Dr. Mark Jordan ~ ENGL 1302: Composition & Literature

Course Syllabus

NOTE:  If you are enrolled in the five-week, intensive summer version of this course, please scroll to the end of this syllabus to see certain changes in course requirements, etc.  Any matter not mentioned in those addenda is ruled by the regular policies, etc. for any 1302 web section, as detailed in the main part of this syllabus.

General Course Description:

In the Odessa College Catalog of Courses, ENGL 1302 is described as follows:

"Consists of reading and analyzing selected works from the principle genres of literature and introduces research techniques.  Requires analytical papers on literature, research exercises, supplemental readings and examinations."  Prerequisite:  ENGL 1301 passed with a 'C' or better .

In practice, every instructor teaches this or any course somewhat differently.  For a summary of my own approach, you should refer back to the Welcome link.  The fundamental purpose of this course will not change at all because of the Web-based delivery method.

SPECIAL NEEDS:  Odessa College complies with Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.  If you have any special needs or issues pertaining to your access to and participation in this or any other class at Odessa College, please feel free to contact me to discuss your concerns.  You may also call the Office of Disability Services at 335-6861 to request assistance and accommodations.

Required Textbook, Equipment, and Supplies:

• Read, analyze, and recognize characteristics of fiction, poetry, and drama, and identify essential details and facts in those works.

• Demonstrate the ability to read assigned texts closely, develop interpretational analyses of these texts, and clearly articulate the findings of these critical interpretational analyses;

• Write analytical papers on one or more literary works in a given genre or genres;

• Demonstrate an understanding of standard terminology to describe genres;

• Summarize the essential elements of each genre and each literary selection in standard literary terminology;

• Organize library research materials and and other resources and write a literary research project or paper which demonstrates the proper use of quotations, citations, and a list of works cited.

• Demonstrate continuing mastery of conventional English; and

• Articulate ideas in well-organized, lucid prose that exhibits the application of the aforementioned skills.

Method of Evaluation:

The grade levels I use apply in slightly different ways to both individual assignments and course grades. In the Odessa College grading system pertaining to overall course grades for this and most courses, the standard range is A ~ B ~ C ~ D ~ F, as shown below. See the Student Handbook for information on such unusual grades as "Incomplete" and others. In computing GPAs, Odessa College uses a four-point system as also shown below:

90-100 = A = 4.0 gradepoints

80- 89 = B = 3.0 gradepoints

70- 79 = C = 2.0 gradepoints (the lowest transferable course grade)

60- 69 = D = 1.0 gradepoints (a passing course grade, but usually not accepted by most colleges and universities to which you might wish to transfer)

Below 60 = F = zero gradepoints

In my evaluation of individual assignments, I use a similar range as shown above from "A" to "F," where "A" = 95, "F" = 55, and so forth. Additionally, a grade of A, B, C, or D may be shown with a minus (-) or a plus(+) with the minus equaling a "2" and the plus an "8". For example, a "B+" on an assignment equals 88 points; a "B" equals 85 points; a "B-" equals 82 points. The A, C, and D ranges work the same way. I also on some occasions may give the following grades:

Below 55 = F- (may be given when an assignment is turned in but in such a condition that even the most generous evaluation cannot justify giving even 50 out of 100 possible points; used rarely. The actual point value may range anywhere from 10 to 50 points, at my discretion.)

Zero = No points (when an assignment is not turned in at all).

Course Requirements:

Note that these requirements were already discussed in the Welcome link.  For fuller descriptions of each, please refer there.  Also, note that summer term classes usually feature a modified set of course requirements.  In the Assignments link you will find a table of specific assignments and their due dates for either long session or summer session classes.  The requirements listed below are for the normal long session course.

