Kellogg Community College

Semester Year

Required Texts and Supplies

Faigley, Lester. The Little Penguin Handbook. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2007.

Any disk device for saving work; many readings will be found online—you will want to save these to disk

A folder for saving and organizing all writing assignments

Catalogue Description

Prerequisite: Grade of "C" or higher in ENGL 151. A continuation of ENGL 151, including research writing, examination and discussion of selected readings

Course Description

English 152 is designed to develop your critical reading and writing skills--skills you will use throughout your life, not only in this class. The course focuses on MLA documentation and citation standards, logical argumentation, proposal writing, argument analysis, secondary research as well as persuasive and informative writing styles.

Learning Outcomes

1.        Integrate/synthesize outside material in a formal research essay

2.        Write a well-developed research paper supporting an original thesis using a variety of credible sources

3.        Develop arguments using logic, evidence/support, and an acknowledgement of conflicting opinions/beliefs

4.        Use the Internet and library to find sources

5.        Understand and evaluate written texts—both online and in hard copy

6.        Use source material in a variety of ways: summary, paraphrase, and direct quotations

7.        Use an acceptable style manual to document source material properly

8.        Develop topic, thesis, and research support for an idea.

9.        Use in-text citations effectively, without loss of one's own formal voice

10.     Compose effective informative/argumentative outlines

11.     Demonstrate the ability to narrow the focus on an issue to a manageable topic that adequately addresses the issues for the audience.

12.     Locate source materials and take notes using the note card writing and organizing techniques covered in class.

13.     Analyze, evaluate, and interpret source material.

14.     Arrange and classify information and support.

15.     Write a research paper that has a clear sense of purpose and audience.

16.     Demonstrate written, verbal, nonverbal, computer, and listening communication skills.

Class Web Site (Optional)

Many of the course assignments are located on the Blackboard web site. It is helpful to have Internet access at home, but in no way is home Internet access required. Information located on the companion website can be viewed in class, at the KCC library, and it can also be downloaded onto disk or ZIP for easy viewing on any computer.

The class web site address is http://bb.kellogg.edu. Once you have reached this address, click the Login button. Your username will be the same K-ID (lower case k and your seven digit student number) and your initial Password will be your "birth date" in the format of MMDDYY (e.g., 061582).  Please note that although the Blackboard user ID is the same as your portal and network ID, the passwords may be different if you already changed your portal password. Changing your password in the portal does not change the password in Blackboard. Changes to the Blackboard password are done inside of Blackboard.

Approximate Grading Breakdown

Student Responsibilities

The course goals, grading policies, expectations, and competencies are clearly outlined in this handout. Know and understand this information; it is crucial to your success in this course.

Attendance and Participation:

Attendance is crucial in a writing class, for each day’s activities build upon skills mastered and techniques learned in a previous class. Attendance will be taken every day. If you accumulate more than 5 absences, you may be dropped from the course. If you reach 4 absences in the semester, a warning for excessive absences will be directed to Student Support Services. If you reach 6 absences, the instructor may request that the administration remove you from the course. To avoid being dropped you must contact me within two days of accumulating your 6th absence.

The instructor can give a grade of W after an excessive absence warning has been issued. Please note that a grade of W in a course affects scholarship, financial aid, and athletic eligibility. [Contact the KCC Customer Service Center for these dates]

                                Last date to drop with a refund is                     ____________________

Last date to request a W in the class is           ____________________

Class participation allows students a different venue to demonstrate their understanding of the goals of this course. Students will be able to present and respond to feedback, discuss thesis construction, and work on developing their own voice and self-confidence through interaction with their peers.

Class participation is encouraged. We will follow college practices regarding conduct. Students are expected to create an atmosphere of respect. No name calling, interrupting, or foul language is allowed. Come prepared with an open attitude that is professional and shows that you are ready to learn. Students are expected to participate actively in all class discussions and arrive on time each day, fully prepared for scheduled work.

All essay assignments and the presentation must be completed in order to pass this course. Late work will be penalized 25% of point value if turned in late, regardless of reason. If you know of an upcoming absence, please make arrangements prior to the essay’s due date.

