Writing II--Course Policies
Maggie's Office: 136 Westminster HallMaggie's Office Hours: MWF 10: 00 – 12:00
E-mail: mwolcott@whitworth.edu
Phone: x 4615 (email is better)
Class Meetings: MWF: 12:50-1:45
Classroom: Dixon 204
The Mission of Writing II
Writing II (EL 210) fulfills the university’s Written Communication General Education requirement and is designed to equip students to interpret and create effective academic writing. In consonance with Whitworth’s overall general education mission to educate the mind and heart, this course also offers discussion, reading, and writing assignments that focus on the ethical dimensions of argumentative writing.All students enrolled in EL 210 will:
- read and analyze academic and non-academic texts, both written and visual
- write with flexibility and precision, adapting argument, style, and mode of delivery in order to reach various audiences;
- practice revision, peer-review, and editing as separate processes;
- develop greater confidence and fluency as a writer;
- learn to effectively locate, evaluate, integrate, and document appropriate sources;
- begin learning to write for an academic audience.
Required Texts
- Durante, Nancy. Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences. Hoboken: Wiley, 2010.
- Print.access to course blog: http://el210spring2013.blogspot.com/
- access to college level dictionaries and up to date style manuals.
- any and all reading distributed in class, posted on Blackboard or the course blog(which must be printed and brought to class).
Additional Required Supplies:
- A pocket folder for turning in all major essays.
- A back-up device for all written course work (such as a thumb-drive).
- Paper and pen or pencil for note-taking and in-class writing assignments.
Student Expectations
Prepare. Enter class prepared to participate. Bringing pen and paper (classmates only want to lend you so much), books, complete homework, and questions/comments for class discussion. If you are not prepared, class will be a lot less interesting.Participate. Arrive in class ready to share your thoughts and engage in class discussion. Be aware that what you express will affect others in the class and show respect to every member of our learning community. Your voice is important. Use it. Also understand the value of others’ voices.
Attend. The policy is rough, I know. Excused absences are rare—generally defined as bereavement, extreme illness, and official University representation. Missing more than three class unexcused meetings and/or conferences will affect your grade for the course. For each absence after three, your final course grade will be lowered by 10%. If you miss more than five class meetings may be dropped from the course. Choose your absences wisely…simply not feeling well or missing your alarm do not constitute excused absences. It is your responsibility to contact me if you miss class; email me as soon as possible and check with a classmate for an explanation of what was covered that day. In the event of extreme illness or bereavement, there is help available. Contact your RA and the kind people at Residence Life & Housing (x4533).
If you arrive after class begins, even by only a few minutes, you will be marked late. If you arrive more than fifteen minutes late, you will be marked as absent. Three late arrivals will be counted as equivalent to one absence.
Homework. Late assignments will not be accepted unless arrangements have been made with me prior to the due date. Timeliness is also important in making up work. As soon as possible, contact me to arrange a schedule for making up missed work. It is your responsibility to make sure your work is completed in a timely manner.
Electronics. Checking email or Facebook, surfing the web, shopping for shoes, text-messaging, sleeping, listening to music, or otherwise ignoring what is happening in class will be counted as an absence, and you don’t have many to use before your grade is affected. This means your cell phone should never be present in class unless it is ringing (because you forgot to silence it before class) and you are fumbling to turn it off as quickly as possible. I pay attention; you should too.
Course Requirements/Assignments
Participation/Discussion:You will be expected to actively participate in class discussions, peer review sessions, small group work sessions with classmates, and in other class activities. Participation is a key element of classroom learning and you will be given credit for your level of participation throughout the semester. If you have any questions about your participation grade, let me know.
Homework/Chapter Notes:
You will have homework assigned to you throughout the term; these assignments are designed to engage you in the writing process and academic discussions. All homework must be turned in on time for credit. Late homework will not be accepted.
I will collect chapter notes throughout the term. Chapter notes will be just that—notes you take on our chapter readings from Resonate and additional texts I provide on Blackboard or the blog. For these notes you should address the following questions:
1. What is the focus of the chapter?
2. What are three key points made in each chapter?
3. How does the text relate to our work in Writing II or the writing process?
4. Any questions or additional thoughts you have about the content relevant to the course.
Basically, you need to think about what you read and show me what you think. Chapter notes do not have to be typed, but must be ready to turn in at the beginning of class on the day they are due for credit to be awarded.
The Blog (http://el210spring2013.blogspot.com/):
Reading responses and most supplemental texts will be posted on our course blog. The blog will allow everyone in class (including me!) to interact in a more visible and conversational way. In the assignment schedule I’ve tried to note when assignments should be turned in as blog posts. You will need to register with blogger if you are not already and email me with the email address you register with so I can add you to our blog as an author. You should be visiting the blog almost daily during the course.
