Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Journalism
Syllabus—Spring 2008
ENG 104 College Writing and Rhetoric
Instructor: Ellen Lilley, MS Ed
Office:
Eder Hall 212 816-271-4239
ext elilley@missouriwestern.edu (conference by appointment)
Meeting information: Section
18 T-Th Murphy Hall Room 105
8:00 a.m.-- 9:20 p.m.
Section
04 T-Th
Eder Hall Room 223 11:00 a.m.--12:20 p.m.
Required
Text and materials:
The
Computer disks or jump drives for
revising and saving work.
Printer
and internet access (available at many sites on campus)
Notebook for journal entries, class
work, notes, etc.
highlighter,
stapler, and portfolio cover
Bookmark these web sites: http://www.time-management-for-students.com
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/theguide8e
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
Course Description:
Students will develop skills
that will help them to think critically, read actively, respond to texts and
others’ ideas, and to explore and effectively express their ideas.
Course Goals:
To
communicate ideas and perceptions clearly, students will:
Summarize,
analyze, and evaluate texts
Engage
in formal and informal, personal and collaborative writing and speaking
Participate
in peer revision groups
Recognize
and practice Writing Processes
Methods of Instruction:
A variety of methods will be used to encourage students’
learning: textbooks, lectures, class
discussions, group work, journaling, informal and formal writing. Students are expected to read, summarize, and
respond to text selections, take notes, ask questions, complete journal and
other writing exercises and assignments, and participate in peer revision teams,
and conference with instructor. Each of
these activities will contribute to your final grade.
For common objectives/means and
institutional competencies for ENG-104, refer to the English department website
at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/~engdept/eng104.html
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. For this class the maximum number of
absences allowed before the midterm report is two. When you incur a third absence before
March 19, 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. In
addition, if you exceed four absences during the course of the semester
in this class, you will receive an F for the course, no matter what your
grade is at that time. If you choose to contest absences, you will required to present documentation for ALL absences.
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.
Three tardies count as an absence. Leaving class early twice counts as an
absence. Sleeping in class may count as an absence. When absent, use your assignment schedule
(p-drive) because you are expected to return from absences prepared for
class. Late work will not be accepted
and in-class quizzes and writings cannot be made up.
Grades: A minimum grade of “C” in this
course, ENG-104, is required for admission into ENG-108.
Grades are determined
by the percentage (90%=A/80%=B/70%=C) of points accumulated
on:
o
quizzes, informal writings, drafts, and other assignments:
200 points
o
Portfolio of revised formal writings: 300 points
·
Task One: due 2/12/08 I
Believe, a personal narrative
·
Task Two: due 3/06/08 Profile,
an investigative description
·
Task Three: due 3/27/08 Academic
Concept, a researched exposition
·
Task Four: due 4/08/08 Opposing
Positions, a team analysis and synthesis
·
Task Five: due 4/22/08 My
Portfolio, a persuasive letter
o
Presentation 4/24—5/06 25 points
o
Final Exam 4/30—6/06 75 points
All
drafts and final papers for this course must be word-processed (MLA style) and
saved on disks/thumb drives with backups recommended. Keep all process-work to
document your writing process. Two copies of word-processed drafts are required
for participation in mandatory peer revision teams and for student-teacher
conferences; failure to prepare for/attend revision sessions or conferences may
count as absences.
You must
complete all requirements—portfolios, presentation, and final exam— in order to
pass this course. If you are not in class on a due
date, you are still responsible for submitting papers on time. If you must be
absent when a draft or final task paper is due, the paper must be e-mailed as
an attachment (in Rich Text Format) before your class meeting time to be
considered on time. All portfolios must
be presented to me before or upon arrival at class unless you have made prior
arrangements. Your presentation must be
made on the date assigned unless you are able to reschedule with your
instructor before the assigned date. Only
one late task will be accepted—it must be handed in at the beginning of the
next class meeting, and there will be a 10% deduction.
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 2006-07 Student Handbook and Calendar (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://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
Note: Welcome. You
can succeed in this course! Experience
indicates that students who attend class regularly and complete daily
work find success; experts report that students who spend 2-3 hours studying
for each hour in the classroom have the greatest success rate. If you have problems or questions, please
call or e-mail, or make an appointment to see me so we can work together to
create a positive experience for you—and please don’t wait until the
last minute when there is no way for you to “fix” the problem!