ENC 3416 Sections 01 & 02 Writing and Editing in

Print and Online (WEPO) Fall 2017

Section 01 T/R 12:30 - 1:45
Section 02 T/R 3:35 - 4:50
Classroom: Williams 317
Instructor: Jason Custer
Office: WMS 329
Office Hours: T/R 11:30 - 12:30 & 2:30 - 3:30
Im also available by appointment as needed if those regular times wont work for
your schedule. Dont hesitate to contact me and receive assistance and help!
Email: jc11w@my.fsu.edu

Course Description
ENG 3416 (WEPO) is one of three core courses for EWM, and as such, it helps provide a
foundation for the major. As part of this foundation, this course introduces you to the principles of
composing and editing across different media environments, paying special attention to the
constraints of each environment and the changes (challenges) that occur as you work in and across
each type. This course attempts to help you (1) understand principles of composition and rhetoric,
especially the ways they function in/across different composing spaces; (2) compose for each of
three spacesprint (including posters, flyers, newsletters, pamphlets, booklets, etc.), screen, and
network; (3) edit and revise appropriately the texts created in each space; and (4) understand the
ways technologies build upon their predecessors as well as inform the composing and circulation
of texts. To accomplish these goals, we'll engage with multiple kinds of texts: well read some,
write some, talk about some, and create remediated/remixed forms of some. Throughout our
semester, well be developing a language and a vocabulary that we can use to describe those texts
and interactions and to describe what happens to them and to us when we do this work. Our goal
here is to help you create and read texts differently, to help you become much more informed about
how others will interact with your texts, and that you bring a new theory and intentionality to your
composing and editing. You should finish this semester with a more robust understanding of
technology and mediaold, new, and the connections betweenand of the ways they affect the
textual process and contribute to our post-human existence.

Course Goals
My goals in assigning the readings and projects I assign this semester are as follows:

1. To increase your composing/designing proficiency within and across different media.

2. To encourage you to develop editorial/editing proficiency across media.
 3. To increase your awareness and control of the rhetorical principles in print and digital
contexts.

To achieve these goals, you will work individually and collaborate with others to create works in a
variety of print, screen, and network media, and you will learn how to edit those works
appropriately per the media in which they appear.

Course Objectives
In short, during this course, youll:

Explore and learn about theories of composing and rhetorical principles that guide the
composing and designing of texts with different writing technologies;
Employ these theories and principles to create works appropriate to various genres and
media, including handwriting, type, screen, and network, and understand how these texts
can be remediated/remixed for new environments;
Write with and against styles conventionalized within different genres;
Examine and apply the art and techniques of editing;
Explore technologies and mediaold and newand the connections between, and the
ways they inform what, why, where, and how we compose;
Develop your own theory/understanding of writing and composing and;
Create a professional digital portfolio that you can in turn use to market yourself for future
professional endeavors.

Key Questions
We will explore these questions through class discussions, and you will answer them in the two
primary composing spacesjournals and projects:

Whats rhetoric, and whats a rhetorical situation?

What does it mean to write and compose? How, if at all, are the two acts similar yet
different?
Whats the role of genre in communication?
Whats the role of multimodality in communication?
What are the differences in communicating in one mediumsay, printas compared to the
screen as compared to the network?
How do we assess our own work?
How can we help others improve upon their work?
What are some principles of editing for ourselves and for editing the texts of others?
What is remediation and remix, and how, if at all, are the two acts similar yet different?
What role does copyright and fair use play in the creation of (digital) texts?
 What is the relationship, if any, between old and new media, and what influence does
media have on the way we create texts?
What does it mean to develop a viral marketing campaign, and how and why do texts
circulate?
How do we market ourselves professionally via an online portfolio?
What is your theory of composing?

Required Texts
Various PDFs and online readings available via the course website!
Your own texts and compositions!

Assessment Breakdown
Project #1: Keywords Project 25%
Project #2: Remix/Remediation Project 25%
Project #3: Network of Texts Project 15%
Project # 4: Digital Professional Portfolio: 15%
Journal Posts: 10%
Participation and Professionalism 10%

NOTE: All major assignments must be completed to earn a passing assessment in this course.

Assessment Procedure
For your Projects, I will respond based a series of heuristic questions that relate to each major
project that shape my feedback to you. In many cases this means youll be assessed based on
elements such as arrangement, style, delivery, audience-awareness, genre-awareness, rhetorical
strategies, and I will give you the opportunity to defend your rhetorical decisions with various
writing technologies. To that end, youll complete a Reflection for each of the major
projects. These rationales, which I rely on to assess your background composing processes,
provide you the opportunity to articulate your composing process and to clarify and elaborate on
specific portions of your text; more importantly, however, these rationales are a space for you to
defend and justify your rhetorical strategies and approach, to explain why you created the text you
did and how its rhetorically appropriate considering your rhetorical situation.

Late Work
Late work will not be tolerated. A project will also be marked down letter grade (e.g., A to A-)
for each calendar day that it is late. Journals that are late will receive half credit. In other words, be
professional, responsible and punctual in completing your work. That said, extensions can be made
available for those with extenuating circumstances, so please do let me know if theres a reason
you dont think youll be able to complete your work on time before it is due and with time to
make accommodations as best as possible on my end. I do not offer any makeup assignments or
extra credit.

Laptops, Computer Access and Privilege, and

Potential Excuses
As the title of this class implies, technology will be an integral part of the course. Consequently,
you need to have access to computers outside of class, and you need to bring a full laptop to
class every day unless informed otherwise please try not to simply use iOS devices like
iPads, as sometimes we need to access Flash-based content that does not function properly
on iPads. That said, dont abuse your computer privileges: dont become mentally absent by
immersing yourself in your computerits easier than ever to text, chat, and communicate with
friends in class instead of focusing on the task at hand. If I see you doing this in a distracting or
destructive manner, Ill give you a warning and make the class aware that Im aware this is
happening. The next time I see someone doing that, Ill ask you to leave class, youll be marked
absent, and/or receive a harsh and silent penalty to your Participation assessment. In short, be
present in mind during our class time.

