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FrantzDale, Ben. Iridium Fountain Pen Nib. 2005. Photograph. Wikipedia. Web. 20 January 2017.
SPRING 2017
ENGLISH 391-0301: ADVANCED COMPOSITION
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 11:00 pm - 11:50 pm, Tawes Hall 0223
ENGLISH 391-0402: ADVANCED COMPOSITION
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 12:00 pm - 12:50 pm, Tawes Hall 0230
Instructor: Anna Szczepaniec-Bialas (“Ania Bialas”)
Office: Tawes Hall 1206
Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm , or by appointment
Class Website: ELMS
Email: ELMS inbox, (if ELMS does not work)
Tips for effective email use:
(1) Begin the subject line with ENGL 391
(2) Complete the subject line with a concise phrase describing your question or concern.
REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS
- Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Readings, Brief Tenth Edition (Loose Leaf), John D. Ramage, John C. Bean, June Johnson. Pearson: 2016. ISBN-9780133880120
- See ELMS for all information regarding other readings and materials
- Sturdy pocket folder you don’t mind giving up, thick enough to securely hold all assignments, drafts, and graded papers inside. At the end of the semester, you will be asked to hand all your major assignments to me.
- Small stapler
PREREQUISITES
English 101 or equivalent and a minimum of 60 credits
CLASS DESCRIPTION
The intent of this course is to prepare you for the type of professional communication you are likely to engage in during your first post-college jobs and beyond. This course focuses on advanced composition – learning how to present specialized information in an accessible way to a variety of different audiences, but audiences who will expect clarity, accuracy, and professionalism from you. This course stresses the key skills that highlight a successful professional communicator. Specifically, we focus on the process of writing (including the planning, drafting, and revising stages) and look carefully at the work that goes into the final polished product. As collaboration is often a key part of the professional realm, you will spend much of the semester working with your classmates – which will include participating in brainstorming sessions, providing constructive criticism, and preparing for your final projects together.
COURSE GOALS
By the end of this course, students can expect to be able to:
- Analyze a variety of professional rhetorical situations and produce appropriate texts in response.
- Understand the stages required to produce competent, professional writing through planning, drafting, revising, and editing.
- Identify and implement the appropriate research methods for each writing task.
- Practice the ethical use of sources and the conventions of citation appropriate to each genre.
- Write for the intended readers of a text, and design or adapt texts to audiences who may differ in their familiarity with the subject matter.
- Demonstrate competence in Standard Written English, including grammar, sentence and paragraph structure, coherence, and document design (including the use of the visual) and be able to use this knowledge to revise texts.
- Produce cogent arguments that identify arguable issues, reflect the degree of available evidence, and take account of counter arguments.
GRADING
ENGL 391 approaches writing as a continual process of learning in which assignments are interdependent; therefore, students must submit all formal (major) assignments to receive a passing grade in this course. They include Topic Prospectus, Conjectural Proposal, Causal Paper, Evaluative Paper, Proposal Paper, and Project Presentation. They are linked together, each one building on the assignments that come before it. You will select a topic for your Topic Prospectus and retain it for all your major assignments. The second assignment is the Conjectural Proposal, in which you will define the problem you are focusing on, assert a position about your topic and defend that position. The third assignment is the Causal Paper, in which you will explain the causes of the situation you described in the second assignment. The fourth assignment is the Evaluative Paper, where you will adopt a different style of argument to persuade your audience to agree with your assessment of the situation. The fifth assignment is a short presentation of your next assignment, which is Project Proposal, to the class during the last weeks of the semester. Finally, in the sixth assignment, i. e. Project Proposal, you will argue for a way to address the situation you have considered in the earlier assignments.
Your semester grade will be based on a variety of assignments, some individual and some collaborative, accounting for approximately 25 pages of original writing (6,250 words). All in-class assignments cannot be made up if you miss class and will not be accepted late. All major assignments must be saved in a sturdy folder, which will be turned in at the end of the semester (Semester Portfolio).
Your final grade will be determined by your performance on the following:
10% - Topic Prospectus
15% - Conjectural Proposal
15% - Causal Paper
15% - Evaluative Paper
10% - Project Presentation
20% - Proposal Project (Final)
15% - In -class writing, homework, peer reviews, participation/professional conduct, pop quizzes, etc.
