|
English 472
Rhetorical Studies
Arizona State University
Spring 2007
| Dr. Katherine Heenan |
Office Hours: W 10 -12, Th 9 - 10 & 3 - 4 |
| E-mail: K.Heenan@asu.edu |
& by appointment |
| Phone: 5-8881 |
Class Meets: T Th 10:40 – 11:55 and 1:40 - 2:55 |
| Office: LL 309B |
Line #11509 and 30124 |
The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with a broad overview of rhetorical studies. In particular, we will read texts that examine the question of what is rhetoric; the historical roots of rhetoric; the significance and purpose of rhetorical theory; the relation between rhetoric and philosophy; the relation between pre-moderns and modernity and postmodernity.
This course will engage you in the reading and discussion of the works of major rhetorical theorists both ancient and modern. If you do all the reading and attend class on a regular basis, at the end of the semester you will have a basic understanding of the rhetorical tradition and an understanding in depth of contemporary trends.
- Course Readings available on Blackboard
- Herrick, James. A History and Theory of Rhetoric: An Introduction. 3rd ed. New York: Allyn and Bacon, 2005.
There are also several required readings that can be accessed through my webpage. In addition, that page includes a number of additional resources that will assist you in developing a thorough understanding of the materials for the course.
| COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING: |
All assignments must be completed in order for a student to pass the course with a C grade or higher. It is expected that all participants will have read carefully all the essays assigned for each meeting. This is not a course where I lecture and you take notes. You will be responsible for participating in class discussions, discovering informative sources, and engaging in the material. I see this class as an intellectual partnership and expect you to do the same.
Overview
Each student will be required to:
- read carefully and respond in writing and in class on a regular basis to selected works by rhetorical theorists;
- participate in the course black board discussion threads
- produce 1-2 page summaries of 12 assigned reading
- produce one short response papers
- craft a final paper of approximately 8-10 pages
Specifics:
| READING AND PARTICIPATION : |
I expect you to engage in intensive, “interactive” reading with materials that are often difficult. You should be prepared to dedicate a significant amount of time outside of class to reading these materials carefully and critically. I will conduct class on the assumption that you have read the material and are prepared to raise questions or observations illustrated with examples, to dis/agree based on evidence and experience, or simply to define a text’s key terms and ideas. Your comments and insights will be an important element of the class’s success.
Students are expected to risk opinions, questions, and critique. You are expected to respect each other and the process of inquiry by engaging alternative perspectives, challenging interpretations and judgments put forward by authors, and inviting counter-argument—and doing so with appreciation for both difference and points of agreement. Remember, there are very few (if any) “right” or “wrong” answers generated through critical inquiry—only those that are well justified and those that are not.
You cannot lose credit by making positive additions to our discussions. All intelligent comments, particularly those which illustrate a careful reading of the materials, will contribute to your participation grade.
Blackboard postings should reflect questions that arise during your readings and/or comments that you wish to make on the readings for that given day’s assignments. Postings should demonstrate careful reading and consideration; you are expected to push beyond the surface to question the underlying assumptions and implications of the material. You may include your reaction to the arguments made in the readings or offer an explanation of what you feel are important points. You are free to dispute parts of the reading, as long as this is part of a productive discussion.
Responses must be posted before midnight on the day prior to the class for which they are assigned. Postings will be graded as either acceptable or unacceptable. There are 20 assigned responses; you can choose any 15 to complete; you may complete extra postings (beyond the minimum of 15) for extra credit.
- Summaries: 1-2-page summary of 12 of the assigned readings. The length of each summary will be one to three pages, depending on the length and complexity of the piece you are summarizing. The summary will include two parts: (1) summary of the material read and (2) your reflection on that material. The first part will be about ¾ of the whole with the ¼ remaining the reflection part. Be thorough yet to-the-point. Summaries are due at the beginning of the class hour on the day the reading is assigned.
- Response Paper: 4-5-pages in which you respond substantively to an issue or question that you identify and synthesize from that week’s readings. A good response paper will offer a coherent argument and adequately develop it with evidence from that week’s readings. You will choose when this paper is due—that is, you will choose which week’s readings you’ll work with. The only stipulation is this: the paper must be handed in by February 21st—no exception.
- Seminar Paper: 8-10-pages in which you develop a carefully crafted critical or theoretical essay that focuses on/is grounded in a rhetorical artifact, event, or text(s) of your choice or a theoretical question. The final essay will be due in my office on final exam day. Writers should follow the scholarly and writing conventions outlined in the current MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (you may negotiate the use of an alternative style manual if you are not an English major).
More fully detailed descriptions of these papers are attached.
Your final grade will be calculated using the +/- system. That is, you will receive final grades—if you deserve receiving them—of A+, A-, B+, B-, and C+ etc.
| POLICY ON CLASS ATTENDANCE : |
Because writing classes are performance courses that depend upon student attendance for both the class and the student’s success, this policy is non-negotiable. All absences count equally, irrespective of the cause and students who exceed the allowed number of absences cannot pass the course and will fail with a grade of “E.”
