Calumet College of St. Joseph

 

SYLLABUS FOR Runnin’ Rebels Rhetoric and Composition 103

 

Term:  Fall 2003-1 (031), September 2nd  – December 12th                                                 

Instructor:   Nita Danko

Office:  518

Office Phone: 219-989-2683

E-mail:  collegewriting@aol.com

Office Hours: by appointment only

 

Instructor Background: I have a Master of Arts, English Literature (18th and 19th centuries).  I have taught English 100 for four years.  I have also taught composition at other college for five years.  I  teach from the developmental reading and writing levels to research writing.  I am a tutor here at CCSJ as well as other colleges.  I adore reading British women writers of the 18th and 19th centuries, and modern American women writers as well.  I am also nerdy enough to love research and academic writing.  Something you might never guess about me?  I love busting packs of NASCAR racing cards!

 

 

Course Time: 4-6:50 PM, Monday

 

Course Description: English 103 is a competency-based writing course. The goal of the course is to help students produce lively and clear writing with a minimum of errors and to prepare them to succeed in the more advanced writing assignments of Rhetoric 104.  Students’ writing competency will be measured near the end of the course with an in-class written essay that will be evaluated by a member of the English Department. If the student’s final essay does not meet the English Department standards, the student may need to take the course again to improve his/her writing abilities. The course employs the writing workshop method of developing quality writing through extensive writing practice, oral presentations and reading.  Individual grammatical problems are addressed. 

 

Prerequisites: NONE

 

Learning Outcomes/ Competencies:

Students in this course will:

ü      Demonstrate their communication skills

ü      Demonstrate a strong, clear voice in writing

ü      Demonstrate writing skills in coherent, well organized imaginative and thoughtful essays

ü      Identify the differences between personal and academic writing

ü      Employ technology as it relates to writing essays and papers

 

Textbooks:

The Mercury Reader  (2001 edition)

A Writer’s Reference (4th edition), Diana Hacker

Richard Wright’s Black Boy.

 

Other Materials:

 

Students are required to have two computer disks: one to save your papers on and one backup disk to be turned in with each paper. This backup disk will contain copies of all your papers.

 

Learning Strategies: In-class writing, group work, collaborative learning, and teacher mentoring and instruction.

 

Assessment:

Final grades will be based on:

ü      Progress and improvement in writing as reflected in the student’s portfolio

o        Fulfilling the requirements of each of the assigned writing forms

o        Timeliness of submission of first drafts and revisions (late papers will lose five points, the equivalent of one full grade)

o        Handing in a minimum of 4 pages per paper of acceptable writing (including required revisions and rewrites and passing the end of course competency writing essay)* (85%)

ü      Assigned quizzes based on reading assignments (15%)

 

The criteria for acceptable writing are found at the end of the syllabus.  The end of course competency writing essay is evaluated according to the same criteria.

 

Class Policy for Assignments:

All assignments must be handed in on time.  No more than one late paper (including revisions) will be accepted the last class period.

  

Class Policy on Attendance:

In accordance with English program policy, any student missing more than NINE (9) hours of class will receive an F.  These nine hours include both excused and unexcused absences, such as birthdays, sport events, illness, work, etc.

 

Grading Scale:

Letter grades will be assigned according to the student’s fulfilling the requirements listed above (See assessment and Class policy for Assignments, and Class policy on Attendance.)

 

Class Policy on Electronic Devices:

When you enter the classroom, turn off cell phones and beepers.  It is disruptive to have them going off during class.  If there is an important reason why you must have your phone or beeper turned on (e.g. illness at home, work situation), please inform me before class begins.

 

Classroom Decorum:

Classroom decorum will be maintained at all times. Students have the right to study and learn in an environment conducive to those ends. You instructor also has the right to engage in the teaching and learning process without hindrance because of the disruptive behavior of one
or more students.

