English 315 Syllabus [Winter 2019]

Section 5; T/Th 1:35-2:50 pm

1129 JKB

Instructor: Jacob Nielsen

Email: jacobkurtnielsen@byu.edu
Office: 3004 JKB
Office Hours: T [9:30-11]; W [11-12]

Required Texts & Materials

• Writing in the Social Sciences 4th ed.
• They Say, I Say 4th ed.
• Other readings will be available on Learning Suite
• You must bring a laptop or pen/paper to each class period

Course Description

English 315 focuses on effective processes of written, oral, and visual/technical communication for academic and
professional settings and fulfills the university requirement for advanced writing. You will study the processes of how
those in the social sciences communicate to solve problems and answer questions; your study of this process will include
conducting library and empirical research. You will learn conventions of organization and style appropriate in your
majors. Of primary focus will be how to adapt your writing for various audiences, purposes, and contexts that you will
encounter in your chosen career.

I invite you to take full advantage of this course—put your tuition money to good use! English 315 is designed to take
what you’ve learned in Writing 150 and your classes at BYU and add the dimension of writing within a discipline;
specifically, the social and behavioral sciences. If you dig in and work hard, you will:
• Learn how to write and research effectively in the remaining courses in your major
• Learn how to negotiate the different types of professional writing and oral communication you will need in
your career
• Learn how to express yourself effectively to multiple audiences in various situations

Prerequisites
• Writing 150 or its equivalent

Learning Outcomes
• Process: Employ informed and flexible processes for writing and speaking, including: creating and/or finding
ideas about which to write; collecting evidence and data; planning and drafting; revising; editing; and designing
or presenting a message so that it is successfully understood by a specified audience.
• Structure: Write coherent and unified texts, including effective introductions, clear thesis statements,
supporting details, transitions, and strong conclusions.
• Rhetorical Situation: Use various methods of invention, organization, and style to adapt written and oral
forms of communication to specific rhetorical situations.
• Sources: Utilize the library and electronic resources to locate relevant information, assess its reliability and
usefulness, and effectively and ethically incorporate it into their own writing by following an appropriate style
of documentation.
• Style: Write in a correct, clear, and graceful prose style.
 • Library: Successfully complete the library tour, tutorial, and tests (if not completed as part of the first-year
writing requirement). Successfully complete a library mini-course taught for their major area and demonstrate
the ability to use the library effectively.
• Tables and Figures: Demonstrate the ability to create, number, and label tables and figures.
• Revision: Effectively evaluate and comment on the writing of others to facilitate revision.

Grade Scale:

A 93-100%
A- 90-92%
B+ 87-89%
B 83-86%
B- 80-82%
C+ 77-79%
C 73-76%
C- 70-72%
D+ 67-69%
D 63-66%
D- 60-62%
E 0-59%

Grading Policy:

I encourage you to turn all assignments in on time. You will receive a 10-point deduction for each day you don’t turn
in a major assignment after the deadline. I do not accept late work for other assignments so please turn them
in on time. If you are having trouble keeping up with the assignments (especially your major papers), please come
talk to me. I know what it’s like to be a busy college student and understand especially when unexpected life events
come up. My door is always open. I want you to succeed.

How I Respond to Writing:

Responding to student writing is a labor-intensive exercise, but it’s one of the best ways I can teach you to write more
effectively. While I want to help you become a better writer, I can’t attend to every single issue you should address in
your paper. Often when I respond to your writing, I will focus on what is most important or pressing or “global” in the
text, hoping that you will be critical and attentive enough to discover other spots for potential revision. Below I describe
four of my practices that will help you understand better how I respond as a writing teacher:

* Informal Writing: Throughout the semester you will submit Digital Dialogue posts that I call informal because they
don’t need to be polished (i.e., revised and proofread). Sometimes I’ll respond to these posts, and sometimes I won’t.
These activities are more for practice than evaluation, but please give them time and thought.

* Marking Error: Research tells us that marking up all the errors in a student’s paper doesn’t do much to help students
avoid those errors in the future. We’ll have more important things to occupy our time than worrying inordinately about
all the possible ways we make mistakes in writing. However, since errors produce static—in other words, they get in
the way of the message you’re trying to convey and damage your ethos—you’ll need to practice proofreading your
writing carefully before sending it out to the world. (Two other useful practices: read your writing out loud and give
it to a friend or peer to proofread.) While I’m not your editor/proofreader/error hunter, I will draw your attention
to error by highlighting sentences where there are errors in grammar, punctuation, or mechanics. I’ll also point out
patterns of error in the end comment. Please get in the habit of consulting the Web and the Purdue Online Writing
Lab for questions related to style, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.
* Marginal Comments: I tend to make minimal marginal comments in the middle of the paper, but when I do, I try to use
them to dramatize the reading experience you’ve provided. Think of me as a representative of other interested readers
out there who want a good experience reading your stuff. Occasionally I’ll use marginal comments to dramatize that
representation. On final drafts, I may not put marginal comments at all.

