English 104.005 Academic Writing I

Spring 2009 TU/TH 3:00-4:15pm VM*111

Rereading America

Instructor: Jona Colson

Office: Van Meter 218

Email: Jonathan.Colson@goucher.edu

Office Hours: TU/TH 12-1pm 4:30-5:30pm & by appt.

Course Description

This course provides an introduction to the rhetorical and mechanical skills necessary to develop confident, informed academic voices. The course emphasizes the study and practice of writing processes, including critical reading, collaboration, revision, and editing. We will focus on the aims, strategies, and conventions of academic prose, especially analysis and argumentation. The course will teach independent research writing, the use of scholarly sources, consistency with standard grammar, diction, and MLA style.

The main text for this course, Rereading America, will provide a platform to examine and to write about American culture today. The reading and the writing assignments will focus on myths and assumptions that occupy the everyday. We will question ideas of education, family, success, consumerism, and gender roles as seen from within and from outside American culture.

Goals

Students taking this course should, by the end of the semester, be able to:

• Demonstrate clear thinking and clear writing as members of the academic community
• Demonstrate critical reading skills
• Gather information through traditional library research and on-line research
• Demonstrate the ability to compose an essay in drafts, each one building upon the last and using feedback from the instructor and peers
• Demonstrate strong mechanical skills (grammar, spelling, punctuation)

Texts

Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle, eds. Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing, 7^th edition.

Hacker, Marilyn A Writer’s Reference, 6^th edition.

The texts serve as models of skills we’ll learn this semester, and of course, they present issues and topics for discussion. Therefore, our discussions will cover both the writing and the content of these texts. The student will also write response papers to visual media and film.

Films on reserve in Library

Maxed Out, American Beauty, Paris is Burning, Fast Food Nation

Course Requirements and Grading

Although the course is titled “Academic Writing,” your work here will consist of writing, reading and discussion, and you’ll earn grades for all three components:

Essay 1 10% (Product Analysis/Historical Profile)

Essay 2 15% (Print/Visual Media Analysis)

Essay 3 15% (Film Analysis)

Essay 4 20% (Research)

Response Papers 10% (collectively)

Mid-term 10%

Class Participation 20% (this includes leading class discussions, in-class assignments, workshops, preparation at conference, all other minor assignments—announced and unannounced).

Note: *You must submit all major assignments to pass the course.

         *All major essays will be graded according to the College Writing Program’s grading criteria.

GRADING SCALE

            A=Superior (100-97 A+; 96-93 A; 92-90 A-)

            B=Above Average (89-87 B+; 86-83 B; 82-80 B-)

            C=Average (79-77 C+; 76-73 C; 72-70 C-)

            D=Below Average, not satisfying many of the Assignment’s Standards (69-60 D)

            F=Fails to meet most or all of the Assignment’s Standards (below 60 F)

Revision is optional, but recommended, for the first 2 major essays.  If the rewrite shows substantial improvement, such as an expanded vision or thesis, or a whole scale improvement in sentence construction and word choices, I’ll raise the grade (you’ll receive an average of the new grade and the old one). If the rewrite is a simple cosmetic make-over (e.g fixing mechanical errors noted on the paper), your grade will stay the same.  The first graded draft with my comments on it must be returned to me when you submit your revised essay.

All assignments must be typed, double-spaced and have approximately 1 inch margins on all 4 sides.  They should be documented according to MLA style and have a list of works cited.  Follow guidelines for page 1 & works cited.  The requested number of pages required assumes you will use Times New Roman size 12 double-spaced.  Late papers may be penalized, and very late papers may be refused. 

Writing Center

            The Writing Center is there to help you! The Center provides FREE one-on-one consulting in writing; it’s a great resource for all students, whether you’re confident in your writing or not. The writing consultants can help you write a workable thesis statement, they can help you structure your ideas into a cohesive paper, they can give you feedback on a draft, and they can help with chronic grammatical issues. You must call for an appointment and when you go, take with you any assignments you are working on. I will not be notified of your work in The Writing Center unless you and I arrange your appointment together. *Note from Writing Center website :We are located in the lobby of Froelicher Hall, just below the Thormann Center.  Tutors also can meet with writers outside the Center.  Call to make an appointment at (410) 337-6551, or you can drop by during normal operating hours.  However, writers with appointments will be seen before those who just drop in, so it's a good idea to plan ahead.  Make us a part of your writing process from the very start -- don't wait until the last minute to talk over your paper with a sympathetic reader!

