South Dakota State University s2

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY Generic Syllabus—do not print English 201: Composition II 3 credits, Internet

Lisa Madsen, West Hall 121 office: 688-6002 hours: email: [email protected] home:

“The best service a book can render you is not to impart truth, but to make you think it out for yourself.” --Elbert Hubbard, The Note Book of Elbert Hubbard

I. COURSE DESCRIPTION

CATALOG DESCRIPTION The South Dakota State University Bulletin Quarterly: Undergraduate Programs, 2011-2012 provides the following overview of English 201: “Study of and practice in writing persuasive prose, with the aim to improve writing skills in all disciplines” (263).

ADDITIONAL COURSE DESCRIPTION This course will provide instruction so that students can succeed at the following:  Write with sincerity about a number of complex, relevant subjects.  Employ rhetoric for vivid and effective expression.  Demonstrate a clear command of formal, written Standard English.  Demonstrate improving vocabulary.  Evaluate one's own work as well as that of others.  Recognize and analyze informal, contemporary usages of non-Standard English.  Identify voices of diversity (cultural, racial, gender) and explain the importance of diversity in language and literature.  Conduct academic research to the University information literacy standard.  Employ all of the above to THINK and WRITE CRITICALLY.

II. COURSE PREREQUISITES

PREVIOUS COURSES/EXPERIENCE Students must pass English 101 before enrolling in English 201.

TECHNOLOGY SKILLS To successfully complete the work for this course, students will need basic word processing skills as well as library/technology research skills. Students will also need to navigate basic tools of D2L; manage, upload, and download Word files; and correctly name and link websites into D2L.

III. COURSE REQUIREMENTS SDSU Internet English201 Madsen 2 posts throughout all of the Peer Reviews Forums REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS and should (recommended) read all of the  Pearson. Mercury Reader: A Custom document models in that forum as well. Publication, 1st edition, 2011 (paperback)  Lunsford. The St. Martin’s Handbook for South MAKE-UP WORK Dakota State University, 7th edition, 2011  University-approved absences must be (paperback) addressed by the student in advance of the absence so the best alternative plan may be STRONGLY RECOMMENDED implemented for the student and, as relevant, Your work will, in part, involve careful inspection his or her group members. Students must of the origins and meanings of words, so you will deliver trip cards in person to my office, need a current dictionary. Find one with during office hours (or via appointment) and 1 etymologies. week in advance of the absence.  Unexcused make-up work for Discussion is not IMPORTANT DATES allowed. Instruction begins  Unexcused make-up work for essays and Last day to drop or add other work is penalized 10% for every “W” grade begins weekday late. First half of term ends  Note that deadlines for coursework are very Last day to drop a course strict. Final exams INSTRUCTOR AVAILABILITY SDSU LINKS I check my D2L email and the course discussions daily See your Course Home page SDSU Resources on weekdays and on most weekend days. Please menu for University-level links for student contact me via D2L email (not my SDSU Outlook email) support, etc. See also the D2L Links in the gold if you have an individual question, or use the navigation bar for sites you may want to use Discussions tool Student Questions Forum for regularly to support the course. questions that other students may also have.

COURSE DELIVERY INSTRUCTOR RESPONSE TIME The entire course will run online, asynchronously-- Students can expect a response to emails within 24 i.e., you will not have to be online at any particular hours on weekdays and 48 hours on weekends and time, affording you greater scheduling freedom. holidays. Work will be evaluated, graded and returned Assignment deadlines are 11:55 p.m. on their within a week or less of deadlines. given days. ENGLISH DEPARTMENT PLAGIARISM POLICY: ATTENDANCE POLICY CONCERNING HONESTY IN ACADEMIC WRITING “The English Department announces herewith that it LOG-IN REQUIREMENTS will not tolerate plagiarism—representing another’s Students should "attend" class by contributingwork as one’s own—in any form. Students must abide to Discussion Questions (DQs) on a minimum by the principles governing academic research and of 3 days each week, Monday-Thursday. A writing, the first and foremost of which is honesty. "contribution" is met by submitting either an Students who willfully violate this principle will fail the “Initial” post or a “Reply” to another student's assignment and the course. They also will report to posting. Note additionally that some Dropbox the Dean of Student Affairs and face possible expulsion assignments may be due on Sundays, but from the university. attendance is never required on weekends if Willful violation of this principle includes the following: said assignments are submitted early. See  Submitting another student’s essay or one more on DQs in the Course Outline. Missed that is essentially the same as another deadlines and failure to meet DQ student’s essay as your own. Both students requirements will result in a reduction of will fail the assignment and the course. points at the end of the semester. Students must (required) read ALL Discussions posts in  Submitting an essay that you have procured DQs, Daily, and Student Questions Forums. online or from a commercial supplier of Students must (required) read all of MY essays. SDSU Internet English201 Madsen 3  Incorporating material from sources— Gaining factual knowledge. data, analysis, organization—without Learning to apply course material. providing appropriate documentation. Developing creative capacities (writing, inventing,  Fabricating sources or information.” designing, performing in art, music, drama, etc.). Developing skill in expressing myself orally or in writing. IV. COURSE GOALS AND STUDENT Learning how to find and use resources for answering LEARNING OUTCOMES questions or solving problems. Learning to analyze and critically evaluate ideas, SYSTEM GENERAL EDUCATION GOALS arguments, and points of view.

