Missouri Western State University

College of Arts and Sciences

Department of English, Foreign Language, and Journalism

ENG104-40 College Writing and Rhetoric

Online

Dr. Stacia Bensyl,  Eder Hall 222 I

Phone 271-5936  email—bensyl@missouri western.edu

Office hours: 2-3 MW, 9:30-11:30 TR, and by appointment

 

Required Text:

 

Hirschberg, Stuart and Terry Hirschberg, eds.  One World, Many Cultures.  7th ed.  New York: Pearson, 2009.

 

Optional Text:

I cannot stress the importance of having a good handbook.  If you already have a handbook from another class, that is fine.

 

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 104-40 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:

  • Write four papers, each of which uses one of four modes
  • Share ideas with others in the class to establish a sense of audience
  • Complete pre-writing assignments
  • Edit your own and your peers’ papers both for content and form

 

Grading policy:

                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.

 

                Each assignment you are given will be worth a specific amount of points, and the possible total points value of each assignment will be clearly indicated on the assignment.

 

Requirements and advice:

  • Because this is an online class, I expect you to have daily access to a computer.  You must have an open email account at MWSU in order to participate in this class.  You must submit your work in Microsoft Word 2007 format.  I will not accept any other formatted work.
  • One idea some people have about online classes is that they can do the work “any time they want to.”  That is true, up to a point.  You cannot, however, turn in work “any time you want to.”  I have specific due dates and time restrictions on assignments.  The key to being successful in a course of this nature is keeping up with daily work and pacing yourself.  Waiting until the last minute to do your work is the kiss of death.
  • I will not accept late work.  When WebCT logs your work as late you will receive no credit for it.  If you are having technical difficulties, contact me.
  • Make sure you save your work to something you have access to.  Don’t save it to a desktop you may not be able to get to each day.  NEVER save anything to a MWSU desktop.  They are cleared daily and your work will disappear.
  • I insist on professionalism and respect in your interactions, both with me and with your peers.  Postings for class discussion should contain language your grandmother could read without blushing.  This doesn’t mean we can’t disagree.  I encourage it, as long as we are all civil with one another.  Sometimes it is difficult to convey tone effectively online.
  • If you have some unforeseen problem, contact me.  I cannot help you if I don’t know what is going on.  Students often think the problem will just go away.
  •  If you don’t hear from me for a few days, or don’t get a response to your paper, please contact me to see if there is a problem.  I may not have received your work.  Keep on top of our communication and I will do the same.  
  • Feel free to stop by my office if you wish.  Just because we are online doesn’t mean we have to be completely anonymous.

 

Paper Topics and Due Dates:

Paper #1: Process Analysis essay—September 14

Paper #2: Comparison/contrast essay—October 7

Paper #3: Cause and Effect Analysis essay—November 9

Paper #4: Argumentative essay—December 7

 

 

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 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.  As this is a non-traditional class, I cannot take daily attendance.  Your participation is your attendance. Thus, when you have failed to post or turn in your work six times by the midterm reporting date of October 16 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.

 

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.

 

Academic Honesty Policy:

I abide by all the regulations outlined in the Missouri Western State College Catalog and Student Handbook:

 

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

 

 I will not tolerate plagiarism, cheating, or claiming another's work as your own.  Please don't cheat!  If I find evidence of academic dishonesty, I will automatically assign that student an “F” for the course.

 

Week 1                                                  Read “Welcome” on WebCT announcements                                             

                                                                Read “Process Analysis” on WebCT assignments

August 24-28                                        Read “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema” page 475

Complete analysis of “Body Ritual” on WebCT assignments and submit Due August 26 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

                                                                Read  “China Chic: East Meets West” page 508

                                                                Complete analysis of “China Chic” on WebCT assignments and submit                                                               Due August 28 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

 

Week 2                                                  Read “Initiated into an Iban Tribe of Headhunters” page 142                                                                                 Complete analysis of “Initiated” on WebCT assignments and submit   

August 31-                                            Due August 31 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

September 4                                         Take quiz over One World, Many Cultures readings on WebCT assessments and submit Due August 31 by 11:30 CST (15 points)

Complete prewrite #1 and submit Due September 2 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

Complete prewrite #2 and submit Due September 4 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

                                                               

