University of South Florida Sarasota‐Manatee ENC 3310, Section 591, 3 Credit Hours Expository Writing Semester: Summer 2015 (Online) Instructor: Dr. Erin Trauth E‐Mail: [email protected] Class meetings: All class meetings take place online. Office hours: Individual appointments with the instructor are available by appointment. PREREQUISITES ENC 1101 and ENC 1102 or ENC 1121 and ENC 1122 COURSE DESCRIPTION This is a course that teaches the techniques for writing effective prose, (excluding fiction), in which student essays are extensively criticized, edited, and discussed in individual sessions with the instructor and with peers. GORDON RULE REQUIREMENT This course can be used to satisfy the Gordon Rule Communications Requirement. As the Catalog states, “Gordon Rule Communication courses develop and assess competency in college‐level writing skills through multiple assignments. At a minimum, students must write 4500 words in a Gordon Rule course, and feedback provided on assignments must include comments related to writing effectiveness. At least one assignment must include submission of a revision in response to substantive feedback. All stages of such papers count toward the 4500 word minimum.” These stipulations are reflected in the assignment structure of the course. COURSE TOPICS 1. Developing informed, persuasive expository arguments in well‐reasoned and researched position papers 2. Integrating revision strategies into the writing process 3. Making effective use of evidence from primary and secondary sources 4. Writing effective, correct, and stylish prose 5. Reflecting on issues of diversity through community‐based field activities 6. Communicating with non‐specialist audiences COURSE OBJECTIVE 1. Develop skills and techniques for writing and revising a persuasive expository paper that reflects on diversity issues pertinent in the student’s major field of study, and communicating these ideas for non‐specialist audiences outside the student’s major field of study. COURSE STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES As a course offered through the concentration in British and American Literature, this course addresses two of the five learning outcomes relevant to that program. Specifically, this course develops the student’s ability to: 1. Demonstrate critical thinking skills in the conduct of written argument and the judicious use of primary and secondary textual support. 2. Write effective, correct expository prose. Additionally, as a Diversity and Community and Engagement Pillars course, Expository Writing also develops the student’s ability to: 1. Demonstrate comprehension of a variety of diversity issues covered in the course. 2. Demonstrate understanding of a diversity issue related to a community‐engagement experience. 3. Compose an informed and persuasive argument pertaining to an important diversity issue. Page 1 TEXTS AND MATERIALS (Required)  “They Say / I Say”: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, ed. Graff and Birkenstein. http://books.wwnorton.com/books/detail.aspx?id=4294977401 (ISBN‐13: 978‐0393935844)  Writer’s Help, ed. Hacker. http://writershelp.bedfordstmartins.com/ (an online writing handbook) CANVAS USE The class syllabus is posted in Canvas, an online course management system. Information on how to use Canvas is available at: http://usfsm.edu/information‐commons/faculty‐resources/ PLAGIARISM SOFTWARE The University of South Florida has an account with an automated plagiarism detection service which allows student assignments be checked for plagiarism. I reserve the right to ask students to submit their assignments to Turnitin through Canvas. Assignments are compared automatically with a database of journal articles, web articles, and previously submitted papers. The instructor receives a report showing exactly how a student’s paper was plagiarized. PLEASE REMOVE YOUR NAME FROM THE BODY OF YOUR PAPER AND REPLACE IT WITH YOUR USF ID#. ALSO REMOVE YOUR NAME FROM THE FILE NAME AND REPLACE IT WITH YOUR USF ID# (e.g., “U12345678 Essay 1.docx”) BEFORE SUBMITTING IT TO TURNITIN. Pursuant to the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), students are requested to maintain confidentiality as a way to keep their personal contact information (i.e. name, address, telephone) from being disclosed to vendors or other outside agencies. By your submission, you are also agreeing to release your original work for review for academic purposes to Turnitin. TECHNOLOGIES Two main sites are utilized for this course: USF’s Canvas, where students will complete discussions, submit assignments, and access grades, and the course “Google Doc” page, where students will find a copy of the full course syllabus and the detailed tasks/instructions every week. Students should bookmark all of these sites for this course as they will be used frequently. Students should be sure to post their assignments in the correct place each week; posting assignments in the wrong place will cause assignments to not count for a grade, even if they are complete. It is up to the student to double‐check the weekly submission requirements and be diligent about the posting of assignments. Online courses provide many benefits, but they also can be more challenging for students as they require self‐
