English 364: Composition Theory

Professor: Dr. Kaye Adkins
Office: 222J Eder
Email (my preferred method of communication): kadkins@missouriwestern.edu
Office Hours:12:00-12:50 MWF; 3:00-3:50 MF; and by appointment

Required texts:
Lindemann and Tate, An Introduction to Composition Studies, Oxford UP, 1991
Tate, Rupiper, and Schick, A Guide to Composition Pedagogies, Oxford UP, 2001
MLA Handbook

Suggested Materials:
It is a good idea to purchase for your permanent library these titles required of all English majors in our Department:

Course Objectives:
Upon completion of ENG 364 a student should be able to:

LAS Ethics Focus: English 364 is "ethics intensive." This means that our studies will involve an examination of ethical principles, questions and problems in the relatively new academic field of composition studies. You will be asked to evaluate–collaboratively and individually, orally and in writing–social, ethical, pedagogical, political, and cultural issues of each situation and text we look at and intervene in during the term.

Assignments: Students are expected to come to class prepared to discuss the assigned readings. Because this is a discussion class, you should be prepared with questions, comments, and responses to what you have read. To help you prepare for class, I have prepared study questions that you will respond to in writing. Your responses will be due when we begin discussing each reading, and you will have the chance to revise them after we have finished discussing each text. Your collected responses will be due at the end of the semester. When we discuss specific pedagogies, students who are researching key theorists cited in the assigned readings will give short (10 minute) presentations drawn from their research. We will discuss these research papers at the beginning of the semester in class and in individual conferences. Your research papers will focus on a key theorists identified in one of the readings in Composition Pedagogies. There will also be some short informal writings and exercises throughout the semester. Finally, there will be a collaborative project at the end of the semester. In small groups, you will analyze a composition textbook, identifying the theory/ies that inform it, and discussing how effectively it draws on the underlying pedagogy/ies. The groups will present their results to the class, write them in a report, and write a project completion report that evaluates the collaboration process.
 

Grading: Papers should meet the high expectations of academic research. They should be well written, with no grammar or spelling errors. They must use MLA documentation and citation forms. All assignments that are handed in late will lose one letter grade for each business day (not class day) that they are late. Because this is a discussion class, it is important that you prepare well and participate actively every day.

Grades will be weighted as follows:

Communication: I welcome the opportunity to talk to students about reading or writing assignments during my office hours. You don’t need an appointment. If you can’t drop by during my office hours, please make an appointment.

Email is the official medium for communication at Missouri Western. You should check your Missouri Western email account at least every other day. This is how professors will contact you if they need to, and it is how you will receive information about campus events, scholarship and financial aid opportunities, and other important campus information. The English Department has student listservs to announce special events (like speakers or conference opportunities), scholarship deadlines, and the like. When you send an email to a professor or office on campus, you should send it from you Western email account, so that we know it is campus business.

A note on email etiquette: When you write an email to a professor, approach it as correspondence in a professional setting. This means including an informative subject line (at the very least, the course number), complete sentences, correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling, a salutation, and a signature. If you are including an attachment, you should tell the recipient what it is.
 

Absences: Students missing four class periods will have their semester grade lowered one letter grade. If you miss class, check with your classmates to find out what short assignments you missed. You can also find the Schedule of Assignments on line (see below). If you must be absent for a number of class sessions and you know in advance, please talk to me about it; otherwise, talk to me when you return. I understand that many of you have work and family responsibilities, but you should make success in your college courses your priority. Your education is your most important job, so you should arrange your schedule accordingly.

Academic honesty: 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
 

Disabilities: Please let me know during the first week of class about any physical handicap or learning disability if you need special help or accommodation in order to do your best work.
 

Schedule of Assignments: I try to adapt each of my classes to the needs and interests of the students. This means that the Schedule of Assignments may change.