Missouri Western State College

Division of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Department of English, Foreign Languages, & Journalism

English 108 College Writing and Research

I. General course information:

Course and section number: ENG 108, Section 08

Meeting time and place: 10-10:50 MWF, JGM Room 219

Instructor: Nancy Reese-Dillon

Office location: SS/C 222, Office “T”

Office hours: 7:30-9:00 a.m. MWF, or by appointment only

Office telephone: 271-4239

Home telephone: 233-0386

Voice mail: 390-3146

email: dillon@missouriwestern.edu

II. Required Texts and materials:

The Curious Researcher, Third edition by Bruce Ballenger;

Fieldworking, Second edition by Bonnie Stone Sunstein and Elizabeth Chiseri-Strater;

A two pocket folder to turn papers in and to keep portfolio materials;

One spiral bound notebook for fieldwork and classroom journaling; and,

Photocopies of papers for group work.

III. Recommended Texts:

The New Century Handbook, by Christine A. Hunt and Thomas N. Huckin; and,

College dictionary and Thesaurus.

IV. Objectives of ENG 108:

Course Objectives: Means:

Writing can be used (a) Write summaries to distill ideas from texts or people for different purposes interviewed

(b) Write syntheses of ideas from more than one text (your own or others)

(d) Evaluate the soundness of your own and other people’s judgments

Multiple audiences exist (a) Analyze the needs of different audiences

(b) Analyze unethical attempts to influence people’s beliefs.

Writing is a recursive process (a) Apply pre-writing strategies to discover what you already know and what you want to learn through research

(b) Write summary notes in the process of doing research

of the wider experience you gained through research

(d) Reread first and second copies to rethink what you have discovered

(e) revise for an organization appropriate to your main purpose and

audience

Many productive ways exist (a) Familiarize yourself with several reference tools in the library

to generate ideas and images (b) Work with the Inlex-System

for your work (c) Locate books and journals in the library

(d) Locate source materials on electronic data bases

Common patterns of (a) Define important terms

organization exist (b) Classify objects, events, data, and ideas discovered through research

Ideas are property in our (a) Practice research writing conventions as outlined in the

culture and must be correctly MLA Handbook

attributed to their sources

Reading is an interactive (a) Ask questions in order to discover meaning

process that functions in our (b) Discriminate between fact and opinion

lives as a pleasurable (c) Identify explicit and implicit meanings in a text

activity as well as a means (d) Draw correct inferences

of acquiring knowledge (e) Evaluate intentions and messages of writers, especially attempts to manipulate language in order to deceive

(f) Recognize problems and find workable solutions

Editing skills enable writers (a) Continue to refine your ability to identify independently your

to polish their work in order own spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors so that

to keep the reader's attention you can achieve as “clean” a final copy as possible

focused on the message conveyed

or the experience created

For more information about the English Department at MWSC, students may check the web site at: http://www.missouriwestern.edu/`engdept/genstud.html. Sample papers and a complete listing of common course goals and objectives for English 100, 104, 108, 112 and 210 can be found here.

V. Basic writing requirements for ENG 108:

Students will engage in exploratory journal writing or prewriting exercises in which they will learn how to discover ideas, respond to texts, and summarize texts. Students will be choose a field site to study and observe during the course of the semester. Students will be asked to choose their field site during the first week of class. This field site will be the topic of all of the research writing to be done in this course. Students must choose a site which they can make frequent, possibly weekly, visits. It is vital that students choose a site that fits their schedule. It is also mandatory that the students chose a site that is legal in all aspects. It is highly recommended the students choose a place which is safe. More on all of this in class. Each of the research projects will be a paper that builds on the previous paper, adding a new dimension to the research. Students will also compile their research into an end-of-the-semester portfolio.

Students will also be writing papers that recreate or reflect on personal experiences, share information, (gathered in part from library research), and analyze and synthesize readings.

