Springfield College in Illinois/Benedictine University

posted: 9/22/2009

Spring 2009 (session F) Room D225 Tuesday, 6 to 10 p.m. tmorrissey@sci.edu morrissey@wcusd15.org

Ted Morrissey (CV) “Office”: D225 5:45, after class or by appointment H: 496-3012 (not after 9 p.m.) W: 566-3361 (daytime, Williamsville HS)

ENGLISH 112-70 – COMPOSITION AND RESEARCH (3 Credit Hours)

I. Course Description

In ENG 112, students will build on the rhetorical skills learned in ENG 111. They will concentrate on critical reading, thinking, and writing skills basic to analysis, persuasion, argumentation, and problem solving. They will learn and apply conventions of inquiry and research. They will learn to use MLA and APA documentation systems. One research paper is required. Students must earn a grade of C or better in ENG 112 to receive credit toward graduation. Prerequisite: ENG 111 with a grade of C or better.

Eng 112 is the second semester of the required two semester writing course sequence of IAI’s communications core. Students must earn a grade of C or better in ENG 112 to earn IAI transfer credit to other institutions.

II. Textbooks

Goshgarian, Gary, and Kathleen Krueger. Dialogues: An Argument Rhetoric and Reader. 6^th ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print.

Hacker, Diane, et al. A Writer’s Reference. 6^th ed. Boston, MA: Bedford St. Martin’s, 2007. Print.

Yarber, Mary Laine, and Robert E. Yarber. Reviewing Basic Grammar. 8^th ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2010. Print.

Available at SCI’s Bookstore.

Note: I will go over much of this syllabus in class but not every word. It is your responsibility to read the entire syllabus and ask questions if you do not understand any part of it. Being familiar with the contents of the syllabus will enhance your performance in this course.

III. Mission Statements

SCI: The mission of Springfield College in Illinois is to provide students the best liberal arts education in the Ursuline tradition of a nurturing faith-based environment.  We prepare students for a life of learning, leadership and service in a diverse world.

BU: Benedictine University is dedicated to the education of undergraduate and graduate students from diverse ethnic, racial and religious backgrounds. As an academic community committed to liberal arts and professional education distinguished and guided by our Roman Catholic tradition and Benedictine heritage, we prepare our students for a lifetime as active, informed and responsible citizens and leaders in the world community.

IV. Goals, objectives and outcomes

ENG 112 course goals:

• To teach students to use the writing process to create, revise, and edit their writing so that they will be prepared to write research essays in their other college classes and in their future careers.
• To teach students critical reading and writing strategies specific to argumentation, proposal, and research writing.
• To teach students to evaluate and accurately read source materials.

Common Student Learning Objectives:

• CK-1 Content Knowledge (Lifelong learning): Know and apply the central concepts of the subject matter
• CK-2 Content Knowledge (Lifelong learning): Use current research to support assumptions and beliefs
• CS-1 Communication Skills (Lifelong learning and leadership): Communicate effectively in oral and written forms
• PS-2 Problem-Solving Skills (Lifelong learning and leadership): Seek information and develop an in-depth knowledge base, grounded in research
• SR-2 Social Responsibility (Service and Leadership): Make ethical and informed decisions

Course Based Student Learning Objectives:

• CBSLO-1: Reinforce the rhetorical skills and conventions learned in ENG 111. (CK-1, CS-1)
• CBSLO-2: Comprehend, analyze, and critique a variety of texts including academic discourse. (CK-1, CK-2, PS-2, SR-2)
• CBSLO-3: Engage topics in which the writer explores argumentation and proposal writing as a means of self discovery and produces texts designed to persuade the reader of the writer’s commitment. (CK-2, CS-1, PS-2, SR-2)
• CBSLO-4: Select, evaluate, and interact effectively with sources, subordinating them to the writer’s purpose, and using an accurate representation of the ideas of the sources. (CK-1, CK-2, CS-1, PS-2, SR-2)
• CBSLO-5: Recognize the existence of academic discourse communities with their different conventions and forms. (CK-1, CK-2, PS-2)
• CBSLO-6: Demonstrate satisfactory control over standard English conventions and conventions for documenting sources. (CK-1, CS-1, SR-2)

