs and the library.
Technical Support
For technical support with your JICS or email accounts, please contact the Information Systems and Technology Department at 903-927-3310 or by email at helpdesk1@wileyc.edu.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
The Wiley College Catalog describes academic dishonesty in the following manner:
...an act or attempted act, of giving or obtaining aid and/or information by illicit means in meeting any academic requirements, including examinations. It also includes any form of cheating, plagiarism, falsification of records and/or collusion. Students are expected to refrain from cheating which includes, but is not necessarily limited to: copying from another‘s test or quiz paper; using supplementary materials, electronic devices (calculators, Bluetooth and iPhones, notes, books, Twitter and text messaging, etc.) not authorized by the examiner/instructor; substitution for another student in taking a test; using, buying, selling, stealing, soliciting, transporting, or removing in whole or in part an un-administered test or key information regarding same. Falsifying records, such as alteration of grades or other records, plagiarism and collusion will not be tolerated.
Any student caught engaging in an act of academic dishonesty will assigned a penalty appropriate for the act. These penalties will be assigned at the discretion of the faculty member and may be appealed to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Please refer to the online version of the Wiley College Catalog, pages 42-43, for a partial list of penalties.
For the purposes of this course, plagiarism is defined as any act that presents the work of another as your own, intentionally or unintentionally. This includes, but is not limited to, submitting in its entirety an essay found online; incorporating word-for-word passages from sources without quotation marks and parenthetical citations (or other form of accurate, obvious disclosure); presenting the ideas of another in close paraphrase without parenthetical citation (or other form of accurate, obvious disclosure); and presenting work prepared in collaboration with other individuals. Any assignment containing plagiarized material, even a limited amount, will receive a grade of zero. Other penalties are reserved to the discretion of the instructor.
GRADING
Grading Requirements
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Essays |
50% |
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Practical Writing |
20% |
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Forums, Exercises, Freewrites |
20% |
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Professionalism |
10% |
A = 90-100; B = 80-89; C = 70-79; D = 60-69; F = 59 and below.
The semester grade for Professionalism is based on factors including (but not limited to) regular attendance, punctuality, persistence through the entirety of class periods without excessive entries and exits, respectful and active listening (i.e. listening without checking cell phones or laptops), willingness to participate in discussions on- and offline, email etiquette, collegiality with fellow students, and willingness to perform the work required to achieve excellence (e.g., essay revisions). It is awarded twice during the semester—at the midterm and final exams.
Please note that no off-syllabus extra credit is offered in this class. The only route to a good grade is through timely, consistent submission of your assignments. Do not expect to be allowed to turn in alternative assignments, or to wait to submit work until the end of the semester!
A grade of “A” is reserved for students whose work product exceeds expectations, who attend class regularly and contribute meaningfully to discussion, and who demonstrate professionalism by turning work in on-time. So that this class is fair to everyone, you will be graded on your work only. No preferential treatment or “grade bumps” will be given to students who are on scholarship, members of organizations, or hoping to maintain a certain GPA.
STUDENT CONDUCT
Students are expected to uphold the standards of conduct detailed in the official Wiley College catalog, p. 292 (available online at www.wileyc.edu) and in concert with the conduct becoming to a Wiley student according to the Student Handbook (also available on the College website) provided to all students at the beginning of each academic year.
An important part of college life is treating everyone at the college—your classmates, tutors, advisors, faculty, and staff—with the respect. This means, first of all, that no form of intolerant or offensive language or behavior (including jokes) can be tolerated in the classroom or online. Only by following this rule can we ensure that everyone feels welcome, safe, and free to explore and discuss ideas. Second, this means that when someone is speaking in the classroom—whether it be an instructor or a classmate—you should not disrespect or distract him or her with noise, conversation, phone calls, texts, etc.
What you may expect in return is respect for your own ideas. The classroom is a place of academic freedom, so the thoughts and opinions of each student will be heard absolutely without prejudice, so long as they are not calculated to harm and offend another individual or group.
Please realize that carrying on conversations in class, answering your phone, failing to turn your ringer to silent, coming in and out of class at will, slamming doors, etc., is extremely distracting and will not be tolerated. Students engaged in such conduct will be marked absent for the day and receive a “zero” professionalism grade, no exceptions.
NON-DISCRIMINATION AND SPECIAL NEEDS
The College does not discriminate on the basis of color, race, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, ideology, political affiliation, veteran status, age, physical handicap or marital status.
In order to facilitate the transition of students with impairments, students with documented disabilities who may need academic services for this class are required to register with the Coordinator of Disability Services. Unless the student has been cleared through the Office of Disability Services, accommodations will not be provided. The telephone number and email for the College's Coordinator of Disability Services is Dr. Kim Beaton 903-923-1606, email kbeaton@wileyc.edu.
