George, Diana, and John Trimbur. Reading Culture: Contexts for Critical Reading and Writing. 4th ed.
        New York: Longman, 2001.
ASU Writing Programs Guide (available only online; click here to go to Guide)
2 new 3 1/2” disks
ASUrite account (for details on obtaining an account, click here)

Course Description:
This course is informed by the mission of the ASU’s Writing Programs as outlined in the ASU Writing Programs Guide: to introduce students to the importance of writing in the work of the university and to develop their critical reading, thinking and writing skills so that they can successfully participate in that work. Writing is intellectual work, and the demands of writing within the university community include the need to:

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

Students in our writing courses are expected to engage the ideas encountered in academic and serious public discourse, to develop complex ideas and arguments through serious consideration of different perspectives, and to connect their life experiences with ideas and information they encounter in classes.

For a more detailed discussion, read  ASU's Writing Programs Guide online. Back to Top of Page

Course Requirements:

The policies and procedures listed here are a supplement to those listed in the ASU’s Writing Programs Guide.
You may either scroll through all of the requirements or click on the buttons below to go to particular topics covered here
 
 

Attendance	Classroom Protocol	Virtual Class	Course Work	Technology	Paper Format
Portfolio	Public Nature	Plagiarism	Grading	Withdrawal Dates	Disability Resources

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Note:  “Attendance” onsite means being present, on time, and prepared for the entire class period (i.e., having completed assigned reading and writing tasks, and having required texts and materials available to work with during the class period). “Attendance” online means participating in the assigned activities and completing whatever tasks are assigned by the designated time. Failure to do so will result in an absense.

Classroom Protocol: Most of our classtime will be devoted to discussions and workshops, with an occasional lecture, announcements, and other in-class activities. Regardless of the class format, you are expected to be prepared, to listen, to contribute , and to participate in an appropriate fashion. Among other things, this means:

• no off-task use of your computer (e.g., no personal e-mail,Web surfing, or other computer based activities that are not specifically course related)
• computer monitors are to be turned off during class discussions, lectures, and announcements or when otherwise directed
• do not print files during classtime unless otherwise directed
• personal communication devices (cell phones, beepers, and other devices) must be turned off for the entire class period
• food and drink are not allowed in the computer lab
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Course Work:  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. Moreover, in a hybrid course, time management is particularly crucial because you are responsible for scheduling your virtual class time. Virtual class time should be equivalent to onsite classtime. (For this class, one hour and fifteen minutes.) In addition, you should plan to spend two to three hours outside of class for every class hour. (For a three-hour course that means approximately six to nine hours a week working on reading and writing assignments.)
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Computer Technology: You do not have to have expertise on the computer to succeed in this class. through class activities and collaborative work on the computer, you will learn to use the computer hardware and software available in the course classroom. There are bound to be technical glitches and frustrations during the semester. Remember that there are usually multiple ways to solve and avoid technical problems by being creative, troubleshooting, and not giving in to frustration. The most effective way to learn about the technology is by talking to other users and taking an active role in problem solving. The helpline for computer problems for ASU students and staff is: 480-965-6500.

If you do not have a computer at home, you’ll want to use one of the many ASU computing sites on campus. There are several locations. Although the Computing Commons is the largest site, it is also the busiest, so it’s a good idea to explore other smaller sites as well.

If you have a computer at home and are interested in free software to connect to ASU’s system, contact the Computing Assistance staff on the second floor of the Computing Commons, or call them at 480-965-6500
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Paper Format:  All final drafts of projects must be typed or computer printed and double spaced.  Place your name, my name, course title, date and title of the paper at the top of the first page.  All other assignments may be handwritten or entered on WebBoard.

Portfolio:  KEEP ALL OF YOUR WRITING for this course, including in-class and out-of-class working notes, drafts, revisions, and final drafts, reader responses, peer response comments, self-reflection pieces and in-class entries.  At the end of the semester, you will review your portfolio to analyze and evaluate your progress.  Keep backup disk copies of all of your work. You should also keep hard copies of all of your papers.

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.
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Plagiarism:  To plagiarize is to present as your own any work that is not exclusively your own.  Plagiarism of all or a portion of any assignment will be strictly penalized. For more information on plagiarism, see ASU’s Writing Programs Guide  and University Policies at http://www.asu.edu/studentlife/.

Grading:

•  4 Papers      40% (10%, 10%, 10%, 10%)
•  Portfolio Analysis     10%
•  Homework responses to readings    10%
•  Drafts & In-class Work    10%
•  WebBoard Participation & Quality of Responses 15%
•  Attendance & Participation    15%

Incompletes:  University, departmental and program policies on incompletes will be followed; only in the case of verified emergencies and illness will an incomplete be given.
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Withdrawals:  University deadlines

  Unrestricted Withdrawal Deadline     February 4
  Restricted Course Withdrawal Deadline   April 4**
  Restricted Complete Withdrawal Deadline  April 30

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.
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