English 201: The
Research Paper
Section 1127 11:30-12:20pm Daily, R206
Section 1128 12:30-1:20pm Daily, A228
Winter Quarter 2013
Instructor: Jim
Dicus
Email: jim.dicus@bellevuecollege.edu
Office Location: R230
Office Phone: 425-564-2119
Office Hours: TTh 1:30-3:30pm and by appointment
Required Text:
Hacker, A Writer’s Reference
W/Writing in the Disciplines (ISBN:
9780312601447)
Course
Outcomes for English 201
At the end of this course, students will be able to write a
humanities-style research paper which includes as part of its composition
process:
1.
An objective summary of college-level material which
identifies primary and supporting assertions.
2.
An evaluation of different types of evidence (i.e.,
tone/diction, logical reasoning)
3.
A synthesis of source material with own writing.
4.
An original and clearly supported thesis.
5.
Proper in-text citations and works-cited page (MLA
format).
6.
A breadth of varied primary sources which
demonstrates a familiarity with library research skills.
Final Grade
Elements:
·
Attendance & Participation
·
4 Newspaper Article Analyses
·
3 Essays
·
Annotated Bibliography
·
Oral Presentation
You must
complete ALL major
assignments listed in this syllabus in order to obtain a passing grade. However, completion of all assignments does
not necessarily guarantee a passing grade.
Note on Participation
(10 x 10 points)
You
earn 10 points per week for participation throughout the quarter. The reason
why it is 10 x 10 points is because I don’t count the 12th week
(finals) and I drop the lowest week of the quarter because I know that life
holds many challenges and I don’t want a bad week to seriously handicap your
performance in this class.
Paper Format Guidelines
(3 general rules):
1. All papers will be written using MLA
format.
2. No assignment will be accepted if
submitted by email (we will be using Canvas).
3. You must STAPLE any assignment with
more than 1 page before you turn it in.
Evaluation Procedures:
Grades will
be based on assignments, essays, and participation in class discussions and
peer group evaluations. Each assignment,
especially essay assignments, carries a certain grade percentage. There will be individual grading criteria
listed with each major assignment in addition to what is listed generally in
the syllabus. If you have questions that lie outside the scope of what either
explicates, please ask me so I can specifically address your questions.
Expectations
for Assignments:
You
must turn in all assignments complete and on time. Complete means everything
specified in the assignment guidelines. Incomplete assignments may not be
graded, or may receive a 0. This is especially true if you email an assignment.
It won’t be considered as turned in, so expect the assignment to be graded with
0 for non-completion.
The
grade for any late assignments will be reduced 10% each day it is late. Late
essays and assignments will only be accepted up to one week following the due
date. Essay and assignments over a week late will not be accepted. No late
in-class writing assignments or quizzes will be graded.
EMAILED
ASSIGNMENTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Prior
Assignments:
I will not
accept assignments written for another class as a final draft of an essay in
this course. Assignments completed for
another class often do not meet the requirements for this course, and I will
grade your papers on how well they meet the Engl 201
competencies.
Revision
Policy:
Revision is a
major part of the course. You will be
expected to revise each essay based on peer editing before you turn in the
final draft. With the pace of the
course, I don’t allow assignments to be revised after the final version for
credit. If you are worried about the grade you may earn on an assignment, feel
free to speak with me BEFORE turning it in. I will be happy to give any
feedback.
Attendance:
You are
expected to attend class regularly, and your success in this class depends on
part on that attendance. Be warned: in accordance with the BC/Arts &
Humanities policy, you may receive a failing grade (F) for the class if you
have 10+ absences.
Punctuality is also mandatory: 2 tardies = 1 absence, and so on. That means be on time and don’t sneak out early. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of class and if you’re not there at that time, you will be considered absent.
Should you
know you’ll miss a session, please let me know by email. It is important for
you to know the material in order to keep up with the rest of the class.
Electronic Devices:
Electronic devices may be
used in this classroom for class work only. Use of electronic devices for
anything other than class work is not permitted. Ringers should be silenced.
Mutual Respect:
We're
all here for the same reason, to learn. Yes, me too. Therefore, we will all
respect each other in this class. If you choose not to respect your fellow
learners, then you choose not to be in this class. Repeated acts of gross
disrespect will result in removal from the class. It's okay not to agree with
others, but you must be civil about it. If you have any questions, please ask
me or refer to the college’s “Affirmation of Inclusion” posted in this
classroom and online at http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/about/goals/inclusion.asp
Student Code of Conduct:
“Cheating,
stealing and plagiarizing (using the ideas or words of another as one’s own
without crediting the source) and inappropriate/disruptive classroom behavior
are violations of the Student Code of Conduct at Bellevue College. Examples of unacceptable behavior include,
but are not limited to: talking out of turn, arriving late or leaving early
without a valid reason, allowing cell phones/pagers to ring, and inappropriate
behavior toward the instructor or classmates.
The instructor can refer any violation of the Student Code of Conduct to
the Vice President of Student Services for possible probation or suspension
from Bellevue College. Specific student
rights, responsibilities and appeal procedures are listed in the Student Code
of Conduct, available in the office of the Vice President of Student
Services.” The Student Code, Policy
2050, in its entirety is located at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/policies/2/2050_Student_Code.asp
Disability Resource Center (DRC):
The
Disability Resource Center 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. If you are a student
with a documented autism spectrum disorder, there is a program of support
available to you.
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.
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
at www.bellevuecollege.edu/drc
Final Notes:
We are here
together for 12 weeks, and I wish for all of you to succeed. In this class we
will operate from a platform of mutual respect. That being said, I expect a
difference of opinion, and welcome it for understanding the perspective of
others will allow us to grow as individuals. Of course that doesn’t give any
single person free reign to berate or belittle anyone, and I will not tolerate
that.
I’m here for
you. Ask me questions. Send me emails. Whatever you do, don’t wait to the last
minute to seek help.
Important Links:
Arts & Humanities Policies page (Student Procedures and Expectations)
http://bellevuecollege.edu/ArtsHum/policy.html
Arts and Humanities Commitment to Student Growth and Development
http://bellevuecollege.edu/ArtsHum/AHGdlns-StdntGrwth.htm
Reading and Writing labs
http://bellevuecollege.edu/asc/reading/
http://bellevuecollege.edu/asc/writing/