Syllabus

ENGLISH 1010

Basic Composition

Writing Workshop

Summer 2017

Professor Scott Whitington                               King Center, #474, Auraria Campus

swhiting@msudenver.edu                                             Office Phone: 303.352.4128                  

                       

Course Description

This Writing Workshop emphasizes critical thinking and gives you opportunities to write for different purposes and audiences, develop a personal voice, and enrich writing with strong material, organization, and focus. A grade of C or better is required to pass and enroll in the next course in the progression.

Goals of English 1010

•   Students effectively communicate their ideas in writing

•   Students select a topic appropriately limited to the length of the paper

•   Students discuss the topic in an organized fashion

•   Students respond appropriately to writing prompts and their actual or implied audiences and goals

•   Students express a purpose in their writing—an argument or main point

•   Students provide a focused main purpose and support it with evidence and examples

•   Students choose an appropriate audience and adequately meet his/her/their concerns

•   Students demonstrate critical thinking and analysis in the writing

•   Students begin to integrate their thoughts and ideas with those of others (this may or may not include formal documentation and citation work)

•   Students develop a level of depth in their exploration of topics as they explore, question, and consider multiple viewpoints

It should be noted that content is of primary concern, followed by stylistic, mechanical and grammatical considerations.

•   Sentences are correctly written and punctuated, varying in structure and length

•   Vocabulary is sophisticated and correct

•   Transitions between paragraphs are logical and smooth.

•   Introductions and conclusions are carefully crafted

Text and Supplies

The required text for the course is Reading Critically Writing Well by Axelrod, Cooper, and Warriner (9^th ed).

Paper, pens, and a folder capable of holding your completed essays (a “Works in Progress Portfolio”) will be required at all class meetings beginning in the second week.  This compilation of work will be turned in at the end of the semester and is worth a substantial number of points.

A USB flashdrive is also required.  All writing done for this class should be saved on this flashdrive.

You must have access to a computer with internet capability and a printer (there are a number of computer labs on campus that you have access to with your UCD username/password; therefore, you should set up this email account). 

You should also have access to a good dictionary. 

Assignment Descriptions

This course is comprised of four major assignments (three major essays  and a final portfolio):

1)     Major Essay One: Narrative Minimum of 750 words.  Due June 19

2)     Major Essay Two: Rhetorical Analysis. Minimum of 750 words. Due June 26

3)     Major essay Three: Persuasive Letter. Minimum of 750 words. Due July 7

Each Major Essay is worth 100 points.  Two selected course essays (substantially revised) will appear in your final portfolio, along with a self-reflective essay discussing this course and the portfolio’s construction and content. Due July 14

 

Assignment Policies

You must complete all major essay assignments and the portfolio in order to pass the class. Your essays and assignments should be presentable. If you hand in poorly proofread documents, I will return them to you for correction before they are graded. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to find out the assignments you missed and be prepared for the next class. You should submit your work on time, usually at the beginning of class on the due date. One letter grade will be taken off the paper’s final score each day it is late (this includes unpresentable documents which have been returned for correction). All out-of-class papers must be typed unless indicated otherwise. Every student is responsible for making and keeping a back-up copy of all assignments submitted.

Grading

The grading scale is 90-100%=A, 80-89%=B, 70-79%=C, 60-69%=D. The major essay assignments are worth a total of 300 points. The final portfolio is worth 250 points; one-page essays are worth a total of 100 points; participation in-class discussions, daily homework and writing logs (online and handwritten) earn the final 100 points.  Success in this course depends heavily upon group participation, informal writing, and peer review: everyone should take those assignments seriously.

