Diagnostic Essay

Instructions: For this assignment, I’d like you to answer the following questions in essay form.  You don’t have to take them in any particular order, or even answer all of them.  Focus on the ones which help you best explain what you’re trying to accomplish as a college student. 

The questions:

• Why are you attending college? 
• Why did you choose your major?  (If you haven't chosen one yet, what major(s) are you considering, and why?)
• What type(s) of career would you like, what are your particular interests and talents etc? 
• Why did you choose Grambling? 
• Are the choices you’ve made as a college student (school, major, goals etc.) working out as you’d hoped?  
• Have the goals you set for yourself changed since you began college?   If so, how?
• What do you envision your life will be like in 5-10 years after graduating from GSU?

1-2 pages minimum. 20 points. 

You will receive full credit if your response is at least one page long and is a serious attempt to answer the questions.  If your paper goes longer than one page, turn the paper over and write on the back.  (Save a tree!)

 

Note: This assignment is due from each student attending this class.  It will be accepted at any time,

but 1 point will be deducted for each class meeting between the first day of the semester and the day it is received.

The purpose of this assignment is to give me an idea of your writing skills at the beginning of this semester, as well as some sense of who you are as a person.  Just keep it simple and tell me about your objectives as a student, but try to use the best grammar and vocabulary you can.  You will receive full credit as long as you answer the questions seriously in one to two pages (one or both sides of a sheet of notebook paper) and on time.  The only thing the assignment will be marked down for is lack of seriousness (usually meaning it's too short).

Welcome!

Welcome to Dr Tracy's English 102 class at Grambling State University. The purpose of this site is to provide you a convenient source for the readings and handouts on the syllabus, as well as other helpful information. 

You are required to complete each reading before the class for which it is assigned in order to be prepared for the quizzes (which are given anytime a reading is assigned), discussions, and writing assignments.  Bring a printed copy of it with you to class. All readings are in the public domain. See you in class!

ENG 102 Syllabus: Spring 2018

GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY

“The Place Where Everybody is Somebody!”

Spring 2018              ENG 102-16/ 20918              Freshman Composition II

Attention: Class meets in BH 214

Also Attention: This syllabus has been updated.
Please use the schedule below, which 
supersedes the syllabus handed out in class.

Turnitin.com Class ID: 17153681  Class Password/ Enrollment Key: tracy

Instructor: Dr. Thomas J. Tracy   Email: tracy@gram.edu

Office Hours: 12-3pm MW, 3-4 pm TR and by appointment

Course Description: ENG 102/ 3 hours/ Freshman Composition II Provides a continuation of ENG 101. Emphasis is on various modes of writing and business communication. Research paper is required. Prerequisite(s): ENG 101

Special Course Requirements

·       Materials: Always bring the readings, handouts, and writing materials to class. 

·       Make-up work: All work must be submitted on time.  No deadlines will be extended or make-up work given without the instructor’s prior permission.  Prior permission means you must speak with or email me before the deadline is missed.  This permission will only be granted in the case of medical emergency or extenuating circumstances validated with official documentation.  Absences, whether excused or not, do not relieve students of responsibility for deadlines.  Late work without a prior extension will receive a maximum grade of 60%, or “D.”  Missed in-class assignments of any kind, including quizzes, cannot be made up. 

·       Attendance: Regular attendance is expected.  Attendance is usually taken by giving a test or in-class writing assignment at the beginning of class.  If you miss the quiz, or if you leave class before being dismissed, you will be marked absent for that day (meaning if you leave before being dismissed you will get a zero on your quiz.)  Participation grades will be lowered with each unexcused absence.  

·       Absences will only be excused with the instructor’s prior permission, or in documented cases of medical emergency or unusual circumstances.  Prior permission means you must ask to be excused before the class is missed.  If you are excused for an absence, you are required to make up any missed work at the next class meeting.  If you do not do this, the “x” for the assignment will immediately revert to a zero.   You must come early or stay after class to complete the missed work, or make arrangements with me, to avoid getting a zero.

·       If you are on an athletic team or in the band, you still must personally obtain permission to miss class before an event.  Even if you are on a list of participants, you will not be excused after the fact.  Students encountering difficulties attending class regularly are encouraged to withdraw and re-take Eng 200 when circumstances in their lives permit them to give their education the attention it deserves.  To simply state the above requirements: if you legitimately can’t avoid being absent, you still must email the instructor before the class is missed and ask to be excused or your grade will suffer.  Absences that will not be excused include, but are not limited to, doctor’s appointments, the illness of a relative or friend, and late registration.   More than three absences, for any reason, may result in failure of this course. 

·       Plagiarism will not be tolerated.  Any work submitted for this class, not produced entirely by the student for this class only, may receive a failing grade for the course and/ or possible disciplinary action which may include expulsion from the university.  See Code of Student Conduct 4.09-Dishonesty and Forgery (p.9).

·       No electronic communications devices are allowed in class. Prohibited devices include, but are not limited to, cell phones, pagers, CD/ MP3 players etc.  Any student using such a device while class is in session will be asked to leave, and any in-class work (e.g. that day’s quiz etc) will not be accepted.

·       Grambling State University provides equal opportunity and access for all persons with disabilities.  If you have a physical or learning disability that needs to be accommodated, please see the instructor as soon as possible.

There are three things which could prevent you from succeeding in this course: 1) Not attending class regularly; 2) not doing the reading; and 3) not turning in work on time (or of course plagiarizing it).  If any one of these conditions applies to you, you may fail the course.  There will be a quiz or writing assignment given at the beginning of class each day, and if you come in late you will miss it.  Missed in-class work cannot be made up.  The more work you miss, the more your grade will suffer.  These requirements will not be changed for you after the fact (i.e., when you realize the missed work has affected your grade).  Every class meeting, and all coursework, counts toward your grade whether you’re here or not.  All students are graded according to the same criteria.

Evaluation Procedure

 Participation, 30%; Tests, In-class writing etc., 70%;

Course Schedule

Date	All readings are available at http://tiger102.blogspot.com.      You are REQUIRED to Read/ Bring each reading assignment to class.
T Jan 9	Intro/ Clerical
Th Jan 11	In-class Writing Assignment/ Diagnostic Essay
T Jan 16	Reading: Kate Chopin, “The Storm”
Th Jan 18	Reading: “Close Reading”
T Jan 23	Reading: Kate Chopin, “The Story of an Hour”
Th Jan 25	Reading: Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper”
T Jan 30	Reading: Alice Walker, “Everyday Use”
Th Feb 1	Reading: Eudora Welty, “A Worn Path”
T Feb 6	Reading: “Writing About Literature” Rough Draft of Essay 1 Due: Bring a hard copy of your paper Bring 2 copies of the handout “Draft Workshop”
Th Feb 8	Reading: Edgar Allen Poe, “The Raven”
T Feb 13	Mardi Gras Holiday
Th Feb 15	3-page Final Draft  of  Essay 1 Due  Sunday, Feb 18, 11:59 pm Turnitin Help
T Feb 20	Reading: Poe, “The Tell-Tale Heart”; “Why Will You Say That He Is Mad?”
Th Feb 22	Reading: Edgar Allen Poe, “The Pit and the Pendulum”
T Feb 27	Reading: Edgar Allen Poe, “The Cask of Amontillado”
Th Mar 1	Reading: Edgar Allen Poe, “The Masque of the Red Death”
T Mar 6	Reading: “Symbol, Allegory, Archetype”
Th Mar 8	Rough Draft of Essay2 Due: Bring a hard copy of your paper Bring 2 copies of the handout “Draft Workshop”
T Mar 13	3-page Final Draft of  Essay 2 Due on Turnitin.com Turnitin Help
Th Mar 15	Reading: H B Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin Ch. 7 “The Mother’s Struggle”
T Mar 20	Reading: H B Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin Ch 9, “A Senator is but a Man”
Th Mar 22	Reading: H B Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin Ch. 12, “Select Incident of Lawful Trade”
T Mar 27	Spring Break
Th Mar 29	Spring Break
T Apr 3	Reading:  Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, preface & Ch. 1
Th Apr 5	Reading:  Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Ch. 7
T Apr 10	Reading: Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Ch. 10
Th Apr 12	Reading: Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Ch. 13
T Apr 17	Reading: Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Ch. 41
Th Apr 19	Reading: “The Research Paper” Rough Draft of Research Paper Due: Bring a hard copy of your paper Bring 2 copies of the handout “Draft Workshop”
T Apr 24	5-page Final Draft of  Research Paper Due on Turnitin.com Turnitin Help

Class policies: The following are requirements for this class:

Attendance:

·       See the requirements on the first page of this syllabus.  Note: If you are excused for an absence, it is still your responsibility to make up any missed work at the next class meeting you attend.  If you do not do this, the “x” for the assignment will immediately revert to a zero

·       If you are on an athletic team or in the band and performing for a scheduled event, you still must personally obtain permission to miss class before the event.  Even if your name appears on a list of participants distributed by the University, you will not be excused after the fact. 

·       To simply state the attendance requirements: if you legitimately can’t avoid being absent, you still must email the instructor before the class is missed and ask to be excused.  Absences that will not be excused include, but are not limited to, doctor’s appointments, the illness of a relative or friend, and late registration.   More than three absences, for any reason, may result in failure of this course. 

