Course Syllabus

INGL 3104-080 Intermediate Writing II, Spring 2014

University of Puerto Rico

Mayagez Campus

College of Arts and Sciences

Department of English

Professor: L. Ortega Beede

Office: Chardn 408
Office Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays: 1:00-2:30pm
E-mail: lorimar.ortega@upr.edu
Mailbox: Chardn 323
This document may be amended over the course of the semester
General Information:
Alpha-numeric codification: INGL 3104
Course Title: Intermediate English II
Course Schedule: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Sec. 080: 2:30-3:20pm in CH 224
Number of credits: 3 per semester (45 contact hours)
Contact Period: 3 hours of lecture per week
Non-Contact Period: 2 hours of outside assignments for each contact hour (6 hours in total)
Course Description (according to the 2009-2010 Undergraduate Catalogue of the University
of Puerto Rico, Mayagez Campus): English: Analysis of selected readings, such as essays,
fiction, poetry or drama, and practice in writing compositions with attention given as needed to
grammar and idiomatic expressions.
Pre/Co-requisites and other requirements:
Intermediate English II (INGL 3104) is the second course of a sequence designed for entering
students at the Mayagez Campus of the University of Puerto Rico who have scored 570 or above
on the College Board Entrance Examination, but who have not qualified for advanced placement
in the Honors Program of the English Department by obtaining a score of 4 or 5 on the Advanced
Placement Test. Those students who receive 3 on this test are enrolled in English 3103. Those
students who successfully pass INGL 3103 must pass INGL 3104 and six additional credit hours
in the English department courses to satisfy University requirements. If you were enrolled in Basic
English in previous semesters, you should NOT be taking this course. Please see the English
Department if you have any doubts about your placement in this course.

Course Objectives:
After completing INGL 3104, students should be capable of demonstrating the following skills
and abilities in the area of writing:
Reacting to and interpreting works of literature through the adoption of traditional
modes of literary analysis such as comparison and contrast, in-depth study of a literary
work, or analysis of elements of fiction

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Course Syllabus
INGL 3104-080 Intermediate Writing II, Spring 2014

Drawing a conclusion about a selected reading and stating it as a thesis

Demonstrating knowledge and recognition of elements of fiction, drama and poetry in
selected works of literature in analysis and interpretation of these readings in writing.
Collecting and evaluating evidence from a text and presenting that evidence effectively
in support of the stated conclusion
Arguing persuasively about the relationship between the evidence and the conclusion
drawn
Continuing application of the various stages of the writing process to written work,
including drafting, peer editing, and publishing
Carrying out an elementary literature-based research project using the campus library
and the internet
Demonstrating correct usage of MLA documentation with general formatting, in-text
citations, and the Works Cited page

Instructional Strategies:
Conference discussion computation laboratory seminar with formal
presentation seminar without formal presentation workshop art workshop
practice trip thesis special problems tutoring research
Minimum or Required Resources Available:
Routine access to computing facilities and Internet (wired classroom), digital projector, overhead
screen, speakers, TV with DVD/VHS
Grading System:
Quantifiable (letters)
Because the grading scale at our institution does not allow for the reporting of grades of - or +
(A- or C+ for example), I will necessarily calculate grades according to the following scale.
Notwithstanding, students should be aware that an A is a grade assigned for exceptional work
only. If your work for the course does not reflect this quality, do not expect an A.
Grade
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
0-59

Numerical Equivalent
A
B
C
D
F

Attendance:
Attendance of the course is compulsory and will be verified at the beginning of each class.
Students are expected to come to class all the time and to always be on time. The student is
responsible for all material covered on the day s/he is absent. You must provide the appropriate
documentation for an absence to be considered excused and the professor will reserve the right to
accept an excuse or not. Excused absences and tardiness, as well as early departures from

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Course Syllabus
INGL 3104-080 Intermediate Writing II, Spring 2014
class, count as of an unexcused absence, so make a point of being in class and on-time.
After the equivalent of six unexcused absences, 5% will be deducted from the students
final grade.
Evaluation Strategies: While a final, graded exam is compulsory for all students who entered in
INGL 3104, this course is based primarily on writing essays, not on exams; however, short
quizzes will be given over the assigned readings to assure you have read them. The chart that
follows lists the distinct tasks required by your instructor, the quantity of each, and the percent of
the total grade these represent:
Tasks

Percent

Attendance/Active Participation
Memoir (Essay #1)
Comparison and Contrast (Essay #2)
Group Presentation
Daily Writing Assignments
Literary Analysis (Final Essay)
Final Exam
TOTAL:

