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TIER I WRITING COURSE SYLLABUS

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Contents of this Packet

Class Meeting Time: ................................................................................................................................................ 2 Course Texts ............................................................................................................................................................ 2 Course Materials ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 o Turnitin .................................................................................................................................................... 3 Course Description .................................................................................................................................................. 3 Clarification of the Term Literacies ..................................................................................................................... 3 Goals & Course Objectives ...................................................................................................................................... 3 WRAC Tier I Writing Performance Goals ............................................................................................................. 3 Course Objectives................................................................................................................................................ 4 Class Policies............................................................................................................................................................ 5 Academic Honesty............................................................................................................................................... 5 Accommodations for Students with Disabilities ................................................................................................. 5 Drops and Adds ................................................................................................................................................... 6 Disruptive Behavior ............................................................................................................................................. 6 Electronic devices ................................................................................................................................................ 6 Attendance .......................................................................................................................................................... 6 Make-Up Work .................................................................................................................................................... 7 Late Assignments Policy ...................................................................................................................................... 7 Grading Policy ..................................................................................................................................................... 7 Grade Scale...................................................................................................................................................... 7 Assignments and Weighting ............................................................................................................................ 7 Assignments Calendar ..................................................................................................................................... 8

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Class Meeting Time:

Instructor: Delores Rauscher Office Address: 258 Bessey Hall Office PH#: 517.884.7707 Email: rausche5@msu.edu. I encourage you to email through D2L were copies will remain for you and me. (Important: check your email every day.) Office Hours: M, T & TH, 10:00 11:00 and 2:30 3:30 and by appointment and after class, as needed. You can also Skype me at that time at delores.rauscherONLY during those office hours or at pre-arranged times, if necessary. Students are also encouraged to email me anytime they need help. D2L: We will use the Desire to Learn (D2L) information learning system for this course. Calendar for the Semester: http://www.reg.msu.edu/ROInfo/Calendar/Academic.asp (also displayed on D2L). Final Exam Calendar: http://www.reg.msu.edu/ROInfo/Calendar/FinalExamSS14.asp
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Course Texts
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The Little Brown Compact Handbook, 2011, by Jane Aaron. Abbreviated as LBCH on the Assignments Calendar. The Curious Researcher, 2011, by Bruce Ballenger. Abbreviated CR.
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Course Materials
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Electronic storage space is strongly suggested as the best space to store work for this class. Why? Because you wont lose it. It is as reliable as the World Wide Web or as Google; if those go down, nothing will function as it should and you will be excused for having lost your paper. o There are free websites that provide space, such as googledocs, which MSU makes available to instructors and students. One thing you must remember is that website documents storage are often not private, meaning that commercial entities may have searchable access to your files. For information look here: http://techbase.msu.edu/article.asp?id=13275&service=. o Google Docs, see https://docs.google.com Do not add private information here. Youll have to make an account. Files are accessible from all your devices, if you choose to make them accessible. I use this service. Its free. o Dropbox.com. www.dropbox.com. Do not add any private information here. Youll have to make an account. Its simple and it works much like Google Docs in that files are assessable from all your devices, if desired. I use this service. Its free. o MediaFire, storage space. www.mediafire.com. Do not add private information. Its free. I have an account with this site but use it for backup storage only.

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MSU also has AFS (http://techbase.msu.edu/article.asp?id=144&service= ) storage in which students and faculty may store files. THIS ONE IS PRIVATE. This space if also free; however, it is not as easy to use as other on-line free space. For instance, with Google Docs, you can drag and drop files and they will almost always open, even if you are using different software to view it than it was created in. With AFS, you upload and download only. Microsoft Office or MAC --Word or compatible program. This software is free and available in the dorms and the library. Turnitin We may be using Turnitin during this course as part of the D2L system, a service provided by this university. This is an electronic drop box for student papers that checks for plagiarism and is a grading tool for instructors. You should know that the system saves a copy of your paper. Please read about this important technology online at

http://turnitin.com/.

Course Description

This course is inquiry-based, meaning that the students will engage in critical questioning about what they read, what they write, what they think and what others think. The course focuses on developing and understanding literacies.

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Clarification of the Term Literacies

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The term literacies has complex meanings. Literacy generally means the practice of language, reading, writing, and speaking (verbal and signing) so as to communicate. If someone can communicate meaning through one of these mediums, we say that someone is literate. The various types of communicating, we call literacies. However, the terms are endowed with subtle meanings that are not obvious. You may not have thought about the subtle ways that meaning is communicated. Consider that people communicate meaning when they artistically and/or digitally create; so, when someone views or creates a work of art or a musical composition, he is communicating meanings vicariously through the work itself. Likewise, the observer or listener imbues meaning into the composition based on his or her own idiosyncrasies. Consider, for example, when you listen to music and discuss it with someone later, you confer meaning on the piece of music that the author may or may not have intended. Likewise, meaning is conferred and inferred by an audience of any composition and that aspect of writing an especially important consideration of the writer of the composition. In this course, you will read, write, think and engage in literacies that are in some ways associated with issues of the topic of this course. The course work includes writing compositions using visual media as well as writing in the traditional sense with printed text.

