ENGLISH COLLEGE COMPOSITION II

GENERAL EDUCATION STATEMENT

This course fulfills a General Education and Core Curriculum requirement at the University of
Toledo.

COURSE/CATALOG DESCRIPTION

Reading and analyzing documents from specific disciplines to synthesize results from multiple perspectives and produce disciplinarily appropriate writing from your research. A significant focus on academic argument and advanced research writing skills included. Discipline-specific sections offered. Web enhanced. Critical reading and research papers required.

PREREQUISITES AND COREQUISITES

Students are eligible for ENGL 1130 after successfully completing ENGL 1010/1110: College Composition I with a grade of C or better, or through obtaining Composition I credit via test score, portfolio, or transfer. Students who do not have credit for Composition I should contact the course instructor immediately for next steps.

1. Display ability to recognize context, audience, and purpose by understanding the writing assignment and creating a thesis that establishes claims for both a main argument and intermediate arguments that support it.
2. Display a strong understanding of how task, content, and genre work together in developing ideas in a text.
3. Be able to distinguish between background, primary, and secondary research sources, and use those sources appropriate for the genre in which they are writing and the audience for whom they are writing.
4. Use at least two different citation styles and identify the disciplines for which they are appropriate. Display ability to use correct citation, footnotes, endnotes, and other documentation tools.
5. Demonstrate the ability to work with advanced writing skills, such as synthesis, analysis, and summary, while incorporating appropriate organizational structures.

TEACHING STRATEGIES

Our class is primarily discussion and activity-based; be prepared to discuss course readings and assignments and participate in class discussions. The lecture format will be used when necessary. Class activities include group discussion, in-class writing exercises, workshops, peer review, and use of the internet. Readings from the course texts and other sources are required. Assignments will include essays, reading responses, and smaller assignments that provide opportunities to learn and develop skills and strategies needed for the major projects. We will use Blackboard for multiple activities including assignment submission and will be using the internet for research and course work. The class will not be recorded.

TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS

Blackboard is required for this course.
Students must compose all essays in Microsoft Word and submit them electronically on Blackboard. I will not accept Google Docs or other formats. All course documents, including the course syllabus, handouts, and other important course information, will be posted on Blackboard. Course announcements will be made on the Blackboard course home page.
Students are responsible for consulting the Blackboard course homepage frequently to keep current on course announcements. Course documents will be posted on Blackboard. You are responsible for consulting Blackboard and your UT rockets email frequently (I suggest daily) to keep current on course announcements and information.
Please visit the University of Toledo Software Center for free IT software, including the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)

ATTENDANCE POLICIES

INSTITUTIONAL CLASSROOM ATTENDANCE POLICY

Please be aware that the university has implemented an attendance policy, which requires faculty to verify student participation in every class a student is registered at the start of each new semester/course. For this course, if you have not attended/participated in class (completed any course activities or assignments) within the first 14 days, I am required by federal law to report you as not attended. Unfortunately, not attending/participating in class impacts your eligibility to receive financial aid, so it is VERY important that you attend class and complete coursework in these first two weeks. Please contact me as soon as possible to discuss options and/or possible accommodations if you have any difficulty completing assignments within the first two weeks.

CONTINUING ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION

This course meets on Tuesday and Thursday on campus. You are expected to attend the entire class. Even after the first two weeks of the semester, attendance is expected, and I will take attendance every day. The University’s Missed Class Policy explains the university’s attendance expectations. You may miss a total of 3 classes, no questions asked. Excused or otherwise missing two consecutive weeks of class or reaching 4 total absences will require a conference with me. Please keep in mind that students who have 5 or more unexcused absences will receive a 10% deduction to their earned final grade for each missing absence. For example, 10% off the earned final grade will be deducted for missing 5 classes, 20% will be deducted for missing 6 classes, etc. Absences, excused or otherwise, do not remove the requirement to meet the course expectations.

INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM STATEMENT

In this class, we will work together to develop a learning community that is inclusive and respectful. Our diversity may be reflected by differences in race, culture, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, socioeconomic background, and a myriad of other social identities and life experiences. We will encourage and appreciate expressions of different ideas, opinions, and beliefs so that conversations and interactions that could potentially be divisive turn, instead, into opportunities for intellectual and personal development.

COMMUNICATION GUIDELINES

Students are expected to check their UT email accounts daily for possible course information.

