Syllabus

WRTG 10600 – ACADEMIC WRITING I
Spring 2011
Job 160, MWF
Sections 3 (2:00–2:50) and 4 (3:00–3:50)

Eleanor Henderson
Assistant Professor, Department of Writing, Ithaca College
607-274-3324 (office), 607-793-4012 (cell)ehenderson@ithaca.edu
Office hours: MWF 10:30–11:30 and by appointment
Office: 407 Smiddy Hall

Catalog Description

This introductory, freshman-level course teaches students how to read perceptively and write coherently in college courses. Students learn to comprehend, critique, and respond to college readings by writing analytical essays ranging from single-source papers to evaluations of the claims and evidence in a number of readings. Typical assignments include single-source critiques and multiple-source syntheses. The course emphasizes thoughtful and responsible use of sources. May satisfy departmental and school requirements for a level-1 writing course.  3 credits.

Enrollment Restrictions

Students may not receive credit for both this class and WRTG 10800, WRTG 15200, or WRTG 16300. Prerequisites: Available only to freshmen, sophomores, and transfers in HSHP, the School of Music, and the Park School, except by petition.

If you have taken any writing courses at another institution for which you received transfer credit or if you received course-specific credit for writing based on your AP exam score, you may be ineligible for WRTG-10600 and should immediately discuss your situation with the instructor.

Overview

This course will help you develop or refine the writing and reading abilities that you need to function within the academic community.  To achieve that goal, we focus on five areas:

·         Rhetorical Knowledge

·         Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing

·         Processes

·         Knowledge of Conventions

·         Composing in Electronic Environments

Rhetorical Knowledge: Writers who are “rhetorically aware” analyze the social contexts that create occasions for writing and consider the needs of potential audiences.  This course will improve your rhetorical awareness so that you can function independently as a college writer and make wise choices about content, format, and style.  You will be encouraged to become an active participant in ongoing discussions that are taking place in academic literature or public discourse.

Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing: The reading and writing assignments in this course will challenge you to work with complex ideas presented in academic literature and public discourse.  Through class discussions and writing projects, you will analyze and synthesize multiple viewpoints presented in source and develop cogent arguments to articulate and support your own claims.  You will also be encouraged to draw on your prior knowledge and personal experience.

Processes: This course, which will function as a writing workshop, emphasizes a process approach that involves critical thinking, drafting, and revising.  Good writing takes time, and hard work pays off more than genius.  For each paper that you write in this class, you will compose two drafts. 

Knowledge of Conventions: Academic writers typically back up their assertions with support from published sources and follow standard procedures for borrowing and documenting those ideas.  They also observe conventions for organizational structure, grammar, usage, and mechanics.  This course will identify those conventions that extend across the academic community, but also indicate points where conventions vary according to genre and context.  You will also learn to make conscious decisions about certain elements of writing—for example, level of formality—as you approach each new occasion for writing.

Composing in Electronic Environments: Our class will meet in an electronic classroom, and you will learn to use technology at all writing process stages.

Texts and Materials

No textbook is required for this course.  The majority of class texts will be made available on Blackboard and must be printed, brought to class, and kept in a notebook throughout the semester.  Consider your textbook to be a ream of paper and an ink cartridge.

No handbook is required for this course, but you are expected to become familiar with OWL, Purdue’s Online Writing Lab, particularly the MLA Format & Style Guide.

You are expected to be prepared with a class binder in every class.  In this binder (or “notebook”), you will keep all printed texts as well as the notes you take on them and in class.  I will collect these notebooks occasionally throughout the semester to ensure that you are reading critically.  Notebook checks may be unannounced.

Assignments

The grade you earn in this class will be based on the following assignments:

·         10%      Essay 1: Rhetorical Analysis

·         15%      Essay 2: Rebuttal Argument     

·         20%      Essay 3: Rogerian Argument                   

·         25%      Essay 4: Narrative Argument

·         15%      Workshop Comments

·         10%      Participation

·         5%         Notebook

Further descriptions of the assignments and the evaluation criteria for each will be accessible on Blackboard as the semester progresses. 

You must hand in each of the four essays in order to pass the course. 

Grading Policies

At the semester’s end I will average your scores and apply a standard scale to determine your final grade:

A             94–100               

A-           90–93                  

B+          87–89                  

B             84–86

B-           80–83

C+           77–79  

C             74–76

C-            70–73

D+          67–69

D             60–66

F             0–59

If necessary, I will round up your final grade to the next highest point.  For example, if you have an 86.5, you will receive a B+ in the course, but if you have an 86.49, you will receive a B. 

