Teacher: Bill Church

Office: SS/C 222O

Phone: 816 271-5966

Office Hours:1:00 - 2:00 daily and by appointment

email: church@griffon.mwsc.edu

Freshman Interest Group: By enrolling in a FIG you have afforded yourselves the opportunity to get to know one another by sharing two courses. We will also plan at least one and perhaps two get-togethers outside of class time. Your participation in group activities is expected, not optional; we will work to resolve scheduling conflicts so everyone can participate. Also, we will make connections between the classes with occasional reading and writing activities.

Attendance Policy: This class has a very strict attendance policy in Writer's Workshops as well as in class. If you miss seven class periods or three Writer's Workshops, you will receive an F in the class. Ordinarily, there are no exceptions and no makeups for this attendance requirement. If you know of any circumstances likely to make this policy difficult for you this semester, you may wish to consult with your advisor to review your options. If you miss a class session, you are responsible for all material covered and assignments given during your absence. All out-of-class assignments are due at the beginning of the class period. No late assignments will be accepted unless you have received prior permission from me. There are no excused absences. Students must be in class at the beginning of the hour or be counted absent.

Required Texts and Course Materials: Dietsch, Betty. Reasoning and Writing Well. 2^nd edition. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield, 2000. English 100 Writer's Workshops. Fall 2001 ed.

3-1/2" floppy disks and a disk storage box. Photocopies for group work as requested.

Course Goals and Class Assignments: A fuller discussion of the topics covered below may be found at the following website: www.missouriwestern.edu/~engdept/eng100.html

Reading Goals:

At the completion of ENG 100 students should be able to

* Read actively for greater understanding;

* Use reading to improve their writing by drawing ideas and information from written material;

* Use texts to understand their own and others' experiences;

* Read writing assignments effectively as a guide to creating better papers;

* Recognize good writing by actively reading good prose.

Writing Goals:

At the completion of ENG 100 students should be able to

* Move easily from writing for self-expression to writing for readers;

* Write at greater length more easily, more quickly, and more usefully;

* Structure their writing to fit the assignment, purpose, and audience;

* Develop their ideas and concepts with specific details, examples, and explanations;

* Craft more effective and polished sentences and paragraphs;

* Use effective planning, invention, revision, and editing to complete successful writing tasks.

In ENG 100 students should improve their ability to

* Think critically and reason analytically;

* Write and speak clearly and effectively;

* Gain a greater awareness of the present through an understanding of other cultures and times;

* Understand and appreciate moral values and ethical choices;

* Understand and enjoy aesthetic experiences and share in related creative activities.

Classroom behavior:

Missouri Western requires all students to help us maintain good conditions for teaching and learning. All students will treat their classmates, teachers, and student assistants with civility and respect, both inside and outside the classroom. As stated in the MWSC Student Handbook, instructors "may establish additional classroom rules and expectations for conduct in the classroom. Behavior which disrupts the classroom environment or interferes with other students' ability to learn may be grounds or justification for dismissal from the classroom" (29-30). Sleeping, conducting private conversations, using computers for other than assigned purposes, eating, drinking, damaging property, and using vulgar or deliberately offensive language are some of the more common acts that can damage the learning environment. Likewise, all telephones and pagers are to be silenced during class time. No headphones may be worn, no music played, no homework done for other classes. Let's establish a cordial and respectful atmosphere in which we can have fun while learning together.

Students are responsible for all material covered and assignments given during their absence. All out-of-class assignments are due at the beginning of the class period. Late assignments will be penalized, and any paper not submitted at the beginning of the hour on the due date will be considered one day late.

Your grade will be determined by the papers, reflective letters, and questions you submit, as well as your class participation over the course of the semester. The components of your grade in the course are as follows:

Major papers (75%): You will complete multiple drafts of four major writing tasks on specified deadlines. Throughout the semester I will read and return your papers with my responses to your cover letters and questions and an evaluation deeming the work "Acceptable" or "Unacceptable." For the most part, I will neither mark on your papers nor edit them for you. The amount of feedback and the quality of feedback you receive from me will depend entirely on the level of responsibility you take for your own learning and the caliber and quantity of questions you ask me about your writing. Because I want you to strive continually for improvement and growth as a writer, I will assign neither points nor grades on your writing until you submit your final portfolio (See "Course Portfolio" below). A student who does not complete all four major tasks will not pass the course even if the evaluations on the other writing tasks are satisfactory. All work must be complete for you to pass this course.

Reflective Letters and Questions (15%): Critiquing your own writing process as well as your papers is an important step in learning to write, revise, and communicate with others. Reflective letters are due with each draft submitted to me for each of the four major writing assignments. Reflective letters should focus the reader on any questions you have about your work. The quality and number of thoughtful questions you pose with each draft will impact this part of your learning and, by direct connection, your grade.

Participation (10%): Participation in daily class discussions, coming prepared for peer revision workshops, group participation, written and oral feedback to others, and group and/or individual oral presentations will count toward participation credit. Also, your willingness to complete tasks in Writer's Workshop and contribute to a positive learning environment there will also be considered. The highest grades in this course will go only to those students who are always prepared and always willing to ask or answer thoughtful questions about the work at hand.

