Comp II Syllabus 1

Composition II / ENGL 1123

Fall 2017
Dr. Aleksandra Kasztalska Tuesdays & Thursdays 9:30-10:50am
AKasztalska@saumag.edu Wilson 327
870-235-5230 F-to-F (0-24% online)
Office: Wilson 314 80 min per class, 28 meetings per term
Office Hours: M 10-11am, 2-4pm, TTh 12:30-3pm 3 credit hours

Credit Hour Description

For every course credit hour of a 15-17 week semester, the typical student should expect to spend approximately
45 clock hours per term of concentrated attention on course-related work, including but not limited to time
engaged in class, as well as out-of-class time spent reading, reviewing, organizing notes, preparing for upcoming
quizzes/exams, problem solving, developing and completing projects, and other activities that enhance learning.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
University Mission Statement
The mission of Southern Arkansas University is to educate students for productive and fulfilling lives in a global
environment by providing opportunities for intellectual growth, individual enrichment, skill development, and
meaningful career preparation. The University believes in the worth of the individual and accepts its responsibility
for developing in its students those values and competencies essential for effective citizenship in an ever-changing,
free, and democratic society. Further, the University encourages and supports excellence in teaching, scholarly,
and creative endeavors, and service.
College Mission Statement
The mission of the College of Liberal and Performing Arts is to foster students ability to think critically, become
tolerant of diversity, adhere to ethical values, communicate effectively, cooperate successfully, and become
responsible citizens in a changing global society. In addition, the College seeks to instill in each student an
appreciation of literature, languages, history, politics, geography, music, theatre, and art, and to provide the
campus and region with opportunities for participation in these disciplines.

Department Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of English and Foreign Languages is to provide the portion of a liberal arts
education that employs language, literature, and written communication to develop the students ability to think
critically, understand and appreciate diversity, adhere to ethical values, and communicate effectively in a global
environment.
Learning Goals and Course Content
University Learning Goal: LG 1--Effective Communication
University Learning Goal: LG 3--Critical Thinking
Department or Program Learning Goal: Students will demonstrate their ability to communicate in writing.
Course Description: Designed to confirm and extend students ability to write educated English prose. This course
seeks to enable the students, through extensive writing practice, to develop their skills in each of several rhetorical
and critical types. While emphasizing writing, the course also requires continued vocabulary development and
analytical reading in literature of various types. The course also introduces students to the conventions of
documentation and manuscript form.
Course Content: This section of Composition II will involve conducting a semester-long research project. Each
student will report on his or her own findings in writing and in an oral presentation, and will engage with other
students writing through group work and class discussions. Finally, the course will include a series of readings
pertaining to argumentation that we will discuss in depth in class.
Expected Student Learning Outcomes: The student will demonstrate an advanced application of outcomes
expected in Composition II.
Respond appropriately to various rhetorical situations, purposes, and audiences.
Use writing and reading for inquiry, learning, thinking, and communicating.
Integrate original ideas with those of others
Develop flexible strategies for generating, revising, editing, and proof-reading
Use collaborative writing processes
Demonstrate knowledge of structure, paragraphing, tone, mechanics, syntax, grammar, and documentation
 Comp II Syllabus 2

Required textbook
Graff, G. & Birkenstein, C. (2014). They Say I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing (3rd ed.).
USA: Norton.
The textbook is on reserve at the Library. Other readings will be uploaded by Dr. K to Blackboard.

Online course tools

We will use Blackboard extensively in this class. By logging into Blackboard, you will gain access to the
course syllabus and schedule, assignments, handouts, and other materials. Check Blackboard before
emailing Dr. K if you lose your materials or have questions about the schedule. Dr. K will also use
Blackboard to send announcements, which will be accessible on Blackboard and delivered to your SAU
e-mail account. It is YOUR responsibility to check our Blackboard page and your SAU e-mail regularly.

