Required Texts:

Jones, Robert, Patrick Bizzaro, and Cynthia Selfe.Writing in the Disciplines. Ft. Worth: Harcourt Brace, 1997

Reading Packet to be purchased at Uni-Print.

Spatt, Brenda. Writing from Sources. 4th ed. New York: St. Martins, 1996.

University Policies: Student Academic Integrity, Sexual Harassment, Class Disruption, and Student

  Code of Conduct. Located at:  http://www.asu.edu/vpsa/studentlife/

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Other Materials:

Required:

a minimum of 2 new 3 1/2 inch disks, compatible with your own computer and/or with campus computers;

disk storage case;

an ASURITE account;

any standard English dictionary (to use at home)

Suggested:

copy cards for use in the library

a stapler

Course Requirements and Grading (links to assignments will be updated throughout the semester)

Role(s) of Technology Paper (2 weeks)                        10%

 

Writing in Your Discipline Paper (2 weeks)                      20%

Extended Research Paper (7 weeks)                                40%

Reading Journal  & Listserv                                               15%

 

Attendance  & Participation                                                10%

• to synthesize and analyze multiple points of view;
• to articulate and support one’s own position regarding various issues; and
• to adjust writing to multiple audiences, purposes, and conventions.

Course Rationale:
 English 215 is an advanced interdisciplinary writing course emphasizing critical reading and thinking, argumentative writing, library research, and documentation of sources in an academic setting. This course is designed to help you read, write, and think more effectively in an academic setting. As writers write, they need a set of strategies to move from thinking about a paper to polishing a final draft—strategies that vary depending on the nature of the writing task and its audience. This course will help you explore and practice a variety of such strategies as you draft, revise, and edit different pieces of writing. Since each writer's needs are unique, this course will provide lots of individual attention and feedback from me as well as from other students in class.

This course is based on the belief that the only way to become a good writer is to write, write, and write, with good doses of reading and revising thrown in for good measure. Writing sharpens thought and can help us make better sense of our personal, political, and academic experiences. And, it can be fun. To write better we need to understand the strategies and techniques of writing. In this course we will focus on our writing processes, paying attention to our composition and revision strategies. Because writing is closely linked with reading, we will read and discuss essays throughout this course. Try to be open to new ideas, new writing strategies, and new arguments. By appreciating the writing of others we, in turn, discover and develop our own writing strategies.

This class will also introduce you to several aspects of computer research and pedagogy.  We will frequently be doing class exercises and collaborative work on computer. You do not have to have expertise on the computer to succeed in this class, but you will have to work frequently on computer-aided assignments. If you do not have a computer at home,  you'll want  to visit the ASU computing sites on campus. There are several locations.  Although the Computing Commons is the biggest site, it is also the most busiest.  So, it's a good idea to explore and visit the smaller sites as well.

If you're interested in free software or connecting your home computer to ASU's system, please contact the Computing Assistance folks on the second floor of the Computing Commons, or simply dial 965-6500.  They have answers to the most difficult computer questions. These are also the people to call if you would like to get Internet access at a small fee (usually $10-$15).

You must come to each class prepared to write, to share your drafts with others, and to revise what you have already written.  This means you must work steadily both in class and on your own.  Time management is an important element in writing and, thus, an important concern for you in this course.

This course has several goals:

to significantly improve your writing;

to develop a sense of confidence when you write;

to develop a certain mastery of computers and internet terminology, and the relative concepts;

to explore issues related to computers and writing;

to experiment with different modes and types of writing; and

to develop techniques for conducting research on the Internet and with other electronic databases.

2.  Late work and make ups—Because I want you to improve your writing and researching skills and because the research process has many important steps, you will need to keep up with your assignments. The process is rigorous and we will have many assignments due almost weekly.  Assignments, are due at the beginning of class on the assigned date.  After that, they are late.

Note:  As a rule, I try not to penalize for late work when something unexpected or unavoidable prevents completion of an assignment on-time. However, students who make it a practice to turn in late work will find my patience wearing thin and should expect that as much as a full letter grade will be deducted at the semester’s end. Late in-class and take-home assignments will not be accepted for credit.

3.  Teacher conferences—You must visit with me in my office at least twice during the term to discuss your papers and your class performance.  I will schedule the first conference.  The second conference will be scheduled by YOU.  Please take this opportunity to let me get to know you a little better.  I also encourage you to visit your other professors during their office hours.  Getting to know them will help you weather the course of your college years. Your conferences with me will be figured in your final grade.

4.  Paper format—All papers and drafts must be word processed.  Type on one side only and double space. STAPLE the pages together or put them in your folders before you come to class.   No paper clips or dog-ears will be accepted.  Your name, course number and time, and due date, and type of assignment should appear as follows in the upper corner (right or left is ok) of page 1:

  Your Name
  ENGL 215
  Dec 4, 1999
  Extended Research Paper

Proofread carefully and print any last minute corrections neatly with pen above or near mistakes.  Everyone makes mistakes, but careless proofreading will affect your grade.

grapples with ideas and complexities, rather than presenting untheorized information, experi-ences, details;

weaves together multiple texts, playing them off of one another and working with them rather than pasting them into a paper;

is claim-driven—makes a point/claims; has a purposeful trajectory. though not necessarily presenting a single assertion or argumentative stand;

may or may not contain personal experience\the choice is the writer’s.

tone and style appropriate for the indicated audience,

a purposeful trajectory, adequately, but not overpowerfully, supported with evidence from sources and field research,

personal, critical thinking about the subject and analysis of the evidence,

effective transitions, emphasizing  the organizational "flow" of the paper,

appropriate, correct, and persuasive use of source material,

effective, interest catching opening and closing passages (introductions/background),

proper and appropriate documentation of sources, using either MLA or APA conventions,

clear, convincing, and informative prose,

proper and professional use of the conventions of written English.

Using part or all of someone else's composition

Handing in a composition revised by another person (Advice for revision, editing and proofing are allowed and often encouraged.)

Using material quoted from another writer without appropriate punctuation and acknowledgment

Using original ideas expressed by another, either in writing or in speech, without acknowledgment

Falsifying sources (ex: fabricating a bibliography)

“to steal or pass off the ideas or words of another as one's own; to use without crediting a source; to commit literary theft; to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source” (Webster's Ninth)

The Public Nature of the Class Writing and Discussion:
Part of becoming a good writer is learning to appreciate the ideas and criticisms of others, and in this course our purpose is to come together as a community of writers. Remember that you will often be expected to share your writing with others. Avoid writing about things that you may not be prepared to subject to public scrutiny or that you feel so strongly about that you are unwilling to listen to perspectives other than your own. This does not mean that you are not entitled to an opinion but that you adopt positions responsibly, contemplating the possible effects on others, that you take responsibility for your words and for engagement with the words of others.

Disposition of Papers:
Please keep all your papers from this class until after final grades come out. If you believe there is a discrepancy between what you receive and what you believe you earned, you will need them later when we discuss the discrepancy.

Problem Solving
I encourage you to see me during office hours, e-mail me, or make an appointment anytime you wish to discuss issues connected with this class and/or your performance. Students frequently tell me that the most helpful feature of the class was coming to my office and discussing their writing projects with me. Please discuss concerns with me while we still have options.