V. Teaching Methodology

The classroom is considered a discourse community in which students collaborate in the learning process. Students will be involved in peer work, group discussions, pre- and rewriting activities, and projects. There will be intervention in students’ writing process, and response to student writing, by both the instructor and other students. To be successful, students must come to class prepared, which means having all reading and writing assignments done before they are due.

VI. Course Requirements

Attendance: As in every other class, absences will negatively affect your grade. To avoid class disruption, students must be seated by 6:00. Arriving between 6:00 and 6:05 will be considered a “late” (three lates equal one-half hour absence); between 6:05 and 6:30, one-half hour absence; between 6:30 and 7:00, one hour absence; etc. Missing an entire class session equals 4.0 hours. Missing six hours is an automatic F, regardless of a student’s current grade.

Your goal should be to attend all classes and to have an absence only when it is a true emergency. If you know you are going to be absent (or late), you should contact me as early as possible. This will not “excuse” the absence, but it is considered the appropriate behavior in college. College is like a job in this respect: If you were going to miss work, you presumably would call your supervisor in advance—you would not simply fail to come to work, then wander in the next time you were scheduled (if so, you would not be scheduled a next time).

Due to the accelerated nature of the course, should you experience a medical condition which prevents you from attending any class(es), appropriate medical documentation must be provided immediately in order to determine what, if any, accommodations are reasonable or possible.

Behavior: Be attentive to the instructor and your classmates. Private conversations and jokes are rude and disruptive. Turn off your cell phone too.

Work:

1. Completion of all assigned readings and writings according to given deadlines.
2. In-class and out-of-class assignments.
3. Participation in peer activities, sharing of written work, and group discussions.
4. Active involvement in mechanics of all writing projects.
5. Conferences regarding writing assignments as needed.
6. Two completed research papers, fully documented, with copies of source material.

Academic Integrity Statement

Academic and professional environments require honesty and integrity, and these qualities are expected of every student at Springfield College-Benedictine University. In accordance with such expectations, academic integrity requires that you credit others for their ideas. Plagiarism, whether intentional or not, is a grievous offense. Any time you use words or ideas that are not your own, you must give credit to the author, whether or not you are quoting directly from that author. Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism.

Any incident of plagiarism and/or academic dishonesty may result in serious consequences. Penalties for academic dishonesty vary depending on the severity or extent of the problem but are always serious.

PLAGIARISM DEFINITION and POLICIES

Discourse communities in academic and professional environments require honesty and integrity, and these qualities are expected of every student at Springfield College-Benedictine University. In accordance with such expectations, academic honesty requires that you credit others for their ideas. Plagiarizing, whether intentional or not, is a grievous offense. Any time you use words or ideas that are not your own, you must give credit to the author, whether or not you are quoting directly from that author. Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism.

Diana Hacker's definition of plagiarism in A Writer’s Reference (6^th ed., Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's Press, 2007) is as follows: "Three different acts are considered plagiarism: (1) failing to cite quotations and borrowed ideas, (2) failing to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks, and (3) failing to put summaries and paraphrases in your own words" (359). In both academic and professional environments, plagiarism or copyright infringement is considered theft of words or ideas and may be subject to dismissal, prosecution, and job termination.

Each of the following is an example of plagiarism and/or academic dishonesty:

• attempting to pass off all or part of someone else’s work as your own;
• attempting to pass off someone else’s idea(s) as your own;
• buying entire or partial assignments (e.g. essays, speeches, lesson plans, etc.) from the Internet or another source;
• having a friend, classmate, or relative write an essay or complete an assignment for you;
• “cutting and pasting” text, whole or partial, from the Internet without documentation;
• “borrowing” text or ideas, whole or partial, from the Internet or another source without documentation;
• using a paper or parts of a paper you or someone else wrote for a previous or current class without documentation;
• repeating or improperly paraphrasing another writer’s words; and
• failing to properly cite someone else’s writing or ideas.

