Missouri Western
State College, Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Journalism
English 104-16: College Writing & Rhetoric
Fall 2004
Instructor: Jeff McMillian Office: SS/C 213
Eng. 104, Section 16 Phone: Home 676-2887
Time: Tuesday 6:30 Ð 9:20 Email: jmcmillian@mac.com
Room: JGM 104
Course
Description: ENG 104 students will complete four essays and an oral
presentation in addition to other graded and ungraded work. The final
essay will involve research. Detailed
prompts for the essay assignments will be handed out well in advance of the due
dates. You will receive feedback and
response to each of your essays, and I will be talking with you about my
assessment of your work throughout the semester. Generally, though, you will know how you are doing from
comments on your papers. Final drafts of all formal
writing assignments must be word-processed. All students are expected to
be prepared for class and participate in class discussions related to reading
and writing assignments. In addition, students will keep complete
portfolios of all their writings. Before any grade appeal will be
processed, the complete portfolio of writings will have to be submitted to the
Departmental Review Committee.
Required
texts & materials:
Kennedy,
X.J., Dorothy M. Kennedy and Sylvia A. Holladay. The Bedford Guide for College Writers. 6th ed.
Boston: St. MartinÕs, 2002.
You
will need a durable notebook with plenty of room for extensive prewriting, drafting
and documentation. You will need a second notebook for in-class
notes. You should have a recent collegiate dictionary of approximately
200,000 entries. You will need at least two computer disks.
Students
with Disabilities: If you have a disability that prevents or hinders your completion
of class assignments you should notify me at once in writing so that we can
identify a suitable plan of accommodation.
Attendance:
Because this
class meets only once per week, missing one class equals missing an entire week
of instruction, so attendance is mandatory. While missing one class may
not affect
your grade, missing two classes will lower your grade. Missing three
classes may result in a failing grade, so you should see me before you ever get
to this stage. I reserve the right to consider extreme efforts to make up
absences due to exceptional emergencies, but I am under no obligation to do
so. Even in such circumstances a student is better served by repeating
the course so as to gain the full benefit of instruction. Late work is
unacceptable. Even in emergencies, one letter grade will be deducted for
each day an assignment is late. Again, see me in advance before you miss
an assignment deadline so that we can arrange a suitable solution.
Grading:
Points will
be awarded for all projects. At the end of the semester, I will divide
your points by the number of points possible and award grades as follows;
90-99%
= A
80-89%
= B
70-79%
= C
60-69%
= D
Below
60% = F
I
anticipate the following number of possible points for the semester:
Up
to 100 possible points for in-class discussions and exceptional notebook work.
100
possible points for Project #1
150
possible points for Project #2
200
possible points for Project #3
250
possible points for Project #4
75
possible points for oral presentation
Up
to 50 possible points for quizzes
Points
for final exam to be determined
As
the points awarded per assignment indicate, becoming strong writers by the end
of the semester is the ultimate goal.
Starting weak is not as important as sticking with the writing process
and arriving at a successful result at the end of the semester.
Paper Format:
All drafts and all essays must be typed, double-spaced, in a twelve
point font or the equivalent, with one-inch margins, and you must turn in
all previous drafts (and peer responding notes) along with your final drafts. Sometimes I may ask that you turn in
additional materials with your final draft, such as, for example, source
materials. Final drafts will not be accepted without earlier drafts, and
other supporting materials.
Having all your notes and drafts available when I read your final draft allows
me to offer you more specific and detailed responses to your work and helps me
better understand how youÕre developing as a writer and reader. Such material
is also an essential safeguard against plagiarism, since this material
demonstrates your own involvement in developing a final draft.
Revisions:
You may
revise either the first or second essay project. If you choose to revise your paper, you must turn in the
revision the week after the paper is returned to you.
Visiting
the Center for Academic Support will improve your revision skills. The
Center is located in the SS/C building. Contact the office in LRC 213 or at
271-4531.
Academic
Honesty Policy: Early in the semester I may encounter Òaccidental cheating.Ó
But any student cheating deliberately on tests or projects is
unacceptable. The first instance will result in a failing grade. A
second incident will result in a failing grade for the course and referral to
the chairperson of the English Department and to the Dean of Students.
Purchasing or otherwise acquiring work that is falsely represented as your own
will be treated as a second incident.
As you learn more about the conventions of college writing over the
course of the semester, plagiarism will not be considered Òaccidental
cheating.Ó Learning to credit
other scholars is a critical skill for writers in all disciplines.
Classroom
Behavior: As adults at Missouri Western, all students will treat their
classmates and teacher with civility and respect. Your MWSC Student
Handbook states
that instructors Òmay establish additional classroom rules and expectations for
conduct in the classroom. Behavior which disrupts the classroom
environment or interferes with other studentsÕ ability to learn may be grounds
or justification for dismissal from the classroomÓ (29-30). During the
semester we will likely encounter topics which you feel strongly about.
Everyone should feel free to challenge their own and othersÕ opinions, but this
should always be done in a respectful manner. Other commonsense rules of
classroom etiquette: no sleeping, eating, conducting private
conversations, damaging property, or headphones will be tolerated. Please
turn off pagers and cellphones while in class.
Use
of Library: I know that some of you are non-traditional students, and that
time is a valuable commodity. I will provide you with some classroom time
in the library, but you will find that outside hours may still be required to
excel in this course. Classroom behavior expectations apply to library
visits, too.
Peer Response
Workshops: Early in the semester, we will form small
groups whose primary responsibilities will be to read and respond to group
membersÕ writing. During the peer response session, you will be asked to
respond carefully and conscientiously to each group memberÕs writing. For each
peer response workshop, you will be responsible for making notes about the
feedback your peers offer to you and for keeping track of the feedback you
offer to your peers. These written
responses must be turned in with final drafts of essays.
Tentative
Course Plan:
Aug 31 Writing Process. Lecture/introduction. Writing sample.
Sep 7 Bedford 15-30 and 51-64. Sentences, sentences, sentences
Sep 14 Discussion. In-class writing. Elements of Style.
Sep 21 Essay
#1 due (Observe A Scene). Bedford
81-99. View The Odyssey
Sep 28 Bedford 257-299. View OÕ Brother Where Art Thou.
Oct 5 Bedford 300-331. Draft work and peer development.
Oct 12 Essay #2 due (Compare/Contrast Ð the films).
Oct 19 Bedford 466-488. (Mid-term grades due Oct 22.)
Oct 26 Peer review & draft revision.
Nov 2 Bedford 531-583. Library orientation. Atomic CafŽ.
Nov 9 Essay #3 due (Analyzing Work). Public Speaking video. Handouts.
Nov 16 Discuss handout reading assignments. Oral presentations.
Nov 23 Thanksgiving Break.
Nov 30 Bedford 584-634. Discuss handouts. Oral presentations.
Dec 7 Research Project due (The Atomic Age). Oral Presentations.
Dec 14 Final. Two letters.