Course Syllabus

Syllabus Fall 2013

Instructor Contact

Instructor	Robert Mohrenne
Office	Colburn Hall 305K
Office Hours	Tuesday/Thursday 12-1; Wed. 11-1 and by appointment
Phone	I don't have a phone in my office, so use the email in Webcourses to contact me.  In an emergency call the department and leave a message. Dept. of Writing and Rhetoric: 407-823-5417
E-mail	Use the mail function in the course (course mail) and send email to section instructors or me (Robert Mohrenne).

 

Course Information

 

Course Name	ENC 1102--Composition II
Credit Hours	Credit Hours:3
Semester/Year	Fall 2013

 

Course Description

Composition II seeks to build upon your knowledge of writing and provide you with opportunities and information that will help you to better understand effective writing, practices, and processes.

This course requires four essays--rhetorical analysis, research proposal, annotated bibliography/creative positioning, and a documented argument--focused on your chosen major or likely field of study at UCF.

Course Objectives

1. Students will engage in invention, discovery, drafting, and revision as a deliberate writing process.
2. Students will learn a range of available choices to produce effective writing for specific audiences.
3. Students will develop critical reading and thinking skills.
4. Students will gain confidence and control as writers.

Required Text

From Inquiry to Academic Writing: A Practical Guide, 2nd Edition, by Stuart Greene and April Lidinsky

The Everyday Writer, fifth edition, by Andrea A. Lunsford. If you took ENC 1101 at UCF and have the fourth edition, that is okay; don't by a new copy.  We may, however, have to work around some of the page numbers and chapters. There are several different covers for this text (including a UCF edition sold at the bookstore), so look for the edition number, not the cover.

Supplemental Texts and Materials

I prefer that papers/assignments be submitted electronically in a Word compatible format, so having Microsoft Word or a compatible program is helpful.

Course Requirements

This is a writing course, and my goal is that you exit the class with a better understanding of what makes effective writing effective. Though I expect that you will improve as a writer, your progress is wholly determined by you and the effort you make in the course. If you don't make an honest effort to take advantage of the lessons offered in the course, you aren't likely to improve; if, however, you try to become a better writer by understanding and applying lessons and pushing the envelope of your abilities in an effort to be more effective, you will learn and improve. It comes down to this: I can't make you a better or more effective writer; only you can do that.

ENC 1101 and 1102 are subject to the Gordon Rule, Rule 6A-10.030 of the Florida Administrative Code requiring students to write a minimum of four (4) evaluated college level assignments. For composition courses, this means four essays. Failure to complete an assignment and turn it in means that it is impossible for you to meet this requirement and results in automatic failure of the course. Students in a Gordon Rule class must earn a grade of C- or better to receive course credit.

Assignments which fulfill the Gordon Rule are the four core essays. Each has the following characteristics:

1. The writing will have a clearly defined central idea or thesis.

2. It will provide adequate support for that idea.

3. It will be organized clearly and logically.

4. It will show awareness of the conventions of standard written English.

5. It will be formatted or presented in an appropriate way.

According to Gordon Rule requirements, students must earn a final course grade of C- or better to receive course credit for English 1101 and 1102. Any grade below a 70 in this course is failing and will be reflected in your final grade accordingly--there are no D grades in a Gordon Rule course.

Due Dates/Missed Assignments/Make-Ups/Extra Credit

Assignment Due Dates:  All assignments are due on the date specified on the syllabus unless otherwise stated by the instructor. If I don't receive your final draft by the time specified on the syllabus, it is late. Final drafts of major assignments  received within twenty-four hours of the deadline will be assessed one letter grade; papers received later than twenty-four hours past the deadline will earn an automatic zero. Materials that are specified as needing to be turned in with your final drafts must be included; you cannot turn these things in late.

Homework assignments are due online before class or at the very beginning of class.  If you turn your homework in during class, you'll need to print two copies--one to turn in to me and one for your use during class.  Late homework and discussion postings will not be accepted. No exceptions.

Quizzes: I will sometimes give quizzes at the beginning of class, usually within the first few minutes.  If you come in late or are absent and miss a quiz, it cannot be made up.

Extra-Credit: As a rule, I do not give make-up assignments or extra credit. Plan to complete the necessary work to succeed on your assignments rather than relying on special assignments to improve your grade after the fact.

Evaluation and Grading

Students enrolled in ENC 1101 and 1102 are subject to Gordon Rule requirements which say a student must earn a grade of C- or higher in order to receive credit for the course.The grading scale below is for papers/assignments.  If your final grade in the course is below 70, it is failing and will be recorded as failing when the final grade roster is submitted for the course at the end of the semester.

