Missouri Western State University, Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Journalism

English 104-19: College Writing & Rhetoric

Fall 2009

 

Instructor: Jeff McMillian                                                                           Office: Eder 213

Eng. 104, Section 19 (10215)                                                           Phone: Home 676-2887

Time: Monday 6:30 Ð 9:20                                                      Email: jmcmillian@mac.com

Room: Murphy Hall 104                       

 

Course Description:  ENG 104 students will complete four essays and an oral presentation in addition to other graded and ungraded work through which you will learn how to discover ideas, respond to texts, and summarize others' ideas. In these assignments, students will learn how to analyze readings and share information with others by reading and responding to course texts and other materials gathered through research.  The final essay will involve research.  Detailed prompts for the essay assignments will be handed out well in advance of the due dates. You will receive feedback and response to each of your essays, and I will be talking with you about my assessment of your work throughout the semester.  Generally, though, you will know how you are doing from comments on your papers.  Final drafts of all formal writing assignments must be word-processed.  All students are expected to be prepared for class and participate in class discussions related to reading and writing assignments.  In addition, students will keep complete portfolios of all their writings.  Before any grade appeal will be processed, the complete portfolio of writings will have to be submitted to the Departmental Review Committee.

 

Objectives: 

Learning to write for different audiences and purposes Students willÉ

  .      make journal entries to explore their minds and to extend the range of their personal lives.

  .      write essays to communicate ideas and impose order on their thoughts and experiences;

  .      use organizational methods and genres appropriate for different purposes;

  .      construct academic essays that meet criteria for thesis, rhetoric, organization, development, and language.

Learning to use active reading and critical thinking  Students willÉ

  .      identify the main concepts and locate supporting details in written works;

  .      read actively for greater understanding;

  .      develop their ideas and concepts with specific details, examples, and explanations;

  .      write summaries that accurately reflect the main ideas and supporting reasons of written texts.

  .      explain the organization of written works;

  .      analyze the needs of different audiences.

Learning to use writing processes  Students willÉ

  .      practice various invention techniques;

  .      use prewriting to recreate and reflect on their experiences;

  .      use prewriting to generate information and discover ideas;

  .      move easily from writing for self-expression to writing for readers;

  .      write at greater length more easily, more quickly, and more usefully;

  .      reread early drafts to rethink what they want to write;

  .      revise for clear presentation of their ideas;

  .      revise for depth of insight, clarity of organization, and suitability for different purposes.

  .      identify and correct their own spelling, grammatical, and mechanical errors, especially in the final stage of the writing process.

Learning written conventions
Students willÉ

  .      use thesis statements, topic sentences, and transitions;

  .      apply all types of common developmental and organizational forms;

  .      identify the main qualities of effective sentences;

  .      practice active sentence style and rich, efficient modification;

  .      practice systematic approaches to editing sentences;

  .       craft more effective paragraphs.

 

Required texts & materials:

Kennedy, X.J., Dorothy M. Kennedy, Marsha F. Muth and Marcia F. Muth.  The Bedford Guide for College Writers.  8th ed.  Boston:  St. MartinÕs, 2008.

  

You will need a durable notebook with plenty of room for extensive prewriting, drafting and documentation.  You will need a second notebook for in-class notes.  You should have a recent collegiate dictionary of approximately 200,000 entries. 

 

Students with Disabilities:  If you have a disability that prevents or hinders your completion of class assignments you should notify me at once in writing so that we can identify a suitable plan of accommodation. 

 

Attendance:  Because this class meets only once per week, missing one class equals missing an entire week of instruction, so attendance is mandatory.  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-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.  Notify me ahead of time if a situation develops that jeopardizes your attendance, as I reserve the right to consider extreme efforts to make up absences due to exceptional emergencies, but I am under no obligation to do so.  Even in such circumstances, late work is unacceptable.  Even in emergencies, one letter grade will be deducted for each day an assignment is late.  Again, see me in advance before you miss an assignment deadline so that we can arrange a suitable solution.  Most times, a student is better served by repeating the course so as to gain the full benefit of instruction.

            All other absences will be deemed unexcused.  The maximum number of unexcused absences allowed for this class before the midterm report, March 19 is 1.  Thus, when you have 2 unexcused absences you will be reported to the RegistrarÕs Office, who will automatically withdraw you from this class.  The Financial Aid Office will reduce financial aid as appropriate.

