English 0950 Syllabus - Spring 2007

Anoka Ramsey Community College -- Coon Rapids Campus
English 0950: Elements of College Writing
Spring 2007 / Sections 01 and 02

Professor: Scott Stankey
Office: Humanities 131
Phone: (763) 433-1396
Fax: (763) 433-1521
Email: scott.stankey@anokaramsey.edu
Website: http://webs.anokaramsey.edu/stankey/Eng0950

Office Hours:

M, W, TH, F -- 10:00-10:50 a.m.
M, W -- 1:00-1:50 p.m.
Other times by appointment

Class Meetings:

Section 01 / 8:00-8:50 a.m. / M, W, F in T 208 / TH in T 207
Section 02 / 9:00-9:50 a.m. / M, W, F in T 208 / TH in T 207

Textbooks and Materials:

Higher Learning: Reading and Writing about College, 2nd ed. (2006), by Patti See and Bruce Taylor
Rules for Writers, 5th ed. (2004), by Diana Hacker
Student I.D. / Library Card
Student MetNet Email Account and ARCC Network Access
A class notebook or loose-leaf paper
Two 2-pocket folders
A Flash/Jump/Thumb/USB Drive
A college-level dictionary
A stapler

Course Description:

This course offers intensive work with writing, revising, and editing essays. Attention will be given to rhetorical elements of purpose, audience, thesis, evidence, and tone. Students will read and analyze their own and others’ writing. (We will also practice the skills of MLA in-text citation and end-of-text documentation.)
This course is designed to prepare you for ENGL 1121. This particular section will use the topic of "education" as a vehicle for introducing you to the practice of academic writing. Over the course of the semester, we will be approaching "education" in the way that the most exciting academic writing approaches any topic -- by making the familiar strange and creating new knowledge about everyday life. And, we will develop our writing in the only way that it is possible to develop as writers, by writing a lot. My experience is the more you write, the more hopeful and inspired you'll be about writing. The topics we'll write about all relate in some way to "education," but I take this term much more broadly than a simple focus on schools, so I don't think it will get boring.
In addition, there is a special feature in these sections of this course this semester as an "added bonus," something that directly ties into our course theme of education and also, hopefully, will be personally meaningful to you. Counselors will visit our sections eight times this semester to lead us through discussions, activities, and assessments involving our personalities, values, and interests; they will also give us a tour of the career center and introduce us to career research on the internet. The hope is that if we understand ourselves better, we can make better choices about possible careers in our futures and we will know how to get there. This will all culminate in a final "synthesis report," which is the last major paper of the course.

Course Objectives:

Write essays by practicing writing as a recursive process (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading).
Write effective essays by developing thesis statements, topic sentences, and support.
Practice other writing strategies such as note taking, annotating, reflecting, summarizing, responding, timed writing, and in-class essay exams.
Read and analyze published texts and students' texts, including our own (i.e. identify the thesis, analyze support, and evaluate the effectiveness of the writing for the purpose and audience).
Learn to write for more than one audience.
Improve writing by revising (reorganizing, adding and deleting content) and editing and proofreading (strengthening sentences, improving style, correcting errors).
Refer to sources such as handbooks, style guides, and dictionaries as guides for formatting and editing papers.

Course Approach:

Like learning to play an instrument, or sew, or cook, or play a sport, learning writing is substantially about practicing with someone who knows how to do it. I haven't met anyone for whom regular practice does not pay off in better writing. Thus, our class sessions will be mostly workshop -- we'll spend the bulk of our time working in small groups or individually. We will be writing, getting and giving feedback, and using the tools of the workshop (the computers, your peers, myself) to do the work of the class. In addition to writing, we'll do some talking, but I won't lecture at you, much, except at points where it makes sense to give one set of directions to the group as a whole. Whether we're working individually, in groups, or as a class, you all should be using my time to help you with your writing. Aside from fielding any general issues, concerns, or questions early in the class session, we'll be working on our writing. I'll be very active in moving around the class, eavesdropping, reading over your shoulder, and answering questions. If this isn't the format you're used to, you may need to adjust. I teach this way because research shows that it's the best way to run a writing course. If something else worked better, like lecturing, or doing grammar exercises, or shooting the breeze, that's what we would do.

Course Requirements:

1.) Preparation for all class meetings: Complete all assigned readings and take-home daily writing assignments before each class session. All reading assignments will serve as subjects (or models) for your own essays and will be discussed in class. Bring your texts and notebook with you to every class.

