Name of Class: English Composition

Catalog/State Course #: 10-801-196

Instructor Name: Rebecca Kinser Office: G211
Email: becky.kinser1104@fvtc.edu Phone: 920-735-2505
Office Hours: Open. Contact me when you need assistance. We can meet virtually.
Class Number: 90573 & 90574 Credits: 3 cr
Online (Assignments due every Wednesday at 11:59
Day(s) of Week: p.m.) Class Time: Online
Start/End Dates: 1/17-5/19/2023 Weeks: 16
Location: Online
Textbook: Steps to Writing Well, 11e, Wyrick and access to online activities available through Cengage.

COVID 19 Guidelines
Please stay current on masking and much more by visiting https://www.fvtc.edu/forward-fox-valley-tech.

Technical Skills/Equipment Needed

1. FVTC Email Account
2. Reliable Internet and Blackboard Access
3. Microsoft Word (Blackboard does not play well with Google Docs.) Microsoft Office Suite is available for free through
your FVTC email. https://www.fvtc.edu/virtual-applications-software

Blackboard Support: email - online@fvtc.edu Phone: (920) 735-4816

See Help and Resources Tab in Blackboard

Communication Policy
My preferred method of communication is through email. You are encouraged to call and/or email me whenever you have
questions. When corresponding, please remember:
 I respond to e-mail messages within 24 hours Monday through Friday and periodically on weekends.
 Always indicate your name, your course name and number. This will help me answer your questions more thoroughly
and in a timely manner.
 Always be as specific as possible. Try not to simply say “I don’t understand this paper.” What portion of the assignment
is causing the confusion? Tell me what you have done and where you are getting stuck.
 Communicate professionally and appropriately. Be sure to check the tone of your e-mail and do not use inappropriate
language or expressions.
 Check for spelling and grammar. This is a writing class, so be sure to use your skills to proofread.

Grading Policy

I personally grade and provide extensive feedback on all written assignments, and it can take one to two weeks get the work back to
you. The reason for this is that I spend a great deal of time making comments and sending papers back for revision where needed.
The more time a student takes revising and editing before handing in a paper, the faster the paper will be able to be graded.

I grade assignments starting on the due date. Submitting an assignment early does not necessarily mean that it will be graded
early. I grade late and revised assignments as time permits. I will grade current work first and in the order in which it was
submitted. If you submit an assignment early, it will most likely be one of the first ones I grade, and assignments submitted right at
the deadline may be some of the last to be graded. However, all assignments submitted on or before the due date will be returned
and with a grade and comments within one to two weeks of the due date.

The final grade is determined by the total number of points acquired from all activities. Make sure to keep track of all completed
assignments and the number of points received. You can monitor your grade by using the Grade Center on Blackboard or by using
the points breakdown listed below. Keep all of your assignments until you have received your final grade. Students can view
final grades on MYFVTC.

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Final Grades will be determined on the following scale:

GRADE PERCENTAGE GRADE PERCENTAGE

A 95 – 100% C+ 84 – 85 %
A- 93 -94 % C 80 – 83 %
B+ 91 – 92 % C- 78 – 79 %
B 88 - 90 % D 70 – 77%
B- 86 – 87 % R

Breakdown of Grade
Assignment(s) Points
Participation and General Assignments
Syllabus Agreement 5
Participation: Discussion Board Posts/Forums (17 total forums-12@10 points each; 220
5@20 points each)
Hemingway and Me (w/annotations) 50
*Chapter 2 Assignment 11
*Chapter 3 Assignment 25
*Sentence Fragments 7
*Capital Letters 5
*Run-ons and Comma Splices 13
*Commas 26
Literary Essay
Literary Analysis Checklist 5
Literary Analysis Essay 100
Chapter 22 Quiz 15
Narrative Descriptive Essay
Narrative Essay 100
Persuasive Research Essay
Research Paper Planning Assignment 20
*APA or MLA Problem Set - Chapter 16 or 17 10
*Organizing & Writing Research papers 16
*Reading & Writing to Create a Summary 10
Summary & Evaluation of a Scholarly Article 100
*Taking Precise Documented Notes 10
*Taking Notes & Avoiding Plagiarism 17
*Citing Quotations 10
*Block Quotations 10
*Identifying your Source 10
*Introducing Quotes with Signal Phrases 10
*Embedding Quotations in your Sentences 10
*Knowing What and Why to Cite 10
*When and Why to Paraphrase 10
*Changing Words and Sentence Structure 10
*Understanding the Ideas of the Source 10
*When and Why to Quote 10
*When Paraphrasing doesn’t Work 10
Persuasive Essay Prep with Paragraph 50
Research Essay Draft Checklist 5
Persuasive Research Essay Draft 25
Research Paper Peer Review 20
Persuasive Research Essay-Final Version 200
Total 1175

