Missouri Western State University

Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Journalism

ENGLISH 104:  COLLEGE WRITING AND RHETORIC

Fall 2007

 

                                                         Section 1       8—8:50 a.m.     M-W-F     Murphy 103            

                                                         Section 4       9—9:50 a.m.     M-W-F     Murphy 104

                                                         Section 8   11—11:50 a.m.     M-W-F     Murphy 105

 

Instructor:             Ellen Lilley, MS Ed

Office:                    Eder 212 Phone:  816-271-4578

Office hours:         MWF by appointment

E-mail:                    elilley@missouriwestern.edu 

 

Text and materials:

The St. Martin’s Guide to Writing. Eighth Edition. Rise B. Axelrod and Charles R. Cooper.                Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008.

                Notebook for journal entries, class work, notes, etc.

                Bookmark these web sites: http://www.time-management-for-students.com

                                                                 http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/rewriting/

                                                                 http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

                                                                 http://www.more.net/online/index.html

Course Goals:

                To communicate ideas and perceptions clearly, students will:

Summarize, analyze, and evaluate essays, articles, and textbook information

Engage in formal and informal, personal and collaborative writing and speaking

Participate actively in peer revision groups

                                Submit a portfolio of revised essays that represent your best writing

 

For common objectives/means and institutional competencies for ENG-104, refer to the English department website at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/~engdept/eng104.html           

 

Course Description, Requirements, and Grades:

In English 104 you will be presented strategies to help you to:  

                Read actively and think critically;

                Develop and clearly express ideas, positions, and arguments;

                Respond to others’ ideas thoughtfully; and to

                Write effectively.

 

                A variety of methods will be used to encourage learning:  readings, lectures, class discussions, group work, journaling, and writing.  Students are expected to read, summarize, interpret, analyze, and respond to readings, take notes, ask questions, complete all writings, participate in class discussions, peer revision teams, and an oral presentation, and to complete a final exam; these activities comprise about 40 percent of your grade. A portfolio (four revised and edited essays) will constitute about 60 percent of your grade.

You must complete all requirements—essays/portfolio, presentation, and final exam— in order to pass this course. All assignments (word-processed hard copies) are due at the beginning of class on the due dates.  If you are having difficulty with an essay, schedule a conference at least a day ahead of the deadline; during the conference we may be able to set a new deadline. If you are not in class on a due date, you are still responsible for submitting essays at or before the time of your class meeting unless you have received permission at least one day prior to the due date. Your presentation must be made on the date assigned.

Students are expected to return from absences prepared for class: use the assignment schedule on the P-drive.  In-class quizzes and writings cannot be made up and late work is not accepted.   To receive credit when you are going to be absent, e-mail assignments before class time on the assigned day.

All out-of-class work for this course must be word-processed (MLA headings), with back-ups recommended— use the university’s “P”-drive or a disk or jump drive and keep a hard copy for yourself.  Two word-processed hard-copies of essays/drafts (MLA format) are required for participation in mandatory peer revision teams and for student-teacher conferences.

Tentative due dates are:     Essays—Sept. 17, Oct. 8, Oct. 29, and Nov. 16. 

                                                Portfolio—Nov. 30

                                                Presentations—Dec 3—7

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. There are no other excused absences, exceptions, or “makeups” for this attendance requirement. The maximum number of absences allowed before the midterm report, October 17, is five.  When you incur a sixth absence, you will be reported to the Registrar’s Office where you will be automatically withdrawn from this class and the Financial Aid Office will reduce financial aid as appropriate.  

Additionally, the attendance policy for this course is:  if you exceed seven absences, you will receive an F for the course, no matter what your grade is at that time.  If you anticipate any circumstance that would make this policy unworkable for you this semester, see me this week and/or you may wish to see your advisor about other options available to you.  If attendance becomes a problem, you may also wish to review the withdrawal policy.

All students are expected to arrive prepared and on time for every scheduled class meeting, to remain for the entire period, and to participate in class discussions and peer editing groups; these attitudes of respect and cooperation provide the forum for sharing ideas, asking questions, and maximizing learning. Several attendance situations may count as an absence: three tardies or leaving class early twice or sleeping in class.

NOTE:   A minimum grade of “C” in this course, ENG-104, is required for admission into ENG-108.

 

Academic Honesty

                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 has been written, in fact, 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.  See the 2007-08 Student Handbook and Calendar for specific activities identified as violations of this policy and the student due process procedure. This handbook is also available online at http://missouriwestern.edu/handbook/index.pdf.

 

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 and contact Michael Ritter, Special Needs Coordinator, to submit all necessary documentation so we can make the necessary accommodations.

 

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 a class; specifics include use of cellular/other electronic devices during class, private conversations, and sleeping. Review your Missouri Western student handbook for further information

 

Personal Note:

                I want you to succeed.  My experience has been that students who earn the highest grades habitually …                                       Attend class.

                Take time to complete daily work thoughtfully.

                Participate with questions and comments in class discussions.

                Use the Center for Academic Support.

                Avail themselves of one-on-one conferences with the instructor for discussions, questions, etc.

 

If you have any problem or question, please make an appointment to see me so we can work together to create a positive experience for you— please don’t wait until the last minute when there is little chance for you to “fix” a problem on time!