ENGLISH 1302

COMPOSITION II COURSE SYLLABUS


Course Description
ENGL 1302 - English Composition II (3-3-0)        
ENGLISH 1302 is a continuation of English 1301 with emphasis on analysis of readings in fiction. Students will use literary elements to interpret short fiction.        

  English Composition II: ESOL - ENGL 1302 ESOL is the equivalent of ENGL 1302 and is designed to help students who are non-native speakers of English develop the skills they will need to succeed academically.
  English Composition II: Honors - Please contact the Honors Program at 223-6555 or honors@austincc.edu for additional information.
  English Composition II: Self-Paced - This course is designed for students with strong writing skills who can complete the course assignments with only one class meeting per week.

In addition to classes offered on campus, English Composition II is offered via Distance Learning. Distance Learning gives ACC students the opportunity to earn credit through non-traditional courses such as online and hybrid classes. Course content and transferability are identical to classes offered on campus.

Prerequisites
Enrollment in ENGL 1302 requires credit for ENGL 1301, or its equivalent, with at least a grade of C. Professor will verify.

Course Objectives/Rationale
The goals of Composition II are to promote
    1. Critical thinking, reading, and writing within an intercultural context
    2. Clear, coherent, confident, and effective communication
    3. Collaborative learning
    4. Literary analysis

Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of English 1302, students should be able to
    1. Analyze and discuss parts of a short story and show the ways in which they relate to the story as a whole
    2. Write objectively, concisely, and analytically about short stories
    3. Discuss central idea, character, conflict, setting, point of view, language, and tone in a short story
    4. Relate elements of fiction to the short story as a whole

Course Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of English 1302, students should be able to
    1. Think, read, and write critically
    2. Effectively use referential (interpretive/analytical) writing
    3. Critically analyze fiction
    4. Appreciate and understand how the elements of fiction work together

Discipline/Program Student Learning Outcomes
The following outcomes are developed in all English Composition students:

General Education Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the general education component of an Associate's Degree, students will demonstrate competence in:
    1. Critical Thinking - Gathering, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating, and applying information
    2. Cultural Awareness - Comparing, contrasting, and interpreting differences and commonalities among peoples, ideas, aesthetic traditions, and cultural practices
    3. Ethical Reasoning - Identifying and applying ethical principles and practices
    4. Interpersonal Skills - Interacting collaboratively to achieve common goals
    5. Life/Personal Skills - Demonstrating effective learning, creative thinking, and personal responsibility
    6. Technology Skills - Using appropriate technology to retrieve, manage, analyze, and present information
    7. Written, Oral and Visual Communication - Communicating effectively, and adapting to purpose, structure, audience, and medium

Required Texts/Materials
Professors will assign required materials for individual courses. It is the responsibility of the student to acquire required materials.

NOTE: Students must provide their professor with a Composition II File Folder (available in ACC bookstores) for the papers submitted. Professors will keep folders until the end of the following semester. Students are responsible for making copies of any papers they want to keep for their files. Online students are not required to purchase folders.

Instructional Methodology
Individual faculty syllabi will indicate course methodology, which may include lectures, small group activities, use of electronic media, and in-class writing workshops.

Requirements: Papers and Assignments
This course will focus on seven elements of fiction:
    1. central idea
    2. character
    3. conflict
    4. point of view
    5. setting
    6. language
    7. tone
These elements will be incorporated into five to seven writing assignments, varying in length from 200 to 1000 words (for a minimum total of 2500 words) and using either a cumulative or single-element approach. In at least one paper students must demonstrate their mastery of MLA documentation style by using parenthetical documentation and providing a list of works cited that contains at least one source other than the primary source.

The professor may assign a short novel in addition to short story readings. If the professor chooses to exercise this option, students will be required to write at least one analytical paper on the assigned short novel as well.

Professors may also assign
    1. readings
    2. quizzes
    3. multiple drafts
    4. other activities that will affect final grades

Professors will provide specific written guidelines for each assignment and may require part or all of at least one paper to be written under supervision.

Grading
The professor will use one of two systems of grading, or a combination of the two systems.