Progress as a writer: Your progress as a writer will be assessed through an end-of-semester portfolio in which you must put your revised responses to the writing tasks. Your portfolio must receive an "Acceptable" evaluation for you to pass ENG 100.

Midterm grades: Because the idea of the portfolio is to cause us to concentrate on writing and learning instead of on grades, I will not abandon it at midterm by awarding the range of grades then. I do, however, have an obligation to let students know whether they are passing. Students who have not accrued excessive absences and whose papers are acceptable (or even exceptional) will receive a C at midterm. Students who have not accrued excessive absences and who have submitted work that shows promise but is not yet acceptable will receive a D at midterm. Students who have accrued excessive absences (five or more) by midterm or whose work shows little promise of becoming acceptable will receive an F at midterm. Students who receive a D will want to schedule a conference immediately to discuss the likelihood of their succeeding. Students who receive an F are strongly encouraged to withdraw and attempt the class later.

Students With Disabilities: Any student in this course who has a disability that prevents the fullest expression of abilities must notify me in writing as soon as possible so that we can discuss accommodations.

ENG 100 Course Portfolio: During the last week of classes, you will submit a FINAL PORTFOLIO of your four major writing assignments along with copies of all drafts, all reflective letters, all peer evaluations, all my written responses to you, and your strongest work from WW at the end of the semester. I will assign a grade to the portfolio (75% of the course grade) based on the final quality of the work submitted. Since grades will not be assigned to individual writing assignments during the semester, portfolio assessment provides an opportunity for multiple revision and continued improvement. You will be informed throughout the semester if your drafts are unacceptable (i.e., would result in a failing portfolio and course grade). I will explain the resubmission process and requirements more in depth below.

Throughout the semester, I will designate "Revision Conferences," during which time I will schedule individual meetings with you to discuss your works. In the meantime, I expect you to revise with input from your WW leaders and from Center for Academic Support tutors. At the end of the semester, your portfolio must contain a persuasive/analytical cover letter written during the Final Exam period, your best piece of writing from Writer's Workshop, and all four formal writing assignments. All texts except the final exam paper submitted for the portfolio must be word-processed in 12-point type. They are to be single-spaced within paragraphs and double-spaced between paragraphs, with 1" margins all around, and they are to be proofread and edited for all spelling and mechanical errors. Keep all of your drafts.

Resubmissions: I will attempt to return your papers with my evaluation one week after I receive them, sometimes sooner. Therefore, the date for resubmission will be two weeks from the dates on which I collect your papers for my initial evaluation of them. Experience has taught me that endless resubmissions do not necessarily result in improved work. Therefore, I will accept one resubmission per major paper prior to your final portfolio. In your final portfolio, you may resubmit a complete revision of each paper. This means I am willing to read each of your first three major papers up to three times B the first time I evaluate them; the evaluation of your resubmissions during the semester; and the evaluation of your most recent revisions when you submit your portfolio. Time constraints prevent the same option on Task Four, but by that late in the semester you will have become more confident in your ability to write good papers with less input from me.

* I accept them only at the end of class on the dates specified above. I neither respond to papers placed in my mailbox nor accept any responsibility for the whereabouts of any work placed in my mailbox.

* You must preface your resubmission with a new cover letter in which you thoughtfully and thoroughly explain your revision and analyze how successful you believe the changes are.

* You must provide the draft I critiqued and my evaluation of it.

* I will not read resubmissions from writers failing to meet any of these requirements.

Academic Honesty Policy: Most cheating is accidental. When I see proof of excessive help in a student's paper or writing clearly not that of the student and not credited to its proper source, I will caution the student and explain how to avoid such mistakes. If, however, the "mistakes" continue because a writer is attempting to receive credit for someone else's thoughts and words, I will assign an F to the work in question and, if necessary, an F for the course. Also, when I have cause to suspect a pattern of cheating, I will document what caused my suspicions and forward my report to my department chair and the dean of students. The only way to learn and improve as writers is to do our own work. Nothing less is acceptable. In questions of authorship, the burden of proof is on the student, so it is in your best interest to keep every draft and every prewriting activity. Please note carefully the statement on plagiarism on the departmental website, found at the following site: http://www.missouriwestern.edu/EFLJ/plagiarism.asp .

Writer's Workshop: Throughout the course of the semester, you will attend weekly small group Writer's Workshops (listed as labs in the class schedule). Some of your Writer's Workshop materials may be used in class, and some of your class papers will be critiqued and proofread in Writer's Workshops. At the end of the semester, you will turn in selected writings from Writer's Workshop to your teacher. You must submit these materials in order to pass ENG 100. I will consider your Writer's Workshop participation as part of your grade. (Please see Participation grading above.)

Tentative Due Dates for Formal Writing Assignments:

Task One: Monday, Sept. 10

Task Two: Monday, Oct. 15

Task Three: Monday, Oct. 29

Task Four: Monday, Nov. 19

Final exam: Friday, Dec. 7, 8:30-10:20. JGM106