Course title: English Composition  II

Course prefix, number, and section number: ENGL1302.101

Semester/Year of course: Spring 2025

Semester start and end dates: January 21, 2025-May 16, 2025

Course modality (Face to face/Synchronous online/Asynchronous online/Hybrid): Face to Face

Class meeting location, days and times:  Tuesday & Thursday 12:30- 1:50 AM

Semester credit hours: 3

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.

Course prerequisites:  English 1301 or its equivalent.

Required course materials: 

For both ENGL 1301 and ENGL 1302, you will use the Everyone's an Author (Lunsford, et al) eBook bundle from Norton. Digital access can be purchased from a link in the course, or you can purchase an access code from the NCTC bookstore. Here is the ISBN: 978-1-324-05896-0.

To activate your code, go to your BibliU bookshelf and you will find all of your purchased textbooks. Here, you will find a code that you can copy and paste into the Norton landing page, which is available in the Canvas course.

If you wish to purchase a hard copy of Everyone's An Author, you can purchase this from your favorite online bookstore/reseller. 

If you already purchased the text in the fall for 1301, you should have selected "OPT OUT" of the book for spring when you registered for 1302. This prevents you from being charged again (same books for 1302). Any issues or concerns about textbooks:

Contact: Gainesville: Hannah Chaney

 hannah.chaney@bibliu.com. 940-612-5162

Name of instructor: Gabrielle Fletcher

Office location: Gainesville campus, room 502

Telephone number: 940-668-7731 ext 4392

E-mail address: gfletcher@nctc.edu; email through Canvas 1st

Office Hours:

SYLLABUS CHANGE DISCLAIMER

Instructors reserve the right to amend a syllabus as necessary.

SUMMARY OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

List of graded assignments: See Course Summary below.

Final grade scale: See right column (Group and Weight).

 SEE CANVAS FOR THE COMPLETE COURSE CALENDAR, OUTLINE, DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF GRADED WORK, AND OTHER RELATED MATERIAL.

 COURSE POLICIES

Late-Work Policy:  All assignments/tasks are due on the day listed on Canvas.  I do NOT take late work. Occasionally, you will find extra credit opportunities that you can "bank" in case of an emergency.  It is your choice whether to do them or not.  Do not ask for more extra credit at the end of the semester.  If emergency circumstances warrant consideration, you will need to speak to me on an individual basis.  Documentation for emergency type situations must be presented to the instructor for consideration.  If an extension is granted for an emergency, I reserve the right not to evaluate any work submitted more than two days (48 hours) late. Student-Athletes/Extra Curricular Activities must notify me in advance of absences (followed by coach/sponsor’s email notification).  Work is expected to be submitted before you leave.

Academic Integrity Policy: 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.” Please see the preface to the textbook for a more complete description of what constitutes academic dishonesty and/or plagiarism.

Please be aware that the department takes plagiarism very seriously. You may not use someone else’s writing assignment, generate an essay using AI, or buy one from a “professional” source. 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.  Assignments suspected of academic dishonesty, including AI misuse or plagiarism, will require the student to:

1. Redo the assignment in a proctored environment, and/or
2. Participate in an oral examination with the professor to demonstrate understanding of the assignment's key concepts.

This process ensures academic integrity and provides an opportunity to address any misunderstandings or issues that may have led to the initial concern.   If I discover that a student has committed intentional plagiarism, the Writing Assignment that has plagiarized materials will receive a zero, it will be documented,  sent to the English Department Head, documented in your school records, and recommended that the student fail the course.

AI Writing and Acceptable Use: Submitting work generated by ChatGPT or any other AI language tool on assignments is considered academic dishonesty, even if cited as a source. NCTC's English Department uses AI detectors to enforce this policy. The writing assignments in NCTC English courses require generating new knowledge, rather than just recombining existing information.  AI does not generate original research, and the information may contain factual errors. 

AI may be used in brainstorming or developing a research question. Generally speaking, students are not authorized to use artificial intelligence and related products like large language model applications to produce work for this class EXCEPT on assignments that the instructor has identified and for which the student will have received significant guidance on the appropriate use of such technologies.  ***I have provided specific prompts that you may use, but these are the only prompts allowed.  Students should not, however, construe this limited use as permission to use these technologies in any other facet of their coursework. Grammarly (or other grammar tools) is not acceptable to revise/rewrite student writing. Students who submit AI-generated content as original work will be subject to the same disciplinary actions listed above in the college's academic integrity policy.

