The student will continue to develop the writing skills studied in ENGL 1613. This course is designed to prepare students to write in multiple rhetorical situations including academic and professional fields of study. To receive credit toward the IAI General Education Requirements, this course must be completed with a grade of C or better. AAS: Communications elective.
ENGL 1613 with a grade of C or better
Course Alignment
General Education Outcomes are the knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, and behaviors that students are expected to develop as a result of their overall experiences with any aspect of the college, including courses, programs, and student services, both inside and outside of the classroom. The General Education Outcomes specifically learned in this course are:
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Responsibility
Faculty Contact Information
T/Th 8:30-9:30 am for walk-in's + Wednesday 10-12 pm online + by appointment
Course Information
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Refine the writing and research skills established in ENGL 1613
- Demonstrate audience awareness when making rhetorical choices, including choices related to style, tone, and diction
- Demonstrate an awareness of rhetorical appeals in students' own texts
- Analyze the values and writing conventions of their discipline
- Create multiple pieces of formal writing which contribute to a final academic research text
- Create and share a multimodal presentation
- Rhetoric: Style, strategies, devices, tools, and appeals; relationship to audience
- Research: Credibility, integration, citation and documentation, research as inquiry, types of sources, role of research librarian
- Composition: Focus, coherence, development, grammar, spelling, and punctuation, introductions, body paragraphs, and conclusions
- Reading: Engagement with texts: annotation, outlining, vocabulary; critical analysis of texts including non-fiction, academic writing
- Criticality: Intellectual empathy, originality in thought, context of social and cultural contexts, diverse viewpoints
- Multimodality: Integration of visual, textual, and oral elements; methods of engaging audience; rhetorical awareness
n/a
A=90-100%; B=80-89%; C=70-79%; D=60-69%; F=0-59%
Course Requirements: this semester, you will complete 3 career-focused papers with scholarly research in MLA or APA format and 1 multimodal virtual presentation as your final.
- Paper 1 - Rhetorical Comparison: 1200 words minimum, typed and double-spaced in Times New Roman 12-pt font, using 3 credible sources in MLA style (15% of overall grade)
- Paper 2 – Career Competency: 1500 words min., typed and double-spaced in Times New Roman 12-pt font, using the 4 credible and 2 scholarly sources from Paper 3 in MLA style (20% of overall grade)
- Paper 3 – Academic Journal Analysis: 1500 words min., typed and double-spaced in Times New Roman 12-pt font, using 6 scholarly/professional journal sources in APA style (25% of overall grade)
- Another 800+ words will be based on the following:
- Final – A Day in the Life Multimodal Presentation: prewrite pages as assigned, no word count requirement on the slideshow (25% of overall grade)
- 15% of your grade also relies on attendance, weekly activities, worksheets, reflections, and responses, as assigned
* papers will be submitted to Canvas through Microsoft Word or Google docs (which you need to give me permission to access by sharing the doc with my email: aporter@kcc.edu )
*word counts falling more than 100 words below the minimum requirement will be returned ungraded with the expectation that you will meet with me to enhance your paper
Completing Your Work
Completing Your Work
Kindly note that I do not accept partial or late work. There are no “rough drafts” in here, although you do get revision opportunities on the first 2 papers. You will be ineligible for paper revision if your original draft was incomplete or undone in the first place.
*That being said, every student will be granted ONE Free Pass, good for a single one-week extension on the due date of a paper. Please clear it with me at aporter@kcc.edu ahead of time to avoid miscommunication.
- Article Analysis Paper: 4+ pages (or at least 1,200 words) & 1-3 sources
- Rhetorical Comparison Paper: 5+ pages (or at least 1,500 words) & 4-5 sources
- Extended Research-based Paper in a Specific Style: 6+ pages (or at least 1,800 words) & 6-7 sources
- Associated prospectus materials must also be written for this extended paper assignment. Materials may include a proposal, annotated bibliography, abstract, audience analysis, research defense, self-evaluation, etc.
- A multimodal presentation of the extended research-based paper
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Dean, Jennifer Huggins; 815-802-8484; R310; jhuggins@kcc.edu; Division Office- W102; 815-802-8700
Communication
In the case of inclement weather, power outages, or class cancellations, KCC will phone and text you from an automated number. Please make sure that we have a valid contact number at which to reach you.