System 1: ACCEPT/EDIT/REVISE/REWRITE
All students in all sections must receive ACCEPTED on the writing assignments to be eligible to receive a Test Permit to take the Departmental Exam. Additional assignments are required for the grades of B and A.

In System 1, the student's final grade will be determined by the number of papers marked ACCEPTED by the professor.

Each paper will be marked ACCEPTED, EDIT, REVISE, or REWRITE. Students are required to edit, revise, or rewrite their papers until they are accepted. Students may submit only one paper at a time; when one has been accepted, the student may submit the next one. In addition, compliance with the professor's system of deadlines and activities may determine eligibility for a grade of B or A.

ACCEPTED: The paper fulfills the objectives of the assignment and is relatively free of grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors.


EDIT: The paper fulfills the objectives of the assignment but contains errors. Similar errors must be avoided in subsequent papers in order to progress in the course.

REVISE: The paper needs improvement in style, organization, and/or development.

REWRITE: The paper does not fulfill the objectives of the assignment.

B Requirement: To earn a B, a student must receive ACCEPTED on all work for a C plus receive ACCEPTED on one of the following papers. Paper B will be evaluated ACCEPTED or REWRITE only. Rewrite must be on a different story.

(1) Write a well-developed analytical paper focusing on a single element of an assigned short story. Minimum length: 1000 words

(2) Write an evaluative paper (with clearly stated criteria) on an assigned story.
Minimum length: 1000 words

(3) Write a paper according to guidelines provided by the professor.
Minimum length: 1000 words

A Requirement: To earn an A, a student must receive ACCEPTED on all work for both a C and a B plus receive ACCEPTED on one of the following papers. Paper A will be evaluated ACCEPTED or REWRITE only. Rewrite must be on a different story or stories.

(1) Write an analytical paper comparing and contrasting two short stories according to guidelines provided by the professor. The student must emphasize those elements of fiction most important to the central idea.
Minimum length: 1000 words

(2) Following guidelines provided by the professor, write a documented analytical paper based on an assigned short story.
Minimum length: 1000 words

Learning Lab Policy for B and A Papers
Departmental policy allows students to receive only very general assistance writing B and A papers in Composition I and II. Examples of such assistance include pre-writing activities and review of writing principles and of grammar and documentation conventions in response to student questions. In addition, individual professors may prohibit students from seeking specific kinds of assistance on the B and A papers (or any at all). Professors who wish to do so should send a memo to the Learning Labs and stipulate the restriction in class syllabi.

System 2: Letter Grades
Professors will assign letter or number grades to some or all required papers. Students may be given the opportunity to draft and revise required paper assignments one or more times (professors will determine how many times revision will be allowed and how the final grade will be awarded). Students are required to pass the Departmental Exam (see description below) in a Testing Center to exit the course with a minimum grade of C. The professor's grading system will be explained in detail in his or her individual course syllabus.


The Departmental Exam
Students must take the Departmental Exam under supervision in a Testing Center. The student will be given a story to read, and then write a critical analysis of at least 600 words. The professor will provide more detailed instructions about the test, which will be evaluated ACCEPTED or RETEST only. If the student does not pass the Departmental Exam on the first try, he or she may retest once. The paper must identify central idea, discuss three of the elements of fiction, and demonstrate the following:

        • Coherence, analytical thinking, and an understanding of the story
        • Adherence to stylistic, grammatical, and mechanical conventions

Withdrawal Policy
Individual professors will enforce their own withdrawal policies based on progress and attendance. However, it is important to know that The Texas State Legislature has passed a bill stating that students who first enroll in public colleges and universities beginning in Fall 2007 and thereafter may not withdraw from more than six classes during their undergraduate college career. See ACC Student Handbook for further information.

The professor may establish deadlines by which students must complete a specific number of assignments, achieve a specified level of progress, or maintain a required level of attendance in order to remain in a class. If students do not meet the professor's requirements, they may be subject to WITHDRAWAL from the course. It is the student's responsibility to know a professor's withdrawal policies.

Awarding of INCOMPLETE as a Final Grade
Individual professors will have their own policies for granting INCOMPLETE as a final grade. Students should know their professor's policy.

