English 201

English 201, Intermediate Academic Writing--Fall 2002

MWF 12:30-1:20

Topic: Education

Course Description

This course is designed for all students seeking to improve their writing beyond the introductory level, including those wishing to build on what they’ve learned in freshman composition (as in preparation for upper-level classes or for graduate courses) and those needing to earn writing proficiency. It includes work on analysis, argument, and research papers of various lengths, frequents student-teacher conferences, further work on revision and peer editing. Through this semester, you will be working to improve and internalize independent skills and strategies in reading for detail, covering the text’s theme (from beginning to end), conducting college-level research, using sources in a sophisticated manner, organizing, writing and revising and editing your own writing. The fundamental goals here are to improve skills in critical thinking and in articulating the fruits of that thinking.

Attendance is mandatory, and enthusiastic, well-prepared class participation is expected. Missing 3-4 classes is likely to result in a lower final grade. Keeping up with the syllabus is your responsibility.

Texts

Ron Suskind’s A Hope in the Unseen

Erik Erikson’s Identity and the Life Cycle

Kolbick & Graubard, eds. Distinctly American: The Residential Liberal Arts College

& readings I’ll give you, readings on reserves & GC’s academic catalogue (which you should have)

*Diana Hacker A Writer’s Reference 4th ed. (This is what I’ll use in class, but any other handbook with MLA in it is fine.)

Course Requirements and Grading

20% Papers 1 & 2

30% Paper 3

30% Paper 4

20% Group presentations/discussions, workshops, exploratory writing/prewriting, conferences, class participation, grammar exs. as necessary, in-class writing, etc.

Papers will go through 2 graded drafts (except for those which earn a B or better on the first draft--you may choose not to revise). For papers 1-3, the final grade = 1/3 first draft + 2/3 final draft. For paper 4, final grade = ½ + ½.

I may ask some individuals for a 4th draft. ALWAYS hand in prewriting w/1st draft & 1st graded draft w/the revision.

All assignements should be typed, double-spaced and have approx. 1 inch margins on all 4 sides. They should be documented according to MLA style and have a list of works cited on a separate page. Have a title. Follow guidelines in Hacker for page 1 & works cited. The requested number of pages for each paper (the coverage I want) assumes you will use Times New Roman font 12. Although you may use a different font style, use a size comparable to TNR 12 and know that different fonts may take up more space & require a longer paper. Papers are due at the beginning of class (hard copy). Late papers may be penalized, and very late papers may be refused altogether.

An “A” paper is clearly organized, profound and original. It contains elegant prose, appropriately used, sophisticated diction and complex & various sentence structures. There are few or no technical errors. Sources meeting or exceeding the paper requirements are used with authority.

A “B” paper is clearly organized, intelligent, well-developed and lively. It contains sophisticated prose with academic syntax and diction. There are few technical errors. Sources meeting or exceeding the paper requirements are used with authority.

A “C” paper is at least fairly well-organized. It is thoughtful and contains clear prose with some attention to syntax and diction. There is at least an average level of technical correctness. Sources meeting or almost meeting the requirments are used correctly.

A “D” paper does not fulfill the assignment for one or more reasons, including a weak thesis, confusing organization, underdeveloped/simplistic analysis, uninteresting or unclear prose style, insufficent or incorrect use of sources or a greater than average number of technical errors. Incorrect use of sources (plagiarism) will also result in a D or an F, depending on the severity of the error.

An “F” paper offers little of interest to an academic audience. It is incomplete, inappropriate, superficial, thoughtless or sloppy in its theme, organization or mechanics.

COLLEGE WRITING PROFICIENCY: The objective of this course is to show me that you are capable of conducting thorough research and organizing, writing and revising & editing a college-level research paper. To earn CWP (which you must do to graduate), you must show me that you have mastered these skills by (1) earning B-’s or better on the final drafts of papers 3 and 4, and (2) earning a C or better on your first graded draft of paper 4 and/or earning at least a C+ in the class. (In other words, students who’ve struggled early in the course must end it strongly.)

Your essays will be graded on content, organization, mechanics and style. You must show your ability to meet the CWP requirements independently by the final paper: conduct scholarly research, grasp and analyze complex material, control & organize supporting evidence around an academic thesis, provide transitions and coherence, employ proper documentation and English grammar in a variety of sentence types, and edit your own writing. (See last page.) In other words, you are to become more and more responsible for the 3 phases of your writing. Following my advise is just the first step. Students who do not earn CWP may pursue it in a WAC course or retake this course.

