Final exam.

The final exam will take place during final exams week and will be the last writing assignment you have to complete for this class.

Reading Journals.

You will write an entry in your reading journal for each essay assigned from our reader (first entry on Jan.16), due at the beginning of the class period for which the essay is assigned. The entry (about half-a-page long) will include your personal response to the reading. To receive full credit, you will need to complete these journals on time and to demonstrate that you have carefully read the assigned readings. The journals will not be marked for correctness but for content. I will occasionally spot check to make certain that you have written the journal by having you turn in the current assignment (late entries will not be considered), and I will grade the complete journal twice during the semester (before spring break and during dead week).

Reading Assignments on Syllabus.

You will be expected to have read the reading assignment(s) listed on the Syllabus before class meets on the day for which each essay is assigned. There will be in-class discussion for every reading. To prepare for class discussion follow your study guide.
 

Julie M. Tsivakou

 
 

Course Work:

There will be five types of course work for this class:

1. Reading Assignments: Throughout our discussion of various topics, you will be expected to actively read assorted essays, and other materials in order to facilitate energetic class discussions, and help you in your writing. It is important that you come to class prepared when there is a reading assignment due.

2. Peer Review Sessions: Peer Review Sessions (PRS) will generally be scheduled the class period before each essay is due. This is a vital part of the writing process, because it allows you to get feedback that will help you improve your writing, and it's also interesting to see what your classmates are writing. You are expected to be present at every PRS, and to be an actively participating group member.

3. Essays: There will be seven graded essays which you will be responsible for writing during the semester.

4. Journals/Reading Logs/In-Class Writing: Because this is a writing class, you will be writing something every day. Journal topics will be given on a daily basis at the beginning of the class period. I will give you from 10-15 minutes to write. Topics can range from brainstorming about an essay assignment, responding to a provocative quotation, or just sorting out what happens to be in your head at the moment we're writing. Reading Logs (part of your Journal) will deal with problems, questions, or opinions about something you've read for this class, or even outside of class. In-Class Writing Assignments are exactly what the name indicates: class time spent only on writing. These are basically mini-essays written about things we've dealt with in class, that you write about for an entire class period.

5. Final Examination: The final exam will be a revision of the first writing assignment you completed for this class. You will be expected to go more in-depth than in your first writing project, as you have had the entire semester to perfect various writing skills, techniques, and thought processes which have been emphasized throughout the semester.

Essay Format:

All essays must be typed (Duh!) or word processed. I will never accept hand-written assignments,
including In-Class Writings and Journals (this is a computer intensive course). Each essay will be from 2-4 pages (I don't mind reading much longer assignments!), double-spaced, and with approximately one-inch margins all around. Please include the following in the upper left corner of each essay assignment:
 

Your Name  Due Date (D Month Y, i.e. 25 August 1997)  English 10X  Instructor  Essay #  After giving this information, skip 2 lines and give the title of your essay, which must be centered, like this:  Title Never undedine your title, or put it in quotation marks, unless you are quoting a source (i.e. "Play Ball!"). After the title, skip 1 line and begin your text, indented, of course. Save a tree; don't make a special title page.

 

Also, don't be afraid to cross out a word (once), add a phrase, or put a comma onto your final draft at the last minute. I'm much more concerned with the best paper you can write, not necessarily the best typing you're capable of.

Portfolio:

You are to turn in your first essay in a two pocket folder (optional) and on an IBM compatible diskette. You should write your name on both of these things. You will be continuously adding to it throughout the semester as you turn in more essays and I respond to them. Please include the following each time you turn in an essay:

1. Two-Pocket Folder (optional):
2. Peer Review Comment Sheets (if you filled them out during your PRS)
3. Any pre-writing or drafts. In other words, I want a hard copy of everything leading up to the "final" draft.
4. The finished product
5. Diskette: Your class diskette, with the filenames of the various projects clearly labeled so that I know which files contain which information. (HINT: label essays "essay 1," "essay2," etc., but use one continuous file for journals). If filenames are not obvious, you need to provide me with a key to identifying which files contain assignments.
6. Copies or print-outs of all sources from which you gathered information for a specific paper. (mandatory)

I will keep this folder and/or diskette until Midterm of next semester. You may claim it any time after January 12,1997. If it gets to be the middle of the next Semester and your portfolio and/or diskette still hasn't been picked up, it will be put into the recycling bin and/or will be erased. Do not remove anything but my comment sheet(s) from your portfolio and do not erase any class assignments from your diskette at any time. You can keep my comment sheets to help you revise an essay and/or write others, but I need to be certain that nothing else is missing from the folder by the time the end of the semester rolls around.

