Course Syllabus
English 1302.101 (Composition II) NCTC Gainesville—500 Blg.—TR 9:30-10:50
North Central Texas College—Fall 2019—Gordon Smith
The North Central Texas College (NCTC) Course Syllabus provides the following as required by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB):
- a brief description of the course including each major course requirement, assignment and examination;
- the learning objectives for the course;
- a general description of the subject matter of each lecture or discussion; and
- any required or recommended readings.
Contact information for the instructor is also provided. The Course Syllabus also provides institutional information to indicate how this course supports NCTC’s purpose and mission. Information specific to a particular section of the course will be included in the Class Syllabus and distributed to enrolled students.
Course Name & Number: ENGL 1302 (Composition II)
Semester & Year: Fall 2019
Catalog 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. [Rev. Fall 2012 THECB]
Instructor's Name: Gordon Smith
Office Phone #: NCTC 940-668-7731 c/o Dona Taylor
Instructor's Office #: 502A
Email Address: gsmith@nctc.edu
Office Hours: TR 8:30-9-30/11:00-12:00 502A
Textbooks & Materials: CP CONV 3E NCT&LPSACS6M&DEL&ENV
- Package Components
- Custom Textbook--Joining the Conversation
- Custom LaunchPad Solo for Readers and Writers (with eBook) Access Code
- Unnaturally Delicious, Jayson Lusk
- Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist, Paul Kingsnorth
- Selections from “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau and “Nature” by Ralph Waldo Emerson (Supplemental, accessed online)
- ISBN-13: 978-1-319-22941-2
COURSE AND COLLEGE INFORMATION
Student Learning Outcomes. Students who successfully complete English 1301 will meet the following learning outcomes:
- Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes.
- Develop ideas with appropriate support and attribution.
- Write in a style appropriate to audience and purpose.
- Read, reflect, and respond critically to a variety of texts.
- Use Edited American English in academic essays.
Foundational Component Area: Communication
Core Objectives. 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.
- 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 [Rev. 5-2014 THECB]
Institutional Learning Goals. A quality general education curriculum in all associate degree programs.
- Quality freshman and sophomore level courses in arts and sciences which parallel the lower division offerings of four-year colleges and universities.
- Quality technical programs leading directly to careers in semi-skilled and skilled occupations, and quality technical education programs up to two years in length leading to certificates and associate degrees.
- Quality programs and services in support of adult literacy and basic skills development as a mean of workforce enhancement and expanding access to higher education.
Course Type: Academic General Education Course (from Academic Course Guide Manual but not in NCTC Core). Academic NCTC Core Curriculum Course. WECM Course
Program Purpose Statement. NCTC seeks to implement its goal of providing quality freshman and sophomore level courses in arts and sciences that parallel the lower division offerings of four-year colleges and universities by offering a coherent sequence of courses with appropriate breadth and depth to prepare a student for transfer to a university.
Departmental Purpose Statement. The Department of English, Speech, and Foreign Language provides quality instruction to students pursuing their academic and career goals.