GROUP PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS: as the beginning of your research for your papers, you will lead 3 class discussions through the course. The groups (ideally of 3 each) will read the primary text, of course, and additional sources as requested. All members should read all texts (as you will need them to ensure a sophisticated coverage of the material in your presentations and in your papers). In short, you’ll teach about 2/3 of the class period, referring mainly to the primary text, but also using especially pertinent ideas in the additional material. You will NOT do a book report, but will apply what you’ve learned in the additional readings to the primary text in order to engage the class in discussion.

The material should be organized and divided among members, who should all participate. You’ll be graded on your ability to provide a detailed and sophisticated close reading of the primary text’s main points (by citing & discussing specific passages that raise questions), your group’s organization, and, most important, your ability to engage thoughtful class discussion. I’m happy to meet with you and answer questions before your presentations. Begin with my questions & build on them.

CWP--why do we write papers? What’s the point of the list of CWP criteria beyond the classroom?

sign up for first groups: no book reports, apply 2nd sources, organize info & open-ended ?s and discussion

8/30 Suskind 1-76. Issues: motivation, racial identity, family & “possible selves” (roles).

9/4 Suskind 77-158. Group 1 will also read Fordham & Ogbu (reserves) & apply it to Hope 1-158. Topics of discussion include: Cedric’s feelings of being “in-between,” being called “whitey,” the clash of value systems & why it happens (class, race, feelings of opportunity). Do you think Cedric had the ability & the support to overcome the “in-between” feeling?

9/6 Discuss prewriting & organizing strategies: abstracts, graphic organizers, outlines & using headers on drafts or highlighting keywords. Rhetorical modes. Use sample papers to discuss: thesis, topic sentences, integrating quotations, transitions, works cited, documentation & plagiarism. Bring HACKER & PACKET.

9/9 Suskind 159-188. (The pages I skipped cover his last summer at home). Group 2 will also read Dollinger (Infotrac) and apply it to Hope 1-188. Topics of discussion include: the sources of C’s motivation, the type his mother & others promote or model for him, the type his school uses--compare & contrast. (Play the role of a psychiatrist & speculate:) What traits indicate that Cedric is bound to succeed? Bound to fail? Does his environment nourish social goals? Why/not? Why does he play it safe with his schedule at BU?

& We’ll discuss Paper 1 and reference material--if time, go to library and look at ed. & ss (300s)

9/13 Bring PACKET. Use graphic organizers/prewriting and write ABSTRACTS in class. I’ll collect them.

9/18 PAPER 1 DUE with outline & self-evaluation. Always hand in all prewriting with your papers.

Workshop: quoting & praphrasing/guarding against plagiarism & maintaining authority. Bring PACKET.

9/20 Suskind 189-243. Forecast Markus & Nurius and Erikson w/ 2 metaphors of self (E’n & PS).

9/23 Suskind 243-303. Group 3 will also read Howard (rsvs) and apply to Hope 1-303. Topics of discussion include: the complexity of C’s situation as a student from poverty, his inability to write objective academic prose (is this an effect of his own character or his education?), his reaction to Mr. Fleming and reasons for it, his need to distance himself from Harambee and his motivations (a complex issue--how does it relate to his class and educ bacground?) In short, discuss the effects of poverty on C’s experiences at BU.

9/25 Use sample papers from Paper 1 to discuss: thesis, topic sentences, integrating quotations, transitions, works cited, documentation & plagiarism. BRING HACKER.

9/27 Suskind 303-33 and Markus and Nurius (packet--use for 10/4). Group 4 will apply M&N to Hope 1-333. Topics include: new roles (selves) C embraces and their significance, the role of possible selves in C’s ego-development, in his ability to overcome obstacles (where his peers could not), as a source of motivation & agency. According to M&N, why has C changed?

10/2 Paper 1 revision conferences & first P2 conferences (beginning with paper 2, you’ll make 2 conferences before the first draft is due: at the first, have a thesis and some prewriting and be ready to discuss how you’d like to focus, organize and support your thesis. At the second, have a rough draft.)

10/4 In-class Essay: outline at home thesis & 2 body paragraphs: using Marcus & Nurius, evaluate 2 aspects of your own ego-development since you entered college: what, why, how. Your essay will be graded on content (including detail, analysis, thesis and topic sentences), organization, and basic mechanics, including documentation.

