Community College of Philadelphia

English 102: English Composition II

WebStudy

GENERIC COURSE SYLLABUS—NOT SEMESTER SPECIFIC—ALL STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COURSE/SEMESTER SPECIFIC SYLLABUS THEY ARE ENROLLED IN.

Professor Kathleen Murphey

Office: BR-37

Office Telephone and Voicemail: (215) 751-8340

English Department Secretary: (215) 751-8450

WHYY/WebStudy Web-site: http://ccp.whyy.org

E-mail: kmurphey@ccp.edu

English Department Web-site: http://faculty.ccp.edu/dept/english/

Inclement Weather Number: 238 (Day Classes) and 2238 (Evening Classes)

Required Texts: (Available at the CCP Bookstore)

Texts change according to semester—as do assignments specific to the texts. This syllabus is generic; all students are responsible for the semester specific syllabus for the course/semester they are enrolled in.

Catalog Description:

Second of a two-part sequence in English composition. [English 102 continues the] study of the effective use of language and the composition of longer papers in which students respond to literature and/or nonfiction reading, incorporating information and ideas of others along with their own thinking. A substantial (10-15 page) research paper is usually required, in which students make use of sources they have located and evaluated. Prerequisite: English 101. (from the 1997-1998 Community College of Philadelphia Catalog, page 141)

Thoughts on Writing:

Writing is learning. The more you use writing, in school and out, the more surely

you will learn what you need to know in any area. The reason is simple. Writing

is an act of pulling together, of making pieces of information coherent, of

presenting examples that illuminate the information. It is a way of finding the

relatedness of apparently unrelated facts. People who have this skill of

expression are people you listen to, respond to—and learn from. The process of

writing reveals how much or how little you truly know and how much you have

yet to understand. If you know it, you can write it. It’s put up or shut up.

Whatever your problems or the challenges to your abilities, it pays to write them

out.

--Roger Garrison, How a Writer Works, Revised Edition, (1985), 122.

Goals of English 102 (English Composition) (from the English 102 Description for Dimensional Credit at Community of Philadelphia, 1996):

Topic Selection [Invention]: Students will be required to select topics appropriate for academic settings, topics which are researchable and manageable, and most importantly to pose questions about those topics which lead to serious ideas in keeping with the nature of academic work. While students are encouraged to select topics which speak to their own concerns and curiosity, they are required to write about topic questions which have bearing on the texts and ideas the class shares in common.

Bibliographic Instruction: Students will be graded on their ability to avail themselves of the array of sources housed in academic libraries. At issue here is the ability, first, to identify sources which might provide students with material for their papers, and, secondly, to locate as many of those sources as is reasonable or possible over the course of the semester. Along the way, students will be required to evaluate the integrity of the sources they choose for their papers, to distinguish between primary sources and secondary sources, between journalistic treatments of their topics and those found in serious academic or professional sources, to weigh the strengths and weakness of these various kinds of sources, and to reflect upon these questions in the papers and drafts they submit.

The Rhetorical Nature of Written Assignments: Students will be graded on their ability to marshall and evaluate evidence which will enable them to present sound arguments within their papers. For the purposes of this course, “argument” refers to any idea which voices a value judgment or suggests an appropriate approach to a problem, a special perspective. Sound arguments depend on the ability of the writer to support his or her argument with the arguments of others who have dealt with questions similar to the ones they are posing, to support their argument with significant evidence, to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate arguments, and to write papers which show that the writer reflected on these issues. The research paper requires not only that the student read independently but also that the student engage in a thoughtful dialogue with the material they have read.

The Nature of Reading Assignments: Over the course of the semester, students will be presented with a variety of common reading assignments in addition to the independent reading their papers require. Common reading assignments are intended to suggest topic questions to students, to prompt lines of inquiry students might follow, to invest student papers with ideas of consequence, and to provide models that students might follow in the course of composing their own papers. Students will be graded on their ability to follow these prompts, respond to these ideas, and respond to these models.

Grade Break Down:

Class Participation (responsiveness to class discussion, quizzes,

display of preparedness for class, summaries): 15%

Short Paper: 25%

Paper Process (final paper topic; working bibliographies; introduction;

outline; notes; research log; drafts, all article materials): 25%

Course Survey (required) 0%

Final Paper*: 35%

*Please note: All students must attend student/instructor conferences on the final paper, and all students must pass the final paper to pass the course. Plagiarism (cheating) on any part of either major assignment will result in automatic course failure. Students must pass the final paper to pass the course. Students must be in good standing (i.e. have completed all assignments and have attended class regularly) to be eligible to hand in a final paper.

