Comp Syllabus by Christian Berry

ENC 1101: Composition 1 Department of Writing and Rhetoric College of Arts and Humanities University of Central Florida

COURSE SYLLABUS

Instructor: Office:

Christian C. Berry Colbourn Hall (CNH) - 304B

Term: Class Meeting Days:

Fall 2011 MWF

Phone:

none

Class Meeting Hours:

12:30PM 1:20PM

E-Mail:

christian.berry@ucf.edu

Class Location:

VAB - 0107

GoogleSites Website:

https://sites.google.com/site/ ucfeportfolios/

Office Hours:

MWF - 10.00am - 11.30am

Section/Number 1101-0132/80142 Course Hours

Facebook page: “Comp 1 - MWF - 7.30 - 8.20am”

Welcome! My assumption is that you hate to write. Ok, so maybe that’s a little negative... Perhaps you’re just a little anxious about writing in the university setting. That feels better, right? Regardless, whatever negativity you have about writing, I want to challenge both of those beliefs because I was you, and I know what it takes to come away with a love, or at least an appreciation for your own words. This Composition class is not a class about English literature. Neither is it a class on how to do research papers. However, you will read literature, and you will do research. Instead, everything you do during the next 16 weeks will be about you. This is a course in which you will write about writing to people just like you, college freshmen. That’s it. In doing so, you will begin to understand the writer inside of you, know how he or she ticks, and what motivates him/her to

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write. Only then, will you begin to excel at writing because of the freedom you have to create your own world of words. University Course Catalog Description (... straight from your college catalogue...) “Composition I: Expository writing with emphasis on effective communication and critical thinking. Emphasizing the writing process writing topics are based on selected readings and on student experiences. The “NC” grading policy applies to this course.”

II.

III.

Course Topics Improving as readers of complex, research-based texts

Understanding how writers construct texts

Understanding how readers construct meaning from texts

Recognizing and understanding common misconceptions about writing

Understanding the Rhetorical Situation concept, and applying it to writing and reading situations

Acquiring a vocabulary for talking about writing processes

Understanding ourselves as writers

Actively considering our own writing processes and practices and adapting them as necessary to make them most effective

Understanding writing and research as processes requiring planning, incubation, revision, and collaboration

10. Understanding that knowledge is constructed 11. Understanding how language practices mediate group activities 12. Understanding how language plays a role in discourse community enculturation 13. Understanding the relationship between language, identity, and authority 14. Considering various understandings of what it means to be literate 15. Gaining tools for examining the discourses and texts of various communities 16. Considering how discourse is used in the university 17. Recognizing the textual “moves” common to many forms of academic discourse 18. Acquiring tools for successfully responding to varied discourse conventions and genres in different classes

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IV.

Course Outcomes (How our work will be assessed) 1.

Thinking: demonstrates college-level thinking and exploration of ideas and issues

Polish: demonstrates college-level polish (editing, formatting, etc.)

Rhetorical Analysis: at least one paper demonstrates the ability to rhetorically analyze complex texts written by others

Reflection: (in reflective comments, revision memos, or essays,) demonstrates the ability to carefully reflect on writing processes and practices

In-text Citation: uses correct in-text citations

Work Cited: uses correctly formatted works cited pages

Outside Sources: includes two or more carefully integrated outside sources per paper

Macro (Global) Revision: demonstrates evidence of appropriate macro-level revision between drafts

Micro (Local) Revision: demonstrates evidence of appropriate micro-level revision between drafts

10. Peer Feedback: displays evidence of peer feedback on or with drafts IV.

Course Prerequisites None

Required Texts and Materials • Writing about Writing: A College Reader by Wardle and Downs, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010 •

The Everyday Writer by Lunsford, Bedford/St.Martin’s, UCF Custom Edition, 2009 or 2010

•

81⁄2 x 11-inch loose-leaf paper

•

A pocket folder or three-ring binder for keeping handouts and loose-leaf paper

•

Three hard-copies (81⁄2 x 11-inch) of computer-processed major assignment drafts, singlesided, or other assignments as requested by the instructor

•

A spiral-bound portfolio of all course material to be handed in at the end of the semester

VI.

•

Required Online Accounts - (besides knowing how to access Webcourses) Facebook Account - search for “Comp 1 - MWF - 7.30” or “12.30” - will be used for daily interaction between each other

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•

LinkedIn Account - will be used for your Discourse Communities Project

•

Wix Account - www.wix.com - will be used for your ePortfolio Supplementary (Optional) Texts and Materials Dictionary; Thesaurus; Laptop computer; Webcam (you will be using this for a couple of your projects)

VII.

VIII. Gordon Rule ENC 1101 is a Gordon Rule course. You must earn at least a C- in order to fulfill university and

state Gordon Rule and GEP requirements. Over the course of the semester you will write at least 6000 words of evaluated writing, as mandated by UCF and the Department of Writing and Rhetoric. Assignments that fulfill the Gordon Rule are indicated with an asterisk (below) as mandated by UCF policy. Each has the following characteristics: 1.

