ENG 111 C
EFFECTIVE WRITING
FALL 2003
Syllabus
Instructor: Joan L. Griffin
Office: Memorial 220
Office Phone: 330-1045
E-mail: griffin@augsburg.edu
Office Hours: Monday/Wednesday 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Tuesday TBA
Course Objectives
This is a companion course to the Augsburg Core Curriculum graduation requirement: Search for Meaning 1: REL 100 Christian Vocation and the Search for Meaning. As such, it is intended to help you master at least some of material of REL 100 by asking you to reflect on some of its content as you write your papers and in exploring the skills that you will need for writing the last paper of that course.
As another required course in the AugCore, ENG 111 also is intended to address AugsburgÕs commitment to diversity (see Many Voices Project) below.
Above all, however, ENG 111 is a writing course. Therefore it primarily will focus on the strategies that experienced writers use in producing a finished draft of a paper.
1. Writing as Thinking: Search for Meaning (Rhetorical and Cognitive Strategies)
Writing is an act of critical and/or creative thinking. Papers reflect the process as well as result of thinking. Assignments will stress the sorts of cognitive problems that students will encounter in their college courses and later in their careers. Paper topics are based on Benjamin Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. The course also will emphasize some of Aristotle's cognitive "topics:" definition, comparison and contrast, classification, and the analysis of causes and effects.
2. Writing as Communication: The Many Voices Project
Voices. Effective writing allows us to engage other minds in active conversation.
Because the skills of close reading and clear writing are some of the most effective tools students can use to understand the personal and cultural diversity they will encounter in collegeÑand later in their careersÑAugsburg College courses in Effective Writing emphasize ways in which written communication can promote understanding and productive engagement among different cultures and points of view. While this course does not Òteach diversity,Ó it is intended to teach skills and methods that promote successful communication between diverse writers and readers.
3. Writing as Process
There is no one Òright wayÓ to write a paper. However, experienced writers
Typically work through a process that involves the following components:
a. Planning: Generating ideas; reading and researching; focusing
a topic; discovering and developing a thesis and/or purpose;
considering the audience; organizing material using methods appropriate to the paper's purpose, content, and audience.
b. Drafting: Getting oneÕs ideas on the page. This involves the first
ÒpassÓ at trying to discover and organize your ideas.
c. Revising: Revisiting the large elements: focusing the topic and/or thesis; expanding or contracting supporting detail; editing for relevance; testing the overall organizational plan; revising paragraphs for unity, development, and coherence.
d. Editing: Revisiting sentence level elements. Revising for effective
sentence structure and precise dictions. Checking grammar,
punctuation, and mechanics. Checking documentation.
e. Proofreading
f. Publishing/Presenting
Students will be asked to improve their revising and editing skills by becoming courteous critics of each other's work in writing workshops.
4. Writing from Sources
Few academic or professional papers are developed solely from the writer's knowledge and/or experience. Most professional and academic writing requires the use of sources.
Thus a significant part of the course will be devoted to research skills: gathering sources, summarizing and paraphrasing accurately; avoiding plagiarism;
integrating information and others' ideas into an original outline; documenting written sources. To pass the course, students must show that they can use sources skillfully, avoiding accidental (and certainly intentional) plagiarism.
Required Texts
1. Diane Hacker, A WriterÕs Reference, 5th edition
2. Malcolm X, The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
3. Chaim Potok, The Chosen (This is shelved with your REL 100 books)
Recommended Texts
1. Diana Hacker, Research and Documentation in the
Electronic Age, 3rd. ed..
2. In addition to these texts, it is strongly recommended that you purchase a college-level dictionary if you don't already own one.
Other required materials include writing materials, duplicated copies of papers in progress, a folder for your portfolio, etc.
Course Requirements & Policies
To complete the course successfully, you must:
1. Turn in all required notes/exploratory writing, drafts, and revisions of all
formal assignments (see below). Each major paper assignment must meet the standards of a 2.0 paper for you to pass the course. This means that you must complete all required revisions.
