Jim
Neal—001
Division
of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Department
of English/Foreign Languages/Journalism
Missouri
Western State College
Syllabus
Course: Composition and Reading I (ENG 104-03), spring
2005, in JGM 108 from 9:30 until 10:50 a.m. TTH for three credit hours at
Missouri Western State College
Instructor: Jim Neal
I have no office hours.
Office and Phone: SSC 222T; 271-4239; my e-mail address is
Neal13@kc.rr.com
Text: The Bedford Guide by
Kennedy, Kennedy, Muth, and Holladay (7th ed.)
I would also suggest that you check
out my English I notes at nealz.tripod.com
ENG 104 Goals/Objectives and Means
Objective: http://www.missouriwestern.edu/eflj/eng104.asp#Objectives
See
http://www.missouriwestern.edu/eflj/eng104.asp and
http://www2.mwsc.edu/eflj/eng104.html#Institutional
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 Department Review
Committee.
Grading Formula: All students are required to submit all work
within the assigned specifications and on time and to come to class
prepared. Attitude, effort, and
attendance are a must. Students must
complete all assigned papers to pass the course. The students’ grade will be based upon the scores received on the
assigned papers, the final exam, and bonus and penalty points. The following grading scale will be used in
this class: 0 - 59% = F, 60 - 69% = D,
70 - 79% = C, 80 - 89% = B, and 90 -100%= A.
The papers will be graded holistically and
receive a letter grade of A for excellent, B for above average, C for average,
D for below average, and F for unsatisfactory.
This grade will then be translated into a percentile reflecting the
grading scale in the previous paragraph.
The percentile grade will be recorded.
The criteria I will use to arrive at this grade are unity, support,
coherence, sentence skills, and following directions. Students must avoid these serious errors, any single instance of
which has the potential of lowering a grade one letter: ruptures in paragraph unity, choppiness,
sentence fragments, fused sentences, verb ruptures (time and number unity),
pronoun ruptures (in unity, ambiguous antecedent, use of improper case),
misplaced modifiers, comma splices, faulty or mixed constructions, and rambling
sentences (more than two independent clauses joined by a repeated
conjunction). Students should also
avoid these minor errors: spelling,
typing, or capitalization errors; abbreviations; use of low or improper
diction, such as "you," “just,” “get,” “got,” or "a lot";
omitted or repeated words; use of the adjective rather than the adverbial case,
or vise versa, such as "secondly," "more importantly," or
"hopefully"; ending sentences with prepositions; split infinitives;
parentheses; use of double prepositions or double negatives; faulty parallelism
or faulty coordination; one-sentence paragraphs; ending a list with a
non-specific term or etc.; or punctuation errors. I do not grade on style; opinion; or topic, unless it falls
outside the perimeters of the assignment.
Assigned papers will be considered late at the end of the class period
on which they are due regardless of things like computer problems. Late papers will be penalized ten percentage
points for each class session they are late, though I will not accept papers
that are more than three weeks late, meaning the student will not pass the
course. Penalty points may not be made
up. Failing papers may be rewritten
once, though the revised grade will not exceed 70%; however, if the paper is
very good except for one problem area, I might, at my discretion, allow a
student to correct it and split the difference. Rewrites of papers 1-4 must be
accompanied by the graded copy and submitted to the instructor within three
weeks of the paper's original due date; rewrites of papers 5 and 6 are due by
the end of the final exam. Students who simply omit a problem indicated on a
graded paper will still be charged for the error on the rewrite. Rewrites that are not rewritten will be
recorded as 20%. I claim at least a
week to grade papers.
At the conclusion of the term, I will
figure a percentage, which will break down as follows: papers 90% (papers 5 and 6 count as two
papers each) and the final exam 5%. To
this average I will add up to five percentage points for perfect attendance,
consistent and constructive class participation, effort, and courtesy. I will subtract up to five percentage points
from the averages of those students who have come to class ill-prepared or
displayed rude or inconsiderate behavior such as talking other than when called
upon, eating, drinking, smoking, eye rolling, desk diving, yawning or sighing
loudly and blatantly, winking, blinking, nodding, sitting with feet propped up
on chairs or desks, note passing, or sleeping.
