Lisa Byrne's Home Page

Full Time Faculty

English Department Page

Orchard Ridge Campus Page

OCC Home Page

English 1520 – Composition II

Section O1562    Room G119

Tuesday & Thursday 9:00-10:25am

Winter 2007

Instructor: Lisa Byrne

Office Hours: Monday 8:00-8:30am, 1:00-3:00pm, Tuesday 8:00-9:00am, 12:30-1:00pm, Wednesday 8:00-8:30am, Thursday 8:00-9:00am, Friday 8:00-9:30am and by appointment. 

Office: G209

E-mail: LMBYRNE@oaklandcc.edu

Office phone:

Catalog Course Description:

Students will write persuasive and argumentative papers.  They will acquire skills in library research and use a process that includes critical thinking, logical reasoning and the investigation of primary and/or secondary sources.  Students will write a documented, academic research paper.

Textbooks: 

Raimes, Ann.  Pocket Keys for Writers. 2^nd. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006.

Supplies:

*Two double sided, high density floppies or a flashdrive

*Loose leaf paper

*Pen and pencil

*Highlighting pens

Please note: Instructor will not provide supplies.  Be prepared!

Course Objectives:

This course helps students develop the following writing skills:

*Students will develop pre-writing, writing, and revision skills

*Students will learn methods for generating ideas

*Students will understand how to analyze an audience and will write for a target        audience

*Students will understand purposes for writing and will write for several different purposes

*Students will learn how to organize and develop ideas throughout an essay

*Students will learn how to write persuasively

*Students will acquire skills in library research

*Students will learn how to investigate both primary and secondary sources

*Students will develop critical thinking skills

* Students will learn how to correctly document sources

*Students will develop their revising and editing skills

General Education Attributes:

General Education is the foundation of every student’s program, regardless of area of emphasis, and is intended to impart common knowledge, intellectual concepts and attributes.  Attributes specifically identified for this course encourage you:

1)      To communicate effectively

2)      To think critically and creatively

6)      To learn independently and collaboratively

Workshopping:

This course is designed as a workshop to help you improve your writing skills.  Reading, writing, revising, and editing will all be done in class, so be prepared to work, as all class sessions will include lab points.  “My disk doesn’t work here,” is no excuse.  The computer lab uses Microsoft Word.  Not all programs are compatible with Microsoft Word.  If you choose to work on computers outside the classroom, it is up to you to ensure compatibility.  

Attendance:

Since this class is conducted as a workshop it is crucial that you attend. Students who, for one reason or another, miss a class session are responsible for all assignments given during their absence.  Ignorance of an assignment is no excuse, as it is the student’s responsibility to find out what he/she missed. Please note that in-class assignments and lab points can not be made up. Expect to have at least one in-class assignment and several lab points per class.

Drop Policy:

In the unlikely event that you are unable to complete this course it is your responsibility to withdraw from the course in a timely fashion.  The course catalogue lists the last date students can withdraw from the course.  Students who stop attending without withdrawing will receive an “F” for the final grade.

Late Papers:

Late papers will be marked down by one full letter grade for each business day they are late.  I have a mailbox in the English office on the first floor of G where you can turn in a late paper, or a paper early if you know you will be missing class on the due date. Additionally you may e-mail your work to me.  However, work must be sent as a Microsoft Word document.  I am unable to accept work completed on other word processing programs. If you e-mail a paper make sure you receive a response back from me- this is the only way to guarantee I have received your work. No papers will be accepted more than one week late.  No make-ups on in-class work!

Plagiarism:

Passing off the writing of another person is stealing and will not be tolerated!  “I didn’t know” is not an acceptable excuse. You are responsible for the integrity of your work. Passing off the writing of another person is stealing and will not be tolerated! The first instance of plagiarism will result in a zero for that assignment.  A second instance will result in failure of the course. We will discuss plagiarism and each student will sign an “Academic Honesty and Plagiarism” awareness statement.

Cell Phones and Pagers:  Absolutely no cell phones or pages in the classroom!  They are disruptive to the learning atmosphere, and repeat offenders will lose in-class participation points.

Internet Policy:  You will be working in a classroom full of computers that have full access to the web; however, you are not to use class time for e-mail, web browsing, shopping, game playing, etc.  The only justifiable use of the web browser is to explore one of the pre-approved web sites that apply to our study of “The Saturation Report” this semester.  Should you choose to explore offensive websites (such as pornographic sites), you will be dropped from class and your final grade will be F. 

Cheating  (Student Handbook page 4)

No student shall engage in behavior which, in the judgment of the instructor of the class, may be construed as cheating.  This may include, but is not limited to, plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty, such as the acquisition (without permission) of tests or other academic materials and/or distribution of the same.  This includes students who aid and abet, as well as those who attempt such behavior. 

Pervious Attempts:  Students who have taken this class during a prior semester may not submit work completed during a pervious term.  Anyone caught engaging in this form of cheating will fail the course.

STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT

1. Be on time

2.  Remain in class until dismissed

3.  Keep classroom corridors quiet

4.  Maintain civility in the classroom and while on College property by…

   1. Respecting one another

   2. Refraining from vulgarities

   3. Using class time to learn, not to sleep

   4. Listening politely; no interruptions

   5. Praising in public; criticizing in private

   6. Not harassing others

   7. Refraining from cheating or plagiarism

   8. Refraining from using cell phones, headphones and pagers

   9. Maintaining an atmosphere of mutual respect throughout the campus

Disruptive Behavior(Student Handbook page 5)

No student shall behave in a manner which is unacceptable in a learning environment or which endangers the rights and/or safety of him/herself or other students or staff.

Grading Policy:

Papers will be evaluated on the basis of clarity, focus, organization, coherence, audience awareness, style, and the use of standard language conventions. There will be one major research paper for this course; however, you will be submitting short drafts from this research paper over the course of the semester.  Each draft will receive a grade, and the final paper will receive a separate grade.  There will also be several in-class assignments, homework, lab points, participation points, and an oral presentation of your paper.  At the conclusion of the class I will divide your total points into the possible points for a final percent.

Grading Scale:

A            94% - 100%

A-           90% - 93.9%

B+          86% - 89.9%

B             83% - 85.9%

B-           80% - 82.9%

C+          76% - 79.9%

C            73% - 75.9%

C-           70% - 72.9%

D+          66% - 69.9%

D            63% - 65.9%

F             Below 63%

ADA Notification:  Students requiring special assistance (including those affected by the Americans with Disabilities Act) should contact the PASS office, 248-552-3480, which will inform the instructor of any special conditions pertaining to their learning.

Academic Support Center: Offers free tutoring services to students.  The ASC is located in K100; tutoring schedules are available at the main desk or by calling 248-522-3435.

FERPA: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of a student’s educational information and governs disclosure of student information to third parties. No information that is specific to the student will be released by telephone or e-mail (i.e. grades, attendance, missed assignments) nor to third parties.