Fall 2002
1:00 MWF 106 Murphy

Dr. Kaye Adkins
Office: 222J Eder (SS/C)
Email: kadkins@missouriwestern.edu
Office Hours: 8:30-9:50; 2:00-2:30 MWF and by appointment
Phone: 271-5967

Required Text and Materials:
Anderson & Runciman, A Forest of Voices: Conversations in Ecology, 2^nd ed.
Wilson, Biophilia
Hult & Huckin, The New Century Handbook
Research notebook (9.5" x 6" 3-ring binder with four dividers)
A good college dictionary
Spiral notebook for freewriting (use only for freewriting)
Two 3.5" disks or Zip disk for word processing your assignments in the computer lab (and at home.)

Objectives and Institutional Competencies: The Institutional Competencies for English 112 are found at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/eflj/lg/eng112.htm#Institutional. The course objectives are similar to those for English 108 outlined on the EFLJ Department web page, http://www.missouriwestern.edu/eflj/lg/eng108#Objectives.html. They include

• Learning to write and research for different audiences and purposes
• Learning to use active reading and critical thinking in academic research
• Learning to use writing processes
• Learning to use research tools
• Learning written conventions of academic research papers

 

The longer assignments will be as follows:

Descriptive Essay	Descriptive essay informed by assigned readings	Due 9/9
Argumentative Essay	Argumentative response to assigned readings	Due 9/25
White Paper	Informative research paper on a topic that may support group project.	Due 10/25
Persuasive Research Paper	Persuasive research paper. Revision of White Paper. Longer with a greater variety of sources.	Due 4/12
Research Notebook	Record of research process. Includes prewriting, working bibliography, notes, and reflective essay.	Due 4/17
Group Research Paper	Two parts:  Group paper to accompany in class presentation.  Collaboratively written project completion report.	Due at final exam
Group Research Project Presentation	Presented at final exam period.	Due at final exam

We will also be commenting on the readings and some short assignments on-line on our WebBoard http://miranda.cailab.mwsc.edu:8080/~forest. Some of this will take place in class, but much of it will require you to spend time out of class at a computer. There are several computer labs available on campus. Students will also be required to keep a spiral notebook of freewriting. Please use this only for freewriting. Keep notes and homework in another place. Bring this notebook to class each day. Most class periods will begin with a 5 minute freewriting session. I will look at your freewriting periodically to see if your speed is improving. I will not be concerned with correctness or content.

Grading- As the semester progresses, I will consider more elements of papers as I grade them. By the end of the semester, a passing paper will:

• clearly respond to the assignment
• focus on one distinct idea (a thesis, hypothesis, or question)
• have a coherent general structure
• integrate sources appropriately in a text
• cite sources appropriately in a bibliography
• have paragraphs that have a clear internal structure and a use of specific details
• have sentences whose grammar is acceptable as English
• be relatively free of errors in idiom, diction, spelling, and punctuation.

Grades will be weighted as follows:
 

Descriptive Essay  Argumentative Essay White Paper Persuasive Research Paper

10% 10% 15% 20%

Group Paper/Project Research notebook Freewriting/online & class participation Portfolios/revisions

20% 10% 10% 5%

Absences: Students missing four class periods without a verified excuse will have their semester grade lowered. Regular in-class work and homework (except major papers) may not be made up. If you must be absent and you know in advance, please talk to me about it and we will arrange for you to make up your work before you miss class; otherwise, talk to me when you return. I understand that many of you have work and family responsibilities, but you should make success in your college courses your priority. Your classes are "more important" than your job, so you should arrange your schedule accordingly.

Academic honesty: "Since honesty in the classroom is required, cheating, plagarism, or knowingly furnishing false information to the college constitutes a violation." Policy Guide II, B, C. In other words, the work you turn in should be your own.

Disabilities: Please let me know during the first week of class about any physical handicap or learning disability if you need special help or accommodation in order to do your best work.

Disclaimer: I try to adapt each of my classes to the needs and interests of the students. This means that the Schedule of Assignments may change.