English 104-15: College Writing and Rhetoric

Summer Session I, 2004

MTWTh 1:30-4:20 JGM 106

Teacher: Dr. Cynthia Jenéy

Office: S/SC 222-K

Phone: 271-4447

Office Hours: MTW 12:00-1:20

E-mail: jeney@missouriwestern.edu

WebBoard: http://miranda.cailab.mwsc.edu:8080/~jeney10415

Required Text:

Ramage, Bean & Johnson. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing, 3^rd Edition.

Make sure you have read assigned sections of the textbook before coming to class on the day readings are listed. Come to class prepared for quizzes and discussion based on the assigned reading.

Other Course Materials:

A stapler.

A steady working MWSC email account. If you have not yet contacted computing services to get your email info, do so immediately.
Several 3.5” floppy disks (PC-formatted), or a zip disk (100Mb), each one labeled with your name, course title, and contact information (increasing the chance that it will be returned, should you leave it in a classroom computer)

Pocket folder for handouts

Recommended:

A good desk dictionary such as Webster’s New World College Dictionary

The Official Course Description:

ENG 104 students will complete four formal writing assignments in addition to other graded and ungraded work through which they will learn how to discover ideas, respond to texts, and summarize others’ ideas. In these assignments, students will learn how to analyze readings and share information with others by reading and responding to course texts and other materials gathered through research. Final drafts of all formal writing assignments must be word-processed, and possibly submitted electronically. All students are expected to be prepared for class. All students are expected to participate in class discussions related to reading and writing assignments.

You should keep all assignments you have completed for this class. Before any grade appeal will be processed for a student in ENG 100, 104, or 108, the complete portfolio of writings will have to be submitted to the Departmental Review Committee. In order for an ENG 104 student to be admitted into ENG 108, he or she must earn at least a C in ENG 104.

For course goals & objectives, see the EFLJ Department website http://www.missouriwestern.edu/eflj/eng104.asp

This Syllabus: Read this syllabus very carefully, and refer to it often. All information presented here is regarded as part of your own knowledge for the course. All answers to your questions about the class will be based on an assumption that you understand the syllabus and seek further clarification. The teacher reserves the right to alter this syllabus and to make announced changes as need arises during the course of the semester.

Class meetings: Class meetings are conducted under the assumption that students are well-versed in the conventions of classrooms and academic environments. Come to class prepared, and plan to participate and remain engaged with the materials for the entire class period. Turn off all cell phones and pagers. In the unlikely and unfortunate event that you find yourself unprepared, come anyway – absence only compounds the problem. This is a writing- and participation-intensive course; good academic habits should produce satisfactory results.

Due Dates: Dates for handing in all required assignments are listed in the course schedule attached. There is no room in the semester calendar for late papers. I do not accept late papers, due to my current teaching and research load. There is no provision for “make-up” of missed assignments or quizzes. An assignment not received on its due date constitutes a failure to meet one of the minimum requirements of the course. Make a note of all due dates now, and plan accordingly.

Attendance: If you miss class, get notes and assignments from a classmate. A student with more than 4 (M-W) unexcused absences will automatically receive a failing grade for the course. It is your responsibility to keep track of your own attendance in the class. Please see the student handbook for the definition of "excused absence" (i.e., I do not wish to see doctor's excuses or obituaries). If you miss class it is your responsibility to contact a classmate (and of course refer to the attached class schedule) regarding announcements, assignments, changes, class notes, and additional assigned readings or writing.

Students who consult with me in advance of known legitimate conflicts or hardship will be given consideration on a case-by-case basis. Serious efforts to attend, and to complete the work for this class will be given fair consideration, especially in cases of earnest dedication and hard work. Note: Weddings and vacation trips do not constitute conflicts, hardships, or emergencies.

Contacting Dr. Jenéy: Office hours are established for the specific purpose of helping students who have questions concerning the content and assignments of the course or who may wish to discuss the materials further. Hours are posted at the beginning of this syllabus (and on my office door). Polite phone or written messages requesting help with class assignments are answered within 48 hours.

Email: All nastygrams are saved and forwarded to the dean of students. Emails may or may not receive a response, since the campus webmail systems are prone to shut-downs, broken routers, DOS attacks, computer viruses and other technological failures. Unsigned emails that do not identify the student, the course number and section number will be deleted, or returned unanswered. Do not send email concerning personal illnesses, absences or missed assignments.

Assignments: While a significant amount of work will be posted to the WebBoard, final drafts of the required essay assignments will be hard (paper) copy, handed in at the beginning of class on the due date. Do not send essays to the professor as email attachments.

Grades will be weighted as follows:

10% Chapters 1-4 Writing Assignments (required)

10% Paper #1 Seeing Rhetorically (required)

10% Paper #2 Strong Response (required)

20% Paper #3 Causes & Effects (required)

20% Paper #4 Numerical Analysis (required)

10% Final Essay Exam (required)

20% Writing Exercises, Oral Presentation, Attendance & Class participation (required)

100% Total

A note about the writing in this course: although we will all encourage each other to be open and to explore ideas, experiences, thoughts, emotions, and beliefs, essay assignments and the electronic forum posts shall be considered public texts. Be mature. Be considerate. Be excellent.