* End Comments: The end comment is the teaching moment. Its purpose is three-fold: (1) to point out the strengths and
weaknesses of the paper—we find both in every piece of writing, (2) to help you think forward to the next writing task
and how you’ll continue effective strategies and/or work on less effective ones, and (3) to evaluate your work by
assigning it a grade, if it’s a final draft (see below).

How I Grade Writing:

As you may know already, grading writing is not exactly scientific, and thank goodness. When I evaluate your work, I
use my best judgment based on principles of good writing. I’ll use a rubric—a document that describes the qualities of
successful writing and not-so-successful writing—that I will make available for you at the time you get your writing
task.

I assign grades not as a form of punishment but as a way to tell you how well you are doing, what you need to do to
improve, and where you stand compared to other writers at your stage. (Grades suggest gradation—a comparative
scale of accomplishment.) While I expect a majority of my hard-working students to receive B’s in the course, I reserve
A grades for exceptional writing, a necessary practice if the A is to mean anything. Hard-working students earn at least
a B; going beyond that requires quality writing. In some ways grades detract both teachers and students from the great
project of learning and growing, but they can also motivate us to improve.

When I return your final papers, please read all my marginal and end comments carefully. (Don’t just take a cursory
look at the grade and then toss the whole thing.) If after you read my comments you believe you have been evaluated
unfairly, please come visit me and we’ll talk about it, looking more carefully at your writing. Be advised: Sometimes
when we look more carefully at your writing, we find even more that could be improved.

Classroom Policies

1. Attendance: In order for our writing class to function, we need vigorous discussion and class participation. As
such, attendance is mandatory. You are allowed to miss two class periods throughout the course of the semester, no
questions asked. Each additional absence will result in a 1/3 reduction in your final letter grade. This means if you are
absent three times and earn an A- in the class, your grade would be lowered to a B+. Family emergencies and
documented medical illnesses are the only exceptions to this rule. I will take roll at the beginning of each class, so please
arrive on time.

2. Conduct: I believe that the purpose of education is to expand minds and foster an appreciation for differing opinions.
Throughout the course of the semester, your fellow classmates may have opinions that differ from your own. What I
ask is that each student treats each other with respect. Derogatory, rude, or condescending comments will not be
tolerated, especially regarding another’s beliefs. I want you to express your opinions and challenge the claims and
assumptions of each argument, but it must be done respectfully. The opinions you express will never affect your grade.
My job as an instructor is to grade your writing, not your thoughts. If you use the rhetorical strategies we discuss in
class to produce thoughtful, persuasive arguments, then you will be successful.

3. Technology: I allow (and encourage) the use of laptops/tablets in class for note taking, rush writes, and access to
readings. However, cell phones must not be used during class. If I see you using your phone, I will politely ask you to
put it away. Repeated cell phone use will result in dismissal from class and a reduction in your participation grade.
 4. Paper Format: In this class we will use APA formatting in many of your major assignments. If you are unfamiliar
with this citation style, I suggest purchasing the most recent APA style manual (though this isn’t required) or using the
APA Formatting and Style Guide produced by Purdue OWL online. All major assignments must be submitted on
Learning Suite as .pdf files. Because many of your assignments will be graded on style/design, you don’t want to take
the risk that your formatting might be altered; this is why I require all major assignments to be submitted as pdfs.

5. Syllabus and Communication: If you are unsure about assignments, readings, or course policies, check (in this
order):
• The Syllabus
• Learning Suite
• E-mails
Do this before e-mailing me. If you are still unsure after checking these resources, go ahead and e-mail me. I’ll be happy
to help. As the course progresses, there may be changes made to the syllabus and schedule. I reserve the right to change
them but will notify you when changes are made (in class or by e-mail).

Schedule

Date Class Topic Writing Due Reading Due

Jan. 8 Course Introduction
Jan. 10 Rhetoric & Writing in the Social Sciences * Syllabus
Jan. 15 Entering the Academic Conversation * Practitioner Interview Memo
Jan. 17 Preparing for the Workplace: Job Portfolios
Jan. 22 Cover Letters & Personal Statements * Audience Analysis WS #1
Jan. 24 LinkedIn, Branding, and Workshopping
Jan. 29 Literature Review: WATCO Questions * Job Portfolio
Jan. 31 Student-Instructor Conferences
Feb. 5 Source Evaluation & Reading Rhetorically * Audience Analysis WS #2
Feb. 7 Library Research Day
Feb. 12 Annotated Bibliographies, APA Formatting * Library Research Assignment
Feb. 14 Writing a Literature Review
Feb. 21 Synthesis & Analysis * Annotated Bibliography
Feb. 26 Student-Instructor Conferences
Feb. 28 In-Class Workshop
Mar. 5 Writing Proposals * Literature Review
Mar. 7 Primary Research & Ethical Considerations * Audience Analysis WS #3
Mar. 12 In-Class Workshop
Mar. 14 Writing Opinion Pieces * Proposal
Mar. 19 Narrative & Creative Writing * Audience Analysis WS #4
Mar. 21 Designed Writing
Mar. 26 In-Design Day
Mar. 28 Student-Instructor Conferences
Apr. 2 In-Class Workshop
Apr. 4 Preparing Research Posters * Opinion Piece
Apr. 9 Poster Presentations
Apr. 11 Poster Presentations
Apr. 16 Course Conclusion
Apr. 22 Final Exam in 1129 JKB [2:30-5:30pm]
University Policies