Tobacco chewing is not allowed. Students who engage in any of these
activities will receive two verbal warnings before being required to move to
seating assigned by the instructor and/or meet with the dean. Rudeness toward the instructor or fellow students
will not be tolerated. These points
will be awarded or deducted entirely at the instructor's personal
discretion. Cell phones and electronic
devices must be turned off, and children are not allowed in the classroom.
Objectionable material: This class may contain frank and open
discussions of gender, sexuality, race, and ethnicity. There is a possibility that religion,
politics, drugs, and alcohol may pop up as well. The class discussions may include words that some consider
profane. Occasionally, the instructor
might, at his personal discretion, crossdress and/or interject humor as an
attempt to enliven the discussion and render the experience more palatable.
Attendance: Students are required to attend all
classes. Students who miss four consecutive classes or a total of eight classes
before April 1 will fail the course, regardless
of the reason for the absences.
Students whose total absences in the course exceed 7 absences after
April 1 will have their final grade averages lowered five percentage points per
absence in excess of seven. Students
who are experiencing difficulty with attendance should check with me as soon as
possible. Students entering class late
or leaving class early will be considered tardy, and three tardies will count
as an absence. Students missing more
than twenty-five minutes of class will be considered absent. Students absent for any reason will bear the
responsibility for obtaining lecture notes from fellow students. All absences are deemed excused, but that means
that the work missed may be made up. An
excused absence does not exempt the student from doing the work or from the
absence penalty. Students who sleep or
appear to sleep or engage in activities other than those being conducted by the
instructor during class will be considered absent.
Academic Honesty: Since honesty in the classroom is required,
cheating, plagiarism, or knowingly furnishing false information to the college
constitutes a violation. I will not
accept papers which are substantially similar to those of other students or the
sample papers. I will accept only
original work.
Portfolios: Students must maintain a portfolio of graded
papers to verify assignments completed or dispute a grade. This must be turned in one week before the final
exam, and it will be returned on the day of the final. Course grades will not be issued until the
portfolio is handed in.
Students with Disabilities: Any student in this course who has a
disability that prevents the fullest expression of abilities should contact me
as soon as possible so that we can discuss class requirements.
Specifications
for Papers in ENG 104
I don’t want folders, outlines, or
title pages. All papers must be
word-processed, laser-printed, and stapled in the upper left-hand corner. There must be a one-inch margin on all four
sides of the page. Click off the “widow
and orphan control” to make a consistent one-inch margin at the bottom of the
page. All papers must be
double-spaced. All papers must have the
student's name, the assignment number, and the current date in the upper
left-hand corner. All pages must have a header which contains the student’s
last name and the page number in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch
from the top of the page. All papers
must have a title, which must be centered from left to right. The first and last words in the title must
be capitalized, as must all the major words.
Articles ("a," "an," and "the"),
coordinating conjunctions ("and," "or," "nor,"
"for," "so," "yet," and "but"), and
prepositions may be presented in low case unless they are the first or last
word. One may play it safe and simply
capitalize the first letter of all the words, but the title must not be
presented in all capital letters. The
title must not be underlined unless it contains a title; placed within quotes
unless it is a quote or contains a quote; or followed by punctuation unless it
is a question or an exclamation. All
paragraphs must be indented one-half inch. One space between words and
following a period is the current MLA style, but two spaces following a period
are acceptable. Left justify your
papers. Do not right justify. Use a 12-point Bookman or a 14-point Times New
Roman font. All papers must contain a minimum of 600
words. The word count pertains to the
text and excludes documentation, name, date, assignment number, and title. Short papers will be penalized one
percentage point per word. Penalty
points may not be made up. No paper may contain more than 150 words of
quotes. Do not fight your topics. Strive for a smooth, even flow by avoiding a
series of simple declarative statements.
