Department
of
English, Foreign Languages and Journalism
MWSC, Division of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Spring 2005
ENG 108 College Writing
and
Research
Professor: Dr. Kaye Adkins
Office: 222J Eder
Email (My preferred method of communication): kadkins@missouriwestern.edu
Phone: 271-5967
Office Hours: M 10:00-10:50; WF 10:00-10:50, 2:00-3:30; by appointment
Objectives:The course objectives are outlined on the EFLJ Department web page, http://www.missouriwestern.edu/eflj/eng108.asp. Please become familiar with these objectives.
Required Textbooks and
materials:
Hacker, Rules for Writers
Spatt, Writing from Sources, 6th edition
Research notebook
(9½"x6"
3-ring binder with four dividers)
Two 3.5" floppy disks or a Zip disk
A good college dictionary
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:
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. Each major assignment
will be turned in with a “portfolio” which includes the final copy,
edited drafts from
workshops, and editors comment sheets from workshops. 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 with the final research project. When each major
paper is returned, students will be required to complete a revision
sheet. These logs will be used to develop individual proofreading
strategies. There will also be a final exam. The longer assignments
will be as follows:
| Summaries |
Two
short
summaries of readings in Spatt |
Due
2/11 |
|
Analysis/evaluation paper |
Single source paper based on a reading in Spatt | Due 2/25 |
| Synthesis
paper |
Synthesis,
analysis, and evaluation of related readings in Spatt |
Due 3/9 |
| White
Paper |
Informative
research paper |
Due
4/11 |
| Position
Paper |
Revision
of White Paper as an argumentative paper |
Due 5/2 |
| Research
Notebook |
Record
of
your research process |
Due a
final
exam |
| Final
Exam |
Test
of
mastery of documentation formatting and correct/effective use of
quotations |
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 research 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 that use of
specific supporting details
have sentences whose grammar is acceptable as English written in an
academic setting
be 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:
| Summaries |
5% |
Position
Paper |
20% |
| Analysis/evaluation |
10% |
Research
Notebook |
10% |
| Synthesis |
15% |
Final
exam |
10% |
| White
Paper |
15% |
Daily
work/class
partic./portfolio |
15% |
Absences: Students missing four class periods without a verified excuse will have their semester grade lowered. 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. In this class, we will discuss the importance of giving credit where credit is due for researchers.
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.
Schedule: 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.