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(This page was last modified on July 9, 2005.)
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ENGL 1302:6421
Start Date: October 17th, 2005
Certification Date: October 21st, 2005
End Date: November 29th, 2005
Drop Date: November 18th, 2005

Table of Contents
Instructor Information
Course Description
College Mission Statement
Exemplary Objectives
Intellectual Competencies

Educational Outcomes
Books and Materials
Units of Instruction
Course Assignments
Assignments for Classroom Students
Assignments for Distance Learning Students
Schedule of Assignments for a 16-Week Semester
Schedule of Assignments for a 7-Week Semester

Schedule of Assignments for a 4-Week Semester
Submission of Assignments
Evaluation
Mountain View College Online Student Survey
Attendance Policies
Drop Policy
Academic Discipline and the Successful Completion of English 1302
The English 1302 Honors Project
Institutional Information


Instructor: Dr. Geoffrey Grimes 
Office: W273 
Cell Phone: (972) 740-3125
Office Phone:
(214) 860-8747

E-mail: gagrimes@dcccd.edu

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I. Course Description
Catalog Description:
Prerequisite: Developmental Reading 0093 and Developmental Writing 0093 or meet TSI/Alternative Assessment Standard in Reading and Writing.  This course focuses on student writing.  It emphasizes reading and analytical thinking and introduces research skills. Students practice writing for a variety of audiences and purposes. (3 Lec.)

Course Rationale:
English 1302 is the last course in the sequence of courses that make up the DCCCD Writing Program. Like each of the previous courses, English 1302 emphasizes the basic skills of writing, reading, research and critical thinking skills developed in English 1301. Unlike writings completed for English 1301, however, compositions in English 1302 are based primarily on your responses to various readings and emphasize both argumentative and persuasive writing. 

The skills you learn in the DCCCD Writing Program will prepare you for critical thinking, reading, and writing in other college courses that require the evaluation of ideas. Furthermore, assignments in the course will sharpen skills in library usage and ability to judge the relevance of reading selections from various academic and non-academic writings. 

Finally, at the completion of English 1302 and the DCCCD Writing Program, you will have become a competent, more confident thinker, reader, and writer. As a successful communicator, you will be aware of the roles that reading, writing, thinking, and listening play in your life and in our society. 

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II. College Mission Statement
The purpose of the District is to prepare students for successful living and responsible citizenship in a rapidly changing local, national and world community.  The District does this by providing accessible, accredited, affordable, cost-effective, quality learning opportunities for development of intellectual skills, job skills, personal growth and/or transfer to a baccalaureate program.  In fulfilling the purpose, the District furthers cultural, economic and workforce development in the communities served.  In all its efforts, the District strives to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of those the District serves. 

III. Exemplary Objectives
The following competencies are met in ENGL 1301 and 1302:

1. To understand and demonstrate writing and speaking processes through invention, organization, drafting, revision, editing, and presentation
2. To understand the importance of specifying audience and purpose and to select appropriate communication choices
3. To understand and appropriately apply modes of expression, i.e. descriptive, expositive, narrative, scientific, and self-expressive, in written, visual and oral communication
4. To participate effectively in groups with emphasis on listening, critical and reflective thinking, and responding
5. To understand and apply basic principles of critical thinking, problem solving and technical proficiency in the description of exposition and argument
6. This objective is met in 1302 only.  To develop the ability to research and write a documented paper and/or to give an oral presentation 

IV. Intellectual Competencies

1. Reading—the ability to analyze and interpret a variety of printed materials, books, documents, and articles (above 12th grade level)
2. Writing—the ability to produce clear, correct, and coherent prose adapted to purpose, occasion, and audience (above 12th grade level)
3. Critical Thinking—think and analyze at a critical level
4. Computer Literacy—understand our technological society, use computer-based technology in communication, solving problems, acquiring information. 

V. Educational Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to: 

Increasing Writing Skills 

1) recognize that writing is a process involving generating ideas, drafting, revising, and editing, and to use these elements of the writing process appropriately.
2) set appropriate priorities at each point in the writing process.
3) adapt your writing process to different time constraints, such as a class period, several weeks, or a semester.
4) write for a variety of audiences, not just your instructor.
5) adapt your language, sentence structure, and organization to fit the audience, purpose, and topic of the writing task.
6) write for a variety of purposes.
7) focus on a central idea that controls and unifies the whole piece of writing.
8) support your ideas with details (illustrations, examples, descriptions) that will make them clear to your readers.
9) demonstrate a sense of personal voice in your own writing and the ability to vary it accordingly.
10) produce effective and mature papers of several paragraphs.