Plagiarism, which should be avoided at all costs, includes the following student actions:

1. Turning in someone else's or AI's ideas, opinions, theories, or work as your own;
2. Unintentionally or inadvertently turning in someone else's or AI's ideas, opinions, theories, or work as your own as the result of failing to document sources both internally and in the Works Cited;
3. Copying words, ideas, or images from someone without giving credit; Failing to put a quotation in quotations marks;
4. Giving incorrect information about the source of information, quotations, or images;
5. Changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit;
6. 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.

Remember:

1. Do not rely solely on AI tools to complete assignments. It is important to understand the material and complete assignments on your own, using AI tools as a supplement rather than a replacement for your own work.
2. Do not use AI tools to plagiarize**. Using AI to generate or modify content to evade plagiarism detection is unethical and violates academic integrity.
3. Do not assume that AI responses are always correct. It has been noted that AI can generate fake results.

*Citing CHATGPT in MLA style

https://style.mla.org/citing-generative-ai/?utm_campaign=sourcemar23&utm_medium=email&utm_source=mlaoutreach 

Please check with your other instructors for THEIR policies on using AI language tools in their classes.

*IF YOU UTILIZE AI LANGUAGE TOOLS IN YOUR WORK:

AI is a tool, but one that you must acknowledge using.  Cite it & please include a paragraph at the end of any assignment that uses AI explaining what you used the AI for and what prompts you used to get the results.  ***The only permissible prompts are the ones I have given you!  Failure to do so is in violation of academic honesty policies.

Attendance Policy:

Attendance, in both online and face-to-face courses, is required.  Because this course progresses very quickly, I reserve the right to block from this course students who fail to complete assignments for more than one week. Students who are blocked MUST contact the registrar's office and withdraw from the course, or they will receive a semester grade of F. Face-to Face courses require 80% attendance.  Missing more than 20% of class throughout the semester will result in either being dropped or receiving an F for the course (20% is equivalent to 3 weeks).  Student-Athletes/Extra Curricular Activities must notify me in advance of absences (followed by coach/sponsor’s email notification).  Work is expected to be submitted before you leave. EARLY IS ON TIME. ON TIME IS LATE!

Emergency situations require immediate instructor contact and valid documentation.  A student will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon the recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has NOT been engaged in the course work to preclude meeting the course objectives. Persistent, unjustified absence/non engagements from classes or laboratories will be considered adequate cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College. From Board Policy FC (LOCAL).

I reserve the right to drop any student who hasn't turned in any assignments after two weeks. A student may withdraw from a course on or after the official date of record. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate and complete a Withdrawal Request Form.

Withdrawing from a Course: Students can learn more about the withdrawal policy and procedure by visiting this website: http://nctc.site/current-students/helpful-forms.htmlLinks to an external site.. 

Last day to withdraw from the course with a “W” is April 7, 2025

Email Correspondence: I reserve 24 hours to respond to students’ emails.  Emails sent to me become my personal property, and I may disclose them to third parties if I determine it’s necessary.  Emails constitute correspondence between instructor and student; therefore, remember your audience when sending me emails.  Email correspondence may contribute positively or negatively to your professionalism grade. I do not check email on Friday after 4 PM, Saturday & Sunday, so be sure to ask your questions during the week and not wait until the last minute to look over assignments.

Email Etiquette

• When you email me or any other instructor, you are expected to write professionally. This begins with the subject, which should explain why you’re writing to me.  For example:
  • NOTE: If you use Canvas, your course and section number will be evident. If you email me directly, you need also to include your course and section number, followed by why you’re writing. For example:
    • Subject: English 1301.XXX—Essay Question
  • Dear Prof. Fletcher or Hi Prof. Fletcher
  • Use audience-appropriate language and tone. If you are attaching a file, please explain what the file is and why you are attaching it.
  • Regards/Thanks/Sincerely,
  • Subject: Discovery 2 Canvas Issue or Upcoming Absence, etc.
  • The body of your email should begin with a greeting. This could be formal or less formal. For example:
  • Then, using complete sentences and proper grammar, briefly state your message.
  • When your brief message is complete, end with a closing phrase, followed by your name. For example:

Name

• If 24 hours have passed and you have not heard from me forward your message back to me with a polite message nudging me to respond. For example:

Hi Prof. Fletcher,

I wanted to see if you had received my email.