The NC (No Credit) grade is assigned to students who have worked hard during the course of the semester and have completed most of the work but are unable to master the course content. 

All Composition Instructors are required to employ a +/_ grading scale in this course. 

Letter Grade	Points
A	93 – 100 points
A-	90 – 92 points
B+	87 – 89 points
B	83 – 86 points
B-	80 – 82 points
C+	77 – 79 points
C	73 – 76 points
C-	70 – 72 points
D+	67 – 69 points
D	63 – 66 points
D-	60 – 62 points
F	59 and below

 

Assignment Percentage of grade *Core I: Analysis 15% *Core II: Research Proposal 15% *Core III: Annotated Bibliography 15% *Core IV: A Documented Argument 20% Revision Workshops/Participation 15% Discussions/Quizzes/Homework 15% Final Exam 5% Total 100%

*indicates assignments which count towards meeting the Gordon Rule requirement 

Since most assignments in this course will be submitted electronically, all submitted papers should include your last name in the file name with some sort of descriptor following. For example:  mohrenne_proposal final draft. Submitted files that do not adhere to this format will not be accepted.

Final drafts of all papers must be submitted in MLA format: one-in margins, a header in the upper right-hand corner with the paper author's last name and a page number, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, using black font color and a white background. Failure to format your paper using MLA guidelines will result in points being deducted from your paper grade.

Explanation of Assignments:

Core Essays: You will write four core essays in this class. Final drafts must be typed/word processed and formatted using MLA guidelines explained above and exemplified by the formatting of the student essay in Everyday Writer (pages 448+). Failure to follow these directions/format your paper according to MLA will result in deductions from your paper grade.

Papers will be evaluated according to the guidelines set by the grading rubric posted on the course homepage.  Originality of thought and presentation are valued. Along with the final drafts of your essays, you may be required to turn in all rough drafts and pre-writing, all peer reviews, all source material from which you've quoted or paraphrased, and any other materials asked for.  Read and follow directions for submitting each assignment to make sure you do this correctly.

Peer Reviews/Revision Workshops/Participation: This aspect of your grade is evaluated according to your level of participation in the writing process as evidenced by the amount and quality of revision in your papers, the quality of feedback given to peers during peer review, and whether or not you provide evidence of this by turning in all required materials when due. Peer reviews are a part of your grade and, if missed, can only be made up by attending a consultation at the UWC.

Homework/Discussion Postings/Quizzes/Journals: Homework includes discussion postings and all other things assigned  that aren't a part of any other grade. You must bring a copy of any homework assignment to class for discussion, even if you submit it online.  If you choose to hand in your homework in class, you must do so at the beginning of class AND bring a second copy of the assignment for use as a discussion tool  It's easiest to submit assignments in Webcourses.

Final exam is to be decided.  Look for directions during the final week of class.

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance is important to your success in this course.  Failure to attend class regularly is likely to result in your inability to complete writing assignments according to course and program standards.  To encourage you to attend class, absences over four (4) will result in the loss of your participation credit in the course (7.5% of your final grade). Once you have missed 1/3 of the course sessions, you may be in danger of failing the course and could be encouraged to drop the course as to avoid any negative impact to your GPA.

Additionally, I will sometimes give quizzes at the beginning of class; there are no make-up assignments for missed quizzes, so you will earn a zero for it.

Tardiness is a disruption to class and is disrespectful to your fellow students.  Since homework is due at the beginning of class and any quizzes will be completed within the first five minutes of class, coming in late may have a negative impact on your grade in the course.

Academic Honesty

The Department of Writing and Rhetoric and Composition Program have adopted the definition of plagiarism from the Council of Writing Program Administrators:

"In an instructional setting, plagiarism occurs when a writer deliberately uses someone's language, ideas, or other original (not common knowledge) material without acknowledging its source.  This definition applies to texts published in pring or online, to manuscripts, and to the work of other students writers."

Plagiarism and cheating on an examination, quiz, or assignment will result in an "F" for that assignment (and may, depending on the severity of the case, lead to an "F" for the entire course) and will alsobe subject to appropriate referral to the Office of Student Conduct for further action. See the UCF Golden Rule for further information. I will assume for this course that you will adhere to the academic creed of this University and will maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. In other words, don't cheat by giving answers to others or taking them from anyone else. I will also adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity, so please do not ask me to change (or expect me to change) your grade illegitimately or to bend or break rules for one person that will not apply to everyone.

