Spring 2012
Course: ENG 101–26 Composition
Course Meeting: 6:00pm–9:45pm Thursdays
Course Location: AH 331
Instructor: Daniel DeWolf
Office: AH 201K
Office Hours: 5:00pm–7:00pm W (e-office hours); 4:00pm–6:00pm H
Office Phone: 507-389-5540
Email: daniel.dewolf@mnsu.edu
Website: http://dewolfsyllabus.blogspot.com
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:
a) demonstrate and practice strategies for idea generation, audience analysis, organization of texts, drafting, evaluation of drafts, revision, and editing;
b) write papers of varying lengths that demonstrate effective explanation, analysis, and argumentation;
c) become experienced in computer-assisted writing and research;
d) locate and evaluate material, using PALS, the Internet, and other sources;
e) analyze and synthesize source material, making appropriate use of paraphrase, summary, quotation, and citation conventions; demonstrating knowledge of proper source documentation;
f) employ syntax and usage appropriate to academic writing and the professional world.
Required Text: Rules for Writers (Seventh Edition) by Diana Hacker
ISBN-13: 978-0312647360 ISBN-10: 0312647360
Required Coursework/Grading:
Weekly Writing Responses 20%
Each week we will have a written assignment due. These assignments include reading responses, critiques, rough drafts of your formal essays, and Good Thunder reflection papers. I will provide you with detailed guidelines for each of these writing assignments prior to their due dates.
Essays 65%
Summary/Response Essay 20%
Personal Narrative Essay 20%
Argumentative Research Essay 25%
The majority of your grade will be determined by the quality of work you produce when composing three major essays: a Summary/Response, a Personal Narrative, and an Argumentative Research paper. 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 are to be posted to D2L for in-class, peer editing. The final draft of each essay will be submitted to D2L on the assigned due date and a hard copy will be required, as well. Essays will be graded on how well the students follow and apply the criteria for each essay outlined on the assignment sheets, which will be available to students on the day each essay is assigned.
Participation 15%
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. During lectures, discussions, and presentations, you will be required to TURN OFF your computer monitors and pay attention. If you are caught using your computer or surfing the internet when you have been directed to turn off your monitor, you will not receive participation points for that day. Working on your computer during lectures, discussions, and presentations is distracting to everyone.
Attendance
While attendance doesn’t make up a portion of your final grade, failure to show up to class can have a negative impact on it. You cannot receive participation points if you aren’t in class. You are allowed one (1) absence without penalty. After the allotted one absence, you will receive a 10% deduction from your final grade for each absence thereafter. An absence is an absence: there are no distinctions between excused and unexcused absences. If you aren’t able to attend class, please refer to D2L or the syllabus blog for homework and missed assignments.
Grading Scale:
A = 100-90 B = 89-80 C =79-70 D = 69-60 F = 59-0
NOTE: the lowest PASSING grade a student can earn in English 101 is a C. If a student earns a grade lower than a C, he/she will have to repeat the course. This is a policy that has been set by the university.
Class Policies: 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. Students who need to meet with the instructor and are unable to do so during scheduled office hours can make an appointment via email. 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.
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.”
