ENGL1302, Composition II
Instructor: Dr. Kevin Eubanks
Office Phone: (940) 498-6218 (Email is a better way to contact the instructor.)
Office Address: 206 Corinth (inside 201)
Office Hours
Monday 1-3
Wednesday 1-3
E-mail: Use the Canvas messaging system.
Required Texts
Kida, Thomas. Don’t Believe Everything You Think: The 6 Basic Mistakes We Make in Thinking. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books, 2006.
Graff, Gerald, and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. 3rd ed. New York: Norton, 2014.
Required Materials
• Two portfolios with pockets
• A notebook for taking class notes
Course Description
Intensive study of and practice in the strategies and techniques for developing research-based expository and persuasive texts. Emphasis on effective and ethical rhetorical inquiry, including primary and secondary research methods; critical reading of verbal, visual, and multimedia texts; systematic evaluation, synthesis, and documentation of information sources; and critical thinking about evidence and conclusions.
Prerequisite: English 1301 or its equivalent.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative research processes.
2. Develop ideas and synthesize primary and secondary sources within focused academic arguments, including one or more research-based essays.
3. Analyze, interpret, and evaluate a variety of texts for the ethical and logical uses of evidence.
4. Write in a style that clearly communicates meaning, builds credibility, and inspires belief or action.
5. Apply the conventions of style manuals for specific academic disciplines (e.g., APA, CMS, MLA, etc.)
Core Objectives
• Critical Thinking Skills (CT)- to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information
• Communication Skills (COM)- to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication
• Teamwork (TW)- to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal
• Personal Responsibility (PR)- to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making
Foundational Component Area: Communication. Courses in this category focus on developing ideas and expressing them clearly, considering the effect of the message, fostering understanding, and building the skills needed to communicate persuasively. Courses involve the command of oral, aural, written, and visual literacy skills that enable people to exchange messages appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience.
Required Assignments
• two researched argument essays
• one writing portfolio, including revisions of the two essays
• five workshop paragraphs
• one test over logos concepts
• one conference with instructor
• daily work, including reading quizzes, online discussions, group work, and other assignments
Grading Policy
An A requires 90-100 percent; a B, 80-89; a C, 70-79; a D, 60-69; an F, less than 60.
Grades will be weighted as follows:
• essays: 20% each
• workshop paragraphs: 4% each
• logos test: 20%
• conference: 5%
• daily work: 15% total
Writing Portfolio Policy
The essays will be graded using the portfolio method, which gives you the option to revise and resubmit the essays until you are satisfied with the grades. To earn an “A” on an essay, you will have to revise it more than once.
To earn credit for the course, you must include your three original graded essays and all revisions in the final portfolio.
Attendance Policy
You may be dropped from the course after missing, for any reason, 12 classes.
If you miss class, you are responsible for all material covered while you are absent. You are also responsible for any work due the day you return to class. Therefore, if you have to miss class, you should contact a classmate to find out what was covered. In-class daily work cannot be made up. We will have extra-credit work to make up for some missing daily grades; however, frequent absences will lower your daily-grade average.
You are expected to come to class on time and to stay the entire class period. Work missed at the beginning of a class period cannot be made up. If you leave class early, you cannot receive credit for any in-class work done that day.
Academic Integrity
Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion. See Student Handbook, "Student Rights and Responsibilities: Student Conduct [FLB- (LOCAL)]" #18. Anyone who commits such acts will fail the course and may be suspended from the university.
Plagiarism is the presentation of another person’s work as your own, whether intentionally or not. Plagiarism includes copying a passage from another writer’s work without acknowledging that writer. But it also includes not paraphrasing sufficiently, or even getting an idea from another writer without acknowledging the source of that idea.
Collusion is receiving unacknowledged help on an essay. If you get help on a particular assignment, you need to describe that help in writing and submit it along with the assignment. You can always discuss your ideas with others and even let them proofread your essays; however, the actual wording of the essays should be your own.
Due-Date Policies
All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date. Late daily work (including reading quizzes) will not be accepted. Other late assignments will be lowered by ten percent each class day after the due date, unless you are absent for one of the following reasons:
• you are ill
• your child is ill
• an immediate family member dies
In the above situations, the assignment will be due the day you return to class. If you have multiple absences, you may be asked to provide documentation to avoid the late penalty.
Classroom Behavior Policies
Disrespectful or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated in the classroom. The following is a partial list of disruptive behaviors:
• using a cell phone for any purpose unrelated to the course
• using a laptop or tablet computer for any purpose unrelated to the course
• talking to another student, except during group work
If you are disruptive or disrespectful, you may be asked to leave the classroom. In that case, you will receive no credit for the day’s work.
Disability Services (OSD)
The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students who have a documented disability. On the Corinth Campus, go to room 170 or call 940-498-6207. On the Gainesville Campus, go to room 110 or call 940-668-4209. Students on the Bowie, Graham, Flower Mound, and online campuses should call 940-668-4209.