Items with an asterisk (*) are online activities.

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Assignments
This course is competency-based which means you must complete all assignments to pass the course. The competency-based
assignments are:

1. Hemingway and Me Essay

2. Narrative Essay
3. Literary Essay
4. Summary and Evaluation
5. Final Persuasive Research Essay (Paper must include proper MLA or APA in-text citations. Papers that are not
documented will earn an “F,” and the student will receive an “F” for the course.

A grade of 70% or lower on any of these assignments will result in an F for the course. Simply completing only these
assignments will not guarantee you a passing grade in the course, as the final grade is determined by the full amount of possible
points. However, failure to complete one of the five essays above will automatically result in an F for the course.

Complete all assignments on time and according to directions. Congratulations! You found the hidden palm trees. Please
email me its location before the end of week 2, and I’ll add five extra credit points to your grade!

Due dates for assignments are published in the course schedule. Late assignments will drop 10 points for each week they are late.
After 3 weeks, an assignment will receive 50% of the grade earned. Late assignments will be graded as the instructor’s schedule
permits. There will be no exceptions to this requirement.

Revision Policy
Revision is a valuable part of the writing process and is encouraged. If you are not happy with your grade for any essay or writing
assignment and have earned a “C” or below (excluding discussion boards and the final paper), you may choose to revise. Please let
me know as soon as you receive the graded assignment if you will be revising. You are encouraged to ask questions in order to
successfully revise your assignment. If you choose to revise an assignment, you must show that you have made significant changes
in order to receive a revised grade. You will have one week to turn in your revision. No revisions will be accepted after they have
been returned to students for two weeks. Revised assignments will be graded as independent works and may not always receive a
higher grade.

Assignments that do not meet competency standards must be revised and will receive an R. Students have one week to complete R
assignments and failure to revise and resubmit an R-graded assignment will result in an F.

Participation and Attendance

There is a strong correlation between student attendance and student success. 
Since the college offers a wide variety and various combinations of course modalities, such as on-campus, virtual, online, hybrid, and
accelerated classes, student attendance and active participation is comprised of many components, including:
 Being present and active in all scheduled in-person or virtual classes
 Regularly logging into Blackboard and/or any other class-specific online platforms
 Actively participating in class discussions in any/all formats
 Participating in small and large group activities in any/all formats
 Completing and submitting all assignments and assessments correctly by the noted due dates
 Initiating and responding to all instructor and peer correspondences such as emails, grading feedback, and discussion board
threads in a timely fashion
 Demonstrating an understanding of FVTC's Employability Essentials at all times
 Making consistent and measurable progress as a learner 

If students are unable to attend class or meet assignment deadlines in any course modality, they must inform their instructor via
email before the next class period or assignment deadline.
Despite an absence, students are expected to remain involved in the learning process and stay current with all assignments.
If students do not meet these participation and attendance guidelines, any one or combination of the following actions may occur
(as determined by instructor):
 Accommodations may be granted

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  Late penalties on assignments may be issued
 Blackboard access may become unavailable
 Students may be required to create an instructor-approved success plan
 An Early Academic Alert may be issued
 The final grade may be impacted
 A final grade may be issued before the end of the course
This policy is in accordance with the FVTC Student Attendance Policy, which can be found here:
https://www.fvtc.edu/Portals/0/PDFs/About-Us/Policies/Instruction/student-attendance-policy-04092021.pdf

Discussion Board Forums (DBF)

Discussion participation is a key element of this course. You must complete all DBFs in the learning plan, and you MUST post an
original message and respond to a fellow classmate for each DBF. It is important to read the requirements carefully for each post.
Sometimes there will be response guidelines that ask you to respond to another student in a particular form. Other weeks, you will
simply be able to respond however you choose. Regardless, you must have a substantive response to another student. Simply
posting “Good point!” or “I like what you said about the story,” is not a substantive response. Remember this is a discussion and you
are encouraged to bring up new points, learn from each other, and even challenge one another. However, you must remain
constructive and professional in all your responses. In There is spellcheck in the Discussion Boards; please use it! Points may be
deducted for excessive spelling and/or punctuation errors.

Discussion Board Professionalism: Discussion board posts are expected to reflect professional communication at all times. If a
student’s post contains profanity (not specific to a textual quote), offensive language, or derogatory comments, it will receive an
immediate 0, and the student will be required to meet with me to discuss professional and appropriate communication style. Please
review FVTC’s student code of conduct for more details on professional and expected behavior.

Student Effort
This is an online course designed to offer students a positive learning experience. The goal is to mirror the fully on-campus
instructional mode as much as possible. With that being said, the course is designed to replicate three (3) “in-class” participation
hours per week. These three hours are in the form of discussion board forums, online videos, Power Points, and textbook readings.
In addition to the participation component, the course also requires about 6-9 hours per week of outside prep and assignment
completion (i.e. preparatory readings, assignments, video activities, etc.). In total, you should plan to spend 9+ hours per week on
this course.

The amount of time required for this course is equal to an on-campus session; the difference is that you are responsible for managing
your own time to ensure that you complete all required work and activities. Please see the effort hours listed in the course outline.
Please note that each student works differently and these are just estimates. It may take you longer for some assignments and not
as long for others.

Content Outline/Content Outline with Schedule

All weekly assignments, discussions, and other course activities are due on Wednesdays at 11:59 p.m. See Blackboard for specific
due dates.
Dates Topics/Blackboard Work Due Effort Hours
Location (162 Total Hours-these may vary by
student)
Week 1 Week 1: Supporting, 1. Review Syllabus and all 9 hours
1/17-1/25 Organizing, and other information in START HERE tab.
Writing 2. Submit Course Contract
3. Read Chapters 2 & 3 in Steps to Writing
Well
4.  Complete the "Check your
Understanding" quizzes for Chapters 2 &
3. 
5. Review English Composition Basics
Power Point
6. Complete Week1A DBF: Introduction
Week 2 Week 2: Writing the 1. Read Chapter 4 & 5 in Steps to Writing 9 hours
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1/26-2/1 First Draft Well
2. Review Chapters 2 & 3 in Steps to
Writing Well.
3. Complete Week 2 DBF: "The Fear No
One Talks About"
3. Review pages 604-609 in Steps to
Writing Well (information on fragments,
comma splices and run-on sentences)
4. Review links and information listed
regarding fragments, comma splices, and
capitalization.
5. Complete Activities on Fragments,
Capitalization, and Run-ons and Comma
Splices.  See Folders for Activities.
6. Review information on P.I.E paragraphs
(you will need this for your next essay)
7. Review Assignment: Hemingway and
Me (due end of Week 3) - Start drafting
your essay
Week 3 Week 3: Reading,  1.Review Chapters 2-5 in Steps to 10 hours
2/2-2/8 Analysis, and Writing Well as needed 
Mechanics  2. Read Kate Chopin's "The Story of an
Hour" (pages 540-542) 
 3. Complete Week 3 DBF:  "The Story of
an Hour"
 4. Review Information posted on Point of
View and Punctuating Titles below-seek
other resources through your own search
online or in the extra credit DBF as
needed.
 5. Optional: Extra Credit DBF: Point of
View and Punctuating Titles.
6.  Submit final Hemingway and Me essay
to the assignment link. 
Week 4 Week 4: Descriptive 1. Read Chapters 16 & 17 in Steps to 9 hours
2/9-2/15 Narrative Writing Well
2. Read Jack London's "The Story of an
Eyewitness" on pages 400 - 401
3. Complete Week 4A DBF: "The Story of
an Eyewitness"
4. Watch "Story Structure Video" 
5. Complete Week 4B DBF: Story
Structure 
6. Assignment: Review Narrative
Descriptive Essay assignment (due by the
end of next week)
7. Review Narrative Descriptive Student
Model 
Week 5 Week 5: Narrative 1. Complete Week 5 DBF: "Someone's
2/16-2/22 Writing and Mother" 13 hours
Mechanics 2. Complete final draft of Descriptive
Narrative Essay.
3. Review comma videos provided (3) and
the links to comma rules (2). Additional
information regarding commas can be
found in Steps to Writing Well  on pages
617-21.

