Course
Syllabus: Winter 2013
Course Syllabus: English 201 -- The Research Paper: Food, Glorious,
Food!
Instructor: Ms. Martha Silano
Class Times: Online through Canvas course site
Classroom: None
OFFICE: R230K
OFFICE HOURS: By appointment only
OFFICE PHONE: (425) 564-2078 (messages forwarded to my
campus email address)
EMAIL ADDRESS (preferred method of communication): use my Canvas email address. If Vista
is not operating, use my campus email address: msilano@bellevuecollege.edu (If you send me email,
please put your name and course name/number in the subject line).
CHAT/SKYPE: My user name is martha.silano.
I am happy to chat with you about course-related issues, including assignment
expectations and guidelines, grading policies, etc.
AFFIRMATION OF INCLUSION: Bellevue College is
committed to maintaining an environment in which every member of the campus
community feels welcome to participate in the life of the college, free from
harassment and discrimination. We value our different backgrounds at Bellevue
College, and students, faculty, staff members, and administrators are to treat
one another with dignity and respect. http://bellevuecollege.edu/about/goals/inclusion.asp
Modality/Participation: This is a 100% online class. This means that
we do not meet face-to-face (ftf) in a traditional classroom,
and that all assignments, discussions, and related course work will be
conducted on our Canvas course site. Active (5x a week minimum) participation
in our online community is mandatory; that is, to pass this course, you must
log in to our course site and participate regularly (five days a week) and
complete the assigned work, including online discussions, posting and
critiquing rough draft essays, and submitting your finalized assignments to the
instructor. The course is organized using learning modules (labeled Week 1,
Week 2, etc., through Week 11). Please read the Course Syllabus and Getting
Started information carefully to find out all the essential information about
successfully completing this course, then head to the Week 1 learning module to
find out what to do next.
Access: Canvas may be accessed via the following URL:
http://bc.instructure.com. If you run
into problems with Canvas, please contact the Help Desk at extension 4357 or
visit them: http://depts.bellevuecollege.edu/ir/help-desk-location-hours/.
This
course syllabus, detailed weekly schedules, assignment guidelines, and all
supplemental materials and links are available on our Canvas course site.
REQUIRED MATERIALS: a 2-pocket folder or three-ring binder for
saving drafts; a spiral notebook, index cards, or a computerized notebook/table
for taking research notes; access to a reliable computer with an ISP, Web
Browser, and a word processing program. You should also have a back-up computer
(campus computer lab, library, friend) with the same available services ready
at your disposal should your primary computer fail you. Preferred: An external
method of backing up your computer files (flash drive, memory stick, etc.).
IF YOU DO NOT OWN A COMPUTER OR HAVE ACCESS TO ONE: There is an open
computer lab on campus in N250. They have over 200 PCs and Macs for student
use. If you are using a campus computer, make sure that you save your work
externally (or email it to yourself), so you do not accidentally lose access to
it.
GETTING YOUR COMPUTER SKILLS UP TO SPEED AND GETTING ACQUAINTED
WITH CANVAS:
For
information on accessing course materials online: http://depts.bellevuecollege.edu/ir/students/studentguide/class-sites/
Canvas
Student Orientation at Bellevue College: https://bc.instructure.com/courses/411354
Canvas
Student Guide: http://guides.instructure.com/m/4212
COURSE THEME: Rather than writing a research paper about
anything under the sun, this course requires you to limit your scope to a topic
relevant to the course theme of food sustainability. Sustainable food
practices are ones that could conceivably continue in perpetuity without damage
to culture, the environment, or to those people who live in proximity to or who
work to grow, harvest, and distribute the food being produced. Sustainability,
having its root in sustain, also relates to the eating of food that
sustains rather than causing illness or disease. When we label a practice sustainable, we are also considering
the degree to which this practice preserves biodiversity, achieves its affects
by taking small actions that lead to large impacts, and fosters healthy and
just economies, along with taking into consideration the impact the practice
will make on the local ecosystem. Sustainability skills include
intellectual openness, a sensitivity to cross-cultural perspectives, an ability
to work collaboratively in groups, an ability to think laterally (connect the
dots), an ability to reflect on how our personal choices affect sustainability,
thinking critically and relying heavily on observation and empiricism,
practicing civic responsibility, and reflecting on our own knowledge, values,
and commitment through a variety of media, including literary and artistic
expression.