The #1 reason that people drop or step out of college is because they didn’t advocate for themselves. Please communicate your concerns with me so that the KCC community can properly help you. You will also see below and on www.kcc.edu a wealth of resources for financial assistance, personal counseling, career counseling, tutoring services.
We will need to have a backup plan for computer access in case our systems or Canvas goes down. I advise keeping a printed version of your syllabus in your records. I will maintain communication with you through BAND, which I will ask you to download to your phone so as to keep our phone numbers anonymous.
Other Course Policies
Attendance matters in this class because YOU matter in this class. In fact, it counts as 15% of your overall grade because this is a writing community and we need you. If you are not present on time, you will miss roll call and need to speak with me after class about it.
In the event that you must miss class, please don’t call, e-mail, or bring doctor’s notes because now that you are in college, you don’t owe anyone that personal info.
Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty
There is no easy way to say it: Plagiarism won’t be tolerated. All assignments submitted must be the student’s own work with research properly cited in MLA 2019 style.
Plagiarism is defined as representing the words or ideas of another writer as one’s own. Plagiarism will result in a zero for the assignment on the first offense and an immediate final grade of F in the course on the second offense without exception and without chance for withdrawal from the course.
Academic Dishonesty
In addition to plagiarism, academic dishonesty is equally discouraged. Specifically, work written for other courses or submission of work that has been acquired from other students or written by family members, classmates, or friends will result in a final grade of F in the course without exception.
Let me be super clear here: AI assistance on assignments, including Grammarly, will not be allowed in this course. All submissions will be run through my computer’s Similarity and AI Check, and it will reflect both direct plagiarism and close paraphrasing. Evidence of AI usage will result in a zero on the assignment; the second instance will result in a zero in the course. I will be asking you to sign an agreement that you understand this rule. If ever in doubt, please ask. This is not a trap.
Any incidence of plagiarism or academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Student Services and may result in additional academic discipline and possible academic suspension at the instructor’s discretion. (See College Catalog 16.2b) Note also, according to campus policy, academic honesty includes “using artificial intelligence software or tools for homework, quizzes, tests, and any assignment unless authorized by the course instructor.” This instructor does not authorize such writing assistance.
*Always, always check with your instructors if ever in doubt. Any of your support team on campus would love to help you prevent plagiarism and respect your willingness to ask.
Code of Conduct
Students are expected to adhere to the Code of Conduct located in the college catalog, but in general, your courtesy and patience with this process is much appreciated, as frustrations do sometimes arise in your learning environment. Let’s work through those together by keeping honest and open lines of communication.
Expectations for Classroom and Online Behavior: “Showing up” is not the only thing I ask of you. You and I trusting each other is the most important aspect of my class. To ensure an enjoyable, inclusive, and engaging learning environment, you are expected to openly share your ideas and express your opinions; respect the opinions, values, and identities of your classmates, instructors, and authors; and honor the open environment of the class by respecting confidentiality when appropriate. You are expected to do your best work, meet assignment deadlines, engage regularly in class communications and activities, and treat other members of the class with courtesy and respect.
Everything we read or view for this class will be provided for you. I recommend downloading the TED Talks, Canvas Student, BAND, and YouTube app’s to your phone if you don’t have them already. Please also be sure to give KCC a valid phone number so we can alert you to class cancellations.
Looking at the World Through the Lens of Your Future Career
Unit One: The Rhetorical Comparison
Week 1
Aug. 18-24-: Course overview and expectations. Review Syllabus. Introductions. Review Canvas and Library.
Getting to Know You Assignment due by 11:59 pm Thursday, 8/21 in Canvas dropbox (further details in Canvas under Assignments.)
Week 2
Aug. 25-31: Introduce Rhetorical Comparison Paper Assignment. Review Rhetoric, Audience Awareness and Nuances of Language: Diction, Tone, & Voice.
Mini Rhetorical Comparison due in Canvas dropbox under Assignments by 11:59 pm Monday, 8/31, in Canvas drop box. The mini RC is a brief comparison of an ad and an article to prove which was more successful in reaching its audience (further details in Canvas under Assignments.)
Week 3 NO SCHOOL ON LABOR DAY (Monday, 9/7)!
Sept. 1-7: Beginning a Rhetorical Comparison. RC set up and structure. How to conclude an RC. Quick MLA brush-up.
Rhetorical Comparison just the introduction for the paper (2 paragraphs) due in dropbox under Assignments by 11:59 pm Sunday, Sept. 6 because of Labor Day on Monday 😊. The first paragraph will introduce the career; the second will integrate the two sources you will use for rhetorical comparison (further details in Canvas under Assignments.) The introduction will end with the thesis statement.
