Syllabus

ENG-101 SYLLABUS, Composition
MSU-Mankato, Fall 2007
Section 49, course ID 006248
DAYS/DATES: Thursdays, 08/30/07 - 12/13/2007
Time: 6:00 – 9:30
Room: AH 203

INSTRUCTOR: Paul Fried (pronounced “Freed”)
E-MAIL: paul.fried@mnsu.edu
OFFICE: AH201K
OFFICE HOURS: 2-5, Thursdays, plus e-hours
OFFICE PHONE: 389-5540
COURSE WEB SITE: http://www.en101fried.blogspot.com/

This syllabus is tentative and subject to change at the instructor's discretion.

REQUIRED TEXTS available from Textbook Servies:
St. Martin’s Guide to Writing, 6th edition, Axelrod & Cooper
The Blair Reader, 4th edition, Kirszner & Mandell
The College Writer’s Handbook, VanderMey, Meyer, et al

REQUIRED TEXTS available at the University Bookstore:
A college-level dictionary (one you don’t have to plug in)

OTHER REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Paper clips or a stapler
A folder or folders for storing/sorting papers & materials.

THE OFFICIAL COURSE DESCRIPTION: See General Education English Composition description at this link:
http://english.mnsu.edu/genedgoals.htm

Category 1: Communication
Goal: To develop writers and speakers who use the English language effectively and who read, write, speak, and listen critically. At a base, all students should complete introductory communication requirements early in their college studies. Writing competency is an ongoing process to be reinforced through writing-intensive courses and writing across the curriculum. Speaking and listening skills need reinforcement. There are multiple opportunities for interpersonal communication, public speaking and discussion.

Part A: English Composition
(requires one course, 3 credits or more, with a grade of at least a "C")

Goal: To develop writers who use the English language effectively and who read and write critically. This course will require faculty-critiqued writing. Writing competency is an ongoing process which needs to be reinforced throughout the curriculum.

Students will be able to:

(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;

(f) employ syntax and usage appropriate to academic writing and the professional world.

(g) employ syntax, usage and analytical techniques appropriate to academic disciplines and the professional world.


Two MAIN GOALS/OUTCOMES/OBJECTIVES: We'll focus especially on 1) reading and writing analytically and critically, and 2) writing proficiently in standard English with respect to form and style. Much of this will take place aided by class discussion and/or online (D2L) discussion.

TO READ AND WRITE ANALYTICALLY: To analyze is to understand something deeply in all its aspects or components, taken apart and as a whole; so to read and write analytically means to strive for a deep and multi-faceted understanding of your subject matter and of your own writing. To analyze is to understand thoroughly. In-class and online discussion will help. Two heads are better than one; think of 26 heads….

TO READ AND WRITE CRITICALLY: Here, “critically” is meant not in the sense of tearing something or someone down, but in the sense of exercising good, discerning judgment. Can an author or text be trusted? Are there biases to consider? Might a text be well-written and used as a model for your own writing? How might your own ideas and drafts be well-developed, or in need of revision? To be critical, in the positive sense, is to have good, discerning judgment about what is good, true, beautiful, eloquent or interesting. Some judgment questions are subjective: Might an essay prove interesting to a certain reader? Some judgments relate more to truth and facts and are therefore determined more by evidence than opinion. In-class and online discussion will help (26 heads are better than one).

THE IMPORTANCE OF ASKING QUESTIONS:
To read and write analytically and critically requires asking many good questions, and getting in the habit of doing so. For reading: Who is the author, and what is her/his bias? In what historical and/or cultural context was the text written, and how might events of the time have influenced the text? Who is the intended audience? To write analytically and critically also requires asking certain questions habitually.

SYNTHESIS:
To write analytically and critically also requires the ability to synthesize, or put pieces together, from many diverse sources and readings. Discussion in class and online (D2L) can serve as important tools in developing syntheses after reading various texts and reflecting on them.

A THEMATIC APPROACH:
Some writing classes start by having students read essays in various rhetorical styles or forms (narrative, description, argument). Not this one. We will be reading essays based on certain themes, discussing them, developing our understandings of the subject and rhetorical forms, and then writing.