mastery of technologies, great discipline, and an ability to closely read and adhere to instructions. This statement is not intended to scare you off in any way, but you should be aware that, while it is very possible to be successful in this class, this course is just as ‐‐ if not even more ‐‐ rigorous as an in‐person class. If you are not skilled with following instructions and deadlines, pacing yourself, communicating well with team members, and reading and working online, you will want to sharpen your skills quickly or you may not be successful in this class. In short: you can do well in this course, but you will be challenged. Work hard, pay attention, and communicate well ‐‐ and it will pay off. ATTENDANCE This is an online class, and daily check‐ins and weekly participation is required. The course does not meet in person, but students will be required to attend event(s) outside of class for the purpose of the major course assignments. Every week, students will see assignments and instructions posted on the course schedule. This is not a “self‐paced” course. Please note up front that no late work will be accepted in this class unless you have a serious documented emergency or issue. I will always require you to submit documentation if you are requesting to turn in a late assignment. Missed quizzes cannot be made up. Exams cannot be made up for an unexcused absence. Page 2 ASSIGNMENTS, EVALUATION AND ATTENDANCE POLICIES Overall Grade Breakdown Participation, including Discussions and Quizzes: 15% Community‐Engaged Expository Writing Project on Diversity Issues: 75% total, including: Project Workshop and Consultation: 10% Research Summaries and Annotated Bibliography: 15% Provisional Draft of Position Paper: 10% Formal Peer Review: 5% Final Draft of Position Paper: 25% Op‐Ed Version of the Position Paper: 10% Diversity Essay: 5% Community Engagement Essay: 5% Grading Plus/Minus Scale for Final Grades: A+ = 100‐96.5 | A = 96.4‐93.5 | A‐ = 93.4‐89.5 B+ = 89.4‐86.5 | B = 86.4‐83.5 | B‐ = 83.4‐79.5 C+ = 79.4‐76.5 | C = 76.4‐73.5 | C‐ = 73.4‐69.5 D+ = 69.4‐66.5 | D = 66.4‐63.5 | D‐ = 63.4‐59.5 F = 59.4‐0 Participation: 15% A portion of the final grade will derive from students’ participation. These activities may include discussion boards, reading quizzes (designed to gauge whether you’ve completed the reading from They Say / I Say and Writer’s Help and how well you’ve comprehended these materials); writing activities and peer review exercises, including modules assigned in Writer’s Help as needed; and other workshops and assignments determined to be necessary by the instructor. Missed quizzes and other weekly activities cannot be made up for unexcused absences. Community‐Engaged Expository Writing Project on Diversity Issues: 75% total Students will write and revise an original position paper, around 1,000 words in length, on topics developed in consultation with the instructor and pertaining to issues of diversity and community engagement in the student’s major field of study. As part of this project, students will spend at least four hours at an event, workplace, non‐
profit organization, or community‐based setting pertaining to diverse audiences on the basis of (for example) race, sex, sexual orientation, age, language ability, citizenship and immigration status, or special‐needs communities. Students will receive feedback on their work from their peers and the instructor and must revise these papers after receiving a provisional grade. The end product will also be transformed into an op‐ed suitable for submission to a local newspaper; part of the project requires explaining an important issue in the student’s major field of study for non‐specialist audiences. The writing project is comprised of several parts: Project Workshop and Consultation: 10% Submit a ~300 word topic proposal outlining steps to be taken. Research Summaries and Annotated Bibliography: 15% 5 sources, each with a 200‐word summary, pertaining to the position paper. Students will generate and submit weekly summaries of each source leading to the submission of the complete bibliography. Provisional Draft of Position Paper: 10% 1,000 words, meticulously proofread. Formal Peer Review: 5% Commenting on and discussing the provisional drafts of two fellow students. Final Draft of Position Paper: 25% 1,000 words, meticulously proofread. Op‐Ed Version of the Position Paper: 10% 600 words, meticulously proofread, suitable for a non‐specialist audience. Students who document submission of their op‐ed as a “letter to the editor” of a local newspaper, such as an e‐mail acknowledging receipt, will receive a 10% bonus on the grade for this assignment. Page 3 Diversity Essay: 5% In a short essay of 300‐500 words, describe the manifestation of human diversity explored in this course, and discuss what you feel are the most important understandings related to diversity that you learned, explaining their significance in relation to the issue. Community Engagement Essay: 5% In a short essay of 300‐500 words, describe the community engagement activity enabled by this course, and discuss insights related to diversity understand that the experience provided you personally, conclude by identifying what you feel will be your most lasting impression from the experience. USFSM AND USF SYSTEM POLICIES A. Academic Dishonesty: The University considers any form of plagiarism or cheating on exams, projects, or papers to be unacceptable behavior. Please be sure to review the university’s policy in the USFSM Catalog, the USF System Academic Integrity of Students, and the USF System Student Code of Conduct. B. Academic Disruption: The University does not tolerate behavior that disrupts the learning process. The policy for addressing academic disruption is included with Academic Dishonesty in the USFSM Catalog, USF System Academic Integrity of Students, and the USF System Student Code of Conduct. C. Contingency Plans: In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USFSM to suspend normal operations. During this time, USFSM may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to: Canvas, Elluminate, Skype, and email messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It’s