2.) Attendance at all class sessions: While I know that legitimate reasons do occur for absences, please make every effort to attend our sessions. Each class session is designed to introduce and/or practice writing concepts and processes related to the current writing project. If you do not attend, you cannot participate in and learn from the class discussions and group work. If you must miss a class, due to a medical emergency or a family crisis, when a quiz or in-class essay is scheduled, or when a paper is due, please notify me before class if possible, otherwise as soon after class as possible -- documentation will be required in such circumstances to allow for a make-up and to avoid a reduction in your grade. If you miss class, contact another student for notes and explanation of assignments, and check the website for extra copies of any handouts. If you have any questions about assignments or responsibilities, call, email, or come see me before the next class. If you arrive late to class, you will be considered absent and may not be allowed to take a quiz or participate in an in-class activity. Ultimately, attendance factors into determining grades, since your participation in discussions is a component of calculating your final grade.

3.) Participation in all class discussions and activities: In addition to short lectures from time to time, we will use individual writing time, pairs, small groups, and full-class discussions during each class session to write and talk about writing. This class will be more meaningful and enjoyable if we all actively participate. Participation does include active listening and note taking, but it also means contributing to group work and class discussions. Be prepared and willing to discuss your own writing and the writing of others, and to share your ideas, opinions, and questions with the rest of us. If you are naturally shy, then participate more actively in small groups and contribute to class discussions when more open-ended questions are asked. If you are naturally talkative, you will be more comfortable, but monitor yourself so that you allow time and room for others to contribute. Above all, everyone should be respectful of one another's contributions, even if you disagree; and if you agree, be sure to encourage or affirm one another. Both the quality and quantity of your participation will be considered.

4.) Completion of daily writing assignments: These may include reading quizzes, summaries, responses, various writing and grammar exercises, and small-group work. Quizzes and in-class exercises cannot be made up if you are absent or arrive late; in addition, you may not come to class, take a quiz, and then leave early.

5.) Four major papers: Specific details about each paper will be provided on the assignment handouts. All rough drafts should be word-processed and double-spaced; all final drafts should be word-processed, double-spaced, and must conform to the formatting directions given in class, including instructions for in-text and end-of-text MLA citation and documentation conventions. Late rough drafts will receive reduced credit and no written comments. Late final drafts (and portfolios) will receive very few written comments and the grade will be lowered one full letter (e.g. B to C); after one week, the grade will be a zero.

6.) Submission of a writing portfolio with each essay: You are expected to demonstrate significant invention and revision for each essay; thus, each portfolio should contain all the work you did in the process or writing each essay -- all your invention/prewriting, outlines, drafts, peer review comments, and a reflection memo/letter. If a complete and acceptable portfolio does not accompany each essay, the essay grade will be lowered one full letter.

7.) Participation in peer review and editing groups: For all peer review and editing sessions, if you do not attend, if you bring an incomplete draft or no draft at all, if you do not bring the required number of copies, or if you do not participate actively, you will not receive the points for the daily activity (between 30 and 50 points) and for peer review days you will not be allowed to participate in the activity. The peer reviews and editing sessions cannot be rescheduled or made up under any circumstances -- no excuses will be accepted, including illnesses and computer/printer problems.

8.) Attendance at all one-to-one conferences with me: If you miss a conference, it will not be rescheduled and you will not receive the points for the activity (between 30 and 50 points); make ups will be reserved for extraordinary circumstances only and must be arranged before the conference.

9.) Completion of all in-class essays: In-class essays can be rescheduled only under extraordinary circumstances and must be arranged before the exam; an in-class essay not rescheduled prior to the class session will be lowered one full letter grade, and after one week, the grade will be a zero.

Course Evaluation:

Essay #1 = 15%
Essay #2 = 15%
Essay #3 = 20-25%
Essay #4 = 25%
Preparation; Participation; Daily Writing Assignments and Activities; In-Class Essays = 20-25%

A.R.C.C. Grading System:

A = Superior achievement
B = Above average achievement
C = Average achievement
D = Below average achievement
F = Inadequate achievement

Grading Scale Using Percentages:

A (11) = 100% - 93%
A- (10) = 92% - 90%
B+ (9) = 89% - 88%
B (8) = 87% - 83%
B- (7) = 82% - 80%
C+ (6) = 79% - 78%
C (5) = 77% - 73%
C- (4) = 72% - 70%
D+ (3) = 69% - 68%
D (2) = 67% - 63%
D- (1) = 62% - 60%
F (0) = 59% and below

Participation Grading Criteria:

A	Person is obviously prepared for each class discussion, has carefully read all material prior to class, offers thoughtful and insightful comments and questions, and encourages class discussion -- but does not dominate discussions.
B	Person is obviously prepared for each class discussion, has carefully read all material prior to class, and offers appropriate comments and questions voluntarily -- and does not dominate discussions.
C	Person is prepared for each class discussion, has read all material prior to class, and offers an occasional comment relating to discussion or responds only when called upon. (Perfect attendance and preparation but no voluntary participation.)
D	Person is occasionally unprepared for class discussion, has not read all material prior to class, doesn't enter class discussion, and/or sometimes disrupts or discourages discussion or group work.
F	Person is rarely prepared for class discussion, offers nothing, and is often disruptive or discourages discussion or group work.