5%
10%
15%
15%
25%
20%
10%
100%

NOTE: Drafts of essays will be shared in class on paper. Final essays will be turned in on paper.
Do not send any document to me by e-mail if I have not specifically requested you to do so.
Essays: You will write two formal essays for this class; the first will be 500 words in class, and
the second will be at least 4 pages long, including works cited pages. Digital rubric will be added
to the DropBox or sent by e-mail in advance of each of these essays that clarify criteria for
evaluation. For each essay, you will engage in a process of pre-writing, drafting, proof-reading,
and revising with peers.
Literary Analysis: You will research an author, poet, or play write as well as their writings and
create a paper that shows readers that you are completely knowledgeable of this person and
his/her works by creating a work of art yourself that represents important information about this
person and the writings he/she has done.
Final Exam: The final exam will consist of a full-length composition based on a topic to be
selected and approved by all faculty members and instructors teaching the course. You will
receive detailed instructions on this exam in late April.
Incompletes:
Refer to University policy in relation to incompletes. Incompletes will not be assigned in this

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Course Syllabus
INGL 3104-080 Intermediate Writing II, Spring 2014
course unless there is a valid and documented reason (i.e., medical problems). Poor work in the
course is not a valid reason. The grade earned by the student will be the grade s/he is assigned.
There will be no extra-credit option in this course to improve grades.
Required Texts:
- Sleeping Beauty (Faerie Tale Collection Book 2) by Jenni James
- Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman
- We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Bibliography:
These are reference books and are available in the library
Kennedy, X.J., and Dana Gioia. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and
Writing. 11th ed. New York: Pearson, 2010.
Additional Recommended Resources (These books may be accessed in The Writing Center)
Axelrod, R., and Cooper, C. (2009). Axelrod and Coopers Concise Guide to Writing. 5th ed.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martens.
Hacker, D. (2007). A Writers Reference with Extra Help for ESL Writers. 6th ed. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martens.
Lunsford, A. (2009). The Everyday Writer. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martens.
McWhorter, K. (2009). Successful College Writing. 4th ed. Bedford/St. Martens.
Raimes, Ann. Keys for Writers. 5th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008.1
Rosen, L. (2009). The Academic Writers Handbook. 2nd ed. Boston: Pearson Longman.
Ruszciewicz, J. How to Write Anything. Boston: Bedford/St. Martens, 2009.
Wysocki, A., and Lynch, D. (2009). The DK Writers Handbook. Boston: Pearson Longman.
Online Resources:
How to Recognize Plagiarism Tutorial
http://www.indiana.edu/~istd/
This website provides a one to two hour tutorial created by the School of Education at the
Indiana University Bloomington to help you to understand and recognize plagiarism. It also
allows you to print a certificate upon passing a related test. Your professor may require you to
1

This text is available in the General Library rather than in The Writing Center.

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Course Syllabus
INGL 3104-080 Intermediate Writing II, Spring 2014
turn in your signed certificate as evidence that you have confirmed your understanding of
plagiarism and how to recognize it.
The Internet Detective
http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/
a free online tutorial that will help you develop Internet research skills for your university and
college work. The tutorial looks at the critical thinking required when using the Internet for
research and offers practical advice on evaluating the quality of web sites.
The Merriam Webster Online-Dictonary
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
The Merriam Webster Online Dictonary is an excellent all-in-one reference tool for writing that
includes a Spanish-English dictionary, thesaurus, and audio samples for support with the
pronunciation of specific words.
The Owl at Purdue
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue Universityhouses writing resources and
instructional materials.Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find
information to assist them with many writing projects, during any stage of the writing process.
By-law 06-33 (Institutional Policy on Partial Exams Offered Outside of Regular Class
Hours):
According to article 6 of by-law 06-33 (Institutional Policy on Partial Exams Offered Outside of
Regular Class Hours), Partial exams offered outside of the established course period should not
conflict with other classes, laboratories, or departmental exams in the program of studies of the
students registered for a course. If it is not possible to accommodate students at the same time, or
if a valid excuse is submitted by one or several students in a timely manner prior to the exam, the
principle of equity demands that these students be tested at another time, in conditions equivalent
to those of other students in the section. Article 7 indicates that scheduling conflicts that
cannot be resolved between the student and the professor can be directed to the attention of the
director or the directors of the corresponding departments, programs, or offices. Contrary to
what some professors have indicated to students, there is no reason why they should miss classes
when they confront situations like this. As such, an absence from a class due to an exam in
another course will not be excused.
According to Law 51:
All reasonable accommodations according to the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) will be
coordinated with the Dean of Students (Prof. Teresita Cruz) and in accordance with the particular
needs of the student. Any student needing such accommodations should contact the Office of the
Dean of Students in the Decanato de Estudiantes building, Office DE-6 (in front of the Jos de
Diego building). For more information, please call (787) 265-3862 or (787) 832-4040, exts. 3258
or 3274. You may also email tcruz@uprm.edu or m_rosado@uprm.edu. Consult the Servicios a