Goals & Course Objectives (back)

WRAC Tier I Writing Performance Goals (back)

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To develop skills by engaging in o o o o o o o o o o

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writing for the purposes of reflection, action, and participation in the academic community working within a repertoire of genres and modes to meet appropriate rhetorical purposes exercising a flexible repertoire of invention, arrangement , and revision strategies. demonstrating an understanding of writing as an epistemic and recursive process and effectively apply a variety of knowledge-making strategies for writing. understanding diction, usage, voice, and style, including standard edited English, as convention and rhetorical features of writing. reading for the purposes of reflection, critical analysis, decision-making, and inquiry understanding that various academic disciplines and fields employ varied genre, voice, syntactical choices, use of evidence, and citation styles. reading in ways that improve writing, especially by demonstrating an ability to analyze invention, arrangement, and revision strategies at work in a variety of texts. demonstrating an understanding of reading as an epistemic and recursive meaning making process. understanding that academic disciplines and fields employ varied genre, styles, syntactical patterns, uses of evidence, and documentation practices that call for a variety of reading strategies applying methods of inquiry and conventions to generate new understanding. demonstrating the ability to locate, critically evaluate, and employ a variety of sources for a range of purposes. demonstrating the ability to generate and apply research strategies that are purposeful, ethical, and balanced. demonstrating an understanding of research as epistemic and recursive processes that arise from responding back to various communities. understanding the logics and uses of citation systems and documentation styles and display competence with one system/documentation style.

Course Objectives (back)

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By the end of this course, students will be able to

formulate thought-provoking questions during reading, research, and class discussions. invent and revise ideas for writing utilize various invention strategies. arrange information for effective presentation, written and visual. develop critical thinking, reading, and writing skills and strategies. recognize audience and audience difference. revise ideas with the aim to create things meaningful for audiences. practice research methods by using the MSU library and other sources gather information using a variety of toolsdatabases, archives, catalogs, etc. incorporate source quotes, images, and texts effectively into writing use a style manual to credit incorporated texts, quotes, and images. use handbooks to improve standard English usage in writing use effective peer critiquing methods. employ inquiry steps for writing a research paper.

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o practice strategies for effective essay examination writing

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at a B or better level of performance.

Class Policies
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Academic Honesty

Article 2.3.3 of the Academic Freedom Report states that "The student shares with the faculty the responsibility for maintaining the integrity of scholarship, grades, and professional standards." In addition, this course adheres to the policies on academic honesty as specified in General Student Regulations 1.0, Protection of Scholarship and Grades; the all-University Policy on Integrity of Scholarship and Grades; and Ordinance 17.00, Examinations. (See Spartan Life: Student Handbook and Resource Guide and/or the MSU Web site: www.msu.edu.) 1.00 PROTECTION OF SCHOLARSHIP AND GRADES: The principles of truth and honesty are fundamental to the educational process and the academic integrity of the University; therefore, no student shall: o o claim or submit the academic work of another as ones own. procure, provide, accept or use any materials containing questions or answers to any examination or assignment without proper authorization. complete or attempt to complete any assignment or examination for another individual without proper authorization. allow any examination or assignment to be completed for oneself, in part or in total, by another without proper authorization. alter, tamper with, appropriate, destroy or otherwise interfere with the research, resources, or other academic work of another person. fabricate or falsify data or results.

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Therefore, unless authorized by your instructor, you are expected to complete all course assignments, including homework, lab work, quizzes, tests and exams, without assistance from any source. You are expected to develop original work for this course; therefore, you may not submit course work you completed for another course to satisfy the requirements for this course. Also, you are not authorized to use the www.allmsu.com Web site to complete any course work in of PCW 1004/0102. Students who violate MSU academic integrity rules may receive a penalty grade, including a failing grade on the assignment or in the course. Contact your instructor if you are unsure about the appropriateness of your course work. (See also http://www.msu.edu/unit/ombud/dishonestyFAQ.html)

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Taken from the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD): Michigan State University is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services

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and activities. Requests for accommodations by persons with disabilities may be made by contacting the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities at 517-884-RCPD or on the web at www.rcpd.msu.edu. Once your eligibility for an accommodation has been determined, you will be issued a verified individual services accommodation ("RISA") form. Please present this form to me at the start of the term and/or two weeks prior to the accommodation date (test, project, etc.). Requests received after this date will be honored whenever possible.

