Ohm
English 100
Fall 2003
Section 23, MWF 10:00 – 10:50 AM, ILC 117
Section 30, MWF 11:00 – 11:50 AM, ILC 117

 

English 100:  First-Year Composition

Instructor:                Sung Ohm Office:                        CCIT 236 Q Office Hours:           MWF 12:00 – 1:00 PM (also available by appointment) Phone:                         (520) 626-4835

Home Page:         www.u.arizona.edu/~sung E-mail:                  sung@email.arizona.edu English Dept:       Modern Languages 445 621-1836 (leave phone message here)

 

Course Description:

The main purpose of English 100 is to introduce you to the conventions of academic writing.  And while academic writing means different things to different people, there are some common elements. We write to communicate to others—whether they are colleagues, professionals in their fields, or friends.  We write to convince others that our position has validity.  We write to discover new things about our world as well as ourselves.  For that matter, the process of writing is epistemological—a way of coming to know.  Writing can become a medium for self-reflection, self-expression, and communication, a means of coming to know for both the writer and reader. 

Learning to write requires writing.  Writing is a craft, and as a craft, writing can be learned and refined.  Ultimately, writing takes practice, and as a writer, you will have plenty of opportunities to write both in the classroom as well as outside.  With that said, the goal I have for this class—one that all writing courses share—is to give you, as students, enough practice writing so that you will become more effective writers by the end of this course than you were at the start.  Also, you will gain a greater understanding of what you need to continue to develop as writers. 

As we delve into this semester, I also hope you will discover that writing, reading, and learning are intricately intermeshed.  Writing is based on experience—experience with a text or personal experience—and that reading is a means to broadening experiences, especially when actively engaged by reading dialectically (as opposed to polemically).  Much of the readings, lectures, and discussions may challenge more commonly accepted assumptions and beliefs.  You will be required to critically rethink and reevaluate popular concepts and ideas (this may also challenge your own ideas so please try to keep an open perspective).  One of the main goals for this class will be to try to understand how language informs and shapes our culture and society as well as our everyday lives and practices.

I assume you already think critically (you would not have made it to college otherwise).  Now we will try to go beyond critical thinking skills; we will reflect on a range of possibilities and positions.  We may find ourselves asking more questions rather than finding easy answers.

Required Texts:

·         Hacker, Diana.  Rules for Writers.  4^th ed.  Boston: Bedford, 2002.

·         Sharp, Leta, McGaffey, Amanda Brobbel, and Estella Ene, eds.  A Student’s Guide to First-Year Composition.  24^th ed.  Needham Heights, NJ:  Pearson Custom, 2002.  

·         English 100 Reading Packet.

·         I will also have selected readings in pdf (portable digital format) files as well as handouts during class.  You will be responsible for getting all reading materials from the course website and/or during class. 

Other Required Materials:

• At least 3 letter-sized manila file folders for turning in papers (drafts and revised papers).
• Photocopies of your work as needed for workshops and discussions (usually at least 3 copies per workshop).
• White, lined loose-leaf paper for in-class writing assignments.
• Multiple copies of your work as needed for class and group discussion.
• Access to a computer with word processing capabilities (and floppy disks to save your work).
• Highlighters (preferably light colors).

 

Written Assignments:

Formal assignments.  You will write one in-class essays and three formal essays.  The descriptions of the major writing assignment are as follows:

·            Introductory Essay	(In-class essay) On the first week of class, I will give you a topic to write on.  What I will be looking for is how familiar you are with academic writing conventions.
·            Analysis Essay (Essay 1)	The purpose of this essay is to develop your close-reading and analytical skills of visual and written texts.  For this particular assignment, we will focus primarily on a particular cultural artifact—mainstream news media.  Mainstream news media can include (although not necessarily limited to) Time, Newsweek, and US News and World Report.  Using the class readings to inform us, we will examine the various ideological values that are inherent within all texts—visual and written.
·             Analysis Essay  (Essay 2)	This essay, like the first essay will focus on analysis.  Building on the analytical strategies you developed in first essay, you will strengthen your analysis by reading texts against each other.  For this assignment you will choose at least two texts to analyze that have differing perspectives of a similar topic.  The analysis essay is a way for you to demonstrate your ability to develop a clear interpretation of multiple texts based on evidence from the text itself and on the method of analysis used.
·            Final Exam Essay (Essay 3)	The final exam essay will ask you to reflect on all that you have learned this semester.  The essay will emphasize critical reflection, organization strategies, working with evidence, and persuasiveness.  This essay will be both out-of-class as well as in-class.