Replace forms of the verbs "to be" and "to have"
with more colorful, active verbs whenever possible. Do not abbreviate. Any
paper which has a proof summary in the conclusion will be penalized a letter
grade. Please remember that this is not
a creative writing class, nor are we involved in a search for truth. Think of these assignments as drills
designed to develop a specific skill area.
The Papers
These are subject to change!
All
papers may be made up or contain
fictional information. I never assume
that what students write actually happened or reflects their personal opinions. The students may be as creative or frivolous
as they wish, as long as they satisfy all aspects of the assignment. Feel free to add Richard Simmons, Elvis's
ghost, and/or flying saucers. These
papers can be fun.
All papers will evolve through the
following steps: a group discussion of
the assigned readings and the assignment itself, peer tutorials, and grading by
the instructor. These are the sources
of help: the learning center, the
computer center, the textbook, fellow students, and family and friends. Still, you are the one who receives the
grade, and therefore you are responsible for your paper. Not all advice is good advice.
Also, I will be happy to assist students on their papers through, but not
after, the peer tutorial class period. There is plenty of time to ask questions
in class and plenty of time between when the paper is assigned and when it’s
due. Also, you may ask specific
questions about outlines or drafts of your papers, though I WON’T PROOFREAD them.
Paper
#1:
"Writing from
Observation" is an exercise in the use of sensory imagery, specifics,
and detail, which is not only the mark of a good writer but also of
intelligence. You may use time order,
but do not tell a story—it will not fulfill the assignment. Avoid verb shifts, dangling participles, and
the word "you." Punctuate
your coordinate adjectives correctly. I
would recommend present tense. Pretend
you are a camera which can hear, taste, touch, and smell as well as see. Show—do not tell. Introductions and conclusions are
optional. Check with me on each use of
"lie" and "lay" and "sit" and
"set." Periods and commas always precede the closed quote. Avoid choppiness by combining sentences,
varying sentence structure, and adding more information to your sentences. Watch out for "further" and
"farther" and use the superlative correctly.
Paper
#2:
"Writing from Recall" is a description of a dramatic moment in
your life. I want an abundance of
sensory imagery, specifics, and detail, just as in paper #1. Use time order and watch for verb
shifts. I would recommend past tense. If you wish, you may jump right into the
action, but if there is information the reader needs to know to appreciate the
significance of the event, then that information should be presented in one or
more introductory paragraphs. The
incident itself must occupy at least two-thirds of the paper. Do not jump around in the action. Focus on at least one but no more than three
significant moments and describe in detail your sensory impressions and feelings.
Again, do not merely tell me
what happened, show me. When you have described the incident in
sufficient detail, then present in a concluding paragraph or two how you feel
about the event as you look back on it now.
How did it change you? What
insights did you gain? How does this
memory make you feel?
Paper
#3:
"Analyzing" can be approached in one of two ways. In the first, you explain a process. Use present tense, because you are describing
a process in general rather than a specific incident. Do not tell a story—it will not fulfill the assignment. You may give background information in an
introductory paragraph if you wish, or you may simply state your thesis and
begin explaining your process. Remember
that your title cannot serve as your thesis.
It is conceivable that your paper could be one long paragraph if your
steps cannot be developed. Your process
must contain at least one time-significant step. You may not use recipes, the word "you," or the imperative
case (the "you understood" subject).
Five points will be deducted for each use of "you" or the
imperative case. Instead of using
"you," say "I" or describe the group of people you are
talking about, such as "carpenters" or "bricklayers."
You may invent a fictitious person to be the vehicle for your thesis, or
you may use "one." When you
have finished your text, use the search function to make certain you have not
used "you," "will," or ", then." Watch out for
pronoun ruptures and the "then" comma splice! The second approach is one in which you
simply break something down into its component parts and describe them. In this approach, you must have a
two-sentence introduction, the first of which announces the thing you are
analyzing, and the second of which announces the subdivisions you will be describing
(there must be at least three). Each
subdivision must be presented and developed in a separate paragraph in the
order the subdivisions were listed in the introduction, with transitional
expressions and topic sentences.
