UNION COUNTY COLLEGE ENG 102-303 Summer 1 2009 English Composition I Dr. Susannah Chewning Office: H-125 (Cranford Campus) Office Hours by appointment Voice Mail: (908) 709-7182 e-mail: chewning@ucc.edu

Click here for special online instructions!   Click here for the syllabus

Course Description: Second half of a two-semester sequence, which focuses on the continued development of the student’s skill in writing expository prose as well as an introduction to literature.  Prerequisite: ENG 089, if needed; ENG 101.

Course Objectives: by the end of the semester students will

• explore and think critically about literature and its impact on themselves and society as a whole

• develop the ability to analyze literary works

• continue to develop skill in writing and critical thinking

• relate individual literary works to ethical, social, personal, and diversity issues in society

• demonstrate computer literacy using the Internet and sending material electronically

• demonstrate information literacy as agreed upon by the English Department

• identify and discuss the ethical dimensions in literary works

• produce a well-defined thesis on a topic pertinent to the course and develop it into an effective and well-organized essay

• conduct effective research on their chosen topics, using both Library and Internet resources.

• identify and correct errors in mechanics and develop a clear and readable style

Choose one of these

two books by Diana Hacker

Required Texts:

Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. New York: New Directions, 1999.

Either of the two handbooks by Diana Hacker: A Pocket Style Manual.  5th ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2008 or A Writer's Reference, 6th ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007.  Additional support is available at http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc.

Special online Instructions:

Any student enrolled in this class must be aware of the basic requirements for completing her work.  The equipment requirements are explained at http://www.ucc.edu/DistanceEducation/Start/default.htm -- it is very important that you take a minute and make sure that you have the required equipment.  A lot of students have trouble posting assignments to ANGEL, but it is a requirement for this course.  After the first assignment, which is due on Thursday, September 6th, I will not accept any papers sent to me via UCC or ANGEL email except for revisions.  You must familiarize yourself with the requirements for uploading your papers as Word documents to the ANGEL Assignments page as soon as possible in order to get credit for all papers that you complete.  Instructions can be found at on the FAQ page at http://www.ucc.edu/DistanceEducation/Start/default.htm.

Course Requirements:  Please see my policy handout for basic class policies.

Attendance. Since this is an on-line course, there is no attendance policy.  However, your participation in the course is very important.  I will check your status frequently to see that you are logging on to the class website; I will give individual and group assignments that must be posted to the website frequently.  You must do your assignments on time -- over the course of the whole semester, not all at once.  Late assignments will not be accepted -- no exceptions.

Office Hours. My office hours are Tuesday and Thursday, 3pm-4pm.  You can reach me by phone in my office at those times.  You are also welcome to come to campus and meet with me in person by appointment.

Reading Assignments. Please make sure you read all assignments on time. You are responsible for turning in responses to at least two of the assigned readings each week, which will include a personal response and an on-line discussion question.

Responses to the readings. These responses should total at least one hundred words. They must be e-mailed by the date they are due -- late responses will not be accepted.  Please note that there are some essays assigned for which no response is due.  You can still turn one in for extra-credit. 

Note on research: By the conclusion of the semester, all students who pass this course will have demonstrated, in at least one substantial graded essay, that they understand the fundamentals of research. This will include doing basic research, being able to evaluate sources and citing at least three of these sources in the proper MLA style in the graded essay. Some of these sources must be electronic, including but not necessarily limited to the Internet. Students must pass this essay with a grade of C or higher, and students will not be allowed to pass it unless they can adequately demonstrate their ability in this area to quote and integrate multiple sources.

Papers. Topics will be discussed in greater detail on ANGEL. All revisions are due before June 29th. Keep all your papers in a portfolio so we can discuss them together. All papers must conform to the MLA style of documentation and format. Late papers will not be accepted. Any paper turned in after its due date and time must be submitted on the revision link for that paper. Late papers cannot be revised.

Breakdown of Grades: Participation 25%; Responses and research 25%; Formal Papers 50%.

Grading Scale: 100-92 A; 91-87 B+; 86-82 B; 81-77 C+; 76-72 C; 71-67 D+; 66-62 D; below 62 F.  Please see grade explanation attached.  Please note that Union County College does not permit the assignment of minus final grades (such as A-, B-, or C-), so I will try not to give such grades on your work.

