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Syllabus, English 1002G
Spring Semester, 2012 Michael Kuo Catalog Description of Course A writing course designed to improve skills in critical thinking and analytical expression based on the reading of literary texts. Prerequisite: English 1001C. Books & Materials The handbook and dictionary you received from the Textbook Library, and online documents TBA. Classroom and Online Components About two-thirds of our classes will be met in the classroom, where we will have discussions about literary texts we have read. You will be tested on the concepts we discuss in these classes; there will be an intensive, essay-based midterm and a similar final. Occasionally I will lecture, but discussion will be the norm. Therefore I will expect you to come to class prepared; if you haven't read the assignment and aren't prepared to discuss it, I may ask you to leave. Nothing creates a bigger impediment to class discussions than unprepared students. I will also expect you to bring a printed and marked up copy of the day's reading assignment. Your marks should include indications of anything you need help understanding, passages that triggered your interest, and passages that address any reading questions I have given you. If you do not have the text with you when you come to class--or if your text is not marked up--I may ask you to leave. In addition to our classroom meetings, you will be expected to spend a substantial amount of time conferencing through e-mail with me about your papers. We will talk about each of your papers from the idea stage to outlines and drafts, and I will expect you to be diligent about this conferencing (which will account for about one-third of the "face time" we will have together). Classroom meetings and assigned readings will be announced on the daily schedule at least one week in advance. Attendance and Online Participation Because of the substantial online component in the course, the attendance policy is strict. You can skip only two classes this semester without affecting your grade. After that, your grade for the course will be lowered by one grade for each time you're absent. Classes missed for personal emergencies and health issues will not count in your "skip total" if you provide me with documentation. To qualify, a personal emergency must involve the death or hospitalization of someone close to you--like, a family member, girl/boyfriend, or best friend--and I will need proof of the unfortunate event (a newspaper clipping or other reliable account). It really sucks that I have to write this stuff, but I hope you agree that it's better to make it clear now than to try figuring it out during the course of the semester. Health reasons for missing class must be documented with a healthcare professional's written opinion that you could not make class. I will pass out an attendance sheet at the beginning of each class. It is your responsibility to sign your name on the list. If you show up late and forget to ask for the sheet at the end of class, or you space out somehow, you will be counted absent. As for documenting your online participation, I will simply say that I expect your online conferencing with me to be substantial and diligent--and that if I feel you're not meeting my participation requirements I will let you know, giving you at least one chance to rectify the situation. I reserve the right to assign absences if I feel you are not participating enough. Cell Phones, Texting Please turn your cell phone off for class, or turn the ringer off. I will be fairly tolerant if you forget once or twice; this happens to all of us--but you may not answer your phone or place a call during class. Texting, however, will not be tolerated. If you disrupt class by texting, I will ask you to leave immediately. If it happens a second time, I will consider your texting an ongoing disruption and, pursuant to Eastern's policies (see Policy 157.1), remove you from the course permanently and give you an F. If you have a potential emergency that might require notification (for example, someone close to you is in the hospital and you are waiting on news--but not, for example, having a fight with your boyfriend or girlfriend) you must notify me before class, sit near the door, leave the ringer off and, if you receive the awaited text or call, leave class quietly to take your call and return only for the next class. Late Work I will not accept late work, unless we have made a previous arrangement. Plagiarism I won't tolerate cheating or plagiarism. Here is what Eastern's Office of Student Standards advises me to do if you cheat or plagiarize: "The value that we place on education should be reflected in our response to academic misconduct. In the absence of mitigating factors we recommend that an F for the course should be the minimum appropriate response for deliberate violations. Giving a failing grade solely on the test or assignment may in actuality be no worse than the student might have gotten had there been no effort to raise the grade through dishonesty. Consider, too, the unlikelihood that you caught this student the first time he or she chose to cheat on an educational assignment." Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability and wish to receive academic accommodations, please notify me and contact the Coordinator of the Office of Disability Services (581-6583) as soon as possible. You are welcome to send me e-mail; my address is mfkuo@eiu.edu. Please put your full name (if it is not displayed by your e-mail program) and a specific, appropriate subject phrase in the message's subject line. I do not guarantee I will read your e-mail otherwise. It would be smart to keep a copy of every e-mail you send me. I will not respond to any e-mail that is not courteous--and I include salutations, closings, electronic signatures, and diligence with writing mechanics in my notion of courtesy. Grading Your grade for the course will be based on the 100 points below. You must turn in all the assignments to get credit for the course. 90 to 100 total points will receive an A, 80 to 89 will receive a B, 70 to 79 will receive a C, and 0 to 69 will receive an NC (No Credit). Paper 1: 25 points You must complete all the assignments in order to pass the class. The details of these assignments will be posted online and discussed in class. Since I teach three sections of this course, I have 60-70 papers to grade whenever an assignment is turned in. I hope to return your papers within two weeks from the date you turn them in--but I am not always able to meet this goal, and it sometimes takes me three weeks. Grading of Written Material I will follow the grading standards suggested by Eastern's English Department. I will use the "Process" category to gauge your performance in meeting various deadlines and assignments related to each paper. A grade of C, D, or F in any individual category will conquer the grade for the paper. Note that "Mechanics" (grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage--that stuff we all hate) is one of the grading categories. I do not teach mechanics in class, since doing so would not be appropriate for college-level studies. However, in recent years many of my students have arrived in my classes unprepared when it comes to mechanics. If you are such a student I encourage you to study online and to seek help from the Writing Center. Additionally, I encourage you to let your high school know (politely) that you did not arrive at Eastern prepared to succeed in writing. |