P.S. My keeping a portfolio of your work into next semester enables you to appeal a final grade. Please see the ISU Student Handbook for specific details.

Late papers and failure to turn in work:

You are expected to turn in assignments on the day they are due as indicated in the syllabus. If there is a change in or deviation from the due date originally assigned, I will let you know far enough in advance so there will be no confusion. If I get everyone's essays in on time, I can grade them in a batch, which means that I'll be much happier, and thus more objective.

If you absolutely must miss class on the day an essay is due, make certain it either gets turned in to my mailbox (206 Ross) on or before the due date.

On the outside chance that you simply cannot turn in an assignment to me on the day it's due, you need to give me at least 24 hours advanced notice. An excuse, or at least a reason why it's late is also required. In other words, coming to class the day something is due, or even skipping class the day ifs due, and saying "I didn't get the assignment done" is not acceptable, and will also make me quite cranky. You have two class periods past the original due date before you receive a "0" for that assignment. If you turn it in after that time is up, I'll still respond to it as if it were on time, but you will receive an "F" for the assignment. We're simply moving too quickly with the valuable course work to be bogged down with superficial things like not turning in assignments.

If you are absent on an In-Class Writing day, you are still responsible for turning in the assignment as listed in the syllabus. You should turn it in the day you return to class. After one class period, you will not be given credit for the assignment.
 

E. Anderson

 

Assignments:

You will be evaluated on formal writing, informal writing and a final exam.

Formal Writing

You will be responsible for writing six formal papers. Each paper will be worth 100 points. On revision workshop days, I will check to see that you bring a draft to class. This draft check is worth five points. They are categorized as formal papers, because you will be expected to follow the writing process that requires a revision and edit before completing a final draft. These assignments will be penalized one letter grade for every day they are late. You will be expected to work on these papers on the computers in class. When you work on computers outside of class, you must be able to translate the material to a computer in our classroom.
 

Essay 1	Observation	Describe and analyze a community or tradition
Essay 2	Summary	Summarize Essay
Essay 3	Analysis I	Analyze Essay
Essay 4	Analysis II	Value Analysis (Compare and Contrast)
Essay 5	Synthesis	Position Paper
Essay 6	Fiction	Language/Literary Analysis

 
Informal Writing

You will write several one-page informal papers during the semester. Each informal paper is worth 10 points. Points will be deducted for short or unrelated papers.

Forum

Several days on the syllabus are marked as "Forum." On these days you will be assigned readings from The Presence of Others that will help prepare you for the current Formal Writing. Most of the informal writings will be in response to these readings. On Forum days, you will discuss the readings and begin wnting a response in class.
 
 

Grading and Evaluation: (Subject to Change, of course)
 

Assignment	Number	Points	Total
Formal Writing	6	100 each	600
Informal Writing	8	10 each	80
Draft Checks	6	5 each	30
Final Exam			100
			810

 

Grammar:

One of the goals of this course is to reduce the amount of writing errors in your work. The first paper will not include correctness evaluation in the overall grade. You are always encouraged to utilize the Writing Center (418 Ross Hall) and consult The Little, Brown Handbook to help you improve your correctness errors and improve your papers.

Parks Library:

I will assume that you are familiar with accessing information and resources at Parks Library. Please let me know if you are not confident of your research skills, and we can find a way to improve your library skills.

Other Considerations:

If you have a special need that could affect your performance in this class, please let me know as soon as possible.
 

Vicki Bott

 

Assignments

You will be required to complete five major papers. These assignments will develop your skills in critical reading and writing. You will work on papers that specifically address the techniques of summary, comparison, and research. In addition, you will have daily work and other short assignments to complete.

In-Class Writing Assignments

Several times a week you will complete an in-class writing assignment. Each class period, you should come to class prepared with a question for your classmates to answer in their in-class writing assignment. If you are chosen (by me) as the lucky question-giver, you will share your question with the class and take home your classmates' writing and critique them. After you are finished, I will read your comments and add my own, if necessary. By the end of the semester, each of you will have served as the lucky question-giver. We'll talk more about this on-going assignment later.
Finals

As university policy stipulates, you are all required to attend the final exam time. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule. However, in case you re wondering, there will be no final exam.
 