Thanks,

Name

Writing Assignments: All major writing assignments are required. If you fail to turn in one of the major tasks, you cannot pass the course. I reserve the right to administratively drop/fail any student who does not submit all major assignments: Collaborative Project, Annotated Bib, and Research Paper.   For major assignments, you will be required to show evidence of the writing process by presenting several rough drafts. If you do not show evidence of the writing process, I will not evaluate your work.

Student Learning Outcomes:

At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:

Lecture Learning Outcomes

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.) [Rev. 8-2012 THECB]

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 means 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.

Grading Policy & Procedures.  

• Evaluation
  • A = 95  
    • A- = 92  
    • A-/B+ = 90
  • “A” Work: This writing is excellent and demonstrates excellence in development, organization, style and tone, and mechanics. There is clear evidence of the writing process (invention, drafting, revision, editing, and proofreading).  
  • “B” Work: This is good work and delivers substantial information—that is, substantial in both quantity and interest-value. It is well-developed and unified around a clear organizing principle that is apparent early in the piece. There is evidence of the writing process.  
    • B = 85
    • B- = 82
    • B-/C+ = 80
    • B+ = 87  
  • “C” Work: This is an average piece that is generally competent in its development, organization, style, and tone, and mechanics. It meets the needs of the assignment, has few mechanical errors, and is reasonably organized and developed. This piece also shows some evidence of the writing process.
    • C = 75
    • C- = 72
    • C-/D+ = 70
    • C+ = 77

• • “D” Work: This is below-average work that lacks development and is not effectively organized to facilitate the reader’s understanding. The paper also shows little or no evidence of the writing process.
    • D = 65
    • D- = 62
    • D+ = 67

• • “F” Work: This work fails in all aspects of the evaluation criteria.  There is no evidence of the writing process, and the paper fails in all aspects of development, organization, style, and mechanics.
    • F (work submitted and attempted that fits the directions/prompt) = 55 or below
    • F (no work submitted or attempted/or work that has nothing to do with the directions/prompt) = 0

COLLEGE POLICIES

 Student Handbook

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the Student Handbook.

ADA Statement

NCTC will adhere to all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations to afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Office for Students with Disabilities to arrange appropriate accommodations.  See the OSD Syllabus Addendum.

Student Services

NCTC provides a multitude of services and resources to support students.  See the Student Services Syllabus Addendum for a listing of those departments and links to their sites.

USEFUL INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

Affinity Groups. Staff and faculty representing the Employee Resource Groups (ERG’s), along with academic advisors, counselors and success coaches, serve as mentors for NCTC’s student-centered ​Affinity Groups​. An ​Affinity Group​ is a population of students who have specific needs, barriers or systems they are needing to navigate not only within college but within life. Providing mentorship, support, and resources for identified Affinity Groups such as Black/African American students, veterans, and active military, single parents, students with disabilities, adult learners, Latinx, LGBTQ+ and students who have experienced foster care and/or homelessness, enables us to make more impactful, meaningful connections with students who are in dire need of equity and understanding.

Basic Needs: Any student who faces challenges securing food or housing and believes this may affect their performance in the course is urged to contact the Dean of Students, Dr. Roxanne Del Rio (rdelrio@nctc.edu) for support. Furthermore, please notify me if you are comfortable doing so. This will enable me to direct you to additional resources for support.

Career Services Center. The NCTC Career Services Center is the place you can go for educational and career planning. Services include Career/Degree Exploration, Job Search Tools and Resources, Resume and Professional Portfolio Development, Interview Skills, and Preparation. Our Career Advisors partner with you in making your educational journey an efficient process towards a rewarding career: http://nctc.site/career-services/index.html.Links to an external site.

Completion Center. The NCTC Completion Center is a comprehensive student engagement program that increases retention and completion rates of first-time, low-income students. Services include Success coaching to address students’ academic and non-academic challenges and issues; Success Seminars, and centralized career readiness and job placement program: http://nctc.site/student-services/completion-center/index.htmlLinks to an external site.. 

Counseling and Advising. Support Services, Counseling and Advising 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://nctc.site/counseling-advising/index.html.Links to an external site.

Course Content in Canvas: All course content is housed in this Canvas shell and all work must be submitted here. While dual credit students might use a different online course management system, all NCTC coursework must be submitted here.

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 impairment, visual impairment, learning impairment, or 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://nctc.site/student-services/disability-services/index.html.Links to an external site.