Goal #1: “Students will write effectively and ENGLISH DEPARTMENT OBJECTIVES FOR MAJOR responsibly and will understand and interpret the ESSAYS written expression of others.” Students will demonstrate skills in the following:  Plan Your Essay STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES o Choose a subject and narrow it so 1. “Write using standard American English, that you can develop it sufficiently including correct punctuation, grammar, and within the limits of the assignment. sentence structure.” o Create a plausible, cogent argument 2. “Write logically.” —and explicit thesis—by fairly and 3. “Write persuasively, using a variety of thoroughly exploring your subject rhetorical strategies (e.g., expository, and your audience’s assumptions argumentative, descriptive).” about it. 4. “Incorporate formal research and  Organize Your Essay documentation into their writing, including o Sequence the points of your essay research obtained through modern, clearly, coherently, and persuasively technology-based research tools.” —making apparent to readers the logical progression of ideas both Goal #7: “Students will recognize when within and between paragraphs and information is needed and have the ability to the relation of those ideas to your locate, organize, critically evaluate, and effectively thesis. use information from a variety of sources with o Begin and conclude your essay in intellectual integrity.” engaging and thought-provoking While working on your research, you should make ways. use of SDSU Briggs Library’s online review guide at  Support Your Essay

Information Evaluation (sdstate.edu/library > o Marshal details, examples, facts, and Research Assistance >Information Evaluation). plausible conjectures to develop and to substantiate your claims. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES  Use Language Precisely, Correctly, and 1. “Determine the extent of information Effectively needed.” o Seek out the appropriate word in a “ 2. Access the needed information effectively and given context. efficiently.” o Abide by grammatical rules and 3. “Evaluate information and its sources recognized standards of formal critically.” usage, but also determine which 4. “Use [researched] information effectively to occasions and contexts might accomplish a specific purpose.” warrant departing from such rules 5. “Use information in an ethical and legal and usage. manner.”  Revise and Polish Your Essay o Re-conceive and restructure the argument, and gather and deploy more effective evidence; IDEA LEARNING OBJECTIVES o Edit and proofread. SDSU Internet English201 Madsen 4 Discussion tool: To benefit from considering others’ As articulated in the English Department student points of view and evaluating peer writing, students guidelines for Advanced Composition, students will conduct at least one peer review for each major should enter this class with the ability to avoid essay. These will be structured around the Major such grammar/syntax errors as incorrect spelling, Elements of Writing (see D2L Content). sentence fragments, misplaced modifiers, faulty agreement, vague pronoun reference, mixed DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (DQs) metaphors, faulty parallelism, shifts in person or Discussion tool: To learn actively and demonstrate tense, and fused and run-on sentences. understanding of course content, students will Therefore, we will not spend extensive class time participate in online discussions to ask and answer studying these prescriptive conventions. Use SMH questions of one another, explore core content areas, to review as needed (noting “The Top Twenty” analyze reading assignments, offer observations and most common errors guide on p. 1-12 as a starting analyses from your own experiences, write point). collaboratively, and peer review essays.

