CRISWELL COLLEGE
ENG 201 L00.A Composition II
Fall 2016
Classes meet: Thursdays
Room A201
4:15-6:45 pm
Professor:
Mrs. Pamela Merryman
Office:
the adjunct office
Telephone (for emergencies only) 214-460-5235
E-mail:
[email protected]
Office hours: by appointment
“My wish, indeed my continuing passion, would be not to point the finger in judgment but to part a
curtain, that invisible shadow that falls between people, the veil of indifference to each other’s
presence, each other’s wonder, each other’s human plight.” – Eudora Welty
Course Description:
A study of English style and usage in written and oral expression. (Prerequisite: ENG 101)
Course objectives/Learning outcomes:
At the completion of this course, the student will be able to
• Read analytically and respond to interpretive works of literature in oral and written form.
• Demonstrate competency in writing an argument essay in response to a prompt
• Participate in peer review, responding to classmates’ writing’
• Collaborate in pairs or small groups with other class members to discuss readings and present
work orally
• Become comfortable in participating in discussion boards
• Develop a well-written documented essay, complete with a clearly defined thesis, correctly
citing sources according to the Chicago Style Manual.
• Demonstrate the ability to write more competently, confidently, and fluently
• Show a refined understanding of unity, support, coherence, and sentence skills
• Realize the importance of grammatically and organizationally correct writing and speaking as
they relate to the communication of the gospel message.
These course objectives will be evaluated by appraisal of essays and other writings, quizzes, and
oral responses.
Required Texts:
Charters, Ann, ed. The Story and Its Writer; An Introduction to Short Fiction (9th Edition)
Harris, Robert. Using Sources Effectively
The Criswell College Manual of Style (available online)
Readings and assignments: You will be responsible reading all assigned texts before each class
meeting and for responding on Discussion Boards (E campus/ Blackboard) as well as commenting on
classmates’ responses. Some additional readings may be given to you during a class period, and your
response will be due by the next class period. Keep current by often referring to Blackboard, or
contacting your professor or a classmate. Your absence is not excuse for failure to get an assignment.
Plagiarism: You will be expected to submit only work that you have done. Any ideas that you
receive somewhere else must be carefully documented (we will learn the correct procedure for this
documentation). The penalties for plagiarism are swift and final. Plagiarism could result in your
failure in this course and ejection from the college. Make sure the work you do is your own!
Essays: You will write one documented essay (2100-2400 words), one comparison/contrast essay
(1200-1500 words), one short story analysis paper (1200-1500 words) and two1000-1200-word essays
this semester. Detailed information and requirements for all essays will be provided at the time each
essay is assigned.
Essays:
 are not accepted late.
 must be written in Standard American English.
 must be computer generated, double-spaced using 12-point Times New Roman font
 must follow the guidelines set forth in the Criswell College Manual of Style or the MLA
Style Manual, including title page/heading, page numbers, footnotes/parenthetical notes
and bibliography/works cited page.
CLASSROOM MILIEU
Academic Honesty: Absolute truth is an essential belief and basis of behavior for those who believe in
a God who cannot lie and forbids falsehood. Academic honesty is the application of the principle of
truth in the classroom setting. Academic honesty includes the basic premise that all work students
submit must be their own and any ideas received from somewhere else must be carefully documented.
Use of Electronic Devices: The use of electronic devices (cell phones, iPads, laptops, etc.) during
class instruction or discussion time is a distraction from the learning environment and therefore highly
discouraged. If you have a specific situation that believe warrants the use of such devices during the
class period, please alert me to this prior to the beginning of class.
Learning Disabilities: If you have learning or other disabilities, please inform the professor at the
beginning of the course. Our intention is to help all students learn. We will try to accommodate your
needs, if at all possible. Thank you for your cooperation.
Dress Code (While on campus): As the school seeks to “provide ministerial and professional higher
education for men and women” it is important that students dress in accordance with the context that
this mission creates. It is expected that men and women preparing to lead will dress in a manner that is
modest, discreet, and appropriate for the occasion or circumstance. The personal appearance of
students at Criswell College should reflect a lifestyle of personal purity. As Christian leaders, our goal
is to exemplify Christ in our appearance as well as our actions.
The following are the basic guidelines for attire while on the Criswell College campus or at Criswell
College events:
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Jeans, knee-length shorts, and casual to business casual dress are appropriate provided the
clothing is modest and in good taste and condition.
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No sweat pants or sweat shorts are allowed on campus, including athletic, yoga, pajama shorts
and pants, or the like.
