Course Syllabus: Welcome to ENC 1101!

 
Who are my instructors?  
Michael Garcia (mistgarc@fiu.edu), Brianne Griffith (bgrif026@fiu.edu), & Jordan Hill 
(jhill100@fiu.edu) 
 
How can I reach you?  
You can message us on Canvas or send an email. We’ll usually respond within 24 
hours (except on holidays), so feel free to follow-up if you don’t get a response within 
that time frame. Our office phone number is ​305.867.5309​. 
 
What if I need to meet with you?  
Our office is located at AC1-335 at the Biscayne Bay Campus. Our office hours are: 
Mondays & Wednesdays, ​2:30 - 5:45​. If those times don’t work for you, feel free to 
send a message or talk to us to schedule a different time.  
 
What is the purpose of the course? 
In this class, we’ll be attempting to explore two central questions: What is writing? 
What is rhetoric?” We hope to guide and encourage you to find fulfilling answers to 
these questions.  
 
In terms of writing, this class will help you learn to produce, refine, and revise your 
writing so you can express yourself in a way that makes sense for a particular situation. 
In terms of rhetoric, this class will help you to better recognize and think critically about 
the messages that surround you, as well as the choices you make in communicating, 
be it through texts, tweets, emails, etc.  

We hope to challenge you, and help you to become stronger critical thinkers and 
writers alike. You will spend a lot of time practicing writing by completing a variety of 
assignments, meant to promote experimentation and reflection. Regardless of your 
past history with writing/writing-centered courses (whether you’ve taken many, a few, 
or none)--you know what words are, and how to put them together. It’s a matter of 
realizing that you have the skills necessary to succeed in this class; together we will 
work toward sharpening them.  

As for why you might want to be a better writer, consider your own personal 
relationships with writing, and when you find yourself using it the most: your classes, 
helping your family, creating memes, etc. This class will help you to better understand 
who you are as a writer, what your writing process is like, and allow you to better 
 ENC1101 B51 | FALL ‘19 | Syllabus

communicate your ideas. Hopefully, what you learn here will also help you to better 
make sense of what’s going on in the world around you. 
 
What text do I need for this course?  
Taylor, Todd. ​Becoming a College Writer: A Multimedia Text, ​FIU edition. Bedford/St. 
Martin’s, 2019.  
 
What are the learning outcomes for this course? 
As per FIU’s curriculum requirement, by the end of ENC 1101, students will be able to:  
● Articulate and apply foundational concepts of rhetoric and writing within 
different contexts 
● Develop a nuanced personal definition of writing that reflects an understanding 
of rhetorical concepts and metacognitive awareness of writing and writing 
processes 
● Produce writing that responds and adapts effectively to specific rhetorical 
situations 
● Engage with 21st century literacies 
● Read, question, and respond to text critically 
● Develop and use effective invention, composing, and revision processes 
● Demonstrate awareness and use of strategic rhetorical and stylistic techniques 
within multilingual and diverse linguistic contexts 
 
How will our semester be organized? 
The course is organized into three units, each culminating in a major writing 
assignment. The tentative course schedule is as follows:  
● Unit 1​​:​ ​Connecting with Writing & Rhetoric   
○ August 20th - September 16th 
○ Writing Project 1​​: Discourse in Fan Communities  
 
● Unit 2​​:​ ​Listening Rhetorically 
○ September 17th - October 21st 
○ Writing Project 2​​: Understanding Ideas & Contexts 
 
● Unit 3​​: Joining the Conversation  
○ October 21st - December 2nd 
○ Final Writing Project​​: Writing, Rhetoric, & Language  
 
 ENC1101 B51 | FALL ‘19 | Syllabus

What is expected of me for success in this course?   

● Have a positive and kind attitude toward everyone in the classroom 

● Be active & engaged during class sessions  
● Be punctual & attend class regularly   
● Familiarize yourself with the course calendar 
● Turn in assignments on time 
● Don’t be afraid to ask questions! 

How will my work be evaluated?  

The Course Requirements and Weight (in percentage) will be as follows: 

Course Requirements  Weight 

Writing Project 1 - Analyzing Rhetoric   5% 
(First Draft) 
Writing Project 1 - Analyzing Rhetoric   10% 
(Revised Draft) 
Writing Project 2 - Understanding Ideas &  5% 
Contexts (First Draft) 
Writing Project 2 - Understanding Ideas &  10% 
Contexts (Revised Draft) 
Final Writing Project - Writing, Rhetoric, &  5% 
Language (First Draft) 
Final Project - Writing, Rhetoric, &  20% 
Language (Revised Draft) 
Participation (peer review, online and  30% 
face-to-face discussions, etc.) 
Attendance   15% 
(You MUST attend at least 60% of class 
meetings for credit) 
Total  100% 
 

You must receive a “C” grade or higher to pass. 

 ENC1101 B51 | FALL ‘19 | Syllabus

This course will use a conventional letter grading system, as follows: 

Letter  Range  Letter  Range  Letter  Range 

(%)  (%)  (%) 

A  93 or  B  83 - 86  C  70 - 76 

above 
A-  90 - 92  B-  80 - 82  D  60 - 69 
B+  87 - 89  C+  77 - 79  F  59 or less 
Due to federal privacy regulations, access to grades may only be provided in person or 
via secure email, such as Canvas. 

What is your attendance policy?  

Attendance is 15% of your grade. Barring documented extenuating circumstances, 
your grade will be negatively affected after two penalty-free absences.  
 
What is your policy regarding late assignments?  
Please reach out to us before an assignment is due if you need an extension. Barring 
documented extenuating circumstances, a 10% grade deduction will be assessed 
against late assignments, with a 5% deduction per each additional day.  
 
What if I want to use someone else’s ideas in my work?  
Work from another author should be appropriately cited; don’t worry, we will review 
how to appropriately cite another’s work in class, and you are always free to consult 
with us if you’re unsure about something.  
 
You are, however, definitely not allowed to represent another's work, ideas, 
expressions, or materials as your own. You should review ​FIU's web page about 
plagiarism​, and make yourself aware of the policy resulting from ​academic misconduct​. 
By enrolling in this course, you consent to have your work submitted to Turn It In for 
verification of originality.  
 
Are there any other resources I should know about?  
● Policies 
● Technical Requirements and Skills 
● Accessibility and Accommodation 
● Academic Misconduct Statement 
● FIU Counseling and Psychological Services