English 1301: Rhetoric and Composition I

Fall 2014

Instructor: Cathy Corder, Ph.D.
Course Information: Section 043, TH 119, TTh 8 – 9:20am
Office/Hours: Carlisle Hall 523, M 1 – 2pm, Tues 10am – 12noon, and by appointment
Email: ccorder@uta.edu

ENGL 1301 RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION I: This course satisfies the University of Texas at Arlington core curriculum requirement in communication. This course will require students to read rhetorically and analyze scholarly texts on a variety of subjects. The course emphasizes writing to specific audiences and understanding how information is context dependent and audience specific. Students must engage with a variety of ideas and learn how to synthesize those in college level essays.

Core Objectives • Critical Thinking Skills: To include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information • Communication Skills: To include effective development and expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication • Teamwork: To include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal • Personal Responsibility: To include the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making

ENGL 1301 Expected Learning Outcomes. By the end of ENGL 1301, you should be able to demonstrate the following:
Rhetorical Knowledge • Use knowledge of the rhetorical situation—author, audience, exigence, constraints—to analyze and construct texts • Compose texts in a variety of genres, expanding your repertoire beyond predictable forms • Adjust voice, tone, diction, syntax, level of formality, and structure to meet the demands of different rhetorical situations
Critical Reading, Thinking, and Writing • Use writing, reading, and discussion for inquiry, learning, communicating, and examining assumptions • Employ critical reading strategies to identify an author’s position, main ideas, genre conventions, and rhetorical strategies • Summarize, analyze, and respond to texts • Find, evaluate, and synthesize appropriate sources to inform, support, and situate their own claims • Produce texts with a focus, thesis, and controlling idea, and identify these elements in others’ texts

Emergency Phone Numbers: In case of an on-campus emergency, call the UT Arlington Police Department at 817-272-3003 (non-campus phone), 2-3003 (campus phone). You may also dial 911.
Processes
• Practice flexible strategies for generating, revising, and editing texts • Practice writing as a recursive process that can lead to substantive changes in ideas, structure, and supporting evidence through multiple revisions • Use the collaborative and social aspects of writing to critique your own and others’ texts
Conventions
• Apply knowledge of genre conventions ranging from structure and paragraphing to tone and mechanics • Summarize, paraphrase, and quote from sources using appropriate documentation style • Control such surface features as syntax, grammar, punctuation, and spelling • Employ technologies to format texts according to appropriate stylistic conventions

Required Texts: STUDENTS MUST HAVE THE FOLLOWING EDITIONS
Graff and Birkenstein, They Say/I Say 3rd edition ISBN: 0393935841
First-Year Writing: Perspectives on Argument (2012 UTA custom 3rd edition) ISBN: 1256744506
Pearson Writer (APP and Computer Access) -- ValuePack Access Card, 1st edition ISBN: 032197235X

Description of Major Assignments

• Discourse Community Analysis (Due Thursday, 9/25): For this essay, you will make an argument explaining how you became part of a discourse community. • Rhetorical Analysis (Due Tuesday, 11/4): For this essay, you will select an essay cluster on one of four topics. (Please see Blackboard for the essay clusters.) You will write a rhetorical analysis of a designated essay from your selected cluster. • Synthesis Essay (Due Tuesday, 12/4): For this essay, you will continue your writing on the topic cluster you selected for the Rhetorical Analysis. After reading multiple sources about your chosen topic, you will develop a clear central claim/thesis about that topic and use multiple sources to support your claim. • Class Participation: Class participation includes coming to class prepared, making thoughtful contributions in response to the readings, asking and answering questions, and presenting a general attitude of interest in the course content. Improvement in writing is a complex process that requires a great deal of practice and feedback from readers. Your participation grade will consist of the following: o Reading Responses (7): A reading response generally refers to any in-class or homework writing that I take a grade on. I will provide specific instructions about each reading response that is assigned. I will assign reading quizzes if students do not come to class prepared. o Peer Reviews (3): Each essay will include mandatory peer review workshops. o Team Member Assessment Forms (3) o Participation Self-Evaluation Forms (2) o You must have either a hard copy of the reading assigned for class or a laptop available for discussions. I will not allow you to use cell phones to access readings in class. If you are not prepared for class, I will deduct 10 points from your participation grade.

Grades. Final grades in FYW are A, B, C, F, and Z. Students must pass ENGL 1301 and ENGL 1302 with a grade of C or higher in order to move on to the next course. This policy is in place because of the key role that First-Year Writing courses play in students’ educational experiences at UTA.

The Z grade is reserved for students who attend class regularly, participate actively, and complete all the assigned work on time but simply fail to write well enough to earn a passing grade. This judgment is made by the instructor and not necessarily based upon a number average. The Z grade is intended to reward students for good effort. While students who receive a Z will not get credit for the course, the Z grade will not affect their grade point average. They may repeat the course for credit until they do earn a passing grade.

The F grade, which does negatively affect GPA, goes to failing students who do not participate actively or do not complete assigned work.

Your final grade for this course will consist of the following:

Discourse Community Analysis 200 points
Rhetorical Analysis 300 points
Synthesis Essay 400 points
Reading Responses (7) 350 points
Peer Reviews (3) 300 points
Team Member Assessments (3) 150 points
Participation Self-Evaluations (2) 60 points
Total 1760 points

Final grades will be calculated as follows:

A 1580 – 1760 points
B 1400 – 1579 points
C 1230 – 1399 points
F 1229 and below
Z See the Z grade policy above.

You must complete all major essay projects to pass the course. If you fail to complete an essay project, you will fail the course, regardless of your average. [Completion means that something is turned in as a “final draft.”] Keep all papers until you receive your final grade from the university. You cannot challenge a grade without evidence. You are expected to keep track of your performance throughout the semester and seek guidance from available sources (including the instructor) if your performance drops below satisfactory levels.

Paper Reuse Policy – You are not allowed, under any circumstances, to reuse papers from prior classes in this course or any other course that you have taken at any institution. Reusing papers does not demonstrate any advance in knowledge or skill, and so would not be helpful for you either in terms of your learning this semester, or for me in terms of assessing this learning. If you feel your situation constitutes a clear or significant exception to this rule, you must discuss this with me prior to the due date of the first draft.

Turning in Assignments to Blackboard: All major assignments (DCA, RAE, and SE) in this course will be submitted to Blackboard. I will not accept any assignments via e-mail. All assignments submitted to Blackboard must be saved as a .doc or .docx file to ensure that I am able to open them on my computer. It is your responsibility to ensure that all of your work is saved in this way and submitted in the correct format. If you submit work in the wrong format, then you will receive a zero for the assignment.

Attendance. At The University of Texas at Arlington, taking attendance is not required. Rather, each faculty member is free to develop his or her own methods of evaluating students’ academic performance, which includes establishing course-specific policies on attendance. As the instructor of this section, I will take attendance, but I will not factor any unexcused absences into your final grade. However, be sure to pay attention to my policy on late assignments, which follows. I will not supply what you miss by email or phone. It is your responsibility to conference with a peer to get this material or make an appointment to see me in person.

Excused absences include official university activities, military service, and/or religious holidays. Students must inform the instructor in writing at least one week in advance of an excused absence.

Late Assignments. Assignments must be submitted to Blackboard by the beginning of class on the due date specified. I will not accept late Reading Responses and I will not provide make-up work. I will accept late essays, but for each calendar day following, the work will receive an additional 10-percent deduction. I do not accept essays that are more than three days late. If you must be absent, your work is still due on the assigned date. Please note: When you submit an assignment through Blackboard, your submission receives a date and time stamp.

Expectations for Out-of-Class Study: Beyond the time required to attend each class meeting, students enrolled in this course should expect to spend at least an additional nine hours per week of your own time in course-related activities, including reading required materials, completing assignments, preparing for exams, etc.

Grade Grievances: First Year Writing has a specific procedure that must be followed in order for you to appeal a grade or any other matter related to your 1301/02 class. First, you must communicate with the instructor in an attempt to resolve any matter in question. The next step is for you to communicate with the Director of First Year Writing. The Director will then advise you on the next official steps in any appeal process. Any appeal of a grade in this course must follow the procedures and deadlines for grade-related grievances as published in the current undergraduate catalog. (See http://wweb.uta.edu/catalog/content/general/academic_regulations.aspx#10)

Late Enrollment Policy: Though I realize that sometimes enrolling in a course after the start date is unavoidable, please be advised that you will be held responsible for the class periods that you have missed, even if you were not enrolled in the course. I will not allow you to make up attendance or any other assignments that occurred before you enrolled. If you enroll in class after the start date it is your responsibility to contact your peers in order to get caught up on the schedule and any announcements that might have been delivered in your absence. This policy also applies to students who drop and add.

Classroom behavior. Class sessions are short and require your full attention. All cell phones, laptops, and other electronic devices should be turned off and put away when entering the classroom; all earpieces should be removed. Store materials from other classes, reading not related to this class, bulky bags, and other distractions so that you can concentrate on the ENGL 1301 readings and discussions each day. Bring book(s) and e-reserve readings (heavily annotated and carefully read) to every class. You are expected to participate respectfully in class, to listen to other class members, and to comment appropriately. I also expect consideration and courtesy from students. You should address your professors appropriately and communicate professionally with them.

CELL PHONE POLICY: If I have to ask you more than twice to put away your cell phone, I will deduct 10 points from your final grade for every additional request.

According to Student Conduct and Discipline, "students are prohibited from engaging in or attempting to engage in conduct, either alone or in concert with others, that is intended to obstruct, disrupt, or interfere with, or that in fact obstructs, disrupts, or interferes with any instructional, educational, research, administrative, or public performance or other activity authorized to be conducted in or on a University facility. Obstruction or disruption includes, but is not limited to, any act that interrupts, modifies, or damages utility service or equipment, communication service or equipment, or computer equipment, software, or networks” (UTA Handbook or Operating Procedures, Ch. 2, Sec. 2-202). Students who do not respect the guidelines listed above or who disrupt other students’ learning may be asked to leave class and/or referred to the Office of Student Conduct.

Classroom Visitors: Only students officially enrolled in this section are allowed to attend class meetings. Students may not bring guests (children, spouses, friends, family) to class unless an academic request has been submitted and approved by the instructor well in advance of the proposed class visit. Children are not allowed in class as visitors at any time

Academic Integrity. All students enrolled in this course are expected to adhere to the UT Arlington Honor Code:

I pledge, on my honor, to uphold UT Arlington’s tradition of academic integrity, a tradition that values hard work and honest effort in the pursuit of academic excellence.
I promise that I will submit only work that I personally create or contribute to group collaborations, and I will appropriately reference any work from other sources. I will follow the highest standards of integrity and uphold the spirit of the Honor Code.

It is the philosophy of The University of Texas at Arlington that academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the University. "Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts" (Regents’ Rules and Regulations, Series 50101, Section 2.2)

You can get in trouble for plagiarism by failing to correctly indicate places where you are making use of the work of another or colluding with another to prepare assignments. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the conventions of citation by which you indicate which ideas are not your own and how your reader can find those sources. Read your textbook and/or handbook for more information on quoting and citing properly to avoid plagiarism. If you still do not understand, ask your instructor. All students caught plagiarizing or cheating will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct.

Americans with Disabilities Act. The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of all federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). All instructors at UT Arlington are required by law to provide "reasonable accommodations" to students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Any student requiring an accommodation for this course must provide the instructor with official documentation in the form of a letter certified by the staff in the Office for Students with Disabilities, University Hall 102. Only those students who have officially documented a need for an accommodation will have their request honored. Information regarding diagnostic criteria and policies for obtaining disability-based academic accommodations can be found at www.uta.edu/disability or by calling the Office for Students with Disabilities at (817) 272-3364.

Title IX: The University of Texas at Arlington is committed to upholding U.S. Federal Law “Title IX” such that no member of the UT Arlington community shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity. For more information, visit www.uta.edu/titleIX.

Drop Policy. Students may drop or swap (adding and dropping a class concurrently) classes through self-service in MyMav from the beginning of the registration period through the late registration period. After the late registration period, students must see their academic advisor to drop a class or withdraw. Undeclared students must see an advisor in the University Advising Center. Drops can continue through a point two-thirds of the way through the term or session. It is the student's responsibility to officially withdraw if they do not plan to attend after registering. Students will not be automatically dropped for non-attendance. Repayment of certain types of financial aid administered through the University may be required as the result of dropping classes or withdrawing. Contact the Financial Aid Office for more information.

Writing Center
Location: Room 411 of the Central Library
Hours: 9 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. Mon-Th, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fri, and 12n to 5:15 p.m. Sat and Sun

Students must register and can make appointments online at http://uta.mywconline.com. Face-to-Face and online appointments for undergraduate students are scheduled for 40 minutes. Writing Center consultants assist with any aspect of academic writing, from understanding an assignment, brainstorming, revising an early draft, to polishing a final draft. However, the Writing Center is not an editing service; consultants will not correct grammar or rewrite assignments during our long sessions. Please see www.uta.edu/owl for more information about services and guidelines.

Quick Hits: A Writing Center consultant is available in the Writer's Studio, 413b, to help students find answers on citation, style, minor editing, punctuation, and other quick questions that require 5 to 10 minutes. Although students must register with the Writing Center, Quick Hits walk-ins are welcome and students are assisted on a first-come, first-served basis. These are not one-on-one sessions. Quick Hits is available Mondays Noon-3:45 p.m., Wednesdays Noon-4:30 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30-8:15 p.m. Students also may post short questions to our Facebook page during these periods at www.facebook.com/WritingCenteratUTArlington. QH Consultants will not make corrections, but will point clients to the answers.

Workshops: The Writing Center offers three series of workshops: grammar, ENGL1301/02, and graduate students. A detailed list with descriptions is available at the start of each semester online at www.uta.edu/owl.

Library Research Help for Students in the First-Year English Program. UT Arlington Library offers many ways for students to receive help with writing assignments: All First-Year English courses have access to research guides that assist students with required research. To access the guides go to http://libguides.uta.edu. Search for the course number in the search box located at the top of the page. The research guides direct students to useful databases, as well as provide information about citation, developing a topic/thesis, and receiving help. Other helpful information may be found at links provided below:

Library Home Page http://www.uta.edu/library
Ask A Librarian http://ask.uta.edu

Student Support Services: UT Arlington provides a variety of resources and programs designed to help students develop academic skills, deal with personal situations, and better understand concepts and information related to their courses. Resources include tutoring, major-based learning centers, developmental education, advising and mentoring, personal counseling, and federally funded programs. For individualized referrals, students may visit the reception desk at University College (Ransom Hall), call the Maverick Resource Hotline at 817-272-6107, send a message to resources@uta.edu, or view the information at www.uta.edu/resources.

Student Feedback Survey: At the end of each term, you will receive a request to complete a Student Feedback Survey (SFS) if you are enrolled in a class categorized as lecture, seminar, or laboratory. Instructions on how to access the SFS for this course will be sent directly to each student through MavMail approximately 10 days before the end of the term. Each student’s feedback enters the SFS database anonymously and is aggregated with that of other students enrolled in the course. UT Arlington’s effort to solicit, gather, tabulate, and publish student feedback is required by state law; students are strongly urged to participate. For more information, visit http://www.uta.edu/sfs.

Emergency Exit Procedures: Should we experience an emergency event that requires us to vacate the building, students should exit the room and move toward the nearest exit, which is located out the classroom door to the left. When exiting the building during an emergency, you should never take an elevator but should use the stairwells. Faculty members and instructional staff will assist students in selecting the safest route for evacuation and will make arrangements to assist handicapped individuals.

Electronic Communication Policy. You must have access to a computer with internet capabilities. You should check email daily for course information and updates. I will send group emails through Blackboard. I am happy to communicate with students through email. However, I ask that you be wise and professional in your use of this tool. Make sure you have consulted the syllabus for answers before you send me an email. Remember, I do not monitor my email 24 hours a day. I check it several times during the day, but not after 10pm or before 7am, and only occasionally on weekends. I will always try to respond to your email within 24 hours.

EMAIL POLICY • I will not respond to emails that are sent from any address other than your MyMav account. • I will not respond to emails with questions that can be answered by looking at the syllabus. • I will not respond to any email with a vague or absent subject line. Please identify the specific issue you are emailing about in the subject line. • I will not respond to any email where you do not identify which of my classes you are in. • I will not respond to any email about absences and I do not provide make-up work.

The University of Texas at Arlington has adopted the University “MavMail” address as the sole official means of communication with students. MavMail is used to remind students of important deadlines, advertise events and activities, and permit the University to conduct official transactions exclusively by electronic means. For example, important information concerning registration, financial aid, payment of bills, and graduation are now sent to students through the MavMail system. All students are assigned a MavMail account. You are responsible for checking your MavMail regularly. Information about activating and using MavMail is available at http://www.uta.edu/oit/email/. There is no additional charge to students for using this account, and it remains active even after they graduate from UT Arlington.

Conferences and Questions: I have three regularly scheduled office hours each week. These times are reserved for you to drop by or to make an appointment to discuss course assignments, grades, or other class-related concerns. I will be happy to make other appointment times for you if your class schedule conflicts with regular conference times or if I am not available on certain days. If you receive a grade on an assignment or quiz about which you have questions, please wait 24 hours before discussing it with me. This gives you time to process the assignment comments and to think about how your course work meets the requirements set forth for each assignment. I do not discuss individual student issues in the classroom before, during or after class.

Syllabus and Schedule Changes. I try to make my syllabuses as complete as possible; however, during the course of the semester I may be required to alter, add, or abandon certain policies/assignments. Instructors reserve the right to make such changes as they become necessary. I will inform you of any major changes in writing.

ENGL 1301 Syllabus Contract

I have read and understood the syllabus, and I agree to abide by the course policies.

_____________________________________ ______________

Print Name Date

_____________________________________

Signature Date

Permission to Use Student Writing

Student’s Name

Class Number and Section

Instructor Name

I give my permission for my writing to be used as an example of student work and/or as a teaching tool for future classes. I understand that my name will be removed from my work before it is shared with others.

Student’s signature

UTA ID Date

ENGL 1301 Course Schedule

Assignments are due on the day they are listed. Schedule subject to Revision

|Syllabus Abbreviations |
|TSIS: They Say/I Say |RR: Reading Response |
|FYW: First-Year Writing: Perspectives on Argument |DCA: Discourse Community Analysis |
| |RAE: Rhetorical Analysis Essay |
| |SE: Synthesis Essay |