CCP Attendance Policy: A student’s participation in regularly scheduled sessions or classes is an essential part of the instructional process. College students are expected to fulfill their academic responsibilities by attending all classes unless prevented from doing so by illness or emergency. College policy requires faculty members to maintain accurate attendance records for certification to outside funding agencies. If a student misses the equivalent of two weeks’ work in any class without an acceptable excuse, the teacher may initiate an official “Drop” form for this student and send it to the Student Records and Registration Office, which will inform the student and change the permanent record accordingly. If a student is 15 minutes late for class, he or she is considered absent for the day. Please be on time and ready to participate constructively in class. (Students must be in good standing (i.e. have completed all assignments and have attended class regularly) to be eligible to hand in a final paper.)

Although we will not be meeting as a class in the traditional sense (in the classroom), attendance will be measured by students’ participation in asynchronous class chat (discussion/forum). Students not meeting the required two significant questions and two significant responses a week will be considered absent for that week. Two weeks of absence can and will result in a student being dropped from the course.

Course Delivery Format:

This course will be conducted primarily through lectures posted on Web-pages, asynchronous chat (discussion/forum), and e-mail.

Class Participation:

Since we are communicating in an untraditional format (i.e. e-mail, Web-pages, and asynchronous chat (discussion/forum)), all students must actively utilize these media. Assignments will require students to browse and search the Web for information on various topics. (Some assignments may require students get information from local libraries.) Students may ask questions of the instructor by e-mail, and they will post questions and responses in the class’ asynchronous chat. Students MUST post two questions and two responds every week—this is required, MINIMUM class participation and will be graded according to relevance to the course material and quality of thinking. (“Hi, how are you?” in other words is not a legitimate question for credit. Whereas, “Why does Stephen Crane keep using references to the nature or the natural world in The Red Badge of Courage?” or “What are examples of the nature or the natural world in The Red Badge of Courage?” are good, thought provoking questions which are related to course material.) The traditional classroom setting is a place of student interaction as well as student interaction with the instructor. This student to student interaction is a vital component of the learning experience. Since on-line students cannot get this peer interaction in the traditional sense, weekly forum or class discussion is vital—and I emphasize it as such. Students should make every attempt to enter class discussion early in the week. The instructor will note students who chronically participate in class discussion at the very end of the week (i.e. at the last minute) and their class participation grades will suffer. Standard English is expected.

Flaming:

Class discussion and communication can be greatly enhanced by the use of e-mail and asynchronous chat (discussion/forum). People find that participating in a discussion by e-mail allows them to think about their responses more carefully than in a traditional classroom discussion. Also the depersonalized medium of the e-mail text and the computer screen often make students feel less on-the-spot than answering questions in a traditional classroom discussion. Students, therefore, often feel freer to say things in e-mail or asynchronous chat (discussion/forum) than they do in a face-to-face classroom situation. With this freedom, however, there is responsibility. It is not appropriate to say anything on e-mail or in asynchronous chat (discussion/forum). Students need to remember that their remarks by e-mail or asynchronous chat (discussion/forum) must contribute to a respectful, learning environment. Flaming, using inappropriate language or being disrespectful of others (whether to other students or the instructor), will not be tolerated. Remember that others cannot see your face or body gestures to see if you are kidding or serious in messages sent by e-mail or asynchronous chat (discussion/forum). Students should, therefore, carefully consider their remarks (Would you make such a comment in a traditional classroom setting? Do you think your remark is inflammatory or could be taken the wrong way?). Again, we want to create a positive, learning environment through e-mail and asynchronous chat (discussion/forum). To do this, we will need to be mindful of the things we say, just like in a traditional classroom setting.

Quizzes: Several quizzes will be given during the course. Generally, the quiz format is 20 multiple-choice questions. The quiz is timed (usually 15 minutes for 20 questions—but the quiz instructions will specify), and students may only take the quiz once. Webstudy will not cut off students who go overtime; students must time themselves. Students who go over time will have points deducted from their scores. Quizzes are available from Monday to Thursday only. Quizzes are not currently listed consistently on this syllabus—but will appear on the Timeline. Additionally, the instructor will usually mention a quiz in her weekly message to the class. Missed quizzes cannot be made up.

Short Paper: Students will write a short paper analyzing some aspect of THE CLASS TEXT. The paper should be a typed, double-spaced paper of 4-6 pages in length. (Four full pages required.) In-text citations and a Works Cited page or section are required for the short paper. (MLA format Works Cited is in addition to 4-6 pages of student text; please number the pages.) Correct citation and bibliographic format are required. Standard margins and 12 point font are expected. The paper should present an introduction with a thesis and statement of the main points. A summary of the TEXTS should be included. Additional facts about the author may be included with appropriate citations to sources. The paper should use quotes and summaries of significant events in the novel/play to support student statements.

