SAMPLE SYLLABUS, EN11W, COMPOSITION & PROSE LITERATURE                                                                              (Freshman Writing; Cluster Course)                                                                                           

Instructor: Dr. James Simon                                         

My office: MH106;

E-mail: jsimon@mail.fairfield.edu 

My office phone: 254-4000, 2792                          

 


Welcome to Composition and Prose Literature. There are several goals for the course:

Ø      You will gain experience in employing a variety of different writing strategies. Early in the semester, you will discuss varied writing approaches, then use professional (and student) models of each strategy as a way of helping you develop your own voice. You will look at several examples of writing that illustrate a specific technique, such as narration, description, or argumentation. You will write an essay geared to that specific writing technique. Classmates and the teacher will critique your effort in a peer review session, and then you will revise the essay and submit it for a grade.                                                                                                      

Ø      You will sharpen your critical thinking skills by better understanding and using the principles of Argumentation. Closer to Election Day, we will examine the principles behind successful Argumentation, and you will critically analyze both campaign materials and political work such as “Fahrenheit 911” and “Outfoxed.”

Ø      You will learn how to properly cite reference sources for college-level research. We will start with you examining a single source and citing it correctly, then have you compare/contrast two sources, then eventually offer five original sources in a mini research paper.  

In meeting the three initial goals, you will better understand the relationship of purpose and audience in written communication. You will use a thesis more effectively. You will better understand the importance of an essay’s title, introduction and conclusion.  You will strengthen your skills in vocabulary, punctuation and writing style. We will (very) quickly go through a basic grammar book that you also can then use as a guide in other classes.

We will use the cluster format to encourage some interactivity between this class and Dr. Orman’s. We will use the $2,000 budget for this class for trips and dinners. We will look for opportunities to write about and discuss politics, government, elections and related issues.

Required Materials:

Eschholz, P. & Rosa A. (Eds.) (1999). Subject/Strategies: A writer’s reader  (9th. Ed.). New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s Press

Beason, L. and Lester, M. (2000). A commonsense guide to grammar and usage. (3rd Ed.). New York: St. Martin's Press

A two-inch, three-ring notebook with 12 section dividers that can be labeled     

 Recommended Materials: Any pocket dictionary. A hole puncher

  

 We begin by looking at different Writing Strategies. There will be:

à                    Discussions of a writing strategy on Thursday. Bring a typewritten discussion of how you might use the strategy for your own essay. You will gain some feedback from me and your classmates on your initial thesis. We will review some of the grammar lessons.

à                    Peer review session of your writing on Monday. I also will give you written feedback.

à                    Turn a revised version of an essay for a grade on the following Thursday. We then launch into discussions of another writing strategy.

A closer look:

1.   Come to class Thursday having read a chapter on a specific writing technique (e.g., Chapter 6, Description). The average chapter has six examples of the technique in question; I will generally have you just read three, plus three essays done by Fairfield students in the past.

Be sure you are fully prepared to discuss the readings. Whenever we begin a new strategy, read the introductory material in E/R carefully, then the essays.  For each of the assigned readings, be ready to discuss:

  •      What was the author’s thesis; what does he/she want to say?
  •      What writing strategies were employed? First/third person? Tense?
  •      What is the intended audience?
  •      How effective is the piece of writing? Why do you like/dislike it?
  •      How well does reading illustrate the key points, from the text, about this
  •      writing strategy?
  •      How useful is it to you as a model for your own writing? 

After reading about the strategy and examining the models, you will bring to class on Thursday a typewritten, 1-2 sentence description of your potential topic. Multiple ideas are encouraged, but they must be typewritten and in the form of complete sentences. You can change the topic without consulting me

2.   Come to class the following Monday with 8 copies of a draft version of your own essay (suggested length: 500 words). Give me the 8Th copy and attach a reflective memo (details later). You will peer review each other's work.