Writing Projects 

Expectations for writing assignments are clearly explained in class, and students who attend daily and complete their readings rarely experience confusion. All papers submitted in this course must have been written during this semester and specifically for this class. Total = 350 pts

MLA Quiz/Works Cited exercise: Practice of documentation of sources. Learning Outcomes: 1, 7, 9, 16

Summaries: Create a condensed restatement of a print source. Demonstrate your understanding of the material (ideas/information). Learning Outcomes: 5, 6, 11, 13

Critiques: Formalized, critical analysis of a print source with response. Demonstrate your ability to evaluate the quality of a source and show a deeper understanding of it. Show an understanding of logic fallacies. Learning Outcomes: 5, 6, 9, 13, 14

Research/Note Taking Assignments: Practice techniques in gathering sources, organization of notes, and paraphrasing information. Learning Outcomes: 4, 6, 7, 9, 12, 16

Information Paper: Write a 2 page paper, demonstrating proper use of documentation. Work with at least 3 sources. Learning Outcomes: 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16

Artifact Analysis Essay: Look at non-print text analysis. Write a 2-3 page synthesis paper, making an evaluation about the importance of (or lack thereof) a non-print work (may be determined by instructor). Work with at least 4 sources (including your primary source). Learning Outcomes: 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

Argument Essay: Create and support an argument. Write a 5-6 page essay, working with at least 5 sources. Demonstrate logical organization, ample use of researched evidence/support, and understanding of conflicting opinions/beliefs. Learning Outcomes: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

Research Essay: Create an in-depth analysis of a topic, showing a mastery of that topic. Write a 10-12 page essay, working with at least 10 sources. Learning Outcomes: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

Presentation: Near the end of the semester, you will have the chance to share your research from one of your writing projects in a 10-minute presentation. Visual supplement is mandatory: PowerPoint, overheads, a website, artifacts, a short video clip. Learning Outcomes: 11, 16

Grading Criteria:

ENG 152 is a course in English composition.  Consequently, the grades your writing assignments receive represent your instructor's estimate of how well each assignment demonstrates your mastery of the composition skills appropriate at that point in the course. The following briefly describes the general requirements for each grade level.

To receive a grade of A, your essay should:

CONTENT                     contain a central idea that is clearly defined, developed with originality and careful thought, and supported substantially and concretely

ORGANIZATION        follow a plan that progresses by clearly ordered and necessary stages

STYLE                            contain paragraphs that are unified and developed with unusual effectiveness, and use transitions within and between paragraphs that are clear/effective, and paragraphs and sentences that are coherent and effective

DICTION                       utilize language that is appropriate, fresh, accurate, concise, and un-idiomatic

To receive a grade of B, your essay should:

CONTENT                     contain a central idea that is defined with more than usual care and clarity, developed fully and with consistent attention to proportion and emphasis, and supported with sufficient and consistently relevant detail

ORGANIZATION        follow a plan whose purpose and method are consistently apparent and completely fulfilled

STYLE                            contain paragraphs that are well-developed and unified, and use transitions between paragraphs that are explicit and effective, and paragraphs/ sentences that are coherent and emphatic

DICTION                       utilize language that is appropriate, clear, carefully chosen, and un-idiomatic

To receive a grade of C, your essay should:

CONTENT                     contain a central idea that is adequately defined but trite, trivial, or too general; or that is developed adequately but with occasional disproportion or inappropriate emphasis; or that is supported adequately but with occasional repetition or sketchiness

ORGANIZATION        follow a plan whose purpose/method is apparent but fulfilled unimaginatively or incompletely

STYLE                            contain paragraphs that are unified and coherent but are occasionally ineffective in their development, or utilize transitions that are abrupt or mechanical, or contain sentences that while coherent are occasionally monotonous, unemphatic, or ineffective in structure

DICTION                       utilize language that is often inappropriate, vague, trite, or idiomatic

Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling

Placement in ENG 152 presupposes a basic competence in English grammar, mechanics, punctuation, and spelling. An essay will not receive a high grade merely because it is grammatically error-free.  If the grammar in your work is so problematic as to obscure meaning, then you may be required to utilize some sources of help from outside the course.

 Kellogg Community College Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 Statement: Kellogg Community College does not discriminate in the admission or treatment of students on the basis of disability. KCC is committed to the compliance with the American Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. See Student Handbook for information about student services.

Disclaimer: Information contained in this syllabus was, to the best knowledge of the instructor, considered correct and complete when distributed for use at the beginning of the semester. However, this syllabus should not be considered a contract between Kellogg Community College and any student, nor between the instructor and any student. The instructor reserves the right, acting within the policies and procedures of KCC, to make changes in the course content, instructional techniques, and course assignments without notice or obligation.

Cell phones and pagers must be on mute during class. If you must take or return an emergency call, please go out into the hall to do so.

Children cannot attend class. Childcare services may be available at the main campus in the evening through Kid’s Kampus: call (616)-969-6270.

Drinks with lids and snacks, not complete meals, may be brought into the classroom. Please show respect for your classmates when it is necessary to eat during class time.