The paper is due Week Six.

Course Survey: Students will be asked to complete a course survey Week Fourteen. This is a required aspect of the course although it is not graded and does not affect student grades. Students must complete the survey to access the final weeks of the course, Weeks Fifteen and Sixteen. Students who do not complete the survey will not be able to hand in final papers. (Sorry to have to resort to these measures, but when the survey has been voluntary, too few students have responded to make it meaningful.)

Final Research Paper: Students will write a 10-12 page research paper on a topic generated from the course readings on the course TEXTS (ten full pages are required.) In-text citations and a Works Cited page are required for the final paper—even in draft form. (In other words, all drafts of the final paper must include in-text citations and a Works Cited page; the drafts will be considered incomplete without both.) The paper should be typed and double-spaced with page numbers at the bottom of each page. Standard margins and 12 point font are expected. MLA or APA citations required. 15 sources must be used in the paper; five of those sources must be hard copy—books, magazines—not on-line sources. Plagiarism should be avoided since it will result in course failure. The course emphasizes the process of writing a research paper. Therefore, a process must be followed. Any student handing in a paper that was not followed the complete research process (topic, notes, bibliography, outline, drafts, handing in copies of research materials (not in book form), and research log) will fail the course. Students must pass the final paper to pass the course. (Students must be in good standing (i.e. have completed all assignments and have attended class regularly) to be eligible to hand in a final paper.)

The final paper is due Week Fifteen.

Plagiarism (or Cheating):

Please refer to the Student Code of Conduct for information on Plagiarism and Cheating in the Student Handbook. All behavior engaged in with reference to this course is expected to adhere to acceptable forms of college behavior whether through e-mail, asynchronous chat, papers, exams, or the traditional classroom setting. This includes Academic Dishonesty or Plagiarism. According to Community College of Philadelphia’s Cheating and Plagiarism Resolution (1997), “Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of integrity in all their academic work. It is further expected that any written assignment presented by students in fulfillment of course requirements will reflect their own work unless credit is properly given to others. Therefore, students must identify any part of an assignment that uses the words or materials of other people and give credit for the source. Failure to do so is a form of stealing known as plagiarism and is a very serious offense. Plagiarism is defined as the act of appropriating all or part of a literary composition of another person or language of another person and passing them off as one’s own (Black’s Law Dictionary). It may consist of quoting from a source without using quotation marks, transcribing or paraphrasing published material without attribution, or submitting work which has been reproduced or bought from another person. Anyone who assists another in such academic dishonesty is equally responsible.”

EBSCOHost Articles:

CCP’s Library has on-line databases open or accessible to all currently enrolled CCP students. On-line students may access the databases by entering the appropriate user name and password; (passwords change every semester).

The current information is as follows:

user id: semester specific information

password: semester specific information

Tentative Reading and Assignment Schedule:

Week One

Course Orientation

Syllabus and Webstudy Orientation

Plagiarism Assignments (2)

Quiz on the Syllabus

Discussion: Student Introductions

Week Two

Course Introduction

Course Text

Recommended Film based on course text

Mission Statement Essay Assignment (500 word, expository essay)

(Find 10 useful sites)

Discussion

Week Three

EBSCO Host articles

Research Papers

Quiz

Discussion

Week Four

Research Papers

Discussion

Week Five

Research Papers

Discussion

Week Six

Research Papers

Short Paper due

Discussion

Week Seven

EBSCO Host articles

Research Papers

Discussion

Week Eight

EBSCO Host articles

Research Papers

Final paper topic and ideas for analysis

10 source bibliography

Discussion

Week Nine

Notes 25

Research Papers

Discussion

Week Ten

50 notes

Outline

Research Papers

Discussion

Week Eleven

Draft 1 and copies of research materials

Discussion

Week Twelve

Quiz on Final Paper Requirements

Week Thirteen

Draft 2

Discussion

Week Fourteen

Course Survey (required)

Discussion

Week Fifteen

Final Papers due by 7:00 PM

ALL students must also hand in a research log and copies of all research materials

(not in book form) with their final papers.

Films of Interest:

Semester specific references

Books of Interest:

Semester specific references

Please Note:

If you have a disability that may affect your ability to perform or complete assignments

in this course, please inform the instructor and the Center of Disability

immediately. Students who are registered with the Center on Disability must

inform the instructor by the end of the first week of classes if special

accommodations are requested.