Conclude with a two-sentence paragraph, the first sentence of which must
contain a transitional expression and a re-affirmation of the thesis, and the
second sentence of which must be an editorial comment. A letter grade will be deducted from papers
containing a proof summary in the conclusion.
If you chose to review a movie, book, or short story, do not retell the
plot.
The
next three papers must be documented in accordance with current MLA style as
specified on pages 632-39 and 640 to the top of 655 in The Bedford
Guide. These papers must contain
a minimum of four parenthetical cites
from a minimum of two works cited entries.
Of these, one must be a book-length entry other than a reference work or
computer-accessed source, and the other must be a periodical entry other than a
computer-accessed source. Your own words
must make up at least three-fourths of the text. Introduce all quotes and paraphrases and identify your
sources. Some of you will be tempted to
respond to these assignments by turning in papers written for another class,
perhaps written by someone else. This
temptation must be resisted! Don't do
it! It will not work!
Paper
#4: "Writing from Reading." You must base this exercise on one of the
essays from The Bedford Guide. The paper must contain three sections. In the first, tell me what your read. Part one must be two sentences.
In the second section, without retelling the story, if there is one,
describe what you read in terms of the author's use of words, such as exact
names; lively verbs; vividly descriptive adjectives and adverbs; and/or images
which stimulate the reader's sense of sight, touch, taste, hearing, and/or
smell, giving specific examples. Or you may go through the essay and
agree or disagree with the author's points.
If in section two you discussed the author's use of words, in section
three you may agree or disagree with what the author said, or you may give your thoughts on the topic in general, beyond the context of the essay. If in section two you agreed or disagreed
with the author's points, in section three you must give your opinions on the
topic beyond the context of what you
read. If and when you are giving
your thoughts on the topic in general, do
not refer to the essay. Section two
must make up at least one-third of the paper.
This is neither a report nor a review.
Papers
number five and six are, in effect, take-home comprehensive final exams and
will therefore count as two papers each.
Papers number five and six must deal with issues of regional, national,
or international consequence. All papers
in this course must cover different topics.
Papers five and six may contain a prefatory section that will create
interest, dispel a negative prejudice, tell a story, educate the reader, or
establish the writer's credibility.
This section is optional, but if it is included, it is considered a part
of the regular text and therefore will follow the title.
Paper
#5:
"Causes or Effects"
will be presented in the "standard format," which must include a
two-sentence introduction, a minimum of three proof points, and a conclusion,
each of which will be presented in a separate paragraph. The first sentence in the introduction must
be the thesis. It must clearly show a
cause and effect relationship, and it must be followed by a proof summary. Your thesis must be, in effect, "There
are many reasons why ___________."
Your proof summary must be, in effect, "Three of these reasons are
________, __________, and ________."
Or your thesis may be, in effect, "There have been many
consequences of _________." Your
proof summary would be, in effect, "Three of these consequences are
________, ________, and __________."
Your thesis cannot be an opinion; in other words, you cannot say
"this, this, and this are the reasons I feel this way." Your proof paragraphs must be introduced by
transitional expressions and presented in the order in which they were
summarized. Watch your paragraph
unity! Your conclusion must be two
sentences, the first of which must contain a clear transitional expression and
a reaffirmation of the thesis, and the second of which must be an editorial
comment. The conclusion must not
contain a proof summary.
Paper
#6:
"Proposing a Solution" must be presented in the same format as
paper #5. The thesis must be either
"We should do this" or "We should not do this." If the thesis is the former, then the proof
points may explain why we should do
this or how we should go about doing
this, but you may not combine whys with hows, and your paper must not be a
process paper. If the thesis is
"We should not do this," then the proof points can only explain why
you feel as you do.
Course Outline for ENG 104
This is subject to change!
All
readings are assigned as of the beginning of the course. Students will be responsible for assigned
readings any time after the class period when the readings are assigned. A finished draft, one which could
theoretically be handed in, is due on the day of the peer tutorial.
