ENG
101-16
McIver
327
MW
Instructor: Rod Spellman
E-mail: rbspellm@uncg.edu
Office phone: 334-5867 Departmental
Phone: 334-5311
Office: 137 McIver Mailbox:
133 McIver
Office Hours: MW 11-12 and 3-3:30 or by appointment
Content: This course is designed primarily to help you become a better writer. In the process of becoming a better writer, you will also need to become a better reader and thinker. Hopefully, in the end, you will have even become a better person because you’ve learned to express yourself more effectively to others and to evaluate your own beliefs. The most important element in achieving this goal is not an already established ability to write, but the more useful abilities of keeping an open mind and a willingness to work diligently.
This course is centered on writing, and lots of it. You will write numerous (mostly) short essays dealing with your own ideas in relation to the reading we’ll be doing. The end-product of all this writing will be a portfolio containing twenty (or more) pages of polished, thoughtful prose that will reflect your willingness to work with the readings, the class, and the process of writing.
Course Materials:
BOOKS:
MATERIALS:
OTHER:
Learning Goals:
· To learn to interpret and evaluate intellectual writing.
· To construct and communicate your own ideas clearly, coherently and effectively in writing.
· To locate, synthesize, and evaluate the relevant information in intellectual writing.
· To demonstrate an understanding of the goals and strategies of intellectual discourse.
Attendance Policy: Because this class is heavily based on in-class discussion, group work, and writing, your attendance is required at every class session. Missing more than two classes will lower your grade for this course. If you miss more than six classes, you will not pass this course. Absences are excused solely at my discretion. Do not assume that because you have a doctor’s/lawyer’s/parent’s/employer’s note that I will count the absence as excused. In other words, plan your doctor appointments, work schedule, etc. around your classes, and not the other way around.
Academic Misconduct: Using someone else’s words or ideas as your own on any assignment is plagiarism. It is a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy as defined in the student handbook. Plagiarism is grounds for failing an assignment, or possibly failing the course.
(Check the Academic Integrity policy in the Student Handbook, pp. 205-214)
Classroom Behavior:
*Have courtesy and respect for yourself, your fellow classmates, and your instructor. Avoid distracting or disrespectful behavior (eating, talking while others are talking, insulting others, etc.) Everyone has a right to his or her own opinion, and a right not to feel threatened because that opinion differs with the opinions of others. Note that argumentative discourse is the most effective way of changing opinions, not threatening, coercing, or ostracizing.
*Turn off cell phones and pagers.
(See Student Code of Conduct in the Student Handbook, pp. 183-204)
Grading policy and Late Work: The grading in this course may be a bit different from what you have previously encountered. Grades will only be given on your performance twice: a tentative grade at midterm and a final grade at the end of the semester. Instead of receiving letter grades on assignments, you will receive comments that will guide you in the revising process.
Your final grade will be based on the following criteria:
1) Participation (in group work, class discussions, peer reviewing): 25%
2) Weekly Progress Reports and Required Drafts (based more on their completion than their quality): 25%
3 ) Portfolio: 50%
Late work will not
be accepted without prior notification.
Conferences: Our class meetings are not always the best place to receive individual attention on your concerns about your writing. While you are always welcome to visit me during office hours, you will also be required to chat with me at least twice during the semester. Failing to show up, prepared, for an assigned conference date will negatively affect your grade.
Accumulated Writing: Throughout this course, you will keep a notebook that contains all of the writing you do for this class: in-class writing, pre-writing activities, progress reports, group work, rough drafts, reading responses, etc. KEEP EVERYTHING!! I know that it may offend the sense of order of some of you, but for this class, I expect you to become a writing packrat. The material that you keep will be useful to you when it comes time to decide what to revise to put in your portfolio. Please put a date on everything you put in this folder. (And making a note of what exactly the writing is may be of help to you as well.)
Portfolio: In short, your portfolio will be your representation of the work you have accomplished during the semester. It will include at least 20 pages of work that have been extensively revised and polished. I will collect portfolios at midterm and at the end of the semester.
More details on the portfolio
will be forthcoming as the semester progresses.
Formatting Your Writing: All writing that is turned in to me (unless it is turned in during the class in which it was written) must be typed with the following guidelines:
Double-spaced
1” margins on top, bottom, and sides
12-point font (Times New Roman)
Blackboard: I am planning on using Blackboard as an aid to all of us in this course. However, I am new to using Blackboard myself, so this will probably be as much of a learning experience for me as it will for you. Copies of all handouts will be posted to Blackboard by the day after they are handed out in class. A current list of assignments will also be updated weekly. I may occasionally post messages to the class as well (for things such as changes in assignments or readings, reminders about due dates, changes in class meeting place, class cancellations, etc.). Therefore, you should check your Blackboard account daily. Not having checked Blackboard will not be an excuse for missed work.
Students with Disabilities: If you have any sort of disability that could affect your performance in the class or for which you need accommodation, please contact me and/or the office of Disability Services at 334-5440.
Course Schedule
and additional information forthcoming.