College Writing and Research

Department of English, Foreign Languages and Journalism
MWSC, Division of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Spring 2004

ENG 108 College Writing and Research
ENG 108-04 9:30-10:50 TTh, 106 Murphy
ENG 108-10 12:30-1:50 TTh, 106 Murphy

Professor: Dr. Kaye Adkins
Office: 222J Eder (SS/C)
Phone: 271-5967
Email (my preferred method of communication): kadkins@missouriwestern.edu
Office Hours: 12:00-1:50 MW
11:00-12:00TTh

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 & Huckin, The New Century Handbook
Spatt, Writing from Sources
Research notebook (9½"x6" 3-ring binder with four dividers)
A good college dictionary
Spiral notebook for freewriting

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:

How do you effectively summarize a text?
How can you recognize and respond to an argument in a text using logic?
How can you use sources effectively to support your arguments?
What are primary and secondary sources?
What is the difference between paraphrase and quotation?
Why is the appropriate citation of the work of other authors important?

Assignments: In addition to reading assignments and brief writing exercises, five long writing assignments will be required. These longer assignments should be word processed or typed. As students work on their research papers, they will keep a research notebook. We will discuss the requirements for the notebook later in the semester. This should be turned in at the final exam. When each major paper is returned, students will be required to complete a revision sheet and to update their "error log." These logs will be used to develop individual proofreading strategies. There will also be a final exam. The longer assignments will be as follows:

Summary	In-class single-source essay	Drafted in class 2/3 Due 2/17
Analysis/evaluation	Out-of-class single source essay	Due 2/24
Synthesis paper	Synthesis, analysis, and evaluation of two sources	Due 3/4
White Paper	Informative research paper	Due 4/13
Persuasive research paper	Revision of White Paper as an argumentative paper	Due 5/4
Research notebook	Record of your research process	Due at final exam
Final exam (Research notebooks due)	Test of mastery of documentation formatting and correct/effective use of quotations	5/11

Students will also be required to keep a spiral notebook of freewriting, keeping an error log in the back of the notebook. Please use this only for freewriting and the error log. Keep notes and homework in another place. Bring this notebook to class each day. Most class periods will begin with a 5 minute freewriting session. I will look at your freewriting periodically to see if your speed is improving. I will not be concerned with correctness or content.

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 question)
have a coherent general structure
integrate sources appropriately in a text
cite sources appropriately in a bibliography
have paragraphs that have a clear internal structure and a use of specific details
have sentences whose grammar is acceptable as English
be relatively 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:

Summary
Analysis/Evaluation
Synthesis paper
White Paper
Persuasive research paper
5%
10%
20%
15%
15%
Research notebook
Final exam
Freewriting/portfolio
Daily work/class particip.
5%
15%
5%
10%

Absences: Students missing four class periods without a verified excuse will have their semester grade lowered. (Your daily work/class participation grade will be an "F".) 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.

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.

Disclaimer: 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.