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 4. Go back to Week 3 Extra Credit DBF
and review information on Punctuation of
titles, Point of View, and commas. 
5. Complete the Comma Activities
Week 6 Week 6: The Yellow 1. Read Chapter 22 "Writing About 9 hours
2/23-3/1 Wallpaper and The Literature" in Steps to Writing Well 
Red Convertible 2. Read All Three (3) Stories in Short
Stories folder: "The Yellow Wallpaper,"
"The Red Convertible," and "The Most
Dangerous Game" 
3. Complete Chapter 22 Quiz
4. Review information on symbolism (web
link)
5. Complete Week 6A: Symbols and
Motifs in "The Yellow Wallpaper"
6. Complete Week 6B: "The Yellow
Wallpaper" Madness and Irony
7. Complete Week 6C DBF: Henry and
Lyman - "The Red Convertible" 
8. Complete Week 6D DBF: "The Red
Convertible"
9. Review requirements for the literary
essay. (Assignment due end of Week 8)
Start working on this paper.  
10.  Review video: "How to Write a Thesis
Statement" for tips on writing your thesis
for the literary essay
Week 7 Week 7: The Most 1. Review Chapter 21 9.5 hours
3/2-3/8 Dangerous Game 2. Read the chapter in Steps to Writing
Well that corresponds with your prompt
choice for the essay: 
o Chapter 27: "Development by
Example"
o Chapter 28: "Process Analysis"
o Chapter 29: "Compare and
Contrast" 
2. Review Indirect characterization
(STEAL) link
3. Complete Week 7A DBF: The Most
Dangerous Game
4. Complete Week 7B DBF:
Characterization in "The Most Dangerous
Game"
5.  Review video: "How to Write a Thesis
Statement" and Basic MLA Citations and
other materials
6. Continue to work on Literary Essay
(Due at the end of Week 8)
Week 8 Week 8: Literary Essay 1. Review chapters 22, 27, 28, and 29 in
3/9-3/22 Steps to Writing Well as needed. 9.5 hours
2. Review the three short stories 
3. Complete Week 8 DBF: Short Stories 
4. Complete and submit the Literary Essay
Week 9 Week 9: Research  Read Chapter 15 (pages 334 - 347) and all 12 hours
3/23-3/29 Paper Planning of Chapter 19 in Steps to Writing Well  
2. Read the sample essay "Pervasive
Computing and Privacy Rights" on pages