Increasing Reading Skills 

1) identify the main ideas and supporting details in variety of reading selections, ranging from student to professional works.
2) analyze how the work of student and professional writers achieves the writer’s purpose.
3) produce writing based upon your synthesis of written material with your own knowledge and opinions. 

Introducing Research Skills 

1) locate and evaluate sources for writing tasks.
2) demonstrate preliminary research skills: summarize, paraphrase, synthesize, and document information.

Building Analytical Thinking Skills 

1) demonstrate maturity of thought by analyzing, questioning, and reflecting on ideas.
2) understand the relationship between oral and written communication. 

Improving Attitudes towards Communications Skills 

1) develop confidence in yourself as a writer.
2) understand the value of writing in your life as a way to learn, record, communicate, and understand.
3) have more awareness of your own writing process. 

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VI. Books and Materials

Required: 
Brenda Spatt, Writing From Sources, 6th edition. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2003.

Recommended:
Geoffrey Grimes, English 1302: Composition II, The Course Manual & CD-ROM. Denton: RonJon Publishing Company, 2002.

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VII. Units of Instruction

As the last course in the DCCCD Writing Program, English 1302 presupposes the student's development of fundamental writing and reading skills. Only those students who have completed English 1301 with a grade of C or better should enroll in this course (see "Academic Discipline and Successful Completion of English 1302"). 
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Course Units
Unit 1: The Analysis of Literature
Unit 2: The Study of Argument
Unit 3: The Rhetoric of Academic Writing
Unit 4: The Research Paper.
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Each unit will include exercises designed to reinforce instruction and your learning in the service of specific learning outcomes identified above. See the outline of assignments and an explanation of the course evaluation below.

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VIII. Course Assignments 

Note: Since some classroom students may be reviewing this section, the outline of assignments below is divided into two categories: "Assignments for Classroom Students" and "Assignments for Distance Learning Students."

Assignments for Classroom Students

In-Class Writing Exercises
(To be announced throughout the semester)

Out-of-Class Writing Exercises
(To be announced throughout the semester)

Out-of-Class Writing Exercises (from Writing From Sources, 6th edition
(To be announced throughout the semester)

Out-of-Class Research Assignments
(To be announced throughout the semester)

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Assignments for Distance Learning Students

Unit 1: Writing About Literature
Exercise 1: The Analytical Essay Exercise (required)

Unit 2: The Study of Argument
Exercise 2: The Analysis of "Joshua"
Exercise 3: The Analysis of "Wrong Claims"
Exercise 4: The Analysis of "Author Affirms Campus Hypocrisy" (required)
Exercise 5: The Essay Analyzing Argument (required)

Unit 3: The Rhetoric of Academic Writing
Exercise 6: Mapping Texts (How to Map Texts in Expository Writing)
Exercise 7: Analyzing Critical Questions in Texts (required)
Exercise 8: Editing Prose Texts
Exercise 9: Resolving Wordiness in Prose Texts
Exercise 10: Writing Summaries (required)
Exercise 11: Writing Paraphrases (required)
Exercise 12: Documenting Sources (required)
Exercise 13: Writing the Single-Source Argumentative Essay (required)
Exercise 14: Writing the Multiple-Source Argumentative Essay (This exercise is an overview of the Research Paper Project--for reading only.)
Exercise 15: Evaluating Internet Resources (required)

Unit 4: The Research Paper
Exercise 16: The Library Orientation 
Exercise 17: Selecting a Topic (required)
Exercise 18: Orientation and Preparation of the 25 Bibliography Cards (required)
Exercise 19: Drafting Your Thesis (required)
Exercise 20: Analyzing Your Argument 
Exercise 21: The Sample Annotated Bibliography 
Exercise 22: Drafting the Body of the Research Paper (required)
Exercise 23: An Analysis of the Research Paper Draft
Exercise 24: The First Submission of the Research Paper (required)
Exercise 25: The Second Submission of the Research Paper (optional; read the instructions)
Exercise 26: The Third Submission of the Research Paper (Final Exam) (required)

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IX. Schedule of Assignments for a 16-Week Term
Below is an overview of the assignments and a recommended weekly time table for submission of the exercises and assignments for each unit:

Week 1
E-mail the results of your cognitive style map to make sure our computers can communicate. Complete Exercise 1 and e-mail it to me by the appropriate date above.