Attendance Policy

Your regular presence is vital to your success in this class.  A sign-in sheet will be circulated at each class meeting and each conference.  (Signing in for someone else will be considered a violation of the Honor Code.)  For each absence over three, your final grade will be reduced by a third of a grade.  This means that even if you have an A- in the class and you miss four classes and/or conferences, you will receive a B+ in the course.  Acceptable excuses for absence are specified in the Ithaca College catalog.  Save your absences and use them wisely.

However, if you suffer a prolonged illness that causes you to miss a significant amount of the semester (more than one week), please contact me immediately.  You will be allowed to make up work only if it is feasible and is fair to the other students. 

You must be on time to each class and conference.  Excess tardiness will be counted toward absences at my discretion. 

In accordance with Department of Writing policy, students whose accumulated absences exceed the equivalent of three weeks of class, even if all absences are excused, will be dropped from the course and may receive a failing grade.  There will be no exceptions to this policy and no warnings.  Once you have accumulated more than the maximum number of absences—in this class, nine—I will immediately drop you from the course without notifying you.

Every semester the Department of Writing holds several readings.  I will offer an excused class absence in exchange for attendance at any reading listed in the Schedule below, if accompanied by a one-page, double-spaced commentary on the event, due in the class following the event.  A maximum of one absence may be excused in this way.

Classroom Expectations

1.       If you haven’t gotten enough sleep, do not come to class.  Unconsciousness = absence.

2.       While discussion is important, it should be focused on the matter at hand.  Do not chat and whisper during a class discussion or presentation.  When class starts, you should be alert. 

3.       Cell phones should be off and out of sight.  Absolutely no texting allowed.

4.       Please wait until I’ve announced that class is over before packing up your books and zipping up your bags. 

5.       Please reserve questions about your writing, personal matters, etc., for my office hours rather than before or after class.

Participation and Preparedness

Your success in this class depends greatly on the effort you put into discussing your ideas with your peers.  Participation means participating during in-class discussions with the intent of adding to the shared knowledge surrounding an issue.  Preparedness means being prepared for each class meeting by completing all assignments and readings and by having something ready to say or ask about those assignments. 

Paper Process

You will compose four formal essays in this class, and you will compose two drafts of each of these.  For each essay (except the first, which will require an individual conference instead of a class workshop), the process will consist of the following steps:

·         You will have the opportunity to begin prewriting in class and to brainstorm ideas with a small group.

·         You will write and hand in the first draft of your paper.  I will not grade this draft, but I will read and comment on it and return it to you.

·         Over a period of three or four days, the class will workshop a third of these drafts together.  (At the beginning of the semester, you will randomly draw a date for your paper to be workshopped.)  For each student essay that you read, you will provide feedback in a few ways.  (1) Access the student paper on Blackboard and print it.  (2) Read the paper and make notes on the manuscript as appropriate, recording your questions and comments in the margins.  (3) Compose a brief (multi-paragraph) note addressed to the writer that summarizes your response to the essay.  Your comments should contain praise as well as constructive criticism and are intended to prepare you to discuss the essay in class. (4) Print the comments you made on Blackboard and staple them to the top of the printed essay.  After the workshop, you will return the manuscript with your comments to the student. You will receive a single grade for your comments at the end of the semester.

·         In class, you will write a reflection on your writing process thus far.

·         Once you have received my comments on your draft (and for some, feedback from the class), you will thoroughly revise the paper and turn in a second draft. 

·         Finally, you will write a second reflection in class.

·         This will complete your portfolio for each assignment, which will consist of the following:

o   Prewriting

o   Draft 1 with my comments (and possibly class comments)

o   Reflection 1

o   Draft 2

o   Reflection 2

o   Any other notes or drafts that document your process along the way

·         All of these documents must be included for the portfolio to be considered complete, so back up everything.  Incomplete portfolios will lose points.  The grade you receive on the portfolio will be based on the final product as well as the process it reflects.

Late Work

In a class of this nature, in which student essays are at the center of the classroom, it is essential that work is completed on time.  Each draft (first, second, or third) will lose a third of a letter grade on the portfolio for each class day it is late.  If your essay is to be workshopped in class and you do not post it on Blackboard by your due date, your portfolio will lose an additional letter grade for each class day late and your draft may forfeit the privilege of class discussion.


Format for Written Work

All papers should adhere to the MLA stylebook—12-point font, one-inch margins, etc.  Failure to do so will result in the deduction of your essay grade.  Consult me and/or OWL if you have questions.  Please do not use IM language in any graded work or in your e-mail correspondence with me.

Plagiarism
Whether intended or not, plagiarism is a serious offense against academic honesty. Under any circumstances, it is deceitful to represent as one's own work, writing or ideas that belong to another person.  If you include any plagiarized material in an essay, it will receive an “F” and cannot be rewritten for a higher grade.  You will fail the course if a significant portion of any essay is plagiarized.  This policy is inflexible.