The last day to add this course is the end of the first week of classes. The last day to drop this course with a 100 percent refund and no grade reported is five days from the start of the semester. The last day to drop this course with no refund and no grade reported is listed on the MSU Calendar for this semester. For that date go to http://www.reg.msu.edu/ROInfo/Calendar/Academic.asp. You should immediately make a copy of your amended schedule to verify you have added or dropped this course.

Drops and Adds (back)

Article 2.3.5 of the Academic Freedom Report (AFR) for students at Michigan State University states: "The student's behavior in the classroom shall be conducive to the teaching and learning process for all concerned." Article 2.3.10 of the AFR states that "The student has a right to scholarly relationships with faculty based on mutual trust and civility." General Student Regulation 5.02 states: "No student shall . . . interfere with the functions and services of the University (for example, but not limited to, classes . . .) such that the function or service is obstructed or disrupted. Students whose conduct adversely affects the learning environment in this classroom may be subject to disciplinary action through the Student Faculty Judiciary process.

Disruptive Behavior (back)

Electronic devices (back)

All forms of electronic communication devices must be turned off unless the instructor requests that the students use them. If you absolutely need to have a device turned on, see me for permission.

Students whose names do not appear on the official class list for this course may not attend this class. Students who fail to attend the first four class sessions or class by the fifth day of the semester, whichever occurs first, may be dropped from the course. It is up to the student, however, to drop the class and the instructor is not liable for the students failure to do so. I follow the MSU guideline for excused absences with regard to illness, death in family, extracurricular events, and religious observances. As an instructor, it is my responsibility to set the attendance policy (see http://www.reg.msu.edu/ROInfo/Notices/Attendance.asp ). My attendance policy is this: o You are required to come to class every class period and on time.

Attendance (back)

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Attendance is taken and recorded every class period. If you enter the classroom after I have finished taking role, you may be counted absent, and these absences count the same as any other; in other words, tardy students may be counted absent.

If an absence is excused, the absent student will be allowed to make up the missed assignment and turn it in for full credit by a date set by the instructor.

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Late Assignments Policy

Any late assignments will be lowered 1 percentage points for each day the assignment is late, unless I have granted the student special permission.
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Grading Policy
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Grade Scale
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% Grade 92% & above 86% - 92% 80% to 85% 76% - 79% 70% - 75% 66% - 69% 60% - 65% 59% & below F

Letter A B+ B C+ C D+ D 0.0

Grade Point 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0

Assignments and Weighting

In addition, each assignment is listed on D2L under the Categories I, II, and III. Category I: (Weighted 15 %) Any daily assignments, quizzes, or in-class group work that is assigned points but is not included in Categories II and III. This category serves as your participation grade. If you are not in class, you will not get credit for in-class work. These scores cannot be made up, except, in cases of a students prolonged absence, special arrangements will be made.

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o o o o o Reading Assignment Activities = 10 pts. and 15 percent of your total score. In-Class Learning Activities = 10 pts. and 15 percent of your total score. In-Class Group Projects = 10 pts. and 15 percent of your total score. Quizzes = 10 pts. and 15 percent of your total score. Short Written Assessments = 10 pts. and 15 percent of your total score.

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Category II: (Weighted 25%) All short essays and group projects not counted in Categories I or III. o Short essay #1 = 20 pts. and 25 percent of total score. o Short Essay # 2 = 20 pts. and 25 percent of total score. o Short Essay # 3 = 20 pts. and 25 percent of total score. o Group ProjectThe Curious Researcher = 20 pts. and 25 percent of total score. o Group ProjectDigital Design = 20 pts. and 25 percent of total score. o Arrangement Exercise = 20 pts. and 25 percent of total score. o Paraphrase Exercise = 20 pts. and 25 percent of total score. o Quoting Exercise = 20 pts. and 25 percent of total score. Category III: (Weighted 60%) All formal essays or research papers. o Formal Essay #1, Lived Literacies = 100 pts. and 60 percent of total score. o Formal Essay #2, Cultural Literacies = 100 pts. and 60 percent of total score. o Formal Essay #3, Disciplinary Literacies = 100 pts. and 60 percent of total score. o Formal Essay #4, Remix = 100 pts. and 60 percent of total score. o Formal Essay #5, Revised Literacies = 100 pts. and 60 percent of total score.

Assignments Calendar
(Back) The Assignments Calendar is a separate document listed under the Contents tab on D2L. It is also copied to the D2L Daily Calendar and may be viewed by day, month, or semester. It lists the entire courses reading, writing, exercises and project assignments.