The two major essays will be written through a process of at least two drafts and workshops.  Revisions should show significant changes in purpose, audience, organization, or evidence, according to feedback you receive from the workshop and from your instructor.  You must hand in all drafts and revisions.  Place the drafts and revisions in a manila folder with most recently revised copy on top.

Informal Writing Assignments.  These include entries, in-class writings, reader response journals, and workshop evaluations.  The nature of the assignments is keyed to the formal essay you are currently working on.

·         Reader Response Journals:       While these will be decidedly less formally written than the essays, you will still need to work closely with the reading materials to reveal your understanding and critical engagement with the text(s).  You will write a response for select reading material assigned (I will tell you which ones I want you to write on).  I will collect these only periodically.  Bring them to class everyday so you have something to discuss concerning the reading.  I will also provide a handout for journals before the first one is due.  (Typed, approx. 1 page long.)

·         In-Class Writings:        Throughout the semester, I will ask you to write informally in class.  These will consist of mainly freewriting or brainstorming activities. Because they are primarily for your benefit in generating ideas, I will collect only a few of these assignments.  (Legibly handwritten, various page lengths depending on the assignment.)

·         Peer Critique Responses:          During peer critique workshops, your feedback is vital to your colleague.  For this reason, you should write down suggestions and comments regarding their drafts on paper so they have something to work with. Make sure your name is on your comments so you receive credit for your responses.  (Handwritten & typed responses, 1 page minimum.)

 

The following table lists all assignments and their point values. You must complete all the required assignments—which carry no point values—in order for you to receive full credit for the course:

 

Assignment	Value
In-class Introductory Essay	Required
Essay 1
First draft Second draft	Required Required
Third Draft (graded)	25%
Essay 2
First draft Second draft	Required Required
Third Draft (graded)	25%
Essay 3/Final Exam
First draft Second draft	Required Required
Third Draft (graded)	25%
Informal writing assignments:
In-class writing assignments (5%), Journals (10%), Peer critique comments (10%)	25%
Total	100%

Please turn in all major assignments.  You cannot receive a passing grade in this course unless you turn in all the major assignments.  Revisions are mandatory; I will not evaluate a paper without first seeing a draft of it. 

Format. All formal papers need to be double-spaced, one-inch margins on all sides, left-justified, 12-point font, titled, and typed (no title page).  Please place your last name on every single page and number the pages.  In-class writings will be handwritten and must be legible and on one side of the page only (this helps me read your writings).  Informal assignments may be either typed or handwritten but must be double-spaced and legible.  If I cannot read any part of your work, you will not receive credit for it.

Introduction to Research.  All first-year composition students are required to learn how to do documented research.  For more on research, see chapter nine, "Research," in the Student's Guide.

Course Policies:

Attendance. Attendance is mandatory.  Your participation in class discussions is important to me as well as your peers.  Please attend every class.  If for some reason you cannot attend class, it is your responsibility for getting all handouts, notes, and/or turning in assignments (in-class writing assignments and activities cannot be made up).  Please do not miss class because you have not finished an assignment; attend class anyway.  Students who miss more than three classes may be dropped within the first 8 weeks with a W or thereafter receive an E so please plan accordingly.[1]

Conferences.  I will schedule individual or small-group conferences several times during the semester.  You should come to your conference prepared to discuss your current work.  A missed conference will count as an absence.[2]

. To complete this course successfully (i.e., with a grade of D or higher), you must attend class and all scheduled conferences; complete all assignments on time; prepare for class; and participate in class activities and discussions.  Again, You cannot receive a passing grade in this class unless you have completed all major assignments and the final exam.  To receive full credit, you must hand in all written assignments on time, in the proper format, and with the required supporting materials (i.e., all drafts, etc. associated with that particular assignment). 

Requirements for Writing Assignments: 

·         In-class and out-of-class writing will be assigned throughout the course.  Students not in class when writing is assigned are still responsible for completion of the assignment when due (in-class writings cannot be made up).