As a
student in a sustainability-themed course, you will be expected to consider the
local as well as global impact of your personal choices when it comes to food
purchasing and consumption, including how far your food has traveled to get to
your plate, how your food is grown, produced, processed, packaged, and disposed
of. You will also be expected to make connections between small changes in
behavior and potentially huge global impacts. This video presents a fine
introduction to this course:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_2rD5qYzKg&feature=related. The final research paper
assignment, along with a working list of potential topics are posted in
Assignments. My hope is that as a class we will generate even more topic ideas.
Before you start to freak out about having to write and 8-10 page paper about
food, take a deep breath and have a look at the list, where a great many topics
are open to you within this broad category.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Ballenger,
Bruce. The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research
Papers. 7th Ed. Pearson: Longman: 2009. ISBN: 0-205-66611-6.
Pollan, Michael. Food Rules. New York: Penguin, 2008 ISBN: 10-014311638X
RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTAL TEXTS:
Grammar
book, dictionary, & thesaurus.
RECOMMENDED SUPPLIES: calendar/date book for listing due dates,
tasks, etc., a good dictionary, trips to the BC Writing Lab in D-204-D (make an
appointment by calling 425-564-2200).
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Students
who complete this course should, by the end of the quarter, be able to write
professional quality essays, critically evaluate and synthesize texts, use a
breadth of library and online resources, assess and cite those sources
properly, revise and edit their own writing as well as the writing of their
peers, produce an 8- to 10-page humanities-style research paper that adheres to
MLA guidelines, and be familiar with the terminology of the writing process. In
terms of the course theme, the student, by the end of the quarter, will be
amply prepared to be a responsible citizen in a globally interconnected and
diverse society. S/he will also increase his/her understanding regarding the
link between food and culture, the negative consequences of industrialized,
processed, and profit-motivated food production, the relationship between food
and health, local and alternative food systems, the issue of local and world
hunger, and contemporary food movements such as locavorism
and the slow food movement.
COURSE CONTENT: This quarter you will read, discuss, and write
about the assigned texts; complete two formal essays relating to the course
theme; produce a research proposal, annotated bibliography, outline, and
research paper rough draft; analyze and peer edit essays and papers written by
your classmates; practice locating, assessing reliability of, assimilating and
documenting sources; produce a formal 8- to 10-page research paper; and write
informally and reflectively (in the form of journal entries and
self-reflections), assessing your own progress as a writer and an active
participant in online discussions.
GRADING: Each assigned essay will be accompanied by a
stand-alone assignment sheet with specific guidelines, along with a grading
rubric.
Grading breakdown/points:
Essay
1 (summary & response): 100
Essay
2 (synthesis): 100
Research
Proposal: 50
Interview
Self-Assessment: 25
Annotated
Bibliography: 50
Rough
Research Paper Outline: 50
Research
Paper Rough Draft: 100
Final
Research Paper: 200
Weekly
journal entries: 50
Weekly
Online Discussions: 100
Peer
Review Participation: 100
Syllabus
Quiz: 10
Scavenger
Hunt: 10
Final
Presentation: 50
Course
Evaluation:
5
TOTAL POINTS: 1,000
Methods of Instruction:
Short
online lectures, field research and data collection/analysis, analysis of
readings, online weekly discussions, assignments, and study questions, peer
review of class members writings, impromptu grammar and writing assignments,
and other relevant activities.
General Assessment: Your grade will depend on your abilities to
demonstrate mastery of the skills and activities described above. Since writing
is above all process-oriented, your grade will be evaluated in part by your
efforts and class participation.
Personal Responsibility: I understand that personal and family illness,
work-related stress, grieving for lost loved ones, and related interferences
can and do happen from time to time, but if you want to receive a good grade
and have a valuable experience in this class, you must participate in the discussions and submit all assignments in a
timely (sequential) fashion. Complete the assigned reading and video
viewing, get your assignments in on time, participate actively and thoughtfully
in the online discussions, and ask for help at an appropriate time (i.e.,
before you are in deep trouble) and you should be able to pass this
class. Please ask questions if an assignment or expectation is not clear
to you, either via email or Skype. I am here to support you in your
learning but need to know from you how best to do this.
