ENC-1101
Writing and Rhetoric I
SYLLABUS
|
Books and Turnitin Information General Course Overview, Guidelines and Outcomes |
Fall 2010
Instructor: Robert Saba
Email: sabar@fiu.edu
Office: DM-469
Office Hours: TBA (see the "Dates and Reminders" page of the course web site)
Phone: 305-348-3371 (voice mail) or x-2874 (English Department)
Required Books
1) The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing FIU custom, 4th
Edition
(Important: students should purchase the new "4th"
edition of the Allyn & Bacon text. The older 3rd edition is
usable but contains errors. The 2nd edition is no
longer compatible with the course and cannot be used at all.)
2)
The Everyday Writer by Andrea Lunsford, Fourth Edition
Turnitin.com. Please note that Turnitin.com will be used significantly as a resource for submitting online writing assignments and peer reviews. Turnitin registration is a course requirement. Students who prefer not to submit written work via this online database should enroll in a different section.
Turnitin Logon Information: http://www.turnitin.com/static/index.html
Click “New Users” on the top right-hand corner of the homepage, then follow the instructions.
You are in 1101. Use the registration information for your section:
Writing and Rhetoric I is designed to improve students' writing and communication skills.
Students will learn to write college-level essays using concepts that are relevant and applicable to all kinds of writing and communication. In addition to completing essay assignments, students will produce an extensive, online portfolio of writing exercises and peer reviews. The portfolio will account for approximately 40% of the final grade. (See the section titled "Grading" for more details.)
Classroom instruction will emphasize writing that evolves from realistic motives for expression, that reflects an intelligent grasp of the subject matter and an ability to engage readers.
The course is designed to be interactive and workshop-oriented. Students are expected to be active participants in the classroom. In this section of ENC-1101, the class as a whole will serve as a reading audience for each student writer. Students will be required to write extensively, to share their writing with their classmates and to respond constructively to their classmates' writing.
Students entering the course should have a working knowledge of the essay form and a solid grasp of English grammar, mechanics and usage.
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT GUIDELINES:
Students will write a minimum of four major assignments that go through a full
writing process and that are between 800 and 1,800 words in length. To prepare
them to take essay exams and standardized tests, approximately two to three
class periods will be devoted to teaching and practicing strategies for timed
writing.
COURSE OUTCOMES:
Please see the page xxv of the Allyn & Bacon textbook for a detailed listing
of important course outcomes.
In order to fulfill the General Education requirements at FIU, a student must earn a C or above in "Gordon Rule" writing classes. A grade of C- or below means that the student will have to re-take the course.
A student's grade in this course will be based on 1) the quality of the
assigned essays and other writing assignments, including an online writing portfolio that will be completed in Turnitin.com, and 2) an assessment of each student's professional involvement in the class, especially as demonstrated by consistent attendance (see "Attendance" for details).The instructor will evaluate each student's work and course performance on an individual basis. Students are encouraged to view grades as the equivalent of professional evaluations. The instructor's goal is to give each student fair, accurate, and (by extension) meaningful evaluations during the course and at the end of the term. A student's final grade will reflect the instructor's view of how well the student succeeded in meeting the professional outcomes and objectives of the course (as described in the section above).
Letter grades assigned during and at the end of the term will reflect the following, general assessments:
A = Excellent
B = Good
C = Acceptable-to-fair
C - and below = Below average-to-unacceptable
Entering Freshmen should be aware that college writing is more advanced and challenging than high school writing. A high school "A" does not necessarily translate to "A" work in college. College-level writing approximates professional standards of clarity, cohesion, thoroughness, and effective presentation.
Emergency Situations:
Students who experience an emergency that temporarily interferes with the completion of course work should contact the instructor immediately.
Students who experience a prolonged emergency that interferes with course work and course responsibilities for more than a short period of time should drop the course. The "Drop Date" for the semester - i.e. the last day to drop a course with a DR grade - can be found on the FIU Academic Calendar.
Under no circumstances, including the occurrence of documented emergencies, will a student receive a passing grade for the course without completing all of the required course work and meeting the minimum attendance requirements.
In the case of a documented emergency, a student may request a one-time extension of a past-due assignment (the last day that an assignment is acceptable); however, the request must be made before the past-due date. In all other cases, past-due assignments will not be accepted and will receive a grade of "0."
Policies for Writing Assignments
FORMATTING
Unless otherwise indicated, all writing assignments must be typed or computer-printed on plain, white paper. Lines should be double-spaced, and pages should contain ample margins on the top, bottom, and sides for corrections and remarks.
All assignments should be appropriately titled.
The instructor's preferred fonts are Ariel or Times New Roman, 11 or 12 pt. (Approximate assignment lengths will correlate to those fonts.)
Professionalism in formatting and presentation is expected.
DUE DATES
Assignments
are due on time. Portfolio assignments cannot be submitted late (see the
portfolio guidelines for details). Essays may be accepted up to one week
late (unless otherwise noted) but will be penalized half a letter grade (five
percentage points) for each class-day late. Essays more than a week late
will not be accepted without documentation verifying a prolonged, medical
emergency.
