Department of English, Foreign Languages and Journalism
MWSC, Division of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Spring 2003

ENG 108 College Writing and Research

Professor: Dr. Kaye Adkins
Office: 222J Eder
Phone: 271-5967
Email: kadkins@missouriwestern.edu
Office Hours: 9:00-10:50 a.m. MWF
By appointment TTh

Objectives-The course objectives are outlined on the EFLJ Department web page, http://www.missouriwestern.edu/eflj/eng108.asp#Objectives. Please become familiar with these objectives.

Required Textbooks and materials:

Hult and Huckin, The New Century Handbook
Spatt, Writing from Sources, 6th edition
Research notebook (9½"x6" 3-ring binder with four dividers)
A good college dictionary

About the course: English 108: College Writing and Research will help you learn to use sources in academic papers. You will learn to identify and evaluate arguments in texts, and to use the texts of other authors to support your own observations and claims. We will consider the following questions:

Assignments: In addition to reading assignments and brief writing exercises, five longer writing assignments will be required. These longer assignments should be word processed or typed. Each major assignment will be turned in with a "portfolio" which includes the final copy, edited drafts from workshops, and editors comment sheets from workshops. As students work on their research projects, they each will keep a research notebook. We will discuss the requirements for the notebook later in the semester. When each major paper is returned, students will be required to complete a revision sheet. There will also be a final exam. The longer assignments will be as follows:
 
Series of analysis/response papers Two single-source essays (based on readings in Spatt, Appendix E) Drafted in class 1/27, 1/31
Due 2/10
Due 2/19
Synthesis/evaluation paper Synthesis, analysis, and evaluation of two sources (Revision of Assignments 1 and 2) Due 3/3
White Paper Informative research paper (using at least 5 sources) Due 4/7
Persuasive Research Paper Argumentative research paper (using at least 8 sources) Due 4/28
Research Notebook Record of research and writing process Due at Final Exam

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 research question)
have a coherent general structure
have paragraphs that have a clear internal structure and that use specific supporting details
integrate sources appropriately in a text
cite sources appropriately in a bibliography
have sentences whose grammar is acceptable as English
be free of blatant errors in idiom, diction, spelling, and punctuation.

Papers with four spelling errors will lose one letter grade. I will count typos as spelling errors. Papers turned in late, without an acceptable excuse, will lose one letter grade for each business day they are late.

Grades will be weighted as follows:
 
Single source papers

(Two papers)

Two source paper

White paper

Persuasive research paper

 7%

8%

15%

15%
 

20%

 Research notebook

Final exam

Portfolio/revisions

Daily work/class participation

 10%

10%

5%
 

10%

Absences: Students missing four class periods 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.

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. In this class, we will discuss the importance of giving credit where credit is due.

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.

Schedule: 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.