ENG 165: COMPOSITION II
SYLLABUS

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Course Description: ENG 165, Composition II, continues the study of skills and methods used in writing university-level essays, with an emphasis on researched argument and persuasion. This course emphasizes the development and support of effective argumentation, including researching and using support from various sources. It also includes an oral report component. ENG 165 is the second half of SHSU's two-semester freshman composition sequence.

Course Objectives: Through a sequence of writing, reading, and workshop assignments, you'll:

• strengthen your composing process,
• strengthen your argumentative skills,
• strengthen your analytical reading and critical thinking skills,
• strengthen your ability to conduct research,
• strengthen your oral presentation skills, and
• use collaborative learning in various contexts.

Required Texts

Ronald F. Lunsford and Bill Bridges, The Longwood Guide to Writing, 2nd edition.

In addition, we recommend that you have a good collegiate dictionary, such as The American Heritage Dictionary or Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.

Materials

• a 2"-3" 3-ring binder
• notebook dividers
• looseleaf notebook paper
• computer diskette
• regular-sized manila folder (for submitting formal essays)
• a large (10" X 13") envelope

Requirements

1. Prepare for, attend, and participate in class activities. Excessive absences may adversely affect your grade (see Absence Policy statement below).
2. Keep a Writer's Notebook.
3. Read and respond in writing to assigned readings. These responses will form one section of your Writer's Notebook.
4. Write five essays, including a 6-10 pp. term paper.
5. Give an oral report.
6. Participate constructively in class activities, but especially in peer review group sessions.
7. Take a final exam.

Essay Grades: Each essay will be graded on an "A" through "F" basis. For the first three essays, an additional assessment of "R" (Revise) may be used by your instructor. You may revise each of the first three essays once for an improved grade, following a conference with your instructor on each essay. If you receive an "R," then you must revise it for a grade in order to be eligible to pass the course. Each revision must be completed within two weeks of the time the original is returned to you. Note: the fourth and fifth papers can't be revised because of end-of-the-semester time constraints.

Course Assessment: ENG 165W is a "Writing Enhanced" course, so that at least 50 percent of the semester's grade must be based on writing. In this course, 80 percent of your grade will derive from writing. Here's a breakdown on grades:

• Assigned Essays: 50%
• Oral Report: 20%
• Writer's Notebook: 10%
• Final Exam: 10%
• Participation: 10%

Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct

It is academically dishonest, and often illegal, to present someone else's ideas of writing as your own. You cannot use even short phrases or parts of sentences obtained from other sources unless you properly document those sources. Documentation includes marking quotations as well providing notes, citations, and a reference list. If you receive assistance from a source other than your instructor, your colleagues in the class, or The Writing Center, then you must acknowledge that assistance. Identify the source and the nature of the assistance in an acknowledgments note at the end of the assignment. Failure to acknowledge constitutes academic misconduct.

In addition, it is academically dishonest to submit your own previously written work for a current assignment or to submit an assignment in more than one class without the prior permission of the instructors.

You will be held responsible for furnishing upon request all the sources and preliminary work (notes, rough drafts, etc.) that you use to prepare written assignments. If you cannot produce that materials upon request, the assignment will be considered incomplete and so will not fulfill the requirements, and you will be given the opportunity to redo the assignment on a different topic, one you negotiate with your instructor.

You are responsible for protecting your own work. It is your responsibility to ensure that other students do not copy your work or submit it as their own. Allowing your work to be used in this manner constitutes academic misconduct.

Plagiarism and academic misconduct of any kind may constitute grounds for failing this course and may result in further disciplinary action according to university policy. Consult the SHSU Student Handbook regarding your responsibilities and rights concerning plagiarism and academic dishonesty. (In addition, writing textbooks often contain useful discussion of plagiarism.)

The Syllabus Defined: A syllabus is a living entity that grows from the first of the semester till the last and comprises every assignment and handout that you receive. Keep your syllabus in a separate section of your Writer's Notebook, so that you'll have everything together in one place.