Scholastic Dishonesty
Acts prohibited by the College for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty (e.g., cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work). Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research, or self-expression. Academic work is defined as (but not limited to) tests and quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations; and homework.

Student Freedom of Expression
Each student is strongly encouraged to participate in class. In any classroom situation that includes discussion and critical thinking, there are bound to be many differing viewpoints. These differences enhance the learning experience and create an atmosphere where students and professors alike will be encouraged to think and learn. On sensitive and volatile topics, students may sometimes disagree not only with each other but also with the professor. It is expected that faculty and students will respect the views of others.

Student Rights and Responsibilities
ACC students have the rights accorded by the U.S. Constitution to freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, petition, and association. These rights carry with them the responsibility to accord the same rights to others in the College community and not to interfere with or disrupt the educational process. Opportunity for students to examine and question pertinent data and assumptions of a given discipline, guided by the evidence of scholarly research, is appropriate
in a learning environment. This concept is accompanied by an equally demanding concept of responsibility on the part of the student. As willing partners in learning, students must comply with College rules and procedures.

Enrollment in the College indicates acceptance of the rules set forth in this policy, which is administered through the office of the campus dean of student services. Due process, through an investigation and appeal process, is assured to any student involved in disciplinary action.

General Provisions
The purpose of this policy is to identify the rights and responsibilities of ACC students, to specify acts prohibited and standards of conduct required, and to set a range of appropriate penalties when rules are violated.

Due Process
College disciplinary procedures respect the due process rights of students.

Emergency Action
Provisions are included to protect the College and members of the college community in emergencies and other instances requiring immediate action. Even in such instances, the College will take reasonable steps to provide for due process.

Administration of Discipline
The campus Dean of Student Services or the appropriate faculty administrator shall have primary responsibility for the administration of student discipline. The campus Dean of Student Services works cooperatively with faculty members in the disposition of scholastic violations.

Students with Disabilities
Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes. Students are encouraged to register with OSD three weeks before the start of the semester.

Safety Statement
Austin Community College is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for study and work. You are expected to learn and comply with ACC environmental, health and safety procedures and agree to follow ACC safety policies. Additional information on these can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/ehs.
Because some health and safety circumstances are beyond our control, students should become familiar with the Emergency Procedures poster and Campus Safety Plan map in each classroom. Additional information about emergency procedures and how to sign up for ACC Emergency Alerts to be notified in the event of a serious emergency can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/emergency/.
Please note that students are expected to conduct themselves professionally with respect and courtesy to all. Anyone who thoughtlessly or intentionally jeopardizes the health or safety of another individual will be immediately dismissed from the day's activity, may be withdrawn from the class, and/or barred from attending future activities.

Use of ACC Email
All College email communications will be sent solely to the student's ACCmail account, with the expectation that such communications will be read in a timely fashion. ACC will send important information and will notify students of any College-related emergencies using this account. Students should expect to receive email communication from their professor exclusively through this account. Likewise, students should use their ACCmail account when communicating with professors and staff. Instructions for activating an ACCmail account can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/accmail/index.php.

Testing Center Policy
Under certain circumstances, a professor may have students take an examination in a Testing Center. Students using the Academic Testing Center must govern themselves according to the Student Guide. Students must abide by rules governing use of ACC Testing Centers and should read the Guide before going to take the exam.
To request an exam, one must have:
Do NOT bring cell phones to the Testing Center. Possession of a cell phone in the testing room, whether it is on or off, will revoke the student's testing privileges for the remainder of the semester. ACC Testing Center policies can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/testctr/.

Student and Instructional Services
ACC strives to provide exemplary support to its students and offers a broad variety of opportunities and services. Information on these services and support systems is available at http://www.austincc.edu/s4/.
Links to many student services and other information can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/current/.
ACC Learning Labs provide free tutoring services to all currently enrolled ACC students. The tutor schedule for each Learning Lab may be found at http://www.austincc.edu/tutor/students/tutoring.php.
For help setting up ACCeID, ACCmail, or ACC Blackboard, see a Learning Lab Technician at any ACC Learning Lab.

Last update: August 2014