ENG102

Course Description and Goals
The catalogue describes ENG102 as "Research paper writing with emphasis on thesis development, research techniques, logical analysis, and effective organization and presentation."

Required Texts and Materials
Crusius, Timothy W. and Carolyn E. Channell. The Aims of Argument: A Text and Reader 4th Ed.
An email account accessible both on and off campus
Access to a computer outside of class
Computer disks
Colored file folder (supplied by teacher)

Policies

The syllabus is a binding document, designed to make clear and overt the policies you will be expected to follow in this course. It is YOUR responsibility to know the policies and adhere to them.

Attendance
Attendance is mandatory. I know everyone has problems from time-to-time in getting to class. However, the subject of this course, writing skills, requires that you actually be in class to acquire and practice those skills. It helps if you think of the class like a science lab: if you are not here to do the experiment, you cannot fulfill the requirements of the course. Also, most of the "experiments" cannot be made up - I cannot reproduce the conditions of a class discussion or paper workshop.

You may miss 3 classes with no penalty. After 3 absences, each missed class will result in a 3% deduction from your FINAL grade. Please note that there is no difference between an “excused” and “unexcused” absence. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to find out what was discussed that day. You may contact me via-email, but you should also get the phone numbers or email addresses of two fellow students as well. (Note: you may want to check the schedule first.)

Please note that attendance means showing up ON TIME. Anyone arriving more than five minutes late will be assessed a “tardy,” and two “tardies” will constitute an absence. If you are late to class, it is your responsibility to see me after class to make certain I marked you present

Paper Preparation
ALL DRAFTS of your papers must be word processed, using a standard font such as Times New Roman or Ariel, 11 or 12 point. We will be using Microsoft Word to workshop our papers, so files MUST be saved in MS Word-compatible format. If you are not sure if your word processor is compatible, come talk to me. Special Note: Because Microsoft is Evil, MS Word and MS Works are not compatible. Please check to see which you use, and let me know.

You are responsible for keeping back-ups of your work. I have one cat that shreds paper as a hobby, and another that will use as a toilet any paper not actually in the litter box, so it is essential that you make copies of any work you turn in.

As a special side note: those 3.5 floppies that we all use to save work? They are remarkably fragile things. The corrupt if exposed to magnets. They corrupt if bent in any way. They corrupt for no immediately obvious reason at all. If you only take to heart one thing I tell you, it should be this: SAVE YOUR WORK IN MORE THAN ONE PLACE. Get into the habit of emailing drafts to yourself. Please note that a corrupted disk IS NOT an acceptable excuse for not having a draft or final paper. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that you will have a draft or final paper on time even if something goes wrong.

Late Assignments
Late assignments will be handled as follows:

For FINAL DRAFTS ONLY, you get one “freebie”: you may turn in one paper one class period late with no penalty. On the day the paper is due, simply notify me that you are exercising your late paper option. If the paper is not turned in on the next class meeting, it will receive a “0.” Once the later paper option is used, any paper not turned in one time will receive a “0.” DO NOT USE THIS OPTION UNTIL YOU NEED IT. Note that a paper is considered "late" if not turned in during the first 10 minutes of class. Papers cannot be turned in to my office or the department office.
- Special note for final paper: the final paper is due during the final class period. Anyone using the late paper option for the final paper MUST have it in by 5PM on MONDAY, May 12, the last day of classes.
Papers that receive a "0" for not being turned in on time CANNOT be revised for a higher grade.
Late rough drafts will not be accepted. If you show up on workshop days without a draft, you will not receive credit for participating in the workshop, and 5% will be deducted from your final project grade. Note: a common problem on draft days is disk failure. Please bring a hard copy to class in addition to your electronic copy.
In-Class writings cannot be made up. Missing one or two will not drastically affect your grade. Missing five or six will.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the use of another's words, content, or ideas without acknowledgment. Don’t do it. If you get any information, ideas, or words from ANY text not written by you, you must cite it. Plagiarism will result in failure of the assignment.

