Missouri Western State
College, Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Department of English,
Foreign Languages, and Journalism
English 100
Introduction to College
Writing
Cynthia
Bartels
Office Hours:
8:15 -8:50 a.m. MW; 8:30-9:00 a.m. Fri; 11-11:50 MWF; by appointment
Eder
222N
816-271-5812
Attendance
Policy
In order to improve student learning as
well to achieve compliance with federal financial aid policies, Western has a
mandatory attendance policy for all 100-level courses. You will be given an
excused absence when acting as an official representative of the university,
provided you give written verification from the faculty /staff supervisor of the
event. An excused absence merely means you may make arrangements to hand in your
work at a prearranged time.
All other absences will be deemed
unexcused. The maximum number of absences for this class before midterm report,
October 18, is five. Thus, if you have six unexcused absences, you will be
reported to the Registrar, who will automatically withdraw you from this class.
The Financial Aid office will reduce financial aid as
appropriate.
Regardless of the date, you will be
allowed a total of seven absences for the entire semester. Should your total
absences exceed seven, following the October18 , you will receive an “F” in the
course. After October 18, you cannot drop, so the “F” will remain as your
permanent grade in the class. Throughout the semester, two tardies will count as
an absence, as will coming to class without a draft on a workshop day or
sleeping. Ordinarily, there are no exceptions and no “makeups” for this
attendance requirement. If you know
of any circumstances likely to make this policy difficult for you this semester,
you should consult with your advisor and your teacher to review your options.
If you miss a
class session, you are responsible for all material covered and assignments
given during your absence. All
out-of-class assignments are due at the beginning of the class period. No late assignments will be accepted
unless you have received prior permission from your
teacher.
In addition to
this strict attendance policy for class, your Writer’s Workshop has a similar
policy. If you miss four writer’s workshops, you will receive an F in this
class. These absences are separate from our regular class.
Academic
Honesty Policy
Academic honesty is required in all
academic endeavors. Violations of academic honesty include any instance of
plagiarism, cheating, seeking credit for another’s work, falsifying documents or
academic records, or any other fraudulent activity. Violations of academic
dishonesty may result in a failing grade on the assignment, failure of the
course, or expulsion from the University. When a student’s grade has been
affected, violations of academic honestly will be reported to the Provost or
designated representative. Please see the 2006-7 Student Handbook and Calendar
on page 21 for specific activities identified as violations of the policy and
the due process procedure.
If
I find evidence of cheating
or plagiarism, you have the burden of showing that the paper 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. You will
receive a grade of F for any paper that shows sufficient evidence of cheating
and/or plagiarism. Stronger
evidence proving flagrant cheating and/or plagiarism may lead to even stronger
penalties. Please note carefully
the statement on plagiarism on the departmental website, found at
http://www2.mwsc.edu/eflj/plagiarism.html.
Required
Texts and Course Materials
Introduction to College Writing(CW) – ENG 100, McGraw-Hill,
2006.
Troubleshooting Guide for Writers (TSG)- McGraw Hill ,
4th edition
Four file folders
Disks or storage space
Photocopies for group work as requested
Reading Goals:
At the completion of ENG 100 students
should be able to
·
Read
actively for greater understanding;
·
Use
reading to improve their writing by drawing ideas and information from written
material;
·
Use
texts to understand their own and others’ experiences;
·
Read
writing assignments effectively as a guide to creating better
papers;
·
Recognize good writing by actively
reading good prose.
Writing Goals:
At the completion of ENG 100 students
should be able to
·
Move
easily from writing for self-expression to writing for
readers;
·
Write at greater length more easily, more
quickly, and more usefully;
·
Structure their writing to fit the
assignment, purpose, and audience;
·
Develop their ideas and concepts with
specific details, examples, and explanations;
·
Craft more effective and polished
sentences and paragraphs;
·
Use
effective planning, invention, revision, and editing to complete successful
writing tasks.
General Studies
Goals:
In ENG 100 students should improve their
ability to
·
Think critically and reason
analytically;
·
Write and speak clearly and
effectively;
·
Gain
a greater awareness of the present through an understanding of other cultures
and times;
·
Understand and appreciate moral values
and ethical choices;
·
Understand and enjoy aesthetic
experiences and share in related creative activities.
Grading
and Assignments
Grading
Policy:
This
class uses a portfolio system of grading which means you do not receive final
grades
on papers until the end of the semester. However, we will be working on four
writing tasks throughout the class, and each task has a specific due date. For
each task, there are also a number of required smaller components such as peer
reviews, workshops, journal writings, and invention exercises (most of these are
described below). This work in addition to the drafts. Note that this part of
the writing PROCESS is very important; you cannot pass the class within
completing these tasks. Ultimately, if you do the small assignments
diligently, your writing will improve, and so will your final grade. Your final
grade will be determined on the basis of your progress as a writer, measured
daily, and by the quality of your final portfolio at the end of the
semester.
Since I
do not assign a final grade to the writing tasks until the end of the semester,
I give points for the tasks throughout the semester based on completeness and
effort. I also respond to each project with a grading rubric that indicates the
degree to which that paper is "PR," or Portfolio Ready. Rubrics that show an
average score of 7 to 8 are usually close to being PR, so that project should
earn at least a "C" at semester's end. Work not “PR” will be at best a "D" at
semester's end and likely result in a repetition of the course if not revised
successfully. The student may decide on the amount of revision s/he wishes to
make. It is the student’s responsibility to determine the strength and
weaknesses of the paper and to decide how much s/he needs to
revise.