Any student or group of students who infringe on the rights of other students
or on the rights of this instructor to teach his class will be asked to leave
the classroom and will not be allowed back during that period. The student's
removal from the classroom will result in one absence for the day and will be
counted toward the total of nine allowable absences.

Students removed a second time for disruptive behavior may be required to
withdraw from the course.

Specific Disturbances Covered by this Policy:

ü      Incoming and outgoing phone calls

ü      Responding to beepers

ü      Horseplay

ü      Talking to other students while another student or the instructor is talking

ü      Use of the Internet or email unless assigned to do so

ü      Vulgarity of speech or behavior

 

Course Outline:  

Unit I                       Letter I                                                                   

 

Unit II                      Narrative

 

Unit III                     Process

 

Unit IV                    Letter on your Behalf

 

Unit V                     Comparison and Contrast

 

Unit VI                    Cause-Effect

 

Unit VII                   Persuasive

 

Unit VIII                  Summary

 

Unit IX                    Competency Paper (Final Exam)

 

Readings from The Mercury Reader, Black Boy, A Writer’s Reference and other handouts will be assigned.  Students are expected to hand in all papers, required revisions, and do all the assigned readings.              

 

Free Tutoring Services:

Tutoring assistance is free to all students of Calumet College of St. Joseph. Students who wish to excel in this class are urged to sign up to receive tutoring assistance for all their writing assignments. Call the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), 473-4287, to make an appointment at. The Center has experienced and well-trained tutors in most subject areas to help students do their best work in their courses. Regular weekly tutoring sessions are likely to improve your grade.

 

Statement of Plagiarism:

Calumet College subscribes to an online plagiarism detection program that analyses student papers against the entire contents of the Internet. In one semester, the program has already identified two students who used Internet sources for their papers without proper documentation and submitted the writing as their own. Disciplinary action has been initiated against these students. If an instructor or other Calumet College of St. Joseph personnel find that a student has plagiarized or been involved in another form of academic dishonesty, the instructor or other personnel may elect to bring the matter up for judicial review. The maximum penalty for any form of academic dishonesty is dismissal from the College. The procedures for judicial review are listed under the section of CCSJ handbook that addresses student grievances.

 

Citation Guidelines:

Calumet College of St. Joseph adheres to citation guidelines as prescribed by the particular discipline (i.e., MLA, APA, and Chicago Manual of Style or Turabian.).  All of these guidelines are available in the Calumet College of St. Joseph library or bookstore.  These texts outline how to cite references from a variety of sources, including electronic media.

 

 

Withdrawal from Classes Policy:

After the last day for class changes has passed (see College calendar), students may withdraw from a course in which they are registered with permission from the faculty member conducting the course. A written request detailing the reason(s) for the withdrawal must be filed with the Registrar. Written request for withdrawal must be received by the Registrar by the last day of classes prior to the final examination dates specified in the catalogue. Written requests may be mailed to the Registrar or faxed to the College fax number 219-473-4259. Students are to make note of the refund schedule when withdrawing from courses. The request is forwarded to the faculty member, who makes the final determination to accept or deny the request. If the request is honored, the student will receive notification of official withdrawal; if denied, the notification will indicate why the withdrawal is disallowed. Note: Degree Completion Division (DCD) students should consult the DCD Student Handbook for information on DCD withdrawals.

 

An official withdrawal is recorded as a "W" grade on the student's transcript. Dropping a course without written permission automatically incurs an "F" grade for the course (see Refund Schedule).

 

 

Writing Competencies

 

Upon completion of this course, a student should be able able to write a clear, well organized essay.

 The criteria for assessing your essays include the following:

ü      A clear and thought-provoking thesis;

ü      Assigned topic addressed in logical progression that supports the thesis;

ü      Substantive material to support the thesis and main ideas;

ü      Relevant introduction and conclusion;

ü      Clear focus (no irrelevancies);

ü      Appropriate use of paragraphing and transitions;

ü      Diction (word choice) and sentence structure appropriate to the assignment;

ü      Mastery of mechanics: grammar, punctuation and spelling.