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English 201 Syllabus

Syllabus:English 201- The Research Paper - Fall 2014

Instructor: Julianne Seeman

Campus E-mail:

Please print off the Syllabus and keep it in your course notebook.

A syllabus is the contract for our course. By its nature, it is terse and long.

Let me know right away if you have questions, and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of English 201, you will be able to

Write a humanities-style research paper that includes as part of its composition or 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
  6. A breadth of varied primary sources which demonstrates a familiarity with library research skills

How to Communicate with Me

Our course is conducted entirely on-line.

I am not on campus. What that means is that I do not have an office on campus.

However, I will hold an office hour twice a week: Monday from 12:00-12:30 P.M. and Wednesday from 7-7:30 P.M. Let me know if these times work for you.

You can also reach me by email, on our course site or my college email address: . I will try to get back to you right away and always within 24 hours during the week. Weekends can take a bit longer.

I also have SKYPE, and I am happy to talk with you on the phone if you send me your number and a good time to call.

CANVAS

If you are New to CANVAS and/or on-line learning, review the information contained in the CANVAS Module on your Homepage. It covers each function that we will use in our course.

Materials you will need for our course:

  1. Graff, Birkenstein, Durst, They Say/I Say with Readings, 2nd ed.
  2. Hackeror any current writer’s reference that includes MLA, APA, and Chicago guidelines.
  3. Hand-outs which you will find in the Modules on the Homepage. You are expected to print these off and keep them in your course notebook.

Our texts are available in the college bookstore. Please have your text the first week.

You will also need

  1. A Course Notebook in which you can keep printed copies of course materials, hand-outs and assignments.
  2. A functioning computer, a high-speed Internet connection, access to a printer, and reliable computer back up. It will not work to take this course on your IPhone. because the full homepoage does not show up. The screen is also too small to accomodate the assignments for our course. The modules don’t show up.
  3. A thumb-drive to back-up your work in case your computer fails. They often do so at the least opportune moment!

AssignmentCalendar

You will find the AssignmentCalendarin Basic Course Information Module on your Homepage. Please print it off and keep it in your course notebook. This Calendar includes assignment details and due dates.

Time Commitment

You are expected to spend one to two hours outside of class for each credit hour: a total of 5-10 hours per week for a five-credit course. Some will spend less; others more. But this is a good norm to factor into your life and schedule.

You will never have to be on our site at a specific time, but I do expect you to be on-line regularly, to post assignments when they are do, to participate in discussions and peer reviews in a timely manner, and to check your email regularly.

It’s a good idea to make a pie chart of your week. Include all of your commitments, including personal care. This is a good way to see if your expectations are realistic.

Our course is organized in Weekly Learning Modules.

These Modules are on our course Homepage. *You will need to use a full screen to see the Modules. CANVAS does not show the full Modules on Smart Phones or IPhones.

Each Module builds on material that has been covered in the previous Module. Be sure to complete the assignments in each Module before you can move onto the next one.

Modules include

  • Start Here (Assignments for Week 1)
  • Basic Course Information (Assignment Calendar, Course Syllabus,Instructions for Standard College Format, Peer Review Guidelines, How to write an Essay Plan and other important materials for our course.)
  • Instructions on Canvas and on-line learning.
  • Weekly Modules where you will find instructions for assignments and examples.

*Check the Module for each week.

You will complete the following assignments in our course:

  1. Short Discussion assignments: 5 pts each
  2. Reading Quizzes on assigned materials. 2 pts each
  3. A Summary 10 pts.
  4. A Comparison/Contrast on material in essays in our text. 10 pts.
  5. An 6-8 page Researchpaper on a topic of your choosing, but which I must approve: 40 pts. You must complete each step in the research process, in the order they are assigned, to qualify for a final grade on your paper.

Late work:

Because this is a sequential, skill-building course – each assignment builds on skills learned in the one before – you must complete the assignments in each Module in sequence. That means that you cannot pick up the course halfway through the quarter or make-up work missed in a pervious module.

I do not accept late work, unless you've requested and received permission prior to the date the assignment is due.

That said, I know that the best-laid plans can go away; accidents and illness occur, although I hope they do not happen to you. If you have an emergency, contact me or have someone contact me right away, within 24 hours.

Grades

Your final grade is based on your total number of points and their equivalent percentages: 90-100 = A

80-89 = B

79-70 = C

69-60 = D

Below 60 = Failing

Your grade is NOT based on the CANVAS percentages. Those percentages do not work for your course, but there is no way to remove them. IF you are concerned about your grades, let me know. I will try to help.

Course Decorum

I expect all participants in our class to treat everyone, including me, with respect. Please read and follow the Bellevue Community College Student Code. The Student Code is available on-line: (

You'll also find the student code in the printed catalog and in the Student Handbook, which is available in the ASBCC office in the Cafeteria building.

Special Needs

If you have emergency medical information to share, or need special arrangements because of a disability, please let me know right away. If you're not already acquainted with our Disability Resource Center (DRC), I can refer you there, or you may contact the DRC directly by going to B132 or by calling (425) 564-2498 or TTY (425) 564-4110. Information is also available on their website at

A wealth of support and resources are in place for on-line students. Some are listed on the left hand side of your Homepage, including the library, and Student Success Center. Reading and Writing Labs are available on campus and the tutors are very helpful. Take advantage of the support. It’s there to help you achieve your educational goals.

Confused? Overwhelmed?

Take heart, you aren't alone. Don't be afraid to ask questions, express distress, or request help. I will do my best to help you or refer you to someone who can.

I look forward to meeting you on line and working with you this quarter.

J.A.