Students will complete four research projects and a research portfolio that will be graded by the instructor. A student who does not turn in a response to all projects and the research portfolio will not pass the course even if the grades achieved on the writing tasks are satisfactory. Specific information on each of these papers will be given out in class.

All final drafts of essays must be word processed. Final handwritten papers will not be accepted. Additional information regarding paper format will be given prior to each paper due date.

Students must keep a complete portfolio of all writing that is done in ENG 108. It is important that students save and date all materials generated as a part of this class, including homework assignments and in-class work. This portfolio will become part of the final exam. Portfolios are also important for the grade appeals process as the complete portfolio of writings would have to be submitted to the Departmental Review Committee.

VI. Grading policy:

Student grades will be determined on the basis progress as a writer, homework and quizzes, the writings submitted, and class participation and attendance over the course of the semester.

Grading scale: 90-100% = A

80-89% = B

70-79% = C

60-69% = D

59% and below = F

Research Project #1 - Positioning Yourself as a Researcher 100 points

Research Project #2 - Artifact Description and Site Analysis 100 points

Research Project #3 - Interview, Glossary, and Analysis of Insider Language 100 points

Research Project #4 - Analysis of Fieldwork:

Re-seeing Your Culture and Re-reading Your Data 100 points

Final Research Portfolio - 100 points

Failure to attend the final exam will result in failure of the course.

Points will also be given on various homework assignments, in-class writings, and quizzes - but will not exceed 20% of the total course points.

Student grades may also be affected by lack of attendance. This will be discussed in more detail in Section VIII of the syllabus.

VII. Academic Honesty:

Plagiarism or other academic dishonesty as assessed by the instructor will be the basis for a zero on any exercise or major paper affected. The student’s name and information about the violation will be forwarded to the Department Chairman of the English, Foreign Language and Journalism Department as well as to the Dean of Students. A second violation will result in failure of the course. Students are expected to show “proof of process.” That is, when a major paper is turned in, the student must also submit all in-class writings and drafts so the instructor may adequately see that the work and the ideas originated from and belong to the student submitting the work. The work must be done in accordance to the classroom schedule and deadlines to provide appropriate “proof of process.” This policy covers any and all participants involved with the cheating of any exercise. Total honesty is stressed and expected.

VIII. Attendance Policy:

Each student enrolled in the class is expected to arrive at each class meeting with any assigned material read and prepared for discussion. If a group evaluation is taking place, each student is expected to have his/her material ready for the group evaluation. Since class attendance, participation, discussions, and group work are such an important part of this course, your grade in the course is directly affected by your attendance or lack of. A student’s grade will not be affected by three or less absences . However, when a student has had four course absences, the final grade in the course will be lowered by two letter grades. When the student receives the fifth absence, he/she will receive an "F" for the final course grade. Excessive tardies may also be counted as absences.

It’s important to understand that an absence is neither “excused” or “unexcused;” it just is. Students are advised to use absences wisely and take into account bad weather, bad luck with alarm clocks, and other personal or family emergencies, illness, etc. If a student misses class, it will count as an absence regardless of the circumstances. Important reminder: Tardiness may also be considered an absence.

When a student is absent, he is responsible for getting the work missed in class BEFORE the next class period. An absence does not dismiss the student from the obligations of homework or deadlines.

There will be announced and unannounced writing exercises and quizzes. No in-class assignments may be made up. If a student is absent, he loses those points.

IX. Group evaluation or Writing Conferences

If a group evaluation or writing conference is being performed the final draft of the paper will be unacceptable without the required evaluation or conference. If a student misses the in-class group evaluation or fails to keep a scheduled writing conference with the instructor, (or show up late), the paper will automatically receive a grade of "F." These conferences are considered an integral part of the writing process, so the paper is considered incomplete without them. The evaluation and conference procedure will vary from paper to paper, so it’s important to listen to information given during class regarding these evaluations or conferences. Since some writing conferences may take the place of a regularly scheduled class session, it is important to understand that a missed writing conference is the same as a class absence and will be treated as such.

