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Rappahannock Community College, Glenns Campus

College Composition II/English 112
Course # 43866, Section 04
Monday and Wednesday
2:30 pm to 3:45 pm, Room: 138
Spring 2010

Contacting the Professor

Ms Leslie D. Norris, Assistant Professor
Phone: (804) 758-6782 E-mail: lnorris@[Link]
Office: 136A/Glenns Campus Web site: Blackboard

Office Hours: See Blackboard

Students may visit the professor during office hours without an appointment to discuss any issue. However, the
professor recommends that a student make an appointment if the student wants to discuss grades, assignments, the
student’s progress in the course, or any issue that the student prefers to discuss in person, privately, and without
interruptions from others. The professor will also discuss all issues, except grades, through the email. The professor
usually responds to voice mail and email during her office hours and before she leaves campus if her office hours
were used for meeting with students. However, if a student has the option of deciding between voice mail and email,
the professor prefers email so that the student has a written record of the student’s questions/comments and the
professor’s response. Ms Norris will also attempt to respond to email when she is off campus, but cannot promise
that she will have access.

Required Instructional Materials: Students must obtain the following books and materials and bring them to
class as directed by the professor in order to participate fully in the class and be eligible to pass the course. The
books are available in the RCC bookstore. Materials listed as “suggested, but not required” are not required to pass
the course.

• Inventing Arguments Brief 2nd Edition by John Mauk and John Metz (ISBN: 9781413033441)
• SF Writer by John Ruszkiewicz, Daniel E. Seward, and Maxine Hairston (ISBN:9780132334587)
• Pin (jump) drive, CD-RW disks, or other media for backing up large computer files. You must bring back
up media to every class session.
• Webster’s Dictionary (suggested, but not required)
• RCC email address (will be provided by RCC)
• Access to Blackboard (will be provided by RCC)

Course Description: ENG 112 continues to develop college writing with increased emphasis on critical essays,
argumentation, and research, developing these competencies through the examination of a range of texts about the
human experience. Requires students to locate, evaluate, integrate, and document sources and effictively edit for
style and usage. Prerequisite: Students must successfully complete ENG 111 or its equivalent, and must ba able to
use word processing software.

Course Credit: Lecture, 3 hours, 3 credits

Purpose of Course:

From the instructor: As we will discuss during the semester, effective argument is not a hostile or negative activity.
Instead, argument is the way that we analyze our ideas and the ideas of others to solve problems and understand our
environment. In addition, developing your research skills will enable you to be a successful student as well as
understand important issues and make sound decisions in your academic environment, personal life, and career. In
English 112, you will continue to practice the writing skills learned and practiced in English 111, but you will also
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use your analytical, critical thinking, and research skills by analyzing essays, film, literature, periodicals, the Web,
and other forms of media having a rhetorical context. The principal goal of the course is to challenge your ability to
think critically about your environment through research and argumentative writing.
This section of English 112 takes place within a computer lab and requires you to use computer technology to access
Blackboard, email and other resources. Although the course will require the use of a great deal of technology, you
do not have to have advanced computer skills or own a computer to be successful in the course. Your professor will
teach you to use necessary computer software, and RCC provides software tutorials. Also, your instructor will
provide you with time in and out of class to complete assignments using the computers available throughout the
RCC campus.
To enable students to further practice their critical thinking and argumentative skills, your professor will often allow
class discussion and students’ survey responses throughout the semester to dictate the direction of the course. So
long as the class consensus is not in conflict with the policies of the Virginia Community College System (VCCS),
RCC or the course objectives, and students’ decisions do not make the course unnecessarily difficult or time-
consuming for the professor or the students, often the students’ majority vote will dictate the direction of the course.
Therefore, it is important that you attend every class session so that your “voice” can be heard when decisions are
made.
Your class will be highly interactive, requiring you to complete writing assignments in class and as homework, work
with others in teams or groups, respond during class discussions, and to present information to the class; therefore,
regular class participation and attendance are required. You will also be required to review a variety of texts
(essays, television shows, film and Web sites). This course will be challenging and will require you to review,
discuss and write about texts and class discussions that are considered suitable for the average adult. Also, because
this is a college-level course, often students will prefer that we discuss issues that may be considered controversial;
however, your professor will make an effort to make certain that the classroom environment is educational, tolerant,
challenging, and acceptable for the average adult learner.