Early Alert and CARES. The NCTC Early Alert program assists students who are at risk of failing or withdrawing from a course. Faculty and staff may refer students through the Early Alert process at any point in the semester in an effort to provide appropriate intervention and access to support services. Examples of behaviors that could prompt an Early Alert referral could be missing assignments, failing tests, excessive absences, or personal circumstances impacting academic performance. A student submitted as an Early Alert will be contacted by an academic advisor or success coach through text, phone, and/or via their NCTC e-mail address to discuss any current challenges, as well as helpful resources and success strategies-we, want our students to finish strong and know that education is a partnership! The NCTC CARES (Campus Assessment Response Evaluation Services) Team is concerned not only about our students' academic success, but also their emotional and physical well-being. The CARES Team promotes a safe learning environment for students, faculty, and staff and is committed to taking a proactive approach in helping our students succeed by addressing the mental, emotional or psychological health and safety of the NCTC community. As a student, you have the ability to report concerning behavior that could impact your own safety or the safety of another NCTC student, such as stalking, harassment, physical or emotional abuse, violent or threatening behavior, or self-harm. Visit the NCTC CARES site to also locate campus and community resources, or email counseling@nctc.edu to get in touch with a member of the CARES Team directly.  As always, if you feel there is an immediate threat to your own safety or welfare (or to another student), please call 911 immediately: http://nctc.site/cares-team/index.html.Links to an external site.

Equity. NCTC defines equity as encompassing the practice of acknowledging individual differences and systemic disparities when developing new programs and resources for our campus community, which may sometimes challenge our own beliefs and assumptions, in order to ensure balanced educational opportunities toward completion.

Financial Aid. Financial Aid offers financial resources for students that qualify, visit the financial aid offices for more information: http://nctc.site/financial-aid/index.html.Links to an external site.

Gender Identity: This course affirms people of all gender expressions and identities. If you prefer to be called a different name than is what on the class roster, please let me know. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records, and so I may call you by your preferred name and pronoun. If you'd like your name changed in the roster, please contact the Registrar's office.

Grade Appeals and Incomplete Grades: Students can read more about the college's grade appeal processes and procedures for assigning incomplete grades by visiting the Academic Catalog.

Library: Students can access online and physical resources from the NCTC campus library by visiting the library website. Students can access research databases and can locate research help including tutorials and study guides, information on the hours of operation for each of the campus libraries, our online catalog, our intra- and inter-library loan services, and NCTC library policies. http://nctc.site/library/index.htmlLinks to an external site. 

Professionalism: Your college courses are also opportunities for you to learn what it means to be a “professional” in your field. Therefore, I expect you to act like a “professional” student in this course. Consider these suggestions:

• • Prepare and participate meaningfully in online discussion boards.
  • Be assertive. (An assertive student exhausts all available resources of information before contacting me. In other words, read the assignment sheet carefully before e-mailing me to ask how many sources are required in your paper, and if you are unsure how to cite a source, look it up in your handbook or a credible, online source—such as The Purdue Owl or a handbook.)
  • Consider the quality (and effort) of required drafts, notes, and daily assignments.
  • Turn in writing assignments on-time and as assigned.
  • Mind the quality and tone of email correspondence.

Student Success Center. The Student Success Center is designed to help all students at NCTC develop tools to achieve their academic goals. The center links students to FREE tutoring, including a Writing Center, a Math Lab, and free online tutoring.  The program helps students acclimate to the college by providing free interactive online workshops. For more information, please visit your nearest Student Success Center. Student Success offers academic coaching, tutoring, including a Writing Center, and a Math Lab to assist new students to acclimate to the college by providing computer lab services for prospective students. First-generation students can also participate in TRIO, which offers specialized services. http://nctc.site/student-services/student-success/tutoring/Links to an external site. 

Testing Service Center. The mission of NCTC Testing Services is to provide high-quality testing services that adhere to the professional standards and guidelines to meet the needs of students, faculty, and community members. http://nctc.site/testing-center/index.htmlLinks to an external site. 

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.

QUESTIONS or CONCERNS

The student should contact the instructor to deal with any questions or concerns specific to the class.  If the student and faculty are not able to resolve the issue, the student may contact the chair or coordinator of the division.  If the student remains unsatisfied, the student may proceed to contact the instructional dean.

Name of Chair/Coordinator: Kristen Weinzapfel
Office Location: Gainesville, 502
Telephone number: 940 668-3342, ext 3342
E-mail address: kweinzapfel@nctc.edu

Name of Instructional Dean: Dr. Crystal Wright
Office Location:  Denton
Telephone number: 940 380-2504 x 2504
E-mail address: cwright@nctc.edu