English 102 Composition and Literature - Liberty

Please note that any section that is designated with an asterisk must be repeated word for word in the individua l professor’s syllabus.

*I. Course Description

Composition and Literature continues the emphasis on writing. Two analytical papers--based upon studies of the short story, poetry, and drama--and a literary research paper, sequentially developed, are required.

*II. Rationale

English 102 continues the freshman students’ preparation for college-level writing and provides students with the opportunity to evaluate literature from a biblical worldview; to examine structure, aesthetics, and issues; and to organize their thinking in written form. In addition, the research paper requirement strengthens the students' skills in investigating, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating the ideas of others, while also sharpening students' expression of their own conclusions. The introduction to literature enriches the students' general understanding of human experience which will assist them in subsequent courses and in life.

*III. Prerequisites

English 101 or its equivalent.

As stated in the Liberty University Catalog, i t is the student’s responsibility to make up any prerequisite deficiencies, which would prevent the successful completion of this course.

IV. Materials List

NOTE: The following list attempts to include the most recent information for ordering the approved textbooks. Instructors must use their own discretion in choosing between various versions of current, approved texts (such as with or without a handbook or with or without readings) and between the various supplemental "packages" which publishers might offer (such as the addition of a dictionary with the textbook).

A. TEXTS:

Kennedy, X. J., and Dana Gioia.Backpack Literature. 3rd ed. New York: Longman, 2010. Print.

(ISBN: 020572758).

Aaron, Jane E. The Little, Brown Handbook, Brief Version. 4th ed. New York: Longman, 2011.

Print. (ISBN: 020576276x)

C. Recommended: A standard, recent COLLEGIATE DICTIONARY. Currently the LU Bookstore has these dictionaries available:

American Heritage College Dictionary, 4th Edition.

Merriam Webster’s Col legiate Dictionary, 11th Edition.

*V. Learning Outcomes/Requirements

When students have completed this course, they should have acquired the skills and knowledge required

A.to produce well-structured, grammatically sound writing in various modes of

discourse;

B.to write a persuasive analysis of a literary work ;

C.to write with clarity;

D.to recognize standard usage in English grammar, word choice (diction), phraseology,

and sentence structure;

E.to apply knowledge of sentence structure to basic sentence editing and revision;

F.to proceed independently through the various stages of research; and to integrate

sources accurately and effectively;

G.to identify the theme and structure of each literary selection as well as the significant

characteristics or elements of each genre studied;

H.to evaluate the literary merit of a work;

I.to identify the major theories of literary criticism and to understand their implications

from a biblical worldview; and

J.to identify ideas in literature and to evaluate them from a biblical worldview.

With regard to the research requirement, the faculty will require the following, without exception. First, the text of the research paper (excluding title page, outline, working bibliography, works cited, etc.) must consist of at least 1500 words. Second, a minimum of seven sources will be used in a working bibliography, representing books, scholarly articles, and instructor-approved online sources. In addition, no fewer than five sources will be cited in the final text. The total number of words written in the various papers of this course should be at least 3000.

VI. Assignments/Requirements

This section is an overview of the assignments. Give a concise statement and brief

description of the assignments. More specific details of the assignment should be

included in section X.

As a guideline for assignment/requirement development, consider the following: ?Cognitive growth - Learned content which is testable

?Product - Description of things produced such as class papers, projects, etc.

?Process - Expectations for discussion in class, participation in activity/experiment Identify special needs such as eye cover in labs and other safety requirements.

Identify which learning outcome in V (above) corresponds to each assignment.

*VII. Grading Policies

A. Each instructor will provide students with his or her own criteria and the department's criteria for the evaluation of student work. Generally, the essays will count for at least half, but not more than two-thirds, of the students’ final grades. Wor k evaluated numerically is based upon the grading scale below:

A…900-1000 B…800-899 C…700-799 D…600-699 F…0-599

All faculty will adopt a 1000 point scale for calculating student grades.

?Thus, an assignment worth 40% of a student’s grade will receive 400 points.

? All grades are numeric

*B. Plagiarism: Each student should know that plagiarism encompasses more than the use of printed sources without giving proper credit. It means handing in writing in the name of one person that another person has composed, revised, edited or proofread without the instructor's approval. Accordingly, the following guidelines are set down, and each English 102 student must study and understand them from the outset. The instructor will assume, after pointing out and discussing this policy, that the student will be responsible for understanding and applying it. Penalties for plagiarism will be severe: an "F" on an assignment without opportunity to do it again and an "F" for the course.

1. Any fact not common knowledge, any idea, phrase, or paraphrase which is taken from

a printed source, from a lecture, sermon, or radio broadcast must be documented.

2. Any work submitted in English 102 will be understood to be the work of the student

submitting it and his work alone. Taking credit for someone else's proofreading ability, suggestions, ideas, or words is plagiarism. An exception to this definition is group work assigned and directed by the instructor. Unless the instructor assigns such work, students should do their own writing, revising, and proofreading.

3. If a student has availed himself of the services of a tutor, officially designated by

the university or unofficially, it will be understood that the tutor will confine his services to helping a student develop and express his or her own thoughts, making suggestions to help the student fulfill the assignment guidelines, and supplementing the work that the

professor does with the student in conferences and class. A tutor in his proper role

never does work for a student or supplies specific words, phrases, or ideas. The student

bears responsibility for his own work. He must not submit a tutor's work as his own, and he must not blame his errors on the tutor.