Week 2
Complete the revision of Exercise 1

Week 3
Complete Exercise 4 and 5.

Week 4
Complete Exercises 7 and 10

Week 5
Complete Exercises 11, and 12.

Week 6
Complete Exercise 13

Week 7
Complete Exercises 15 and 17

Week 8
Complete Exercise 18.

Week 9
Complete Exercise 19.

Week 10
Complete Exercise 20.

Week 11
Complete Exercise 21 and 22.

Week 12
Complete Exercise 23.

Week 13
Complete Exercise 24.

Week14
Complete Exercise 25.

Week 15
Complete Exercise 26.

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X. Schedule of Assignments for a 7-Week Term

Week 1
E-mail the results of your cognitive style map to make sure our computers can communicate. Complete Exercises 1

Week 2
Complete Exercise 4 and 5

Week 3
Complete Exercise 7, 10, 11, and 12

Week 4
Complete Exercises 13 and 15, 17, 18, and 19

Week 5
Complete Exercises 22

Week 6
Complete Exercise 24

Week 7
Complete Exercise 25 (optional) and 26 (The Final Exam)


XI. Schedule of Assignments for a 4-Week Term

Week 1
E-mail the results of your cognitive style map to make sure our computers can communicate. Complete Exercises 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Week 2
Complete Exercises 6 - 15.

Week 3
Complete Exercises 16 - 24.

Week 4
Complete Exercises 25 and 26.

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XII. Submission of Work
Read the following instructions carefully.  Failure to observe these instructions will result in wasted time for both you and me and possibly misplaced or even lost work!

IMPORTANT!!!
For college security reasons, I will delete any e-mail message that does not include 
1) your first and last name in the subject window, 
2) a statement in the message window stating the course/section number, and 
3) the name/number of the exercise attached.
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How to Send Me E-Mail Messages and Attached Exercises
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When you send me an e-mail message include the following information exactly:
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What to place in the "subject" window:
Place in the subject window the following information:
For a question to me: Question - (your first and last name)
For a comment to me: Comment - (your first and last name)
For an emergency message to me: Urgent! - (your first and last name)
For sending me an exercise: first name initial/last name/-/number of exercise.doc (see example below)
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NOTE: I will open and respond to "Question," "Comment," and "Urgent!" messages on the day I receive them.  Do NOT attach assignments to "Question," "Comment," and "Urgent!" messages. I will not open them or even download them!

What to place in the "message" window:
Place in the message window the following information:
1) Using correct grammar and sentence form, state your message as briefly and as clearly as possible.
2) Indicate in the first line of the message what you are requesting of me.
3) Follow your request or main point with whatever supporting information you think I need to know.
4) Sign off each message with your first and last name as you are registered!
5) Below your name, give me your student ID number (your official Dallas County Community College District Student ID number--NOT your social security number).

How to attach an exercise to your e-mail message:
1) Save your exercise as a MS Word file.  Note: Be sure your full name, course/section, and assignment number are posted at the top left corner of each exercise before you save it.

Save your exercises using the following identification:
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First name initial/last name/(hyphen)/exercise number .doc

Example:  

JDoe-Ex2.doc

Note: If you do not save and label your assignments using this format, I will return them to you unopened and ask you to re-label, re-save and re-send them!

2) Near each e-mail message window, you will find a button labeled something like "Attachment" or "Attach."  Place your cursor icon over that button and click once with  your left mouse button.  That action will open another window where you enter the name of the drive where your file is located on your hard drive or floppy drive and the name of the file (along with its extension).  You may also see a "Browse" button which you may click and then select the drive and the correct file.  By opening the directory where the file is located and clicking once or twice on the name of the file, the file name and path will be entered in the file name window.

