English 201: The Research Paper                                                                  

Tuesdays and Thursdays 11:30-1:20 in R201

Tuesdays and Thursdays on Canvas

Summer 2018

 Instructor Sean Allen

sallen@bellevuecollege.edu

Phone: 425-564-2413

Office: R230D

Office Hours: 1:30 daily

English 201: The Research paper

 In English 201, students develop skills for writing research papers. In this class, we will focus on learning research techniques, source analysis, thesis development, argumentation styles, and summarizing skills.

 In general, however, writing an excellent research paper requires a faith in the process of inquiry, learning, and the belief that writing and researching is a process of discovery. By thinking critically about different kinds of information, evaluating it, synthesizing it, using or discarding it, research writers have the power to not only inform others, but to produce a body of work that is unique and distinctly their own. However, the final draft of an effective research paper requires a considerable amount of energy, focus, and specific skill sets: writing, re-writing, searching, researching, thinking, critical thinking, drafting, organizing, and revising/composition skills. Therefore, it’s important to choose a topic which your are very interested in.

 Come to class every day, engage fully in classroom and online activities, work hard, help others, and have fun. Keep in mind that research writing is not only a means to communicate information; it’s also a powerful way to shape our own minds, learn deeply, and to share important information in a way that is distinctly our own.

 Course Outcomes:

 After completing this class, students should be able to:

• Write an objective summary of college-level material which identifies primary and supporting assertions
• Evaluate different types of evidence (i.e., tone/diction, logical reasoning)
• Synthesize source material in writing
• Create an original and clearly supported thesis
• Provide proper in-text citations and a works-cited page
• Compile a breadth of varied primary sources which demonstrates a familiarity with library research skills.

 Materials:

 The Bedford Researcher, 6t^h Edition.

Pencils and Pens

Paper or a notebook

A USB drive

 Be sure to bring all these materials and texts to each class session.

 Graded Assignments, online coursework, and Quizzes:

 7 Canvas Modules, 30 points each      210 points

Summary Assignment                            100 points

Rhetorical Analysis                                100 points

Research Paper Proposal                      50 points

Outline/Annotated Bibliography              50 points

MLA Quiz                                                50 points

Class participation                                  50 points

Research Paper                                     400 points

                                                        +  __________

                                                            1010 points possible

Arts & Humanities grading procedure:

100-93%          A

90-92%            A-

89-87%            B+

86-83%             B

82-80               B-

79-77               C+

76-73               C

72-70               C-

69-67               D+

66-63               D

62-60               D-

59%---             F

 Class participation includes in-class work, productive engagement in class discussions, peer-editing sessions, and other in-class activities. Disruptive behavior such as arriving late, leaving class, distracting others, texting, etc may negatively impact your class participation grade.

Peer-editing sessions also take place in class, and are an invaluable means for receiving and giving constructive feedback. Therefore, peer-editing sessions are not only important for you-but for your classmates as well. Written peer feedback should be submitted back to the student at the conclusion of your group work. Important: for each of our peer-editing sessions, you must bring to class a typed version of your draft, and you must arrive on time. Students who are unprepared or late for peer-editing sessions will be counted as absent for that day.

 Attendance: The BC Arts & Humanities Division’s policy regarding tardiness stipulates that any student missing more than twenty percent of total class time for a course may receive an “F” grade for the course. Since this class meets 2 days a week for a total of 12 meetings, any student missing three or more class meetings may automatically receive a failing grade.  

This course also requires that you be on time for class. I take role at the beginning of every class. If you arrive late, you may be counted as absent for that date.

 Late papers: All papers and other assignments are due at the dates and times specified in the course calendar. Each student can turn in one paper late without losing points, but all other later papers will be assessed -10 points for every day they are late.