Make sure to turn in all assignments. Any missing essay or other assignment will receive a grade of "0."
Note that writing assignments will not be accepted by email under any circumstances. Email can be unreliable and entail problems with verifying transmission and receipt of assignments, as well as problems with formatting, viruses and software compatibility.
KEEPING
COPIES OF ASSIGNED WORK
To
insure against loss of work, students should keep a photocopy or computer disk
copy of all writing assignments that are turned in.
Until receiving official notification of their final grades, students are required to keep their essays, writing assignments and portfolios, so that they can make them available to the instructor for consultation or in case a grade inadvertently was not recorded.
REWRITES
Students will have the option of rewriting some returned essay assignments for a better grade. The assignments that can be rewritten will be specified in class, along with grading criteria, due dates and other relevant policies.
As a rule, rewrites must be completed no later than a week after the original assignment is returned, and must be submitted with the original, graded version. No rewrites will be accepted at the end of the semester. (Please note that portfolio assignments cannot be rewritten or submitted late. See the portfolio guidelines for more information.)
ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT AND PLAGIARISM
Florida International University is a community dedicated to generating and
imparting knowledge through excellent teaching and research, the rigorous and
respectful exchange of ideas, and community service.
All students should respect the right of others to have an equitable opportunity
to learn and honestly demonstrate the quality of their learning. Therefore, all
students are expected to adhere to a standard of academic conduct, which
demonstrates respect for themselves, their fellow students, and the educational
mission of the University. All students are deemed by the University to
understand that if they are found responsible for academic misconduct, they will
be subject to the Academic Misconduct procedures and sanctions, as outlined in
the Student Handbook.
Plagiarism consists of the use and appropriation of another's work
without any indication of the source, and the passing off of such work as the
student's own. Any student who fails to identify ideas or materials taken
from another person or source is guilty of plagiarism.
Students who are brought up on charges of plagiarism face penalties that range from failure of the course to expulsion from the University. For more details, see your FIU Student Handbook or go to http://w3.fiu.edu/enc/Academic%20Misconduct.htm and http://w3.fiu.edu/enc/Plagiarism.htm.
This section of ENC 1101 is designed to be interactive and workshop-oriented. The learning that takes place in the classroom cannot be reproduced by textbook reading, note sharing, homework, and so on. As a result, attendance is mandatory.
Only three missed classes will be allowed during the semester without penalty. Students who miss more than three classes will have half a letter grade (five percentage points) deducted from their final average for each additional missed class. Students who miss more than five classes will fail the course.
Students who wish to observe a religious holy day should notify the instructor in advance to arrange to make up class work.
Email PoliciesNo writing assignments will be accepted by email. As noted above, email can be unreliable and entail problems with verifying transmission and receipt of assignments, as well as problems with formatting, viruses and software compatibility.
The instructor will try to respond to email inquiries within forty-eight hours. Email should be reserved for comments, brief exchanges, questions, and clarifications about assignments.
Matters that require lengthy exchanges and explanations, such as the details of a major assignment or series of assignments, should be taken up in person with the instructor, either at the next scheduled class or during office hours.
All emails should include the student's name, course number, and the day and time that his or her section meets. Emails of any urgency also should include a phone number where the student can be reached.
Please note that the instructor will not provide final grades or grades for end-of-semester assignments by email. Emailing students' grades raises potential legal and privacy issues.
To receive final
grades, students should call 305-348-1500 after the access date. Grades may also
be obtained at campus kiosks or on the Internet at
http://sis.fiu.edu.
College classes are designed for serious, professional improvement. Class time is limited and every class is planned to contribute to the development of professional skills.
Any behavior or activity that disrupts the professional focus of the class and interferes with the ability of the instructor and students to accomplish the work at hand is unacceptable.
Private conversations carried on while the instructor and/or other students are trying to conduct class business are particularly distracting and discourteous.
Students who engage in private conversations while class is being conducted will be asked to leave. If the disruptive behavior re-occurs, offending students will be barred from attending class and subject to University discipline.
In the event that a student needs to communicate privately with another student while class is being conducted, he or she may leave the classroom without requesting permission.
Students also may leave to go to the rest room or make a phone call. However, students should not be paged or telephoned during class. All pagers and cell phones should be turned off before class begins.
The Center for Excellence in Writing
Students may need help with their writing outside of the classroom. The instructor will provide as much individual counseling and one-on-one instruction as possible.
In addition, students can receive help from the FIU Center for Excellence in Writing http://w3.fiu.edu/writingcenter/.
The Center is located on the ground floor of the Green Library (next to Starbuck's). Call 305-348-6634 or visit the web site (above) for appointments and general information.
When you go to the Center for help with an essay, remember to take the
relevant essay assignment sheet with you. Writing tutors will be able to help
you more if they can review the assignment guidelines and grading criteria.