3) Select "Okay" or "Send" or "Close"--whatever button indicates the submission of that file name.  The window will then close and return you to your e-mail message window.  Now, you should see posted in a visible place near your message window some notification that you have attached a document.

4) When you have finished composing your message, then click once on the "Send" button, and your message and attached document will be on its way!
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How to Submit Assignments
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You are encouraged to submit your work in any one of the following two procedures ONLY: 
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Submitting Assignments Electronically
You must send all exercises as e-mail attachments in Microsoft Word.  Follow the instructions posted above for submitting your exercises.  Do NOT fax any exercises.  I will mark the exercises electronically and return them as email attachments in my replies. 
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Submitting Assignments by Regular Mail
If you do not have Microsoft Word, you should print out your work and mail it to: 
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Dr. Geoffrey Grimes 
Department of English 
Mountain View College 
4849 West Illinois Avenue 
Dallas, TX 75211 
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If you mail your assignments, you must included a stamped, self-addressed envelope with correct postage.  Assignments received without the stamped, self-addressed envelope will not be returned. 
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Submitting Assignments in Person
Students attending Mountain View College are welcomed to drop off assignments at Dr. Grimes's office in W273.  Students should come to the office to pick up the graded works. 
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XIII. Evaluation

Classroom Students
Your grade will be based upon the following distribution of points and averages: 

1) In-Class Writing Exercises:
Each in-class writing assignment will receive a numerical grade based upon my assessment of the quality and skills it demonstrates. The average of these grades will be averaged with the out-of-class assignments and the research paper assignments. The average of the in-class exercises will be worth 33% of the course grade. 

2) Out-of-Class Writing Exercises: 
Each out-of-class assignment will receive a numerical grade based upon my assessment of the quality and skills it demonstrates. The average of these grades will be averaged with the in-class assignments and the research paper assignments. The average of the out-of-class exercises will be worth 33% of the course grade. 

3) Research Paper Assignments: 
A grade of 0 to 100 will be awarded for the research paper project. In addition to the submission of exercises related to the development of the paper, you will submit the research paper formally three different times. Each submission will be worth one third of the total grade of the research paper. The total research paper grade will be averaged with the in-class and out-of-class averages and will be worth 33% of the final grade of the course. 

5) Honors Designation: 
Honors designation for the course will be awarded only to those who complete all course requirements for a total grade average of 90 or better. Additionally, honors students must complete the honors option for the course. Completion of the honors option for the course will result in no change in the grade points accrued but will result, rather, in the honors designation (#) attached to the course grade of (see "The Honors Option for English 1302"). 

6) The Grading Formula
Lecture (On-campus) Classes

In-Class Writing Exercises (33%) 
Out-of-Class Writing Exercises (33%)
Research Paper Project (33%) 
Honors Option (no grade points) 

Distance-Learning Students
Online Classes (Internet sections)
Your final grade for the course will be determined by a simple average of grades assigned to two sets of exercises: 
Average of Exercises 1 - 15 (Grades for the optional exercises will be averaged with the required for extra credit)

Average of Exercises 17 - 26
(Grades for the optional exercises will be averaged with the required for extra credit)
Honors Option (no grade points) 

7) Plagiarism
"Plagiarism" is the use of someone else's information as your own and is a violation of the "Student Code of Conduct."  With the exception of general knowledge, all ideas derived outside of your own research or experience must be both cited and documented in the paragraphs in which they appear.  Note that there are formal formats and procedures for both citations and documentation.  The formats for citations and documentation used in this course are those found in the MLA Style Sheet. These formats are located in Appendix B in your textbook and can also be found online.
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The penalty for even an inadvertent instance of plagiarism can be failure on the exercise or assignment.  Flagrant plagiarism (copying of more than one key phrase, sentence or passage without any effort to cite or document) will result in an immediate and irrevocable failure in the course.


Honors Designation for both Classroom and Distance-Learning Students: 
Honors designation for the course will be awarded only to those who complete all course requirements for a total grade average of 90 or better. Additionally, honors students must complete the honors option for the course. Completion of the honors option for the course will result in no change in the grade points accrued but will result, rather, in the honors designation attached to the course grade of (see "The Honors Option for English 1302"). 

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XIV. Attendance Policy

From the college catalog:

for On-campus Students
Students are expected to attend regularly all classes in which they have enrolled. Students have the responsibility to attend class and to consult with the instructor when an absence occurs. 