Typically, at least four (4) drafts will be required for each assignment:
1. A rough draft which you will share with others at a workshop OR with the instructor at a conference. Emphasis will be on focusing the topic, generating ideas, and improving the outline.
2. A revision which incorporates ideas from the conference or
workshop.
3. A revision focused on remaining content and organization issues.
4. A final edited and proofread draft.
Some writers will need more than four drafts for each paper. But four
drafts typically will be required of all writers.
2 Turn in papers on time. If you are not writing, you are not doing the work of a writing class. It doesn't make any more sense to try to pack a writing course into a few weeks than it does to try to make up a semester of, say, swimming, in two hours. Moreover, this course asks you to develop as a writerÑwhich means that youÕll need time to learn from each draft. Finally,
writers normally work with deadlines; the course thus asks you to meet the
responsibilities of a writer. See specific policy below.
3. Attend and participate in class regularly. In a writing class, we write. This is not a lecture class: it requires your active participation. More than five (5) absences for any reason will lower your course grade. For the sixth and each subsequent absence, your course grade may be lowered in increments of .5 If you miss more than eight classes, you may not pass the course. Please note that there are no ÒexcusedÓ absences in this course. If you must miss class to participate in band or choir tours or athletic performances, that is fine, but these still constitute absences. For such absences, however, you may arrange to make up graded work done in class, provided that you check with the instructor ahead of time.
4. Be on time for class. If you're late, you potentially miss a significant portion of class plus disrupt the activities of the group to which you're assigned. If you arrive, say, seven to ten minutes late, I'll record you as late; three such instances equal an absence. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late, youÕll be recorded as being absent.
5. Use Augsburg's writing lab when asked. If you fail to observe this
requirement, you may not pass the course.
Grades
1. Overall Course Grades
Your course grade will be based on:
a. Six (6) major formal assignments
b. Additional short assignments and quizzes, most of which will be
completed during class time.
c. Final Exam: In-class essay
Papers 1-3 each will count 12% of your course grade (36% total). Papers 4-5 each will count 15% of your course grade (45% total). The final exam will count 4%. Quizzes and short assignments will count 15%.
Augsburg's grading system is explained in the college catalogue. Because writing is so essential to academic and later professional and business success, Augsburg requires that you achieve a 2.0 or better to get credit for ENG 111. Grades below a 2.0 will be recorded as an N. If you receive an N, you will need to retake ENG 111, but your overall grade point average will not be affected. An N is not intended to be a punitive grade; it simply means that you need more time to work on your writing. However, if you have previously received an N in ENG 111, you will receive a numerical grade (0.0-1.5) if you do not receive a 2.0 or better.
2. Formal Paper Grades
Generally, each paper will involve preliminary writing, note-taking, research, interviews, and/or other exploration; a draft to be discussed with the instructor; and a revised, edited draft to be turned into the instructor for evaluation.
Because this course emphasizes the process of writing, papers do not receive final grades until four drafts have been submitted. For each draft, my written evaluation or the review of your classmates will point out strengths and weaknesses so you will have some idea about where it would fall into the grade scale and know what kinds of revisions/editing would improve it.
The fourth draft of each paper will be graded. If it does not achieve the basic standards of college writing (2.0), it may be resubmitted by the end of the course for a grade no higher than a 2.5.
Late papers will receive a grade reduction. Note that if you turn in a late draft, you risk not getting it back in time to turn in a subsequent draft on time. You must allow the instructor sufficient time (three-five days) to return drafts. Late drafts may reduce the final paper grade by increments of .25. Missed workshops or conferences will reduce all final paper grades by .5. Final drafts will have a grace period of ONE class period. Final drafts turned in two classes late will receive a final grade no higher than a 2.0 . Final drafts turned in one week late will receive a final grade no higher than a 1.0. Final drafts turned in late than one week late will receive a 0.0. However, ALL PAPERS MUST ACHIEVE THE STANDARDS OF BASIC COLLEGE WORK (2.0) FOR YOU TO PASS THE COURSE. IF YOU COMPLETE FEWER THAN FOUR (4) DRAFTS, THE PAPER WILL RECEIVE A 0.0.
