Syllabus for ENG 104
College Writing and Rhetoric
Department
of English, Foreign Languages, and Journalism
College
of Liberal Arts and Sciences
English
104 -- College Writing and Rhetoric
Instructor: Rachael Green
Fall 2006
MWF 9:00-9:50
am, Murphy Hall 103
Office: Eder Hall 213
Office
Phone: 816-271-4301
Office
Hours: by appointment
Email: rgreen5@missouriwestern.edu
Required
Text:
• The Little, Brown Reader. Tenth Edition. Eds. Marcia Stubbs and Sylvan Barnet. Pearson Longman, Inc, 2006.
Recommended
Text:
• The Brief New Century
Handbook.
Required
Materials:
• Computer
disks for revising and saving work.
• Notebook
for notes, class work, journal entries, etc.
• Folder(s)
to keep all writing and portfolio work.
Course
Description:
• "Language is the most vivid and crucial key to
identity: It reveals the private
identity, and connects one with, or divorces one from, the larger, public, or
communal identity." -James
Baldwin
• “Good writers are also good readers – of the works of
other writers and of their own notes and drafts. The habits they develop as readers of others
– for instance evaluating assumptions, scrutinizing arguments and perceiving
irony – empower them when they write, read and revise their own notes and
drafts.” -Marcia
Stubbs and Sylvan Barnett
• “One thing that is always with the writer – no matter how
long he has written or how good he is – is the continuing process of learning
how to write.” -Flannery
O’Connor
Course
Goals:
• Read and respond to various texts,
such as textbook readings, media such as television, movies and advertising,
and our peers' work.
• Read and study written texts to
improve and refine our own writing.
• Summarize,
analyze and evaluate texts.
• Understand, find, shape, address and
write arguments.
• Engage in
journal writing and collaborative writing.
• Revise our
written work.
•
Participate in peer revision groups.
For common objectives/means and institutional competencies
for ENG 104, also refer to the English department website at
http://www.missouriwestern.edu/eflj/eng104.asp
Methods
of Instruction:
Methods of instruction include textbooks, lectures, class
discussions, group work, presentations, informal writing assignments and formal
writing assignments. Students will be
expected to participate in peer revision groups and in-class writing exercises.
Journals: You will
write (informal) journal entries/responses to most of your assigned
readings. Please refer to your
assignment schedule for journal entries.
These entries will be your explanations of and reactions to the
readings. Each journal entry will
consist of both summary and response/analysis and be, on average, one full
page. Entries can be hand-written or
word-processed and must be clearly labeled.
The collection dates will coincide with the collection dates of your
formal writing assignments/mini-portfolios; your journal entries will be a
component of your mini-portfolio.
Journal entries will be graded on content and will be part of your grade
for the portfolio and the course.
Peer Revision Groups:
Prior to submitting your formal writing assignments, you will be
required to participate in peer revision groups in which you will bring in
word-processed copies of your rough draft to share with your group and receive
feedback from your group in order to help you strengthen and revise your own
written work. This is a required
activity and will be part of your grade for the portfolio and the course. (Note:
During these sessions I will also evaluate drafts).
Policies:
Attendance and Class Preparation/Participation: In order to improve student
learning and to achieve compliance with federal financial aid policies, Western
has a mandatory attendance policy for all 100-level courses. A student will be given an excused absence
when acting as an official representative of the university, provided the
student gives prior written verification from the faculty/staff supervisor of
the event. A student will also be given
an excused absence if he or she can provide documentation and prove that the
absence was unavoidable. Please feel
free to speak to me about any extenuating circumstances. All other absences will be deemed
unexcused. The maximum number of
unexcused absences allowed before the midterm report, October 18, for this
class is 5. Thus, when you have 6 you
will be reported to the Registrar’s Office, who will automatically withdraw you
from this class. The Financial Aid
Office will reduce financial aid as appropriate. If you exceed the allowed absences after
midterm, your final grade will be affected.
Students are expected to attend every scheduled class
meeting and arrive on time. Arriving to
class late is disruptive. As a result,
chronic lateness will likely affect your final grade. Students are also expected to come prepared
to every class meeting and participate in class discussion for this is the only
way we can all share ideas, ask questions and learn.
Late Work: All
writing assignments are due at the beginning of the class period on the due
date. Each student is allowed one late
paper (and only one late paper) and this must be discussed with the instructor.
I will not accept/grade any other late papers.
This is important because you must complete, turn in and receive a grade
for all papers in order to pass this class.
Consequently, if you submit more than one late paper, you will fail
the course. If you are not in class
on the due date you are still responsible for submitting your assignment on
time. Your presentation must be
delivered on the assigned date and you will not be allowed to use this policy
for this assignment. Late journals and
in-class writing assignments will not be accepted.
Revision: All formal, graded writing assignments can be
revised and resubmitted for a “new” grade.
You will have two weeks from the date the paper is returned in class to
revise and resubmit each paper. However,
you cannot revise other portfolio work.
If you miss the two-week deadline, you forfeit the right to revise that
specific paper. It is required that your
original, graded essay accompanies your revised essay. Revision is important because each paper
covers important skills that you will need to know for the next paper.
Grading Policy: Your
grade will be determined on the writings and portfolios you submit, a
presentation and final examination.
Please note that smaller assignments and class preparation/participation
are very important and do affect your grade.
The components of your grade in the course are:
· Formal writing assignments.
A student who does not turn in
responses to all writing assignments will not pass the course even if the
grades achieved in the other writing assignments are satisfactory.