WRITING HELP/TUTORS: The Center for Academic Excellence , in the basement of the library, is free, and is a good place with peer tutors ready to help with feedback, ideas about writing strategies, and suggestions. If you struggle with your writing, feel the college writing challenge is too much, or just want to try it, the Center for Academic Excellence is a great place to go: They won’t do your work, but they’ll help by acting as guides. Office: ML 125 / Tutoring and Academic Support: ML 116 / (507) 389-1791

COURSE POLICIES:
1. Attend: Attendance at all class meetings is required.
- Frequently absent students often get lower grades; their work reflects that they missed things covered in class, and/or absences are a symptom of a general lack of commitment to the course. Commit yourself to your classes and to learning as much as you can.
- Perfect attendance never guarantees perfect grades, but it can help.
- It is always better, for both your learning and your grades, to come to class without an assignment that is due than to skip class to cover for being unprepared.
- Exceptions are made for serious illness, family emergencies, religious observations, and college sports or extra-curricular events
- When seriously ill or in an emergency, contact the Dean.
- If an illness or emergency keeps you from school for too long, and if you have too much work to make up, it is often better to talk to the Dean about a temporary leave from school.
- When absent, students are responsible (a) to learn from classmates what was covered in class, (b) to hand in assignments by email and/or on D2L by the required deadlines, and (c) do other required work on time or early if possible when they anticipate being absent; if “early” or “on time” are not possible, then by the next class meeting after an absence, unless given an extension (rare). More than four absences will affect your grade.
- Talk to me if you know you’ll miss class for any reason, and after you missed.
- A fifth absence will lower your grade by one letter; a sixth will result in a D or lower.
- A seventh absence will result in an F for the course.
- Some events and discussions will unfold in class that simply can’t be made up. That is the nature of life. Choices in favor of some opportunities rule out other opportunities.

2. Be on time or early, not late; complete all work due on time.
- Being 10 minutes late to class on two occasions adds up to one absence.
- Late assignments: If you have trouble and need more time, talk to me: I will sometimes offer an extension of one class meeting for late assignments. No more than that.
- Work that is more than one class meeting late will receive a reduced grade:
- Two class meetings late: Reduced by one letter grade.
- Three class meetings late: Reduced by two letter grades.
- Exception: Work due at the end of the semester cannot be late.

3. Participate. Share your thoughts. Listen actively to the instructor and classmates. Have a notebook open and ready at all times, even if there’s nothing to note. “The readiness is all.” (Shakespeare).

4. Keep up, even if class is canceled: If class is canceled due to weather, instructor illness, or other emergency, all the work due on that date is still due on that date. We will just miss out on in-class discussion that day. In other words, if class is canceled, we will not skip a week on the schedule of assignments. Just more to talk about at the next meeting.

5. Be clean, courteous and responsible: No food or beverages (except water) in class. Clean up after yourself. In computer labs, turn off monitors before you leave. Log off. If it’s the last class of the day, go through the shut-down routine from the start menu. Turn out lights.
6. Be Honest. Your work should be your own, current work, not a high school paper, not a paper written for another college class, not the work of another student, family member or stranger, not writing taken without attribution from a book, recording or Internet source. For more information, see “plagiarism” in 2006-2007 Manual for Written Communication.

7. Be respectful toward fellow students and your instructor. Don’t take up class time by trying to conference with the instructor when class should be starting. Respect differences of opinions and different levels of ability. Where you are weak, another may be strong, and vice versa. Find ways to cooperate and learn from one another, even (sometimes especially) through differences. Don’t insult. Any harassment is a violation of university policy. See 2006-2007 Manual for Written Communication.

8. Students with disabilities are welcome. Please note:
MSU welcomes students with disabilities into the university’s education programs and activities. Students with disability-related needs for reasonable accommodations should contact the Office of Disability Services. Before final decisions can be made about allowing accommodations, students must provide sufficient documentation. Contact Julie Snow, Director, Office of Disability Services, phone: 507-389-2825 (Voice/TTY) julie.snow@mnsu.edu

9. Be studious and prepared: Bring to class all assignments and texts relevant to the day’s work and the next meeting’s assignments. If unsure, bring all texts. Do all required reading carefully. Be prepared to participate. Write, rewrite, and edit carefully. Don’t merely edit first drafts. Work hard. Improve. Learn. Grow. Live fully. Bring passion to your work. You only go to college once, usually. Make it the best learning experience you can.