Just as a note: I encourage you to seek feedback on your writing from family and friends. However, they should limit that feedback to reactions, comments, and general suggestions. Do not let them write the paper for you. The goal of this course is to improve your writing strategies, and we cannot achieve that goal if you are turning in someone else's work.

Note on the Public Nature of Writing and Class Discussions
Part of becoming a good writer is learning to appreciate the feedback of others. You will be sharing your writing with many people in this course. Therefore, you might wish to avoid writing about a topic that you are not prepared to subject to public scrutiny, or on which your feelings are so strong that you cannot consider alternate viewpoints

Classroom Conduct
I tend to run a fairly informal classroom. In return, I expect that you will treat me and each other with respect. Please be attentive and polite during discussions: you don’t need to raise your hand to speak, but you should also be careful to give everyone a chance to speak. Remember that we will be discussing some "touchy" subjects. Again, I expect you to be respectful of one another. You can argue and disagree, even passionately, but don’t get personal. Please not that absolutely NO ethnic, gender, or other slurs will be tolerated, in either spoken discussion or on-line.

Special Note for Computer Classrooms:

Classroom time is to be used for classroom activities. If you finish your work early, I will not object to you checking your email or looking at web sites; however, I expect you to return to class work when directed.

At no point should either a chat program or a game be opened during class time, even if you are finished with your activity. The first time I see a chat program or a game open on your computer during class time, you will receive a warning. The second time, you will be asked to leave the classroom and be assessed an absence for the day.

Extra Credit

I do not offer extra credit options.

Withdrawal
At midterm, the faculty member is required to report any student the faculty member believes has ceased attending the course; all such students will be withdrawn. After midterm, the faculty member cannot withdraw any student; withdrawal from the course must be done by the student prior to 5pm on the last day to withdraw as published in the Parkland College Schedule. Students who cease attending after midterm and do not withdraw themselves will receive an F for the course.

AOD Compliance Notice
If you have a disability for which you may need an academic accommodation (including special testing, auxiliary aids, non-traditional instructional formats), please inform the instructor as soon as possible and/or contact one of the following for assistance: Evelyn Brown, Room X148, Ext 2587; Other Disabilities: Norm Lambert, Room A250, Ext. 2620.

Course Work and Grade Distribution

Assignment	Points
Short Project 1: Evaluating Sources	50 Points
Short Project 2: I-Search Paper	50 Points
Short Project 3: Prospectus/Tentative Bibliography for Research Paper	50 Points
Rough Draft of Research Paper	25 Points
Research Paper	100 Points
In-Class Writings	25 Points
Peer Workshops	25 Points
Participation	25 Points
Total	350 Points

Final Grade Breakdown by Percentage:

A = 90-100

B = 80-89

C = 70-79

D = 60-69

F = 59 or below

Successful completion of the course requires that all assignments be completed. Failure to turn in any of the four major projects WILL RESULT IN FAILURE OF THE COURSE.

In-Class Writings
Most classes will begin with a brief (10 minute) written response to a prompt. These will often be about either the reading assigned for the day, or about your current project. These will be assessed primarily on quality and development of ideas – I do not expect them to be as polished as a draft.

Peer Workshops
Once a paper cycle, you will be asked to bring in a rough draft of your paper to share with your classmates. You will also be asked to comment on the drafts of others to help them improve their papers. Directions will be given for this activity. Your grade will be based on quality and thoughtfulness of your response – simply writing “looks good!” won’t cut it.

Participation
This class will often use a collaborative approach to writing: that is, we will work together to develop ideas, organize those ideas into papers, and polish those papers. As such, your participation is crucial. Your participation grade will be based on your level of preparation for the day’s activities, attentiveness and contribution to both whole-class and small-group discussions, both face-to-face and electronic, and active involvement in group brainstorming sessions and other collaborative exercises.