Instructors some times need to contact students by phone. If for any reason, you do not

wish to be contacted by phone by the instructor, please inform the instructor of your wishes in the first week of class.

Inappropriate computer use will not be tolerated. Students will be penalized a full letter

grade for any infraction. When students are given computer classroom time to

search for research materials, they should NOT be checking e-mail or searching

sites with no relation to student research projects. (A student with a “C” average

in the course will receive a “D” for one instance of inappropriate computer use; if

the student is caught using the computer inappropriately a second time, the

student’s grade will be lowered again to a “F”.)

Under absolutely no circumstances should students sleep in class; if you are too tired to

pay attention, don’t come to class.

Please do not bring food to class; it is distracting to the instructor and to other students.

Children should not accompany students to class; they are adorably distracting to the

instructor and other students.

Cellular telephones and beepers should be turned off or set at vibrate. Do not use cellular

telephones in class; they are distracting to everyone.

Behavior that is disruptive or disrespectful to other students or the instructor will not be

tolerated. Students displaying such behavior can expect to be asked to leave class

immediately and will be penalized severely.

The standard formula for homework at the college level is for students to expect three

hours of homework for every hour of class; therefore, students should expect to

spend nine hours a week on homework for a standard, introductory, three credit

course and often more in upper level courses.

This syllabus is subject to change; it is each student’s responsibility to keep up with

changes to the syllabus. (Recommended: get the names and telephone numbers

of two willing and responsible students who you can call if you have to be absent). Do not call the instructor to find out if you missed “anything important.” Do not expect the professor to waste class time reviewing what you have missed by absence. You may see me during office hours.

Please make copies of all formal assignments handed in over the course of the semester.

Also note that all multiple page assignments should be stapled.

Late assignments will be accepted only at the discretion of the instructor.

The instructor reserves the right to reproduce anonymously student assignments for

instructional or professional use.

This syllabus and course related materials are the intellectual property of the instructor,

Kathleen Murphey. No parts of this document or course related materials may be

reproduced without the written consent of the instructor.

Local Resources (Please note: these hours do not reflect spring break or special schedules):

Learning Lab: (215) 751-8480

CCP’s Library: (215) 751-8383; Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM; Saturday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM; (On-line Public Access Catalog).

Free Library of Philadelphia: General Information (215) 686-5322; 1901 Vine Street in Philadelphia; visitor access M,T,W 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, Th and F 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Saturday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Sundays (during the school year) 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM; (on-line book catalog: www.library.phila.gov).

Van Pelt Library of the University of Pennsylvania: Reference (215) 898-7555; 34^th and Walnut Streets in Philadelphia; visitor access M-Th 8:30 AM to 10:00 PM and Friday 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM with photo identification; Penn access only to electronic journals (do your locating of article titles, journals, call numbers, etc. before you to through CCP!). (Franklin, on-line catalog, www.library.upenn.edu).

Hagerty Library of Drexel University: Reference (215) 895-2755; 33^rd and Market Streets in Philadelphia; visitor access M-F 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM with photo identification.

Paley Library of Temple University: Reference (215) 204-8212; 13^th and Burk’s Mall (one block north of Montgomery Avenue) in Philadelphia; visitor access M-Th 8:00 AM to Midnight, Friday 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Saturday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Sunday Noon to Midnight with photo identification.

Connelly Library of LaSalle University: (215) 951-1287; 20^th and Olney Avenue in Philadelphia; visitor access M-Th 8:00 AM to Midnight (BUT visitors must arrive before 4:00 PM!), Friday 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Sunday Noon to 4:00 PM.

Francis A. Drexel Library of St. Joseph’s University: Circulation (610) 660-1901; 5600 City Line Avenue in Philadelphia; visitor access M-Th 8:30 AM to Midnight, Friday 8:30 AM to 9:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Sunday Noon to Midnight.

Guttman Library of Philadelphia University (formerly Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science): Circulation (215) 951-2840; 4201 Henry Avenue in Philadelphia; Philadelphia University is a member of the TCLC (Tri-County Library Consortium) as is CCP—this means that CCP students can borrow Philadelphia University books—IF—they have a CCP librarian fill out a form stating they are a CCP student in “good standing” and take the form to the Philadelphia University librarian, Dee Link (usually available to complete this form during the week—it is suggested that you call in advance); visitor access M-Th 8:30 AM to 11:00 PM, Friday 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Saturday Noon to 5:00 PM, and Sunday 1:00 PM to 11:00 PM.