The peer review is designed to benefit both the writer, who receives some feedback, and the reviewer, who gets to sharpen his/her critical thinking skills. In the review, you will copy edit a student’s paper, then turn it over and write that student a brief (signed) note, highlighting at least two things you liked about the paper and two things that might be improved. The tone should be one of constructive criticism, featuring comments from which the students can learn – and help raise their grade. Meanwhile, I also will add some general comments about the draft and memo, then return all copies to you.

You must bring the draft and reflective memo to class, even if it needs a lot of work. Penalty: 10 points on the final version if you do not do so. But you can pick a new topic, without consulting me, if you decide you are headed into a literary dead end.

3.   The following Thursday, bring one final version of your essay to class, along with a revised reflective memo and my marked up version of your draft.  You also must be prepared to discuss the next chapter in the  Eschholz/Rosa book.

4.   When I return the essay with a grade, you must look at my comments and rewrite the essay once more, placing it in your portfolio. You do not have to make the changes I suggest. But if you don't, be prepared to defend your decision at our two portfolio meetings. (Details to come.)

Create a separate chapter in the portfolio (using section dividers) for each of the chapters/strategies we discuss in class, plus any other graded writing assignments.  In each section, include critiques from class members and the teacher and earlier drafts.

Students generally like this approach (i.e., Thursday discussion, Monday peer review, graded version due following Thursday) because they can anticipate when assignments are due and because they get a chance to rewrite a paper before it is submitted for a grade.

WE THEN MOVE TO ARGUMENTATION. In an effort to introduce more writing about politics, we will do fewer Writing Strategy chapters this semester and more critical essays that rely on argumentation and persuasion. This strategy allows you to sharpen an important college writing skill while also giving you a chance to develop your political reasoning and writing style.

For these papers, we will discuss the importance of 1) a strong introductory paragraph to set the scene and whet the reader’s interest; 2) establishing the setting; 3) offering a short recap what was said; and 4) most importantly, your emphasizing three to five critical, original points, often tied to personal experience, that show the reader you have integrated the material and can offer some fresh reflections on it -- rather than a boring recap of what was said.

WE CONCLUDE WITH A WORKSHOP ON COLLEGE-LEVEL RESEARCH PAPERS AND USIJNG CITATIONS. You will build from a single-source paper to a paper with multiple sources, then a topic of your own choice with five sources. You may use whatever reference style you wish.

Reflective memo. When you submit any written work, attach a one-page cover sheet on which you explain:

  • why you picked this topic
  • what is your thesis
  • what writing strategies were employed
  • how the essay changed through the drafting process
  • what you like about your effort
  • the problems you encountered
  • how it compares to past efforts
  • which readings, if any, were most useful -- and why

Grading Summary

Five Writing Strategy Essays @ 9 points                        45 percent                          Two formal Argumentation essays @ 10 pts                   20 percent                       Citation project                                                                20 points                         Graded in-class writing and class participation                15 percent  TOTAL                                                                            100 percent

There is no formal mid-term exam, final exam or term paper. Most students like this arrangement. But in return, you are expected to put extra time into this course throughout the 14 weeks of class. 

Grading guide. Here is how I evaluate writing in EN11:

 “A” – Excellent example of either critical analysis or the writing strategy we are discussing. Shows superior command of facts, and judgment, and organization, and writing. No significant style errors. Teaches me something I did not know. On some level, extra-ordinary.

 “B” – Better than average. Handles assignment well. Generally succeeds in applying that week’s writing strategy or the basics of critical analysis. Very few style errors. Often excellent in one area, but needs some work in other areas

 “C” – Average job. Not an essay someone would read unless the information was *really needed. Often ignores some of the guidelines for this week’s writing strategy. Several style errors. Some basic organizational or writing problems. Still needs significant rewriting.

 “D / F”-- Clear violations of the writing strategy we are discussing. Frequent style errors. Student has not applied learned from text or models examined in class.

 

 

Academic Honesty. Academic Honesty is the foundation of academic life. You must do all of the work that you submit as your own and for which you receive credit. Anything less constitutes academic dishonesty. As the Fairfield Student Handbook states: “Any violation of academic integrity wounds the entire community and undermines the trust upon which the discovery and communication of knowledge depends.”