Paper One -- Summary: 100 points
Paper Two Mini-Portfolio:
100 points
Paper Three Mini-Portfolio:
100 points
Paper Four Mini-Portfolio: 125 points
Argument/Presentation:
125 points
· Final
exam: 100 points (mandatory)
Students with Disabilities:
Anyone who has a disability that prevents the fullest expression of his
or her potential to succeed in this course must notify me as soon as possible
so that we can discuss class requirements and accommodations. You must also
contact Michael Ritter, Special Needs Coordinator, and submit all necessary
documentation to his office.
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 classroom activity. Cheating and plagiarism are not acceptable. You will receive a grade of F (0 points) for
any paper/assignment/exam that shows evidence of cheating and/or
plagiarism. You have the burden of
proving that a paper/assignment/exam showing evidence of cheating and/or
plagiarism has been in fact written by you.
You should keep thorough evidence of your writing processes for all
papers so that you can meet this burden of proof. If you plagiarize a paper, you forfeit the
right to revise that paper; if you cheat on an exam, you will not be allowed to
retake the exam. Violations of academic
honesty will be reported to the Provost or the designated representative on the
Academic Honesty Violation Report Forms.
Please see the 2006-07 Student Handbook and Calendar on page 21 for
specific activities identified as violations of this policy and the student due
process procedure. This handbook is also
available online at
http://www.missouriwestern.edu/handbook/index.pdf.
Miscellaneous:
Civility and Cooperation:
Missouri Western requires all students to help us maintain good
conditions for teaching and learning.
All students will treat their classmates and teachers with civility and
respect, both inside and outside the classroom.
Students who violate this policy may, among other penalties, be counted
absent and asked to leave. You should
review your Missouri Western student handbook for further information.
Please note that you must complete all writing assignments
in order to pass this course. In
addition, admission into ENG 108 requires a "C" or higher in ENG
104. All drafts and final papers for
this course must be word-processed. It
is also important to save all work on disks or cds,
keeping back-ups if necessary.
Please feel free to come see me if you have any problems or questions. I believe communication is very important
between an instructor and her students and, as a result, I will make myself
available to you for any reason.
ENG 104 Assignment Schedule
Please note that this is a tentative schedule and changes can be
made.
Week One
Aug. 28: Distribute
and review syllabus; Introduction to the course; In-class writing
HW: Read Chapter 1 in The
Little, Brown Reader (TLBR)
Aug. 30: Begin
discussion on reading and responding to reading -- summarizing, evaluating and
analyzing; Review homework; in-class exercise; Assign Paper #1 -- Summary
HW: Read “My Boyhood Home” p 629 TLBR and
respond to essay in journal by writing a summary/personal
response/analysis of the essay. You can
include, but do not limit yourself to, personal experiences and opinions as
they relate to the essay. Write at least
one full page. This reading will begin
the section Communities and Identities;
Begin working on your summary
Sep. 1: Complete
in-class exercise; Continue discussion on summarizing, analyzing and
evaluating; Begin section Families, Communities
and Identities by discussing “My Boyhood Home”
HW: Complete word-processed draft of summary and
bring copies to class on Wednesday;
Read
Chapter 2
Week Two
Sep. 4: Labor Day
HW: Complete word-processed draft of summary and
bring copies to class on Wednesday (also bring your textbook); Read Chapter 2
Sep. 6: Paper #1
-- Summary Rough Draft Due – Peer Revision Groups
HW: Read “Scenes from an
Intermarriage” p 146 in TLBR
and respond to the essay in your journal
Sep. 8: Continue
section Families, Communities and
Identities by discussing “Scenes From and Intermarriage”; Continue discussion
on summarizing, analyzing and evaluating; Assign Paper #2 (Families, Communities and Identities)
HW: Read “Double Identity” p 238 and write journal
entry; Also review Chapter 2 (and checklist on p 40-41) in TLBR
Week Three
Sep. 11: Summary Due
Sep. 15: journal
entry
Week Four
Sep. 22: Paper #2 Rough Draft Due
– Peer Revision Groups
Week Five
Sep. 25: language quiz
Sep. 27: Paper #2/ Mini-Portfolio Due; Revisions
Due
journal entry
Sep. 29: journal
entry
Week Six
Oct. 4: journal
entry
Week Seven
Oct. 9: In-class
interviews
journal entry
Oct. 13: Mid-term
Break
Week Eight
Oct. 16: Paper #3 Rough Draft Due
– Peer Revision Groups
Week Nine
Oct. 23: Paper
#3/Mini-Portfolio Due
Oct. 27: journal
entry
Week Ten
Week Eleven
Nov. 6: journal
entry
Week Twelve
Nov. 13: Library Day
Nov. 17: Paper #4 Rough Draft Due
– Peer Revision Groups
Week Thirteen
Nov. 20: Paper #4 Rough Draft Due
– Peer Revision Groups
Nov. 22: Thanksgiving
Break
Nov. 24: Thanksgiving Break
Week Fourteen
Nov. 27: Paper #4/Mini-Portfolio Due
Week Fifteen
Dec. 4: In-class
group work on presentations; Review for final exam
Dec. 6: Presentations
– you must present during your scheduled time and must be present for all other
presentations
Dec. 8: Presentations
– you must present during your scheduled time and must be present for all other
presentations; Last day of class
Dec. 9-15: Final exams
Final exams:
December 9-15
The final exam is
mandatory – you must take the final exam in order to pass the course. In addition, you must take the exam on your
scheduled day and time because I will not reschedule the exam or give a make-up
to any student. Please consult the study
guide for content and scheduling information regarding the final exam. You can also consult Western’s website for a
final exam schedule