Course grades
Assignments will receive letter grades based on the percentage of all points a student receives for a
given assignment. Similarly, final grades will be assigned based on the percentage of all points the
student has received during the semester. The percentages and corresponding letter grades are:
A = 90-100% B = 80-89% C = 70-79% D = 60-69% F = < 60%
Dr. K will generally grade each assignment within one week. It is YOUR responsibility to check
Blackboard regularly to monitor your grades and notify Dr. K if you have any concerns. If you have any
questions or concerns about a grade, you must contact Dr. K within 10 days of receiving the grade.

Points will be awarded in the following amounts, for a maximum of 1000 pts:
Research Proposal 150 pts
Literature Review 150 pts
Interview Report 150 pts
Argumentative Paper 150 pts
Final Presentation 70 pts
Class Activities 80 (8 x 10 pts)
Homework Assignments 100 pts (5 x 20 pts)
Quizzes 80 (8 x 10 pts)
Attendance & Participation 70 pts

Assignments

Papers
Each paper is worth 150 pts. Late submission of a paper results in an automatic deduction of 10 pts
for EACH day the paper is late. For all papers, you are only required to turn in one draft via
Blackboard; absolutely NO hardcopy submissions will be accepted. Dr. K will grade your paper and
leave some feedback, and you will then have the option to revise your paper if you want to try to
improve your grade. You will have one week from the day the assignment is graded to submit a
revised paper. To submit a revised paper, please e-mail the paper directly to Dr. K. But please note
that correcting only grammar, spelling, or other minor errors does NOT constitute sufficient revision.
Instead, you must demonstrate substantial effort that goes beyond just the mechanics or the
surface level of the paper. Finally, keep in mind these important policies:
You canNOT pass this class if you do not submit all four papers. If you fail to submit any of
the papers, you will automatically receive an F in this whole class at the end of the semester.
You must always submit your own work. If you submit a paper that is copied from another
student or from the Internet, you will automatically receive an F on that paper and have
to meet with the Dean of Liberal Arts. Moreover, if you dont revise the paper within 7 days,
you will fail this class and you will be dropped.
 Comp II Syllabus 3

Conferences
At the end of every paper unit, we will hold Conferences. Each student will be assigned a 10-minute
time slot during our regular class time to meet with Dr. K one-on-one and discuss their paper-in-
progress. Your time slot will be different for every paper and will be announced in advance.
Conferences count as regular class meetings for attendance, so if you miss a Conference or arrive
more than two minutes late, you will be automatically marked as absent. Moreover, you must come
to all Conferences prepared: You must bring either a detailed one-page outline or a one-page draft
of your paper. If you fail to bring an outline/draft or otherwise come unprepared, you will be
automatically marked as absent.

Final Presentation
During the last two weeks of the semester, each student will give an in-class presentation
summarizing their semester-long research. Further details will be provided later.

Class Activities
There will be a total of 8 Class Activities (CAs). These will need to be completed and submitted in
class, and late submission of a CA will result in a lowered score. The CAs are intended to help you
make progress on your paper. Because they are closely tied to each paper, you canNOT make up CAs
tied to a given paper after youve submitted that paper.

Homework Assignments
You will turn in 5 Homework Assignments (HWs) this semester. They will need to be completed
outside of class and submitted to Blackboard before the deadline. Like the CAs, the HWs are closely
tied to each paper and canNOT be made up after youve submitted the paper.

Quizzes
Throughout the semester, you will take 8 in-class, open-book Quizzes. These short Quizzes will
include questions about a text or a video that you should have read or watched before class.