As you can understand, it is difficult for an instructor to predict every aspect of the course before the semester
begins. Therefore, the instructor reserves the right to institute additional policies and procedures during the
semester, which may not have been available in the original syllabus, in an effort to help students meet objectives
and to make certain the course is a beneficial experience for all of the students. It is the student’s responsibility to
make certain he or she is aware of all policies and procedures the instructor institutes for the course
throughout the semester. The instructor plans to post information regarding new or revised policies and procedures
specific to English 112, Section 03 on the ANNOUNCEMENTS page in Blackboard.

Course Objectives and Goals:

Your course has been designed to enable you to reach and meet the following goals and objectives:
 Engage in all phases of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and reflecting. Write for
a variety of rhetorical purposes, with particular emphasis on the varied strategies of argumentation and
persuasion.
 Enhance your ability to read, think, and write with a critical eye; to examine subjects from multiple
perspectives; to question your biases, assumptions, and opinions in light of new evidence; and to formulate
and express your own perspectives.
 Enhance your ability to read, summarize, analyze, evaluate and write about college-level texts –your own
and those of others – of varying lengths, with an emphasis on exploring analyzing, and developing
arguments appropriate to a variety of disciplines.
 Incorporate a variety of sources into your writing, including personal observations and experience, library
research findings, and the results of field research.
 Examine, analyze, and evaluate your personal experiences as sources for your writing.
 Enhance your library research skills by locating primary and secondary sources, in print and electronic
formats; then examine and evaluate those sources for merit and reliability.
 Apply organizational strategies to open and close your texts and to move the reader between and within
your texts’ ideas, paragraphs, and sentences.
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 Enhance your ability to quote, paraphrase, summarize, and document source materials to support a thesis or
argument and to avoid plagiarism.
 Employ a clear focus that guides your choices of evidence, language, organization, and rhetorical and
persuasive strategies.
 Apply your knowledge of composition to class discussions and peer response workshops.
 Use standard English grammar, correct punctuation, effective diction, accurate spelling, and appropriate
style.
 Format all written work according to guidelines supplied by the instructor.
 Employ a variety of software to draft, revise, and edit essays and projects.
 Produce a minimum of 5,000 words or 15 double-spaced pages of finished, graded text.

Withdrawal Policies

• Drop/Add ends January 26, 2010: The drop/add period is the period in which students can make changes
to their schedule without penalty. However, if the student wants a full or partial refund for the course, the
student should check the RCC calendar for refund deadlines at the start of the semester.

• Student Withdrawal from a course ends March 24, 2009: A student may withdraw from a course
without academic penalty within the first nine weeks after the beginning of a semester and receive a grade
of “W.” For withdrawals after nine weeks, the student will receive a grade of “F” except under mitigating
unavoidable circumstances, which must be requested by the student in advance, if possible, and
documented. A copy of this documentation must be placed in the student’s official academic file. A grade
of “W” counts as an attempt.

• Faculty Reporting of No Shows and Withdrawal for Nonattendance: Students who are registered for a
course, but do not attend or make contact with the professor during the drop/add period must be reported to
the admissions and records office. The “no show” students will be dropped from the course roster by the
admissions and records office. Also, up until the withdrawal deadline for the term, students who stop
attending a course, miss more than 20% of the classes, or fail to regularly complete assignments and
maintain contact with the course professor will be withdrawn from the course (see the 2008-2010 college
catalog, page 18).

Final Course Grade: Your final grade for the course will be broken down as follows:

Activity % of Final Grade

• Research Essay and Presentation Project 20%
• Short Essays and Journal entries 20%
• Mid-Term and Final Exam 20%
• Reading (pop) Quizzes and discussion board entries 20%
• *Other Class Work and Homework 20%

Detailed instructions for each assignment will be provided separately as the course progresses.

* Class Work consists of assignments completed in class and class discussions. Homework consists of
assignments that were begun in class but completed as homework, or assigned to be begun and completed as
homework.

Quality of Work Note: The professor reserves the right to reject any of your work that does not satisfy specific
instructions for length, content, or format or which is incomplete or does not measure up to reasonable college-
level standards of neatness, legibility, complexity, or overall quality. Also, the professor may require individual
students who submit substandard work to complete additional, graded skills assignments and meet with an RCC
tutor (at no additional charge) to help the student improve his or her skills.
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Daily Grades
All work students submit for a grade or credit will be graded on the following 10-point grading scale:

A = 100 – 90
B = 89 – 80
C = 79 – 70
D = 69 – 60
F = Any score below 60

Note: Unless a mathematical error is detected, all grades are final. As with grades, all decisions regarding absence,
lateness or early departure are final.

Late Work: The professor considers work submitted when she receives and acknowledges it. Therefore, if you
leave work in her office or electronic mailbox after it was due, the work will be considered late until the professor
acknowledges receiving the work. Five percent will be deducted from the grade on late work and late work may
be rejected if more than 120 hours (5 days, including weekends) late. Students must adhere to all scheduled
assignment deadlines, whether you submit your work in person, by email attachment, or by some other method. It is
wise, therefore, to submit all work when requested using the method requested by the professor.

In writing classes, the submission of late work or requests for alternative assignments places especially heavy
burdens upon the professor and students alike. Makeup work and alternative assignments hinder the professor's
ability to provide timely feedback on student writing; forces students to rush through their work, diminishing the
benefits of a well paced, systematic writing process; may require students to complete assignments that are much
more difficult than the professor intended; and makeup work and alternative assignments are ultimately unfair to
those students who manage to meet course requirements and assignment deadlines. Furthermore, practicing strict
adherence to deadlines and course requirements, even in times of personal difficulty, is essential to your success in
English 112, college and beyond.

What is considered late work? Work assigned to be completed in class will be collected in
class and will be considered late if not completed and submitted by the end of class. Work
assigned to be completed in class will be considered late if the student missed class and asks to
make up the work or an alternative assignment. Work submitted using an improper format that
must be reformatted will be considered late if not reformatted and submitted by the assignment’s
original deadline. Work that the professor rejects because of poor quality (see “Quality of Work”
above) will be considered late if the work is not revised and submitted by the original deadline.

Participation in Extracurricular Activities: If you participate in a college athletic team or other

extracurricular activity, you are still responsible for submitting your assignments on time. If an athletic or
extracurricular event prevents you from attending class, any work due during your absence must be submitted prior
to your absence. Students participating in RCC events that conflict with their class schedule should contact
the professor as soon as those activity dates have been announced to discuss ways to complete assignments by
the due dates.

Make-up/Alternative Work: Students who request a makeup assignment may receive an assignment
different from and more challenging than the original assignment because the student has received additional
time to complete the work. Before makeup/alternative assignments will be accepted without penalty, the professor
may require the student to provide the original copy of a doctor’s note on the doctor’s stationary, if the lateness or
alternative assignment is due to absenteeism, or other official documentation accepted by the campus Dean’s office
for absenteeism.

Academic Integrity: Plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses. You must be diligent in your efforts to
document every source you consult and use in your writing. Ask questions whenever you are uncertain about a
matter of proper documentation. You should not receive answers to your assignments from classmates or any other
outside source without the professor’s permission. RCC's honor code maintains harsh penalties for plagiarism and
cheating, so please be careful and talk to your professor if you have questions about cheating or plagiarism.

Student Conduct: While on campus or interacting with professors or fellow students in person or via any form
of technology, students should adhere to the rules regarding proper conduct as discussed in the RCC Student
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Handbook. In addition, during class sessions, students should place cell phones, pagers, and other communications
devices on vibrate or shut them off. Students who leave class during a graded activity may receive a grade of “0”
for the assignment if significant work occurred on the assignment while the student was not participating. Students
should also refrain from eating, drinking, or chewing gum in class. Students who become disruptive or exhibit
behavior that degrades the educational process while on campus, in class or interacting with professors and students
via any form of technology will be temporarily or permanently withdrawn from the course, may receive a failing
grade for the course, and may be ineligible for a refund for tuition or other materials.

Honor Code: Rappahannock Community College has an Honor System to strengthen the student’s foundations
for academic achievement by establishing guidelines for personal conduct. It is the responsibility of students to be
aware of the rules and to monitor the activities of their peers with respect to the Honor Code and report any
violations thereof (Reference the RCC Student Handbook).

Attendance Policy: Generally, students are required to attend all classes for which they are registered except in
the event of illness or unavoidable emergency. There are no excused absences unless the professor or the
college canceled the class session. If the professor arrives late, students should check their Blackboard site and
email or see the RCC Dean’s office or reception desk personnel for information from the professor before assuming
that the class has been cancelled and deciding to leave class to avoid receiving an unexcused absence for the class
session. Students who arrive late to class or depart class early may be considered absent for the entire class session
and may receive a grade of “0” for assignments begun or completed in class.

Again, in case of an emergency that affects the meeting schedule for this class or the instructor’s availability,
information will be provided in the Blackboard course News & Announcements area. Email notifications and
updates will follow as needed.

Basis for Evaluation and Revision of Course: The professor may present surveys to students throughout
the semester and at the end of the course to gage students’ opinion of the course. The professor will use students’
responses to the surveys to improve the course.

Emergency Evacuation Plan: In each classroom, laboratory or other places where students are assembled
for the purpose of instruction, a fire evacuation plan will be posted indicating the direction of travel from the room
in the event it becomes necessary to evacuate the building because of fire or other emergency. This plan will be
posted in a conspicuous place near the exit from the room. Whenever the fire alarm sounds, the building will be
evacuated. The professor will ensure the fire door is closed upon leaving the area (doors with automatic closures on
them). Professors are also responsible for assisting disabled students. If a classroom does not have an evacuation
plan posted, the student or professor should notify the academic dean.

Special Request: It is important to RCC that all students have a learning environment that is conducive to their
needs. The RCC Counseling Office provides information regarding available services for students who need some
type of accommodation in order to make this class a successful setting. The student will need to provide current
documentation of his or her disability and recommended accommodation for that disability.

College Closing Information: The College will be open unless an official closing is announced. If it is
necessary to cancel or delay the opening of the college, the decision will be announced over radio and television
stations serving the college region.

Research Studies: Your professor is currently conducting research to support the information needs of the
academic community and as a part of her doctoral studies. Therefore, your work on assignments may be published
as a part of research studies and academic essays and articles. However, your grades, name, and any other
information that would easily identify you would be deleted from the published work and kept confidential by your
professor. If your work becomes a part of a research study, your professor will add one point of extra credit to your
final course grade. If you do not want any of your work to be a part of a research study, you should contact the
professor by email within your first ten days of the course, including weekends and days you were absent. Students
who chose not to participate in research studies conducted in the course will not receive the extra point on their final
course grade at the end of the semester. However, all students will perform the same work in the class. Therefore,
students in the research study and students who chose not to participate in the research studies will be completing
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the same work – no more and no less. You may not be notified when a research study is taking place to keep the
results of the study fair and accurate.

Display for Extra Credit: Quite often, students produce final projects that are exceptional and may be of great
interest to the college community. Your professor would very much like for you to receive recognition and praise for
your exceptional projects. And, creating projects that may be viewed by people outside of classes enable students to
compose work for a variety of audiences and further develop their composition skills. Therefore, your professor may
ask students to display final projects for the college community, but will protect students’ identities upon request
from the student. Students will not be required to display their project as a part of their grade, but will receive extra
credit if they agree to display their work for the college community. The professor will notify students that she
believes should display their work.

Tentative Course Schedule: Your professor has attached a tentative course schedule for the first four weeks
of the course. Course schedules for the rest of the semester will be available soon. A course schedule lists the
professor’s proposed assignments for the semester. However, as you know, tentative means that the course schedule
is subject to change, deletions and additions. Therefore, the professor may revise the course schedule if the majority
of the students in the class seem to need additional time to grasp certain concepts or if the majority of the students
within the class seem to be ready move more quickly through the assignments. The professor plans to post revised
courses schedules in Blackboard and post an announcement regarding the availability of revised course schedules on
the ANNOUNCEMENTS page in Blackboard.