Knee-length athletic shorts are only permitted when participating in a sport activity in the
gymnasium and should be exchanged for more appropriate clothing if the student intends to
attend class or spend time on campus outside the gymnasium.
Appropriate shoes should be worn at all times on campus.
No low-cut necklines, sheer and revealing fabric, extremely tight fitting clothing, short skirts or
dresses, bare midriffs or bare shoulders are permitted. Casual tank-tops, spaghetti straps and
strapless tops are not allowed on campus.
Clothing that has holes or tears revealing areas of skin considered inappropriate, as indicated
above, is not allowed on campus.
Undergarments must be concealed at all times.
Shirts are to be worn at all times including sporting events in the gymnasium.
Hats are to be removed in the classrooms at the direction of the instructor, and are considered
inappropriate to wear during chapel.
Hair styles, body piercings, and tattoos should not be disruptive, distracting or offensive.
Violations to the guidelines above may result in disciplinary action, as well as the student being
required to select and wear clothing from The Worn Again Shoppe that is in compliance or changing
clothes.
Additionally, students are reminded that appropriate attire for school may not be appropriate for every
occasion. If speaking publicly or giving a presentation of any kind, it is important to take into
consideration the context of the presentation when deciding how to dress.
Auditing and Sit-in Students: Any on-campus course may be audited if there is space available in
the classroom. Audit students do not receive grades from professors. A student’s permanent
transcript will reflect which courses have been completed as audits.
Sit-in status is offered only if space is available in the classroom and when approval is given by the
Registrar’s Office. Sit-in students are not given grades by professors and their transcripts will not
reflect enrollment in the course. Taking tests and participation in course activities are at the discretion
of the professor.
Attendance for On-Campus Classes:
Students are responsible for enrolling in courses for which they anticipate being able to attend every
class session on the day and time as it appears in the course schedule. Students are responsible for
making every effort to attend every scheduled class session of the semester and must abide by the
professor’s method of taking attendance. When unavoidable situations result in a student being absent
or tardy, that student is responsible for acquiring the information missed. Professors are not obliged to
allow students to make up missed work.
Grades: Your final course grade cannot be higher than the quality of writing which you have
displayed in your essays, but it can be lower if your class and group conduct, participation, your
discussion entries, your attendance, or your punctuality are deficient. Letter grades will be awarded as
follows:
Letter grades will be as follows:
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
97-100
93-96
91-92
88-90
86-87
83-85
80-82
78-79
75-77
72-74
70-71
0-69
4.0 grade points per semester hour
3.7 grade points per semester hour
3.3 grade points per semester hour
3.0 grade points per semester hour
2.7 grade points per semester hour
2.3 grade points per semester hour
2.0 grade points per semester hour
1.7 grade points per semester hour
1.3 grade points per semester hour
1.0 grade point per semester hour
0.7 grade points per semester hour
0.0 grade points per semester hour
Percentages of grades will be as follows:
Essays…………………………………………………...............................…….30%
Comparison/Contrast Essay …………………………................…...............…..20%
Documented Essay (this will be the final)………………….................................20%
Discussion Boards, reading quizzes, class participation, reading responses ……30%
Incomplete grades:
Students requesting a grade of Incomplete (I) must understand that incomplete grades may be given
only upon approval of the faculty member involved. An “I” may be assigned only when a student is
currently passing a course and in situations involving extended illness, serious injury, death in the
family, or employment or government reassignment, not student neglect.
Students are responsible for contacting their professors prior to the end of the semester, plus filing the
appropriate completed and approved academic request form with the Registrar’s Office. The “I” must
be removed (by completing the remaining course requirements) no later than 60 calendar days after the
grade was assigned, or the “I” will become an “F.”
Student Life:
Students needing educational support or services should contact the Student Services Office at 214818-1332 or [email protected].
Video and Other Intellectual Property Rights:
Unless otherwise specifically instructed in writing by the professor, students must neither materially
nor digitally reproduce materials from any course offered by Criswell College for or with the
significant possibility of distribution.
Class Schedule
Week 1—Aug. 18
Introduction to the course and syllabus overview
Read and complete discussion questions on “Girl” by Jamaica
Kinkaid and “Barbie-Q” by Sandra Cisneros
Assign Essay One – Personal Reading and Writing History
Week 2—Aug. 25
Due: Read "Miss Brill" by Katherine Mansfield
Read “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
Respond to literary readings on Discussion Board
Read Chapter Two of Using Sources Effectively (USE)
Complete Review Questions on page 27 of USE
In Class:
Week 3—Sept. 1
Discuss literary selections
Discuss “Finding, Choosing and Evaluating Sources”
Questions, clarifications and brainstorming for Essay
One – Personal Reading and Writing History
Due: Essay One – Personal Reading and Writing History
Read Chapter Three of USE
Complete Review Questions on page 39 of USE
In Class:
Week 4—Sept. 8
Assign Essay Two – Descriptive Essay
Discuss “Preparing Your Sources”
Read and discuss “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne
Jewett
Due: Read “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
Read “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Respond to literary readings on Discussion Board
Read Chapter Four of USE
Complete Review Questions on page 59 of USE
In Class:
Week 5—Sept. 15
Discuss literary selections
Discuss “Quoting Effectively”
Questions and Clarifications for Essay Two –
Descriptive Essay
Due: Essay Two – Descriptive Essay
Read Chapter Five of USE
Complete Review Questions on page 77 of USE
In Class:
Week 6—Sept. 22
Assign Essay Three – Short Story Analysis Essay
Discuss “Paraphrasing and Summarizing”
Read and discuss “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
Due: Read “Good Country People” and “Everything
that Rises Must Converge by Flannery O’Connor
Read Related Commentary: “On ‘Good Country People’”
by Dorothy Tuck McFarland
Read Related Commentary: “A Rhetorical Reading of
O’Connor’s ‘Everything that Rises Must Converge’”
by Wayne C. Booth
Respond to literary readings and commentaries on
Discussion Board
In Class:
Week 7— Sept. 29
Discuss literary selections and commentaries
Questions and Clarifications for Essay Three –
Short Story Analysis Essay
Due: Essay Three – Short Story Analysis Essay
Read Chapter Six of USE
Complete Review Questions on page 93 of USE
In Class:
Read and Discuss “I Stand Here Ironing” by Tillie
Olson
Assign Comparison/Contrast Essay
Assign Documented Essay
Week 8—Oct. 6
Due: Proposals for Comparison/contrast Essay (Minimum of one
page typed brainstorming of ideas/outline/journal)
In Class: Comparison/Contrast Essay discussion
Read and discuss “Hyphenated Identity in ‘Good Country
People’ and ‘Everyday Use.’” By Carol M. Andrews
Week 9—Oct. 13
Due: Read “The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane
Read Related Commentary: “The Sinking of the
Commodore” by Stephen Crane
Respond to literary readings and commentary on
Discussion Board
In Class:
Week 10—Oct. 20
Discuss literary readings and commentary
Due: Comparison/Contrast Essay
In Class: Read and discuss “Why I Live at the P. O.”
by Eudora Welty
Week 11—Oct. 27
Due: Read “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Read Related Commentary: “Blackness in Hawthorne’s
‘Young Goodman Brown’” by Herman Melville
Respond to literary reading and commentary on
Discussion Board
In Class:
Week 12—Nov. 3
Discuss literary readings and commentaries
Questions and Clarifications on Documented Essay
Due: Read “A Worn Path”
Read Related Commentary: “Is Phoenix Jackson’s
Grandson Really Dead?” by Eudora Welty
Respond to literary readings and commentary on
Discussion Board
In Class:
Discuss literary readings and commentaries
Questions and Clarifications on Documented Essay
Week 13—Nov. 10
Due: Thesis and Preliminary Outline for Documented Essay
In Class:
Week 14—Nov. 17
Library Research and Consultations on Documented
Essay
Due: Read “Bartleby the Scrivener” by Herman Melville
Read related commentary: “A Deconstructive Reading of
Melville’s ‘Bartleby the Scrivener.’” By J. Hillis Miller
Respond to literary reading and commentary on
Discussion Board
In Class:
Discuss literary reading and commentary
Questions and Clarifications on Documented Essay
Week 15—Dec. 1
In Class:
Read and discuss “The Swimmer” by John Cheever
Questions and Clarifications on Documented Essay
Week 16—Dec. 8
Due:
Documented Essay (Counts as Final)
In Class:
Presentations of Documented Essays
There may be minor date changes in the due dates. Take note of any Blackboard/Classroom
announcements. Please check your Criswell College student email daily. Contact your professor or
a classmate if you must miss.
You will receive a detailed assignment sheet (information will also be on Blackboard) for each essay
with requirements, suggestions and a grading rubric.
E-mail details:
Use your criswell.edu e-mail for all your correspondence with your professor. All emails should
contain a subject line and be written in complete sentences and in Standard American English.
All contributions to the discussion board must be carefully and thoughtfully written, as well.