MHRA 3208/ Mailbox Room: MHRA 3317

Ms. Hawkins

ENG. 101. 30/ College Writing I

Class Time: TR, 9:30-10:45

MHRA 3208/ Mailbox Room: MHRA 3317

Office: Curry 335A;

Office Hours: Monday 9-12 or by appointment

Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something—anything—down on paper. A friend of mine says that the first draft is the down draft—you just get it down. The second draft is the up draft—you fix it up. You try to say what you have to say more accurately. The third draft is the dental draft, where you check every tooth, to see if it’s loose or cramped or decayed, or even, God help us, healthy.

Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

Word-work is sublime, she thinks, because it is generative; it makes meaning that secures our difference, our human difference - the way in which we are like no other life. We die. That may be the meaning of life. But we do language. That may be the measure of our lives.

Toni Morrison, Nobel Prize Lecture

Course Description:

At its most basic level, this course is designed with the end-goal that you will go forth in December a more confident and competent writer and reader. This course will focus specifically on rhetoric, on the ways we, as writers, articulate and present ourselves to the world and the ways we, as readers, analyze and articulate another writer’s spoken or written word. Because the process of writing necessarily involves revision, we will talk often about drafting, re-focusing, and re-writing. Your final project in the class will consist of an extensive portfolio, in which you will revise all three of your essays and write a personal reflection essay that outlines the specific ways you’ve grown as a writer.

I. General Overview

English 101 satisfies three of the six hours of the Reasoning and Discourse (GRD) requirement at UNCG, which asserts that students “gain skills in intellectual discourse, including constructing cogent arguments, locating, synthesizing and analyzing documents, and writing and speaking clearly, coherently, and effectively” ( Bulletin/University-Requirements/General-Education-Program/General-Education-Core- CategoryMarker-Descriptions).

In addition, English 101 is designed to address Learning Goal #1 (LG1) in the UNCG General Education Program. This is the ability to “think critically, communicate effectively, and develop appropriate fundamental skills in quantitative and information literacies.” ( Requirements/General-Education-Program).

The following are the English 101 Student Learning Outcomes, each of which corresponds to both the GRD goals and to LG1:

A. English 101 Student Learning Outcomes:

At the completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Analyze the content and structure of complex texts (written, oral, and/or visual in nature);
2. Compose cogent, evidence-based, argumentative texts;
3. Identify and employ the rhetorical triangle, the canons, and the appeals in both formal and informal discourse;
4. Summarize, quote, paraphrase, and synthesize source material in support of an argument;
5. Employ drafting, peer review, and revision techniques in order to improve content, style, and structure of their own writing;
6. Appraise their own composing abilities and composing processes through critical reflection.

Because the College Writing Program values writing processes and products, reading and writing, critical and reflective thinking, and rhetoric as a means of interpretation and composition, the following guidelines are to facilitate the achievement of the above objectives, while allowing instructors freedom to design their individual course trajectories.

Evaluation:

Participation: 10 %

Your Class Journal: 10 %

Essay Number 1: 10 %

Essay Number 2: 10 %

Essay Number 3: 10 %

Reflections on Essays: 10 %

Final Portfolio: 40 %

Required Texts:

-Leuschen, Kathleen T., Meghan McGuire and Chelsea A. Skelley, Eds. Rhetorical Approaches to College Writing. Plymouth, MI: Hayden-McNeil, 2015. (ISBN: 978-0-7380-6838-1) (Abbreviated on schedule as RACW)

-Selected readings posted on Blackboard as assigned. (Abbreviated on schedule as BB).

-You are required to have a class journal that you bring to class everyday. If you do not bring this journal to class, you are considered not prepared.

Course Organization:

Unit One: Personal Essay as Argument

In Unit One, we will focus on the personal essay, and we will consider how the personal essay makes an argument. We will look specifically at how the thesis works as the main structural component of these essays. For your first paper, you will write a personal essay, using the “This I Believe” template.

Paper One: 2-3 pages (SLOS 2 and 5)

Unit Two: Incorporating Research and the Rhetorical Appeals

In Unit Two, we will think in depth about the rhetorical triangle (rhetor, audience text) and the rhetorical appeals (pathos, logos, ethos). How does the author (or rhetor) convince her audience effectively? What strategies does the author enact? For this paper, you will write a well-researched eulogy for a famous person of your choosing.

Paper Two: 3-4 pages (SLOS 1-6)

Unit Three: Comparative Rhetorical Analysis

In Unit three, we will be writing comparative rhetorical analyses. You will be choosing two songs and their accompanying music videos and will write a thesis-based rhetorical argument.

Paper 3: 5-6 (SLOS 1-6)

Unit Four: The Portfolio

We will begin to think about writing as a continuous process of drafts. For your portfolio, you will turn in 20 pages of polished (revised) prose, completed across three assignments. You will turn in the original draft, a “revision” draft which has your hand-written edits on it, and then a final draft. You will also write a 6-8 page critical rationale describing your process of revision across the semester.

*Along with your formal papers, you will be writing an accompanying paper immediately after you turn in the formal papers. These will be 2-3 pages, and they will be self-reflective rhetorical analyses of your own writing. These papers will be your chance to write about your own writing, to imagine where you’ll go in revision as well as to praise yourself for the elements of your paper you’ve already done well.