Week 4
Sept. 8-14: Workshopping the RC. All questions are welcome and encouraged.
Rhetorical Comparison Paper Due in Canvas dropbox by 11:59 pm on Monday, Sept. 14 as a Word file or Google doc file shared with me. (see Evaluation section above and the assignment dropbox in Canvas for the paper’s requirements) Please give me 10 days to grade them.
Talking the Talk: Finding the Meaning in Your Work
Unit 2: The Career Competency Paper
Week 5
Sept. 15-21: Finding meaningful research and Evaluating Scholarly Sources. How NOT to plagiarize. Letting data tell a story.
5x5 assignment due in Canvas dropbox by 11:59 pm Monday, Sept. 21. This is a list of 5 journal titles and 5 academic articles related to your future career/field (further details in Canvas under Assignments).
Week 6
Sept. 22-28: Introducing the Career Competency Paper; Proving that APA is not scary.
APA Practice assignment due in Canvas dropbox by 11:59 pm on Monday, Sept. 28. This assignment asks that you practice documenting a single source in APA format and style (further details in Canvas under Assignments.)
Week 7
Sept. 29-Oct. 5: Taking a step back and re-evaluating your progress and your career at midterms.
Midterm Check-In due in Canvas dropbox by 11:59 pm on Monday, Oct. 5. This is an informal letter addressed to me that details the progress you have made thus far in the semester and where your career intentions stand now (further details in Canvas under Assignments.)
Week 8
Oct. 6-12: Midterm feedback based on last week’s letters; Understanding, Recognizing, and Avoiding Logical Fallacies.
Week 9
Oct. 13-19: Getting back in the groove; My Job and Budgeting Your Life.
My Job and Budgeting Your Life assignments due in Canvas dropbox by 11:59 pm on Monday, Oct. 19. These two assignments will ask you to provide the details of your career in terms of salary/hourly and skills set by means of research (further details in Canvas under Assignments.)
Walking the Walk: Defining Success for Yourself
Unit 3: Academic Journal Analysis Paper
Week 10
Oct. 20-26: workshopping the Career Competency paper in class.
Career Competency Papers due in the Canvas dropbox by 11:59 pm on Monday, Oct. 26. Briefly, this is a paper that asks you to research what it takes to enter this career field, what larger meaning the career holds, and what problems people in the field are working on, using both credible and scholarly research (further details in Canvas under Assignments.)
Week 11
Oct. 27-Nov. 2: Introducing the Academic Journal Analysis; grading a Journal Article Analysis.
Grade for sample journal analysis due in Canvas drop box by 11:59 pm Monday, Nov. 2. Using my grading rubric attached to the Assignment Description and Drop Box, assess the sample student paper for each category (further details in Canvas under Assignments.)
Week 12
Nov. 3-9: Workshopping the Academic Journal Analysis.
Week 13
Nov. 10-16: Introduction to the Final Presentation, taking a look at presentation and writing style choices.
Academic Journal Analysis due in Canvas drop box by 11:59 pm Monday, Nov. 16. This is an analysis of an academic journal related to your future career/field, including the topic and style of its articles, as well as rhetorical choices made by those authors (further details in Canvas under Assignments.)
Unit 4: The Multimodal Presentation
Week 14
Nov. 17-23: grading sample presentations and exploring modalities
Week 15
Nov. 24-30: workshopping final presentations
Week 16
Dec. 1-3: Presentations in Class; last day of class is December 3
This multimodal final will address several aspects of your journey through this course and what you learned about the career you chose (details in Canvas under Assignments.
College Policies, Resources and Supports
For information related to the Student Code of Conduct Policy, Withdrawal Policy, Email Policy, and Non- Attendance/Non-Participation Policy, please review the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations webpage, which can be found at catalog.kcc.edu under the Academic Regulations & Conduct Guide.
KCC offers various academic and personal resources for all students. Many services are offered virtually, as well as in person. Please visit Student Resources - Kankakee Community College to access student resources services such as:
- Clubs and organizations
- Counseling and referral services
- Office of disability services
- Student complaint policy
- Transfer services
- Tutoring services, etc.
The materials on this course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course. Further information regarding KCC's copyright policy is available at https://kcc.libguides.com/copyright.
|Course syllabus/calendar is subject to change.