Course Syllabus

English 1302: Composition 2 

Instructor Information:

{Name}

{Title}

Contact: Use the Canvas Inbox tool, or {contact method}

Contact and Communication Information:

Email messages will be responded to within 24 -48 hours.

Office hours {days and times}

Students are expected to communicate professionally, using only the Canvas Inbox or their TCC email addresses. 

Textbook

This is a TCC-Plus course, which means you have already paid for your textbook and can access it {access method for course materials}

The Norton Introduction to Literature: Shorter 13^th Edition by Kelly J. Mays

Special Materials and Requirements:

This is a fully online class. Students must have regular access to a computer with a stable internet connection. Students must also have access to a back-up, in case of technical issues. Students are permitted to use computers at any TCC campus, or at other sites like public libraries.

Students should make use of their Google or One drives, especially to save and back up major writing assignments.

Suggestions for Online Success

Students should be familiar with and check Canvas Inbox, course announcements, and my.tccd.edu email accounts at least once per day.

Students should log in to Canvas at least once per day.

Student Accessibility Resources (SAR)

Any student with a documented disability needing academic accommodations is required to contact the Student Accessibility Resources (SAR) Office located on each campus to schedule an appointment with the Coordinator of SAR. All discussions are confidential. Because SAR accommodations may require early planning and are not provided retroactively, students are encouraged to contact SAR as early in the semester as possible. SAR is responsible for approving and coordinating all disability-related services. TCC professors will honor requests for accommodation when they are issued by SAR.

Questions and Asking for Help

If you ever feel confused or "behind" in the course, or if you ever feel like you're "not getting it," then email me (anytime!) and we can discuss your questions.

Interpreting literature can be challenging, and so can writing essays - I'm here to guide you through the process and make sure you have an opportunity to learn and engage with the course.

There are three major essays in this class - two on short stories, and a research paper on poetry. Each essay will require a rough draft, careful revision, and a final draft.

This is a fully online class – if you need something, ask! Don’t wait!

Changes

This syllabus, the course policies, and the course calendar are subject to change. Changes will be announced using the “Announcements” feature in Canvas. You are responsible for checking announcements to ensure you’re on track and informed.

Course Focus

The most important thing for you to know is that this class is designed to teach you how to improve your writing and critical thinking skills. Do not worry if you think that you’re not a good writer. All things get better with practice—including your writing skills. We will go through this process together. This document is the district Master Syllabus for the courses, which lists our key learning objectives.

With emphasis on writing as a process, English 1302 includes principles of composition and rhetorical skills necessary for clear, logical writing; an introduction to research; and literary analysis, as well as basic computer competency.

Students should complete this class knowing how to: successfully use the writing process, including prewriting, planning, thesis statement writing, drafting, revising, and editing; demonstrate college-level computer literacy; understand and analyze the rhetorical situation, including audience, purpose, and text; use and improve the use of basic writing conventions; present and work cooperatively; participate in class discussions by contributing valuable information and opinions to the class; adhere to deadlines and course procedures; demonstrate an understanding of literary works and literary devices; conduct literary analysis (respond, evaluate); identify appropriate research topics; locate and reference literary criticism.

Grades

To know your current “grade” or average in this course, consult the column titled “AVERAGE.” This column appears when we are in Lesson 2 or 3.

Essay 1: 10% - Symbol analysis essay, located in Lesson 4

Essay 2: 15% - Fiction analysis essay, located in Lesson 7

Essay 3: 25% - Research essay, located in Lesson 14 - Students will have graded feedback from Essay 1, feedback from writing and research and/or graded feedback from Essay 2 prior to submitting Essay 3

Discussion Boards, Journal Entries, other Assignments: 40% - This includes all work other than final drafts and final exam.

Final Exam: 10% - This includes the discussion board post located in Lesson 15.

Course Policies

All work should be submitted on time: short assignments, discussion boards, journals, essays. etc. Technology issues are not cause for accepting late work. Students who find themselves experiencing major life emergencies should contact me by email prior to a deadline to discuss options regarding assignments. You can always have an extra day to submit an assignment. If you need more than an extra day, please reach out by email so we can make a plan together.

All work will be submitted through Canvas. Emailed assignments will not be accepted. Consult the syllabus, course calendar, and resources folders. Students should check their email and read announcements daily.

Student Accessibility Resources 

Students with disabilities will be fully accommodated, as documented with a letter from a TCC SAR office. Accommodations are not retroactive and begin on the date the student shares the letter with the instructor. More information can be found at their website (https://www.tccd.edu/services/support-services/student-accessibility-resources/).

If you are having trouble or difficulty with the pace, material, expectations, personal matters, or anything else relevant, please communicate with me as soon as the trouble starts. I will work with you to create a plan for success.