Also, students who are chronically late to class, leave early, sleep through class, engage in off-task activity, or are not prepared to participate in the day's class work will be penalized for each such occasion and these penalties will adversely affect the students’ final grade.
I encouraged each of you to speak with me at any time about your projects and your standing in the course, but at any rate, each of you must visit me in my office at least once during the semester to discuss her/his project.
Beyond this policy, I expect students to make every effort to attend all meetings and to miss class only in rare and unavoidable circumstances.
Should you arrive after I have called the roll, it is your responsibility to ensure that I correct the roll at class end.
- Note: Students who participate in university-sanctioned activities and/or who will be unable to meet the attendance requirements for a particular section should move to another section where their activity schedules will not interfere with their classroom obligations (students can freely switch sections during the first week of the semester). To accommodate students who participate in university-sanctioned activities, the Writing Programs Office offers sections of this course at various times of the day and week. We have asked advisors across campus to help students enroll in appropriate sections. If you think that this course may conflict with a university-sanctioned activity in which you are involved—athletics or the debate team or another—please see me immediately.
| ATTENDANCE: FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES : |
According to university policy, students who are registered but do not attend any of the first week of classes may be dropped.
- Students enrolled in hybrid/online courses must make every reasonable attempt to attend class or contact the instructor during the first week. After the first week those who do not show up either in person or by calling or e-mailing the instructor may be dropped.
If I need to cancel class because my car broke down, or if I am ill, etc., I will try to get someone to post a sign. I also will try to email you all, before class. However, if you come to class and I am not here by the time 15 minutes has elapsed (from when class is to start) , please assume that class is cancelled.
Grading for Writing Projects will follow English Department standards, which are based on content, organization, expression, and mechanics. To compute final course grades, the following values are assigned to the standard letter grades of A through E:
| A+ |
4.3 (only used internally at ASU) |
| A |
4.0 |
| A- |
3.7 |
| B+ |
3.3 |
| B |
3.0 |
| B- |
2.7 |
| C+ |
2.3 |
| C |
2.0 |
| D |
1.0 |
| E |
.3 |
| No paper = 0 |
A student who is chronically late to class, leaves early, or is not prepared to participate in the day's class work will not receive attendance and participation credit.
PROJECT GRADING: |
| Summaries |
10% |
| Response Paper |
15% |
| Final Paper |
40% |
| Blackboard discussions |
15% |
| Class participation |
20% |
| THE PUBLIC NATURE OF THE CLASS WRITING AND DISCUSSION: |
Please consider every piece of writing you do for this class to be "public property." 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 writing community. Remember that you will often be expected to share your writing with others, so avoid writing about things that you may not be prepared to subject to public scrutiny, or things 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 effect on others.
| All writing for this class must be written for this class: |
To pass this class all major writing assignments must be completed, and note that all writing for this class must be written for this class. Reusing a paper you wrote for another class, or back in high school, constitutes academic dishonesty.
Plagiarism is stealing. Whenever you borrow a phrase, sentence, paragraph—or even an idea stated in your own words—from any outside source (news writing, magazine, TV show, book) without giving credit to that source, you have plagiarized. Plagiarism is cheating yourself and someone else. The consequences are severe, including failure for the assignment, probable failure for the course, disciplinary referral to the Dean, and possible expulsion from the University. Academic integrity is expected of every individual in the University (See). For more information, see the Writing Programs Guide. If you have any questions about how to acknowledge someone else's words or ideas, see me.
The policies and procedures listed here are a supplement to those listed in the ASU Writing Programs Guide
Generally speaking, I expect all work to be turned in on time except in the most extreme circumstances. However, as a rule, I try not to penalize students for late work when something unexpected prevents completion of a particular assignment on time. Do note, however, that you must receive permission to turn in a late assignment without being penalized; if you fail to do so, your grade will be lowered 1 full letter grade for each day that assignment late. Also note that I will never give permission to turn in an assignment late on the day it is due. So if you come across a problem, talk to me ahead of time. Also, you may not email me a copy of your paper unless prior permission from me has been received. Neither late summaries nor late participation in the webboard discussions will be accepted.
Withdrawals: University deadlines
| Course Withdrawal Deadline |
March 28th (in person) March 30th (ASU Interactive & Sundial) |
Complete Withdrawal Deadline |
April 29th |
| DISABILITY RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS: |
ASU complies with all federal and state laws and regulations regarding discrimination, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). If you have a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for equal access to education at ASU, please contact Disability Resources for Students at 480-965-1234. Please feel free to discuss the special accommodations with all of your teachers.
All of us struggle with our limits, and I sometimes suspect that no one is more conscious of that than students in writing courses. Keep in mind, as you set your priorities, that I am very moved by students who visibly struggle with their limits.
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 and/or classroom concerns. Please discuss concerns with me while we still have options. I tend to be generous with students who take the initiative to consult with me about concerns while they are still `situations,' i.e., not-yet-crises, and downright testy with those who permit things to slide until a crisis is unavoidable. |