Your journal

Your journal is one of the most important components of this class. All homework assignments or reading responses will be written in your journal, and I will periodically check your journals at the beginning of class. If you haven’t done the assignment, you will receive a 0, and you will not be able to make it up. If you are absent during class that day, you may show it to me the next class for a maximum score of 70. We will occasionally have in-class free writes in your journal as well.

II. Course Policies

Academic Integrity

“Academic integrity is founded upon and encompasses the following five values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Violations include, for example, cheating, plagiarism, misuse of academic resources, falsification, and facilitating academic dishonesty. If knowledge is to be gained and properly evaluated, it must be pursued under conditions free from dishonesty. Deceit and misrepresentations are incompatible with the fundamental activity of this academic institution and shall not be tolerated” (from UNCG's “Academic Integrity Policy”). To ensure that you understand the university's policy on academic integrity, review the guidelines and list of violations at < I expect each student to abide by the Academic Integrity Policy. If a student is found guilty of an academic integrity violation, he/she will earn an “F” for the relevant assignment and could potentially fail the course.

Behavior and Language

The exchange of ideas in the classroom requires a respect for others. I will not tolerate or excuse lewd, crude, sexist, and racist language and behavior. See policies on hazing, disruptive behavior, and various forms of discrimination at <

Class Attendance

By UNCG Composition Program policy, students in TR classes are allowed two absences without a penalty. If you miss a third class, your grade will drop half a letter grade. Students who miss four classes on a TR schedule will automatically fail the course. For this course, the College Writing Program’s attendance policy supersedes any other. Attendance at the final exam period is included in this maximum allowance. Attendance means being physically and mentally present and ready to participate. If you do not have your assignments and materials for class, I reserve the right to count you as absent.

Students are by state law allowed two excused absences due to religious holidays. These absences do not count toward the total maximum allowed above. If you plan to miss class due to a religious holiday, you must notify me at least 48 hours in advance of the absence.

Now, life often intervenes with the best plans. So, if you have extenuating circumstances such as a death in the family, chronic illness/injury requiring prolonged medical treatment, etc., then you should immediately contact the Dean of Students Office for advocacy. To speak with a staff member in the Dean of Students Office, make an appointment by contacting Heather Mitchell, Student Services Manager, at 336-334-5514 or via email at . You can also use the department email, for more general information. You will need to provide your name, your UNCG ID number, a telephone number that you can be reached, and a general description of why you would like to meet. If your situation is urgent, you may opt for a walk-in appointment (Monday – Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm), and the staff will connect you with the appropriate person as soon as possible. The Dean of Students office is located on the second floor of the Elliott University Center (EUC).

Tardiness

Be on time. If you aren’t in class ready to go by the start of class, you are late. Being late three times will constitute as an absence. If you come in late, you should remind me after class that you came in, so that you won’t be counted absent. If you are twenty or more minutes late for class, you will be counted absent.

Late Work Policy

For every day you turn in an essay late, I will subtract half a letter grade from your final grade. Being late includes not having a printed out and stapled copy to me by the beginning of class. Of course, I am willing to work with you as long as you communicate with me. Email me ahead of time if you will not be able to turn your paper into me in time.

Class Participation

Participation Rubric

III. Student Resources

The Writing Center

The purpose of the Writing Center ( is to enhance the confidence and competence of student writers by providing free, individual assistance at any stage of any writing project. Staff consultants are experienced writers and alert readers, prepared to offer feedback and suggestions on drafts of papers, help students find answers to their questions about writing, and provide one-on-one instruction as needed. You may schedule writing conferences either by email () or phone (336.334.3125) as well as just walk in during their open hours (see website link above). If you would like to use the Writing Center online facilities, please understand that they are limited, so the consultants would appreciate it if you made an appointment in advance. For the 2012 fall semester, the Writing Center opens on Tuesday, September 4, 2012 at 9 am.

The Digital Media Commons (DMC)

On 20 August 2012, the new Digital Media Commons (DMC) opens in the lower level of Jackson Library. This is a great new resource for students as you engage with the Blackboard technology and take on multimedia projects and assignments in this course. The DMC offers hands-on assistance, consults with students on digital projects, and offers access to the essential tools for creating digital resources such as web pages, digital images, digital video, digital audio, PowerPoint presentations, and more. The DMC provides expert staff from the University Libraries, digital literacy consultants from the Undergraduate Studies' Multilteracy Centers Program, and graduate assistants from the Media Studies and Library and Information Sciences departments.

Other Types of Support

Please see the Course Documents folder in Blackboard for additional resources tied to writing and technology.

Accommodations

Students with documentation of special needs should arrange to consult with me about accommodations as soon as possible. If you believe that you could benefit from such accommodations, you must first register with the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services on campus. To be clear, you must register with the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services before such accommodations can be made.The office is located on the second floor of the Elliot University Center (EUC) in Suite 215. The office may be reached by email at and is open 8am-5pm, Monday- Friday. Telephone number: 334-5440

IV. Technology Policy

I will not allow laptops in the classroom unless you have written permission from the Dean of Students or unless we are having a portfolio workday. I believe our most successful work will be produced through class discussion in which we are all actively engaged and not distracted by computers. Absolutely no text messaging or cell phone calls allowed during class. If I see you texting, I reserve the right to count you absent for the class.

1