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
College Attendance Policy: Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered. All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor. It is the student responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgement by the faculty member. Approved college sponsored activities are the only absences for which a student should not be held liable and only when provided by a college official ahead of the absence. Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work. Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor. A student who is compelled to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to postpone the exam. Student will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has been justifiably absent or tardy a sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course’s objectives. Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories will be considered sufficient cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College. From Board Policy FC (LOCAL)
Attendance Polity: Attendance and punctuality are very important. Students should make every effort to be in class every time and on time. (1) Students should not accumulate more than six absences; by then, they almost inevitably have an F in the course, so they should withdraw on or before Nov.1. (After the sixth absence, I may initiate the withdrawal on or before Nov. 1) Students should be ready to start class on time. Those arriving ten minutes late will be counted tardy, and three tardies will equal one absence. (2) Meeting deadlines and doing work when it is scheduled are very important, so meet prescribed online due dates. Tests taken in class and essays written in class will be made up during the following class meeting. After that, they cannot be made up. Papers due on a certain date will be handed in at that time. Students unable to attend should submit the assignments electronically and hand in a hard copy when they return. Late papers will be accepted during the following class meeting, and ten points will be deducted from the grade. After that, they will not be accepted. (3) Electronic devices (cell phones in particular) must be turned off and kept out of sight during class. Remove ear buds, and put them away. (4) Once class starts, students should not just get up and walk out of the room. They should raise hands and receive instructor permission before leaving. (5) Please control the noise level upon entering the room, and remain awake and attentive during class. (5) College behavior: Students are expected to behave like adults in the classroom. Courteous, respectful treatment of others is a must. Besides disruption, repeated private conversations, texting, sleeping in class, and chronic tardiness, etc., constitute disruptive behavior and may be punishable by removal from the class. (6) Students who disrupt the class will be dropped from the roll.
Disability Accommodations: North Central Texas College does not discriminate on the basis of disability for admission or access to its programs. The College is committed to providing equal access to its students with disabilities by providing appropriate accommodations; a variety of services and resources are made available through the ACCESS Department. Students are responsible for notifying the ACCESS Department of their need for assistance. Students with documented disabilities, such as mobility impairment, hearing or visual impairment, learning, and psychological disorders are eligible for services.
The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students who have a documented disability. A disability is anything that can interfere with learning, such as a learning disability, psychological challenge, physical illness, or injury. Accommodations may include extra time on tests, tests in a distraction-reduced environment, volunteer note taker in class, etc.
On the Corinth Campus, go to room 170 or call 940-498-6207. On the Gainesville Campus, go to room 110 in the Administration Building (100) or call 940-668-4209. Students on the Bowie, Graham, Flower Mound, and online campuses should call 940-668-4209 to arrange for an intake appointment with OSD.
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/student-services/disability-services/index.html
EEOC Statement: North Central Texas College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, or disability in the employment or the provision of services.
Financial Aid, Scholarships, and Veterans Services: The Financial Aid Office is responsible for administering a variety of programs for students who need assistance in financing their education. The first step for financial aid is to complete a FAFSA. For more information, please visit your nearest Financial Aid Office: http://www.nctc.edu/financial-aid/index.html.
Last day to Withdraw: Last day to drop a class with grade of “W” is Nov. 1.
Scholastic Integrity – Plagiarism: Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but not be limited to cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion. See Student Handbook “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct [FLB- (LOCAL)]” #18.
Disciplinary Actions [Student Handbook, #5] “When cheating, collusion, or plagiarism has occurred beyond any reasonable doubt, the instructor may give the student or students involved an “F” on a particular assignment or in the course. [See Scholastic Dishonesty FLB (Local)] The instructor shall make a written report of the incident and the planned action to his Department Chair. The Department Chair shall report the incident and action to the appropriate instructional dean who shall review the case, notify the student and, if necessary, take further action. This may involve either probation or suspension of the student or students in question. If such disciplinary action is deemed necessary, the Dean of Student Services shall be notified, and the action shall be taken through that office.”
Plagiarism, which should be avoided at all costs, includes the following student actions:
- Turning in someone else's ideas, opinions, theories, or work as your own;
- Unintentionally or inadvertently turning in someone else's ideas, opinions, theories, or work as your own as the result of failing to document sources both internally and in the Works Cited;
- Copying words, ideas, or images from someone without giving credit; Failing to put a quotation in quotations marks;
- Giving incorrect information about the source of information, quotations, or images;
- Changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit;
- Copying so many words, ideas, or images from a source that it makes up the majority of the student's work, whether or not the student gives credit.
Please be aware that I take plagiarism very seriously. You may not have another person write, type, edit, or revise any parts of your Writing Assignments. You may not use someone else’s Writing Assignment or buy one from a “professional” source. You may not use the material on the internet or in print sources without documenting it. Failure to follow the proper guidelines for documentation constitutes plagiarism.