10/9 Erikson 51-87 (& see charts 129 & 178): since conflicts are continuous, what educational environment is best suited to nourish healthy re-resolutions? Do you agree with his definiation of a healthy identity? Would Markus & Nurius? Why is trust the cornerstone? Describe the relations between intimate relationships and relations w/society and one’s relation w/one’s own life according to Erikson.

10/14 Group 1: Erikson 87-107: examine the relationships among the stages, ideals of growth in each one, the role education should play in each (according to E and to you), the sources of crisis, the risks of over-identification (compare to Cedric & Harambee), E’s comments on minorities and identity (would you agree in C’s case?). Why is stage 5 key? Why does E reel that the US is a specifically hard place to navigate this crisis? Do you agree? How do you see the early stages relating to the 3 adult stages?

10/16 Group 2: Maslow ch. 13 & Jolley & Mitchell 57-9 (both in packet). Compare & contrast M’s goals to E’s ideas of ego-development. What’s education’s role in the process of ego-development? Self-actualization? Do you think M’s educ ideal would work for everyone? Why/not? Is there an innate essence that we must discover, or do we create ourselves through our experiences? Can you imagine what M’s curriculum would look like? (M’s “B-values” = Being values, like truth, beauty...) Compare M’s idea of work=mission=self-actualization to the symmetry E finds between negotiating crises and gaining a sense that life will work out and have meaning.

10/23 Group 3: Bestor chapter 11 (packet). Compare B’s focus to M’s (think in terms of a social self vs a spiritual self). Which do you prefer? Explore B’s definition of liberal ed & gen ed requirments, his emphasis on the disciplines & their epistemologies, his hierarchy of disciplines & his insistence on depth and breadth, by which he means what? With which of his ideas do you agree & disagree? Why? Do you think his ideals re: gen ed courses are filled here? Alternatives?

10/28 Discuss Paper 3 & sample questionnaires & papers: qualitative & quantitative, use of original research w/previous studies, format for SS paper (overview & thesis, method, results, discussion), anonymity, appropriate topics, making quest. Match paper w/cause section and effect section.

10/30 Group 4: Kuh (packet)--Note that Kuh is a model for paper 3 w/ overview, thesis, methods, results & discussion: (focus on ideas & findings, not statistics or methodology). What are the based attributed causes & effects Kuh is addressing (table 1)? (There are many subtopics here so you may address spicific issues according to your interests re: the remainder of my questions.) What’s the ideal relationship between learning and personal development? How can and do various experiences in college nurture personal dev? Why would there be differences according to race, gender or institutional type? Look at the implications of the study closely, and compare them to GC’s extracurricular programs. What is/should be the college’s responsibility re: “the other curriculum”? Does GC have a specific ethos? What’s your responsibility?

11/6 Rudolph ch. 7 (packet): the history of higher ed addressing the whole person--emphasis used to be on spiritual development, but students nurtured the extracurriculum to address other types. What do you think of the reversal (p. 138) in terms of the whole self? Do students seek their own development in the same ways as in the 19th century? Correlate emot/soci development with drinking & materialism re: the fraternity movement--was it a good thing? Is a university’s job ONLY to ensure worldly success? Is there a place for values? Whose? Compare to Kuh’s ethos.

11/8 bring GC ACADEMIC CATALOGUE & PACKET: evaluate liberal arts agenda, mission statement=ethos, core courses, electives, majors, discuss in terms of Bestor & Maslow (goals of ed), discuss alternatives--other schools’

11/11 Group 1: Gomes in Koblick & Graubard. Rudolph described the history of higher ed moving away from ethics & values, but Gomes advocates a return. Your thoughts? Among faculty, admis & students, do/should we promote or examine ethical issues? Is an ideal college a locus parentis or is it a conveyer of vocational skills? Compare to M & B. What do you think of Gomes call for small colleges to become models for creating a diverse community? Is Goucher doing this? How DO we create a “we,” inside and outside the classroom? Role of academics & extracurr? What are the goals of higher ed? What is an ideal ethos and why?

11/15 Group 2: Cortés (packet). Lead a discussion on the basic tension between pluribus and unum (one community) here at Goucher based on the article. Regarding the author’s 4 areas, discuss the conflicts and tensions as you’ve experienced them here. Compared to Gomes--are we creating a “we”? What’s the role of exposing tension in the process of creating balance? How can tension create a more vital learning community for everyone (think of Kuh)?