Process assignments and
Journals:
For each task,
there will be a series of reading and writing assignments. Among those
assignments will be journal responses for most of your assigned readings.
Please refer to your assignment schedule for journal assignments. The
average length for a journal entry is one full typed page. Entries can be
hand-written or typed, but the length remains the same. For each task, you
will also have invention assignments, reading and short writing assignments, and
evaluations. Although this work will be graded mostly on content and completion,
it is very important that you complete everything. You cannot receive more than
50% of the points for each task should you not complete the process assignments;
however, since you are graded mostly on effort, completing this work can help
you raise your grade.
Peer Revision Groups:
Prior to submitting your
writing tasks, you will be required to participate in peer revision groups in
class (there are in addition to the writers workshop labs) to which you will
bring in copies of your rough draft to receive feedback from your group in order
to help you strengthen and revise your own written work. This is another
required process activity and will be part of your grade for the portfolio and
the course. (Note: During these sessions I will also evaluate
drafts).
Writer’s
Workshop:
Throughout the course of
the semester, you will attend the once-a-week, small group Writer’s Workshops
(listed as “labs” in the class schedule). Some of your Writer’s Workshop
materials may be used in class, and some of your class papers will be critiqued
and proofread in Writer’s Workshops. I do not conduct the workshops nor do
I give grades for them. However, you must complete all work and submit the
materials for Writer’s Workshop in order to pass ENG 100.
Portfolios:
Quality portfolios will
contain multiple drafts of major assignments, thoughtful reflective letters,
thoughtful questions about the writing, and quality revisions. Likewise,
students who receive the highest grades will have contributed meaningfully to
class discussions, will have met all deadlines for drafting and submitting all
assignments, and will have fulfilled attendance requirements. All these factors
indicate the student has put forth a strong effort, has developed his/her
writing, reading, and thinking intellect, and can produce complete, clear and
thoughtful writing. These qualities will result in an exceptional
portfolio.
Midterm
grades:
I submit a "C" for students whose work is
complete and passing and whose absences are below the limit. I submit a "D" for
students whose work is complete but not acceptable. I submit an "F" for students
whose work is incomplete or unacceptable and/or who have exceeded the absence
limit or have plagiarized.
Final
grades:
Completion and quality,
timeliness, attendance, and participation will all influence your final grade.
* Timeliness
-- students who miss any deadlines on any major papers, including peer review,
without documented extenuating circumstances are ineligible for course grades
higher than C.
*
Attendance -- your constant presence is mandatory for your success (please see
"Attendance Policy" above).
Missing excessive classes,
deadlines, and assignments will result in substantially lower grades, in many
cases to the point of failure. Also, superficial, off-topic or poorly edited
papers, or an unwillingness or inability to contribute meaningfully to class
discussions or to revise papers effectively will result in low final grades.
The components of your
grade in the course are:
Peer reviews, workshops,
reflections, participation, journal writing, in class exercises, drafts,
revisions for each writing task: 10% each
Writer’s
workshop: 15%
Portfolio:
45%
Please
Note: No one will pass this class without
completing all four writing tasks, regardless of what the
student's point total would indicate. If a student falls between grades,
other factors such as effort, class participation, attendance, and attitude will
be used to determine the final grade.
Be sure to bring
all work to class, in person, and on time. I cannot be responsible for work that
you do not hand me personally. Remember that regardless of the quality of your
portfolio, you will not pass the class unless you write all papers throughout
the semester.
Late
Work:
If something should happen that prevents you from submitting your paper on time,
you must make arrangements with me before the paper is due, not
afterwards. At this time, we will plan a date by which the work will be
completed. Otherwise, your work is late if not submitted on time and will be
given a zero. Note that regardless of the circumstances or assignments
granted late status, the number of absences allowed in this class does not
change. This rule is a departmental policy and applies to all English 100
classes.
Make-up
Work: It is nearly impossible to
make up work in this class. Class discussions cannot be recreated, nor can
in-class writings and group. If you do not have your paper or draft copies, you
cannot write a reflective letter nor have your paper adequately evaluated.
I expect you to respect everyone in this
class. Part of learning to read and write well is exploring ideas. There will no
doubt be people who have ideas different than yours. One of our goals is to
learn to understand and respect different ideas. Remain open-minded; you may
even change your own ideas. Understanding and developing ideas is a natural
outcome of the reading and writing, and therefore of this class, and thus I
consider these an accomplishment and evidence that you are becoming an educated
and mature reader and writer.
I also expect you to behave respectfully
in class. This means: do not interrupt, walk in front of anyone who is talking,
enter the room or a workshop late, or leave your seat or the room while class is
in session unless it is an emergency. It also means that you turn off cell
phones before you enter the classroom, and that they remain off until you have
exited the classroom.
Student
Disability
Any student in this course who has a
disability that prevents the fullest expressions of his/her abilities should
contact Missouri Western's special needs coordinator for possible certification
of special needs and expert recommendations for assistance. The student should also contact me
personally as soon as possible so that the we can discuss class
requirements.
Academic
Support
The Center for Academic Support, located
in LRC 213, offers you assistance with your reading or with papers at any stage
of the game. Contact the Center at 271-4624 or Coral Dawson, the Writing
Director, at 271-4531. I highly encourage you to use this free service
regardless of your abilities.