The writing will have a clearly defined central idea or thesis

It will provide adequate support for that idea

It will be organized clearly and logically

It will show awareness of the conventions of standard written English

It will be formatted or presented in an appropriate way

IX.

Basis for Final Grade Grading Scale (%) 7 minute papers - 5%; Active-Reading Notes - 10%; Facebook posts - 5% and all of this must be done by the due date, and on time to receive any points prewriting and attention to purpose, audience, quality of revisions, they must reflection grammar a la Joe Williams, be significant, and I don’t mean piece - 8% formatting, style - 5% proof-reading - 7%

Par=cipa=on

Portrait of a Writer

Rhetorical Analysis Project

prewriting and attention to purpose, audience, quality of revisions, they must reflection grammar a la Joe Williams, be significant, and I don’t mean piece - 8% formatting, style - 5% proof-reading - 7%

Discourse Communi=es

ePorIolio

4 reflection pieces - 4 x 2 page reflections (double-spaced) for the three major assignments as well as 1 reflection that covers the entire ePortfolio itself each worth 5%

Essay grades are generally determined according to the following (see Course Outcomes):

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A - An “A” essay is one which would move your instructor and the best members of your class to admiration. It implies not only that the theme is virtually free of errors but that it makes its point clearly, logically, and gracefully. An “A” final grade is the product of work of consistently high quality and occasional brilliance.

B - A “B” essay reveals effective performance of the assignment. The theme is clear and logical but with perhaps some small problems in coherence or development and without the stylistic grace of the “A” paper. It has no more than an occasional error in spelling, sentence structure, diction, usage, or punctuation.

C - A “C” essay indicates that you have performed the assignment adequately but usually with some problems of clarity, logic, support or documentation, grammar, mechanics, and spelling. Improvement is desirable, but you should remember that a “C” grade does indicate average college work.

D - A “D” essay reveals a failure to perform the assignment adequately or to overcome some problems pointed out in previous themes. The “D” paper only partially fulfills the requirements of the topic, and it usually has a significant number of errors in spelling, sentence structure, usage, diction and punctuation. When you receive a “D” you are being given warning that you must improve.

F - An “F” essay indicates gross failure at carrying out the assigned topic. An “F” grade may also be given to students who make frequent errors or those who consistently fail to seek out help and correct their indiscretions. This is, of course, a failing grade.

NC - An “NC” essay is awarded to students who complete all assignments for this course with a good faith effort, but whose final work in the course does not meet program standards for a grade of “C-:.

Course Policies: Grades There are no make-ups for in-class participation or activities. PreWriting turned in late will be assessed a penalty: a half-letter grade if it is one calendar day late, or a full-letter grade if it is late by 2-7 calendar days.

XI.

Grade Dissemination In-class assignments and PreWriting will be graded and returned within one week of the initial submission. Essays will be graded at the end of the semester. Assessment and feedback will be given every week.

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Pre Writing: PreWriting will be generally graded according to the amount of detail, brainstorming, and organization. Pages P & W will be handwritten unless otherwise noted. Major Projects: Each Major Project is worth 20% of the course grade. Students are eligible to submit a revision of any Major Project for an improved grade. I will be awarding 25% of the essay grade on the initial submission of a Major Project, i.e., about 5% of the overall course grade. The final 15% of each Major Project grade will be awarded at the end of the semester when the Portfolio has been turned in. Grading Scale (%) 94-100

90-93

A-

87-89

B+

84-86

80-83

B-

77-79

C+

74-76

70-73

C-

0 - 59

F NC

XII.

Course Policies: Participation Participation grades will be determined by completion of homework and in-class assignments, quality of homework and in-class assignments, quality of in-class discussions and activities, and an end-of-semester ePortfolio submission. Each class session will receive a participation grade for the entire class to determine each studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s baseline participation grade. Students not participating in in-class discussions or activities, due to absence, lateness, or otherwise, will receive a zero for that dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s participation grades. The baseline participation grade will be positively or negatively adjusted according to homework completion and quality, the completion and quality of the submitted portfolio, and the completion and quality of the final exam.

XIII.

Course Policies: Attendance The UCF English Department maintains that 75 percent of all classes must be attended to meet the course requirements (resulting in no more than 6 absences for summer classes too). Absences will negatively impact your grade and those over 6 may result in failure.

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XIV. Course Policies: Office Hours

Instructor Office Hours are provided to supplement student work. Feel free to send me an email requesting an appointment or stop by during office hours to discuss any assignments and/or enhance your understanding of any class sessions that you attend. In addition, some office hour times have been blocked out for students to sign-up for Major Assignment Revision conferences. Please check our Facebook page for those dates and times to sign up. Instructor Office Hours are not to be used to make up for missing class. Students are encouraged to network with one another to gather handouts and information from a missed class session if missing class is absolutely necessary. The instructor will not discuss a missed class session, nor provide handouts from a missed class session during office hours. Instead you will call, email, text, use morse-code, send your pigeon/owl to the following person:-

______________________________________________________________________________________

XV.

Course Policies: Technology and Media

VII. Email: Do e-mail the instructor if there is an exceptional emergency or a special request, such as a request for a letter of recommendation. Do not e-mail the instructor about missing class. Discuss a need to miss a class session with the instructor ahead of time at the end of a class session if applicable. Always try to make up for a missed class session by contacting a classmate. The instructor will not discuss a missed class session, nor provide handouts from a missed class session through e-mail. Use instructor office hours to discuss grades, any assignments and/or to enhance your understanding of any class sessions that you attend. The instructor cannot discuss student grades through e-mail. Laptop Usage: Laptop computer usage is encouraged in this class, but should be used appropriately. Inappropriate computer usage during class time will negatively affect participation grades. XVI.

Course Policies: Student Expectations Disability Access: The University of Central Florida is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities. This syllabus is available in alternate formats upon request. Students with disabilities who need accommodations in this course must contact the professor at the beginning of the semester to discuss needed accommodations. To receive accommodations, students must be registered with Student Disability Services, Student Resource Center Room 132, phone (407) 823-2371, TTY/TDD only phone (407) 823-2116, before requesting accommodations from the professor.

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Professionalism Policy: Per university policy and classroom etiquette; mobile phones, iPods, etc. should be silenced during class sessions. Please arrive on time for all class meetings, as attendance is confirmed before class starts, and lateness to class may result in a student’s being marked absent. Students who habitually disturb the class by talking, arriving late, etc., and have been warned may negatively impact his or her participation grade.

Lateness Policy:

Lateness to class will affect participation grades in the following way: A student who is late to class will have his or her individual participation grade lowered by 10 points from the class participation grade for the day; a student who is more than 10 minutes late to class will have his or her individual participation grade lowered by 20 points from the class participation grade for the day. A student who is repeatedly late to class will be addressed by the instructor, and may be regarded as disruptive to the class.

Academic Conduct Policy: Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. If you are uncertain as to what constitutes academic dishonesty, please consult The Golden Rule, the University of Central Florida's Student Handbook (http://www.goldenrule.sdes.ucf.edu/) for further details. As in all University courses, The Golden Rule Rules of Conduct will be applied. Violations of these rules will result in a record of the infraction being placed in your file and receiving a zero on the work in question AT A MINIMUM. At the instructor’s discretion, you may also receive a failing grade for the course. Confirmation of such incidents can also result in expulsion from the University.

Plagiarism specifically:

This composition course will help you think about how to use and document outside texts appropriately for the writing you will do in the university. If you aren’t sure how to document correctly, you should consult your handbook or the instructor. If you intentionally use outside sources without giving proper credit to the original source, or if you turn in work that is not your own, you have committed plagiarism. If you assist another student in doing this, you are partially responsible for their act of plagiarism. Plagiarism or cheating might result in an F for the assignment or for the entire course, depending on the teacher’s discretion. The instructor might also assign you a Z grade, which will appear on your transcript and denote academic dishonesty.

University Writing Center:

The University Writing Center (UWC) is a free resource for UCF undergraduates and graduates. At the UWC, a trained writing consultant will work individually with you on anything you're writing (in or out of class), at any point in the writing process from brainstorming to editing. Appointments are recommended, but not required. For more information or to make an appointment, visit the UWC website at http://www.uwc.ucf.edu, or call 407-823-2197.

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Stylus:

The Department of Writing and Rhetoric publishes a journal for outstanding writing produced by Composition students called Stylus. You may find the student work published in this journal helpful during our exploration of writing this semester. Also, you should consider submitting your own work for publication. Students published in Stylus become eligible for the President John C. Prize for Excellence in First-Year Writing, a $450 book scholarship awarded annually. To submit your work, simply email your essay to me as a Microsoft Word-friendly attachment and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll send it to the editors. To see previous issues and learn more information, visit the Stylus website at

Turinitin.com: In this course we will utilize turnitin.com, an automated system which instructors can use to quickly and easily compare each student's assignment with billions of web sites, as well as an enormous database of student papers that grows with each submission. Accordingly, you will be expected to submit all assignments in both hard copy and electronic format. After the assignment is processed, as instructor I receive a report from turnitin.com that states if and how another authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work was used in the assignment. For a more detailed look at this process visit http://www.turnitin.com.

XVIII. Important Dates to Remember

Last Day to Drop/Swap Classes: ... Thur, Aug. 25

Last Day for full refund:.................. Thur, Aug. 25

Last Day to Add Classes: ................. Fri, Aug. 26

Grade Forgiveness Deadline: ............ Fri, Oct. 14

Withdrawal Deadline: ......................... Fri, Oct. 14

Final Examination: ......Fri, Dec. 9; 10:00am - 12:50pm

Major Project Due Dates:

Portrait of a Writer - September 16th

Rhetorical Analysis - October 17th

Discourse Community Ethnography - November 16th

Final Revisions of all essays - November 25th

Reflection Pieces - December 2nd

Conference Dates: September 20th & November 18th

http://writingandrhetoric.cah.ucf.edu/stylus

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