Disability Statement

The University of Central Florida is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities. This syllabus is available in alternate formats upon request. Students with disabilities who need accommodations in this course must contact the professor at the beginning of the semester to discuss needed accommodations. No accommodations will be provided until the student has met with the professor to request accommodations. Students who need accommodations must be registered with Student Disability Services, Student Resource Center Room 132, phone (407) 823-2371, TTY/TDD only phone (407) 823-2116, before requesting accommodations from the professor.

Copyright

This course may contain copyright protected materials such as audio or video clips, images, text materials, etc. These items are being used with regard to the Fair Use doctrine in order to enhance the learning environment. Please do not copy, duplicate, download or distribute these items. The use of these materials is strictly reserved for this online classroom environment and your use only. All copyright materials are credited to the copyright holder.

Third-Party Software and FERPA

During this course you might have the opportunity to use public online services and/or software applications sometimes called third-party software such as a blog or wiki. While some of these could be required assignments, you need not make any personally identifying information on a public site. Do not post or provide any private information about yourself or your classmates. Where appropriate, you may use a pseudonym or nickname. Some written assignments posted publicly may require personal reflection/comments, but the assignments will not require you to disclose any personally identity-sensitive information. If you have any concerns about this, please contact your instructor.

What you can expect from me:

• I will make every effort to provide you with the texts and information necessary to understand what makes effective writing effective. 
• I will also provide you with detailed feedback on all essays to help you understand what you’re doing well in your writing and what possibilities exist for making it better. 
• I will make every effort to grade and return your essays within a two-week time frame, ensuring you have the time to understand the possibilities for improving your writing.
• I will make myself available during office hours to work with you on your papers/assignments—brainstorming, revisions, explanations, examples, etc.—to ensure you have a clear understanding of the possibilities for making your writing as effective as it can be.

Classroom Expectations

The following ground rules will help your work in this course to go much more smoothly. Please carefully review these expectations and follow them.

1. Academic integrity will be appraised according to the student academic behavior standards outlined in The Golden Rule of the University of Central Florida's Student Handbook. See http://www.goldenrule.sdes.ucf.edu/ for further details.
2. Don't turn in late assignments. Late submissions will result in a lower grade (or may not be accepted). See the syllabus for "due date" information and policies.
3. Keep up with the reading and other work. You have quite a few chapters, homework assignments, rough drafts, e-mail messages, etc. to read for the class. Please keep up with the reading. Students who keep up with the reading tend to do much better than those who do not.
4. Don't miss a quiz or homework assignment; they may not be retaken and/or will not be accepted late.
5. Work with others. You are required to make every effort to work effectively and promptly with others in the course/your groups. Given the collaborative nature of this course and/or the limited access of the online environment, working effectively with others is likely to make or break your grade in the course.

E-mail

E-mail will be an integral part of this course. Make sure you:

1. Use the course mail and check it at least once a day.
2. Be patient. Don't expect an immediate response when you send a message. Generally, two days is considered a reasonable amount of time to receive a reply.  Please remember that your problem is not my emergency.
3. Be courteous and considerate. Being honest and expressing yourself freely is very important but being considerate of others online (or in class) is just as important as in the classroom.  This means you should be critical when appropriate but make sure that criticism is constructive, not destructive.
4. Make every effort to be clear. Online communication lacks the nonverbal cues that fill in much of the meaning in face-to-face communication.
5. Do not use all caps. This makes the message very hard to read and is considered "shouting." Check spelling, grammar, and punctuation (you may want to compose in a word processor, then cut and paste the message into the discussion or e-mail).
6. Break up large blocks of text into paragraphs and use a space between paragraphs.
7. Sign your e-mail messages.
8. Never assume that your e-mail can be read by no one except yourself; others may be able to read or access your mail. Never send or keep anything that you would not mind seeing on the evening news.

Technical Resources

For specific problems in any of the areas below or for further information go to the corresponding link for assistance.

• UCF Home Page will help find UCF resources - http://www.ucf.edu
• User Services Help Desk - http://helpdesk.ucf.edu/ - You can also call the helpdesk at 407-823-5117.
• Learning Online -http://learn.ucf.edu/support/support-services/ This URL also includes access to information on study skills for distance learners, the library and the writing center.
• Online@UCF Support may be contacted by submitting a question to their Support Contact Form page or by calling (407) 823 – 0407.
• Buying a new computer or upgrading your current equipment - http://www.cstore.ucf.edu/
• Technical Discussion Topic: If you have technical questions and/or problems, please post a message to the Technical Discussion Topic. I encourage members of the class who are technically proficient to also monitor the discussion topic and assist your classmates.
• If your equipment problems prevent you from using e-mail from home, there are many computer labs on campus and virtually every public library offers Internet access.