Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Journalism
English 108-07 – College Writing and
Research
Fall 2006
Instructor: Meredith Katchen
Office Hours: MWF:
Office: Eder Hall 222-P
Telephone: 271-5815
E-mail: mkatchen@missouriwestern.edu
COURSE OVERVIEW
This course will help students to control their writing and to integrate into their writing ideas and information from sources.
REQUIRED BOOKS AND
MATERIALS
Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut
Black Boy, Richard Wright
Lives of Girls and Women, Alice Munro
One spiral notebook, 40 – 70 pages, to be used for this class only
BASIC COURSE
COMPONENTS
Memoir Writing Project:
Each part of this project will focus on a different aspect of your life. Each part will require you to conduct and integrate relevant research. Assignment sheets will emphasize specific evaluation criteria. A piece of writing that fails to meet basic assigned criteria will be given a grade of zero. You may revise and resubmit your papers, but you should discuss your revision plans with me before you proceed. Because of possible time limitations, the last assignment MAY not be eligible for revision. Your short studies and memoirs will be worth approximately 70% of the course grade. Tentative due dates for memoir project assignments will be within weeks 4, 8, and 12.
Short Studies:
Expect to write several short research papers to broaden and deepen your skills and knowledge. Assignment sheets will specify tasks and evaluation criteria. Short studies are not eligible for revision.
Notebook/Journal:
Bring your notebook to each class. You will use it for responses to readings, exercises, quizzes, drafting, and other in-class writing. I will collect and evaluate notebooks more than once during the semester. Evaluation will be based primarily on volume and thoroughness. Thoughtfulness will also be a factor. You will be called upon to read or summarize entries as part of a class discussion. Missing entries cannot be made up without my approval. Notebooks will be worth approximately 25% of the total points available for the course.
Final Exam:
There will be a mandatory final worth about 5% of your grade.
GRADING
Grades for this course will be based on a 500 point scale. Each student will begin the semester with zero points. Points are earned during the semester. At the end of the semester, I will convert the points you have earned to a letter grade according to the following formula: 450+=A, 400-449=B, 350 to 399=C, 300-349=D, below 300=F. If for any reason the point total does not reach 500, grades will be calculated as a percentage of points earned against the total points available, with 90% earning A, 80% earning B, etc.
ATTENDANCE
In order to improve student learning as well as 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 prior written verification from the faculty/staff supervisor of the event. All other absences will be deemed unexcused and will be recorded as such. The maximum number of unexcused absences allowed for this class before the Fall 2006 midterm report, October 18 is 5. Thus, when you have 6 unexcused absences 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.Regardless of your reason for being absent, you are still responsible for all work and deadlines. If you persuade me an absence is necessary, I will allow you to make up missed journal work for partial credit. Attendance will be further rewarded and penalized according to the following chart which does not recognize any excused absences.
0 absent = +15 points
1 = +10 points
2 = + 5 points
3 = no change
4 = - 25 points.
5 = penalty of one-half letter grade
6 = penalty of one additional letter grade; highest possible grade = B
7 = penalty of one additional letter grade; highest possible grade = C
8 = penalty of one additional letter grade; highest possible grade = D
LATENESS
I view lateness as disrespectful to me, to classmates, and to the University. Lateness and early departure will be recorded and added together. Early departures or late arrivals totaling three times or fifteen minutes will give you a minimum of one-half absence and will disqualify you from bonus attendance points.
LATE WORK
I reserve the right to refuse to accept late work, in which case a grade of zero will be entered for that assignment. Late work may also be penalized 25% of its value for each day late. Conversely, I reserve the right to grant deadline extensions to a student who discusses his or her deadline problem with me before the assignment is due.
REVISION OF WRITTEN
WORK
If a revised paper achieves a higher grade, that new grade will completely replace the original grade. Your grade will never, under any circumstances other than dishonesty, go down as a result of a revision. Conference with me prior to revising a paper, and make sure to attach to your revision all previously submitted versions of that same paper.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
POLICY AND DUE PROCESS
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 honesty may result in a failing grade on the assignment, failure in the course, or expulsion from the University. When a student’s grade has been affected, violations of academic honesty will be reported to the Provost or 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
If I suspect you have plagiarized, the burden of proof will be on you to recap your writing process and to demonstrate command of your material.
DISABILITIES AND
SPECIAL NEEDS
Any student who has a special need or disability that may affect his or her performance in this class should contact the MWSU Special Needs Coordinator for assistance. Also, let me know right away so that appropriate arrangements can be made to make sure your needs are met as quickly and completely as possible.
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 MWSU student handbook for further information.
CONFERENCES
I invite you to stop by my office to talk about your writing or our class. My office hours are listed at the top of this syllabus, but I will be glad to make an appointment with you for some other time if necessary.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Week 1 Begin Lives of Girls and Women
Week 2 Continue LGW
Week 3 Continue LGW
Week 4 Memoir part 1
Week 5 Begin Black Boy
Week 6 Continue Black Boy
Week 7 Continue Black Boy
Week 8 Memoir part 2
Week 9 Begin Slaughterhouse
Week 10 Continue Slaughterhouse
Week 11 Continue Slaughterhouse
Week 12 Memoir part 3
Week 13 Revisit Lives of Girls and Women
Week 14 Revisit Black Boy
Week 15 Revisit Slaughterhouse
Week 16 Collected Memoir Project due