ENGLISH 108: COLLEGE
WRITING AND RESEARCH
Department of English,
Foreign Languages, and Journalism
Fall 2009
Instructor:
Office: Eder Hall 222T
Courses:
ENG108-07 Tuesday &
Thursday 9:30a-10:50 at Murphy Hall 104
ENG108-13 Tuesday &
Thursday 12:30p-1:50 at Murphy Hall 113
ENG108-12 Tuesday &
Thursday 2:00p-3:20 at Murphy Hall 109
Office Hours: usually 9am-9:30 Tuesday & Thursday
Course Description
For the specific course objectives, please visit the
English Department website at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/EFLJ/eng108.asp
Course Objectives:
Required Materials
Texts:
·
Palmquist, Mike. The
· Ferguson, Susan. Pass English Comp: The Study Guide for Critical Thinking, Rhetoric, and College Writing (paperback). Sedona: Ninth Month Pub., 2008.
· Website for the Bedford Researcher: http://www.bedfordresearcher.com.
· Your choice of a collegiate dictionary, but it should be a behemoth of a dictionary, size really does matter, and must be available to use in class.
· Articles and other photocopied texts used in research projects.
Other:
· A MW email account
· Reliable access to the Internet for the websites listed above (or use MWSU computer labs)
· Flash Drives or CD-RWs for revising, saving, and backing up your work
·
College rule
paper
· A three-ring binder notebook to keep your class notes and materials organized
· A hole punch, so that articles and other materials may be inserted into your notebook
· A pocket folder in which to submit the final research project
· A sense of what it means to be in college and a reasonably good sense of humor.
Assignment and exam types:
Pre-Writings, Responses,
Reflections, Research Exercises (including Research Essays)
To find and develop topic ideas, we will do a number of
brainstorming, freewriting, and invention exercises for each project. Students
will also develop their skills of summary, synthesis, and argumentation by
responding to the readings and to each other. Research exercises will provide
an introduction to the library and other
information sources. Research essays are the backbone of the course because
students should be effective writers of research by the end of the
course—practice makes better. If I feel
that we're falling down on our responsibilities, becoming lax in our standards,
or succumbing to a general apathy for college and its power to enrich all our
lives, I may give the occasional quiz. Let's try not to go there; it's best for
all concerned to be prepared and be involved in the learning process.
Prospectus with Annotated Bibliography
For this project, students will create a
prospectus with annotated bibliography on an arguable issue related to the
field he/she wants to in. The prospectus increases students' skills in the area
of note-taking, summarizing, and synthesizing in support of their arguments,
while the bibliography assignment expands on students' formal library research
skills and provides additional practice in formal documentation.
Final Exam
The student will be given a choice of topics and
then will create an in-class essay with support for the chosen topic.
Grading
We will do three research projects, a research prospectus and a final exam in this course. In order to pass the course, you must complete the projects, the prospectus, the exam, and have no less than a 75% in Participation. In addition, the quality of your work, the percentage of the work that you complete, and your efforts at participation will determine your final grade.
A word of caution: don't underestimate the value of small assignments, preparedness, and daily participation. Even if you receive passing grades on your projects, you can fail the course because of poor performance on daily assignments. Occasional lapses are understood, but chronic lapses can only pull your grade downward.
Your Final Grade Distribution is as follows:
· Participation and Reflective essays = 25%
· 3 Research Projects (including all the work leading up to its completion) = 30%
· 1 Research Prospectus w/ Annotated Bib. (including all the work leading up to its completion) = 20%
· Final Exam = 25%
Course Requirements
Attendance and Promptness
Western has a mandatory attendance policy for all 100 and 200 level courses. Attendance is mandatory. The University allows you 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—it isn’t the responsibility of the faculty/staff to get the written verification to the instructor because it is YOUR responsibility. School functions, illness, and personal crisis do not absolve you from your classroom obligations, so while due consideration is given to the student dying on the way to class, an absence cannot be designated as "excused" or "unexcused"--it simply "is.” Lateness and absence counts against the Participation, Research Projects and Research Prospectus grades. Assignments/exams cannot be absent—ever. If absent, it is YOUR responsibility to know the who/what/when/where/why/how—the instructor will not re-teach a class day for absent students.