Students should be aware of how this offense is defined. Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of someone else's published or unpublished ideas, whether this use consists of directly quoted material or paraphrased ideas.  Within each essay, you must document fully all sources you use, indicate all direct quotations, and reword completely any paraphrased material.  If you have any questions about documentation or use of source material, speak with me prior to the submission of your final draft.

Effective Writing Requirement

At the end of the semester, your instructor will assess your development as a writer based on the School of Humanities and Sciences writing effectiveness standards.  As stated in the Ithaca College Undergraduate Catalog, “Effective writing is defined as writing that is clear, focused, and adequately developed in response to an assignment.  Such writing is well organized and reasonably correct according to conventional standards of grammar, punctuation, and usage.”  All students enrolled in the School of Humanities and Sciences must be judged effective writers as a requirement for graduation.

Computers

When composing essays on your computer, make sure that you frequently back up your work to both the hard drive and to a CD or flash drive, and/or e-mail the work to yourself.  Make sure your printer has plenty of ink, and make sure that your disk/software is compatible with other computers before trying a last-minute printing of your work.  Also, be advised that the labs on campus may run “clean-up programs” at various times each day.  These programs restore those labs’ computers to their original configurations.  Therefore, your work, unless you’ve been saving it elsewhere, will be deleted without warning.  The above-mentioned disaster—along with others such as crashed computers, damaged disks, “dry” or “dead” printers, and inoperable software—is regrettable, but it and the others are not excuses for turning in an assignment late.  They are also not excuses for not bringing a text to class.

Also, be sure to save your drafts as separate files (“Essay 1.1,” “Essay 1.2,” etc.), rather than saving your revisions over previous drafts.  You may need to access earlier drafts at some point.

Conferences and Office Hours

All students are required to meet with me in my office to discuss the first draft of their first paper.  Please come to all conferences prepared with a copy of your paper and specific questions about it.  After the first paper, all first drafts will be workshopped in class or will receive written feedback from me.  Conferences are not required for subsequent papers, but you are encouraged to stop by to discuss your work at any stage.  My official office hours are 10:30 to 11:30 on MWF, but I’m generally in the office by 9 on these days.  If these times don’t suit your schedule, please e-mail me so that we can set up an alternative meeting time.  I want you to do well on your assignments, and I want to help you to do so.

Writing Center

As Ithaca College students, you are privileged with access to a wonderful resource, the Ithaca College Writing Center, located in Smiddy 107.  Please note:  tutors at the center are not there to simply proofread your papers and “fix” your writing; rather, they are there to help you become better writers by enabling you to recognize issues in your writing.  For more information or to make an appointment, visit <http://www.ithaca.edu/hs/depts/writing/writingcenter/>.

Students with Disabilities
In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodation will be provided to students with documented disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Students must register with Student Disability Services and provide appropriate documentation to the College before any academic adjustment will be provided. 

Counseling Center
Ithaca College provides a Counseling Center to support the academic success of students. The Counseling Center provides cost-free services to help you manage personal challenges that threaten your well-being.  In the event I suspect you need additional support, I will express my concerns and the reasons for them, and remind you of resources (e.g., Counseling Center, Health Center, chaplains, etc.) that might be helpful to you. It is not my intention to know the details of what might be bothering you, but simply to let you know I am concerned and that help, if needed, is available.

Blackboard and E-mail

You are responsible for checking our course page on Blackboard daily for announcements (assignment changes, class cancellations, etc.).  Additional readings will be posted here, as well as course documents.  Through Blackboard you will also be able to view your individual assignment grades (cumulative grades will only be weighted at mid-semester and the end of the semester).

You are also responsible for checking your IC e-mail account daily and making sure that your account is not full.  Last-minute notices will be sent to you via e-mail as well as posted on Blackboard.

Class Cancellations

In case of bad weather, check IC’s home page.  You can assume we will meet unless the whole college is closed.  If I need to cancel class in the case of a personal emergency, I will e-mail you and post an announcement on Blackboard as soon as possible.  It’s a good idea to check your e-mail before class.

Schedule

This schedule is tentative.  I reserve the right to make changes to the schedule and to substitute or add assignments.  Readings and assignments (noted in italics) must be completed by the date indicated.  Papers are due by the time class meets unless otherwise indicated.  All readings are available on Blackboard unless otherwise specified and must be printed and brought to class as you would a traditional text.

Mon. 1/24Introduction. 

Wed. 1/26Rhetorical Appeals.  “Everything’s an Argument.”  TV ads. 