Considering the severity of the issue, if you ever have any questions or concerns regarding plagiarism, please consider this an open invitation to visit with me about the issue. If I discover that a student has committed intentional plagiarism, the Writing Assignment that has plagiarized materials will receive a zero, and I will recommend to the English Department Head that the student fails the course.
Student Rights & Responsibilities: NCTC Board policy FLB (Local) Student Rights and Responsibilities states that each student shall be charged with notice and knowledge of the contents and provisions of the rules and regulations concerning student conduct. These rules and regulations are published in the Student Handbook published in conjunction with the College Catalog. All students shall obey the law, show respect for properly constituted authority, and observe correct standards of conduct.
Student Success: The Student Success Center is designed to help all students at NCTC develop tools to achieve their academic goals. This program also links students to FREE tutoring, including a Writing Center, a Math Lab, and free 24/7 online tutoring and helps new students acclimate to college by providing computer lab services for prospective students. All students are invited to visit the Student Success Center on the Corinth Campus, rooms 170, 182, or 188; on the Gainesville Campus, rooms 114 or 111; on the Flower Mound Campus, room 111; and on the Bowie Campus, room 124.
Tobacco-Free Campus. NCTC restricts the use of all tobacco products including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, electronic cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco on campus property. NCTC is aware that tobacco use influences underage students, which cumulates unsightly tobacco litter and interferes with assuring clean air for all who come to NCTC. NCTC recognizes the health hazards of tobacco use and of exposure to second-hand smoke. Information on a tobacco cessation program is available for students, faculty, staff who wish to stop using tobacco products. We would like to "thank you" for your help in making our campuses Tobacco-Free. For questions or concerns, please contact the Office of Vice President of Student Services at 940-668-4240.
Grading Policy & Procedures. [Instructor, please add a detailed description of your grading policy and procedures.] Daily work (Writing sample, Journal, attendance, meeting deadlines, Rough Drafts, and oral participation) 20%; three Review Tests 30%; Writing Projects: (annotated bibliography, revision, and collaborative project) 30%; Research Paper 10%, and Letter-of-Reflection Final Exam 10%. Course grades correspond to numbers as follows: A 90-100, B 80-89, C 70-79, D 60-69, F 59 or below. (Letter grades for written assignments also have these equivalents: A 98, A 95, A- 92; B- 88, B 85, B- 82; C+ 78, C 75, C- 72; D 65; F 55.)
Further Explanation of Grading Policy & Procedures:
All grades taken will be weighted equally and entered into Canvas under the same category. Everything that we do is important to me (and hopefully to you). The average reflected in Canvas will be the accurate and sole average for the course as it develops. Everything will be graded on a 100 point, percentile-based scale. Most final drafts/projects are rubric assessed. At the end of the semester, your grade in Canvas will be your final average for the course. It is your responsibility to keep up with your grades in Canvas. Please contact me first with any issues/discrepancies you might come across. There will be no extra credit given at any time. Here is a basic explanation/summary of what your grades mean:
• A (90-100) level work: What you submitted is filled with your voice, maturity, and academic prowess. It seems evident that you practiced a writing process, planned your work out, thought about your audience, revised, and put forth great effort. Your words are carefully chosen and your sentences rhetorically strong. The hope of the work is clear and your development/organization are on point. You have exceeded my expectations.
• B (80-89) level work: What you submitted shows signs of your voice, maturity, and academic prowess. It seems likely that you practiced a writing process, planned your work out, revised, and put forth effort. Your word choice is sharp, but your piece as a whole lacks rhetorical consideration. The hope of the piece is explicitly stated, and the development/organization needs some attention. You have met my expectations, and I can see potential in your work.
• C (70-79) level work: What you submitted shows minimal signs of voice, maturity, and academic prowess. It seems like your piece was only created once and/or not revised enough. The work has a undeveloped point, and it is not developed well enough. You’ve accomplished the minimum. The base level of expectations have been met, but I can tell that you have more to give.