This list is by no means exhaustive. Any incident of academic dishonesty or plagiarism will result in serious consequences. Penalties for plagiarism vary depending of the severity or extent of the problem but are always serious. The College has instituted a “two-strike” policy concerning any offense deemed deserving, and repeat offense will receive zero-tolerance. At the instructor’s discretion, blatant cases of plagiarism may not be given a second “strike.” All offenses will be documented by instructors and will be reported to a campus-wide database. (“Plagiarism Definition and Policies” is taken from David Logan’s spring 2009 syllabus for English 112 and is used by permission.)

The following are consequences you may face for academic dishonesty:

· a failing grade or “zero” for the assignment;

· dismissal from and a failing grade for the course; or

· dismissal from the Institution.

Please refer to the Springfield College/Benedictine University Catalog or the Student Handbook for a complete discussion of the Academic Integrity policy.

VII. Means of Evaluation

There are numerous required activities for this course, and not all of them will be graded. Work (generally described as “homework”) that does not receive a numerical score, may be given one of three grades: A check mark indicates an assignment was completed in an acceptable and timely manner; a plus signifies that an assignment was completed with special thoroughness and accuracy; a minus signifies that an effort was substandard. Each check is worth one point; a plus 1.5 points, and a minus .5; the total will be multiplied by an appropriate number determined by the instructor to establish a homework grade. Students are expected to complete all assignments, graded or not.

Points will be deducted for issues of misspelling and nonstandard mechanics according to the SCI English/Speech Department Guidelines for the Evaluation of Formal Composition (unless the departures from standard written practice are knowingly done for creative effect).

Late papers will not be accepted, and each will be scored as a zero. Assignments are due even if you are not physically in class. If you do not turn in the First Critical Paper on time, you may turn it in by the due date for the optional revision; however, you will not be able to improve the grade you receive for this “revised” draft; also, this draft must be submitted to Blackboard’s SafeAssign as if it were turned in on time in the first place.

Final Grade will be based on a percentage of the total score: A = 90 to 100%; B = 80 to 89%; C = 70 to 79%; D = 60 to 69%; F = 0 to 59%. Note that the instructor reserves the right to bump up a grade if the student demonstrates special effort in the course. Behaviors like perfect attendance, meaningful participation in class discussions, and in general an eagerness to learn and to improve one’s reading and writing skills could be taken into consideration when calculating the final grade.

Academic and professional environments require honesty and integrity, and these qualities are expected of every student at Springfield College-Benedictine University. In accordance with such expectations, academic integrity requires that you credit others for their ideas. Plagiarism, whether intentional or not, is a grievous offense. Any time you use words or ideas that are not your own, you must give credit to the author, whether or not you are quoting directly from that author. Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism. (See Section VI.)

Any incident of plagiarism and/or academic dishonesty may result in serious consequences. Penalties for academic dishonesty vary depending on the severity or extent of the problem but are always serious.

The following are consequences you may face for academic dishonesty:

· a failing grade or “zero” for the assignment;

· dismissal from and a failing grade for the course; or

· dismissal from the Institution.

Please refer to the Springfield College/Benedictine University Catalog or the Student Handbook for a complete discussion of the Academic Integrity policy.

Grade Appeal Process

According to the Springfield College Catalog, grade appeals must be initiated 90 days prior to the end of one semester after the course in question has been completed. The process for appealing a grade is outlined below.

First, contact the Instructor.

1. A student must appeal to his/her instructor in writing (e-mail is acceptable) and provide specific reasons why his/her grade should be changed.