I will use the following grading scale to calculate your grade for assignments and the course:
A+ / A / A- / B+ / B / B- / C+ / C / C- / D+ / D / D- / F97%-
100% / 93%-96.9% / 90%-
92.9% / 87%-
89.9% / 85%-
86.9% / 80%-
84.9% / 76%-
79% / 72%-
75% / 70%
71% / 66%-
69% / 62%-
65% / 60%-
61% / 0%-
59%
Late assignments will be marked down one letter grade per class late. Assignments more than one week late will NOT be accepted and will receive a ZERO. If you must hand an assignment in late, you must also contact me the day the assignment is due so that I know when to expect it, and we can make arrangements for delivery (whether you will give it to me in class or deliver it to my office, etc.).
The format for assignments will vary; it will always be assignment-specific, and you will be expected to follow the format required by each assignment. Submissions that do not follow these formatting guidelines will be penalized. Before each assignment is due, we will hold peer review workshops in class. You must bring a polished draft that meets all of the requirements of that particular assignment. You will exchange electronic copies of papers with a classmate and you will comment on his/her writing. You will find peer review sheets to guide your constructive criticism in ELMS. You will submit completed peer reviews in ELMS for grading.
The following rubric will be used as grading criteria for most assignments. If a different rubric is ever used, you will be provided with a copy of the rubric along with the assignment sheet.
MASTER GRADING RUBRIC
A / Denotes work that exceeds the standards for the assignment. These papers surpass all stated requirements in a mature, clear, and well-organized way. They attend specifically and completely to their appropriate audiences, are crafted using mature organizational strategies, and represent an original approach to the assignment in terms of both content and style. The papers must contain evidence of significant time spent on invention, drafting, correcting, rejecting, peer review, and revision. Effective use of graphics and other forms of visual rhetoric are demonstrated. Finally, A papers have very few to no grammar, proofreading, or spelling mistakes.B / Denotes work that meets the requirements of the assignment. Generally, the writing achieves all the stated goals of an assignment, and uses apparent organizational strategies to present the content in a clear way. Audiences are attended to, though more effort could be made to address their specific needs. The content of a B paper is usually well-researched, though often falls on the side of obvious, and may reveal other issues that were not considered. B papers demonstrate that time was spent on the process of writing, though often more effort was needed in either the drafting, revision, or invention stages. Minimal attention and energy devoted to use of visual aids. B papers occasionally have a miniscule number of (if any) grammar, diction, or spelling issues.
C / Denotes work that barely meets/just misses the requirements of the assignment. These papers usually demonstrate that a student has not quite grasped a fundamental part of the assignment, or the student has not followed all of the assignment’s instructions. Audience may either be poorly defined or the paper may not adequately address their needs; content may be too broad or too general; organization may be problematic on a paragraph-level or globally. Some requirements stated on the assignment sheet, in class, or from our text are not applied correctly, or are missing entirely. Often the paper’s problems are exposed by a lack of time spent on the assignment, evidenced through drafts and other supporting materials as well as poor quality or unprofessional (i.e., hand-drawn) use of graphics and other visual aids. Grammar mistakes may take away from the paper’s overall effectiveness.
D/F / Denotes work that has fallen short of the requirements of the assignment. Papers that fail to meet an assignment’s goals are often characterized by missing supporting materials, poor levels of organization, and skipped over requirements. Papers in this category often contain content that is inadequately researched or considered, and often times do not attend to their audiences’ needs or goals. Writing is often unclear, and the objectives of the assignment are not met. Numerous spelling, grammatical, and proof-reading errors may lead to a paper earning a grade in this category as well. Complete absence of graphics and visual aids. **Please note that papers that don’t meet minimum page requirements will receive a grade of either a D or an F.
GRADING RUBRIC FOR DISCUSSION BOARD POSTS
A / Superior performance in the discussion board writing shows a clear initiative to learn through analyzing the major readings in the course. Each entry is posted on time and with attention to detail. Each discussion board post presents a fully developed discussion, complete with specific examples and descriptive details. Each post not only describes key passages from the reading but also analyzes it, providing a new perspective or insight on some relevant aspect of professional writing theory and practice.B / Strong performance in the discussion board writing demonstrates active engagement in your learning for the course. Each entry is posted on time and with attention to detail. Each discussion board posts presents a fully developed discussion of the relevant reading, complete with specific examples and descriptive details. The entries do not always analyze the reading, though, and they do not always add new perspective or insight on some relevant aspect of professional writing theory and practice.
C / Satisfactory performance in the discussion board writing demonstrates consistent, acceptable written work. You completed all of the required posts, and most of these entries were posted on time. Each discussion board post presents an adequate discussion of the reading, one that give readers a basic understanding of the text. Most entries, though, could be more fully developed with thoughtful analysis and supporting details.
