| Course | ENG 1120: Composition II |
| Semester | Spring 2012 |
| Section | D |
| Classroom | Adams 218 |
| Class Time | TW 12:30 PM - 1:50 PM |
| Instructor | Hayden S. Lindsey |
| hlindsey@sebts.edu or haydenslindsey@gmail.com | |
| Office | Appleby 216 |
| Office Hours | TW 2:00 PM -3:00 PM |
| Textbooks | Roberts, Edgar V. Writing About Literature.
13th ed. New York: Pearson, 2012.
Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. 7th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007. Williams, Joseph M. and Gregory G. Colomb. Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace. 4th ed. New York: Longman, 2011. |
| Course Web Site | http://www.vielle.net/eng1120/ |
Southeastern exists to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).
Course Description & Goals
Research will be an important component of your college coursework and your everyday life experiences. Your research skills are not limited to finding sources in the library and online. Quality research also includes synthesizing the information you locate into a coherent written work. In this course, we will continue to follow the steps of the writing process introduced in ENG 1110, but will go into further detail in how to research a topic in a comprehensive yet efficient manner. We will also work on characterizing and evaluating different genres of literature through writing.
At the end of this course, you should be able to select an appropriate topic, research your topic using both print and media resources, and communicate the information you find in a well-organized research essay. Our studies of written composition and research will require you to acquire cognitive knowledge on many levels. We will strive to meet the following goals by the end of the course:
- You should be able to integrate abstract concepts and specific examples from a variety of readings into a cohesive argument in class writing assignments.
- You should be able to utilize the library facilities to research your written works, making use of both print resources and other forms of media.
- You should be able to organize and present the results of your research in a logical, efficient way that informs your reader.
- You should be able to evaluate ideas that we read about in literary works and justify your evaluation through writing.
- You should be able to articulate the literary features of different genres, including short stories, poetry, and dramatic works.
- You should be able to document sources in Turabian format.
- You should be able to provide your peers with thoughtful feedback for revising and editing their writings.
Attendance
I take attendance daily; you lose points for every day you miss. If you miss over 15% of the class meetings for the semester (over 4 days), you may fail the course. You are responsible for keeping track of how many absences you have. If you consult me before or after class, I will let you know how many absences I have recorded for you in my grade book. You will be counted tardy if you are more than 5 minutes late or leave more than 5 minutes early. Two tardies count as one absence.
ParticipationParticipation will be graded in terms of the quality and thoughtfulness reflected in your contributions to both group and class discussions. Inappropriate interruptions during class will lower your participation grade. I may ask you to leave class if I judge your words or actions to be disruptive and detrimental to your classmates' learning. If you are asked to leave class, you will be marked as absent for that day.
Group WorkRegardless of the field you enter beyond college, employers are looking for people who are able to collaborate with others. For this reason, we will work in groups regularly in class. Your group will take part in discussions on our readings, collaborate on in-class writing assignments, and help one another revise and edit your out-of-class essays.
Format for Writing AssignmentsYou must use Microsoft Word to type all writing assignments in this course. This software is available on the machines in all campus computer labs. Each essay you turn in should be double-spaced with 12-pt Arial font and 1” margins. I will specify the length for each paper when I assign it.
Blog PostingsWeekly blog postings will be required in this course. I will e-mail you an invitation to the blog the first week of class. You must follow the instructions in your invitation e-mail and register with wordpress.com before you can post to the class blog.
The topic for each week’s blog entry will be posted to the class blog (http://eng1120sp12.wordpress.com/) by Friday morning at 12 noon. Blog entries should be posted before class time on the day they are due. Due dates are posted in the course schedule. Please strive for conciseness and clarity in your writing and make sure you free-write for the amount of time suggested in the prompt. You must comment on at least two of your classmates' posts.
AssignmentsYou will turn in individual homework and group assignments from time to time. All assignments should be typed or hand-written legibly. We will also have pop quizzes periodically, so make sure you keep up with the readings.
In-Class Free-WritingIn order to become a better writer, you must practice constantly. For this reason, we will start most classes with 10-15 min. of free-writing. You will need to purchase a composition book to use as your free-writing journal and bring it to class each day.
EssaysYou will be responsible for submitting four out-of-class essays, one of which will count as your final exam. These essays comprise 65% of your final grade in ENG 1120. Students must earn at least a D average on their essays in order to receive a final grade of D or better in the class.
You will turn in two drafts prior to the final draft for every major essay assignment. You will work in groups to revise and edit one another’s first drafts. For two of your major essays, you will have the opportunity to meet with me, and I will read and make comments on your second draft.
For essays 1, 2, & 4, the first draft counts as a daily assignment, and the second draft counts 20% of the total grade for the essay assignment. The grade on the final draft comprises the remaining 80%.
Research EssayYour third essay in this class will be a major research project. Before turning in three drafts of this essay, you must also turn in a thesis, outline, and working bibliography. Unlike the other essays, your final grade for the research paper will be composed of 20% from your thesis, outline, and working bibliography, 20% from your second draft, and 60% from your final draft.
Grading Scale| Letter | Numerical Range |
| A | 90-100 |
| B | 80-89 |
| C | 70-79 |
| D | 60-69 |
| F | <60 |
Evaluation
| Requirement | % of
Final Grade |
| Attendance & Participation | 15 |
| Blog Postings & Daily Assignments | 20 |
| Essay #1 | 10 |
| Essay #2 | 15 |
| Essay #3 (Research Paper) | 25 |
| Essay #4 | 15 |
Rubrics for grading all course assignments will be posted on the course web site (http://www.vielle.net/eng1120/essays/essays.html).
Other PoliciesLate Work
I accept NO late blog postings or homework assignments. If you know you’re going to be absent from class on a particular day, you need to e-mail me and make arrangements to turn in the assignment early. If a medical or family emergency arises, please contact me via e-mail to make me aware of the situation as soon as possible. I will accept late assignments with a valid doctor’s note.
If you must miss class on a day that a paper/project is due, you need to contact me at least 1 week in advance. The reason for your absence must be documented (doctor’s note, coach’s note, etc.). Again, please make me aware of any emergency situations as soon as possible. I only accept late essays without penalty in previously arranged or emergency situations.
Late essays will lose 10 points per day past the due date. I will not accept any essays submitted more than 1 week past the due date.
PlagiarismI define plagiarism as deliberately or inadvertently using another writer's material, whether it be exact language or specific ideas (not common knowledge) without explicitly acknowledging your source. If I have proof that you have plagiarized material on any course essay assignment, you may fail the entire course.
Accommodations for Students with DisabilitiesIf you have any type of disability or special condition, please discuss this need with me during the first week of class so we can make special arrangements to allow you to meet the requirements of this course.
Writing CenterPlease visit our Writing Center where you can get personalized feedback on your essay drafts and to get help with any stage or skill in the writing process. The Writing Center is in Stephens-Mackie Hall 125. Writing specialists are available Monday-Friday. You can make an appt. online using Moodle.
To access a PDF version of the syllabus and schedule, click here.