the responsibility of the student to monitor Canvas site for each class for course specific communication, and the main USFSM and College websites, emails, and MoBull messages for important general information. The USF hotline at 1 (800) 992‐4231 is updated with pre‐recorded information during an emergency. See the Campus Police Website for further information. D. Disabilities Accommodation: Students are responsible for registering with the Office of Students with Disabilities Services (SDS) in order to receive academic accommodations. Reasonable notice must be given to the SDS office (typically 5 working days) for accommodations to be arranged. It is the responsibility of the student to provide each instructor with a copy of the official Memo of Accommodation. Contact Information: Disability Coordinator, 941‐359‐4714, [email protected], http://usfsm.edu/disability‐services/ E. Fire Alarm Instructions: At the beginning of each semester please note the emergency exit maps posted in each classroom. These signs are marked with the primary evacuation route (red) and secondary evacuation route (orange) in case the building needs to be evacuated. See Emergency Evacuation Procedures. F. Religious Observances: USFSM recognizes the right of students and faculty to observe major religious holidays. Students who anticipate the necessity of being absent from class for a major religious observance must provide notice of the date(s) to the instructor, in writing, by the second week of classes. Instructors canceling class for a religious observance should have this stated in the syllabus with an appropriate alternative assignment. G. Web Portal Information: Every newly enrolled USF student receives an official USF e‐mail account. Students receive official USF correspondence and Canvas course information via that address. H. Academic Support Services: Information Commons provides students with individual and group study spaces, computers, printers, and various media equipment for temporary use. Information Commons is staffed with a librarian, learning support faculty, tutors, and technology and e‐learning specialists. Students challenged by the rigors of academic writing, mathematics, or other course content are urged to contact their instructors early in the semester to chart out a plan for academic success, and/or regularly use the tutoring services provided by the Learning Support Services, which are provided at no cost to students. Page 4 I.
Sexual Misconduct/Sexual Harassment Reporting: USFSM is committed to providing an environment free from sex discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence (USF System Policy 0‐004). The Counseling and Wellness Center is a confidential resource where you can talk about incidents of sexual harassment and gender‐based crimes including sexual assault, stalking, and domestic/relationship violence. This confidential resource can help you without having to report your situation to either the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (OSSR) or the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunity (DIEO), unless you request that they make a report. Please be aware that in compliance with Title IX and under the USF System Policy, educators must report incidents of sexual harassment and gender‐based crimes including sexual assault, stalking, and domestic/relationship violence. If you disclose any of these situations in class, in papers, or to me personally, I am required to report it to OSSR or DIEO for investigation. The Deputy Coordinator for USFSM is Mary Beth Wallace, AVP for Student Enrollment, Engagement and Success, 941‐359‐4330 or [email protected]. Campus Resources: Counseling Center and Wellness Center 941‐487‐4254 Victim Advocate (24/7) 941‐504‐8599 List of off‐campus resources: Hope of Manatee: 941‐755‐6805 Safe Place & Rape Crisis Center (SPARCC) – Sarasota: 941‐365‐1976 First Call for Help‐ Manatee: 941‐708‐6488 Sarasota & North Port 941‐366‐5025 Manatee Glens: 941‐782‐4800 COURSE SCHEDULE Please note that this schedule is only meant to provide a general guide and is subject to change based upon the needs of the course. Detailed weekly course overviews will be posted each week on the detailed course schedule page. Week 1: Introduction. Brainstorm research topics and field experiences. Reading from “They Say/I Say” Chapter 1 and discussion. Reading from “They Say/I Say” Chapter 2 and discussion. Week 2: Reading from “They Say/I Say” Chapter 3 and discussion. Workshop: Beginning the Research Process and Developing a Thesis Statement. Due: Field experience selected by this date. Outline field work and research agenda. Week 3: Reading from “They Say/I Say” Chapter 4 and discussion. Due: Position Paper Proposal and Thesis. Week 4: Reading from “They Say/I Say” Chapter 5 and discussion. Due: 1st Research Summary Workshop: Field Experiences and Next Steps. Due: 2nd Research Summary Week 5: Reading from “They Say/I Say” Chapter 6 and discussion. Due: 3rd Research Summary Reading from “They Say/I Say” Chapter 7 and discussion. Due: 4th Research Summary Week 6: Reading from “They Say/I Say” Chapter 8 and discussion. Due: 5th Research Summary Field Experiences completed by this date Week 7: Workshop: Putting it All Together Due: Annotated Bibliography (polished consolidation of all five research summaries) Page 5 Week 8: Week 9: Week 10: Week 11 Finals Week: Workshop: Peer Review Due: Provisional Draft of Position Paper due for peer review. Workshop: How to Revise Due: Peer Reviews completed. Position Papers returned to students with feedback. Due: Diversity Essay and Community Engagement Essay Final Draft of Position Paper due. Op‐ed Version of Position Paper due in class and on Canvas. Page 6