Syllabus
for ENG 100
Introduction
to College Writing
Missouri
Western State College
Division
of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Department
of English, Foreign Languages, and Journalism
12:00-12:50
MWF JGM 109 (lecture)
Writer’s
Workshop: T or TH 12:30-1:20 SSC 222U/V
Spring
2003
Instructor: Dawn Terrick
Office: SSC 222Q
Phone: 816-271-4313
Office
Hours: MWF 9:00-10:00; 1:00-2:00 and by
appointment
E-mail: terrick@missouriwestern.edu
Required Texts and Course
Materials:
Reasoning and Writing Well. Betty Mattix Dietsch. 3rd edition. Mountain View, CA:
Mayfield, 2003.
English 100 Writer’s Workshops. Spring 2003 ed.
3-1/2" floppy disks
Photocopies for group work as
requested
Folders
Course Description:
“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
In
this course we will discuss writing as a process. And you may ask, what does this statement mean? The truth is, no one just sits down and
instantly produces a perfect piece of writing.
There are many steps a writer goes through when producing a text,
including pre-writing (or gathering and organizing ideas and thoughts),
writing, revising and editing, and we will discuss these steps in this
course. By breaking down these steps,
hopefully, the writing process will seem less difficult.
Course Goals and Class
Assignments:
Reading
Goals:
·
Read
actively for greater understanding;
·
Use
reading to improve writing by drawing ideas and information from written texts
·
Use
texts to understand 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:
·
Move
from writer-based to reader-based prose
·
Write
at greater length more easily, more quickly, and more usefully;
·
Structure
writing to fit the assignment, purpose, and audience;
·
Develop
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.
General
Studies Goals:
·
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.
For
common objectives/means and institutional competencies for ENG 100 also refer
to the English department website at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/EFLJ/eng100.asp
Methods of instruction include textbook, 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 exercises.
Journals:
You will write (informal) journal
entries/responses to most of your assigned readings. Please refer to your assignment schedule for journal
entries. These entries will be your
explanations of and reactions to the readings.
You can also answer the questions under “Reflecting and Interpreting” in
your textbook at the end of each essay.
The average length for a journal entry is one full page. Entries can be hand-written or
word-processed. The collection dates
will coincide with the collection dates of your writing
tasks/mini-portfolios. Journal entries
will be graded on content and will be part of your grade for the portfolio and
the course.
Peer
Revision Groups:
Prior to submitting your writing
tasks, you will be required to participate in peer revision groups in which you
will bring in copies of your rough draft to share with your group and receive
feedback from your group in order to help you strengthen and revise your own
written work. This is a required
activity and will be part of your grade for the portfolio and the course. (Note:
During these sessions I will also evaluate drafts).
Mini-Portfolios:
The mini-portfolio system is
explained in an attached handout.
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 four
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.
Late
Work:
All writing tasks 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, and this must be
discussed with me so we can discuss the extended due date. 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. In other words, a second late
paper will result in failure of the course.
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.
Grading
Policy:
Your grade will be determined on the
basis of your progress as a writer, the writings (informal and formal) you
submit, and your class participation over the course of the semester. Also note
that smaller assignments and class preparation/participation are very important
and do affect your grade. The
components of your grade in the course are:
· Four writing tasks. A
student who does not turn in responses to all four tasks will not pass the
course even if the grades achieved in the other writing tasks are satisfactory.
Writing
Task One Mini-Portfolio: 100 points
Writing
Task Two Mini-Portfolio: 100 points
Writing
Task Three Mini-Portfolio: 125 points
Writing
Task Four Mini-Portfolio: 125 points
· Final exam: 100 points
Progress
as a Writer/Revision Policy:
For all writing tasks you will be required to
participate in peer revisions groups. Graded writing tasks (tasks one-three)
can be revised and resubmitted for a “new” grade. You will have two weeks from the date the paper is returned in
class to revise and resubmit each task paper.
If you miss the two-week deadline, you forfeit the right to revise that
specific task paper. It is required
that your original, graded essay accompanies your revised essay. You will not have the opportunity to revise
Writing Task Four; however, you will have ample opportunity to share and revise
drafts with me and with your peers.
Writer’s
Workshop:
Throughout the course of the semester, you will
attend the once-a-week, 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. You must submit
these materials in order to pass ENG 100.
Student
Disability:
Any student in this course who has a
disability that prevents the fullest expressions of abilities should contact
Missouri Western's special needs coordinator, Lois Fox, for possible certification
of special needs and expert recommendations for assistance. You should also contact me personally as
soon as possible so that we can discuss class requirements.
Academic
Honesty Policy:
You will receive a grade of F (0
points) for any paper that shows evidence of cheating and/or plagiarism. 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:
Civility and Cooperation -- 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.
Students who violate this policy may, among other penalties, be counted
absent and asked to leave. You should
review your Missouri Western student handbook for further information.
Please note that you must complete
all writing assignments in order to pass this course. In addition, admission into ENG 104 requires a “C” or higher in
ENG 100. All drafts and final papers
for this course must be word-processed.
*It is also important to save all writing tasks on disks, keeping
back-ups if necessary, and to save all drafts as well.
Please feel free to come see me if
you have any problems or
questions. You can make an appointment
to conference about any paper or homework assignment, to discuss your progress
in class, to clarify or question something that was discussed or done in class,
etc. 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.