English 21011-008 College Writing II | Spring 2015

Course: English 21011-008

CRN: 13016
Class Time: TR 9:1510:30AM
Location: 214 Satterfield

Course Instructor: Prof. Bev Neiderman

Office: 205F Satterfield
Hours: TR 10:30 - 11:30 AM or by appt
Phone: 672-1745
English Office: 672-2676
Email: bneiderm@kent.edu

Teaching Assistant: Emily Lamielle

Office: 205 Satterfield
Hours: Th 10:30 AM 12:000 PM
or appt
Email: elamiell@kent.edu

TEXT AND MATERIALS

Lunsford, Andrea. The St. Martins Handbook. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2011. (Customized for KSU).
Print. ISBN: 1457605317/ISBN-13: 9781457605314. Can be purchased directly from publishers website at
http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/catalog/static/bsm/customstore/KS/English/
Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America. New York: Henry Holt. 2011.
Guide to College Writing I and II, Kent State University English Dept. Student Guidebook. (Posted in Blackboard)
Flash drive, blue or black pen, whiteout, highlighter, manila folder to submit portfolio at end of semester
Microsoft Word for all work so it can be posted in Blackboard when assigned
Blackboard is our course management system. Log into your account today. Handouts, assignments, discussions, etc.
will be found in your course Blackboard site and not distributed in class; print syllabus, etc for your files; be sure to
bring the correct materials to class daily. Refer to the Bbd site daily for announcements, handouts, and information.
Check your Kent email address daily.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

See p. 15-18 in Guide

English 21011, College Writing II, is described in the Department of English A Guide to College Writing I and II as a
course that provides a continuation of college-level writing instruction and experiences, with emphasis on research and
inquiry, culminating in a lengthy written and/or multimodal project. Students must receive a grade of C- or better to earn
credit for this course. If you receive a D+ or lower, you must retake the course. Prerequisite: Completion of ENG 11011
or ENG 11002 with a C- or better or test scores. Completion of 24 hours of course work is strongly recommended.
Effective writing requires critical thinking, practice, re-thinking, and revision. In this College Writing II course, students
will use the writing process to fine-tune multiple writing assignments, including discussions, essays, a multi-modal
project, a research project, revisions, and reflections. Students will also read and discuss issues presented in the course
readings, including texts, video, and the internet. As students read about the importance of a college education and current
social changes in such required texts as Nickel and Dimed, essays in the Electronic Reserves, and their own academic
research, they will explore the effects of current economic issues in the United States on their generation.
This course has been designed with these course goals in mind. As students read through the weekly or module course
objectives, students should see how each assignment builds to and provides practice to prepare them for the lengthy
research project.
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

See p. 16-18 in Guide

Students will:
1. Demonstrate rhetorical understanding by composing documents that use information to influence readers.
2. Apply a variety of organizational strategies to integrate authorities smoothly into documents that explore issues
and answer questions appropriate for liberal education.
3. Review and apply process strategies for writing.
4. Read and evaluate various sources and modes of information important to research and inquiry in academic and
professional settings.
5. Operate Web and digital environments necessary for conducting and writing research, such as the effect of
computers on the culture, participation in class chats, engagement in multi-media projects, and practice of
collaborative strategies.
6. Review and practice information literacy.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

See p. 18 - 31 in Guide

4 papers totaling 4500 words (about 18 pages) of evaluated writing, including an extended paper of 1750 to 2500
words (8-10 pages) which demonstrates research skills, critical thinking about issues of diversity, and competence in
MLA documentation of multiple sources.
1 Multi-modal assignment.
Homework assignments mainly reading and writing assignments to be prepared for class sessions or posted on Bbd.
1 Required Writing Center Tutor Session Others are recommended and will earn extra credit. See p. 53-54 in Guide.
1 Required Conference to discuss your research project
Portfolio containing the above work and revisions to be turned in at the end of the semester