2. The instructor must respond to the student in writing (e-mail is acceptable) and provide a copy to the division chair.

Second, contact the Division Chair.

3. If the student wishes, he/she may then appeal to the division chair in writing (e-mail is acceptable) and provide specific reasons why his/her grade should be changed without the instructor’s permission. The student should understand that overwhelming evidence must be presented to the division chair to prove that the current grade is incorrect.

4. The division chair must respond to the student in writing (e-mail is acceptable) and provide a copy to the academic dean. Lastly, contact the Academic Dean.

5. If the student wishes, he/she may appeal to the academic dean in writing (e-mail is acceptable) and provide specific reasons why his/her grade should be changed without the instructor’s or the division chair’s permission. The student should understand that overwhelming evidence must be presented to the academic dean to prove the grade is incorrect.

6. The academic dean must respond to the student in writing (e-mail is acceptable). The academic dean’s decision is final.

Drop Dates

Last day to drop with 100% refund = October 26
Last day to withdraw with 25% refund = November 2
Last day to withdraw from class = November 23

Incomplete Request

To qualify for an “I” grade, a minimum of 75% of the course work must be completed with a passing grade, and a student must submit a completed Request for an Incomplete form to the Registrar’s Office. The form must be completed by both student and instructor, but it is the student’s responsibility (not the instructor’s) to initiate this process and obtain the necessary signatures.

Due to the accelerated nature of the course, should you experience a medical condition which prevents you from attending any class(es), appropriate medical documentation must be provided immediately so it may be determined what, if any, accommodations are reasonable or possible.

Student Withdrawal Procedure

It is the student’s responsibility to officially withdraw from a course by completing the appropriate form, with appropriate signatures, and returning the completed form to the Advising Office. Please refer to the Student Handbook for important financial information related to withdrawals.

Due to the accelerated nature of the course, should you experience a medical condition which prevents you from attending any class(es), appropriate medical documentation must be provided immediately so it may be determined what, if any, accommodations are reasonable or possible.

Directions for Written Work:

Keep all assignments, formal and informal, prewriting, revisions, and final drafts until final grades are received.

If you opt to do a revision of your first critical paper, you must turn in the graded copy of the paper with the revision.

Out-of-class Paper Requirements:

Each final draft of paper must be . . .

1. Typed (printed) in 12-point, Times New Roman font, double-spaced.
2. Presented in MLA style or APA style and format, depending on specific paper (see A Writer’s Reference (from ENG 111 or 112)).
3. Five pages in length minimum (not including required Works Cited page) and represent a “completed” paper.
4. Submitted to Blackboard’s SafeAssign feature.

Three Keys to Success:

* Attend all classes and be on time.
* Turn in all assignments on time.
* Ask for help when you need it.

One or More of the Following Will Lead to Failure:

* Miss class and/or consistently be late.
* Fail to turn in assignments or to turn them in on time.
* Not asking for help when you need it.

VIII. Weekly Assignments (Note: Syllabus is subject to change. “D” refers to Dialogues text; “RBG” to Reviewing Basic Grammar; and “AWR” to A Writer’s Reference.)