Here is what I’ll expect:

1.       Come to class. More than 3 un-excused absences may result in failure for the course.

2.       Come to class on-time. If you arrive more than 10 minutes late, you’ll be counted as absent.

3.       Contact me if you know you will be late/absent.

4.       Turn in assignments on time.  All work is due at the beginning of class on the scheduled due date. For each class-meeting that an assignment is late, you lose one full letter grade. If you need an extension, ask before the deadline.

5.       Turn in your assignment to me—not to my mailbox, not to my email address (unless otherwise noted).

6.       Turn off cell phones, music players, and other distracting devices while you’re in class.

7.       Don’t plagiarize.  Goucher College takes violations of the Academic Honor Code very seriously.  Violators risk failure of an assignment or entire course, and possible expulsion. 

8.       Be prepared! Being prepared (meaning reading the assigned texts, film, etc.) is crucial to your success in this course.

9.       Take responsibility for your performance in class. This means: meet deadlines, follow instructions, ask questions, and be proactive.

10.    Know the difference between “meets requirements” and “outstanding.” There is no such thing as an easy A in college.

Plagiarism:

Plagiarism or the unacknowledged use of someone else’s ideas or words, is a serious academic offense that could lead to failure of the course. In A Writer’s Reference, Diane Hacker notes: “Three different acts are considered plagiarism: (1) failing to cite quotations and borrowed ideas, (2) failing to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks, and (3) failing to put summaries and paraphrases in your own words.” As you assume more confidence as a writer, you will gain clarity about avoiding plagiarism. Let me know if you have questions about identifying or avoiding plagiarism.

Suspected violations of the Honor Code will be referred to the Academic Honor Board.  For a full description of the code and what constitutes a violation of the code, refer to the Goucher Handbook or online at www.goucher.edu/x1292.xml.

Communication

Strong communication among all class members will help make this a more interesting, productive, and useful course. Class discussion and small group work will stimulate your thinking, improve your writing, and train you to engage in the type of discourse expected in your other university classes. I will expect you to show respect for me and your classmates at all times.

Email is an easy way to contact me and your classmates. You’ll need to check your Goucher email regularly. Also, you will meet with me individually at least 3 times during the course of the semester; feel free to make an appointment to meet with me more or visit me during my office hours. I can offer you help and advice on any matters related to class throughout the semester.

Essays

Major Essays: You will write four major essays; specific assignments will be handed out as the semester progresses. Each major essay will also involve a series of drafts and process exercises that must be handed in with the final essay on the specified due date.

Response Papers: 2 response papers, 1 page each (double-spaced, typewritten), are due during the semester. Each paper should relate to the most recent readings. As their name suggests, these papers provide you with the opportunity to respond to the material assigned for the day. The papers may discuss any issue in the assigned readings. Late papers will not be accepted.

Conferences: You are required to participate in at least three conferences with me during the semester.

Check your email at least once a day. I often communicate to the class via email, and I will assume that you will take the time to check. Do not let your box get too full as the semester progresses.

Workshop Participation.  You must attend class on the days when we exchange drafts and on the days when we conduct workshops.  These days are marked on the schedule.  Absences on these days lower your course participation grade a full letter.  If you miss one of these days it is your responsibility to make arrangements to get your work to class on time.  Failure to submit your work to your colleagues on time, in all but dire emergencies, will result in a participation grade of F for the semester.

Always, always, always back up your work as you're working and each time you stop working on a paper! Programs like Word allow you to create backup copies of work - this is a very good idea. To make sure Word is backing up your files, go to Tools, then Options, then click on the “Save” tab. I recommend setting the computer to save autorecover information very often (every 2 or 3 minutes means you’ll never lose much work in the event of a computer crash or power failure). Also, make sure you save your work frequently. Finally, always print out a copy of your paper before turning off your computer/leaving the lab. You are responsible for making sure that you never have to tell me that your computer crashed and you have no copy of your paper-in-progress

Civility. Civility is essential.  We will be discussing heated subjects that require debate and disagreement.  Disrespect of any kind, however, is unacceptable.  In addition to a lack of respect for others, I will not tolerate the following discourtesies: side conversations, doing work for other classes, sleeping, “packing up” before class is dismissed, and the use of cell phones.

Schedule of Assignments & Readings

The following is a schedule of readings and major writing assignments for the semester. Be sure to have the readings and/or assignments listed for a given class session completed by that date. Be advised that this schedule, while fairly solid, is always subject to change; whenever a change is necessary, I will notify you in advance. Also, this schedule only lists the major assignments; I will give you weekly homework sheets listing all smaller assignments and other details.

Date                                        Reading/Assignment                                Writing Due