Legal stuff: I have a strict policy against writing about any un-prosecuted crime or suspected illegal activity which you have witnessed, or in which you have been involved. When in doubt, I will always err on the side of safety.

Electronic Forum (WebBoard): Depending upon the available technologies, students in English 104 may be required to post regularly to the class electronic forum. Written work posted to the forum will sometimes be responses to exercises in our textbook, sometimes summaries of reading material, and at other times analytical questions, commentaries, and working drafts of formal essays. The e-forum posts will be based initially upon specific assigned prompts, possibly becoming more open-ended over time, drawing from the reading and writing assignments in the class. Since internet technologies are often subject to snafu’s, crashes, viruses, and glitches, you should save a printed copy of every post you make, as well as backing up your writing on floppy or zip disks (sometimes students copy/paste their written material into email and send themselves a copy)

You must use your MWSC email account for this forum. Do not shift around with Yahoo and Hotmail account subscriptions, as this will confuse the moderator, and possibly cause her to delete your membership. Expect the usual glitches and snafu’s when first getting subscribed to the electronic discussion group. I tend to use different technologies as time goes by, and as internet services evolve. I will try to make it as painless and easy as possible for you, but there is a certain amount of meticulous attention required at the outset, in order to get the forum up and running efficiently for us all.

Academic Honesty Policy:

You will receive a grade of F 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. Any time another writer’s words, ideas, or information appear in your paper they must be properly punctuated and cited. 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.

A note about plagiarism and academic honesty in writing classes: You should be able to show where your ideas and information originate. You should be able to produce early drafts of your papers and online posts. SAVE everything you write on a floppy or zip disk, so that you will always have a copy.

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.

Paper Format in ENG 104:

Papers will be in standard MLA Style. Papers will be word-processed in Times New Roman, 12-point font, with 1-inch margins all around. Your name and the date will be in the upper-right hand corner. “English 104” (without the quotation marks) and the instructor’s name in the upper-left. Skip one space and center your paper title. Remember that new paragraphs are set off by indenting the first line, not by skipping 2 more spaces. Page numbers appear in the upper right-hand corner (but not on the first page).

Summer 2004 Class Sessions

T	June 1	Introduction. Syllabus. Policies. WebBoard intro/demo. Chapter 1 Terms.
W	June 2	Reading: Chapter 1.* Introduction to WebBoard; Web Board Post Due (introduction). Allyn & Bacon Guide Chapter 1; Chapter 1 Terms. Possible quiz. Assign Ch. 1 Writing Assignment, p.19
TH	June 3	Chapter 1 Writing Assignment DUE (Posing a Problematic Question). Reading: Chapter 2. Possible Quiz. Post to WebBoard and hand in a printed copy. Assign WebBoard Writing Assignment p. 37; Chapter 2 Terms.
F	June 4	Chapter 2 Writing Assignment DUE (Believing & Doubting). Post Chapter 2 Assignment to WebBoard. Reading: Chapter 3. Possible quiz. Chapter 3 Terms.
M	June 7	Reading: Chapter 3. Possible quiz. Chapter 3 Writing Assignment DUE (selling). Assign WebBoard Writing Assignment: translating/paraphrasing important materials for purpose/audience/kairos. Paraphrase Workshop. Chapter 4 Terms.
T	June 8	Reading: Chapter 5. Possible quiz. Chapter 4 Writing Assignment DUE (paraphrase). Chapter 5 Terms. Assign Formal Essay #1 (p. 92);
W	June 9	Reading: Style pp. 779-788. Chapter 5 (cont.); Rhetorical terms & concepts. Essay #1 Working Draft Due – Post to Web Board and bring printout to class. In-Class Revision Workshop.
TH	June 10	ESSAY #1 FORMAL DRAFT DUE. Reading: Chapter 6. Assign Essay #2, p. 113 (Response to text: No summary will be included in the final draft of your essay); Reading: Chapter 6 (cont.) Terms. Possible quiz.
M	June 14	Essay #2 Working Draft Due – Post to Web Board and bring printout to class. In-Class Revision Workshop. Reading: Chapter 6 (cont.) – review terms & approaches to Responding to Writers’ Rhetorical/Writing Strategies.
T	June 15	ESSAY #2 FORMAL DRAFT DUE. Reading: Chapters 14, 15. Causes and Effects. Discuss Deliberative Argumentation. Assign Deliberative (classical) Cause-Effect Essay. Reading: Chapters 14, 15 (cont.) Possible quiz.
W	June 16	FILM – Chapters 14, 15
TH	June 17	Essay #3 Cause-Effect; Working Draft Due – Posted to WebBoard; bring printout to class; Classical Rhetoric
M	June 21	ESSAY #3 FORMAL DRAFT DUE. Reading: Chapters 11 & 25. Writing Scientific Reports; Assign Numerical Analysis Paper. Work on Topic Proposals Sign-up sheet for presentations.
T	June 22	Topic Proposals Due: Post to Web Board and bring printout to class.
W	June 23	PRESENTATIONS
TH	June 24	PRESENTATIONS ESSAY #4 Numerical Analysis FORMAL DRAFT DUE. FINAL EXAM

*All reading assignments are from The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing.