English 1010: Introduction to Writing
Course Description
This course emphasizes critical reading, writing, and thinking skills through writing-intensive workshops, and group discussions. It explores writing situations as a complex process focusing specifically on idea generation relative to audience and purpose, working through multiple drafts, peer collaboration, and revision, and it includes rhetorical analysis. To provide you ample opportunities to develop your writing skills, class time will be spent in discussing readings, practicing specific writing skills, and workshopping student writing. We will occasionally work in small groups and will utilize peer review strategies.
This course contributes to one of Snow’s key GE outcomes, which says that Snow graduates should be able to “speak and write effectively and respectfully as a member of the global community, and work effectively as a member of a team.”
My goal, as your instructor, is threefold:
1. To help facilitate your thinking, ideas, and how your respond and interact with the world.
2. To help you learn to effectively share and communicate your ideas.
3. And, most importantly, help you to develop your ability to share. Also known as participating in a civil discourse. This entails sharing your ideas, hearing another’s ideas, and creating a back and forth conversation.
If I can effectively accomplish these three goals, I feel our class will be a success; however, the success of these goals also depends upon you, the student. Keep in mind that how much you improve your writing depends on the effort you put into the class.
Course Policies
Attendance. Much of your learning will take place while sharing insights and listening to others in class. Plan on attending regularly; if you miss more than 4 classes you will automatically receive an F or Unofficial Withdrawal. If you anticipate having school-excused absences (i.e. for athletics or fieldtrips), let me know as soon as possible. To be excused, you will need to provide me notification from your coach/instructor, and you will need to make arrangements before missed classes on when you will submit coursework. If you are sick, or won’t otherwise be in class (for a legitimate unavoidable reason) please email so we can make arrangements; otherwise assignments or quizzes that are due that day will be counted against you. College courses are designed to award academic credit to students who complete all requirements and attend class throughout the full semester or term.
Nonattendance may also result in your being dropped from the course entirely.
Late Work. To facilitate my (and others’) timely responses to your work, each assignment has a deadline. You will be responsible for completing all assignments as they come due. Most assignments won’t be accepted late. Papers have one week from the due date to be turned in. Be sure to print papers long before they are due in class. Printer malfunctions, lost emails, and similar problems will still result in late penalties. I do not allow students to make up in-class assignments, so attend regularly.
If you see that you will have a problem meeting a deadline, contact me prior to the due date. I can be flexible when arrangements are made beforehand but will not extend the same flexibility after deadlines have passed. I will accept an occasional assignment via email, but I am not responsible for emails that do not arrive in my inbox. To make sure I get an assignment, bring a hard copy to class or my office.
Academic Dishonesty. All academic work you submit in this course must be your work and must not have been submitted for academic credit in any other course unless you have written permission from me and from the professor for whom you did the previous work.
As a citizen in an academic community, you are expected to submit assignments that are your original work and that are properly cited. A student is committing plagiarism when he or she borrows information without proper attribution or uses information, language, or work completed by others and submits it as one's own work. Any form of plagiarism will negatively affect your grade. For details on the consequences of plagiarism, see pages 25-28 in the Snow College Catalog.
If you have any questions regarding whether the work you plan on submitting is acceptable for course credit, please contact me. I am happy to discuss any questions you have on this matter.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring accommodations, academic adjustments, or auxiliary aids should contact the Accessibility Resource Center, Room 241 Greenwood Student Center, phone number (435) 283-7321. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator in the Student Success Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of appropriate services and aids.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). It is a federal violation for a faculty member to discuss your academic record with anyone except an appropriate College official. If your parents or any other person wishes to discuss your academic performance, you must provide me with written permission.
UW Statement. Regular class attendance is expected of every student. A failing grade of “UW” (Unofficial Withdrawal) may be submitted by the instructor if a student ceases to attend or complete assigned coursework. To avoid the punitive impact of a “UW,” it is the student’s responsibility to officially withdraw from a course by submitting a “Change of Program” form no later than the tenth week of the semester. See the current catalog for more details.
Texts
The Norton Reader: shorter 14th edition MLA update: ISBN-13: 978-0393617412, ISBN-10: 9780393617412
Beyond the textbook there will be additional readings found on Canvas.
Assignments
Papers. You’ll have three major papers to write this semester. The process of writing each paper should include multiple drafts, workshops, writing lab visits, and peer reviews. The papers should be double spaced with one-inch margins and 12-point font. The format should conform to MLA guidelines. Papers that are not substantially developed in the first submission or that don’t show “re-vision” in the final submission will not score well.
Responses. During the semester I will require an assortment of different kinds of responses to our class readings, and in class discussions. You will write a response according to the specific requirements posted on Canvas and submit via Canvas. The goal of these responses is to get the class to engage in further thought and/or discussion on the work done in/or for class.
Group Presentation. There will be one group presentation during the semester. It is imperative that you participate and engage in the development and delivery of the presentation.
Quizzes. Each reading assignment will have a take-home quiz given in advance. These quizzes are open book, and must be completed before we discuss the reading in class. Simply put, these quizzes are to ensure you do the reading.
Participation. At the end of the semester, I will assign you a participation score. This score will be determined by your attendance and your participation in class. Showing up unprepared counts as an absence. Students who come regularly, make comments in class, participate in-group activities, and are generally engaged in the work of the course will do well. Whispering during lectures or activities, text messaging, checking Facebook or other web surfing, listening to electronic devices, leaving early, or doing homework for other classes will result in a loss of participation points. Headphones are not allowed to be worn in class, even if there is no music playing.
Extra Credit. In this class, extra credit opportunities are limited. The few times I make exceptions are when I (as your instructor) feel like there is an opportunity to engage in the larger academic community here at Snow College. I give extra credit for the following:
· Attending the Snow College Convocation Arts and Lecture series, and writing a summary of the lecture.
· Attending the Visiting Artist Lecture series, and writing a summary of the lecture.
· Attending the Entrepreneurial Lecture series, and writing a summary of the lecture.
· Or, a prearranged event.
I do not allow extra credit for work being done in other classes. So, if you attend any of the listed events for another class, it will not count as extra credit. The only other way to get extra credit in this class is to visit the writing lab with your papers. The writing lab is located in Humanities Building 149B. For each major writing exercise, you will receive 5 extra points for taking your paper to the writing lab. Going to the writing lab multiple times is encouraged but will not earn additional extra credit points. Be sure to bring your paper and the assignment sheet when you visit the lab.
Letter Grade
94%-100% A
90%-93% A-
87%-89% B+
84%-86% B
80%-83% B-
77%-79% C+
74%-76% C
70%-73% C-
67%-69% D+
64%-66% D
60%-63% D-
0%- 59% F
finals: Participation in the final is mandatory. Failure to attend and participate will result in a failing grade for the whole course.