Research Paper Topics

 Please do not choose any of the following topics for your research paper:

• Gun rights
• Abortion
• Marriage
• Ideologies
• Video Games

 Plagiarism:

 Plagiarism, or academic dishonesty, is the act of using another writer’s words or ideas as your own. According to the BCC Arts & Humanities website, plagiarism “may take many forms, including, but not limited to, using a paper written by someone else, using printed sources word-for-word without proper documentation, and paraphrasing or summarizing the ideas of others without acknowledging the source.  Plagiarism can also occur when non-written ideas are taken without documentation--using someone else's design or performance idea, for example.  In short, plagiarism is passing off someone else's ideas, words, or images as your own; it amounts to intellectual theft--whether or not it was your intention to steal.” Plagiarism in this course may result in a paper’s failing grade, or further disciplinary action from the Dean of Student Success. Consecutive acts of plagiarism may result in a failing grade for the class.

 Cell phones or other electronic communication devices:

 During class time, please turn off your cell phones, pagers, or other such devices. You may use an electronic or paper dictionary to class, but I do not allow cell phones in class for any reason.

 Classroom Behavior

 What follows is the Arts & Humanities Division’s policy on classroom behavior:

 “The college's ‘Affirmation of Inclusion’ is posted in each classroom and sets forth the expectation that we will all treat one another with respect and dignity regardless of whether or not we agree philosophically.  This expectation is in line with the principle of free speech in a free society:  we have the right to express unpopular ideas as long as we don't show disrespect for reasonable people who might believe otherwise.  In an on-line course, you will be expressing ideas through the medium of the course site rather than face to face in the classroom.  In that case, these expectations refer to the courtesy with which you communicate with one another through e-mails and e-discussions.

 Part of this respect involves professional behavior toward the instructor, colleagues, and the class itself.  Disruptive behavior is disrespectful behavior.  The Arts and Humanities Division honors the right of its faculty to define "disruptive behavior," which often involves such things as arriving late, leaving early, leaving class and then returning, talking while others are trying to hear the instructor or their group members, doing other homework in class, wearing earphones in class, bringing activated beepers, alarm watches, or cellular phones into class, inappropriate comments or gestures, etc.  In on-line courses, “flaming’ anyone in the class is also considered disruptive behavior.  Such behavior interrupts the educational process.  When you are in doubt about any behavior, consult your instructor during office hours:  we recognize the judgment of the instructor as the final authority in these matters.

 When disruptive behavior occurs, instructors will speak to or e-mail the students concerned.  Those students are then responsible for ending the disruptions at once.  Failure to do so may result in removal of the students from class.”

Important Links

All students registered for classes at Bellevue College are entitled to a network and e-mail account.  Your student network account can be used to access your student e-mail, log in to computers in labs and classrooms, connect to the BC wireless network and log in to MyBC. To create your account, go to:  https://bellevuecollege.edu/sam (Links to an external site.) .

BC offers a wide variety of computer and learning labs to enhance learning and student success. Find current campus locations for all student labs by visiting the Computing Services website. (Links to an external site.)

 Disability Resource Center (DRC)

 The Disability Resource Center serves students with a wide array of learning challenges and disabilities. If you are a student who has a disability or learning challenge for which you have documentation or have seen someone for treatment and if you feel you may need accommodations in order to be successful in college, please contact us as soon as possible.

 If you are a person who requires assistance in case of an emergency situation, such as a fire, earthquake, etc, please meet with your individual instructors to develop a safety plan within the first week of the quarter.

 The DRC office is located in B 132 or you can call our reception desk at 425.564.2498.  Deaf students can reach us by video phone at 425-440-2025 or by TTY at 425-564-4110.   .    .  Please visit our website for application information into our program and other helpful links at www.bellevuecollege.edu/drc (Links to an external site.)

 Public Safety

 The Bellevue College (BC) Public Safety Department’s well trained and courteous non-commissioned staff provides personal safety, security, crime prevention, preliminary investigations, and other services to the campus community, 24 hours per day,7 days per week.  Their phone number is 425.564.2400.  The Public Safety website is your one-stop resource for campus emergency preparedness information, campus closure announcements and critical information in the event of an emergency. Public Safety is located in K100 and on the web at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/publicsafety/ (Links to an external site.)