• D (60-69) level work: What you submitted doesn’t show signs of voice, collegiate work, or academic prowess. The piece feels rushed and is not at college level. I cannot see the hope of your work and there isn’t much development or organization. The base level of expectations was not met.
• F (59 and below) level work: What you submitted fails to meet any expectations or you didn’t submit something complete enough for me to evaluate at the collegiate level.
Calendar or Course Outline
- The instructor must indicate general blocks (or units) of study or supply a detailed calendar of activity.
- Numbers of the specific Learning Outcomes and individual Core Objectives associated with each unit of study must accompany each unit of study or appropriate calendar activity.
- I sometimes print the syllabus before the calendar and hand them out as separate documents. Such is the case this semester. I will soon fuse the calendar with this syllabus for electronic submission to MyNCTC.
- Block I: Readings. Students will read and analyze a variety of selections from the adopted textbook.
- Block II: Quizzes, Examinations, and the Final Exam. Students may be required to take quizzes or tests over assigned readings and/or related materials. The class MUST meet during the final exam week. The Letter of Reflection will be the final exam and will be handed in at the time specified for finals. It stands alone an counts as 10% of the overall grade.
- Block III: Compositions. Students will write a minimum of 5,000 words (20 pages) in a variety of compositions—formal and informal. As part of this required writing, students will produce a minimum of four graded assignments. At least two of these must use the complete writing process, which may consist of the following: Invention, Drafting, Peer Review, Revision, and Final Draft.
- Block IV: Grammar and Mechanics. Students will study grammar and mechanics in the adopted handbook in order to meet departmental standards. This study may be done by examination of units in the handbook or through writing as a process, according to the discretion of the instructor.
- Block V: Research. Students will utilize library and electronic resources. They will submit written assignments, such as an annotated bibliography, a documented essay, or several short compositions, and stand-alone research paper using MLA style documentation. Assignments generated as part of this research block are included in the required writing stipulated in Block III. However, the Research Paper stands alone as a separate grade and counts 10%.
Notes to Instructors: Policies, procedures, and calendars may vary with and must reflect the specific practices of the individual instructor.
Measurements must be made according to the Learning Outcomes and Core Objectives listed above and the departmental standards, which are attached. Essays, tests, oral or written assignments are graded according to departmental standards and the criteria publicized by the instructor.
The instructor will decide upon and publicize the method of arriving at the final grade, allowing no more than twenty-five percent of the final grade to be the value of the final exam. Actual weighting of these grades is left to the discretion of the instructor.
In the tradition of English 1302 (Literature and Composition), we will read thought-provoking literature from the present and past, react to it in compositions that build original thinking and writing skills, and do research which connects learning with individual interests.
We are hoping to cover much of the Kingsnorth book and JtC text Tuesdays and part of Thursday and then to work on writing assignments, do readings in Emerson and Thoreau, and watch sustainability-related films.
Kingsnorth Unit I “Collapse”
Course Calendar:
1. TR Aug. 27, 29 Course Introduction, syllabus, research essay;
Go over dept. standards and specs for writing
assignments, hand out excerpt from Emerson’s
“Nature” for tomorrow LO 3
Discuss Writing Sample topics for Monday, and
discuss the research essay for the future. Discuss
Paul Kingsnorth’s Confessions… and continuing
importance of Thoreau’s Walden. (LO 4, 5; COM, PR)
2. TR Sept. 3, 5 Do Writing Sample—Description of a
memorable natural place. Do overview of Walden,
and discuss the light it sheds on Kingsnorth’s “The
Black Chamber” and vice versa. Assign readings from
I “Collapse”: “A Crisis of Bigness,” “The Space Race
Is Over,” and “The Quants and the Poets.”
