ENG 104 College Writing and Rhetoric

Professor: Dr. Kaye Adkins
Office: 222J Eder
Office Hours: 9:00-9:45 MWF; 12:00-12:45 MF; 3:00-4:00 M; and by appointment
Email (my preferred method of communication): kadkins@missouriwestern.edu
 

Objectives: The course objectives are outlined on the EFLJ Department web page, http://www.missouriwestern.edu/EFLJ/eng104.asp#Objectives. These include:

• Learning to write for different audiences and purposes
• Learning to use active reading and critical thinking
• Learning to use writing processes
• Learning written conventions

Required Textbooks and materials:

• Rosenwasser and Stephen, Writing Analytically with Readings
• Kirshner and Wollin, Writer's Choices: Grammar to Improve Style
  
• A good college dictionary

Resources:
Because you will continue writing (for both personal and professional reasons), it is a good idea to build a library of resources for writing. Next time someone asks you what you'd like for your birthday, you can tell them you'd like one of these books:

• Glenn, Word Pocket Guide. One of the excellent series of software guides from O'Reilly, this book will explain the basic features of Microsoft Word. It is useful for writing papers, letters, and reports. (In other words, buy it now!)
• Lanham, Revising Prose. Lanham has several books on creating clear, readable writing, but this one is a guide for all kinds of writing.
• Alred, Oliu, and Brusaw. The Business Writer's Handbook. No matter what career you are entering, you will probably need to write memos, letters, professional emails, and reports. This book is an indispensable guide. Consider buying it when you start writing letters to apply for scholarships, internships, or jobs.
• A couple of good resources on line-You can find just about any used book (even rare ones) at www.alibris.com. While you are a student, you can get low-priced software and computer supplies at www.academicsuperstore.com.

Assignments: In addition to reading assignments, informal writing assignments, and style exercises, there will be five major writing assignments required. You cannot pass the class without turning in all five of the major assignments Out-of-class major assignments should be word processed or typed. After each assignment (except the final exam) is returned, students will complete a revision log. These will be used to develop individual proofreading strategies. For each assignment, students will collect a portfolio that includes at least one marked draft of their paper and editing sheets from members of their workshop groups. The final essay will be written in class during the scheduled final exam time.

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 question)
• have a coherent general structure
• have paragraphs that have a clear internal structure and a use of specific details
• have sentences whose grammar is acceptable as English
• be relatively free of blatant errors in idiom, diction, spelling, and punctuation.

Grades will be weighted as follows:
 

Essay 1  Essay 2 Essay 3 Essay 4 Essay 5 (Final)

10% 15% 15% 20% 10%

Portfolios (drafts, editing, workshop participation, revisions) Class participation, homework, daily work

15%     15%

Extra credit: In my writing classes, there is one way to earn extra credit. Visits to the Center for Academic Support to work on your papers will earn points in the Portfolio grade.
 

Communication: I welcome the opportunity to talk to students about reading or writing assignments during my office hours. You don't need an appointment. If you can't drop by during my office hours, please make an appointment.

Email is the official medium for communication at Missouri Western. You should check your Missouri Western email account at least every other day. This is how professors will contact you if they need to, and it is how you will receive information about campus events, scholarship and financial aid opportunities, and other important campus information. Some departments have student listservs to announce special events (like speakers or conference opportunities), scholarship deadlines, and the like. When you send an email to a professor or office on campus, you should send it from you Western email account, so that we know it is campus business.

A note on email etiquette: When you write an email to a professor, approach it as correspondence in a professional setting. This means including an informative subject line (at the very least, the course number), complete sentences, correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling, a salutation, and a signature. If you are including an attachment, you should tell the recipient what it is.
 

Absences: 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. The maximum number of unexcused absences allowed for this class before the midterm report, October 17 is 5. Thus, when you have6 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.

In addition to the offical absence policy, I have my own attendance policy for my classes. Students missing four class periods will have their semester grade lowered one letter grade. If you miss class, check with your classmates (especially your workshop members) to find out what short assignments you missed. You can also find the Schedule of Assignments on line (see below). If you must be absent for a number of class sessions and you know in advance, please talk to me about it; otherwise, talk to me when you return. I understand that many of you have work and family responsibilities, but you should make success in your college courses your priority. Your education is your most important job, so you should arrange your schedule accordingly.
 

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 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 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://www.missouriwestern.edu/handbook/index.pdf.

Papers that have been plagiarized will receive no credit, and the student who submits such a paper will have to meet with me before any other work will be accepted.
 

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 of Assignments: Since I try to adapt each of my classes to the needs and interests of the students, check this often for changes. If for some reason, class is canceled, check this site for the new schedule.