Writing 140; Section 64110Zimolzak Pg. 1

Writing 140; section 64110Zimolzak pg. 1

Course Overview:

Welcome to Writing 140, a course meant to strengthen critical thinking and writing skills that will be useful to you throughout your college career. This course emphasizes the process of writing, especially as concerns brainstorming, composing, and revising analytical papers. Please familiarize yourself with TheWriting 140 Course Book for more detailed information.

This section of Writing 140 will draw on the issues presented in American Studies 274: Exploring Ethnicity Through Film. We will “read” texts —including fiction, non-fiction, written, visual, and spoken works —in which speakers address such concerns as those raised in your social issues course. Moreover, we will challenge our own assumptions about the world by focusing on concerns of culture, race, gender, social status, and other influencing factors.

Required Texts:

The Writing 140 Course Book is required for all Writing 140 students. Other assigned readings will be distributed in class or will be accessible on Blackboard.

Assignments:

Informal Assignments:

Homework, Attendance, and Participation: Be prepared and willing to participate in class! This grade includes preparation for class, peer review sessions, and daily discussions. I typically do not collect homework, but if you don’t do it, your work will obviously suffer.

In-Class Work: This includes brainstorming, freewriting, peer critique and other in-class exercises that aren’t just discussion. These assignments may be individual or group work.

Formal Assignments:

Your essay assignments should be typewritten in 12-point Times New Roman or Arial ONLY, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins. Sources must be cited in Chicago or MLA style, which we will discuss before that paper submission. Each assignment is due in hard-copy at the beginning of class, and one letter grade will be deducted for the first day of the week an assignment is submitted late. No papers later than one day will be accepted unless I have okayed an extension at least one class period in advance. Your final portfolios will not be accepted late under any circumstances. (see p. 112 Writing 140 Course Book)

With each essay submission, you will also submit a folder containing any research notes that demonstrate the quantity and quality of your work during the writing process. These notes may include: typed, handwritten, photocopied notes; peer reviewed or instructor marked drafts; any other ancillary material that supports your level of academic rigor or your serious work ethic.

You will be responsible for four 5-7 page essays, as well as a fifth essay, impromptu, and revision in a final portfolio documenting your progress as a persuasive writer.

Detailed assignment sheets will be distributed when each topic is assigned.

Classroom Policies:

Respect: Keep in mind that you should be respectful of your classmates and their opinions, as you would expect them to be respectful of you. This respect includes, but is not limited to: arriving to class on time and prepared, turning off ALL electronic devices including cell phones and computers, refraining from disruptive behavior (a desk is NOT a bed substitute!), waiting your turn to speak, and using courteous language. Respect also includes not insulting the usefulness of the Writing Program (or me) by submitting late, sloppy, plagiarized work, or by repeatedly relying on feeble excuses for poor performance.

Attendance: You should try to let me know in advance if you will need to miss a class. Do not insult me by asking “Did I miss anything important?”: the answer is always yes. Whether for illness, emergency, or simply laziness, repeated absences will limit your ability to earn a passing grade. Hard work is YOUR responsibility, so consider yourself informed. Also, participation and attendance are 10% of your grade, and you cannot make up missed in-class assignments. Students who miss two weeks of class lose all participation points, except in extreme cases.

You must attend one lecture during the “lab” timeslot (date and speaker TBA).

Plagiarism: USC’s policy on plagiarism can be found in the SCampus policy book. The University defines plagiarism broadly as any of the following:submission of someone else’s work as one’s own, whether the material is paraphrased or copied verbatim; improper acknowledgment of sources in essays or papers; unauthorized collaboration; submission of material that has been edited or revised by another person that results in substantive changes in content or style; unauthorized collaboration on a project, homework, or other assignment.

Do not cheat or attempt to pass others’ work as your own. My policy does not discriminate between intentional or unintentional plagiarism, so always cite your sources properly. (see SCampus & pp. 111-112 Writing 140 Course Book)

Accommodations: Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776.

Technology Access: You will need access to word processing software and the internet (to regularly check your email and Blackboard). Obvious maybe, but necessary to point out. If you don’t own your own computer, familiarize yourself with computer lab locations around campus.