Academic Integrity Policy

Plagiarism or Academic Dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. The inclusion of uncited material, whether quoted or paraphrased, will result in the grade of a zero. Cited quotations without quotation marks are considered plagiarism. Copying, cheating, or collusion will result in the grade of a zero. Please consult the Student Handbook, which provides additional information on these topics. Pages 49-63 in your textbook provide definitions, examples, and tips for researching and avoiding plagiarism. If ever in doubt: CITE. If an assignment requires that students not consult outside sources, using any outside sources, including websites, is prohibited.  See additional policy below.

Classroom Expectations

We are a community of learners who will listen to one another, acknowledge each other, and respect one another. We will not all agree; we will all get along. Students may not disrupt our open community of learning with disrespect, rude or assaultive language, personal attacks or profanity. Our class will be a safe space for all learners, no matter what.

If you are having trouble logging in to your email or Canvas, please contact the Help Desk at 817-515-6411.

I strongly encourage you to develop true conversations in the Discussion Board. By this, I mean do not post only enough to meet the minimum word-count. This is your opportunity to debate and discuss with your classmates; it is also an opportunity to ask each other questions. I will be monitoring and participating in discussions and expect more participation than simply trying to meet your word-count obligation

Communication & Discussions

Students are required to participate in class through reading each other’s posts and responding to each other. Students are expected to agree or disagree respectfully, and to base their claims on text-supportable ideas, rather than personal opinions. No personal attacks will be tolerated in our community. ·

All email or IM correspondence should be professional. Begin emails with salutations, ask questions and provide information, and be polite. As with all writing, consider your audience before you begin writing.  

I will usually reply to student emails in 24-hours (during the week, excluding holidays). My office hours are listed above, and during these times I will respond to messages within 15-20 minutes.

MLA Formatting

All your written work that includes quotes, paraphrases, summary or source information should include internal citations and a Works Cited list. You are expected to use MLA format for all citations.

All essays and longer assignments should be formatted according to MLA guidelines.

For information and help with MLA, please consult the “MLA Help” folder in the “Resources” area in our course. If you have questions after checking there, just let me know!

First Steps

What should you do first?

1. Read and download the syllabus. I recommend you print it – but saving it to your compute or Google drive will ensure you can access it.
2. Read and download the course calendar. Same – printing or saving it ensures you can check it frequently. This way, if you’re ever out to dinner or folding laundry and suddenly think “do I have an assignment due today?!” you can quickly check.
3. Send me ( {allegra.davis@my.tccd.edu} ) any questions you have about the syllabus and course calendar.

Students can earn an extra 20 bonus points on their introductory discussion board assignment by sending me an email during the first week of class. This email should include a hello, a question, and something you’d like me to know about you. To qualify, your email subject line should be “First Steps #3” and the body of your email should include the course and section number (ENGL 1302-860??)

4. Go through the links on the left to see what is accessible to you as part of this course.
5. Begin lesson 0 (in the Lessons link). Each lesson has a checklist of things to do, and the calendar has deadlines for each lesson.
6. Feel free to reach out to me or your classmates with questions.

Additional Policies

All faculty at Tarrant County College are designated as a "Responsible Employee" and are required to report Sexual Misconduct. State law requires all faculty and staff to report sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking against a student or employee to the Title IX Coordinator. TCC cares about the safety of our employees and students and has created this notice because interpersonal violence and sex discrimination in all forms are unacceptable. TCC is committed to holding perpetrators accountable and keeping reporting parties safe. Student's privacy is of utmost importance and TCC will strive to protect your privacy to the extent possible while complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations as well as TCC policy.

Students who desire that details of the incident be kept confidential have two options. (1): request to speak with a licensed counselor at a TCC campus (service available free to students), or (2): contact an off-campus rape crisis center.

TCC Connect Campus Plagiarism Policy

TCC Connect Campus prohibits cheating, collusion, plagiarism, and self-plagiarism. The College definitions (according to the Student Handbook) are below. Our campus definition for self-plagiarism is the act of re-submitting or re-using work previously written and/or submitted for another course, or another section of the same course. Students cannot re-submit essays or other written works that have been turned in during previous semesters, regardless of whether that work was written for the same course. The penalty for self-plagiarism shall be the same as the penalty assigned by the instructor for other acts of academic dishonesty. Those penalties can include a failing grade on the assignment and a written report. Penalties for multiple academic integrity violations includes failing the course, additional documentation, and reporting the student to the department Assistant Dean or Dean.

Tarrant County College Student Handbook Guidelines

The term “Cheating” includes, but is not limited to: (1) use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or examinations; (2) use of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems, or carrying out other assignments; (3) the acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic material belonging to a member of the College faculty or staff; or (4) engaging in any behavior specifically prohibited by a faculty member in the course syllabus.

The term “Plagiarism” includes, but is not limited to, the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment. It also includes the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of term papers or other academic material.

Scholastic Penalties - The assignment of a failing grade on an assignment or examination or in a course by an instructor based on scholastic dishonesty including cheating, collusion and plagiarism committed by a student. The instructor will submit a written report of the incident and of the planned action to the instructor’s dean.

Resources from TCC Libraries

Click this link for a libguide about avoiding plagiarism

Click this link for a tutorial on plagiarism