Course Information

Spring 12

Number

ENGL 250 

Title

Written, Oral, Visual and Electronic Communication

Description

Students in this course will learn to effectively write and design documents, both printed and electronic, that are persuasive or argumentative in nature.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will

• Be more conscious of the processes for planning, drafting, revising and editing written work,
• Be able to analyze audience and purpose in rhetorical situations and make rhetorical choices based on this analysis,
• Generate the type and amount of information required by a given rhetorical situation,
• Arrange materials to elicit the intended audience’s response
• Achieve an effective tone and voice for a given rhetorical situation,
• Create a variety of documents for effective communication, and
• Make stylistic choices appropriate for a given rhetorical situation,
• Create documents in a variety of formats that include printed, visual, and electronic formats,
• Write effective persuasive documents.

Instructor

Office

Email

Jeni DiSalvo

350 Carver and The Loft in the Armory

disalvo@iastate.edu

All email submissions should be acknowledged by a “Reply” from instructor.

Texts

Everything’s An Argument, 5^th ed., Lunsford and Ruszkiewicz and A Pocket Style Manual, 6^th ed., by Hacker and Sommers.

Submission

All assignments will be submitted as a printout from a computer program or as email submission—per instructions from instructor. No handwritten or typed (on an “old-fashioned” typewriter) papers will be accepted.  Computers are available in the library and Ross Hall for those who do not have access to computers at home.

All group assignments will contain individual submissions assembled in “portfolios” as specified on the assignment sheets, as well as a single group submission of final draft.  Group projects will not be accepted as email submissions.

All email submissions must be acknowledged with a “Reply” from the instructor and verification of the receipt date.  Email problems and/or faulty disks are the responsibility of the student, and late and/or defective files are not considered submitted.  The student is responsible for ensuring that all files are received, acknowledged, and in working order prior to the due dates.

All papers must be turned in to the instructor—not to the office or in the instructor’s mailbox (or under my office door).

KEEP COPIES OF ALL YOUR WORK!  Do not delete or throw away anything until after semester grades are posted.  You are responsible for keeping records of your own papers and grades.

Grading

Your course grade will be based on four major writing projects (100 pts), a presentation (100 pts), electronic poster (50 pts), attendance (100 points), in-class exercises (variable pts.), and a final exam or project (100 pts.). (Point values are subject to change.)   The exercises conducted during class will also count towards your grade. (These assignments are subject to change based on time constraints and instructor discretion.)

Due to the collaborative nature of some projects, no assignments or drafts will be accepted after the due dates on those group assignments.  Only ONE non-group assignment will be accepted late with a 10% penalty for each week late with a two week maximum—after two weeks, the assignment will not be accepted for a grade.  In-class exercises can only be completed during those class periods in which they were assigned—NO EXCEPTIONS!

Absence is not an acceptable excuse for late papers or homework.

No assignments will be accepted after 10 P.M. (via email) on the last scheduled day of regular classes (not the final exam date).

98-100%

93-97

90-92

87-89

83-86

80-82

77-79

73-76

70-72

67-69

63-66

60-62

<60

A+

A

A

B+

B

B-

C+

C

C-

D+

D

D-

F

Evaluation

Assignments and papers will be evaluate based on the following criteria:

50%     Content and following the directions on the assignment sheet),

20%     Mechanics (spelling grammar, punctuation, and      

            organization),

20%     Application of course material, and

10%     Creativity and preparation.

 Pay close attention to the details on each assignment sheet.

I will occasionally offer extra credit assignments.  Points from extra credit assignments will be added to your cumulative score.

Plagiarism

        Sources for all papers must be available for the instructor to check at any time,

        Sources in all papers need to be fully documented using current MLA format,

        Failure to document sources or turning in someone else’s paper with your name on it could result in a failing grade on the paper. Opportunity to rewrite will be at the instructor’s or department’s discretion. Plagiarism on any assignment may result in a failing grade for the class and official action by the college.

Attendance

Class Attendance and Participation

One of the consistent components in the ISUComm Foundation Courses is an attendance policy. Classes are in a discussion/workshop format and depend on your active learning; therefore, regular attendance and productive, courteous participation with classmates and the instructor are important. Absences damage your grade in the class and create the probability that you need to drop the course. Much of what we do in English 150/250 cannot be rescheduled for you individually, made up, or accepted late, regardless of your reason for missing class. To ensure that you stay on track with your attendance and submission of work, the following policies, developed by theDirector of ISUComm Foundation Courses, will be enforced in sections of English 150/250:

·      Missing more than four classes (MWF) or three classes (TTH) will lower your grade, and excessive absences (three weeks of classes) will result in a failing grade for the course.

o   Specifically, if your absences total five – eight (MWF) or four – five (TTH), your class grade is reduced two increments (a B+ becomes a C; a C becomes a D+). This happens for the range of 5 – 8 (MWF) or 4 – 5 (TTH) absences, not for each individual absence within the range. Even so, the impact on your grade is severe once you go over your allotted number (four on MWF or three on TTH).

o   After a total of nine (MWF) or six (TTH) absences, you must drop the course or you will receive an F.

·      Even with a valid reason to miss, you can accumulate so many absences in a semester that your work and classroom experience are too compromised for you to remain in the class. The Director of ISUComm Foundation Courses and your instructor will advise you and your advisor if your absences—regardless of their reason—are too numerous for you to remain in English 150/250 and you need to drop the class and take it in a semester when your schedule permits regular attendance.

o   Please do not assume that exceptions will be made for you. If you are concerned about the number of times you anticipatemissing, speak to your instructor or the Director of ISUComm Foundation Courses (blakely@iastate.edu) immediately. If there is a medical condition, you must speak to the Disability Resources Office at the beginning of the semester. If the time of day for the class is not convenient for you, you need to speak to your advisor and find another section you can attend without difficulty.

·      If you are more than 15 minutes late to class, you will be counted absent.

·      Missing during group work or on the day of your oral presentation means taking an F for that activity, as it cannot be made up individually.

·      When classes are cancelled for scheduled conferences, missing a scheduled individual or group conference counts as an absence.

·      Your advisor will also be notified of attendance issues that threaten your ability to pass the class and you may receive a midterm low-grade report because of your attendance.

·      Do not schedule travel that requires you to leave campus early for Spring Break or at the end of the semester, as this could conflict with your class and/or your final exam.  Your instructor cannot make individual arrangements for you.

Weather cancellations

Listen to the radio and/or television for school delays and cancellations. If class is cancelled for any reason, I will post the information on the class web page on the message board at least 30 minutes before class start time.  You should check the message board before going to class if you are in doubt.

Writing Center

(not available in the summer)

This center will help you with any part of the writing process. They will not, however, serve as a proofreading service.

Accommodation

If you have a documented disability that requires assistance, you will need to go to the Disability Resource (DR) Office for coordination in your academic accommodations.  The DR is located in the Student Services Building, Room 1076.  Their phone number is 515-294-6624, TDD 515-294-6335 or email