SYLLABUS: ENGLISH 108
COLLEGE
WRITING AND RESEARCH
Instructor: Meredith Katchen
Office: Eder Hall 232, suite P
Phone: 271-5815
E-mail: mkatchen@missouriwestern.edu
Office Hours: WF: 9-9:30, MWF: 11-11:30, M:1-2, T: 9-10:30
REQUIRED BOOKS
AND MATERIALS: For this
course you will need:
* They Say/I Say; The
Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein
* Easy Writer, A
Pocket Reference, 3rd edition, by Andrea Lunsford
* One spiral notebook (approx. 70 pages) to serve as a journal
* One folder or notebook for keeping loose papers
You may think you
are lucky by having to buy only one slim book, but what you save in cash you
will expend many times over in effort.
GENERAL
INTRODUCTION: This course
emphasizes writing. Performing research is an obvious and necessary component,
but writing with the results of your research will occupy most of our
attention. Each project has as a primary objective the purposeful and
meticulous distinction, acknowledgment, and integration of source material
within a paper of your creation. Such writing requires that you develop your own
perspective.
INTRODUCTION
BY WAY OF ANALOGY: If
this were a baking class for which you must bake apple pie, it would not be
enough to simply dump apples in a dish. In this course, it will not be enough
to simply dump into a paper a peck of ideas and information collected from
various sources; instead, with the fruits of your research, you must create an
original research pie. Or, using another analogy, if this were a class for
making jewelry for which you must make a necklace, it would not be enough to
toss down a handful of gems you have collected. No, you would need to evaluate,
select, arrange, and thread them together. Think of your collection of ideas
and information as gems, and think of your own thinking as thread.
BASIC COURSE
COMPONENTS: Be prepared
each day to use your journal for notes, exercises, comments about readings, and
other writing prompts. Classroom journaling will total about 30% of your grade.
Two major projects will total about 60% of your grade. Projects will include an
assortment of short papers and a major paper. At the end of the semester, a
public presentation will be worth about 10% of your grade.
ORIENTATION TO
PROJECTS: Projects for
this class will be united by a theme: veterans of the armed forces of the
GRADING: Though I like reading and responding to what students write, I
do not like grading. Nevertheless, I am required to submit grades. I try to
reward effort and process as well as product. I tend to reserve failure for
students who do not work or who do their work with a lack of concern or respect
… for the material, for the class, for themselves. Basically,
A = excellence in process and product
B = very good process or product
C = intense engagement with process or product, but so-so results
D = casual engagement, poor results
We will use a 1000
point grading system; therefore, A=900+ points, B=800 to 899 points, C=700 to
799 points, D=600 to 699 points. Each student will start the semester with zero
points; therefore, points will be earned by your efforts rather than lost by
your shortcomings. If the total of available points for the semester does not
reach 1000, grades will be calculated as a percent of total points such that
90+%=A, 80-89%=B, and so on.
ATTENDANCE: A student simply can not, I repeat: can NOT, succeed in this
class with less than very good attendance. Journals will be used daily, and
missing journal entries (which will earn zero points) will be taken as lack of
process and lack of engagement. Can you pass with poor attendance? Yes, it is
possible, but let me suggest this: If you are not in this class with the
intention of earning an A or B, a C at the very least, this class will be a bad
fit for you. If you are not ready to be a diligent, please leave now. You will
be doing a service to all of us – yourself, your classmates, and me.
The official
attendance policy for 100 level courses is as follows:
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 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. The maximum number of unexcused absences allowed for this class before the midterm report, March 19, 2008 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.
Coming and
Going: Late arrivals and
early departures will, if chronic (more than once) be added together to total
at least ˝ of an absence.
LATE WORK: Assigned work that is not submitted on
time may at first be penalized and finally refused. Journal entries for days you are absent will fall under this category.
REVISION OF
WRITTEN WORK: This course
will not provide much opportunity for revising completed work. However, this
course will provide opportunity for writing as a process, and the final
presentation will be drawn from already completed work.
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 your 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:
Each student should meet with me during office hours at least twice during the semester.
Noteworthy dates
Jan 21 Mon ML King Day – no class
Feb 18 Mon President’s Day – no class
Mar 1 Fri Project 1 – tentative due date
Mar 10-14 M-F Spring Break begins – no class
Mar 28 Fri Last day
to withdraw
Apr 14 Mon Project 2 – tentative due date
Apr 28 Mon Last day of class