Week 1 October 20	Before the first session, read the following: * Ch. 1 (D 3-27) – Read for main ideas and identify on paper 7 to 10 specific “bullet” points. * Ch. 2 (D 28-60) – Read for main ideas and identify on paper 7 to 10 specific “bullet” points. * “Targeting a New World” (D 330-334) – Read critically and write responses to the Questions for Analysis and Discussion (D 334). Course Introduction / Reflection on readings / RBG & AWR in class as needed / Quick Response
Week 2 October 27	Read before class: * Ch. 3 (D 61-83) – Read for main ideas and identify on paper 7 to 10 specific “bullet” points. * Ch. 4 (D 84-121) – Read for main ideas and identify on paper 7 to 10 specific “bullet” points. * “Which One of These Sneakers Is for Me?” (D 353-357) – Read critically and write responses to the Questions for Analysis and Discussion (D 334). Reflection on readings / RBG & AWR in class as needed / Quick Response
Week 3 November 3	Read before class: * Ch. 5 (D 122-168) – Read for main ideas and identify on paper 7 to 10 specific “bullet” points. * Ch. 6 (D 169-193) – Read for main ideas and identify on paper 7 to 10 specific “bullet” points. * “Saplings in the Storm” (D 425-432) – Read critically and write responses to the Questions for Analysis and Discussion (D 432). Reflection on readings / RBG & AWR in class as needed / Quick Response
Week 4 November 10	Read before class: * Ch. 9 (264-325) Workshop APA Research Paper (bring copies for classmates – deduction for not having enough copies of paper) – minimum of two pages, including some documentation (bring sources that you’re citing in your paper) (100 points) Reflection on reading / RBG & AWR in class as needed / Quick Response
Week 5 November 17	APA Research Paper Due (400 points), including copies of all research cited in the paper – Paper not complete and “turned in” until all research copies are turned in and properly identified. Also, make sure to also upload your paper to Blackboard (requirement) Read before class: * “What I Think About the Fashion World” (D 441-445) – Read critically and write responses to the Questions for Analysis and Discussion (D 445). * “In the Combat Zone” (D 453-458) – Read critically and write responses to the Questions for Analysis and Discussion (D 458-459). Reflection on readings / RBG & AWR in class as needed / Quick Response
Week 6 November 24	Read before class: * “The Future of Marriage in America” (D 673-682) – Read critically and write responses to the Questions for Analysis and Discussion (D 683). * “Five Non-Religious Arguments for Marriage over Living Together” (D 683-685) – Read critically and write responses to the Questions for Analysis and Discussion (D 685). Reflection on readings / RBG & AWR in class as needed / Quick Response
Week 7 December 1	Revision of APA Research Paper Due (optional) Read before class: * “The Decline of Marriage” (D 699-703) – Read critically and write responses to the Questions for Analysis and Discussion (D 704). Workshop MLA Research Paper (bring copies for classmates – deduction for not having enough copies of paper) – minimum of two pages, including some documentation (bring sources that you’re citing in your paper) (100 points) Reflection on reading / RBG & AWR in class as needed / Quick Response
Week 8 December 8	MLA Research Paper Due (400 points), including copies of all research cited in the paper – Paper not complete and “turned in” until all research copies are turned in and properly identified. Also, make sure to also upload your paper to Blackboard (requirement) In-class Final Exam (200 points)

Grades:
APA Workshop Draft 100 pts.
APA Research Paper 400 pts.
MLA Workshop Draft 100 pts.
MLA Research Paper 400 pts.
Final Exam 200 pts.
”Homework” 100 pts.

Total 1,300 pts.

IX. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Springfield College in Illinois provides individuals with disabilities reasonable accommodations to participate in educational programs, activities and services. Students with disabilities requiring accommodations to participate in college-sponsored programs, activities, and services or to meet course requirements should contact the Director of the Resource Center, Amy Roberts, as early as possible.

If documentation of the disability (either learning or physical) is not already on file, it may be requested. Once on file, an individual student’s disability documentation is shared only at that individual’s request and solely with the parties whom the student wishes it shared. Requests are kept confidential and may be made by emailing jharris@sci.edu or by calling 217-525-1420, ext. 306.

X. Assessment

Goals, objectives, and learning outcomes that will be assessed in the class are stated in this syllabus in Sections IV and VI.  Instructor will use background knowledge probes, one-minute papers, reflective essays and/or other Classroom Assessment Techniques as deemed necessary in order to provide continuous improvement of instruction.

XI. Illinois Articulation Initiative

English 112, taken in conjunction with English 111, is designed to meet the General Education Core Curriculum requirement for the writing course sequence of IAI’s communications requirement. For more detail, see the iTransfer website at http://itransfer.org/IAI/.