Missouri Western State University, Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Journalism

English 100-12: Introduction to College Writing

5:00 – 6:20 MW Murphy 104; Writer’s Workshop 6:30 – 7:20 M or W 222U or V

Spring 2008

 

Teacher:                Corla Dawson                     

Office:                   Center for Academic Support (Hearnes 213)                  

Phone:                   271-4531

Office Hours:       By appointment   

E-mail:                   dawson@missouriwestern.edu

 

Attendance Policy:

                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 and 200-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, including medical problems, legal issues, and deaths in the family.  The maximum number of unexcused absences allowed for this class before the midterm report, March 19, is three.  Thus, when you have four 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 institution’s policy stated above, English 100 has a very strict attendance policy in Writer’s Workshops as well as in class.  If you miss five class periods or four Writer’s Workshops over the duration of the semester, you will receive an F in the class.  There are no exceptions for this attendance requirement and no excused absences.  Habitual tardiness or leaving early can also result in absences.  If you know of any circumstances likely to make this attendance 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.  If assignments are not submitted at the beginning of class the day they are due, they are considered a day late.  Late submissions will be subject to a grade deduction (ten percentage points per day late). 

 

Required Texts and Course Materials:

 

                Introduction to College Writing: English 100, 3rd edition

                A Troubleshooting Guide: Strategies and Process, 4th edition

All Over but the Shoutin’ by Rick Bragg

Photocopies for group work as requested

 

Course Goals and Class Assignments:

 

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.

 

Civility and Cooperation

                Missouri Western requires students to help us maintain good conditions for teaching and learning.  All students will treat their classmates, teachers, and student assistants 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.

                Before entering the classroom, make sure your cell phone and all other electronic equipment are turned off so that they do not ring during class.  If your cell phone or other electronic equipment goes off during class, you will be asked to leave and counted absent.  Text messaging and other cell phone activities are not allowed during class time.  Classes are an hour and 20 minutes in length, and unless there is an emergency, you are expected to remain in class the entire time.  Sleeping or working on anything other than English 100 activities during this class period will result in an absence for the day.   

 

Grading Policy:

                Your grade will be determined on the basis of your progress as a writer, the writings you submit, and your class participation over the course of the semester.  The following are components of your grade in the course:

 

Writing.  You will complete four major writing tasks that will be graded.  A student who does not turn in complete responses to all four tasks will not pass the course even if the grades achieved in the other writing tasks are satisfactory.  These writing assignments will make up 85 percent of your grade for this class.

 

Daily Assignments.  10 percent of your grade in English 100 will come from quizzes, peer responses, and other daily assignments.   

 

Writer’s Workshop.  Throughout the course, you will attend the once-a-week, small group Writer’s Workshop.  Five percent of your grade will be based on your participation and cooperation in Writer’s Workshop.  See below for complete explanation of Writer’s Workshop. 

 

Grading Scale

 

90-100                               A

80-89                                  B

70-79                                  C

60-69                                  D

Below 60                F

 

To pass English 100 and enroll in English 104, you must earn a C or better.

 

Writer’s Workshops:

            This section of English 100 is participating in a pilot project of conferencing and tutoring in your Writer’s Workshop.  One of the major goals of English 100 is to become an independent writer, a writer who has discovered strategies and processes to write competent and thoughtful essays.  As in all sections of English 100, you have been assigned a mandatory, small group Writer’s Workshop which meets once a week. Your Writer’s Workshop will differ from the traditional workshop in that it will be a tutoring session focused on your writing rather than the planned workshop sequence of activities.  In this section of English 100 you will confer with both your instructor and workshop leader.  You will receive personal responses and suggestions to help you develop and revise each essay and to help you grow as a writer.  You will also be allowed time, in workshop, to write and revise.  Your writing will become the central text of both the class and the workshop and your needs will become the content of the instruction. 

                This pilot project requires three commitments from you.  First, you must confer with your instructor, workshop leader and/or small groups in workshop.  It is expected that you will schedule a conference with your workshop tutor or instructor (conferences will rotate) at least once every two weeks.  Second, you must bring a work-in-progress to each writing workshop/conference or be prepared to write, with the help of your tutor, in workshop. Your instructor and workshop leader will discuss your progress weekly.  This is a labor-intensive effort on the part of your instructor and tutor, but it is one that we feel will benefit you.  Third, you must share with us how this project is working.  Since this is a pilot project, we need to know what activities are most helpful and what activities are ineffective, so we will ask for frequent feedback. 

 

Workshops/Conferences:

ü       Be on time.

ü       Missing a workshop/scheduled conference will be counted as a workshop absence. 

ü       If you do not come prepared to the workshop/conference, you will be marked absent.  If a new draft or revised draft is required, then coming to a workshop/conference without one will lead to a workshop absence.  In addition, if the workshop/conference is one that requires you to write, then you must come prepared to write and spend the workshop hour writing and seeking help from your tutor and peers; if you do not, then you will be marked absent for workshop.

ü       Come to the workshop/conference with a question or concern about your latest assignment/draft.  You must initiate the conference, showing your interest in your work and focusing on where you need a response.

ü       Leave the conference with a new text/draft, revision or written revision plan.

ü       Make-up workshop/conference:  If you miss a workshop or are not prepared you will be marked absent; however, you have the opportunity to make it up.  You can attend the general make-up session on Friday at 2:00 or 3:00 pm in Eder 222 U-V.  However, in this makeup session, you will be required to complete a specific lesson or activity and you will not be able to receive feedback on your writing or to do your own writing.  Moreover, you will be allowed only three make-up opportunities.  Please remember that you and your writing will benefit the most by attending your regularly scheduled workshops/conferences and working on your writing. 

 

Student Disability:

                Any student in this course who has a disability that prevents the fullest expression of abilities should contact Missouri Western's special needs coordinator Michael Ritter for possible certification of special needs and expert recommendations for assistance.  You should also contact your teacher personally as soon as possible so that the two of you can discuss class requirements.

 

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 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.