10. Avoid distractions: a) Turn off cell phones during class, and no text-messaging. Even if you can set cell phones to vibrate without ringing, turn them off. Eliminate the potential distraction to you and the class. b) When and if class meets in a computer lab, during class time, no email or Internet use unrelated to class. If class meets in a multi-hour block with breaks, it’s better to use the break time to visit with classmates, to get up and stretch, to get a drink of water. Cell phones and online tools are great and helpful, but they become distractions too easily during class time. During break time, use them rarely and with discretion, making certain your use doesn't stray beyond the borders of break time and into class time. Violations of this rule may, at the instructor’s discretion, count as being late for class. Twice will count as an absence. Be prudent. Don’t be distracted. Stay focused.


ASSIGNMENTS:

There will be many written assignments, including four formal papers, but even more informal writing to prepare you for writing the papers. My general approach is to have many low-pressure writing assignments where students can learn, make mistakes, correct them, and work toward not only “getting it right,” but developing good writing habits so that they rarely “get it wrong.”

UNGRADED-BUT-REQUIRED, OR “PASS-FAIL”ASSIGNMENTS:
Some assignments will be ungraded but required, or pass-fail (UBR/PF). Most students do fine on these, but a few have to re-do them if they mess up, get lazy, don’t follow the directions or don’t meet the requirements of the assignment. I tend not to mark these down for spelling, grammar or punctuation issues, but I notice areas where you may need work. Purposes:
1. To get you writing a lot
2. To introduce certain new skills a bit at a time
3. To get you to pay closer attention to your writing habits
4. Once you pay attention, to help you improve them.

Examples of short UBR/PF assignments:
- Recording your assumptions and guesses: Writing what you know about a topic, and your opinions on the topic, before reading an article on it.
- Summarizing and/or outlining an article, chapter, or section you’ve read.
- Recording how your knowledge expanded and/or opinion may have been altered by the article you read, and new questions it raises.
- Doing brief self-evaluations of your summaries and first drafts.
- Finding peer drafts whose self-evaluations indicate strengths and weaknesses are complimentary to your own.
- Reading and commenting on peer summaries, drafts and self-evaluations.
- Contributing to online (D2L) class discussion about a reading or issue.
- Annotated bibliographies.
- Practice writing types of introductory paragraphs.
- And more as requested.


READING AND ESSAY UNITS/TOPIC GROUPS:
Students will write four graded essays. Readings, and the student essays written in response, will be arranged in units. First drafts will be ungraded but required, and will be posted in designated discussion forums on D2L (Desire to Learn) for discussion, collaboration and feedback. Final drafts will also be posted to D2L.

LIST OF READING AND ESSAY UNITS/TOPIC GROUPS:

1. Global Warming and Environment
2. Who Controls Public Opinion and Policy, and How?
3. Rich and Poor, Discrimination and Oppression
4. War, Intervention, and the Military-Industrial Complex


TURNING IN ASSIGNMENTS To Instructor & Class:

Students will email most assignments to the instructor, and also post them to designated discussion forums on D2L (Desire to Learn). Students may be asked to submit them online to Turnitin. Student work in this section of this class is not merely a private communication between student and instructor, but is contributed to the whole class and made available for collaborative efforts to learn. In the past, students have viewed this not as a burden but as a great tool and advantage. Grades are still private and confidential, and will not be posted for others to see, but assigned work and feedback from peers and instructor are contributed as public comments to help the whole class learn. Often students learn as much from their peers’ essays, from their successes and mistakes, and from the feedback given to their peers, as they do from feedback they receive on their own writing.


GRADING:

Grades reflect an instructor’s effort to discern the level of a student’s ability and achievement. It’s more important to focus on how much you learn, and how to learn it in a way that will be of lasting value, than to focus on grades as in any way detached from learning. Do your best, and I will try to do my best. If it helps to put your mind at ease, you might appreciate knowing that my past students have found me to be a fair grader. For more information, see the course blog.

If a first draft shows only editing and no major revision or needed improvements in the final draft, the final draft may be eligible for no more than a “C” grade.

Note: This grading criteria is tentative and subject to change at the instructor's discretion.

Essay 1: 20%
Essay 2: 20%
Essay 3: 20%
Essay 4: 20%
In-class
participation: 10%
D2L
participation*: 10%

* D2L tracks individual student usage, reading and posting.

If UBR/PF assignments are missing or not revised as requested to correct deficiencies, they will count against your grade the same as absences.