Essay Evaluation:

An evaluation sheet will be handed out before each essay is collected, so you will know exactly how each essay will be graded. We will also discuss different evaluation criteria and grading rubrics in class.

Other Policies and Information

Class Disruptions: Any disruptive behavior -- including arriving late, packing up early, leaving early, having private conversations, eating, sleeping, receiving cell phone calls or text messages, bringing friends/siblings/children/pets to class, etc. -- adversely affects the teaching and learning in this class, is disrespectful to everyone in this class, and will be handled first on an individual basis; if the disruptive behavior continues, or if it is very serious, I will contact the Dean of Educational Services -- see the Code of Student Conduct in the Student Handbook.

Plagiarism: In addition to buying or accepting a paper or having someone write a paper for you, plagiarism includes but is not limited to (1) failing to cite quotations and borrowed ideas from any outside sources, even if the borrowed ideas are in your own words, (2) failing to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks, and (3) failing to put summaries and paraphrases into your own words. (This definition of plagiarism was derived from Diana Hacker's Rules for Writers, 5th edition, Boston: Bedford-St. Martin's, 2004.) Presenting another person’s ideas or writing as your own without clear, accurate, and complete citation and documentation will result in an "F" for that assignment and notification of the Dean of Educational Services -- see the Code of Student Conduct in the Student Handbook.

Record Keeping: Please make back-up copies of all your work, and keep all quizzes, responses, exams, and papers returned to you. If questions about grades arise, you will need to produce the original documents. In addition, keep track of all your notes and other materials for each paper; if questions about plagiarism arise, you will need to prove you did your own writing.

Conferences: Please see me during my office hours or schedule an appointment with me if you have questions or problems at any time during the semester.

Incompletes: Incompletes will only be granted to students who have a documented medical or family emergency in the last two weeks of the semester. These students must have completed all the other work for the course with an average grade of "C" or better, must not have more than eight (8) absences, and must demonstrate the ability and willingness to complete the work before the third week of the following semester or summer session.

Absences for Religious Observance: Anoka Ramsey Community College permits absences from class for participation in religious observances. Students who plan to miss class for sincerely held religious beliefs are required to (1) inform me of anticipated absences at the beginning of the semester (within the first two weeks), (2) meet with me to reschedule any missed quizzes, in-class essays, labs, peer reviews, paper due dates, or examinations, and (3) obtain class notes from other students. I am required to assist you in obtaining course materials and assignments distributed during class sessions you miss and to make arrangements for taking missed examinations or making up peer review sessions.

Accessibility: My goal is for our classroom and course work to be equally accessible to everyone. I have designed the class flexibly to accommodate different learning styles and approaches. I am also eager to make reasonable accommodations to guarantee persons with disabilities access to class sessions, the course materials, and the activities of the class. Let me know as soon as possible if you have a disability for which accommodations will be requested. If you need further information about disabilities and possible accommodations, contact Scott Bay, Director of Access Services, at 763-422-3459, at scott.bay@anokaramsey.edu, or stop by C255.

Academic Support Center: The Academic Support Center (ASC), located on the second floor of the College Services (CS) building, offers free, trained writing tutors who work with student writers at any stage in the writing process to improve their writing. Please meet with a writing tutor early in the term so that you can discover how helpful the tutors can be to you.

Credit and Workload Expectations: For undergraduate courses, one credit is defined as equivalent to an average of three hours of learning effort per week (over a full semester) necessary for an average student to achieve an average grade in the course. For example, a student taking a four-credit course that meets for four hours a week should expect to spend an additional eight hours a week on coursework outside the classroom.

Computer Lab: We will meet in the computer lab once each week to work on the current writing project; we may also use this time for individual conferences and/or writing groups. Please do not abuse this time by working on assignments for other classes, writing e-mail to friends, playing games, or downloading non-research-related information from the internet.

NOTE: The course syllabus and schedule are subject to change, and changes will be announced in class. You are responsible for any changes in deadlines or assignments announced during any class you miss.

Copyright � 2007 Scott R. Stankey
Last revised on 18 April 2007 by SRS
Please address comments to scott.stankey@anokaramsey.edu