Erin Duncan

 

Assignments

Late papers are not accepted. Papers are due at the beginning of class. If you are having difficulty meeting a deadline, you must let me know BEFORE the assignment is due so that we can make alternative arrangements for you to complete it--former students will attest that I am vely flexible, as long as you let me know what's going on. Leaving a message for me on the day of class, talking to me during class, or not showing up for class are not considered sufficient notification. Papers found in my mailbox, on my desk, or under my office door after class will be considered late and will be returned to you without an evaluation.

Paper Format

All major assignments must be word-processed on a computer and saved on your own disk. Papers should be double-spaced and have reasonable margins (preferably, one inch for all margins). Each piece of writing must be identified with the following information in the upper left hand corner of the first page of each assignment:

Your Name
Essay #
Due Date
Draft? Revision?

The following information should appear in the upper right-hand corner of each additional page:

Last name page number

When you submit essays, you should include a copy of your final draft (clearly marked), any rough drafts, photocojies of all outside sources, peer editing responses from your group members, and writing process journal (see below). As a result, each time an essay is due, you should submit a folder of materials and not the final essay alone. Pages should not be stapled together. Use a plain manila folder for this purpose.
Avoid the fancy folders with dividers, pockets, and other do-dads. Do not use a manila envelope--use a folder! You will need to keep track of this particular manila folder, since you will use the same one to submit each essay. I will make comments about your paper on the inside of your folder so that we can both track your progress throughout the semester. Losing this folder will result in dire consequences.

Workshops

Peer editing and receiving critical responses from readers are important steps in the writing process. Because it is often difficult to read handwriting, all workshop papers must be typed. Partial papers are inexcusable. A rough draft is not a single paragraph, a handwritten paper, or an outline. A rough draft is an approximation of what your completed essay will look like, even though you will probably still have some revision to do. If you do not have a complete rough draft on workshop days, your grade for that particular assignment will be penalized.

You will have adequate class time for workshops. However, if you and your group members don't complete workshopping within the allowed class time, you must meet on your own time to finish. If a paper is not workshopped, it will be returned to you without a score and will not be graded until it has been done. You have two options if your paper is not workshopped in class. You can meet with classmates on your own time to complete the workshop evaluation sheet, OR you can go to the Writing Center and have one of the tutors review your paper. If you do this, make sure the instructor signs his/her name on the workshop sheet. It is not necessary for him/her to complete the evaluation sheet--a signature is sufficienL

Reading Responses

You will turn in a total of 12 reading responses during the semester. They are due at the beginning of class on the day for which the reading was assigned. You should plan to submit 4 reading responses in September, 4 in October, and 4 more by December 5. Reading responses will not be accepted after December 5. The responses should be about one to one-and-a-half pages long--NO LONGER! They should be typed and double spaced, and must include the title and page numbers of the reading (see the section "Paper Format").

The reading responses should include a summary of the assigned reading and a response to it. You may evaluate the arguments presented, compare and contrast the reading with another reading, consider questions about sections you don't understand, or write about the issue that most catches your attention. However you choose to write your response, your writing should be focused and not just a page or so of random sentences thrown together. With these assignments, I will be more concerned with your analysis of the readings that the mechanics.

Writing Process Journal

After completing each major paper, you should write a journal entry that addresses what you did to complete the assignment. That is, you will write about the writing process you used while working on the assignment. You might describe what you did in chronological order, or you might discuss what went well or what didn't go so well. The goal of the writing process journal is to allow you to review your own writing process with an eye on improving it. You should submit your writing process journal in the folder of materials you turn in for each major assignment (see "Paper Format" section above). If you fail to do so, your grade for the assignment will be affected. These entries must be typed and double spaced and should not exceed one page.

Reserve Reading

In addition to the readings in your textbooks, I've chosen some readings from other sources. If a reading listed on the syllabus is preceded by an asterisk (*), that means it is on reserve in the library. You can read the selection in the library and take notes, or you can copy it. You may want to get together with 2 or 3 other people in your class and alternate copying selections and share them. It is your responsibility to have this reading done before class.