 

 

Grading:   Points will be awarded for all projects.  At the end of the semester, I will divide your points by the number of points possible and award grades as follows;

 

90-99% = A

80-89% = B

70-79% = C

60-69% = D

Below 60% = F

 

I anticipate the following number of possible points for the semester:

 

Up to 100 possible points for in-class discussions and exceptional notebook work.

100 possible points for Project #1

150 possible points for Project #2

200 possible points for Project #3

250 possible points for Project #4

75 possible points for oral presentation

Up to 50 possible points for quizzes

Points for final exam to be determined

 

As the points awarded per assignment indicate, becoming strong writers by the end of the semester is the ultimate goal.  Starting weak is not as important as sticking with the writing process and arriving at a successful result at the end of the semester. 

 

Paper Format:  All drafts and all essays must be typed, double-spaced, in a twelve point font or the equivalent, with one-inch margins, and you must turn in all previous drafts along with your final drafts. Sometimes I may ask that you turn in additional materials with your final draft, such as, for example, source materials. Final drafts will not be accepted without earlier drafts and other supporting materials. Having all your notes and drafts available when I read your final draft allows me to offer you more specific and detailed responses to your work and helps me better understand how youÕre developing as a writer and reader. Such material is also an essential safeguard against plagiarism, since this material demonstrates your own involvement in developing a final draft.

 

Revisions:  You may revise either the first or second essay project.  If you choose to revise your paper, you must turn in the revision the week after the paper is returned to you.

 

Visiting the Center for Academic Support will improve your revision skills. The Center is located in the northeast corner of the library building. Contact the office at 271-4524.  I will award extra credit up to 10 additional points for visiting CAS during the 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 anotherÕs 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 studentÕs 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 2008-09 Student Handbook and Calendar on page 24 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

Learning to credit other scholars is a critical skill for writers in all disciplines.

 

Classroom Behavior:  As adults at Missouri Western, all students will treat their classmates and teacher with civility and respect.  Your MWSU Student Handbook states that instructors Òmay establish additional classroom rules and expectations for conduct in the classroom.  Behavior which disrupts the classroom environment or interferes with other studentsÕ ability to learn may be grounds or justification for dismissal from the classroomÓ (29-30).  During the semester we will likely encounter topics which you feel strongly about.  Everyone should feel free to challenge their own and othersÕ opinions, but this should always be done in a respectful manner.  Other commonsense rules of classroom etiquette:  no sleeping, eating, conducting private conversations, damaging property, or headphones will be tolerated.  Please turn off pagers and cell phones while in class. 

 

Use of Library:  I know that some of you are non-traditional students, and that time is a valuable commodity.  I may provide you with some classroom time in the library for project #4, but you will find that outside hours may still be required to excel in this course.  Classroom behavior expectations apply to library visits, too.

 

Peer Response Workshops:  During peer response sessions, you will be asked to respond carefully and conscientiously to each group memberÕs writing. For each peer response workshop, you will be responsible for making notes about the feedback your peers offer to you and for keeping track of the feedback you offer to your peers.  These written notes must be turned in with final drafts of essays.

 

Tentative Course Plan:

Reading assignments should be completed before the class due date

 

Aug 24            Writing Process.  Lecture/introduction.  Writing sample.

Aug 31            Bedford 8-29 and 72-94.  Audience awareness

Sep 7               Labor Day Ð No Class

Sep 14             Discussion.  In-class writing.  Elements of Style.

Sep 21             Essay #1 due (Observe A Scene).  Bedford 104-120. 

Sep 28             Bedford 263-284. 

Oct 5                Bedford 310--357.  Draft work and peer development.

Oct 12              Essay #2 due (Compare/Contrast). 

Oct 19              Bedford 389-417 & 479-499. 

Oct 26              Peer review & draft revision. (Mid-term grades due)

Nov 2               Essay #3 due (Analyzing Issues).  Public Speaking.  Handouts.

Nov 9               Bedford 560-584.  Library orientation. Atomic CafŽ.

Nov 16             Discuss handout reading assignments.  Oral presentations.

Nov 23             Bedford 586-662.  Discuss handouts.  Oral presentations.

Nov 30             Research Project due (Rogerian Argument).  Oral Presentations.

Dec 7               Final.