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WEEKLY COURSE SCHEDULE
Tuesday: Reading & Discussion Thursday: Online Assignments |
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UNIT 1
Week 1: |
RESPONDING TO THE NATURAL WORLD
Course Introduction
Creative Non-Fiction |
Assignments and Due Dates
Read: E.B. White, “Once More To The Lake”
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Student Contact Hours
Total hours— 4.5
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Week 2:
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RESPONDING TO THE NATURAL WORLD
Describing memories
Vivid Language
Showing vs. Telling |
Assignments:
Read: About Education’s discussion of the drafts of E.B. White’s essay; Annie Dillard, “Seeing”
1. Discussion Question
2. Freewrite
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Total hours— 9
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Week 3: |
RESPONDING TO THE NATURAL WORLD
Defeating cliché
Essay 1 assignment and drafting |
Assignments:
1. Discussion Question
2. Freewrite
Write: Essay 1, “Responding to the Natural World” |
Total hours— 9 |
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UNIT 2
Week 4: |
RESPONDING TO BIG IDEAS
Michel de Montaigne and the birth of the essay
John Donne discussion
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Assignments:
Read: Michel de Montaigne, “Of Age” John Donne, “Meditation XVII”
1. Freewrite
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Total hours— 9 |
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Week 5: |
RESPONDING TO BIG IDEAS
Big Ideas brainstorm / the reflective-philosophical essay
Discussion: The Idea of Success
Essay 2 assignment
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Assignments:
Read: William Hazlitt, “On the Pleasure of Hating” G.K. Chesterton, “The Fallacy of Success”
1. Discussion Question
2. Discussion Question
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Total hours— 9 |
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Week 6: |
RESPONDING TO BIG IDEAS
Writing good paragraphs; topic sentences
The Manifesto
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Assignments:
Read: UMUC’s Guide to Writing Paragraphs and the handout “Writing Good Paragraphs” Langston Hughes, “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain”
1. Freewrite 2. Paragraphing Exercise
Write: Essay 2, Responding to Big Ideas
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Total hours— 9 |
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UNIT 3
Week 7: |
PRACTICAL WRITING: COMMUNICATION
The professional email
Netiquette |
Assignments:
Read: David Masters, “How to Write Clear and Professional Emails”
Write: Practical Writing 1, Email
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Total hours— 9 |
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Week 8: |
PRACTICAL WRITING: COMMUNICATION
Personal statements and cover letters
Discussing the self and research interests
Choosing an audience |
Assignments:
Read: Purdue OWL, “Cover Letter Workshop” and “Writing the Personal Statement”
Write: Practical Writing 2, Cover Letter or Personal Statement
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Total hours— 9 |
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UNIT 4
Week 9: |
PERSONAL NARRATIVE
Plotting and plot structure
Freytag’s Pyramid
The confessional-style memoir
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Assignments:
Read: Green UP’s “Freytag’s Pyramid: How to Analyze a Story”; Cheryl Strayed, “Heroin(e)”
1. Discussion Question
2. Freewrite (1)
3. Freewrite (2)
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Total hours— 9 |
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Week 10: |
PERSONAL NARRATIVE
Characterization
Dialogue – the iceberg theory
Writing action |
Assignments:
Read: “Characterization Techniques” handout; “Showing and Telling in Characterization” handout; Hemingway, “Hills Like White Elephants”
1. Discussion Question
2. Exercise
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Total hours— 9 |
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Week 11: |
PERSONAL NARRATIVE
Writing about childhood
Writing about identity
Dialogue and Characterization, continued
Writing action, continued |
Assignments:
Read: James Baldwin, “Notes of a Native Son”; Karl Ove Knausgaard, “Excerpt from My Struggle Bk. 4.”
1. Freewrite
2. Essay 3: Personal Narrative
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Total hours— 9 |
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UNIT 5
Week 12: |
RESPONDING TO CURRENT EVENTS
Journalism and essays
Refresher: using sources in expository writing
Information vs. argument |
Assignments:
Read: Ta-Nehisi Coates, “The Case for Reparations”
1. Discussion Question
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Total hours— 9 |
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Week 13: |
RESPONDING TO CURRENT EVENTS
MLA style
Using sources in writing: quotation, citation, and plagiarism avoidance |
Assignments:
Read: Purdue OWL, “Electronic Sources (Web Publications)”; Kathryn Schulz, “The Really Big One”
1. Discussion Question
2. Exercise
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Total hours— 9 |
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Week 14: |
RESPONDING TO CURRENT EVENTS
Discussion of recent news; how to respond objectively and argumentatively
Essay 4 discussion and drafting
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Assignments:
Write: Essay 4, Response to Current Event
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Total hours— 9 |
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UNIT 6
Week 15: |
PRACTICAL WRITING 2: CV AND RÉSUMÉ
Writing the Curriculum Vitae
CV vs. Résumé
Parallelism
Reverse chronological order in self-presentation |
Assignments:
Read: Purdue OWL, “Writing the Curriculum Vitae”; “Introduction to and Expectations for Résumés”; “Résumé Sections”
Write: Practical Writing 3, Curriculum Vitae |
Total hours— 9 |
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Week 16: |
PRACTICAL WRITING 2: CV AND RÉSUMÉ
Résumé objectives: pro and con
End-of-course reflection |
Read: Purdue OWL, “Sample Résumés”
Write: Practical Writing 4, Résumé |
Total hours— 4.5 |
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Total in-class hours—45 (3 credit hour course) |
Total out of class hours— 90 (3 credit hour course) |
Total Student Contact Hours TOTAL—135 |
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Course Summary:
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