LO 3 Discuss Lusk’s appearance as a
centerpiece for the Collaborative Project. Idea is to
use groups to compose questions for the author and
to do a follow-up essay on the lecture. Also discuss
use of corrections of early writing assigns for the
Revision Assignment. (LO 1, 3; CT, COM)
3. TR Sept. 10, 11 Look at specifications for the Annotated
Bibliography, return Writing Samples and plan the
Revision Assignment, Discuss “The Space Race Is
Over.” (LO 4; CT)
4. TR Sept. 17, 19 Go over “The Quants and the Poets,” Hand in
Revisions, collaboratively plan questions for Jayson
Lusk; ongoing review of JtC on Research, Test I
(Essay on Kingsnorth’s “Collapse” Section. (LO 3, 4;
COM, PR)
Kingsnorth’s Unit II--“Withdrawal”
5. TR Sept. 24, 25 “Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist.”
Read, discuss, react. (LO 4, CT)
6. TR Oct. 1, 2 Conclude “Confessions” and go over “Learning
What to Make of It.” Monitor progress on Annotated
Bibliographies (due next week).
7. TR Oct. 8, 10 “ Dark Ecology” and Test 2 (Essay on “Withdrawal”
Section of Kingsnorth). Annotated Bibs are due.
Kingsnorth Unit III “Connection”
8. TR Oct. 15, 17 Begin “Connections Section in Kingsnorth with “The
Black Chamber” (Maybe the most important one!) and look over corrected
Annotated Bibliographies.
9. TR Oct. 22, 24 Finalize plans for the Research Essay. `Conclude
“The Black Chamber.”
10. TR Oct. 29, 31 “Planting Trees in the Anthropocene”; work in library
on Research Essays. Hand in final versions of Collaborative Project. (LO
1, 4, 5; CT, COM, TW PR)
*November 1 is the last day to withdraw with a grade of “W.”
11. TR Nov. 5, 7 Conclude Kingsnorth Section III on “Connection” and
review for Test 3. Continue working on Research Essays. Hand in
Formal Outlines with thesis statements. (LO 3, 5: CT, COM, PR)
12. TR Nov. 12, 14 Test 3, and hand in Note Cards. Final comments
on research rough draft and TEST 3 (LO, SO 1-5; CT,
COM, PR)
Kingsnorth Unit IV—Epilogue on “Uncivilisation”
13. TR Nov. 19, 21 *ROUGH DRAFTS due. Receive peer and teacher
feedback before doing final copies. Continue Kingsnorth. Make up
missed tests. (LO L) 1-5; (CT, COM, TW, PR)
* Thanksgiving Holiday is Nov. 27-30, so we’ll meet only once next week.
14. TR Nov. 26 *RESEARCH ESSAYS are due. Discuss Letters of
Reflection, and continue with comments and readings from
Kingsnorth and Thoreau. (LO 1, 2, 3, 5; CT, COM, PR)
15. TR Dec. 3, 5 Review of MLA style and departmental standards and
business letter form. Look over Research Essays, and do
last corrections. Receive written specifications for Letter
of Reflection. (LO 1, 5; COM, PR)
16. Final Exam (Letter of Reflection) is handed in during the one class
meeting. Check with teacher for Final Exam date. (LO 1-5; CT, COM, PR)
Check with MyNCTC for final course letter grades.
As stated in the syllabus, attendance, preliminary work on research essay, meeting deadlines, and class participation count 20%; tests count 30%; assignments count 30% ; the final copy of the research essay counts 10%, and the Letter of Reflection counts 10%. Attendance is very important. More than SIX absences create an untenable situation, and a grade of F is almost inevitable, so students should withdraw after the SIXTH absence. (After the sixth absence, I may exercise my option of dropping the student.) Two tardies will count as one absence.
Students who disrupt the class will be dropped from the roll. Plagiarism will result in a zero and notification of appropriate administrators. See Syllabus for grade equivalents, more on student behavior, and an explanation of LO's.