4. If the student submits a paper typed by someone other than himself, it will be

understood that the typist has not changed anything from the student's script or rough

draft. The student may not blame the typist for errors not corrected on the draft given to the instructor.

5. "Self plagiarism" is when a student submits written work from another course or

another context as if it is original work for a current writing assignment. This is not

acceptable.

*C. Grading Rubric for English Papers.

Content

- Purposefulness - Factual Accuracy - Thoughtfulness - Appropriate Support & Development

Organization

Diction & Style

- Fluency of Language - Effectiveness of Sentence Structure - Adequacy of Vocabulary

Grammar & Mechanics

* NOTE: A GLARING ERROR is a mistake or pattern of mistakes that forces the reader to interrupt his/her reading to search for needed clarity or meaning. GLARING ERRORS undermine the writer’s credibility and point to insufficient editing. Typical GLARING ERRORS include egregious misspellings; fragments; fused or run-on sentence constructions; comma splices or errors in punctuation when using conjunctions; disagreement between subjects and verbs; disagreement between pronouns and their antecedents; and confusing shifts in tense, person, or number. *D. Standards: Effective academic writing should display the following characteristics:

1. Worthwhile CONTENT—a perceptive, engaging exploration of a topic using

appropriate support.

2. A solid ORGANIZATION—clear, logically presented Introduction, Body

Paragraph(s), and Conclusion focused on a controlling thesis and with sufficient

transitions.

3. Appropriate DICTION AND STYLE—fluency of language, adequacy of

vocabulary, appropriateness of tone, effectiveness of sentence structure, use of active

voice and action verbs, and graceful integration of support.

4. General correctness with regard to GRAMMAR AND MECHANICS—

observance of accepted grammar, mechanics, usage, spelling, format, and the

conventions of standard written English.

*E. Format: Students should format all academic writing in accordance with the

MLA guidelines as described in the assigned handbook or as directed by the instructor. Unless otherwise noted, all graded writing submissions will be typed.

F. Guidelines for Grades: (see Grading Rubric for English Papers)

1. Written work achieving consistent ratings of good with respect to the

four standards will receive a grade of 900-1000.

2. Written work receiving a rating of good in two or three of the four

standards and not less than fair in the other(s) will receive a grade of 800-

899.

3. Written work rated fair in three or four of the areas and not having any area rated

deficient will receive a grade of 700-799.

4. Written work that is rated deficient with respect to one or more of the four standards

will receive a grade of 699 or below. NOTE: Ordinarily the grade of “F” is reserved for

those papers that in some blatant way simply do not meet the requirements of the

assignment.

VIII. Attendance Policies

For the good of the Liberty University student body, a consistent attendance policy is needed so that all students in all majors will understand the expectations of faculty in all their courses. In general, regular and punctual attendance in all classes is expected of all students. At times, students will miss classes. These absences will be identified as either excused or unexcused and will be handled per the policy below.

Excused Absences

?Excused absences include all Liberty University sponsored events, to include athletic competition or other provost-approved event.

?Absences due to medical illness that are accompanied by a doctor’s note will be excused.

?Absences due to family situations such as a death in the family or a severe medical condition will be excused

?Students will not be penalized for excused absences and will be permitted to make arrangements to complete missed work.

Unexcused Absences

?Classes that meet:

o Three times per week will permit three unexcused absences per semester.

o Twice per week will permit two unexcused absences per semester.

o Once per week will permit one unexcused absence per semester.

?Questions regarding unexcused absences must be resolved by the student with the professor within one week of the absence. Students may appeal these decisions to the

respective dean within one week.

?Extraordinary circumstances regarding excessive absences will be addressed by the student with the faculty member, department chair, and dean as required.

?Penalties for each unexcused absence over the permitted number per semester will be as follows:

50 points for classes that meet 3 times per week

75 points for classes that meet 2 times per week

150 points for classes that meet once per week

?Students who are late for class 10 minutes or less are considered tardy but present for the class. If a student misses in-class work due to tardiness, the faculty member may choose not to allow the student to make up this work. Three class tardies will be counted as one unexcused absence.

?Students who are more than 10 minutes late for class are considered absent

IX. Other Policies (These policies should be reproduced exactly as stated below) Dress Code

Students are expected to come to class dressed in a manner consistent with The Liberty Way.

Honor Code

We, the students, faculty, and staff of Liberty University, have a responsibility to uphold the moral and ethical standards of this institution and personally confront those who do not.

Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct includes: academic dishonesty, plagiarism, and falsification. See The Liberty Way for specific definitions, penalties, and processes for reporting.

Disability Statement

Students with a documented disability may contact the Office of Disability Academic

Support in DH 2016 to arrange academic accommodations. For all disability testing

accommodation requests (i.e. quieter environment, extended time, oral testing, etc.) the Tutoring / Testing Center is the officially designated place for all tests administered

outside of the regular classroom.

DROP/ADD POLICY

A Fall/Spring course may be dropped without a grade, tuition, and fee charges within the

first five days of the semester. From the sixth day until the end of the tenth week, a

Fall/Spring course may be withdrawn with a grade of W

Classroom Policies

The inappropriate use of technology, such as cell phones, iPods, laptops, calculators, etc.

in the classroom is not tolerated. Other disruptive behavior in the classroom is not

tolerated. Students who engage in such misconduct will be subject the penalties and

processes as written in The Liberty Way.

X. Agenda of Class Sessions

[Topics per day/week]

[Assignments per date: Tests, Due Dates for Writing, Other]