·         Late work will not be accepted without penalty unless students make arrangements for an extension before the due date.  Late essays will receive a whole letter grade reduction (e.g. A ® B, B+ ® C+) so please turn in papers on time.  Missing draft due dates or incomplete papers may also reduce your paper by half a letter grade (e.g. A ® A-, B+ ® B).  Furthermore, peer critique workshops, in-class writings, and other informal writing assignments cannot be made up.  Missed informal writings will result in losing all points for that particular assignment. 

·         Students are required to keep copies of all drafts and major assignments until after the end of the semester. Also, make sure you save copies of your drafts and revisions (on either disk or your computer’s hard drive) in case a paper is somehow accidentally misplaced or lost (this is rare but it does occasionally happen). Save drafts and revisions separately.  If you cannot provide a second copy, you may not receive credit for the assignment.

·         Drafts must be turned in with all essays.  Drafts should show significant changes in purpose, audience, organization, or evidence.  In accordance with the Composition Program policy, I cannot grade a final draft unless I have previously read at least one rough draft and unless that draft accompanies the final draft. 

I may vary specific requirements of individual assignments, but in all cases my evaluation of your essays will consider content, organization, development, expression, mechanics, and critical engagement.  If you have a question about my comments or a grade you have received, please talk to me about it.[3]

I typically will not give an “Incomplete” grade.  However, if extenuating circumstances arise, I may give an “Incomplete” if the student has completed at least 70% of the course work at the end of the semester. 

 

Academic Conduct:

All UA students are responsible for upholding the Code of Academic Integrity, available through the Office of the Dean of Students.  See Student Code of Conduct web page < http://w3.arizona.edu/~studpubs/policies/ppmainpg.html >.

Plagiarism.  Using sources without proper citation or acknowledgment, copying, or claiming someone else’s work as your own will result in a failure of the assignment or the entire course.  Should I suspect you of plagiarizing, I will discuss the matter with you.  If you are unsure of the meaning of plagiarism, please see me before your paper is due.[4]

Discussions.  While I expect lively discussions, I will not tolerate racist, sexist, homophobic, or any other disrespectful remarks—especially those aimed at other people in my classroom.  I will dismiss from the class anybody who participates in derogatory remarks.

Resources:

Disabilities Resource Center.  Reasonable accommodations will be made available for students who have a documented disability.  Students with disabilities who require accommodations should contact me as soon as possible.  Please notify me during the first week of class of any accommodations needed for the course. If you need more information, please contact the Disabilities Resource Center at (520) 621-3268.

The Writing Center.  I highly recommend that you visit the Writing Center at least once.  They have tutors who will read over your essays and give you feedback as well as discuss ideas with you.  For more information, contact the Writing Center at (520) 621-3182.[5]

Computers.  Computers are available in the libraries as well as at computer labs across the University (see <http://www.library.arizona.edu/rio/comput4.html> for CCIT lab locations).  The main library is accessible 24 hours a day (except on Fridays and Saturdays).  If you have difficulties using or accessing a computer, please let me know early so I can try to work with you.[6] 

Office Hours & Availability.  I always look forward to talking with you during my office hours.  If you cannot make it to my office hours, please feel free to schedule an appointment with me.  You may also contact me by e-mail or telephone.  Your success in this class will depend on how well you plan.  If you are uncertain of your progress, do not wait until the last minute to try to schedule a conference with me. 

A Caveat.  One of the areas I research involves the study of the effects of electronic technology on labor practices, one of which is the elimination of the boundaries between work time and non-work time.  I do not consider this to be ethical.  Many employers now have 24-hour-a-day access to their employees, and in fact, in a number of jobs, including mine, workers are expected to set aside a part of the non-working day to receive work-related electronic messages.  This practice has become so routine that most of us no longer notice that we are spending more and more of our non-working time keeping in touch with work.  I find these practices abhorrent because they get us used to the idea that our entire lives should be in the service of employment; they are also resulting in a lot of unpaid labor. We are all learning new ways to survive in this increasingly wired society; one way I choose to survive is by not becoming a slave to availability.  I hope the same for my students in their work lives.  I am more than happy to hear from you, but please expect at least a day turn-around time for e-mail responses.