Missouri Western State University, Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Journalism
Class: 5-6:20 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays
Writer’s Workshop: 6:30-7:20 p.m. Mondays
Fall 2008
Teacher: Steve Bennett
Office: English Department
Phone: 660-748-3211, ext. 238
Office Hours: Before and after class, by appointment
E-mail: sbennett@missouriwestern.edu
Attendance Policy:
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. This course has a very strict attendance policy in class as well as in Writer’s Workshops. If you miss five classes or four Writer’s Workshops, for the entire semester , you will receive an F in the class. 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; however, there are no other excused absences, exceptions or “makeups” for this attendance requirement. Furthermore, the maximum number of absences allowed before the midterm report, insert date here, for this class is three classes. Thus, when you have four 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.
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. No late assignments will be accepted unless you have received prior permission from your teacher.
Required Texts and Course Materials:
Introduction to College Writing – ENG 100, McGraw-Hill, 2008 (Fourth Edition) and A Troubleshooting Guide for Writers, McGraw-Hill, 2008
(Writer’s Workshop book is included in textbook)
Computer disks/jump drive
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 all 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. This handbook is available online at http://missouriwetsern.edu/handbook/index.pdf.
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. You need a C or higher to pass ENG 100 and enter ENG 104. The components of your grade in the course are based on the four essays you write for this class, the weekly in-class writings, and your work in Writer’s Workshop.
Writing. You will complete four major writing tasks that will be graded by your teacher. 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.
Writer’s Workshop:
Throughout the course of the semester, you will attend the once-a-week, small group Writer’s Workshops (listed as “labs” in the class schedule). Some of your Writer’s Workshop materials may be used in class, and some of your class papers will be critiqued and proofread in Writer’s Workshops. You must ensure that you have the right materials in the right place. Your teacher may also consider you Writer's Workshop participation as part of your grade.
If you miss four Writer’s Workshops, you will fail ENG 100. You can make-up an absence, but you must attend the make-up session on Friday of the week you missed. You can only attend the make-up session three times throughout the entire semester. If you wish to appeal your failure due to absences, you must be able to provide valid documentation for ALL absences and you must have an A or B grade in ENG 100 at the time (see Appeal Procedure in textbook). In addition to not showing up for workshop, you can also be counted absent for the following reasons (these situations also apply to class as well):
-arriving very late; tardies will be added up for an absence
-not having required materials (textbook, draft of paper, portfolio, etc.)
-not participating/not paying attention to the SA and the lesson
-sleeping
-unacceptable behavior that impedes others’ learning such as being disruptive, showing disrespect to your SA and/or peers, using foul language, using a cell phone or other electronic devices, working on other coursework
Writer’s Workshop Portfolio: Throughout the semester, you will be required to keep a notebook or folder that will serve as your Writer’s Workshop portfolio. Each week, you will record all of the activities and responses for workshop which may include the textbook lessons as well as mini-reflective writings, freewrites and/or work on your ENG 100 task papers. In addition, it is required that you always have a current assignment sheet and task paper in your Writer’s Workshop portfolio. If you miss a workshop, you will not be able to make-up that week’s lesson unless you attend the make-up session on Friday. At the end of the semester, you will write a cover letter for your Writer’s Workshop portfolio. Then your completed portfolio will be submitted to your ENG 100 instructor, graded and will count towards your final ENG 100 course grade. As a result, attending and participating in workshop will be vital to your ENG 100 grade. Furthermore, if you take advantage of this time to learn new writing skills and apply them to your ENG 100 coursework and to work on and receive feedback on your task papers, you will see an improvement in your writing and in your course grade.
Due Dates for Formal Writing Assignments:
Task One: September 17
Task Two: October 13
Task Three: November 5
Task Four: December 3
Student Disability:
Any student in this course who has a disability that prevents the fullest expressions 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 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 classroom activity. Cheating and plagiarism are not acceptable. If your teacher finds evidence of cheating or plagiarism, you have the burden of showing that the paper has in fact been written by you. You should keep thorough evidence of your writing processes for all papers so that you can meet this burden of proof. 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 showing evidence of cheating and/or plagiarism has been in fact written 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. Please see the Student Handbook for specific activities identified as violations of this policy and the student due process procedure. This handbook is also available online at http://missouriwetsern.edu/handbook/index.pdf.