 

Examples of academic dishonesty in this class include, but are not limited to:

 

v      Submitting someone else’s writing (or even writing approach) as your own. Such plagiarism may consist of a topic, a single word, a block of background from an Internet source, or an entire story.

 

v      Destruction or alteration of another student’s work.

 

v      Providing so much assistance to a classmate that the classmate’s work reflects your effort as much as his/her work.

 

v      Submitting work you have written for another course without permission from both instructors

 

v      Asking me to read a paper without telling me you will use my comments to revise it and receive a higher grade in another class

 

One of the most common violations of academic honesty is plagiarism. Plagiarism is the appropriation of ideas, data, work, or language of others and submitting them as one’s own to satisfy the requirements of a course.  Plagiarism constitutes theft and deceit. 

 

Students are often confused by just what constitutes plagiarism.  When the ideas or writings of others are presented in assignments, these ideas or writing should be attributed to that source. Special care should be taken, when cutting and pasting materials or when paraphrasing, to cite sources correctly and to use quotation marks around exact words from source materials.

 

Actions that result in plagiarism may be intentional or unintentional.  Consequently, students must understand the concept of plagiarism.  When reading, processing, or using materials from any source, appropriate documentation is always essential.

 

Again the problem often occurs due to student ignorance of the rules for crediting other people’s work. Ignorance is no excuse, and we will have a session on how to avoid plagiarism.

 

Some students mistakenly feel it is a violation of academic honesty to have other students (roommates, classmates, friends, boy/girl friends, etc.) read drafts of their papers. Not only is it NOT a violation, I encourage you to do so. I want you to take other views of your writing into account, sort out comments good and bad, and rewrite as much as possible.

 

Suggestions for rewrites also can come from Fairfield’s Writing Center (second floor, Donnarumma). It is a free service in which student tutors are given training, then help students like you with their writing. Check ‘em out. (If you enjoy writing or want some practice in informal teaching, it’s also a good place to work. See Dr. Boquet, English Department)

 

A student who commits academic dishonesty may be penalized with failure of the assignment or failure of the course. All violations must be reported in writing to the CAS dean’s office. The student also may be reprimanded or suspended from the University.

Writing Format:

      Use a word processor. Double-space and staple the pages. Use MS Word, not MS Works.       In the upper right hand corner, list your name, Chapter # and strategy, and  whether it is a first or final version                                                                                                                             Choose a title and center it above the body of the text. A title is mandatory for Writing Strategy essays.                                                                                                                                               Use a conventional 12-point font, 60-space lines, and one-inch margins on all sides of the page.                                                                                                                                                   The grade on the final version, if handed in late, will drop by one letter (e.g., an A becomes a B) for each day the assignment is late. Maximum grade loss is 20 points. The essay is still due even if you are sick; e-mail it to me or send it with  a friend or classmate.

     (Tip: Work hard to hand in a polished draft version of the paper; the suggested changes will probably raise it another grade level.) 

Portfolio meetings. We will meet individually in my office Oct. 28-29 for 20 minutes, then again during the final exam period. We will use your portfolio as the starting point for a discussion on how well you are doing in class, problems you have encountered, and any suggestions you might have for improving the class. Bring a two-page essay in which you look across your work so far in the class, comment on your writing, and talk about what like and dislike about the class.

Attendance.  I am very old-fashioned about attendance; I take it every period based on the theory that you learn more when you are in class.  Your final grade in the course will drop two percentage points starting with the third cut (e.g., a 90 will drop to an 88). Save your cuts for when you are sick or have an emergency, medical or academic.  The only exception will be made the lingering illnesses or family emergencies that force you to miss consecutive classes. For your grade, I also take into account your being chronically late to class. For my sake and the sake of your classmates, please be on time.

If you are going to miss a class, I expect you to call or e-mail ahead of class and tell me not to expect you there. We then can make arrangements for you to make up the work missed.