In summary, to receive the highest grade you should do
all of the following:
Note: Your final paper
must adhere to MLA citation guidelines—containing both a Works Cited and
in-text parenthetical notations—in order for it to receive a passing
grade. I repeat: papers that lack either a works cited,
parenthetical citations, or both, will receive an automatic zero; this includes
the rough draft research paper as well as the final research paper.
Canvas Outages: If our class site crashes
or goes off-line temporarily, it is best to reach me through my campus email
address,msilano@bellevuecollege.edu. Unless the College dictates
otherwise, I will expect that you have in your possession hard copies of the
calendar and syllabus, and/or whatever assignment we are working on, and can
continue doing your work during temporary outages. Please check your campus
email often to stay apprised of when/if Canvas has its usual share of technical
glitches and burps this quarter.
Class Policies
Student Behavior/Classroom Atmosphere: You will be expected to
comport yourself in a respectful and thoughtful manner as you post our ideas
and opinions to the Discussions area, and when commenting on the work/comments
of your classmates. Please join me in making the atmosphere in this class
supportive, comfortable, & positive. What I ask of you is a sincere
commitment to the course theme and in learning how to write a research paper,
including a willingness to explore new ways of generating ideas for and
revising your own work and the work of your classmates. While communicating
online, the same level of respect and courtesy applies. Remember: do not ever
say anything in writing that you would not say to someone in person (ftf). Let us all strive to be kind and respectful
this quarter as we provide constructive feedback and create and sustain a
positive and productive learning community.
If
a student addresses a student or the instructor inappropriately, I will provide
specifics in writing as to what behavior must be stopped, reiterate my
expectation of civility and an atmosphere conducive to learning, and warn of a
referral to the Dean of Student Services. If the misbehavior continues, the
student will be reported to the Dean of Student Services for possible
probation, suspension, or expulsion.
Withdrawals: Students who are not making satisfactory
progress in the course (not participating, not completing assignments) will be
advised to withdraw from the course to avoid receiving an F grade (0) on
his/her transcript. Please refer to the BC Academic Calendar for relevant
deadlines.
Paper format/late assignments/grace period: I expect all assignments
to be typed on a computer using a word processing system that interfaces with
Canvas; MS Word is the preferred program for this class. Manuscript formatting
guidelines are available in the learning module labeled Course
Essentials. Unless I have made arrangements with a student prior to the
due date, all major assignments are due on the date listed in the
on the Canvas calendar. If you anticipate that you will not be able to
meet a deadline, please contact me via email before the assignment is due, so that we may work out a
solution.
Option to Revise: You will have the option of revising essays 1 or 2 after I have graded
them. Revisions are due during the tail end of the quarter (Week 9). I will
grade the revised essay and then average it with the grade you
initially received on the paper. This averaged grade will be your final grade
for the essay.
Heads Up About Saving Your Work: Every quarter I remind
students to print out their drafts and/or save their work on a flash drive, and
every quarter I have students who tell me they lost their only copy of their
essay when their hard drive crashed or their computer broke or got stolen.
Please note: destroyed, lost, or erased documents will not exempt you from the
rules regarding late papers (1/2 grade deducted per day). Do not say I did
not warn you.
Plagiarism: Using the words or ideas of
someone else as if they are your own (or allowing someone else to use your
words or ideas as their own) is grounds for denial of credit (receiving an F for
the course). Document sources as taught in The Curious Researcher. We will go over
this in class so you are sure what constitutes plagiarism, whether intentional
or through carelessness. Please visit and read the Avoiding Plagiarism page on
the BC Writing Lab web site. In order to reduce the temptation to plagiarize, I
will not accept a final research paper unless a research proposal, annotated
bibliography, rough outline, and rough draft have been submitted in
advance. Please read this information on plagiarism carefully: http://bellevuecollege.edu/lmc/links/plagiarism.html; there will be a quiz on
this material, along with the contents of the syllabus, at the start of the quarter.
