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SYLLABUS: ENGLISH 104

COLLEGE WRITING AND RHETORIC

Fall ’09 Sections 01 and 02

Instructor: Meredith Katchen

Office: Eder Hall 232, suite P

E-mail: mkatchen@missouriwestern.edu

Office Hours: MW: 10:00 –12:00, TR: 1:50 – 2:20

REQUIRED BOOKS AND MATERIALS:

· Indignation, by Philip Roth

· One spiral notebook, 40 to 70 pages, to be used for this class only

· A simple pocket folder for keeping completed assignments

GENERAL COURSE ORIENTATION: There are conventional but not universally accepted definitions of rhetoric, and there is not universal agreement on how or even why to teach or study it. For a sampling of such definitions and interpretations, please refer to:

http://rhetoric.sdsu.edu/about_us/what_is_rhetoric.htm

http://www.uta.edu/english/rcct/E5311/rherotics.html

For this class, I ask you to accept the basic Aristotelian notion that rhetoric is attached to processes of constructing and negotiating what is good and useful. Students will become familiar with some important terminology and concepts associated with rhetoric (concepts such as ethos, pathos, logos), and it is expected that such familiarity will be reflected in student writing.

BASIC COURSE COMPONENTS:

1. Papers: For this class, expect to write as many as twelve papers varying between one and five pages. These will be worth about 60% of your grade. Evaluation criteria for each paper will be specified. Papers that do not satisfy basic criteria will earn zero points.

2. Journals: Spiral notebooks will serve as journals. Expect to use your journal each day. Journals may be used for notes, exercises, responses to prompts, brainstorming, and so forth. To earn full points, a journal entry will be appropriate to the task, voluminous, and thoughtful. I will collect and evaluate journals from time to time during the semester. Journals will be worth approximately 30% of your grade. Make sure to write your name prominently in your journal. Make sure your journal entries are dated. Your journals should be used for this class only.

3. Final: A final writing assignment will be worth 10% of your grade.

ATTENDANCE: A student cannot succeed in this class with less than very good attendance. An A is possible with two or three absences but becomes highly unlikely thereafter. Absence causes a student to miss or misunderstand assignments. Absence causes a student to miss points for (and the benefits of) journal entries. Further, absence does not excuse a student from penalties attached to late work or being unprepared. Other than those absences described below in the official attendance policy, no absence will be excused, regardless of the reason. In my record book, attendance is not a judgment; rather, it is a simple reflection of physical reality.

The official attendance policy:

A student cannot succeed in this class with less than excellent attendance. Absence may cause a student to miss or seriously misunderstand an assignment. Absence may cause a student to miss the point of, as well as the points for, a journal entry. Further, absence does not excuse a student from a due date (see policy above regarding late and missing work), so absence may cause a student to lose points for late work. Neither does absence excuse a student from being fully prepared for the next class. The only excused absences are those listed below in the official attendance policy. All other absences, all, will be recorded as absences. Here is the official MWSU attendance policy for 100 level courses:

In order to improve student learning and retention, as well as to achieve compliance with federal financial aid policies, Western has a mandatory attendance policy for 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 the maximum number of unexcused absences, instructors will report the students 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.

The maximum number of unexcused absences prior to mid-term reporting is five (5).

LATENESS: Late arrivals and early departures will most likely cause a student to miss journal work, assignments, discussions, and lecture material for which the student will, nevertheless, be held responsible.

LATE WORK: Assigned work that is not submitted on time will be penalized (up to one letter-grade for each day late) or refused (in which case zero points will be earned). However, I reserve the right to grant extensions to students who prove themselves diligent and who discuss with me, in advance of a due date, their need for an extension.

REVISION OF SUBMITTED WORK: This course will treat each paper you submit as finished. However, there will generally be opportunities for students to share and rethink ideas before drafts are finalized, and I am usually available to discuss drafts with you during office hours. This policy should not be taken as contrary to specific revision assignments that may be given.

GRADING: We will use a 1000 point system. Each student will begin the semester with zero points. Students who accumulate 900 or more points will receive a grade of A, 800 to 899 points = B, 700 to 799 points = C, and 600 to 699 points = D. A grade of C or better is prerequisite for English 108. Students who earn fewer than 600 points will fail the course. In the event we do not reach 1000 assigned points, grades will be calculated as a percent of actual points available, in which case 90% or more equals A, 80% to 89% equals B, and so on.

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 maintain good conditions for teaching and learning. All students will treat 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: I reserve the right to require you to meet with me during office hours, perhaps to praise you, perhaps not. Even if not required, I invite all of you to drop by during the semester.

TENTATIVE DATES

August 31 assignment #1 due

September 7 Labor Day Holiday

September 9 #2

Sept 14 #3

Sept 21 #4

Sept 28 #5

October 5 #6

October 9 Mid-term break

Oct 12 #7

Oct 19 #8

Oct 26 #9

November 2 #10

November 9 #11

November 16 #12

Nov 25 – 27 Thanksgiving Holiday

December 4 Last day of class

Final Exams: Section 01 – Wednesday, Dec 9, 8:30am

Section 02 – Friday, Dec 11, 8:30am