Christopher J. Padgett
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English 102 Syllabus
Christopher J. Padgett
Office: L320
Office Hours: By Appointment
Phone: 847-925-6440
E-Mail: cpadgett@harpercollege.edu

Required Text
Booth, Alison, et al., eds. The Norton Introduction to Literature. Shorter 11th Edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2013.

Course Description
This section of English 102 is a course devoted to reading, understanding, interpreting, researching and writing about traditional forms of literature, specifically fiction and poetry. In other words, there are several goals for this course, not the least of which is to develop your ability to analyze and critically interpret literary texts. To that end, we will be devoting a sizable amount of time to the process of literary analysis: translating ideas, interpretations, and reactions into sound critical arguments supported by secondary research. In addition, we will be discussing literary terminology, the significance of the context in which works of literature are produced, as well as several other theoretical strategies for reading and writing about literature.

Course Requirements and Grading
There are 100 available points for the course. The breakdown of your final grade is as follows:
    Short Essay #1:   10
    Short Essay #2:   20
    Research Essay: 50
    Discussion:          20
Explanation of Course Requirements

Short Essays: Throughout the semester, you will be required to write two (2) short argumentative essays. The topic(s) and guidelines for each of the assigned essays are accessible from the course schedule and assignments section of the English 102 website. Page requirements for the short essays are as follows:
    Short Essay #1: 2 pages
    Short Essay #2: 3 pages
Research Essay: The research paper will be the major project for the course. While we will discuss the specifics of the paper later in the semester, keep in mind that the paper must be eight (8) pages in length, must contain a minimum of six (6) secondary sources, and should demonstrate your ability to read, understand, and critically interpret a literary text.

Discussion: In addition to the short essays and the research paper, discussion will play an essential role in the course (as well as in your grade). Since this is an online course, and not a traditional, face-to-face class, discussion for the course will take place via a message board system. Your grade for discussion will be determined by the number of quality postings you make to the message board, as well as your willingness to respond to topic-related questions posed by either your instructor or a fellow classmate. The following is a breakdown of the grading system for the discussion portion of your grade based on the number of quality postings made to the message board:
    A: 16 or more quality postings
    B: 14 or more quality postings
    C: 12 or more quality postings
    D: 10 or more quality postings
    F: 09 or less quality postings
What is a "quality" posting?
As you can see, earning an "A" for this portion of your grade simply requires you to make a little more than two postings per week. At the same time, your grade for discussion hinges on both quantity AND quality. In other words, in order for you to receive credit for a specific posting, the posting must meet the following criteria:
    1.) Posting responds directly to the topic, question, or issue
    2.) Posting demonstrates a critical understanding of the topic, question, or issue
    3.) Posting is relatively free of grammar and punctuation errors
For an example of a "quality posting," please visit the message board, sign in, and click on the folder entitled "Quality Posting."

Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism will not be tolerated. If I suspect that you have plagiarized, I will make a formal complaint to the College, at which point administrative action may be taken. You will also receive zero credit for the assignment in question and an "F" for the entire course.

Access and Disability Services
In accordance with College policy, if you have a documented disability and require accommodations to obtain equal access in this course, please notify me at the beginning of the semester or when given an assignment for which an accommodation is required. Students with disabilities must verify their eligibility through the Access and Disability Services (ADS) office in the Student Development Division of Harper College. The telephone number for ADS is 847-925-6266.


Click here for the course schedule and assignments...