Ownership: The work that you turn in under your name is expected to
be your original work, written for this course and to the specifications of the
assignment. Although you are encouraged to seek feedback on your writing
from others and from the BC Writing Lab, the writing must be demonstrably and
essentially your own. Save drafts, outlines and other preliminary steps toward your
finished work, just in case a question of ownership arises.
The Disability Resource
Center: The DRC serves students with a wide array of learning challenges
and disabilities. If you are a student who has a disability or learning
challenge for which you have documentation or have seen someone for treatment
and if you feel you may need accommodations in order to be successful in
college, please contact us as soon as possible. The DRC office is located in B
132 or you can call our reception desk at 425.564.2498. Deaf students can
reach us by video phone at 425-440-2025 or by TTY at 425-564-4110. Please visit
our website for application information into our program and other helpful
links atwww.bellevuecollege.edu/drc
If
you are a person who requires assistance in case of an emergency situation,
such as a fire, earthquake, etc, please meet with
your individual instructors to develop a safety plan within the first week of
the quarter.
Public Safety Department: The Bellevue College (BC)
Public Safety Department has well-trained and courteous non-commissioned staff
that provide personal safety, security, crime prevention, preliminary
investigations, and other services to the campus community, 24 hours per day, 7
days per week. Their phone number is 425.564.2400. The Public
Safety website is your one-stop resource for campus emergency preparedness
information, campus closure announcements and critical information in the event
of an emergency. Public Safety is located in K100 and on the web at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/publicsafety/
Some last thoughts: To succeed in this class, you must participate
regularly in the online discussions, be able to learn independently, stay on
task, and communicate well with others. As with any college class, you
can expect to do a minimum of 10 hours of homework each week. For most, online and
hybrid courses are not easier than grounded ones; if anything, they present
more challenges as they require a great deal of self-motivation and independent
learning. I expect you to take responsibility for your success in this class,
and I am here to support you in that, but the responsibility for doing so is
ultimately yours. Having said that, please do not hesitate to contact me
if you feel confused or overwhelmed. Writing is hard work but you would
not placed in this class if we did not think you
could succeed. Do not be afraid to ask for help, but do take risks with
your writing and to try to have fun with it, too. If we commit to being
respectful of each other and our ideas and writing, we can have a great quarter
together.
Note: There is no final exam scheduled for this class.
BC GRADE SCALE:
A
93-100%
A-
92-89%
B+
88-86%
B
85-82%
B-
81-79%
C+
78-76%
C
75-73%
C-
72-69%
D+ 68-66%
D
65
F
00-64%
FINAL GRADING SCALE (BASED ON 1,000 POINTS):
Letter Grade |
Number Grade |
# of Points |
A |
4.0-3.8 |
1000-930 |
A- |
3.7-3.4 |
929-890 |
B+ |
3.3-3.1 |
889-860 |
B |
3.0-2.8 |
859-820 |
B- |
2.7-2.4 |
819-790 |
C+ |
2.3-2.1 |
789-760 |
C |
2.0-1.8 |
759-730 |
C- |
1.7-1.4 |
729-690 |
D+ |
1.3-1.1 |
689-660 |
D |
1.0 |
659-650 |
F |
|
649 & below |
In
general it takes me about a week to read and grade major assignments, including
the final research essay. I will submit final grades via the Instructor
Briefcase during finals week.
Pertinent Phone Numbers: Public Safety: (425) 564-2400. Use this number
for medical emergencies, fire, theft, lost & found, for a jump start or to
unlock vehicles.
Library
Media Center Reference Desk: (425) 564-6161 http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/lmc/
BC Counseling Center: (425) 564-2212 (B234) http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/hdc/
Please review the Arts & Humanities division standards: http://bellevuecollege.edu/ArtsHum/policy.html
This syllabus functions as a contract between
me (the instructor) and you (the student). I will work hard to abide by these
policies; in turn, I expect you to familiarize yourself with course
requirements and instructor expectations, to review them if you are unsure
about a particular policy, and to contact me asap if
you are unclear about my expectations or policies.
While
our time together this quarter will be 100% virtual, I have found in that
steady concerted effort to participate often and with diligence/care
can serve us well to create a productive and nurturing online community. I
look forward to being part of such a thriving online community, and to working
with each of you this quarter.