Attendance and Participation

You are expected to attend ALL class meetings and conferences and come to class on time.
However, you are allowed three unexcused absencesno questions asked. An absence counts as
unexcused if it is due to your own error or forgetfulness (e.g., if you oversleep or forget we are
meeting), or due to everyday mishaps that are not really your fault but that you can reasonably
expect to happen a couple of times a semester (e.g., if your car breaks down or if you have to help a
friend/relative with an errand). An absence is also unexcused if you fail to contact Dr. K and explain
your absence in a timely manner. Also, missing a Conference counts the same as missing a regular
class. For each unexcused absence over the allowed three, 50 points will be deducted from your
final grade in this class at the end of the semester. Moreover, as stated in the Student Handbook:
If a student is absent from a class more than the equivalent of one week of instruction . . .
those absences will be reported to the dean of students. The dean will then send the student a
notice of pending action. The student is advised to contact the instructor as soon as this notice
has been received. Ten calendar days after the report is submitted by the instructor during a
regular semester or after seven calendar days during a summer session, a student may be
dropped from the class for excessive unexcused absences at the request of the instructor. If this
occurs, a grade of WF (withdrawal with failure) will be given for the course.
In this course, if you miss more than three class meetings, you may be dropped!
If at any point during the semester you become seriously ill or are facing other serious, unavoidable
circumstances (personal, financial, or other) that prevent you from coming to class, submitting
 Comp II Syllabus 4

assignments on time, or turning in your best work, you must contact Dr. K as soon as possible. Some
absences may count as excused and some deadlines may be extended, but you have to let Dr. K
know in a timely manner!

Deadlines
All major assignments and deadlines are listed in the course schedule, but during the semester Dr. K
may change some assignments or deadlines, or create new assignments. It is YOUR responsibility to
stay informed about what is due and when. You should attend all classes and check your SAU e-mail
and Blackboard regularly.

Technical difficulties
Unless otherwise noted, all assignments must be turned in via
Blackboard. If Blackboard is down, you may submit
assignments by e-mail, but make sure to ATTACH the file; do
NOT share files with Dr. K. Also, technical difficulties
including broken computers, problems with Internet
connectivity, etc.are NEVER an excuse for late or missed
work! You should always plan ahead to ensure that you can
submit your work before the due date and you should
regularly back up all your work. Consider using a free
cloud/storage service, like Dropbox or Google Drive.

Emergencies and university functions

If an assignment is submitted late due to an emergency or other special circumstances, you must notify
Dr. K as soon as you can to ask for an extension. If you know in advance that you will have to miss a class
due to university-mandated activities (e.g., sports events, club trips, etc.) or other prescheduled events,
you must notify Dr. K in advance and make advance arrangements to complete the missed work. If
you do not make arrangements in advance, you will NOT be given an extension or excused absences
after youve missed the due date or class.

Contacting Dr. K
To contact Dr. K, please use the information listed on the first
page of this syllabus. When e-mailing Dr. K, use proper email
etiquette: Include an informative subject line, begin with an
appropriate greeting, use appropriate grammar and spelling,
and sign with your full name, class number or title, and class
meeting time. Moreover, you should allow at least 24 hours for
Dr. K to respond to e-mails during the week and longer on
weekends. Finally, please keep in mind that Dr. K will NOT
discuss your grades in an e-mail. If you wish to discuss your
grade, you must set up an appointment with Dr. K.
 Comp II Syllabus 5

Additional course policies:

You are expected to come to class prepared, meaning that you have completed the assigned
homework and readings prior to the beginning of class and that you have brought your textbook
and your notes to class.
While class is taking place, please refrain from using your cell phone or browsing non-SAU
websites (unless Dr. K gives you explicit permission to browse other websites). Violation of this
policy will result in a lowered Attendance and Participation grade at the end of the semester.
While class is taking place, you may NOT wear headphones in your ears or chew gum or tobacco.
You are expected to participate cooperatively, constructively, and to the best of your ability in
all class activities, while respecting the different experiences, beliefs and values expressed by
everyone in this course. Any behavior that could be distracting to Dr. K or your classmates
including but not limited to off-topic conversations, use of cell phones, or chewing/spitting
tobaccois considered disrespectful and should be avoided. If you fail to behave in an engaged
and respectful manner, you may be asked to leave a class meeting and will receive an unexcused
absence. In both your in-class and online interactions with classmates, you are expected to
avoid any language that may be construed as hate speechin other words, any words or
phrases that could be understood as threatening, insulting, or degrading to a person or group
based on characteristics such as race, gender, or sexual orientation.
It is the policy of SAU to accommodate students with disabilities, pursuant to federal law, state
law, and the University's commitment to equal education opportunities. Any student with a
disability who needs accommodation should inform the instructor at the beginning of the
course. Students with disabilities are also encouraged to contact the Office of Disabilities
Support Services, 216 Reynolds Center, 870-235-4154.
Academic integrity at SAU is an organizational and individual responsibility to honesty in all
learning experiences. Any act of dishonesty in academic work constitutes academic misconduct
and is subject to disciplinary action. Acts of dishonesty include, but are not limited to:
A. Plagiarismthe act of taking and/or using the ideas, work, and/or writings of another
person as ones own.
B. Cheatingan act of dishonesty with the intention of obtaining and/or using information in
a fraudulent manner.
C. Fabricationfaking or forging a document, signature or findings of a research project.
D. Resubmissionsubmitting a work you have submitted for credit in a previous class.
If you are caught committing plagiarism or any other act of academic dishonesty, you will
automatically receive a grade of 0 on the assignment and be required to meet with the dean of
the College of Liberal and Performing Arts; other penalties may be assessed at the instructors
discretion, depending on the severity of the offense.
 ENGL 1123 Tentative Course Schedule
Fall 2017

Important!
This schedule is tentative and may be changed during the semester. Make sure to come to class
and check your SAU e-mail and Blackboard to stay up-to-date on what were covering in class and
when things are due.
G&B refers to Graff & Birkensteins They Say I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing.
CA refers to Class Activities that must be submitted in class.
HW refers to Homework assignments that must be submitted outside of class.

Wk Date Topic Readings Due

1 8/24 (Th) Introductions and course overview CA1

8/26 (Sat) Submit HW1 HW1
2 8/29 (T) Professional etiquette Wade, Professors Pet Peeves CA2

Paper 1: Research Proposal

8/31 (Th) Quiz 1: G&B G&B, Entering the
Conversation
9/2 (Sat) Submit HW2 HW2
3 9/5 (T) Quiz 2: G&B G&B, So What? Who Cares? CA3
Sample Research Proposal 2
9/7 (Th) Conferences
4 9/12 (T) Conferences
9/14 (Th) Conferences
9/16 (Sat) Submit paper! Research Proposal

Paper 2: Literature Review

5 9/19 (T) Quiz 3: G&B GB, Her Point is
Peer Review (video)
9/21 (Th) Quiz 4: G&B G&B, The Data Suggest CA4
Snowdon, Cats prefer
9/23 (Sat) Submit HW3 HW3
6 9/26 (T) Sample Literature Review 2 CA5
9/28 (Th) Conferences
7 10/3 (T) Conferences
10/5 (Th) Conferences
 10/7 (Sat) Submit paper! Literature Review

Paper 3: Interview Report

8 10/10 (T) Quiz 5: Klettke Klettke, How to Interview an CA6
Expert
10/12 (Th) CA7
10/14 (Sat) Submit HW4 HW4
9 10/17 (T) Quiz 6: G&B G&B, As He Himself Puts It
Sample Interview Report 2
10/19 (Th) Conferences
10 10/24 (T) Conferences
10/26 (Th) Conferences
10/28 (Sat) Submit paper! Interview Report

Paper 4: Argumentative Paper

11 10/31 (T) Quiz 7: G&B GB, Yes / No / Okay, But
GB, And Yet
11/2 (Th) Quiz 8: Toulmin model Toulmin model CA8
Sample Argument. Paper 2
11/4 (Sat) Submit HW5 HW5
12 11/7 (T) Giving successful presentations
11/9 (Th) Conferences
13 11/14 (T) Conferences
11/16 (Th) Conferences
11/18 (Sat) Submit paper! Argument. Paper

Final Presentations
14 11/21 (T) Final Presentations
11/23 (Th) THANKSGIVING BREAKNO CLASS
15 11/28 (T) Final Presentations
11/30 (Th) Final Presentations