ATTENDANCE

See p. 46 in Guide

2 unexcused absences are permitted with no consequences. Each unexcused absence over 2 can lower your final grade.
Excessive unexcused absences will warrant an F. Keep track of your absences so this does not affect your grade.
Note: Even though you are absent, you are still responsible for the work covered that day and are expected to
complete the assignments on time. Consult a classmate to explain missed assignments. Be prepared with the days
assignment when you return to class. Unless you have a documented excuse, your work is due on time whether you
were in class or not. I will not give homework assignments in emails, so please acquaint yourself with reliable
classmates to explain your missed work.
Missed work cannot be made up without a documented excuse given to me on the day you return to class--not at the
end of the semester.
Do NOT be late for class. It disrupts everyone especially since the door locks once it is closed. Excessive tardiness
(3+ tardies or 10 minutes late) will be considered an absence and will affect your grade as absences. Be aware of this
attendance policy and make sure this does not affect your final grade.
Assignments will NOT be accepted as email attachments.
CLASS PARTICIPATION
Much of our class time will be spent in workshop and discussion. Plan to attend class prepared; have the assigned readings
completed and understood so that you can participate in the class. Also, have the completed reading or writing assignment
ready at the start of class because this is usually the focus of the lesson for that day, and without them, you will not be
ready to participate in the class session. This is important not only to your grade but also to your understanding of the
material and how it is relevant to the study of writing.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS

See p 46 - Guide

Late work is not accepted. Your papers are due on the assigned day at the start of the class or posted in Vista by the due
date and time. Assignments that are sent through email will not be accepted. If there is a problem, please see me during
my office hours.

ESSAYS
Use MLA format for organizing your papers; refer to St. Martins Handbook for guidelines and explanations.
BASIC ASSIGNMENT FORMAT
See Video in Bbd - Use Microsoft Word only.
For all assignments, please follow MLA guidelines and standard English when writing
and formatting your papers.

If using Word 2007 (2003and 2010 are formatted correctly), please begin by
going to the paragraph tab and change the spacing before and after to 0
point to remove the extra space between paragraphs (see diagram at right)
Change font to Times New Roman 12; use this font ONLY
Change
All papers are to be double-spaced and in black ink only
to 0 pt
Set margins to left justify only; do not right justify any assignments
Name, class with section number, instructor name, date
(day month year 15 Sept 2012) flush top left of first page, double-spaced
(see sample below)
Last name and page number flush right on all pages from the top
Adequate margins: 1 at left, right, top, bottom of ALL pages
Run spell-check for all assignments even if only a free write or a topic choice
1" margin on all four sides
Last Name 1
Your Name
English 21011 021
Prof. Neiderman

1"

12 January 2015
Title of Assignment
1"

Check out this sample page for how to

set up your papers. Use:
Use Microsoft Word only
Times New Roman 12 font only
1 margins
Correct heading info as shown left
Save as directed in next section
RESET spacing as explained above
Double space all assignments

1"

How to Save in Word (Remember: Save all assignments as Word documents if posting in Bbd)
1. Go to Save As
2. Go to File Name and
a. Label all documents Last Name Section Number Title of assignment
b. Example if I were posting an assignment: Neiderman 008 ND
3. Save as Type as a Word document.
4. Click Save.
REMEMBER: Save ALL assignments for posting in Bbd using this labeling:
Last Name 008 - Title of Assignment

WRITING COMMONS SESSIONS

See p. 56 - 57 in Guide

You will be required to attend ONE Writing Commons session with others recommended and extra credit. Make an
appointment for your tutoring session early--a week in advance is suggested--because the center gets very busy, and this
will not be an acceptable excuse for missing your session. I will not accept your paper unless you have attended the
center. You can expect the tutors to help you by:
helping you identify a topic and a focus
helping you discover details that will support your focus and eliminate unnecessary information
helping you discover the point you want to make in the paper
helping you form a thesis for your paper
helping you organize the information in a logical order
helping you use the correct format for the type of paper that has been assigned
helping you use the correct citations within the text when required
helping you write a works cited page
Tutoring emphasis is on YOU. This is your work; tutors will give direction but will not find/correct your errors nor write
the paper for you.
In addition to the above visits, I may require individuals to seek tutoring for writing problems that should not be apparent
in a 21011 class. For example, you are expected to write coherent complete sentences that are relatively free of error.
Failure to understand these may be a reason for me to send you to the center for additional sessions.
E-MAIL bneiderm@kent.edu and elamiell@kent.edu

See p. 53 in Guide

I have provided you with my Kent e-mail address as it may be difficult for you to reach me when I am not on campus. If
you have any questions or information that I may need to know, please contact me in this manner. I will promptly answer
emails I receive before 5pm; however, messages sent after that time would probably not be answered until the next
morning or later the next day. So, those of you who work late in the evening or early in the morning, I cannot guarantee a
prompt response. Try to budget your writing time to consider this if you have to contact me. In addition, I may use your
Kent e-mail for assignments at various points in the semester. Check it daily.
GRADING - No late assignments will be accepted.