|Date |Class Topic/Reading Assignments |Writing Assignments |
|Thurs 8/21 |Introductions/syllabus/ class policies |Diagnostic essay |
|Tues 8/26 |Argument/Academic Conservation | |
| |Read: TSIS preface, intro, and Chap 9 and FYW, Chap 1, | |
| |pp. 2-28 | |
|Thurs 8/28 |Discourse Community Analysis |RR#1: Review questions from FYW, Chap 1, p. 28 |
| |Introduce DCA essay |DCA brainstorm |
| |Read: FYW, pp. P26-P32 | |
|Tues 9/2 |Discourse Communities | |
| |Identifying and describing a discourse community | |
| |Read: “Hidden Intellectualism,” TSIS, pp. 244-51 | |
|Thurs 9/4 |The Rhetorical Situation |The rhetorical situation/TRACE analysis of “Hidden |
| |Read: FYW, P17-P18, and Chap 2, pp. 38-43 |Intellectualism” |
|Tues 9/9 |Rhetorical Appeals |RR#2: The rhetorical appeals of “Hidden |
| |Read: FYW, Chap 5, pp. 124-38 |Intellectualism” |
|Thurs 9/11 |DCA Sample Essay and Grading Rubric | |
| |Read: FYW, P26-P29 | |
| | | |
|Tues 9/16 |Peer Review |Due: First draft of DCA |
| |Read: TSIS, Chap 1 “They Say” | |
| |Assign peer review | |
|Thurs 9/18 |In-class work on DCA | |
|Tues 9/23 |In-class work on DCA |Due: Completed peer review |
|Thurs 9/25 |Rhetorical Analysis and Essay Clusters |Due: DCA final and Team Member Assessment Form |
| |Introduce RA essay | |
| |Read: FYW, P33-P36 | |
|Tues 9/30 |Audiences |RR#3: Audience analysis of The Shorthorn |
| |Read/review: FYW, Chap 2, TRACE and pp. 51-5 | |
|Thurs 10/2 |Making and Identifying a Claim | |
| |Read: FYW, Chap 4, pp. 104-22, and TSIS, Chap 2, pp. | |
| |30-41 | |
|Tues 10/7 |RA Sample Essay and Grading Rubric |RR#4: TRACE analysis of essay |
| |Read: FYW, P37-P38 | |
| |Read: “Scratching the Celebrity Itch” by Alex Hawgood in| |
| |the Celebrity Culture essay cluster | |
|Thurs 10/9 |Rhetorical Analysis |RR#5: Rhetorical Circles |
| |Read: ““Drugs, Sports, Body Image and G.I. Joe” by | |
| |Natalie Angier in The Body essay cluster | |
| |In-class work on RA | |
|Tues 10/14 |Textual Argument | |
| |Read: FYW, Chap 6, pp. 142-60 | |
| |In-class work on RA | |
|Thurs 10/16 |Read: “Superhuman Athletes” by Helen Thompson in PEDs in|RR#6: Reasons and evidence |
| |Professional Sports essay cluster | |
|Tues 10/21 |Visual Argument |Due: First draft of RA |
| |Read: FYW, Chap 10, pp. 244-64 | |
| |Assign peer review | |
|Thurs 10/23 |Metacommentary |Mystery Science Theater |
| |Read: TSIS, Chap 10, 129-38 | |
|Tues 10/28 |In-class work on RA |Due: Completed peer review |
| |Last day to drop | |
|Thurs 10/30 |In-class work on RA |All essays in the cluster MUST be read by this |
| | |date!!!! |
|Tues 11/4 |Synthesis Essay |Due: RA final and Team Member Assessment Form |
| |Read: FYW, P39-42 | |
|Thurs 11/6 |SE Sample and Grading Rubric |RR#7: Claim, evidence, and synthesis in sample essay |
| |Read: FYW, P43-P45 | |
|Tues 11/11 |In-class work on SE | |
|Thurs 11/13 |Thesis Statements |Draft of thesis statement for SE |
| |Read: TSIS, Chaps 4 and 5 | |
| |In-class work on SE | |
|Tues 11/18 |The Naysayer |Due: First draft of SE |
| |Read: TSIS, Chap 6 | |
| |Assign peer review | |
|Thurs 11/20 |Documenting Sources | |
| |Read: FYW, Appendix A: MLA Documentation | |
|Tues 11/25 |The Art of Quoting |Due: Completed peer review |
|Thurs 11/27 |Thanksgiving holiday!!!! | |
|Tues 12/2 |In-class work on RA | |
|Thurs 12/4 |Last day of class! |Due: SE final and Team Member Assessment Form |