Class participation. Participating in class is a given; you are expected to come to class well prepared to take an active part in discussions. If you repeatedly are unprepared for class, I reserve the right to adjust your final grade. You also are required to take part in the on-line threaded discussions we will have.

MVP.    We also will use Dr. Orman’s “Class MVP” approach. At the end of the semester, you will decide which three classmates you learned the most from and which classmates supplied the best comments in class and on your drafts. You will vote for them in a secret ballot, and the winners will be announced and get 10 points more on their class participation grade

E-mail. I check my e-mail throughout the day; it is the best way to communicate with me. I use it extensively to communicate with students, and I expect you to check it at least every other day. Don't hesitate to call me in my office, though, if you have a more immediate need.

Cells phones are an obvious distraction to any class. Please turn your phone off when entering. In the rare instance when you expect a call that is truly emergency in nature, please inform the instructor before class begins. 

A final thought. One research study showed a strong correlation between how quickly a professor learns a student's name and what grade the professor gives the student in a course. While I will endeavor to get to know all of you as quickly as possible, I urge you to meet with me during office hours to speed up the process.   You are spending a small fortune to attend Fairfield; access to your professors is one of the major advantages of coming here, and I urge you to avail yourselves of it.

 

Initial Class Schedule (subject to change)

 

PART ONE: SPOTLIGHT ON WRITING STRATEGIES

 

Date

In class that day

Homework due on date

Th S 9

Introductions. Syllabus review

 

 

Mon S 13

Writing basics

E/R, Chapters 1,2

Th S 16

Strategy 1: Description

Chapter 6; intro and assigned models

 

 

 

Mon S 20

Peer review

 

Wed S 22

TENTATIVE; FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE. CLUSTER PIZZA PARTY

 

Th S 23

Strategy 2: Narration

Chapter 7

 

 

 

Mon S 27

Peer review

8x draft, plus 1x memo

Th S 30

Strategy 3: Exemplification

Chapter 5

Fri O 1

TENTATIVE: day long class trip to NYC

 

 

 

 

Mon O 4

Peer review, NYC essay

8x draft, plus 1x memo

Th O 7

Strategy 4: Compare/contrast

Chapter 9

 

 

 

Mon O 11      

Holiday

 

Th O 14

Peer review

8x draft, plus 1x memo

 

 

 

Mon O 18

Strategy 5: Objective writing

 

 

Howard Fineman

Election Preview
Howard Fineman
Chief political correspondent, senior editor, and deputy Washington Bureau Chief of Newsweek.
Monday, October 18, 2004 at 8 p.m.

Objective story due by 7 a.m. Tuesday Oct. 19 via e-mail

 

 

PART TWO: SPOTLIGHT ON ARGUMENTATION

 

W O 20

Mandatory class meeting to hear Thomas Friedman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for the New York Times (and author of several books, including The Lexus and the Olive Tree). Quick Center, 8 p.m.

Friedman assignment due in class Thursday

Th O 21

Strategy 6: Argumentation 1

Chapter 13

 

 

 

Mon O 25

Peer review

8x draft, plus 1x memo

Th O 28         

No class. Individual portfolio meetings

 

 

 

 

Mon N 1

In—class writing: Fahrenheit 911 (tentatively)

 

Th N 4

In-class writing: “Outfoxed”

 

 

 

 

Mon N 8

Argumentation 2

 

Th N 11

Peer review

8x draft, plus 1x memo

 

 

 

 

PART THREE: SPOTLIGHT ON CITATIONS AND RESEARCH

Mon N 15

Meet in library, 11a, for reference discussion

 

Th N 18

Using citations; misusing citations (plagiarism)

E/R, Chapter 4

 

 

 

Mon N 22

In-class work, citation: Single source

 

Th N 25

Holiday

 

 

 

 

Mon N 29

In-class work, citation: Multiple sources

 

Th D 2

In-class workshop: citation project

 

 

 

 

Mon D 6

Peer review, citation project

8x draft, plus 1x memo

Th D 9

Graded citation project

 

Mon D 13       

Class wrap-up. Student evaluations. Individual portfolio meetings to be scheduled