Instructors are responsible for describing class attendance policy and procedures to all students enrolled in their classes. If a student is unable to complete a course (or courses) in which he/she is registered, it is the student's responsibility to withdraw from the course by the appropriate date. (The date is published in the academic calendar for each year.) If the student does not withdraw, he/she will receive a performance grade, usually an F.

for Distance Learning Students
Distance learning students are responsible for completing all work in a timely manner according to the Online Assignment Schedule posted above. No more than three new assignments will be graded during the last week of the semester. Any others submitted will be returned with a grade of "0." Students who cannot keep up with the regular submission of exercises should drop the course.

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XV. Drop Policy

for All Mountain View College Students
Dropping a Course or Withdrawal from the College: To drop a class or withdraw from the College, students must obtain a drop or withdrawal form and follow the prescribed procedure. Should circumstances prevent a student from appearing in person to withdraw from the College, the student may withdraw by mail by writing to the Registrar. No drop or withdrawal requests are accepted by telephone. Students who drop a class or withdraw from the College before the semester deadline receive a "Withdraw" in each class dropped.  The deadline for withdrawal with a "W" this semester is announced in the college schedule of classes for this semester and in information you have received from the Registrar or the Dallas TeleCollege.

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XVI. Academic Discipline and the Successful Completion of English 1302

As a skills course in the English Writing Program of the DCCCD, English 1302 requires certain prerequisite skills as well as a positive commitment to instruction and educational growth. Students entering English 1302 should bring to the course a number of important skills. Spelling aptitude, an understanding of basic sentence, paragraph, and essay development, and mastery of basic grammatical and punctuation principles are expected of each student. Those students who have difficulty with either of these basic writing skills are not adequately prepared for English 1302 and should seek to upgrade these skills in the Learning Skills Center. 

Students are also expected to be able to read and understand college-level reading materials. While writing assignments in English 1301 focused primarily on personal observation and experience, exercises and assignments in English 1302 will depend upon the reading and analysis of written sources probably outside personal immediate experiences. 

Perhaps the most fundamental prerequisites necessary for the successful completion of English 1302 are personal study habits and a serious commitment to learning and improvement in writing. Written assignments will require sometimes several hours to complete; students should be willing to write and then re-write assignments--some-times several times--before submitting them for evaluation and course credit. To do so will require periods of time each week dedicated to thinking, reading, and writing. Students who are working full-time and who have additional family or other commitments may find it difficult to keep up with the pace of assignments in this course. Furthermore, students who are too casual in their approach to the course will not be successful. 

On-campus students should be prepared to attend each class and to complete each assignment as scheduled. Those who miss class will lose the important context of the instruction that cannot be recreated (even with a doctor's or employer's excuse). Since there will be no make-up for in-class assignments, students who miss more than six classes are encouraged to drop the course. 

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XVII. The English 1302 Honors Project

The Honors Program at Mountain View College invites all students to experience academic achievement at their creative and intellectual best. Although the Honors Program includes various options for Honors achievement, many instructors include Honors Projects as options for various classes. Such an option is available for you in this section of English 1302. 

The outline for the English 1302 Honors Project for this course is publication of an article of no fewer than 700 words. This article is a writing assignment additional to all other required writing exercises in the course. Students wishing to participate in the Honors Project should consult with me early in the semester. Each project will be developed separately in cooperation with a representative of the public agency (organization, society, publication, or business) the student wishes to address and with your instructor. 

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XVIII. Institutional Information

Important Telephone Numbers:
MVC Enrollment Management/Registrar's Office (214) 860-8600
MVC Security (214) 860-8758 
MVC Health Center (214) 860-8699 
MVC Registrar's Office (214) 860-8600 
MVC Counseling (214) 860-8606 

Enrollment Management/Registrar's Office FAX (214) 860-8570

College address:
Mountain View College 
4849 West Illinois Avenue 
Dallas, Texas 75211 

Key Administrators
Dr. Monique Amerman, President (214) 860-8700
Dr. Mohammad Zouyousafain, Dean of Arts and Sciences (214) 860-8736 

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This page was last modified on July 9, 2005,
and is maintained by Dr. Geoffrey A. Grimes.
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