Office: 519

Office Phone: 219-473-4250

E-mail: cbuczinsky@ccsj.edu

Office Hours: Monday 2:00-5:00

Wednesday 12:00-3:00

Thursday 3:00-7:00

Friday 8:30-10:30

Instructor Background: I graduated from Northwestern in 1994. I spent four years as a performer of children’s poetry, then spent two years as an editor of two trade magazines. This is my first year at CCSJ. I teach Rhetoric and Composition, Writing for the Media, and a variety of literature courses. I am also the faculty advisor for The Shavings, CCSJ’s student newspaper.

Course Time: TBD

Course Description:

This course gives students practical experience as a reporter or photo-journalist on the college newspaper. Students receive weekly assignments from the paper’s editors and meet regularly with the journalism instructor to discuss completed assignments. All work will be done using appropriate technology and software. Journalism students must take this course at least once and may repeat it a second time.

Prerequisite: ENG 311, 312, and 340

Cross-listed with MFA 470

Learning Outcomes/Competencies:

Students in this course will:

apply the skills of news reporting and story writing and gain greater control of the news writing process.
create a portfolio of published pieces (news stories, features, editorials, movie reviews, etc.) that will widen your journalism experience and enhance your job search.

Learning Strategies: Experience learning, teacher mentoring and instruction.

Assessment:

Final grades will be based on: a portfolio of six (6) stories (two per monthly issue of The Shavings). For each issue you must write

1. One (1) news story

2. One (1) feature story or ancillary piece (movie review, editorial, sports story, etc.)

The story must be handed in both to The Shavings editor and to me, your advisor. It should be submitted to the editor before the deadline in both hard copy and on a disk, or alternatively, via email. A second hard copy of the story should be submitted in my mailbox also before the deadline. Stories will be evaluated according to basic news writing standards

1. A newsworthy idea or focus.

2. A summary lead that answers basic questions (who, what, where, when, why and so what), emphasizing information most important to the story. (Or an enticing soft lead with informative nut graph.)

3. Substantive support for the lead and development that helps readers to understand the focus, conflict, background, and solutions to the central topic.

4. A clear and effective structure.

5. Variety of sources, proper attribution, and quality quotes,

6. Effective transition techniques and techniques for maintaining interest.

7. An ending that provides a sense of closure.

8. Active, vigorous, and economical sentence structures and appropriate word choice.

9. Proper grammar, punctuation, spelling and usage.

10. Proper AP style.

All stories should be typed, double-spaced, stapled, printed in 12 pt. New Times Roman font ONLY, with one inch margins. Stories not printed in this format will not be accepted.

Grading Scale:

Each story is worth one hundred points. Letter grades will be assigned according to the student’s fulfilling the requirements listed above (See Assessment, Class policy for Assignments, and Class policy on Attendance.) The grading scale is traditional:

97-100 = A+	87-89 = B+	77-79 = C+	67-69= D+	0-59 = F
94-96 = A	84-86 = B	74-76 = C	64-66 = D
90-93 = A-	80-83 = B-	70-73 = C-	60-63 = D-

Class Participation:

This class is a practicum. It is a practical application of the skills you have learned in Writing For the Media I and II. You can get as little or as much as you want out of the work. You can try to skirt by and do the minimum work needed to get a passing grade. Or you can make the school newspaper your own and think of the work as job preparation (which it most certainly is). It is entirely up to you.

Center for Academic Excellence:

Tutoring assistance is free to all students of Calumet College of St. Joseph. Call the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), to make an appointment at 473-4287. The Center has experienced and well-trained tutors in most subject areas to help students who are struggling in a course or who are doing well and would like to do better. Regular weekly tutoring sessions are likely to improve your grade.

Statement of Plagiarism:

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. (Academic Planner 2001/2002 p.27) Please be aware that your paper may be submitted for examination for plagiarism to Turnitin.com, a plagiarism-check Internet company with which the college has contracted.

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. A written request for the 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).

Please Note: Modifications to this syllabus may be made to meet the needs of this specific class.