Blackboard Course Management System: You must upload the final drafts of each essay (Assignments 1-4; and both take-home elements of the final portfolio) to the appropriate folder on the course Blackboard page within 24 hours after the due date. Instructions on what to name your file will be provided on the Blackboard site. Uploading your file to Blackboard does notsubmit the draft to me: you must provide me with 2 hard copies of each finished essay.

Blackboard Navigation: Writing 140 => Course Materials => Assignment X (the final folder in this series will provide instructions for how to upload and name your file)

Files are accepted to Blackboard only in the following formats: .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .pdf

Grading (as presented in the Writing 140 Course Book, 2011-2012):

A: Presents a cogent and insightful argument/analysis; provides compelling support for the overall argument/analysis; develops argument/analysis with organizational clarity and logical force; demonstrates sophisticated exploration of the issues set forth in the assignment; employs a style that reinforces the paper’s effectiveness and advances its purpose within the context of the academic discourse community; displays maturity in sentence variety, grammar, spelling, and usage.

B: Presents a clear, principled argument/analysis; uses effective examples and reasoning to support the overall argument/analysis; displays consistently strong overall organization, paragraph development, and logical transitions; fully addresses and explores the issues set forth in the assignment; employs a style that is appropriate and furthers the purpose of the paper; displays strength in sentence variety, grammar, spelling, and usage.

C: Offers a competent if occasionally limited argument/analysis in direct response to the topic; uses appropriate examples and reasoning to support the overall argument/analysis; displays competence in overall organization, paragraph development, and logical transition; addresses the issues set forth in the assignment; uses a style and tone appropriate to the purpose; displays competence in sentence variety, grammar, spelling, and usage.

D: Offers a limited argument/analysis in response to the assignment, marked by several of the following weaknesses: an implausible, unclear, incomplete, or inconsistent argument/analysis; inadequate, unconvincing, irrelevant, or derivative support; flaws in organization, paragraph development, or logical transition; failure to seriously or thoughtfully address the issues set forth in the assignment; inappropriate style or tone; flaws in syntax, grammar, usage, or spelling.

F: Compounds the weaknesses of D writing, and additionally: fails to recognize or adequately respond to the writing task; relies on generalization or vacuous discussion of the issues; relies on remarkably weak or inappropriate examples; has little organization or logical coherence; has serious and extensive flaws in syntax, grammar, and usage.

These grades represent the expectations of the Writing Program, and the standards to which I will hold you during evaluation. I will not entertain requests to explain your grade: this grading rubric is your explanation. Getting all A’s in high school is not an adequate credential: this is not high school, and you will be held to higher standards. If (IF!) USC only admits the top 1% of all applicants, that 1% sample will still have 100% of variation.

If you believe you have been unfairly graded (not just in your opinion, or your friend’s from a different section, or your friend’s from a different affiliation, or your mom’s who will never be disappointed in you and will always think you are amazing, but in terms of the Program Rubric and standards) you may submit one one-page letter some time before the last week of class to appeal the grade of one paper from assignment 1-4. In this letter, you would explain why you think your performance on that paper deserves reconsideration.

Course Schedule

(a detailed schedule will be distributed with each assignment sheet)

Writing 140; section 64110Zimolzak pg. 1

Week 1

Tu. 1-10

Th. 1-12

DIAGNOSTIC DUE

Tu. 1-17

Th. 1-19

Tu. 1-24

Th. 1-26

A1 DUE

Tu. 1-31

Th. 2-2

Tu. 2-7

Th. 2-9

Tu. 2-14

Th. 2-16

A2 DUE

Tu. 2-21

Th. 2-23

Week 8

Th. 3-1

sub

Tu. 3-6

Th. 3-8

A3 DUE

Tu. 3-20

Th. 3-22

sub

Tu. 3-27

Th. 3-29

Week 12

Th. 4-5

A4 DUE

Th. 4-12

Th. 4-19

Th. 4-26

F 4-27

Writing 140; section 64110Zimolzak pg. 1