Quizzes and in-class writing:
This is a writing course; you will be writing in class throughout the semester. There will also be occasional reading quizzes—nothing poppy or surprising unless it becomes clear that the majority of the class is not reading. These assignments cannot be made up.
Essays/Projects:
Your main work in the course consists of four major assignments. In completing each of the four assignments, you will engage in all aspects of the writing process from invention to revision; you will develop various writing voices that adapt to your audience and subject matter; as well as enter ongoing academic discussions. These four assignments include:
Critical Analysis: In this essay, you will be analyzing the argument someone else is making:
pulling it apart into its rhetorical building blocks and making a declaration about how the argument works (if, indeed, it does).
Rhetorical Synthesis: You will write a synthesis of three samples of discourse that argue positions within your chosen research topic. These samples of discourse should derive from a variety of outlets. Samples of public discourse may include speeches or other public addresses (think radio, television, online, public meeting, congressional meeting); editorials in newspaper, peer-reviewed journal article, book chapter, lecture, etc.
Researched Argument: This is your position. With this essay, you are becoming an active citizen-critic involved in a discussion about a relevant topic (one that people care about). The research you used for your synthesis essay will apply to this essay as well.
Polished Presentation: You will end the term with a professional, polished presentation of your Researched Argument essay. Think Ted talks: your audience will be different than that for the written essay, but the material should be polished and intellectual. Creative critical thinking is key here.
** Important: All four of the above assignments must be turned in to receive a passing grade in the course.**
Late Papers:
All paper drafts must be turned in on time and be complete. Incomplete essays will be handed back ungraded—if they aren’t finished, they don’t count as final drafts. Papers are due at the beginning of class on the day they are due and will drop one full letter grade for every class day they are late. You will be allowed one free late day on one of the first three papers. You are required to date, sign, and turn in the coupon (found in Course Documents on Blackboard) on the day the paper is due to use this pass.
Revision:
Revisions are optional for the first two essays. You will have one week to re-submit a revised essay for a final, recorded grade after they are handed back with comments and a preliminary grade. There must be significant revision work present for a change in grade (correcting errors will not improve your grade, so make sure you do more than “correct” your writing). Revisions must be turned in with the previously graded original for credit. At times I may require revision and/or conferencing—in those cases I will give you a due date for resubmission. Everyone will be revising the Researched Argument essay after our one-on-one paper conference. (See schedule).
Essay Formatting:
- follow page length requirements; any paper shorter will be considered incomplete.include correct MLA formatted headings.
- be printed in Times New Roman in either 11 or 12 point font.
- provide page numbers on all pages except preliminary materials.
- provide in-text, MLA-style citations (or other pre-approved style) and bibliography for quoted and referenced material.
Assessment
The percentages of contributions to your final grade are as follows:In-class writing, quizzes, homework,
class participation, blog posts, etc. 20%
Critical Analysis Essay 15%
Rhetorical Synthesis Essay 15%
Researched Argument Essay 25%
Final Presentation 25%
Grade Scale:
A 94 – 100% C 74 – 76%
A- 90 – 93% C- 70 – 73%
B+ 87 – 89% D+ 67 – 69%
B 84 – 86% D 64 – 66%
B- 80 – 83% D- 60 – 63%
C+ 77 – 79% F 0 – 59%
Grading Standards and rubrics can be found on Blackboard and should be reviewed at the beginning of the term. Excessively late or plagiarized papers will receive F and cannot be revised for a grade change.
Academic Honesty Policy
I stand behind Whitworth University’s policy on the need for academic honesty in all work. I refer you to the Whitworth catalog, and the current Student Handbook, where guidelines on plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty are spelled out. Any form of dishonesty in an assignment will lead to a zero on the assignment, and I reserve the right to give a grade of F for the course as well.Plagiarism is theft. Whether it is word-for-word or the paraphrasing of ideas, passing off another’s work and thought as your own is absolutely unacceptable in every case.
Campus Resources
Whitworth Writing Center:Writers at any skill level and at any stage in their process can come to the Whitworth Writing Center to work with a trained consultant on their writing. Peer and faculty consultants represent many departments. The Writing Center welcomes appointments and walk-ins. To make an appointment, simply visit the website at www.whitworth.edu/writingcenter, click on the “Make an Appointment” button, and follow the instructions provided. Consultations take place in the Writing Center in Cowles Library Room 242.
Special Needs:
Whitworth University is committed to providing its students access to education. If you have a documented special need that affects your learning or performance on exams or papers, you will need to contact the Educational Support Office (Andrew Pyrc – ext. 4534) to identify accommodations that are appropriate.
**Remaining in this course is your acceptance of a contract with me: you agree that you understand the policies and that you will strive to fulfill the expectations above to the best of your ability.**
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