D / Weak performance in the discussion board writing demonstrates inconsistent written work. Some entries are not posted; others are not posted on time. The entries that are posted give readers only a basic description of the reading. Most posts lack details, and they provide only a superficial analysis of the relevant reading for the course.
F / Unacceptable performance in the discussion board writing shows ineffectual work. A majority of your entries have not been posted on time, if at all. The posts that do appear give readers little or no understanding of the reading you have done for the week. Entries contain few details and no analysis of the readings for the course.
COMMUNICATION
Faculty and advisors use email to convey important information, and you are responsible for keeping your email address up to date, and must ensure that forwarding to another address functions properly. Failure to check email, errors in forwarding, and returned email are your responsibility, and do not constitute an excuse for missing announcements or deadlines.
EMAIL COMMUNICATION
In this class, we will practice becoming adept at communicating with each other in a professional manner. In other words, emails sent to your classmates and me will use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization, as well as proper salutations. I will do my best to answer emails that follow these guidelines in a timely fashion within 24-48 hours.
ELMS
Course documents (syllabus, paper assignments, etc.) will be posted on the University’s Elms website (www.elms.umd.edu). It is your responsibility to submit all the required assignments to me on, or before the due date, even if I do not prompt you to do so. You must submit your papers in doc or docx format. If you compose your documents in another program such as GoogleDocs, you will be responsible for copying the text to doc or docx format. Such copying may affect your formatting, and you are responsible for fixing any formatting problems. All assignments must be submitted as a hard copy to me and an electronic copy in ELMS before the class begins unless I announce otherwise. An absence does not excuse you from turning in an assignment in ELMS. It is also your responsibility to check ELMS site routinely as part of your participation in this course.
PARTICIPATION
The writing you will do in English 391 will be based on skills you will develop and hone in class; for that reason, your attendance and participation will have a direct effect on your work and ultimately, your grades. To be prepared to participate, you must complete all course readings before coming to class.
You are expected to participate actively in class discussions, to be able to respond to questions posed to you, to have drafts when they are due, and to complete in-class writing. Additionally, you are expected to treat your peers and teacher with respect and courtesy, and to behave in a manner appropriate to a college classroom. Failure to participate at this level may reduce your grade.
A significant part of your participation grade will be based on the professionalism of your conduct. Professionalism includes regular attendance, punctuality, paying attention and being prepared for classes and any course-related activities outside of classes as well as refraining from using electronic devices without my permission.
ATTENDANCE/TARDINESS
Please note that missing more than two weeks’ worth of class for any reason may result in a zero for the participation/professionalism portion of your grade and may jeopardize your overall course grade. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what you have missed. Missing more than two weeks of classes will make catching up difficult, if not impossible.
Unexcused Absences: For any unexcused absence after three, you will receive an F (0%) for “Participation.” If you miss a class, you are still responsible for whatever material was covered during that time. Additionally, if a major scheduled grading event (assignment due, in-class workshop/peer review, presentation) is scheduled for that class period, and you do not show up and do not have a university-sanctioned excuse (see below), it will result in an F (0%) on the in-class assignment. Make-up work will not be accepted for an unexcused absence.
Excused Absences: Absences stemming from work duties other than military obligation (e.g., unexpected changes in shift assignments) and traffic/transit problems do not qualify for excused absence. The University excuses absences for your own illness or the illness of an immediate family member, for your participation in university activities at the request of University authorities, for religious observance, and for compelling circumstance beyond your control. Documentation is required for all excused absences. If you have an anticipated excused absence, you must let me know in writing by the end of the schedule adjustment period or at least two weeks in advance.
Absence for one class due to your own illness: The University requires that you provide me with a self-signed note attesting to the date of your illness, with an acknowledgment that the information provided is true. Providing false information to University officials is prohibited and may result in disciplinary action. The Health Center has an online form
http://www.health.umd.edu/sites/default/files/Medical_attestation_5-2016.pdf
Absence from more than one class because of the same illness: You must provide written documentation of the illness from the health care provider who made the diagnosis. No diagnostic information shall be given. The provider must verify dates of treatment and indicate the time frame during which you were unable to meet academic responsibilities.
Non-consecutive medically necessitated absences from more than a single class: Such absences may be excused provided you submit written documentation for each absence as described above, verifying the dates of treatment and time frame during which you were unable to meet your academic responsibilities. However, as also noted above, if you miss too many classes—even if excused—though you are technically eligible to make up the work, in practice students are rarely able to do so.