• Before emailing with a question, review the syllabus and relevant assignment instructions and handouts for the information on Blackboard or the course website. If you don’t see the information, you need or need further clarification, I’m happy to help.
• Include a meaningful Subject in your email—messages without a Subject may end up in the Spam folder.
• Address the recipient of your email (Hello Professor Pippin, or similar), introduce yourself, and identify the course you are in: “This is Jamie Doe from ENGL 1110-026” or similar (I teach several sections of Composition)
• Send emails only from your Rockets email account.
• I do not accept assignments via email. All assignments will have a Blackboard drop box.
• I check my email daily M-F and sporadically on weekends. On the rare occasion that I miss your email, or it ends up in the Spam folder, please send a polite follow-up if you have not received a response within 48 hours. Send assignment questions at least 24 hours before an applicable due date and time.
• On occasion, if your email does not require a written response, I will acknowledge it with a “like” notification in Outlook.
• Write your emails in a professional manner—a text message is a different genre—and close with your name. If you are unsure of academic email etiquette, reviewing Email Guidelines for Students will help.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

Representing the work of another as your own is plagiarism. Submitting someone else’s work as your own is dishonest and a violation of the University Student Code of Conduct. Please view the university’s Academic Dishonest Policy. Examples of intentional plagiarism include:

• Having someone or AI write your entire paper or a portion of it, even if you paid for it.
• Having someone or AI give you substantial help with the substance of your paper.
• Using words, thoughts, and/or ideas of another person or AI in without giving appropriate credit.
• Copying information from sources without giving credit.
• Submitting the same paper for more than one course without instructor approval.
• Special note about AI (ChatGPT and similar): there are both ethical/acceptable ways and reasons to use AI, and unethical/dishonest ways and reasons. We will discuss this in class.

Occurrences of plagiarism and the use of AI will require a conference with me, after which I will determine a course of action. This may result in your inability to pass the class, a report to the College, or both. At a minimum, you will not earn credit for the assignment or will be required to redo it.

GRADING

MIDTERM GRADE

The University requires midterm grades. It is important to note that midterm grades at UT are informational only – they do not appear on transcripts, nor are they used in GPA calculations. Your midterm grade is calculated based on the work you have submitted by our class midterm deadline.

GRADING SCALE AND FINAL GRADE

Final grades of A-F are issued for this course. The course grading scale is as follows:
A = 93-100%; A- = 90-92%; B+ = 88-89%; B = 83-87%; B- = 80-82%; C+ = 78-79%; C = 73-77%; C- =
70-72%; D+ = 68-69%; D = 63-67%; D- = 60-62%; F= less than 60%

ASSIGNMENTS AND LATE WORK

ESSAY PROPOSALS, AND LETTERS

Students will receive credit for completing proposals, submitting complete drafts on time and participating in peer review workshops and conferences, as appropriate. You must complete all essays and letters, or you cannot pass the class. These grades will also reflect the quality of your work and the degree to which it fulfills the assignment. Students must revise their research essays based on the feedback from conference(s). For essays that do not require conferences, revision is optional. You are not guaranteed a higher grade on the revision—your grade will hinge on the degree to which you successfully address my comments on the draft. If you receive a C or lower, you must schedule a meeting with me or at the Writing Center. Please have the consultant email me a session report.

STUDENT SERVICES

ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS

The University of Toledo embraces the inclusion of students with disabilities. We are committed to ensuring equal opportunity and seamless access for full participation in all courses. For students who have an Accommodations Memo from the Office of Accessibility and Disability Resources, I invite you to correspond with me as soon as possible so that we can communicate confidentially about implementing accommodations in this course. For students who have not established accommodations with the Office of Accessibility and Disability Resources and are experiencing disability access barriers or are interested in a referral to health care resources for a potential disability, please connect with the office by calling 419.530.4981 or sending an email to [email protected].

• The University of Toledo Title IX (Sexual Misconduct) Policy
• Nondiscrimination Policy
• Nondiscrimination Policy on the Basis of Disability—Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance
• The University Student Code of Conduct
• University Academic Policies
• Additional Student Policies

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

The following are campus student services that you may find helpful:

• WRITING CENTER
• INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
• COUNSELING CENTER
• CAMPUS SAFETY
• STUDENT SUCCESS AND SUPPORT HOW-TO
• CAREER SERVICES
• TRIO STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
• STUDENT AFFAIRS
• UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
• LEARNING ENHANCEMENT SERVICES