• Careful reading of the selected literature, with the understanding that while this receives no direct credit, it is the foundation for all graded assignments. 
• Class participation will count 5% of your course grade. This will be judged on several factors chosen to reflect not only quantity of participation but quality as well. Criteria may include such factors as number of days participating, number of messages sent, amount of pertinent questions asked, amount of topics or persuasive points introduced in discussion, and general imaginativeness and focus demonstrated.  Note:  this element  may not apply during summer term classes.
• Various short daily worksheets on the readings and other daily assignments (20% of the course grade; or 25% in short terms where Discussion Boards are not used).  Most daily grades will be worksheets on the readings.  These, together with the Discussion Boards (a vehicle for class participation), substitute for the crucial element of class discussion of the readings;
• Two tests, one over fiction, one over drama (15% each).  The Fiction Text consists of two sections, a short-answer section covering concepts and terminology and an essay section which asks students to apply the concepts to the particular works covered in the worksheets.  The Drama Test consists of an essay section similar to the first test, with the other section asking for identification of quotations from the dramas read.  Tests are "open book" and may be taken from home; consequently, more elaboration, well proof-read, is expected than on similar tests taken by campus students.
• One interpretive essay (10%).  In this essay the student uses the same concepts and terminology as tested in item 4.0, but in a more formal and thorough way, exploring the meaning of one short fiction work usually one of those already covered in class;
• A formal research paper utilizing secondary sources (15%).  During short terms, this element may be offered as a research project built on the interpretive essay element.  The student will interpret the meaning of a short fiction work from the textbook, but not one having been already covered in the course.  The student's own interpretation is supported by secondary sources found in the research process.  All sources used, including the short story being interpreted, are formally cited according to MLA research citation format, which is taught in this course.
• A comprehensive final exam (20% of the course grade).  The first section of the final (20% of the test grade) tests the selection of poems covered in the worksheets, usually with either several essay questions or a greater number of short answer questions.  (Poetry is not tested separately as are Fiction and Drama.)  The second and main section of the final exam (80% of the test grade) consists of an interpretive essay spanning works from all three genres, to be 1000 words or more in length.  More specific instructions for this and all other assignments are given within Blackboard.

Course Policies:

1. This course is not self-paced.  Although as with any web course, students have the freedom to work the course when their own schedule best allows, the boundaries to this freedom are the due dates for various minor assignments, tests, and essays.
2. Work submitted late for any reason may be penalized five points per weekday (or in shorter terms, ten points per weekday).  Any exceptions are entirely at my discretion.  Normally, no extension will be granted if the request is made after the assignment deadline has already passed, but must be requested no later than the day the assignment is due. 
3. Major work (excluding the final exam) submitted over one week past the due date will normally receive no higher than an F (or lower, if incomplete).  Daily work normally earns a zero after one week past the due date.  No work is taken after semester's end.  Any exceptions in any case are at my sole discretion.
4. All assignments must be submitted in the required file format (normally Rich Text) via Blackboard.  Any exceptions are at my sole discretion.
5. Any student missing the final exam normally receives a zero for the final exam grade.  Depending on the student's grade average, this will often result in failure of the entire course.
6. Plagiarism in any form is not allowed.  For a discussion of various forms of plagiarism, intentional and unintentional, please see the Plagiarism link.  The penalty for  flagrant, intentional plagiarism is an F for the course.  If I suspect a student of plagiarizing, if necessary I will insist that the student meet with me personally and defend his or her claim of authorship of the paper in question.  In the case of a student taking the course at a significant distance from Odessa College, I will require that student to arrange a telephone meeting, proctored by some authority who can ensure the student is actually the individual enrolled in the course.

Syllabus changes pertaining to the five-week, intensive summer section:

1. Students must realize that this is a five-week course, sometimes less!  A passing effort will call for the same amount of work as the 16-week version.  Therefore the pace will be extremely intense.  The purpose of a course such as this is to provide flexibility of scheduling, not to provide an option needing less effort.  Students are especially warned against taking this course atop an already full schedule.
2. Students should expect due dates each weekday.  You should plan on using parts of weekends for course work as well.
3. There are two main changes to Course Requirements to accommodate for the shorter time frame of this course.  The first is the elimination of online Discussion Boards.  There are no Discussion Boards in this version.
4. The other, and more significant, change is that students will write one major essay, not two.  Rather than writing a Fiction Essay about one of the stories covered in the worksheets, then later writing a Research Paper on some story not covered in class, the student will write only one interpretive essay.  It is not written as a research paper.  However, it must be written on some short story from the textbook which has not been covered in the worksheets.  Then, somewhat later in the course, the student will add a research element to that same paper, for a second grade; that addition constitutes the Research Project.  The two may not be done simultaneously.
5. The several above changes to Course Requirements result in the following distribution of grade weights:   Daily Grades = 25% of the course grade; Fiction Test = 15%; Drama Test = 15%; Fiction Essay = 15%; Research Project = 10%; Final Exam = 20%.
6. Because of the extremely short term of the course, all work submitted late without my explicit permission will lose ten points per day, including weekends.  It is absolutely crucial that the student not fall behind; there is simply no time to catch up.