The best way to communicate with me outside of class is to email me at tracy@gram.edu.   Any time you do, you must put your name and the class of mine you’re enrolled (ENG 102) in the subject line of the email message.  If you fail to put this information in the subject line of an email to me, you won’t be excused, and if you’re trying to turn in an assignment via email, it will not be accepted. 

Class Requirements

The best way to communicate with me outside of class is to email me at tracy@gram.edu. Note: Any time you email me, you must include your name and class identification (ENG 102) in the subject line. If you fail to put this information in the subject line of an email asking to be excused from class, you won’t be excused, or if you’re trying to turn in an assignment via email, you will not receive credit for the assignment. 

Class Policies:

• Materials: Always bring the readings, handouts, and writing materials to class. The readings should be printed out in hard copy; accessing them on your smart phone is not acceptable.  (Just so you know, there's a high correlation between people who repeatedly come to class without having printed out a copy of the reading, and people who fail the class. )  Failure to bring these materials to class on a regular basis will result in a failing Participation grade.

• Make-up work: All work must be submitted on time. No deadlines will be extended or make-up work given without the instructor’s prior permission. Prior permission means you must get approval before the deadline is missed. This permission will only be granted in the case of medical emergency or extenuating circumstances validated with official documentation. Absences, whether excused or not, do not relieve students of responsibility for deadlines. Any late work accepted without a prior extension will receive a maximum grade of 60%, or “D.” Missed in-class assignments (including quizzes) cannot be made up. 

• Assignments: All work submitted (except in-class writing) must be typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins and normal fonts (i.e. 10-12pt fonts with no elaborate or flowery script). Essays must be submitted both electronically and in hard copy. Failure to follow these instructions will result in the paper receiving a penalty of at least one letter grade. 

• Attendance: Regular attendance is expected. Participation grades will be lowered with each unexcused absence. Absences will only be excused with the instructor’s prior permission, or in documented cases of medical emergency or unusual circumstances. Prior permission means you must email or speak to me before the class is missed.  If you are on an athletic team or in the band, taking the Rising Junior Exam, receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, or whatever, you still must obtain permission before the event.  Even if you are on a list of participants taking part in a sanctioned University activity, you will not be excused for an absence if you haven't received prior consent.  Absences that will not be excused include, but are not limited to, doctor’s appointments, the illness of a relative or friend, and late registration. You will also be marked absent if you arrive after the quiz is given, or leave class without being dismissed (in which case your quiz will also be thrown out). More than four absences, for any reason, may result in failure of this course. Students encountering difficulties attending class regularly are advised to withdraw and re-take Eng 102 when circumstances in their lives permit them to give their education the attention it deserves. If missing a class is unavoidable and you have a valid excuse, email the instructor and ask to be excused before the class is missed.

• Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Any work submitted for this class not produced entirely by the student for this class only will warrant a failing grade for the course and lead to possible disciplinary action which may include expulsion from the university. See Code of Student Conduct 4.09-Dishonesty and Forgery (p.9).

• No electronic communications devices are allowed in class. Prohibited devices include, but are not limited to, cell phones, pagers, iphones, CD/ MP3 players etc. Any student using such a device while class is in session will be asked to leave, marked absent for that day, and any in-class work (e.g. that day’s quiz etc) will not be accepted.

• Grambling State University provides equal opportunity and access for all persons with disabilities. If you have a physical or learning disability that needs to be accommodated, please see the instructor as soon as possible. 
__________________________________________


There are three things which could prevent you from succeeding in this class: 1) Not attending class regularly; 2) not turning in assigned work on time; and 3) plagiarizing work that you do turn in. If any one of these conditions applies to you, you may fail the course. There will be quizzes and in-class writing assignments based upon the readings on a regular basis. Missed quizzes and in-class writings can not be made up. Missing one or two won’t be a big problem, but the more you miss, the more your grade will suffer. These requirements are not negotiable after fact (e.g. at the end of the term when you realize you missed or failed a lot of quizzes, you will not be allowed to “do something to make up for the missed time/ work”). It is not fair to allow some people to miss classes and assignments while other students are taking care of their responsibilities. All students will be graded according to the same criteria.

__________________________________________

Submitting Papers:

All essays and any other paper assigned as homework must be turned in both in physical form (a hard copy) and electronically.  Electronic submission should be done by using the Turn It In website.  Instructions how to do this will be given prior to the due date.  You must include your name and section number (102-10, eg.) on your assignment to ensure thatyou get full credit for turning it in on time.  Each assignment must be submitted with the proper heading (your name, due date, course title and the name of the assignment at the upper left-hand corner of the first page).  Do not include a title page.  Not following any of these instructions will result in a lowered grade for the assignment.