V. DESCRIPTION OF INSTRUCTIONAL NON-GRADED PRACTICE ITEMS METHODS The St. Martin’s Handbook Online: Students should use the textbook companion site This course follows a reading, lecture (written), (http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/smhandbook7e/#t_ discussion, and application format. Methods of 623495____) for self-guided, individual review and evaluation will involve discussion forum practice. You will find examples and models that contributions, group work, and drafting and maintain a current, pragmatic and application-based revising essays. See Course Outline for more (in that you will be able to put our course material into details. practice) perspective. You will also find practice quizzes associated with each unit and content area. METHODS OF LEARNING For access, simply create a student account. Always log in and enter my SDSU Outlook email address active reading and critical thinking collaboration on research ([email protected]) if you take quizzes, just so I extensive writing and revising* peer assessment have access to your optional practice efforts. These do lecture (written) out-of-class analysis of formal and informal language not directly affect your grades, but of course, the more discussion (written) film and other media analysis you engage and practice, the more you learn. practice quizzes online information technology literacy review *Students should generate approximately 20 typed pages of discourse (as translated from theVI. EVALUATION PROCEDURES 5,000-word English Department requirement), which you will account for through writing 3 major MAJOR VALUE POINT INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT typed essays and revised, edited discussion posts. CATEGORIES S Essay 1 23% 10 Topic Proposal 20 Outline Course content reading and discussions will 200 Final Draft explore the fundamentals of classical rhetoric, Essay 2 21% 10 Timeline critical thinking, informal contemporary American 200 Final Draft languages, rhetoric of the public sphere, issues of Essay 3 22% 20 Outline diversity, education, cultural influences on 200 Final Draft language (and language's influences on cultures), Discussion Posting 22% 10 Personal Introduction Posting the electronic word, general semantics, a variety 210 DQs (14 weeks x 15 points per week) of real-world samples of word usage, and/or other Discussion Reading 3% 30 All or nothing points at end of semester topics which arise during the semester. Peer Reviews 9% 90 30 points per essay TOTALS 100% 1000 MAJOR ESSAYS Dropbox: The course structure follows three major units with corresponding revised essays: research, narrative, and exposition. Essay topics PERFORMANCE STANDARDS/GRADING POLICY will draw from and relate to the above-described The final letter grade allocations are as follows: course content. A 90-100% B 80-89% PEER REVIEWS C 70-79% SDSU Internet English201 Madsen 5 D 60-69%  insufficient explanation and synthesis of ideas F 0-59%  unexamined, clichéd thinking MAJOR ESSAYS RUBRIC: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT  inadequate substantiation of claims STANDARDS  poor, hard-to-follow organization The grade of “A” (“exceptional”*) designates that  numerous errors in usage an essay demonstrates the following:  numerous errors in grammar and punctuation  an excellent command of subject matter  numerous errors in MLA format and  a clear explanation and synthesis of ideas documentation  independent thought The grade of “F” (“failure”) designates that an essay  thorough and persuasive substantiation demonstrates the following: of claims  a majority of the qualities of a “D” essay, but  clear and effective organization to a degree unacceptable in college-level writing  precise, correct, and effective usage  a failure to follow or complete the assignment  correct grammar and punctuation * Terms quoted within parentheses appear in South  correct use of MLA format and Dakota State University General Catalog: 2011-2012 documentation (23). The grade of “B” (“above average”) designates that an essay demonstrates the following: VII. STUDENT SUPPORT  a reasonable command of subject matter  a capacity for explanation and synthesis WINTRODE STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER of ideas, though it is not fully realized SDSU's Writing Center provides assistance in review of  a capacity for independent thought, the fundamentals of grammar, structure, etc. Located though it is not fully realized at the Wintrode Center, the Writing Center is open  sufficient substantiation of claims from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday and from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Friday. Call 688-6559 to  mostly clear and effective organization schedule an appointment. Depending upon availability  mostly precise, correct, and effective of tutors, walk-ins are also welcome. I encourage usage everyone to take advantage of this free service to  mostly correct grammar and punctuation students.  mostly correct use of MLA format and documentation HILTON M. BRIGGS LIBRARY The grade of “C” (“average”) designates that an Briggs Library offers a full range of assistance to essay demonstrates the following: students, both on campus and online (at state.edu/library). The Briggs site includes a  an adequate command of subject matter comprehensive list of guidelines for the University  some weakness or inconsistency in its standards for information literacy. The Briggs Library explanation and synthesis of ideas staff is an excellent resource for any research  relative absence of independent thought questions as well as for especially difficult research  inconsistent substantiation of claims tasks or for rare documents or information, with  significant lapses in organization librarians available on campus and online. Briggs also maintains an open, rotating schedule of sessions  significant lapses in usage addressing both review and specialized topics.  significant lapses in grammar and punctuation DISABILITY SERVICES  significant lapses in MLA format and “Any student who feels s/he may need an documentation accommodation based on the impact of a disability The grade of “D” (“lowest passing grade”) should contact Nancy Hartenoff-Crooks, Coordinator of designates that an essay demonstrates the Disability Services (605-688-4504 or Fax, 605-688- following: 4987) to privately discuss your specific needs. The  an inadequate command of subject Office of Disability Services is located in room 065 in matter the University Student Union.” Academic Affairs, July 2011 SDSU Internet English201 Madsen 6

FREEDOM IN LEARNING “Students are responsible for learning the content of any course of study in which they are enrolled. Under Board of Regents and University policy, student academic performance shall be evaluated solely on an academic basis and students should be free to take reasoned exception to the data or views offered in any courses of study. Students who believe that an academic evaluation is unrelated to academic standards but is related instead to judgment of their personal opinion or conduct should first contact the instructor of the course. If the student remains unsatisfied, the student may contact the department head and/or dean of the college which offers the class to initiate a review of the evaluation.” Academic Affairs, March 2011