 

Week 3                                                  Complete prewrite #3 and submit Due September 8 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

                                                                Post rough draft Due September 9 by 11:30 PM CST (50 points)

Post peer reviews Due September 11 by 11:30 PM CST (50 points)

September 7-11                                   Edit rough draft

                                                                Read “Editing Strategies” on WebCT assignments 

Final draft of paper #1 due September 14 by 11:30 PM CST  (100 points)

 

 

 

Week 4                                                  Read “Comparison and Contrast” on WebCT assignments

                                                                Read “What We Think of America” page 284             

September 14 – 18                              Complete analysis of “What We Think” on WebCT assignments and submit Due September 16 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

                                                                Read “Learning from Ladakh” page 275

                                                                Complete analysis of “Learning” on WebCT assignments and submit                                                                    Due September 18 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

 

                                                                Read  “ The Scent of Two Cities” page 445

Week 5                                                  Complete  analysis of  “Scent” on WebCT assignments and submit Due September 21 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

September 21 – 25                              Take quiz over One World, Many Cultures readings on WebCT assessments and submit Due September 21 by 11:30 PM CST (15 points)

Complete prewrite #1 and submit Due September 23 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

Complete prewrite #2 and submit Due September 25 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

 

 

Week 6                                                  Complete prewrite #3 and submit Due September 28 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

                                                                Post rough draft Due September 30 by 11:30 PM CST (50 points)

Post peer reviews Due October 2 by 11:30 PM CST (50 points)

September 28 -                                     Edit rough draft

October 2                                             

 

 

Week 7                                                  Final draft of paper #2 Due October 7 by 11:30 PM CST (100 points)

                                                                Read “Cause and Effect” on WebCT assignments

October 5 - 9                                         Read “The Little Emperors” page 64

Complete analysis of “Little Emperors” on WebCT and submit Due October 9 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

               

 

Week 8                 

                               

October 12 – 16                                   Read “Generation Debt” page 260

Complete analysis of “Generation” on WebCT and submit Due October 12 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

                                                                Read “Live Free and Starve” page 290

Complete analysis of “Live Free” on WebCT and submit Due October 14 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

Take quiz over One World, Many Cultures readings on WebCT assessments and submit  Due October 16 by 11:30 PM CST (15 points)

 

                                               

 

Week 9

 

October 19 - 23                                    Complete prewrite #1 and submit Due October 19 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

Complete prewrite #2 and submit  Due October 21 by 11:30 PM CST(20 points)

Complete prewrite #3 and submit  Due October 23 by 11:30 PM CST(20 points)

                                               

 

 

Week 10                                               

Post rough draft Due October 26 by 11:30 PM CST (50 points)

Post peer review Due October 28 by 11:30 PM CST (50 points)

October 26 - 30                                    Edit rough draft

 

                                                               

 

Week 11

                                                               

               

November 2 - 6                                    Final draft of paper #3 Due November 6 by 11:30 PM CST  (100 points)

Read “Argumentation” on WebCT assignments

                                                                Read “Civilize Them With a Stick” page 304

Complete analysis of “CivilizeThem” on WebCT and submit Due November 2 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

                                                                Read “A Look Behind the Veil” page 185

Complete analysis of “A Look” on WebCT and submit Due November 4 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

 

                                                                Read “The Threat of National ID” page 405

Week 12                                                Read “Why Fear National ID Cards?” page 408

                                                                Complete analysis of “The Threat and Why Fear” on WebCT November 9-13                                    and submit Due November 11 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

Take quiz over One World, Many Cultures readings on WebCT assessments and submit Due November 13 by 11:30 PM CST (15 points)

 

Week 13                                                               

                                                               

November 16 - 20                               Complete prewrite #1 and submit Due November 16 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

Complete prewrite #2 and submit  Due November 18 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

Complete prewrite #3 and submit  Due November 20 by 11:30 PM CST (20 points)

Week 14                                                               

 

November 23 – 27                              Post rough draft  Due November 23 by 11:30 PM CST (50 points)

                                                               

Week 15

 

November 30 –                                    Post peer review Due December 2 by 11:30 PM CST (50 points)

                                                                Edit rough draft

December 4

 

Final draft of paper #4due December 7 by 11:30 PM CST (100 points)