X. Deadlines:

All assignments are due and will be collected at the beginning of the hour, unless otherwise noted by the instructor. Any assignment turned in after the end of the class period on the same day as the due date will be considered late and may carry an automatic 50% reduction of the final grade. Any paper turned in the following class session will be considered too late and may be given a grade of "0".

XI. Disabled Student Policy:

Any student enrolled in this course who has a disability that prevents the fullest expression of abilities or that prevents or hinders the completion of class requirements as stated in this syllabus should contact the instructor immediately in writing so it can be discussed how he/she can be helped to meet class requirements.

XII. Center for Academic Support:

The Center for Academic Support provides trained tutors for students requiring additional reading or writing instruction. There is no cost to the English 108 student for using these services. The Center can be of assistance to the student in the following areas: writing a thesis statement, organizing ideas, structuring ideas into an essay form and more. Students are highly encourage to make use of these services throughout the course of the semester.

XIII. Miscellaneous

Turn off all cell phones and pagers before coming to class. This is mandatory and a show of respect to your fellow classmates and the instructor.

XIV. Tentative course schedule:

The following is a tentative course schedule which includes tentative reading and writing assignments and paper deadlines. A complete and detailed schedule will be given with each major writing assignment.

Research Paper #1

Positioning Yourself as a Researcher

Reading Assignments: The Curious Researcher, Chapters 1-5

Fieldworking, Chapters 1 and 2

Paper due date: Friday, February 15

Wed.. 1/14 First day of class - Chapter #1, Curious Researcher

1/16 Chapter #1, Fieldworking

1/18

Mon. 1/21 No Classes - Martin Luther King Day

1/23 Chapter #2, Curious Researcher

1/25 Chapter #2, Fieldworking

Mon. 1/28 Chapter #3, Curious Researcher

1/30

2/1 First site visit observation due

Mon. 2//4 Chapter #4, Curious Researcher

2/6

2/8 Draft of Paper #1 due today in class

Mon. 2/11 Site visit observation due; Chapter #5, Curious Researcher

2/13 Peer reviewss in class today

2/15 Research Project #1 due; begin Research Project #2

Research Paper #2

Artifact Description and Site Analysis

Reading Assignments: Fieldworking, Chapters 3 and 5

Paper due date: Friday, March 8

Mon. 2/18 No Class - President’s Day

2/20 Site visit observation due; Chapter #3 Fieldworking, due today

2/22

Mon. 2/25 Site visit observation due

2/27 Chapter #5, Fieldworking due today

3/1

Mon. 3/4 Peer Reviews due today; site visit observation due

3/6

3/8 Research Project #2 due

Research Paper #3

Interview, Glossary, and Analysis of Insider Language

Reading Assignments: Fieldworking, Chapters 4, 6, and 7

Paper due date: Friday, April 5

Mon. 3/11 Spring Break - No Classes

3/13 Spring Break - No Classes

3/15 Spring Break - No Classes

Mon. 3/18 Classes Resume; site visit observation due; Chapter #4, Fieldworking due today

3/20 Midterm grades due

3/22 Chapter #6, Fieldworking due today

Mon. 3/25 Site visit observation due

3/27 Chapter #7, Fieldworking due today

3/29 Last day to drop spring semester classes

Mon. 4/1 Site visit observation due

4/3

4/5 Research Project #3 due

Research Paper #4

Analysis of Fieldwork:

Re-seeing Your Culture and Re-reading Your Data

Reading Assignments: Fieldworking, Chapter 8

Paper due date: Friday, April 19

Mon. 4/8 Begin Research Project #4; Chapter #8 Fieldworking due today

4/10

4/12

Mon. 4/15

4/17

4/19 Research Project #4 due

Mon. 4/22 Final site visit observation due; compiling Research portfolio

4/24

4/26

Mon. 4/29 Research Portfolio due

Final Exam: Friday, May 3

JGM Room 219

11:30-1:20