Computers are great writing tools because they allow you the flexibility to revise (and revise and revise--right up until the assignment is due). If you have access to a computer, please use it for all of your out-of-class assignments. If you don't have access to a computer (or even if you do), consider using the Mac Labs in Ross Hall (Ross 137, 37, 115, and 15) or in Maple-Willow-Larch or Knapp-Storms. When classes aren't in session in the labs, you should be able to drop in and use the computers to draft and revise your papers.
 

Suzanne Guess

 

Major Assignments

There are six major assignments or papers and a final exam. These assignments deal with the following types of academic writing:

• Personal Narrative
• Summarizing
• Serializing
• Classifying
• Comparing
• Analyzing

I will talk more about the details of these papers as their deadlines approach. However, some guidelines apply to all of these papers:
I will emphasize writing and rewriting drafts in this class. Drafts of each paper will be reviewed by your classmates and often by me. It is therefore vital that you store all your drafts on a computer disk so that you can make revisions more easily.
You should seek help at the Writing Center in 418 Ross Hall. Tutors there will give you valuable feedback and guidance on your drafts.
On due dates, papers are due when class starts. Major assignments will be penalized one letter grade (e.g., from B to C) for every day they are late. Be sure to keep a copy of your work on disk before you turn it in to be graded.
All seven major assignments must be completed for you to receive a passing grade in this course.

Major Paper Format

Major papers must be printed in laser or near-laser quality from a computer. They must be on 8 1/2 x 11 inch white paper. They must be double spaced with one-inch margins. The type size should be no larger than 12 points. Do NOT justify the right margin, please.

Responses

I will ask you to respond to various readings and topics throughout the semester. Sometimes this response is due at the beginning of the appropriate day of class; other times you will write a response m class. I will not assign these responses a letter grade, but I will give them a pass/fail grade depending on whether I think you have given them serious consideration and effort. Please keep copies of your responses on disk, These will not be accepted late.
 

Other small assignments

Other brief assignments distributed throughout the semester will not be accepted late, either.
 
 
 

Neil Lindeman

 

Journals & Other Writing

Each student will submit a total of 10 journal assignments as well as some other writing assignments. With the exception of the first two journals which will be assigned, students will choose 8 occasions related to the substance of the course (e.g., assigned readings; proposed paper topics). Journals should briefly summarize an important point or points and then discussion how that point or points might be relevant to writing that the student does. The purpose of the journals are to help students prepare for class discussion; therefore, journals are NOT graded for mechanical correctness. Two of your journals may be about the operation of the class (e.g., class discussions or workshop sessions).

Workshops

About every third class period will be designated as a workshop day. Students will meet in groups to work on their writing. This time should be spent discussing assignment criteria, helping other students' develop their plans for writing, or responding to drafts. I will not make any formal evaluations of these sessions, but you will have more valuable sessions if you come prepared. Also, you may need to begin by discussing briefly what each group member wants to get out of the session. On occasion, you may need to split into pairs to address each persons' concerns.

Group Projects

Each group of students will be responsible for planning and conducting one class meeting. During this session, the group can focus on a technique for writing or assign a reading for the class and lead a discussion of the reading. Proposals for the group projects will be due on October 29th and will graded according to following criteria:

· appropriateness of the writing technique or reading selected
· clear statement of purpose for the class session (with appropriate elaboration)
· evidence of careful thinking about how the purpose will be implemented in class activities

Writing Projects

I will provide about six starting points for writing projects throughout the semester. Often the starting points will begin with informal writing assignments done in class or as homework. As a class, we will discuss how you might develop these assignments into more formal and lengthy pieces that you will submit for evaluation. You may also want to have conferences with me about developing the starting points into papers that you want to write. You can develop and submit as many or as few of these assignment for evaluation as you like. However, note that to get a passing grade on this portion of your grade you must submit at least one paper that is primarily narrative, another that includes significant amounts of description, and a third that is primarily expository.

You may submit an assignment for evaluation as many times as you like during the semester. However, you must include a self evaluation and advocacy statement (from someone in the class) with each submission. The self evaluation and advocacy statements must include an assessment of the paper's strengths and weaknesses as well as a discussion of the kinds of changes made if a resubmission.
 
 

David Wallace