Regular
attendance is an essential part of the student's educational experience and a
requirement for an adequate evaluation of student academic progress. You are
responsible for material covered or assignments given which you missed because
of absence. All out-of-class assignments are due at the beginning of the class.
No quizzes/exams can be made up unless you have a legally (police report, court order, etc) well-documented emergency
that prevented you from being present to take the quiz or exam. Late assignments aren’t accepted.
You
should note, however, that mere attendance does not mean you will pass the
course. You must perform adequately on the tasks required and show initiative
in completing the course requirements, and participate positively in
discussions.
The maximum number of absences allowed for this class before the midterm report is three (based on our twice per week meeting schedule). Thus, when you have four absences I must report you to the Registrar’s Office, who will automatically withdraw you from this class. The Financial Aid Office will reduce financial aid as appropriate.
Finally, if I should be unable to meet class, a secretary, or a fellow instructor will notify you in person--NOT by a note on the classroom door. Be sure to note any assignments due upon my return.
Participation and Preparation
You will be expected to make significant contributions to the class in the form of participation and preparation. Participation includes the contributions you make to class discussion and the effort you make to be a part of our discourse community. Preparation includes doing the daily readings and responses as assigned, as well as engaging exuberantly in our activities. Keep in mind that live classroom discussion:
· gives you practice arguing with others respectfully and professionally
· gives you opportunities to formulate applications of principles
· gives you prompt feedback on difficult or confusing issues and material
· increases your retention of material through explaining,
summarizing, and questioning.
A pet peeve for me is someone who didn’t
do the readings or assignment tries “guessing” their way through a discussion.
At my discretion, if a student is unprepared for class and tries to dishonestly
“get by” in discussions or activities, I will count the student absent and
he/she will earn a zero in participation for the week. This
rule is in relation to Academic Honesty; be aware it could be worse.
Sharing Your Work
Students are expected to share their writings and other work with members of the class and, therefore, should not choose to write on topics they consider of a sensitive nature. Further, all work that a student produces may be shared by the instructor with the class for purposes of example and training. Such work will be as anonymous as possible. Finally, the instructor may share your work anonymously with future classes. Shared work must be individual and original. No one wants to read many essays that sound about the same, which usually results in a common poor grade or a low impression of the writers.
Classroom Courtesy
Practice courteous and respectful exchanges. We should be particularly careful to note how tone, rhetoric, and language all contribute to the overall impression of our words and writings. The University expects all students to conduct themselves so as to maintain an effective environment for learning; to act responsibly in accordance with good taste; and to respect fully the rights of others. Be mindful courtesy and respect are expectations and require a higher degree of effort and consistency unlike high school.
Revision
Revision is an important part of the writing process, and each project that we do will go through an intensive draft and revision stage before being turned in. Drafts will be graded for completion and used for small-group activities, and each final essay will be graded on its merits and appropriateness to the assignment with all drafts turned-in as proof of using the writing process. Since each paper will receive critiques before the final version is submitted for grading, you must consider the final version to be final. However, only two research essays that earned more than a 75% grade can be revised and turned in for up to 1/3 the original maximum points to be added to the original score for the essay. This high school-like extra point opportunity for revised essays cannot change mid-term grades after mid-term; Research Prospectus, and all other assignments or exams aren’t eligible.
Late Work
All assignments are due at the beginning of the hour on the due date, unless otherwise specified. Learning is a cumulative process and each assignment in this course is designed to build on the last assignment; therefore, late work disrupts this important aspect of the learning process. No late work will be accepted regardless how many consecutive days absent. Even if you will be absent, your assignment will make it to class because late assignments aren’t accepted (hint: have a friend drop it off at the start of class or e-mail it to me with a date/time stamp that precedes the class hour you are enrolled in). Assignments make it to class on time, even if you can’t.
Computer Usage
You will be called upon to read materials online and to use computers in and outside of class time. Further, final papers for this course must be word processed in MS Word to guarantee correct format. MWSC has a number of computer labs to help you complete this requirement. Learn to use the labs early and plan ahead to get into them during the busy parts of the semester.
Saving Work
Students should save all their work, both graded and ungraded, for this class--from notes to drafts to final papers. There may be occasions when work needs to be re-submitted or grades verified. Back up digital copies and hard copies should be made religiously at the end of each day's work.
