College of Arts and Sciences
Department of English, Foreign
Language, and Journalism
ENG104-01 College Writing and
Rhetoric,
Dr. Stacia Bensyl, Eder
Hall 222 I
Phone 271-5936
email—bensyl@missouriwestern.edu
Office hours:
Required Text:
Optional Text:
I cannot stress the
importance of having a good handbook. If
you already have a handbook from another class, that is fine.
Please bring your
books to class every day.
Course Objectives:
This course is the first of a two-part composition requirement at Missouri Western. In this course you will begin to look at your own, your peers’ and professionals’ writing as ways to communicate complex ideas effectively. For the purposes of this course, let’s define rhetoric as the art of employing specific modes, or elements, in your writing, usually with the idea of influencing your reader in some way. The term also applies to speaking, and you may have heard it used in that context.
In English 104-1 you
will meet the following objectives:
· Learn the elements of four specific rhetorical modes
· Be aware of the audience for each of these papers
· Practice pre-writing as a way to organize your ideas for your papers
· Edit your own and your peers’ papers
· Read essays which use each of the four modes and be able to evaluate their effectiveness
To meet these
objectives you will:
Paper Topics:
Paper #1: Process
Analysis essay
Paper #2:
Comparison/contrast essay
Paper #3: Cause and
Effect Analysis essay
Paper #4:
Argumentative essay
· Your four portfolios are each worth 25% of your
final grade.
NOTE: I will bring portfolios to
class once to hand them back. If you're not in class to receive your
portfolio, you need to come to my office to pick it up.
Final Exam Period:
You MUST attend the
final exam period to pass the class. It
is college policy that we meet during the final exam period. I will collect your fourth portfolio and give
you your final grade at that time. If
you do not attend the final exam meeting, you will fail the class.
In class
writing/portfolio policy:
You will write something in class almost every day. I say almost, because sometimes peer reviews or class discussion will take up all of our class time. You cannot make up the in class writings. Each day's assignment must be dated. Individual assignments will not be graded; instead, you will be graded on your portfolio of in class writings, rough draft, and peer reviews (one grade) and your final paper (one grade). Those two grades will be averaged for your total portfolio grade. You will receive instructions for each of the four papers well in advance of their due dates. All rough drafts must be word-processed. Handwritten rough drafts will be docked points. On portfolio due dates, I will collect your completed portfolio. You will receive an evaluation of the in class work in the portfolio, as well as an evaluation of the process and final draft of your paper.
Attendance policy:
In order to improve student learning and retention, as well as to achieve compliance with federal Financial Aid policies, Western has implemented a mandatory attendance policy for students in all 100- and 200-level courses. Instructors are required to monitor and track student attendance. 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. Any additional excused absences are at the complete discretion of the instructor.
When a student exceeds five absences in this class, I will complete the Student Absence Reporting Form and submit it to the Registrar’s Office, who will administratively withdraw the student from the course and notify the Financial Aid Office to reduce financial aid as appropriate.
Student Disability:
Students with disabilities (impaired hearing, vision, reading disorders, etc.) should notify me in writing of the disability before the end of the first week of class. In consultation with the Center for Academic Support, I will work out a course of study for such students.
Grading policy:
First off, you can't pass this class without turning in all four of your portfolios and attending the final exam meeting. The grading scale is as follows:
100-90% = A
80-89% = B
70-79% = C
60-69% = D
59-0% = F
Remember, you must receive a grade of "C" or above to enroll in English 108 next semester.
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 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
If I find evidence of any academic dishonesty, the student will receive an “F” in the course.
Late paper policy:
You may turn in one late portfolio. Your late portfolio cannot be the final portfolio. The late portfolio must be turned in the class meeting after its original due date.
Rewrite Policy:
You may re-write papers in portfolios #1and #2, for a better
grade. Due dates for re-writes will be
announced in class when I hand back papers.
The grade you receive for the re-write will be averaged with the grade you
initially received for the portfolio. I
do not require students to re-write. The
process is optional. I do require you,
however, to take the re-write process seriously. Simply making mechanical changes in the paper
is not re-writing--it's editing. That
should have been done initially. Re-writes will be handed back to you at some
point during the semester, but I give precedence to current assignments. It is possible that a re-write might not get
back to you until the last week of class.
Class Assignment
Schedule:
Please remember that
this is a TENTATIVE schedule. We may
need to adjust due dates or assignment dates as the semester progresses. Most of the essays you will be reading are on
this schedule. I will also be assigning
“how to” or instructional readings from the text orally in class. It’s important that you note any additional
reading assignments. The term
"invention" refers to any writing that we do which is
"brainstorming" or "prewriting" for your final paper, or any writing which lets you practice techniques and
methods of writing. Please come to class
having read the assignment for that day.
Be prepared to write in class every day.
Reading/Writing Assignments:
Aug. 25 Introduction and class standards
27 “Process Analysis,” pages 207-219
28 “How to Mark a Book” page 220
Sep. 1 Labor Day—no class
3 “How to Say Nothing in 500 Words” page 227
5 “Why Leaves Turn Color in the Fall” page 244
8 “Campus Racism 101,” page 249
10 invention—Process Analysis essay
12 invention—Process Analysis essay
15 invention—Process Analysis essay
17 Rough draft of Essay #1 due for peer review
19 Portfolio #1 due/Introduction to Comparison/Contrast essay
“Comparison and Contrast,” pages 258-271
22 “Neat People vs. Sloppy People,” page 276
24 “Of Weirdos and Eccentrics,” page 280
26 TBA
29 “Sex, Lies, and Conversation” page 293
Oct. 1 invention—Comparison/Contrast essay
6 invention—Comparison/Contrast essay
8 invention—Comparison/Contrast essay
10 Fall break—no class
13 Rough draft of Essay #2
due for peer review
Post on
15 peer review on
17 peer review on
20 Portfolio #2 due
22 “Cause and Effect Analysis,” page 408
24 “How Boys Become Men,” page 444
27 “How
29 “iPod World: The End of Society?” page 432
31 “The Real Computer Virus” page 437
Nov. 3 invention—Cause and Effect Analysis essay
5 invention—Cause and Effect Analysis essay
7 invention—Cause and Effect Analysis essay
10 Rough draft of essay #3 due for peer review
12 Paper #3 due/Introduction to Argumentative essay
14 “Argumentation,” page 454
16 “The Case for Short Words,” page 480
17 “I Have a Dream,” page 486
19 “What Does It Mean to Love One’s Country?” page 492
21 “My Father Was an Anonymous Sperm Donor,” page 500
24 invention—Argumentative essay
26 No class—Thanksgiving Break
28 No class—Thanksgiving Break
Dec. 1 invention—Argumentative essay
3 invention—Argumentative essay
5 Rough draft of essay #4 due for peer review
FINAL EXAM:
English
104-1—Wednesday, December 10,