WRTG 1150: First Year Writing and Rhetoric
Spring 2008
Instructor: Lorelei RutledgeOffice: ENVD 1B30A
Mailbox: ENVD basement lobby Phone: 303-735-4674
Office Hours: TBA
Email: (best way to contact me)
Required Materials
- Knowing Words: A Guide to First Year Writing and Rhetoric. (2007). Plymouth, MI: Hayden McNeil.
- Ballenger, B. (2007). The Curious Writer: Concise Edition
- Access to the university library homepage ( and your CU e-mail with your identikey
- Several pocketed folders (for turning in papers and saving work)
- Microsoft Word or equivalent for word processing papers and assignments
- A three-ring binder with looseleaf paper.
- Additional materials including texts from Electronic Reserves, CUlearn, and class handouts
- A Dictionary from one of the following: American Heritage, Random House, or Webster’s.
You are responsible for acquiring these materials in a timely manner.
Always bring a copy of the reading materials to class on the day(s) that we are going to be discussing them and on drafting days.
Course Description and Goals
This course is designed to help you improve your writing and prepare for writing in other occasions, whether in another class or in your chosen profession. We will write, rewrite, and revise. Thus, expect to write often, both inside and outside of class.
What we write will come from research and personal experience. We will read and discuss several pieces of writing, so that we can both read good writing and get a sense of how we can improve our own. We will share our writing with one another, and learn from each other. In the spirit of learning from one another, we will also workshop our writing together. Participation in these workshops is required. If you miss a workshop, a conference, or another scheduled meeting with me or other students, the grade for that paper will be automatically lowered one letter grade.
For many of us, sharing our writing is probably a scary prospect, since writing has the power to reveal our deepest vulnerabilities. For that reason, we will make an extra effort to be kind and positive to one another, while still offering meaningful suggestions for improvement. We will treat all opinions as equally valued and we will respect one another.
There will be four major writing assignments, as well as several shorter assignments. The first will be a personal essay in which I will ask you to hone your narrative, practice both organization and style, and develop a strong and concise controlling idea. In the second assignment, the annotated bibliography, you will learn how to use library resources, discover interesting and informative material for your inquiry essay, and practice rhetorical analysis. In the third assignment, you will practice your research skills, learn to write effective summary, and develop and understanding of research conventions. In the fourth essay, you will learn how to present an effective argument to persuade your audience. After each of these assignments, you will reflect on your writing process. The final assignment, then, will be an opportunity for you to reflect on your writing process. I will hand out additional guidelines as these assignments approach.
Although some of these assignments may sound purely academic, they are to your benefit. In other courses and life in general, you will be asked to write for a variety of audiences and purposes. The purpose of these assignments is to give you the ability to use your writing skills effectively.
Attendance
Since in-class participation and discussion forms the backbone of this class, attendance is absolutely necessary. If you miss more than three classes for any reason other than those detailed in this paragraph, your grade will drop half a letter for each subsequent absence. If you have more than seven absences, you will fail the course. If you know ahead of time that you will be absent, please let me know so that you do not fall behind. Showing up late to class twice will count as an absence. Leaving class early twice will also count as an absence. These are the only acceptable reasons for absence beyond the three allotted absences: religious observance, military obligation, documented death of an immediate family member, documented serious illness or accident, or school-wide closure. If you have a relative die, I require a copy of the obituary or a program from the funeral service. If you have a serious accident or illness, I require a note from the doctor specifying the date that you should not attend class. If you need to miss class for a religious observance or for military obligations, you must give me two weeks’ notice, to the extent possible. In the case of a religious service, I need to see a pamphlet or flier detailing that the event was actually held. In the case of a military obligation, you will need a note from an officer verifying the reason for your absence. You will also need to arrange in advance for any work that needs to be completed. Required out of class activities and conferences are considered class periods in terms of attendance. The two “free” absences may not be used on in-class workshop days—if you are gone during a workshop without one of the reasons above, you will not be able to make up that work and it will lower the grade of your paper a full letter grade. If you are gone from a workshop for one of the reasons listed above, see me—we will work together to make reasonable accommodations.
Expected Out-of-Class Responsibilities
This class will require some out of class meetings, either participating in workshops or conferences or attending my office hours. You will also need to spend time outside of class completing readings, doing research, or working on class assignments. If you will not have enough time to do all of these things, I would suggest you take the course online through distance learning so that you can work at your own pace.
Late Work
I do not accept late work. It is your responsibility to submit your work before or on the date it is due. In the event that this is not possible due to an emergency, you must contact me as soon as possible and provide documentation to be considered for an exception. Failure on your part to make these arrangements will result in losing any opportunity to earn points for this work, and could lead to failure of the course. A late paper is defined as one turned in after the beginning of the class in which you are enrolled on the day it is due, or one that is not emailed to me in either .txt, .rtf, or .doc format. I do not accept .docx or .pdf. You are required to send an electronic copy to my e-mail before the beginning of class.. I may, at my discretion, submit your papers to turnitin.com, which will also retain a copy of that work in that database. Technology problems are no excuse! Due dates may change at my discretion, although I will certainly give you advance notice. The only exception to this rule would be one of the extenuating circumstances listed under “attendance.” in which case I will except the paper no later than two days (not two class periods, two days) after it is due.
A word to the wise-Do not wait until the last minute to type up drafts and final copies of your essay. Save your work constantly. Computers are willful beasts and often have minds of their own. They are moody and may decide to eat your entire essay for no apparent reason. This goes for printers as well. Give yourself adequate time to recoup in case this happens by finishing and printing your assignments well before class.
