Course Syllabus

Instructor: Mrs. Rita Thomas

Email: rrthomas@wileyc.edu

 

 

English 1302 01 OL  English Composition II

Summer 2021

 

 

 

 

Course Description:

This course serves as an introduction to the research process and academic writing for Wiley College, and beyond. Acknowledging that academic writing is a learned mode of writing (and only one mode among many), this course focuses on familiarizing ourselves with the conventions and practices of academic discourse and on developing an ability to make decisions about our writing based on purpose, audience, and convention.

Over the term, we will return to a central idea: writing is thinking. This means asking questions, thinking about many viewpoints, and being critical readers as much as writers. Guided by this idea, in this course we will learn to read texts, build skills in analysis, argument, and organization, and conduct research on an original project. This process begins here: What are you interested in? What questions do you have about the world?

Your task this quarter is to develop a research paper that poses a question and attempts to answer it with research you’ve found on a topic of your choice.

Learning Outcomes:

• Read texts critically, asking questions along the way – think critically, creatively, and reflectively
• Observe and interact with the world around you through reading and writing
• Communicate clearly and effectively through writing
• Write using texts to support your arguments
• Gather, select and incorporate evidence in your writing
• Cite sources appropriately, using MLA style
• Use the steps of the writing process – from prewriting to revising
• Give and receive constructive peer reviews of writing assignments

Resources:

** There are no required texts for this course. All readings are available on Canvas.

Expectations and Policies:

Participation. Participation in this class means completing assigned readings and homework on time, being prepared to discuss them, engaging in class-wide discussions, and providing thoughtful comments on others’ work.

Writer’s Workshop.  The writer’s workshop is built on the idea that writing requires practice and feedback. Writing doesn’t take place in a vacuum, and a “good writer” uses others’ perspectives to deepen her thinking and writing. This means being open to feedback as well as giving meaningful critique.

Assignments. This course has one major essay that we will work on over the course with smaller assignments along the way:

• Research question
• Research proposal
• Bibliography
• Annotated bibliography
• Thesis statement
• Rough draft of essay
• Final research essay
• Reflection letter

In addition to this project, there will be two other assignments:

Grading. Final grades will be determined based on this structure:

                                    Participation                                          15% (100 points)

                                    Assignments                                          30% (100 points)

                                    Current Events Discussion                    15% (100 points)

                                    Final essay                                             40% (100 points)

Note: there is no final exam for this course. Anyone who does not submit a final research paper will not pass English 1302.

The standard grading system will be applied to this course:

Plagiarism. In American academic writing, it is essential to clearly and thoroughly distinguish between your own words/thinking, and that of others. We will discuss the conventions of citation, but plagiarism is considered a form of cheating. This includes (but is not limited to) incorporating sources without giving credit, forgery, submitting the same work for multiple assignments, having someone else write a paper for you, or paying a service to write a paper. All instances of plagiarism or academic misconduct will receive a 0 for the assignment and the student must speak with me. A second instance of plagiarism may result in failing the course. If you would like more information or are in doubt about what may or may not be considered plagiarism, please ask me.

Accommodations. If you require special accommodations for this course, please contact me and Disability Support Services/SSS

Classroom Ethos. As we work together and alongside each other this semester I hope that we will form a community of inquiry. This asks that every member of the class bring in an attitude of respect, tolerance, and open-mindedness toward each other and the perspectives presented. I expect our class will be a place of lively discussion and that people will necessarily disagree at times, but this will strengthen our discussion so long as we maintain an attitude of curiosity, collaboration, and respect.

Communication. The best way to reach me is through Canvas email. I will respond to email messages within 24 hours during the week. I will check email occasionally on the weekends and holidays, but you should not expect a response until the next class day.