North Central Texas College is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, ADA Amendments Act of 2009, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112). http://www.nctc.edu/StudentServices/SupportServices/Disabilityservices.aspx
Support Services
Counseling and Testing staff offer a variety of services to current and prospective students, such as College 101, placement testing, academic advising and course registration, transfer assistance, and College Success seminars (Time Management, Study Skills, Test Anxiety, Choosing a Major, Learning Style Strategies, Career Exploration), and much more. http://www.nctc.edu/StudentServices/CounselingTesting.aspx
Student Success offers academic coaching, tutoring, including a Writing Center, a Math Lab, free 24/7 online tutoring through Grade Results and assist new students acclimate to college by providing computer lab services for prospective students. First generation students can also participate in TRIO which offers specialized support services.
http://www.nctc.edu/StudentServices/SupportServices.aspx
Financial Aid offers financial resources for students that qualify, visit the financial aid offices for more information. http://www.nctc.edu/FInancialAidHome.aspx
Early Alert/CARES
The NCTC Early Alert program has been established to assist students who are at risk of failing or withdrawing from a course. Your instructor may refer you to this program if you are missing assignments, failing tests, excessively absent, or have personal circumstances impacting your academic performance. If submitted as an Early Alert you will be notified via your NCTC e-mail address and then contacted by a Counseling and Testing advisor or counselor to discuss possible strategies for completing your course successfully.
The NCTC CARES (Campus Assessment Response Evaluation Services) Team addresses behavior which may be disruptive, harmful or pose a threat to to the health and safety of the NCTC community-such as stalking, harassment, physical or emotional abuse, violent or threatening behavior, or self-harm. As a student, you have the ability to report concerning behavior which could impact your own safety or the safety of another NCTC student. Just click the NCTC CARES Team logo posted on MyNCTC, or send an e-mail to CARESTeam@nctc.edu. As always, if you feel there is an immediate threat to your own safety or welfare (or to another student), please call 911 immediately.
Course Outline
Bring both books, Don’t Believe Everything You Think and They Say I Say, to each class meeting.
W 1/18 course overview; questions of value and questions of fact
Writing Value-Based Arguments
F 1/20 TSIS introduction and chapter 1
M 1/23 TSIS chapters 2 and 3
W 1/25 TSIS chapter 5
F 1/27 Discuss the immensely helpful ICITE method
Paragraph 1 due in Canvas by midnight on Sunday, 1/29
M 1/30 Workshop over paragraph 1
W 2/1 TSIS chapters 4 and 6
F 2/3 Kida introduction
M 2/6 Workshop over paragraph 1
W 2/8 TSIS chapter 8
F 2/10 Kida chapter 8
Paragraph 2 due in Canvas by midnight on Sunday, 2/12
M 2/13 Workshop over paragraph 2
W 2/15 TSIS chapter 7
F 2/17 Kida chapter 12
M 2/20 Workshop over paragraph 2
W 2/22 Instructions for essay 1
F 2/24 Kida chapter 5
M 2/27 Printout of essay 1 due in class; discuss fact-based arguments
Writing Fact-Based Arguments
W 3/1 TSIS chapter 16
F 3/3 Kida chapter 3
M 3/6 Essay 2 thesis statement due in class; workshop
W 3/8 TSIS chapter 17
F 3/10 Kida chapter 2
(3/13-3/17) Spring Break: No Class (Relax. Improve your ICITE.)
M 3/20 Discuss how to find good factual sources
W 3/22 Library/research day
F 3/24 Kida chapter 6
Paragraph 3 due in Canvas by midnight on Sunday, 3/26
M 3/27 Workshop over paragraph 3
W 3/29 Statistics Lesson (featuring a distinguished guest lecturer)
F 3/31 Kida chapter 9
M 4/3 Workshop over paragraph 3
W 4/5 TBA
(Note: 4/6 is the last day to drop the course with a "W.")
F 4/7 Kida chapter 10
Paragraph 4 due in Canvas by midnight on Sunday, 4/9
M 4/10 Workshop over paragraph 4
W 4/12 TBA
F 4/14 Kida chapter 11
M 4/17 Workshop over paragraph 4
W 4/19 Essay 2 notes due in class; workshop
F 4/21 Kida chapter epilogue
M 4/24 Printout of essay 2 due in class; review logos terms
W 4/26 Review logos terms
F 4/28 Logos Test (in class)
M 5/1 Portfolio conferences (by appointment, in room 206)
W 5/3 Portfolio conferences (by appointment, in room 206)
F 5/5 Portfolio conferences (by appointment, in room 206)
Portfolio Due Date: Wednesday 5/10 at 12:00
The portfolio is due at the beginning of class on the assigned date. Late portfolios will not be accepted.
The portfolio must include the original two graded essays and all revisions. Any portfolio without the original graded essays will not be accepted.