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 498-517 in Steps to Writing Well. (Review
both MLA and APA examples-pay
particular attention to the details in the
margin and the documentation of sources
throughout. Also, notice this essay
includes first and second person
pronouns; your essay needs to be fully in
third person.)
3. Complete Week 9 DBF:   "Pervasive
Computing and Privacy Rights"
4.  Complete 3 Research Paper Activities: 
Blue Pinwheels. 
5. Review Persuasive Essay Assignment
(Rough Draft due Week 13)
7. Complete and Submit Assignment:
Research Paper Planning Assignment 
Week 10 Week 10: Persuasive 1.  Review Chapters 15 and 19, paying 10.5 hours
3/30-4/5 Essay Prep special attention to pages 461-463. *You
are expected to know these things and
use them effectively in the assignment
this week and in your paper. 
2. Review Scholarly Source chart. You will
need this for your assignment as well 
3. Review information on Summary and
Evaluation. 
4.  Complete Blue Pinwheel Activities:
Summarizing Sources AND Reading and
Writing to Create a Summary.
4. Submit Assignment: Summary and
Evaluation of Scholarly Article. 
5. Continue working on research and
drafting your research paper (rough draft
due Week 13)
Week 11 Week 11: Persuasive 1. Refer to chapters 15 and 19 in your
4/6-4/12 Essay Prep text.
(continued) 2.  Complete Week 11 DBF: Research 10.5 hours
Essay.
3. Review "Writing Effective Paraphrases"
Learning Object
4.   Complete "Taking Notes and Avoiding
Plagiarism" Reading and Problem Set.   
5. Watch Video: "How to Write a
Persuasive Essay" 
6.  Review Persuasive Essay
Requirements.
7. Complete "Organizing and Writing
Research Projects" Reading and Problem
Set.
6. OPEN either the APA or MLA Folder. 
Review information and complete
problem set.  (Complete one that
corresponds with your program's
documentation style - the one you are
using in your paper.)
7.  Complete Research Essay Prep
w/paragraph Assignment
Week 12 Week 12: Persuasive 1. Use this week to work on your 10 hours

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 4/13-4/19 Research Essay Draft Research Paper.
2.  Review videos/activities on how to
integrate sources and choose ideas. 
2. Review and complete activities on
paraphrasing and quoting.  (These are
found in the folders in your class.)
Week 13 Week 13: Persuasive 1. Watch video about Safe Assign 
4/20-4/26 Research Essay Draft 2.  Submit COMPLETE draft (with in-text 13 hours (this may be distributed
citations) of persuasive essay through throughout the weeks prior)
Assignment Link
3. Post a copy of your draft in your
assigned group.  Post in the group file
exchange.  **Students who do not post
their drafts to the group file exchange by
the due date will not have the
opportunity to participate in the peer
review.  No late draft posts will be
accepted for peer review.  Instructor will
place students in groups in the order
drafts are submitted.
Week 14 Week 14: Persuasive 1. Peer review two (2) drafts in assigned 10 hours
4/27-5/3 Research Essay groups
(continued) 2. Extra Credit Option: Visit the Write
Way (see document posted in Week 5)
with your draft or schedule a one-on-one
in-person or phone meeting with
instructor (10 points extra credit). Must
be completed by the end of Week 14.
3. Work on revising paper
Week 15 Week 15: Persuasive 1. Complete Week 15 DBF: Research 14 hours
5/4-5/10 Research Essay Essay
(continued) 2. Submit Persuasive Research Essay-Final
Draft
Week 16 Week 16: Course 1. Complete Week 16 DBF: Course 4 hours
5/11-5/17 Completion Completion
2. Complete Employability Essentials
Survey (3 bonus points)
3. Complete Course Evaluation - See
Blackboard login page (where your
courses are listed)
4. Review other materials posted in Bb
(grades, comments, etc.)

Student Resources/Support: (Note: Underlined items are hyperlinks to the FVTC College resources and/or policies.)

 Campus Safety & Security - Life threatening 911 / Emergency (920) 735-4777 / Non-emergency (920) 735-5691

 Support Services - There is a broad network of support services for you at Fox Valley Technical College; see them at this
link that takes you to the Help and Resources Tab in Blackboard.

 Tutoring/Writing Assistance - The Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) and Write Way are services to assist you with
tutoring and writing assistance services; see the For Students tab in Blackboard.

 Course Withdrawal - If you choose to withdraw from the course, please contact me and enrollment services to ensure you
are aware of the impact to your Academic and Financial Aid GPAs.

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  Equal Opportunity - Fox Valley Technical College is committed to ensuring equal access to its educational programs and
employment opportunities without regard to sex, gender, race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, gender
identity, sexual orientation, genetic characteristics, marital status, or military status.