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Participation
You will receive a grade for participation. Good participation includes active and interested body language, focus on the content at hand in the class, interacting respectfully with me and your peers, coming to class with readings and assignments prepared, and participating in class discussions. Since websurfing prevents participation, it will negatively affect your participation if I catch you surfing in class. If you are distracting the class or participating poorly, I will ask you to leave my class and you will receive a zero for the day. If I have to ask you more than three times to leave the class, you will fail the course.
E-Reserves
You will also need to access course readings on e-reserve. To do so, go to Click on the link that says reserves, and then type in my last name. The readings are in PDF format, so make sure that you have Adobe Acrobat. You can download it for free online. You must print and bring a copy of all the readings to class. If you do not bring the readings, I will ask you to leave and give you a zero for the day.
COURSE RESOURCES (Otherwise known as HELP!)
You have several options if you are feeling overwhelmed by any assignments in this class. You can always come to see me in my office during regular office hours or by appointment. Do not wait until the days immediately before the essay is due! Office time becomes extremely limited because of the number of people who want some guidance on their papers. The sooner you come see me, the more guidance I can give you on your paper.
The WritingCenter
Another good resource for assistance is the WritingCenter ( Every WritingCenter consultant has experience teaching writing at the college-level and working one-on-one with students to help each student improve his/her writing based on individual student goals and needs.
The WritingCenter is located in Norlin Library, Room E-156.
Hours of operation
Mon-Thurs: 10am-7pm
Fri : 10am-1pm
Sun: 4pm-7pm
Appointments-You can schedule one hour consultations on the WritingCenter website at You MUST register for a free account in order to make an appointment. Appointments MUST be made in advance. However, cancellations do occur. In such cases, “drop-in” students may be able to meet with a consultant. I highly recommend making your appointment well in advance of when your draft is due to 1) insure that you get an appointment and 2) give yourself ample time to revise your draft after your appointment and before it is due.
You can go to the WritingCenter at every stage of the writing process. Even if you haven’t started writing yet, but you have some ideas, the WritingCenter will help you to create a plan for putting those ideas down on paper. When you go to the WritingCenter, go prepared!!! Always bring your assignment sheet, any class handouts, peer or teacher feedback on your drafts, and any other related materials. The more context you give the writing consultant, the more appropriate assistance s/he can give you!
Go to the WritingCenter and Improve Your Grade!!!
If you go to the WritingCenter at least once for each major assignment and complete a Writing Center Reflection after each visit, I will raise your lowest formal assignment grade by a letter grade. As part of your WritingCenter visit, you will be required to fill out a WritingCenter reflection in which you will detail 1) what happened during your WritingCenter visit 2) what changes you plan to make/have made to your essay as a result. You can access the WC Reflection Form on eReserves. You should turn in your WC Reflection with each corresponding formal essay.
Paper Conventions
Every paper you turn in to me should be word-processed. It should be written in 12 point, Times New Roman font or an equivalent, with standard margins. Each paper should have your name, the class and time (e.g. WRTG 1150: 8 a.m., my name, the date, and either a draft number or “Final Copy” written on it, in descending order at the left, top corner of the first page. One line below this, you should title your paper, center the title, and underline it. One line below that, your text should start. I expect proper indentation and punctuation.
Library Resources
The website for the information literacy component of First-Year Writing and Rhetoric is
Through this page, you can access RIOT, the online research tutorial and accompanying quizzes that you are responsible for completing.
***You will not be able to access CU library resources remotely (with your personal computer or off-campus) unless you connect to the CU network. In order to do so, go to and follow the directions.
Disability Services and Accommodations
If you have a documented disability or think you may have a learning disability, contact Disability Services at (303) 492-8671, visit them in Willard 322, or go to their website at If you have a documented disability, Disability Services can provide you with the documentation you need to receive special accommodations. If you know you have a learning disability, I encourage you to talk with me about it. If you cannot fulfill the attendance policy, complete homework assignments, finish projects by the due dates, or participate in class, you should take the course through distance learning, an online program that allows you to work through the class at your own pace according to your own needs
Student Code of Conduct
Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Students who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Faculty have the professional responsibility to treat all students with understanding, dignity and respect, to guide classroom discussion and to set reasonable limits on the manner in which they and their students express opinions. Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender, gender variance, and nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student's legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. See polices at
and at
Harassment and Discrimination
The University of Colorado at Boulder policy on Discrimination and Harassment, the University of Colorado policy on Sexual Harassment and the University of Colorado policy on Amorous Relationships apply to all students, staff and faculty. Any student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he has been the subject of discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550. Information
about the ODH, the above referenced policies and the campus resources available to assist individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be obtained at
Grading
Course assignments are weighted according to the following:
Narrative Essay15%
Annotated Bibliography10%
Inquiry Essay10%
Proposal5%
Research Essay15%
Peer Reviews10%
Class Participation and Miscellaneous15%
Journals10%
Reflective Essay(s)10%
Be sure to keep a copy of each assignment in the (rare) event that I lose it! If you do not have a copy, you will have to rewrite the lost assignment.
If you have concerns about your grade, I encourage you to come see me. This does not mean your grade will be changed. Discussing your grade with me will allow us to explore why you received the grade that you did and help you avoid the same difficulties in your future writings. I am always interested in discussing your writing with you.
Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty
Simply put, plagiarism is passing off the ideas or words of someone else as your own. It is a serious offense that can lead to course failure or expulsion. I will report you to the dean if you plagiarize. I will fail any student who engages in academic dishonesty, including, among other offenses, plagiarizing writing or ideas, falsification or fabrication of data, submitting assignments or papers of others as your own, or helping any other student do any of these things. If you want to submit a paper for more than one class, you must discuss it first with me, and then with your instructor in the other class. I will require written consent from the other instructor if they allow it. I will also be checking your papers through turnitin.com to ensure no plagiarism has occurred. Consult for more information
Honor Code
All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council (; 303-725-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Other information on the Honor Code can be found at and at