Grading and Revisions: When I return a paper to you, it will either have a grade or I will have written “revise for a grade.” If the grade is a B- or lower, or if it says “revise for a grade,” it may be revised ONCE. When I read and evaluate a paper for the first time I will carefully edit it and make suggestions for improvement in grammar, organization and content. Any subsequent versions of the paper will include a grade if it is not in further need of revision; if it requires further revision I will again write revise for a grade, but I will not have edited to the same degree that I did the first draft. Before you revise a paper, please discuss it with me so you can make a more complete revision. I cannot accept a second revision that we have not discussed first. Please be aware that you cannot revise a paper for which you have received a grade of F if it has been plagiarized. You are also not allowed to revise late papers; when you turn it in late you are using up your chance to revise. The final deadline for all revisions is June 29th.

Grammar: Much of your study of grammar rules will be independent. I strongly recommend A Pocket Style Manual or A Writer's Reference (both by Diana Hacker) and the use of their on-line resources at http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc. As I evaluate your papers, you should read the sections of this text that apply to the corrections I have suggested.  We may have occasional grammar quizzes. A good way to study for them is to keep track of your grammatical weaknesses (as I point them out to you in your writing) and study from the corrections you have made on your papers. We will mainly discuss grammar individually as I respond to your writing. 

Plagiarism and Academic Integrity: The first instance of plagiarism or cheating of any kind will result in the failure of the assignment. A second instance of academic dishonesty will result in failure of the class and possible censure (including suspension or dismissal from the College) from the Office of the Dean of Student Services. Plagiarized papers cannot be revised. Please see the attached handout for more specific expectations

How to reach me: on voice mail at (908) 709-7182; by e-mail at chewning@ucc.edu; on ANGEL at http://ucconline.ucc.edu; by regular mail at UCC.

Schedule of Assignments & Important Dates: All assignments are in The Mercury Reader unless otherwise indicated.

ENG 102-303 English II                                                                                                              Paper Topics

Please note that all papers must be typed and must conform in format to the MLA System of Documentation and Style.  Late papers will not be accepted.  I also cannot accept faxed or e-mailed papers.  There is a computer lab in the library; if your computer or printer at home stops working, you can always print it there.  If you have to turn in a paper late, please submit it to the link on ANGEL.  If you turn in a paper early, please bring it to class.  ANGEL is only for late papers and missed classes.

Short Assignment due on The Glass Menagerie, due May 31:  This will be a brief, one-page paper in which you discuss a character from The Glass Menagerie using Tennessee Williams’ biography to develop your discussion.  Approximately 300 words.

Paper 1, due June 7:  Choose one of the following; minimum 750 words:

a.  Write a paper discussing your response to a theme, issue, topic, or character in Tennessee Williams' play, The Glass Menagerie.  The paper should be based on an idea or interest you have in the play and how that idea is expressed or addressed in the play.  Do not summarize the plot or give me a first-person review -- you should take a section of the play or an idea and interpret and explain it in detail, quoting extensively from the text.  You do not have to include secondary research in the paper, but you can if you would like to – just be careful to cite all sources and include a Works Cited page.

b.  Write a paper discussing two or more of Emily Dickinson’s poems.  You can compare them or write about their overall meaning s and themes.  You may also include some material about Dickinson’s life if you want to, but remember: no Wikipedia, and cite all sources carefully.

c.  Write a comparison/contrast (minimum of 750 words) of two works—two stories, two poems, or one of each—that we have read so far.  We will discuss the format in class.

Paper 2, due June 18:  Write a paper about Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God.  Complete assignment details available on ANGEL; click here for topics.  Minimum of 900 word and at least two additional sources besides the novel required.

Paper 3, due July 2:  Research paper, a minimum of 1,200 words.

This paper will be either an author biography in which you discuss how the author’s life affected his or her work (we will discuss this online) or an argumentative paper in which you discuss some aspect of literature, an author, a text (or group of texts), or a genre.  In either case you need to include a thesis and an opinion which your paper will support.  This is a research paper.  You must use at least four secondary sources (Literature Resource Center, Literary Reference Center, LION, Lexis-Nexis, actual books, journals, films and CD-ROMs). If you use a website, it must be in addition to these other resources.  Only use websites that end with .edu, .gov, or.org.  A sample author biography is available on my webpage.