Time Expectations
As
with all college courses, a steady devotion to duty is expected; thus, while
much work will be done in class, you must set aside an appropriate amount of
time each day to completing your assignments, including time to go to the
library and the computer lab. Remember: no late work is accepted, so
anticipate that there will be occasional glitches, whether personal or
technical, and be sure to allow an extra hour or two in your schedule to handle
unanticipated problems.
Handwriting
Some
assignments, like the reflective essay and the Final exam, will be handwritten
in class. Because handwriting still has
uses in today’s electronic environment, handwriting must be neat and legible. Cursive
or print may be used but the end product must be neat and legible; if
readability is affected, the instructor will guesstimate the grade in the F or
D range for poor penmanship. Practice
writing to keep your handwriting legible.
Electronic Devices
In this day in age laptops
and cell phones have become very convenient tools for work, personal
communication, and entertainment.
However, these same devices can be sources of distraction and the
detriment to one’s own personal growth (cheating, plagiarism, etc.). Therefore, laptops are not allowed in class unless specifically scheduled for
use in an activity as assigned by the instructor. Cell
phones are off during class. During
scheduled restroom breaks, cell phones can be turned on outside of class, but
are turned off in class once class resumes.
University 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. Using papers from previous
classes/courses is a form of plagiarism.
Safe Assignment will be used on
all turned-in research essays and some other assignments at the instructor’s
discretion. A Safe Assignment
Plagiarism score of 7% or more will be counted as Academic Dishonesty.
The student handbook is available online at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/handbook/index.pdf
Course
Policy on Academic Honesty
. . . it is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation. --
Herman Melville
Plagiarism is literally the stealing
of others' words and ideas and using them as your own. Make every effort to
give credit where credit is due, and if you are not sure of
"how"--ask. You are responsible for proving that all work turned in
for grading is your own original work for that
enrolled class. Work with evidence of plagiarism, intentional or not, will
receive a zero and may result in failure of the course. Further, all incidents
of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Provost as required by the
official University policy and may result in additional consequences for the
student.
Final Thoughts
Despite Einstein's assurances that even the motions of dust motes have pattern, life to us mere mortals is unpredictable. I recognize that at times your outside life may interfere with your classroom life. It is up to you to set your priorities and to realize that "doing it all" is not always possible or even desirable. If you are feeling overly stressed about all you have to accomplish, you need to come see me immediately. The cost of dropping college courses until you have better control over your classroom life may seem difficult, but sometimes choices have to be made that will make life more manageable—life will never be absolutely controlled.
Course Schedule
Note
that not all the assignments are given below. This is a general guide as to the
reading schedule and the major project due dates. For all other assignments,
you will be given instructions in class. You should have the readings read by
the date indicated.
Textbook
Abbreviations: P = Pass English Comp; R = The
B= Website for http://www.bedfordresearcher.com W= Website for: http://www.norton.com/college/english/write/writesite/welcome.aspx
English 108 Assignments [All of the information on this calendar is tentative and each scheduled day will be confirmed on that day of class]
August 25 Week 1
1. Class introduction; Talk
about the texts for class; Discussion of critical thinking, and cultural
literacy. 2. What books/articles should
students bring? 3. Read from Pass English Comp pages 1-8 in class.
H/W: DUE 8/27
August 27
H/W: Due 9/1
1. P: 63-76 complete the questions in each
section/chapt.
H/W: Due 9/3
B: Under “Other Resources”
complete the “Avoiding Plagiarism” Tutorial (in this section read all under
“Student Resources”) [http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/plagiarismtutorial/]
Sept 1 Week 2
H/W: Due 9/3
1. R: “Introduction for
Writers”