Fri. 1/28Rhetorical Situation.  “Dear Birth Parents” & President Obama videos.

Mon. 1/31Parts of an Argument.  Good Claims & Reasons.  “Piedmont Pediatrics Vaccine Policy Statement.” 

Wed. 2/2 Rhetorical Analysis.  Readings from Writing Today due.  Essay 1 Assignment.

Thurs. 2/3—Handwerker Gallery Reading 6:30

Fri. 2/4More rhetorical analysis readings due.

Mon. 2/7Prewriting and group brainstorming, Essay 1.

Wed. 2/9Essay 1.1 due today or tomorrow.  Bring two copies of your draft to your conference.  No class—cancelled for conferences.

Thurs. 2/10: More conferences
Fri. 2/11“Shitty First Drafts” by Anne Lamott.  Reflection 1.1 in class.  Process of Writing.  “Across the Drafts.”

Mon. 2/14Readings from Good Reasons due.  Rebuttal Arguments.  “Tom Cruise on Psychiatry” and “War of Words” by Brooke Shields.  Essay 2 Assignment. 
Wed. 2/16“What’s the Matter with College?” by Rick Perlstein; “Why College Matters” by Travis Weinger.
Fri. 2/18Essay 1.2 due.  Reflection 1.2 in class.  “The Lessons in My Son’s Death” by Spencer Kim; “Who’s to blame for James Kim’s death?” by Sarah Keech. 

Mon. 2/21Editorial due.  Prewriting and group brainstorming, Essay 2.
Tues. 2/22—DVW Series: Poet Major Jackson Reading, Clark Lounge, Egbert Hall, 7:30 p.m.

Wed. 2/23Research.

Fri. 2/25Documentation.

Mon. 2/28Incorporation.

Wed. 3/2Essay 2.1 due.  Reflection 2.1 in class.  Preparing for the Workshop.

Fri. 3/4Essay 2 Workshops (two essays).

Mon. 3/7Essay 2 Workshops (two essays).

Wed. 3/9Essay 2 Workshops (two essays).
DVW Series: Essayist Eula Biss Reading, Clark Lounge, Egbert Hall, 7:30 p.m.

Fri. 3/11Essay 2 Workshops (one essay).  TBA.

Sat. 3/12–Sun. 3/20
SPRING BREAK

Mon. 3/21Essay 2.2 due.  Reflection 2.2 in class.  Rogerian Arguments.  Essay 3 Assignment.

Wed. 3/23Readings from Writing Arguments due, including “A Letter to Jim.”  Rogerian Exercise.

Fri. 3/25“Why Chinese Mothers are Superior” by Amy Chua; “In Defense of the Guilty, Ambivalent, Preoccupied Western Mom” by Ayelet Waldman.  Prewriting, Essay 3.

Mon. 3/28“Statement by Alabama Clergymen”; “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr.  Group brainstorming, Essay 3. 

Wed. 3/30Essay 3.1 due.  Reflection 3.1 in class.  Paraphrasing Exercise.

Fri. 4/1Essay 3 Workshops (two essays).

Mon. 4/4Essay 3 Workshops (two essays).

Wed. 4/6Essay 3 Workshops (two essays).

Fri. 4/8Essay 3 Workshops (one essay).  Narrative Arguments.  Essay 4 Assignment.

Mon. 4/11Readings from Good Reasons due, plus “Family Faith: Raising Children in an Interfaith Marriage” by Leah Katz. 

Wed. 4/13“What’s so wrong with a pregnancy pact?” by Amy Benfer; “Raped by statute” by Ayelet Waldman.  DVW Series: Fiction writer Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum Reading, Klingenstein Lounge, Egbert Hall, 7:30 p.m.

Fri. 4/15Essay 3.2 due.  Reflection 3.2 in class.  Prewriting and group brainstorming, Essay 4.

Mon. 4/18Civic Soapbox.  “Minivan Motoring, Or Why I Miss That Old Car Smell” by Sam Patteson.

Wed. 4/20Essay 4.1 due.  Reflection 4.1.  Sentence Variety.

Fri. 4/22Essay 4 Workshops (two essays)

Mon. 4/25Essay 4 Workshops (two essays)

Wed. 4/27Essay 4 Workshops (two essays)

Fri. 4/29Essay 4 Workshops (two essays)

Mon. 5/2TBA.

Wed. 5/4 TBA.

Fri. 5/6Last day of class.  Essay 4.2 due.  Final reflection in class.

Mon. 5/9–Fri. 5/13Exam Week: Jeopardy!
Section 3 (2:00) will meet on Thursday, May 12 at 10:30.
Section 4 (3:00) will meet on Tuesday, May 10 at 10:30.