 ADA - FVTC provides a wide range of supplemental services to ensure reasonable accommodations to the known physical or
mental limitations of qualified individuals with disabilities. To obtain more information or request accommodations,
contact FVTC’s Student Services’ Educational Support Center at (920) 735-5679 Voice/TTY.

 Title IX - FVTC prohibits all forms of illegal gender and sex-based discrimination, which includes acts of sexual violence,
sexual harassment, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. To report a Title IX concern, contact Security Services
at (920) 735-5691 or (920) 993-5177. Sexual Misconduct Policy

Student Conduct
 Academic and General Codes of Conduct - Please review this document to understand your rights and responsibilities as a
student.
 Acceptable Use of Computers and Electronic Devices

Plagiarism
 Fox Valley Technical College prohibits all forms of academic dishonesty. Violations are subject to the college conduct
process. Academic dishonesty/misconduct may include, but are not limited to:
 Submitting plagiarized work for an academic requirement. Plagiarism is the representation of another’s work or ideas as
one’s own; it includes the unacknowledged word-for-word use and/or paraphrasing of another person’s work, and/or the
inappropriate unacknowledged use of another person’s ideas.
 Submitting substantially the same work to satisfy requirements for one course or academic requirement that has been
submitted in satisfaction of requirements for another course or academic requirement, without permission of the
instructor of the course for which the work is being submitted or supervising authority for the academic requirement.
 Falsification, fabrication, or dishonesty in creating or reporting laboratory results, results, and/or assignments;
 Serving as, or enlisting the assistance of a substitute for a student in the taking of examinations;
 Knowingly proving, receiving or using prohibited information during examinations such as course examinations; The
possession and/or use of unauthorized materials during those examinations, otherwise known as cheating
 Violation of course rules as contained in the syllabus or other information provided to the student

If any portion of an assignment in any draft stage is directly copied from a published source and not properly
documented, the student is subject to the academic consequences for plagiarism as listed below.

Cheating
Students are expected to do their own work. Copying from another student’s test, quiz, or assignment is considered cheating. Acts
of cheating are subject to academic consequences.
Academic consequences for plagiarism and/or cheating may include any or all of the following:
 An “F” on the assignment
 Submission of new assignment to fulfill course competency
 An “F” for the course
 Suspension from school
 Removal from academic program
 Documentation of incident in student’s academic records

Course Description

Designed for learners to develop knowledge and skills in all aspects of the writing process. Planning, organizing, writing, editing and
revising are applied through a variety of activities. Students will analyze audience and purpose, use elements of research and format
documents using standard guidelines. Individuals will develop critical reading skills through analysis of various written documents.
Prerequisites:

Prereq: HS GPA 2.75+ OR ACPL Read 54+/Sent 83+, Next Gen Read 250+/Sent 250+, ACT Read 18+/Engl 18+ OR Read Prep
10838105/Sent Prep 10831103 OR not pursuing a degree.
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Course Competencies

The core competencies for this course are:

• Establish document purpose

• Appraise audience
• Organize document content
• Construct topic sentences
• Devise thesis statements
• Differentiate essay parts
• Choose paragraph types: Introductory, concluding, topical, and transitional
• Employ rhetorical strategies
• Establish critical reading skills
• Prepare written documents
• Apply revision skills
• Investigate information sources
• Integrate research techniques
• Demonstrate proficiency in APA or MLA documentation

FVTC Mission
Provide relevant technical education and training to support student goals, a skilled workforce, and the economic vitality of our
communities.

FVTC Vision
A catalyst in engaging partners to bring innovative educational solutions to individuals, employers, and communities – transforming
challenges into opportunities.

Employability Essentials
FVTC works closely with area employers to ensure our students are learning the skills needed in today's competitive workplace. In
addition to technical skills, you will also learn and practice the following Employability Essentials—the skills and behaviors employers
want in the workplace.
 Adapt to Change
 Think Critically and Creatively
 Work Collaboratively
 Communicate Effectively and Respectfully
 Act Responsibly

Amendment to Syllabus:
Any changes to the information in the syllabus affecting the course or course content will be announced by the instructor.
Changes to the course policies may occur due to extenuating circumstances.

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