H/W: Due by 9/10
1. B: Under “Other Resources” select Exercise
Central, then select “Comprehensive Study Plan” and complete the “Writing with
Sources” section (all) and e-mail your results to lusera@missouriwestern.edu
Sept. 3
H/W: Due 9/8
H/W: Due by 9/15
1. B: Under “Other Resources”
select Exercise Central and complete the “Sentence Grammar” section (all) and
e-mail your results to lusera@missouriwestern.edu
Sept 8* Week 3
H/W: Due 9/10
Sept 10*
H/W: Due 9/15
Sept 15*
1. Discuss readings 2. Peer revision/editing using a draft. 3. Peer
revision using a draft. 4. Use the rest of the time to work on drafts
with help from peer groups and instructor
H/W: Due 9/17
Sept 17
H/W: Due 9/22
Sept 22 Research Essay #1 is due before class
starts. A paper copy will be turned-in
and an electronic copy will be e-mailed to the instructor
H/W: Due 9/24
H/W: Due 9/29
1. B: Under “Other Resources” select Exercise
Central and complete the “Writing and Revising” section (all) and e-mail your
results to lusera@missouriwestern.edu
Sept 24
H/W: Due 9/29
Sept. 29
1. Discuss readings and Style. 2.
Introductions and Conclusions 3. Group activity dealing with Introductions and Conclusions 4. Review and discuss “Exercise Central”
exercises 5. Research Prospectus assigned [Due Dec. 1]
H/W: Due 10/1
1.
Create a draft
Introduction and try to draft a Conclusion; turn-in draft for completion points
2.
R: 262-284
3.
Bring to class
two sources you will use for your Research Essay #2
Oct 1
1. Discuss readings 2. Gallery on Intro and Conclusions
3. Discussions about the two
sources you will use for Research Essay #2 (summarize the sources then explain
how you will synthesize the information)
H/W: Due 10/6
Oct 6
1. Gallery on the Intro and Conclusion of your
rough draft 2. Reflective writing: Write
about what defines you as an academic writer.
Turn-in reflective writing at the end of class.
H/W: Due 10/8
Oct 8
1. Discuss the reflective writing 2. Review APA 3. Use the rest of the time to
work on drafts with help from peer groups and instructor
H/W: Due 10/13
Oct 13
1. Peer revision/editing using a draft. 2. Use
the rest of the time to work on drafts with help from peer groups and
instructor
H/W: Due 10/15
Oct 15 Research Essay #2 is due before class
starts. A paper copy will be turned-in
and an electronic copy will be e-mailed to the instructor
H/W: P: 155-163; 165-168
Oct 20
H/W: Due 10/22
Oct 22
1. Discussions about the two sources you will
use for Research Essay #3 (summarize the sources then explain how you will
synthesize the information) 2. Revisit
Idea Wall 3. Argument Research Essay #3 assigned [Due Nov. 12]
H/W: Due 10/27
Oct 27
1. Question Discussion using draft thesis
statement or introduction 2. Discuss
topics for the Argument Research Essay based on drafts 2. Reflective writing: Write about what defines
you as an academic writer. Turn-in
reflective writing at the end of class.
H/W: Due 10/29
Oct 29
1. Discuss the reflective writing 2. Review Chicago and CSE 3. Discuss the use of
Transitions 4. Use the rest of the time
to work on drafts with help from peer groups and instructor
H/W: Due 11/3
H/W: Due 11/5
1. Have a draft of your prospectus ready to
share
Nov 3
Gallery on
Introductions, Conclusions, and Transitions using the drafts 2. Digest responses
3. Discuss Research Prospectus using P:
169-173 4. Use the rest of the time to
work on drafts with help from peer groups and instructor
H/W: Due 11/5
1.
Work on a new
draft for Research Essay #3. This draft
should be the most complete with a bibliography and correct integrates sources
with proper MLA, APA, Chicago, or CSE citations.
Nov 5
1. Gallery on essay drafts 2. Using peer groups, share your prospectus
drafts 3. Discuss prospectus drafts
4. Use the rest of the time to work on
drafts with help from peer groups and instructor
H/W: Due 11/10
Nov 10
1. Peer revision/editing using a draft 2. Discuss the writing process, topics, role of
writing 3. Essays: the timed assessment
H/W: Due 11/12
Nov 12 Research Essay #3 is due before class
starts. A paper copy will be turned-in
and an electronic copy will be e-mailed to the instructor
Nov 17 TBD
H/W: Bring a draft of the
Research Prospectus to share on Nov 24
Nov 19 TBD
Nov 24
Dec 1 Research Prospectus is due before class
starts. A paper copy will be turned-in
and an electronic copy will be e-mailed to the instructor
Dec 3
Final Exam Schedule
ENG108-12 (2-3:20pm) Dec. 8
-- 2:00-3:50pm
ENG108-07 (9:30-10:50) Dec.
10 -- 8:30-10:20am
ENG108-13 (12:30-1:50) Dec.
10 – 11:30-1:20pm