Syllabus for ENG 108
College Writing and Research ENG 108 -- College Writing and Research
Missouri Western State College
Department of English, Foreign Languages, Journalism
Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences English 108-05 -- College Writing and Research
Fall 2000
TTH 9:30-10:50, Room A101
Instructor: Dawn Terrick
Office: JGM 309L
Office Phone: 816-271-4313
Office Hours: 1:00-1:50 Daily and by appointment
Email: terrick@griffon.mwsc.edu Required Texts:
American Voices: Culture and Community. LaGuardia and Gruth. 4th edition.
Mayfield Publishing Company.
Writing Research Papers. Harnack. 2nd edition. Greenhaven Press. Required Materials:
Computer disks for revising and saving work.
Folder to keep all research. Recommended Texts:
A writing handbook or style guide of your choice. Course Description:
"Language conveys a certain power. It is one of the instruments of domination. It is
carefully guarded by the superior people because it is one of the means through which
they conserve their supremacy."
-Sheila Rowbotham "One thing that is always with the writer -- no matter how long he has written or how
good he is -- is the continuing process of learning how to write."
-Flannery O'Connor We live in an information society, a society that is dominated by language; therefore, it is
imperative that we, as human beings, understand the information around us. Those who
learn to wholly comprehend what they read, think critically about their own and others'
ideas, sort through the information that is available to them and effectively convey their
thoughts and ideas will be able to successfully function in this society. In order to achieve
these goals as a class, we will:
Improve our reading skills through extensive reading and participating in discussions
regarding the readings.
Summarize, analyze and evaluate written works.
Revise our written work on our own and within peer revision groups. We will write
drafts, reread first and second copies to rethink what we have discovered and revise for
an organization appropriate to our main purpose and audience.
Collect, sort through, determine the validity of and synthesize research and information.
We will have to familiarize ourselves with several reference tools in the library, work
with the Inlex-System, locate books and journals in the library and locate source
materials on electronic databases.
Practice research writing conventions as outlined by the MLA guidelines.
Continue to refine our ability to identify our own spelling, punctuation, and
grammatical errors so that we can achieve as "clean" a final copy as possible.
For common objectives for ENG 108, also refer to the English department website at
http://www.missouriwestern.edu/eflj/eng108.asp Course Structure:
I have structured this course so that everything you read, discuss and write is connected
in some way.
A large part of research is reading and truly understanding what you read and, as a result,
the first weeks of the course will focus on refining your evaluation and analysis skills.
Your reading and writing assignments will reflect this. During this time, you will also be
reading a variety of essays and articles that will illustrate various techniques, strategies
and approaches to research writing. This will help you in deciding what type of
approach(es) you will want to take in your research project. Then, beginning with week
six, we will narrow our focus to the final research project. You will be able to decide the
topic/issue of this project. I will review the details of this project in class. You will also
be required to write some “smaller” (but equally important) papers and these papers are
some of the different stages in the process of the final research and writing project (each
paper will be submitted and graded and you will have the opportunity for revision).
These assignments will then be synthesized and expanded into your final research
project. Although you have to meet certain deadlines, you will also be given the
opportunity to work at your own pace on your research project. By breaking down a
large writing and research project into smaller steps, it will make the entire process less
intimidating and easier to manage. However, be aware that this course entails extensive
writing and researching and, as a result, requires that you remain aware of due dates and
stay on schedule. Methods of Instruction:
Methods of instruction include textbooks, lectures, class discussions, group work,
informal writing assignments and formal writing assignments. Students will be expected
to participate in peer revision groups and in-class writing workshops.
Policies:
Attendance and Class Preparation/Participation: Students are expected to attend every
scheduled class meeting. Each student will be allowed four absences. More than four
absences will likely effect your final grade. However, please feel free to speak to me
about any extenuating circumstances for I reserve the right to excuse some absences. If
you are going to miss class due to a school-sponsored event you must notify me in
advance. Also, arriving to class late is disruptive. As a result, chronic lateness will likely
affect your final grade. Students are also expected to come prepared to every class
meeting and participate in class discussion for this is the only way we can all share ideas,
ask questions and learn. Preparation includes coming to class with all assigned work
completed. If you do not have your rough draft on the day of peer revising, you will
receive no points and will be marked absent. Late Work: All writing assignments are due at the beginning of the class period on the
due date. Each student is allowed one late paper, and only one late paper, (but you
cannot turn in your final research project and presentation in late) and this must be
discussed with the instructor. I will not accept/grade any other late papers. This is
important because you must complete, turn in and receive a grade for all papers in order
to pass this class. If you are not in class on the due date you are still responsible for
submitting your assignment on time. Late in-class writing assignments will not be
accepted. Students with Disabilities: Anyone who has a disability that prevents the fullest
expression of his or her potential to succeed in this course must notify me as soon as
possible so that we can discuss class requirements and accommodations. Grading: Your final grade will be based upon your formal writing assignments, various
in-class writing workshops and peer revision groups, class preparation and participation.
Please remember that you must complete all assignments in order to pass the course.
Also note that smaller assignments and class preparation/participation are very important
and do affect your grade.
Paper #1: 100 points
Paper #2: 100 points
Letter: 50 points
Paper #3: 100 points
Bibliography: 50 points
Final Research Project: 300 points
Presentation of Project/Final exam: 100 points
Class preparation and participation (including in-class workshops, research groups and
peer revision groups): 100 points 90-100%=A
80-90%=B
70-80%=C
60-70%=D Revision: All formal, graded writing assignments, except your final research project, can
be revised throughout the semester and resubmitted for a “new” grade. It is required that
your original, graded essay accompanies your revised essay. The deadline for revisions
appears on your assignment schedule and I will not accept revisions after this date.
Although you cannot revise your final research project, you will write it in “stages” and
those stages can be revised. You will also have ample opportunity to obtain feedback
from your peers and from me regarding your final research project. Academic Honesty Policy: Cheating and plagiarism on assignments/papers are not
acceptable. You will receive a grade of F for the assignment/paper that shows evidence
of cheating and/or plagiarism. Please make sure to correctly document all borrowed
information and ideas on all of your writing assignments. You have the burden of
proving that a paper showing evidence of cheating or plagiarism has in fact been written
by you. You should keep thorough evidence of your writing processes for all papers so
that you can meet this burden of proof. Stronger evidence proving plagiarism may lead
to further penalties. Please note carefully the statement on plagiarism on the
departmental website, found at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/EFLJ/plagiarism.asp. Miscellaneous: All drafts and final papers for this course must be word-processed. Please
note that you must complete all writing assignments in order to pass this course. In
addition, all research, notes, outlines, drafts, etc. must be submitted with your final
research project. It is also important to save all work on disks, keeping back-ups if
necessary. Please feel free to come see me if you have any problems or questions. I believe
communication is very important between an instructor and her students and, as a result, I
will make myself available to you for any reason. |