Borger Addendum & Abbreviated English 102-071 Syllabus:
The Basics & What You Need to Know
(view the complete common syllabus)

Office: Faner 2265
Office Hours: T/TH 11:00 am -12:30 pm, F 8-9 am & 10-11 am
Office Phone: 618-453-6812
Email: borger@siu.edu
Course Website: www.original-ink.net 

“If you are used to whipping off papers the night before they’re due, running them quickly through the computer’s Spellchecker, handing them in full of high-school errors and sentences that make no sense and having the professor accept them ‘because the ideas are good’ or something, please be informed that I draw no distinction between the quality of one’s ideas and the quality of those ideas’ verbal expression, and I will not accept sloppy, rough-draftish, or semiliterate college writing. Again, I am absolutely not kidding."

"English 102 is not just a Find-Out-What-The-Teacher-Thinks-And-Regurgitate-It-Back-at-Him[Her] course. It’s not like math or physics—there are no right or wrong answers (though there are interesting versus dull, fertile versus barren, plausible versus whacko answers).”[1]

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PLACEMENT IN ENGLISH 102

While reinforcing the composing skills and strategies addressed in English 101, English 102 focuses more specifically on structuring formal arguments and on research strategies. Students enrolled in this course can expect to compose several essays, typically longer and more complex than those written in either English 100 or English 101.  To enroll in English 102, students must have earned a “C” or better in English 101. English 102 is the second course in the required Core Curriculum composition sequence.  We don’t stop and re-teach 101 in 102; we expect you to know how to cite, how to write a works cited page, how to conduct research, etc.  If your teacher passed you and shouldn’t have, if you made it out on a technicality, if you struggled and barely made it out of 101 alive, then be prepared to struggle in 102.  Make appointments at the Writing Center now.  You must pass 102 with a “C” or better to earn credit toward graduation.  A “D” - though passing in some courses – is not a passing grade in 102.

COURSE GOALS

After taking English Composition II, students will be able to read and write better.

COURSE MATERIALS

Copies of all texts for the course are in the library on reserve – you can check them out for 2 hours but they cannot leave the library.  We will work most heavily and frequently with Aims of Argument. If you have to make economical choices, purchase Aims and borrow / share Everything’s an Argument: With Readings. We will be working with both texts, so saying “I didn’t buy a textbook” will not be a valid excuse for not completing course work in any college class ever.  Be creative with your resources; don’t be lazy and irresponsible.

Texts:

Crusius, Timothy W., and Carolyn E. Channell The Aims Of Argument: A Text and Reader (5th ed).
    Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2006. Print. (ISBN: 9780073227689) [2]

Lunsford, Andrea A., John J. Ruszkiewicz, and Keith Walters. Everything's an Argument: with
    Readings. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2010. Print. (ISBN: 9780312538613)

Maimon, Elaine P., Janice Peritz, and Kathleen Blake Yancey. A Writer's Resource: A Handbook
    for Writing and Research. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print. (You can also online resources - see Citation Pages)
 

Materials:

A portable USB storage device - or any way to store and save your essays electronically.

A blue/black ink pen.  Work submitted in pencil will not be graded.

Access to "Turnitin.com.”

An email account that you check regularly. Professors are not your friends: do not ask them to "text you" your assignments.

 

COURSEWORK

Presentation of Major Assignments:  All major assignments must be typed, using Times New Roman 12-point font and need to follow MLA format.  Work completed in class must be on lined notebook paper with clean tear off spirals completed in blue or black ink.  Work submitted in pencil will not be accepted. Students are required to submit a copy of each essay's final draft, except for the final exam, to Turnitin.com.

Grade Percentages    

All working folders work will be consolidated under "Homework / Impromptu" assignments and will be a combined total of 20% of your overall course grade. Most "Homework / Impromptu" in-class assignments cannot be made up.  If you miss class and miss an activity, you simply miss out on those points.

20% Homework (AKA Working Folders - approx. 5% per unit) 

10% Essay 1: (1050-1400 words)

15% Essay 2: (1050-1400 words) 

25% Essay 3: (1400-2100 words)     

20% Essay 4: (3150-3500 words)

10% Final Exam: Meta-Cognitive Reflection     
(Tentatively: May 8, 10:10 am – 12:10 pm)

100% Total   

Grading scale for the semester = 90% A, 80% B, 70% C, 60% D

COURSE ATTENDANCE POLICY

The reason for your absence does not change the fact you were absent. 
Whether your grandmother died or whether you're hung-over, you're still missing class.

