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
9:00-10:15 MTWTH
JGM 104 (lecture) – We will also meet in JGM 106 (computer lab)
Writer’s Workshop: MW 8:00-8:50 SSC 222U/SSC 213
Summer 2003
Instructor: Dawn Terrick
Office: SSC 222Q
Phone: 816-271-4313
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.
3-1/2" floppy disks (bring to class)
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; à
·
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 five 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:
You must successfully complete all writing tasks and the
final exam/final portfolio in order to pass the course. 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:
· Three writing
tasks. A student who does not turn
in responses to all 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
· Final exam/Final
portfolio: 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 no longer
than one week from the date the paper is returned in class to revise and
resubmit each task paper. If you miss
the deadline, you forfeit the right to revise that specific task paper. It is required that your original, graded
essay accompanies your revised essay.
Writer’s Workshop:
Throughout
the course of the semester, you will attend the 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. à
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 hard copies of drafts and final papers 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.