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Course Syllabus
INGL 3104-080 Intermediate Writing II, Spring 2014
Estudiantes con Impedimentos website (http://www.uprm.edu/sei/index2.htm) for more details.
NB: The Dean of Students notifies the professor of accommodations that must be made for a
student via a formal letter, however students disabilities are NOT disclosed to the professor.
Departamento de Orientacin:
On the first floor of the Decanato de Estudiantes (across from the Jos de Diego building), you
can access counselors who can advise you on managing your stress, your time, and the various
pressures that you might be confronted with in your first year (or future years) at the Colegio.
Don't be timid about seeking help when you need it. Recognizing your need for help and actively
seeking resources to support you is a sign of maturity. For further information, link to
http://www.uprm.edu/orientacion/index.html or to schedule an appointment, call (787) 832-4040,
extensions 2040, 3372, or 3864. This department is open Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m.
The Writing Center:
Students should take responsibility for obtaining help as needed. In addition to the instructors
office hours, the Arts and Sciences Writing Center, located in the Admissions Building, Room
7s, is open (starting Tuesday, August 18, 2009) Mondays-Fridays from 8:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m. It
is closed from 11:00-12:00 on Thursdays. The Writing Center supports all reading and writing
needs including the reading of texts, vocabulary development, pre-writing, drafting, content
development, organization, and the preparation of final drafts.
Academic Honesty:
As per Cert. 45, 2005-06, it is the institutional policy of the Mayagez Campus to observe the
highest standards of intellectual and scientific integrity and to pursue the prosecution of all
violations. Violations include plagiarism (using the work, processes, ideas, and results of others
without proper credit). Moreover, Article 14(A)(2) of the UPR General Regulations for Students
identifies cheating as a punishable conduct.
As such, a professor may present a formal complaint to the Campus Disciplinary Board if she or
he believes a student has committed plagiarism. If the professor pursues this line of action, Article
15 of the UPR General Regulations for Students stipulates that the repercussions may be the
following:

A written warning which will be included in the students official record

Probation for a determined period of time
Suspension for a determined period of time
Administrative permanent withdrawal from the UPR system
Other sanctions provided by special regulation

In this class, the instructor will assign an automatic 0 (F) for an assignment if plagiarism is

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Course Syllabus
INGL 3104-080 Intermediate Writing II, Spring 2014
detected. Make-up assignments will not be allowed. Your grade for that assignment will
remain a 0 (F).
Additional Requirements:
1) Students should bring their required texts (or copies of the assigned readings) to class and
be prepared to discuss these. If they do not bring their texts to class, they should be able
to discuss both the homework assigned for the previous class as well as the readings on
the agenda for the day with detailed annotated notes.
2) It is expected that students will submit assignments on the due date upon the start of class.
For each day of class that an assignment is late, the grade for that assignment will be
lowered one full grade. In case of an emergency, contact the professor so that your
circumstances may be taken into consideration and necessary arrangements may be made.
3) In wireless classrooms or Internet connected classrooms, students should not engage in
web activity that is not course related.
4) If the instructor is absent for professional reasons, a substitute will teach the class in her
place or a make-up class will be scheduled. Attendance will be taken and factored into the
final grade on such an occasion.
5) All work for the course will be word-processed on a computer. No hand-written work will
be accepted.
6) The professor will only utilize her UPR account to communicate with students and will
similarly only respond to emails posted from students UPR accounts.
7) Students should only use their UPR accounts to access and share documents in this class.
It is the responsibility of the student to routinely check this account to stay informed
about the course.
8) Turn off or silence your cell phone before the start of class. Cell phone calls and text
messaging are not permitted inside or outside of the classroom during the scheduled
course hours. If a cell phone rings in the classroom or a student exits the room to answer
a cell phone call, s/he will be asked to leave the room for the remainder of the class
period and his/her absence will be factored into the final grade for the course.

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