That unpleasantness out of the way, you need to prepare yourself for potential technological
problems. Computers crash, files corrupt, work gets misplaced/erased, screens crack and repairs
need to be made, but, theres a very simple solution to these otherwise heart-breaking problems;
cloud syncing! Save your work frequently, and set up an auto backup solution like Google Drive,
Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, Syncplicity, Box, or Sugarsync (among others) that all offer
multiple gigabytes of free online storage for you to take advantage of, and access all of your files
on any computer (and online through browsers) and have them automatically updated in the cloud
after any and all changes, so that any computer problems can be ameliorated as much as possible. I
also recommend physical backups: buy a flash drive, buy an external hard drive, use an SD card,
burn to a CD/DVD anything to keep hard copies as well as other backups. If something should
still somehow go awry, I urge you to explain your situation to me (as we all experience difficulties
with computers and other technology sometimes), but know that with this warning coming on day
one that extensions are unlikely unless there are severe extenuating circumstances. In other
words, use the cloud to your benefit and be prepared!

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is unacceptable. Deliberate plagiarism on any scale will result in a failing grade.
Plagiarism is a counterproductive, non-witing behavior that is unacceptable in a course intended to
aid the growth of individual writers. Plagiarism is included among the violations defined in the
Academic Honor Code, section b, paragraph 2, as follows: Regarding academic assignments,
violations of the Academic Honor Code shall include representing anothers work or any part
thereof, be it published or unpublished, as ones own. I pursue plagiarism cases viciously, as
plagiarized work is a waste of my time and yours, and I refuse to tolerate it. If I am put in a
position where I suspect plagiarism in your work, I will find precisely where and how it happens
and make as strong of a case against you as I can for insulting me and the effort I put into assessing
your projects by not putting in the work expected in this course. In short, if you plagiarize, I will
catch you, and I will prosecute to the fullest extent possible. Lets not go down that road, though,
shall we?

Attendance and Lateness
Attendance and participation are an important part of the learning process for this course. Our
classroom community will function based on how much everyone contributes and participatesif
you are not here, youre not contributing or receiving the benefits of myself and your peers
interacting. Therefore, I expect you to attend every class. Seriously. But thats the bare minimum: I
also expect you to participate.

Excessive absenteeism will result in the deduction of your participation grade. Documented
emergencies and illness will be considered on an individual basis. However, I enforce an
attendance policy according to which you are allowed 2 absences, at which time you will be
given a warning. Missing more than 4 total absences (2 full weeks worth of classes!), will
negatively affect your final grade. After six or more unexcused absences, you cannot pass
this course.

Beyond all else always communicate with me. Please contact me via email well in advance if you
know you will be legitimately missing a class. Id also strongly encourage using your class peers as
a resource to help you catch up if you ever miss a class.

Finally, do not be late. Continued lateness (arriving 20 minutes or later) will be counted against
you. Three lates equal one absence.

Reading/Writing Center and Digital Studio

Reading/Writing Center (RWC) The RWC offers one-on-one help for students with their writing,
whether they need help with a writing problem, understanding what their teacher wants, or just
want to do better on their writing assignments. The Center is staffed both by teaching assistants
who are trained in writing and teaching and by undergraduates who have successfully completed
the centers peer tutoring program. Make an appointment by calling ahead (6446495) or stopping
in (WMS 222C).
For hours of operation, visit their website: http://wr.english.fsu.edu/ReadingWritingCenter. Other
options include online tutoring (you may submit your work via email to fsu.webtutor@gmail.com)
as well as a satellite location in Strozier library. The Williams/Johnston locations will not be open
during Summer B.

Digital Studio The Digital Studio (WMS 222B) provides support to students working individually
or in groups on multimedia projects and digital assignments such as we will be doing in this class.
Students will find consultation assistance at the Digital Studio for such endeavors as designing an
electronic portfolio, conducting online research for an essay, creating a blog, selecting images for a
visual essay, writing a script for a podcast, and increasing overall capabilities in digital
communication. Tutors can assist with brainstorming ideas, providing feedback on content and
design, facilitating collaboration for group projects and organizing digital presentations.

Americans with Disabilities Act

Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should: (1) register with and provide
documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center and (2) bring a letter to the instructor
indicating the need for accommodation and what type. This should be done during the first week
of class. This syllabus and other class materials are available in alternative format upon request.

For more information about services available to FSU students with disabilities, contact the:

Student Disability Resource Center 97 Woodward Avenue, South 108 Student Services Building
Florida State University Tallahassee, FL 323064167 (850) 6449566 (voice) (850) 6448504 (TDD)
sdrc@admin.fsu.edu ; http://www.disabilitycenter.fsu.edu/.

Final Note
As your instructor, I am committed to helping you achieve the course outcomes, learn more about
yourselves as writers and composers across media, and start thinking about what your future as
EWM majors might look like at FSU and beyond. As such, I encourage you to see me during
office hours, to schedule appointments with me when you need additional help during my office
hours, and to contact me via email with any questions you might have at any time. I am here to
help you succeed and want nothing more than success for all of my students. I am also here to
foster a collaborative learning environment within the classroom, one in which we will work
together both to learn the principles of composing/editing processes and to use those principles to
create texts that are reflective of our individual interests and passions. As such, I will bring my
curiosity and enthusiasm to the class, and I ask that you do the same to make this semester as
awesome/fun as humanly possible.