English 102: Intermediate College Writing, Spring 2011

English 102: Intermediate College Writing, Spring 2011

Instructor: Ms.Howard Email:

Office Hours: 7:30-8am Tues/Thurs; 11:00-12:30 Tues; 5:30-7pm Mon Classroom: LF 130 (or HUMB lab for 8am only)

Office: LL 4F in early a.m.; Tulip Tree Café in Library after class and Mon

Goals:

This course aims to give you college-level writingand revision practice in primary and secondary research.

• Understand the role of the academic writer in college and in a profession of your choice
• Identify and critique the “rules” of various discourse communities, including online, visual, and print sources.
• Evaluate various non-academic styles of writing in today’s culture in terms of strengths and weaknesses.
• Learn how to produce meaning in a paper after undergoing several phases of significant revision.
• Improve skills in internet research and manipulation of multimedia applications for presentation purposes.

This course satisfies a University General Education Written Communication Requirement.

Prerequisite: English 101, approved transfer credit for Eng. 101 through portfolio

Course Materials:

• Joseph Harris. Rewriting.
• Gerald Graff et. al. They Say/ I Say with Readings.
• Funds for printing out course materials and making photocopies of drafts.
• Notebook paper, pen, and folder, even when in computer lab or library sessions

Major Requirements:

Assignment: Page lengths represent pages double-spaced with 1” margins on all sides / Points
Available / Tentative Due Date
Research Paper on Writing Outside the University and Pop Culture Writing Practices (Primary Research)—4 or 5 pages / 100 / 2/10
Informative Essay and Writing on the Job (Primary Research)—3 pages / 100 / 3/1
Research Paper on Writing Inside the University (Secondary Research)—4 pages—this incorporates Paper 2, so you won’t be starting from scratch / 100 / 3/15
Research Paper on a Controversial Text (Prim/Sec Research)—8 pages / 200 / 4/7
Conference Presentation w/Multimedia Component on Revision and Rewriting (Prim/Sec Research)—10/12 slides / 75 / 4/19
Reflection Paper—handwritten commentary/evaluation of English 102 / 50 / TBA
Daily homework, quizzes, grammar lessons, and in-class assignments—1/2 or 1 page each / 100-150 / All mtgs

Daily Homework:

Writing classes are skills-based classes, and you learn new skills through repeated practice. To give you this practice, there will be graded homework and classwork due every class that asks you to apply skills and concepts we have been discussing. Homework assignments must be typed and printed unless otherwise instructed. Late homework is not accepted.

Late work policy:

All work is due when assigned. If you hand in a paper after the due date, the grade drops one letter grade for each day the document in printed copy is tardy. Emails of papers will not be accepted in lieu of a printed paper. I also ask that you hand your paper to me inside a file folder that I will provide you. Inside this folder I ask that you hand in previous homework/classwork assignments in addition to the final drafts.

Attendance/Communication policy:

Regular attendance in this class is essential because English 102 is a skills-based course. If you miss three weeks of class (6 meetings), you will be told to retake the course at another time and will be unable to pass. I will not notify or warn you when your absenteeism is close to this number. You must keep track of absences on your own. Students with unexcused absences will not be able to make up points missed from in-class work. Those with excused absences may make up for missed points only by coming to my office hours or scheduling an appointment with me to go over what you missed. Excused absences include religious holidays, university-sponsored athletic events, and serious illness documented with a doctor’s note. If you must be absent, email me as soon as you can so we can make arrangements.

All students are expected to check their school email on a daily basis. Also, a daily schedule of readings and assignments will be maintained on Blackboard. Check Blackboard regularly for course updates and materials.

Revision policy:

This class is based on the belief that students learn best when high standards are set but lots of assistance is provided to help meet those standards. Consequently, you will receive feedback from both peers and me on drafts of essays. In addition, if you are dissatisfied with a grade you receive on a major assignment, you have until the end of the semester to revise and resubmit it for a new grade. This new grade will replace the original grade. I may ask you to email or print a cover letter in which you discuss what changes you made to the project.

Class Courtesy:

Discourteous behaviors may include (but are not limited to) texting, frequently arriving late to class, and consistent off-topic talking during groupwork or class discussion. Please refrain from these behaviors. If you must leave your phone on for emergency reasons, notify me in advance. Otherwise, phones must remain turned off and put away. Failure to comply with these requests will affect your attendance.

Use of student work:

I may occasionally use samples of student work for class discussion. If you have concerns about this policy, please let me know.

Grading Scale:

A+ 98 – 100
A94– 97
A-90 – 93 / B+87-89
B84 -86
B-80-83 / C+77-79
C73-76
C-70-72 / D+67-69
D64-66
D-60-63 / F below 60

Plagiarism Statement

The University defines plagiarism as “representing the words or ideas of someone else as one’s own in any academic exercise.” Thus, all writing you do for this course must be your own and must be exclusively for this course, unless the instructor stipulates differently. Please pay special attention to the quotes, paraphrases, and documentation practices you use in your papers. If you have any questions about plagiarism, please ask me. I make myself very accessible and provide you with multiple opportunities for revision. Therefore, I treat any form of turning in work that is not your own very harshly. If you plagiarize, you will automatically fail the course and your case will be reported to the College of Arts and Sciences for further disciplinary action.

Statement on behalf of students with disabilities

Students who have a disability or condition which may impair their ability to complete assignments or otherwise satisfy course criteria are encouraged to meet with the instructor to identify, discuss and document any feasible instructional modifications or accommodations. Please inform instructor about circumstances no later than the second week of the semester or as soon as possible after a disability or condition is diagnosed, whichever occurs earliest. For information and auxiliary assistance, contact the Disabilities Resource Center.

Grievance procedure statement

Students who have questions or concerns about their grades, the class, or an assignment are encouraged to see their instructor as soon as possible. If not satisfied with that discussion, students may see an Assistant Director of Composition or the Director of Composition in HUMB 321.

The instructor has the right to make changes to the syllabus and schedule if necessary.