Please note that each draft must be submitted to and reviewed by the instructor and/or an in-class workshop to count as an official draft. It is not sufficient to substitute the review of a friend or even the writing lab for a required draft.
If an emergency prevents you from turning in papers in a timely way, please notify the instructor immediately. Please note that a prolonged illness or other emergency may make it necessary to withdraw from the course.
Save all printed drafts. In addition, save electronic drafts in your Augnet folder. Computer emergencies rarely will constitute valid excuses for lateness beyond the grace period.
A description of grading criteria for written work is attached to the syllabus. Additional details re. specific paper grades may be announced on the paper topic handout .They supplement this general syllabus description.
3. Other Work
In addition to formal papers, you will be graded on handbook quizzes, more informal one-page papers, in-class writing, and writing workshops. Your grades for these will be calculated on points which will be converted into numerical grades based on a percentage system (e.g. 95-100%=4.0) at the end of the semester. Sometimes you will get points simply for completing an assignment on time. At other times, the grade will take quality into account (e.g. 3 pts. for a superior job; 2 pts. for a satisfactory job; 1 pt. for at least completing the assignment in a reasonable way.) Specific policies will be announced for each assignment.
Manuscript Form
It is preferable to bring typed drafts to conferences and workshops, although you may bring handwritten drafts if absolutely necessary. However, you are required to type all other drafts of your papers or prepared them on a word processor. Unless the assignment asks you to do otherwise, follow the manuscript format described in your handbook, p. 368 ff. You do not need a title page. The identification need include only your name and the paper assignment and draft numbers. Papers should have titles Please indicate which drft each paper 9s by indicating the number of the paper assignment and the draft (e.g. 1:1, 1:2, etc.)
Please staple or clip your papers before you turn them in.
Academic Honesty Policy
No plagiarized paper, whether intentional or unintentional, can be regarded as meeting the basic standards of a writing course. Please review Augsburg's Academic Honesty Policy Learning how to use sources accurately is an essential part of the content of this course, so understanding this material is essential to passing the course. An additional handout on plagiarism will be distributed and discussed in class.
Major Writing Assignments
1. Assignment 1: Exploring Identity
2. Assignment 2: Paper on The Chosen
4. Assignment 6: The Autobiography of Malcolm X
5. Assignment 4: Evaluation and Synthesis from Written Sources
6. Assignment 5: Shared Paper: Faith Traditions
Course Outline
Although this is a detailed course outline, some flexibility in scheduling classroom activities is also desirable. Therefore, it may be necessary to make some adjustments in assignment due dates. However, any changes in the course outline will be announced in sufficient time for you to plan your schedule.
Note that additional assignments will be made in class and/or on specific paper assignments description sheets.
Paper 2: The Chosen assigned
10
12 DRAFT 1: 2 DUE/BRING FOUR COPIES
15 Paper 3: Synthesis from Interviews assigned
17 DRAFT 2:1 DUE AT WORKSHOP
Clear paper topic for Paper 3
19 Interviews for Paper 3
22 Interviews for Paper 3
24
26 DRAFT 1:3 DUE
Bring four copies
October 1 DRAFT 3:2 DUE
3
6 FINAL DRAFT PAPER 1 DUE
Paper 4 Assigned
Begin Autobiography of Malcolm X
Read Chapters 1-4, pp. 1 -72
8 Draft 2:3 Due
Chapters 5-8, pp. 73-136
10 Read Autobiography of Malcolm X,
Chapters 9-12, pp. 137-214.
13 DRAFT 3:3 DUE
Finish Autobiography of Malcolm X,
Read Alex Haley, Epilogue, pp 390-466
15
24 Midterm Break
27 FINAL DRAFT PAPER 3 DUE
29 DRAFT 5:1 DUE at conference
31
November 3 DRAFT 4:3 DUE
7 DRAFT 5:2 DUE
12
14 DRAFT 5:3 DUE
21
24 DRAFT 6:2 DUE TO BOTH INSTRUCTORS
26 DRAFT 5:4
28 Thanksgiving Break
5
8
10