English Composition Syllabus
Minnesota State University
Fall 2008
Minnesota State University
Fall 2008
Course: ENG 101–01 Composition
Course Meeting: MWThF 10:00–10:50am
Course Location: AH 203
Instructor: Daniel DeWolf
Office: AH 206A
Office Hours: 11:00am–1:00pm MTh
Office Phone: 507-389-1022
Email: daniel.dewolf@mnsu.edu
Course Description: Students will practice strategies for generating and developing ideas, locating and analyzing information, analyzing audience, drafting, writing sentences and paragraphs, evaluating drafts, revising, and editing in essays of varying lengths. Students will also become experienced in computer-assisted writing and research.
Course Goals: To develop writers who use the English language effectively and who read and write critically. The course objective is to prepare students for the writing that they’ll be required to do throughout their college careers. By the end of the class, students will be able to do the following:
- demonstrate and practice strategies for idea generation, audience analysis, organization of texts, drafting, evaluation of drafts, revision, and editing;
- write papers of varying lengths that demonstrate effective explanation, analysis, and argumentation;
- become experienced in computer-assisted writing and research;
- locate and evaluate material, using PALS, the Internet, and other sources;
- analyze and synthesize source material, making appropriate use of paraphrase, summary, quotation, and citation conventions;
- employ syntax and usage appropriate to academic writing and the professional world.
Required Texts: The Harbrace Guide to Writing
Cheryl Glenn—ISBN: 978-0-495-84046-6
The Pocket Wadsworth Handbook
Kirszner & Mandell—ISBN: 978-1-4282-3010-1
Required Coursework/Grading:
Rhetorical Analysis 25%
Personal Narrative 15%
Synthesis Paper 25%
Argumentative Research Paper 25%
Each essay will be generated from an in-class prompt. Students will engage in the three steps of writing: pre-writing, drafting, and revising. Rough drafts will be posted on D2L for small group peer editing. The final draft of each essay will also be turned in on D2L on the assigned due date. Essays will be graded on how well the students follow and apply the criteria for each essay outlined on the assignment sheets (to be provided).
In-Class Assignments and Participation 10%
Students will be required to engage in free-writing (to be posted as a blog) during specified times, conduct peer reviews of essay drafts via D2L, and participate in class discussions based on the assigned reading. Failure to participate in any of these activities will result in the loss of some or all of a day’s participation points. You cannot receive participation points if you are not in class. If you miss class and have not exceeded the allotted four absences, you can complete in-class assignments as homework and receive no penalty. In-class assignments will be posted on D2L (under the Discussions heading) for those who have missed class and are eligible for the homework alternative.
Grading Scale:
A- = 90-92 A = 93-97 A+ = 98-100
B- = 80-82 B = 83-86 B+ = 87-89
C- = 70-72 C = 73-76 C+ = 77-79
D = 60-69
F = 0-59
NOTE: the lowest PASSING grade a student can earn in English 101 is a C. If a student earns a C- or lower, he/she will have to repeat the course. This is a policy that has been set by the university.
Class Policies: Students are allowed 4 absences. Any absence after the allotted four will result in the lowering of the student’s final grade by 2% per absence. There are no distinctions between excused and unexcused absences. All coursework must be completed to pass this class. Failure to turn in work at the beginning of class on its due date will result in a full letter grade deduction for that assignment. Writing done for this class is considered public text. Assignments are tentative and subject to change. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated; it may result in failure of the class. Students who need to meet with the instructor and are unable to do so during scheduled office hours can make an appointment via email. Students are required to meet with the instructor for conferences twice during the course of the fall semester to review course work and class progress.
Academic Dishonesty: MSU has a zero tolerance policy regarding Academic Dishonesty. Students caught plagiarizing, cheating, or colluding will receive an automatic failing grade, and they will be required to retake the course. Academic Dishonesty—per MSU Policies and Procedures—is defined as follows:
Plagiarism – Submission of an academic assignment as one’s own work, which includes critical ideas or written narrative that are taken from another author without the proper citation. This does not apply only to direct quotes, but also to critical ideas that are paraphrased by the student. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to:
- submitting the work of others as your own
- submitting others’ work as your own with only minor changes
- submitting others’ work as your own without adequate footnotes, quotations, and other reference forms
- multiple submission of the same work, written or oral, for more than one course without both instructor’s permission, or making minor revisions on work which has received credit and submitting it again as new work.
Cheating – Use of unauthorized material or assistance to help fulfill academic assignments. This material could include unauthorized copies of test materials, calculators, crib sheets, help from another student, etc.
Collusion – Assistance to another student or among students in committing the act of cheating or plagiarism.
Center for Academic Success: In addition to working with the instructor, students are encouraged to take advantage of the services offered by MSU’s Center for Academic Success located in the basement of Memorial Library (ML 116). These services include free tutoring sessions in nearly all subject areas, including composition. By appointment or walk-in, the Center is open to students Monday through Friday. MavCard required. Go to http://www.mnsu.edu/supersite/academics/success or call 507-389-1791.
Note for Students with Disabilities: From the Office of Disability Services: “MSU provides students with disabilities reasonable accommodation to participate in educational; programs, activities, or services. Students with disabilities requiring accommodation to participate in class activities or meet course requirements should first register with the Office of Disability Services, located in 0123 Memorial Library, telephone 389-2825, TDD 711 and then contact me as soon as possible.”
Additional Information: Cell phone use in class is not permitted. Please silence or power off phones while in class. If an emergency arises, please exit the classroom quietly to take the call outside. Drinks and food are not allowed in the computer lab. You will be asked to discard or put away any food or drink you bring to class.
The following schedule is tentative; specific assignments/readings and due dates are subject to change. Updates and alterations to the schedule will be announced in class, and the syllabus—posted on D2L—will be amended accordingly.