11/18 Group 3: Hersh in Koblick & Graubard. Do you agree that the ethics of the marketplace have created a culture of neglect and the risk of identity diffusion? Assuming that point is true, what’s the role of higher ed in creating space for meaning-making? What does Hersh emphasize? What is the ideal setting? Is GC living up to his ideals? How is it trying? Are you demanding that it does? Why is the liberal arts education synonymous with a professional ed according to H? Do you agree? What would B & M think?

11/22 Group 4: Palmer (packet): How would Cedric’s profs @ BU respond to the article? Explore P’s idea of a community of learners. Do you agree with his critiques of objectivism and individualism and with his alternative epistemology? What would an ideal classroom look like according to his ideals? What would the prof’s role be? Your role? Is this plan at odds with American individualism? How could gen ed requirments be used to create community? What would Maslow think of this article? What would Cortés think of P’s use of alternative epistemologies? What do you think?

12/13 PAPER 4 REVISION due w/original by 5:00 (you may hand in the revision early but not later than today)

To get your final papers back, leave me a SASE, pick them up 12/17-18 or next semester.

RESEARCH SUGGESTION: I recommend one of the following 2 ways of organizing research.

if you take notes instead of copying, use one spiral notebook for all your notes. Always be sure to distinguish between your summaries and direct quotations (of even 2 words) in order to avoid plagiarism.

On RESERVES: bold authors/titles are listed in the central reserves at the library--see list on OLLIE. Reserves materials should not be taken in the library. Some of these sources have my notes in them, but please don’t write in them yourselves.

For works (journal articles & reference materials) that remain in the STACKS, PLEASE be courteous: when you’re done copying or reading them, place them back on the shelves near one of the copy machines so others may find them.

Papers 1-4. REFERENCE WORKS (for topics incl. Motivation, locus of control, race & ed, ego-development) include: Enc of Higher Ed vol. 3, Enc of Ed, Enc of Human Behavior, Handbook of Ed. Psych. NOTE: most scholarly reference works haveinvaluable bibliographies after each listing.

PAPER 1: Suskind 1-188. About 5 pages. 2-3 sources. Hand in outline w/first draft--always.

Topic 1: Persuasively ANALYZE the racial burdens that Cedric feels, or, if you’ve read DuBois, his sense of double-consciousness.

Fordham & Ogbu “Black Students’ School Success: Coping with the ‘Burden of “Acting White”’” in Muuss and Porten Adolescent Behavior and Society 189-207

Topic 2: Persuasively ANALYZE one or more facets of Cedric’s locus of control and its/their effects. (You could structure this as a compare/contrast or a cause/effect paper).

Dollinger “Locus of Control and Incidental Learning: An Application to College Student Success” College Student Journal on Searchbank/Infotrac (from library homepage, get to it from reference resources, then alphabetical list, then search by author & title keywords to get the article)

PAPER 2: Suskind. 5-7 pages. Minimum 3 sources including Suskind, one article listed below, and a scholarly reference work.

Topic 1: By COMPARING &/Or CONTRASTING, evaluate 2-3 of the effects of C’s poverty on his academic or social development.

Topic 2. By COMPARING &/Or CONTRASTING, evaluate 2-3 of C’s possible selves & their sources in regards to his ego-development. (Remember your comparison must have a point: what will you prove through it?)

Paper 3 & 4 Topics & Guidelines: CWP Papers

Papers 3 & 4 are the ones that will earn you CWP (or not).

For both papers, a unique, persuasive, analytical thesis must be stated and defended in an organized and detailed manner. Your thesis should be your own, not that of a 2nd source (book report)--that’s why the ability to formulate good ??s early in the reading process is so important. Also, remember that my evaluation of your college-level writing ability begins with your research skills* and your prewriting/organizational** strategies and includes all stages of writing through the final draft’s revisions and editing.

* it is essential that your sources are diverse and academic and appropriate to your topic. Make sure to leave ample time to conduct your research. You may need to visit other libraries.

** by this time, I need to see you thinking about creating appropriate topics and about your organizational strategies and options. You should be evaluating those options. You should show up to your first conference with ideas and questions, prewriting and plans.

PAPER 3: Education & ego-development. About 7 pages. 6-8 sources, including books, journal articles!!! and academic reference material, as well as your surveys (which don’t get listed in bib). Use 2-3 of mine and 3-6 of your own sources. Thesis must be CAUSE/EFFECT--including how/why. (For example, how & why would a certain curriculum nurture ego integrity?) Social Science format.

PAPER 4: Learning Community & Personal Growth. About 8 pages. 7-9 sources or more. Sources must include 2-4 of mine + 3-7 sources you’ve located, including books, journal articles!!!! and academic reference material.