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Weeks
1-4: "The Honeymoon": Everyone
likes everyone else; school is new, fun, and interesting. Everyone should try
it. We’re lucky to be here. |
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Week1 |
1/18 |
We become acquainted, handouts distributed and explained |
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20 |
basic writing concepts reviewed |
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2 |
25 |
basic writing concepts reviewed |
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27 |
paper
#1 assigned, read pp. 65-69 |
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3 |
2/1 |
assignment
reviewed, readings covered |
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3 |
assignment
reviewed, readings covered |
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4 |
8 |
peer tutorials |
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10 |
paper
#1 due, paper #2 assigned, read pp. 48-53 |
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5 |
15 |
assignment
reviewed, readings covered |
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17 |
assignment
reviewed, readings covered |
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Week 6: "The Days of Rage": You’ve just received your first paper
back. You hate me. You say bad things to and about me. You glare at me and mutter in class. I
don’t seem to realize that you may not be as fascinated by this boring,
stupid subject as I am. I don’t
realize that you have other classes and other interests and that you have to
work to pay your bills. You fabricate a Voodoo fetish doll in my likeness and
stick pins into it while burning a black candle and chanting a litany of all
the terrible things you hope will happen to me, most of which already have. |
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6 |
2/22 |
peer tutorials, read pp.
391-423 |
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24 |
paper
#2 due, paper #3 assigned |
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Weeks 7 and 8: "The Doldrums": You
lapse into a mute apathy. You no
longer hate me, and we’re minimally friends again, though not as we were
during "The Honeymoon." |
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7 |
3/1 |
assignment reviewed, readings covered |
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3 |
last day rewrites for paper #1 are accepted |
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8 |
8 |
peer tutorials, read pp.
427-450 |
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10 |
paper
#3 due, paper #4 assigned |
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Weeks
9-12: "The Black Hole": You
hate school. You’re sick and tired of
the teachers, the assignments, going to class, studying—the whole thing. Your relationships and health are
suffering. You’ve lost your sense of
humor. You’re behind on your bills,
and your car needs work, but you can’t afford to have it fixed. The attendance policy is catching up with
some of your fellow students, and they are dropping like flies. Some of your classmates have appealed my
grading criteria and attendance policies
but have lost, and now they’re considering hiring a lawyer. You would rather fail—let’s be honest,
you’d rather die—than have to write another paper or sit through another
boring lecture. That job at McDonalds
doesn’t sound so bad any more, and in some moments it is downright appealing. All is darkness. No end is in sight. You’ve
gone into the “ultraglide” mode. The
clutch is in, and you’re coasting.
This will basically continue until the end of the term. |
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9 |
3/22 |
assignment reviewed, readings
covered |
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|
24 |
documentation lecture, last day
rewrites for paper #2 will be accepted |
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10 |
29 |
peer tutorials, read pp. 453-76 |
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31 |
paper #4 due, paper #5 assigned |
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4/1 (no class) |
This
is the last day to withdraw without academic assessment. If you are failing the course, I would advise
you to withdraw |
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11 |
4/5 |
assignment reviewed, readings
covered |
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7 |
last day rewrites for paper #3 will be
accepted |
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12 |
12 |
peer
tutorials, paper #6 assigned |
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14 |
paper
#5 due |
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Weeks
13-16: "There’s Light at the End of the Tunnel!!": All those people who were complaining are
gone. Summer vacation is just around
the corner! Finals are only a couple
weeks away, and I’ll be done! Can I
make it? Are you kidding me? Are bears Buddhists? Heck yes I can make it! |
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13 |
19 |
assignment
reviewed, readings covered |
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21 |
peer
tutorials, last day rewrites for paper #4 will be accepted |
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14 |
Reminder: students who do not complete all assigned papers will not pass
the course |
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26 |
paper #6 due |
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28 |
review
for final exam, portfolios due |
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Final Week:
Give thanks! Rejoice! Praise your God, Allah, Jehovah,
Buddha, Confucius, Baal, Tophet,
Emanuel Kant, and/or whom/whatever.
It’s over! It’s Over!! IT’S OVER!!!!!
Final
Exam: Thursday, May 5, 8:30 a.m. to
10:20 a.m.