If you are absent from class you must email me close to the scheduled class you missed. 
12-24 hours is a reasonable time frame. 
I do not need long stories of why you are absent. 
Simply being courteous and professional will suffice. 
State that you will not be in class or that you were not in class. 
Keep me in the loop. Emailing = partial attendance credit for the day you miss.

Excessive absences will prevent students from passing this course. Students who miss more than a total of three weeks of class (6 class periods of a T/TR schedule) as a result of unexcused absences will be assigned an “F” automatically for the course; however, I will make exceptions for students who are able to demonstrate proficiency despite high absenteeism. In addition, students who miss more than 2 periods for a T/TR schedule as a result of unexcused absences will be penalized based on a graduated scale. Again, I reserve the right to judiciously apply the graduated scale in light of a student’s individual performance over the course of the semester:  

T/TR: 3 absences = -1.5%, 4 absences = -5%, 5 = -8.5%, 6 = -20%, 7 = failure of the course

Late Work / Late Penalties

For late work to be accepted, you must provide me with a formal memo stating the dates of and reason for your absence.  You must attach a memo (and any relevant documentation) to any late work for the work to be accepted for a late grade.

Major assignments will not be accepted one week past the original due date and will be docked 5% each day it is late (that’s each day late, not each class period.  If something is due on Thursday, it’s 5% off Friday, 5% off Saturday, 5% off Sunday, etc.).

Daily work, when applicable, will only be accepted one day after your return to class for ½ credit.  As a general rule, in-class work cannot be made up. 

If you need an extension on a major project, you need to email me 12-24 hours in advance to request an extension.  If you communicate with me ahead of time, late penalties may be waived. If you simply hand work in late, late penalties will apply.  Communication is key.

Work not handed in during class should be submitted to the English department in Faner 2380.  If my office is open (Faner 2265), you may leave work on my desk.  In both cases leave a memo with the date and time you are leaving the work. Work cannot be left under my office door.

PARTICIPATION

Cell phones, Facebook, & Social Networking:  Cell phones and social networking sites should not be accessed during class time.  If you are texting, ‘Facebooking,’ or participating in other electronically mediated distractions during class you will receive an absence for the day and may be asked to leave.  Multiple infractions will warrant removal from class and a required meeting with the director of Writing Studies before reentry is permitted. Except in rare cases, laptops are not allowed in class.

Lecture / Group Work: When are engaging in class activities you should be attending to the activity at hand.  If you are not, you will not receive attendance / participation points for the day.  When engaging in non-computer activities, monitors will be off and keyboards will be put on top of towers (when applicable).  If you have problems with work output or any other interpersonal issue when completing group activities, first attempt to work it out amongst yourselves.  If you reach an impasse or have other issues bring your concerns to me directly.

Communication: Email is the primary mode of communication between students and instructors outside of class meetings.  All emails should include a subject line, a greeting, a body, and a closing with a signature.  Email that does not follow these guidelines will be deleted or ignored.

UNIVERSITY POLICIES
 

Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty:  You are expected to abide by the university’s guidelines governing plagiarism and academic dishonesty.  If you have any questions or concerns about these guidelines, please refer to the university’s code of conduct: http://policies.siuc.edu/documents/StudentConductCodeFINALMay32011.pdf

Support Services:  Students who require accommodations for physical or learning disabilities should contact the Disability Support Services (DSS) office in Woody Hall B-150 or call (618) 453-5783.  The DSS office will provide Accommodations Agreements.  Information on DSS can be viewed online at:  http://disabilityservices.siuc.edu/.

SIUC’s Writing Center is available for any students needing assistance on their work.  Tutors can aid students at any stage of the writing process.  For more information, as well as access to the online schedule, please visit http://write.siuc.edu/.

Incompletes:  An “Incomplete” is a special end-of-course designation granted only to those students who have regularly attended class and who are in good standing relevant to course work completed.  “Incompletes” are granted to students who, for catastrophic, officially documented reasons outside their control, are unable to finish a large portion of the required course work.  “Incompletes” will be granted by the instructor of record in consultation with the Director of Writing Studies.  Completion of the course will be governed by a contract signed by the instructor and student to be approved by the Director of Writing Studies.