The A Paper

•   The paper exhibits abundant evidence of critical, careful thought and analysis and/or insight

•   The introduction immediately captures the attention and interest of the audience

•   By the end of the introduction (whether a paragraph or pages long), the audience has a good idea what the essay will be about

•   The central idea is clearly expressed to the audience

•   The central idea is creative and fresh, not trivial or so well-worn as to be uninteresting to the audience

•   The central idea is well developed and clarity of purpose is exhibited throughout the essay

•   There are smooth, logical transitions between paragraphs and ideas

•   Each paragraph has a clear relation to the main idea

•   Major points are well developed—supported and illustrated with evidence and examples

•   Evidence and examples are vivid and specific, while the focus remains tight

•   Essay is logically organized

•   Vocabulary is sophisticated and correct, as are sentences, which vary in structure and length

•   Writer’s tone is clear, consistent and appropriate for intended audience

•   Mechanical errors are rare

•   The conclusion does more than simply end the paper

•    Research, if required, is correctly presented and documented

More specific evaluation criteria will be provided based on the purpose and audience of each assignment.

Contract Grading System

In an attempt to take the focus off grades, I propose a contract grading system in which I promise you will pass this class with at least a C if you fulfill the following obligations:

1. Not missing more than three class periods
2. Not being habitually late
3. Don’t have more than one late assignment
4. Keep up your writing log assignments
5. Work cooperatively in groups—this means exhibiting good effort on peer feedback work b
6. Major assignments need to meet the following conditions:
• Includes a reflective letter, all previous notes and drafts, as well as all feedback you have received.
• Revisions: when the assignment is to revise, make it more than just a correcting or fixing.  Your revision needs to reshape or extend or complicate or substantially clarify your ideas—or relate your ideas to new things.  Revisions don’t have to be better but they must be different—not just touched up but changed in some genuine way.
• Mechanics/copy-editing: when the assignment is for a final draft, it must be well copy-edited (that is, free from virtually all mistakes in spelling and grammar).  It’s fine to get help in copy-editing.

SP and Incomplete Grades (IW/IF)  

Incomplete grades (IW or IF) are not granted for low academic performance.  To be eligible for an Incomplete grade, students must (1) successfully complete 75 percent of the course with a C or better, (2) have special circumstances (verification may be required) that preclude the student from attending class and completing graded assignments, and (3) make arrangements with the instructor to complete course work  with the same instructor.  An agreement must be written on a Contract for Incomplete Form.  An I grade becomes and F automatically by the end of the following semester.

 

Academic Ethics and Plagiarism

You must do your own original work in this course—and appropriately identify that portion of your work which is collaborative with others, or borrowed from others, or which is your own work from other contexts. Whenever you quote passages or use ideas from others, you are legally and ethically obliged to acknowledge that use, following appropriate conventions for documenting sources.  If you have doubts about whether or not you are using your own or others’ writing ethically and legally, ask me. Follow this primary principle:  be up front and honest about what you are doing and about what you have contributed to a project. If I suspect plagiarism, I will discuss the incident privately with the student before issuing any penalties. Penalties for plagiarism can range from a failing grade on the assignment in question, to failing the entire course (or even to eventual expulsion from the college) but will depend upon the nature of the assignment.

Code of Conduct

All members of the course must commit to creating a place of study where everyone is treated with respect and courtesy. Everyone must share in the commitment to protect the integrity, rights and personal safety of each member of the class community. This includes helpful, yet courteous, discussion of individual and group writing projects. The complete code of conduct can be found at the university website: www.cudenver.edu

 

Attendance

Regular attendance is required. In a writing class, you do much of the important brainstorming and revision work in the classroom. While a small portion of class will be dedicated to short lectures, the majority of it will involve intense, sometimes collaborative, writing workshops. Since this summer course schedule is so intensive, there are two policies:  1) Any student who misses more than two class meetings (excused or unexcused) will have his/her grade lowered by a third of a letter grade for each subsequent absence (excused or unexcused); 2) You may not make up missed in-class assignments. It is your responsibility to contact me prior to the graded assignment date and to verify the nature of any special circumstances. Regular tardiness will also affect your class performance.  Being more than fifteen minutes tardy is equivalent to absence.   Regular tardiness will also affect your class performance and may also affect your attendance record (e.g., being late four times is the equivalent to one absence). Please silence all electronic devices prior to the beginning of class.  The use of such devices during class will be treated as an absence.

Students With Disabilities Act

I can make accommodations for any student with a documented disability.  Please notify the instructor privately on the first day of class.