See p. 46-49 in Guide

The revised portfolio papers will carry the most weight for your grade. Daily assignments and class discussion will be
figured into a participation grade. Although not all of your assignments may be graded, all will be recorded and
considered in your grade at the end of the semester. Come to class preparedhave your readings completed, your
assignments finished, and be ready to contribute to the class discussions.
Grading Policy

See p. 46-49 in Guide

Student grades for the course will be assessed using the following methods: Students must receive a grade of C- or better
to earn credit for this course. If you receive a D+ or lower, you must retake the course.
Grade Policy: Grades will be calculated from the points earned out of the points possible and computed
from a plus/minus system.
Percentage of
Percentage of
Earned
Earned Points
Grade
Grade
Earned Points
Earned Points
Points
93-100%
744 800
A
73% - 77%
584 623
C
90-92%
720 743
A70% - 72%
560 583
C88-89%
704 719
B+
68% - 69%
544 559
D+
83-87%
664 703
B
60% 67%
480 543
D
80-82%
78-79%

640 663
624 639

BC+

Under 60%

479 and
below

To view the explanations for the letter grades, please see the Kent State grading guidelines. See the Course Schedule for a
listing of the points for each assignment.
University Policies and Procedures
I. Course Enrollment and Withdrawal
A. Registration Requirement
The official registration deadline for this course is at the end of the first full week of classes. University policy
requires all students to be officially registered in each class they are attending. Students who are not officially
registered for a course by published deadlines should not be attending classes and will not receive credit or a grade for
the course. Each student must confirm enrollment by checking his/her class schedule (using Student Tools in
FlashFast) prior to the deadline indicated. Registration errors must be corrected prior to the deadline. (A & S Memo,
2009). http://www.kent.edu/registrar/calendars/stu_sum.cfm
Course Withdrawal with W on transcript is through Week 6; see the academic calendar at
http://www.kent.edu/academics/resources/academic-calendar.cfm for more information.
B. Plagiarism and Academic Integrity
See p. 49 in Guide
Not tolerated.
"Plagiarize" means to take and present as one's own material a portion of the ideas or words of another or to present as
one's own an idea or work derived from an existing source without full and proper credit to the source of the ideas,
words, or works. This definition includes using another students work as your own as well as inadequately
referencing other sources in your work.
Plagiarism carries a variety of sanctions, ranging from lowering of a grade to dismissal from the University.
The University Policy is found at Kent State University Policy 3342-3-01.8 or on pages 46-48 of your Guide.

C. Students with Disabilities (SAS)

See p. 58 in Guide
University policy 3342-3-01.3 requires that students with disabilities be provided reasonable accommodations to
ensure their equal access to course content. If you have a documented disability and require accommodations, please
contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to make arrangements for necessary classroom adjustments.
Please note, you must first verify your eligibility for these through Student Accessibility Services (contact 330-6723391 or visit www.kent.edu/sas for more information on registration procedures).
D. Student Survey of Instruction Evaluation (SSID)
It is a standard practice of Kent State University to distribute and administer to the learners a confidential and
anonymous questionnaire at the completion of the course. The results will be forwarded to the Instructor only at the
completion of the class and the submission of all grades. The instructor will then incorporate the feedback received in
future course offerings and in his continual improvement of the course.
Please candidly and honestly describe your opinions of the strengths and weakness you experienced as a learner in the
course. This is a situation where the students opinion does count.
E. Fair Use and Copyright Policy
See p. 49 in Guide
It is the policy of the university to encourage appropriate scholarly and creative activity by faculty, staff, and students.
Foremost among these activities is the production of works disseminating the results of academic research or
scholarly study.
For more information regarding the policy, go to the Kent State University Policy 5-10.1 for details.
Subject to Change Statement
This syllabus and schedule are subject to change. These changes will be communicated to students by the course
instructor. It is the students responsibility to check for messages and announcements daily.