Honor Code

In keeping with the principles of the BYU Honor Code, students are expected to be honest in all of their academic
work. Academic honesty means, most fundamentally, that any work you present as your own must in fact be your own
work and not that of another. Violations of this principle may result in a failing grade in the course and additional
disciplinary action by the university. Students are also expected to adhere to the Dress and Grooming Standards.
Adherence demonstrates respect for yourself and others and ensures an effective learning and working environment. It
is the university's expectation, and every instructor's expectation in class, that each student will abide by all Honor
Code standards. Please call the Honor Code Office at 422-2847 if you have questions about those standards.

Preventing Sexual Misconduct

As required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the university prohibits sex discrimination against any
participant in its education programs or activities. Title IX also prohibits sexual harassment-including sexual violence-
committed by or against students, university employees, and visitors to campus. As outlined in university policy, sexual
harassment, dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking are considered forms of "Sexual
Misconduct" prohibited by the university. University policy requires any university employee in a teaching, managerial,
or supervisory role to report incidents of sexual misconduct that come to their attention through various forms
including face-to-face conversation, a written class assignment or paper, class discussion, email, text, or social media
post. If you encounter Sexual Misconduct, please contact the Title IX Coordinator at t9coordinator@byu.edu or 801-
422-2130 or Ethics Point at https://titleix.byu.edu/report or 1-888-238-1062 (24-hours). Additional information
about Title IX and resources available to you can be found at http://titleix.byu.edu.

Student Disability

Brigham Young University is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that reasonably accommodates
qualified persons with disabilities. If you have any disability which may impair your ability to complete this course
successfully, please contact the University Accessibility Center (UAC), 2170 WSC or 422-2767. Reasonable academic
accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified, documented disabilities. The UAC can also assess
students for learning, attention, and emotional concerns. Services are coordinated with the student and instructor by
the UAC. If you need assistance or if you feel you have been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of disability,
you may seek resolution through established grievance policy and procedures by contacting the Equal Employment
Office at 422-5895, D-285 ASB.

Academic Honesty

The first injunction of the Honor Code is the call to "be honest." Students come to the university not only to improve
their minds, gain knowledge, and develop skills that will assist them in their life's work, but also to build character.
"President David O. McKay taught that character is the highest aim of education" (The Aims of a BYU Education, p.6).
It is the purpose of the BYU Academic Honesty Policy to assist in fulfilling that aim. BYU students should seek to be
totally honest in their dealings with others. They should complete their own work and be evaluated based upon that
work. They should avoid academic dishonesty and misconduct in all its forms, including but not limited to plagiarism,
fabrication or falsification, cheating, and other academic misconduct.

Respectful Environment

"Sadly, from time to time, we do hear reports of those who are at best insensitive and at worst insulting in their
comments to and about others... We hear derogatory and sometimes even defamatory comments about those with
different political, athletic, or ethnic views or experiences. Such behavior is completely out of place at BYU, and I enlist
the aid of all to monitor carefully and, if necessary, correct any such that might occur here, however inadvertent or
unintentional. "I worry particularly about demeaning comments made about the career or major choices of women or
men either directly or about members of the BYU community generally. We must remember that personal agency is a
fundamental principle and that none of us has the right or option to criticize the lawful choices of another." President
Cecil O. Samuelson, Annual University Conference, August 24, 2010 "Occasionally, we ... hear reports that our
female faculty feel disrespected, especially by students, for choosing to work at BYU, even though each one has been
approved by the BYU Board of Trustees. Brothers and sisters, these things ought not to be. Not here. Not at a university
that shares a constitution with the School of the Prophets." Vice President John S. Tanner, Annual University
Conference, August 24, 2010.

Plagiarism

Intentional plagiarism is a form of intellectual theft that violates widely recognized principles of academic integrity as
well as the Honor Code. Such plagiarism may subject the student to appropriate disciplinary action administered
through the university Honor Code Office, in addition to academic sanctions that may be applied by an instructor.
Inadvertent plagiarism, which may not be a violation of the Honor Code, is nevertheless a form of intellectual
carelessness that is unacceptable in the academic community. Plagiarism of any kind is completely contrary to the
established practices of higher education where all members of the university are expected to acknowledge the original
intellectual work of others that is included in their own work. In some cases, plagiarism may also involve violations of
copyright law. Intentional Plagiarism-Intentional plagiarism is the deliberate act of representing the words, ideas, or
data of another as one's own without providing proper attribution to the author through quotation, reference, or
footnote. Inadvertent Plagiarism-Inadvertent plagiarism involves the inappropriate, but non-deliberate, use of another's
words, ideas, or data without proper attribution. Inadvertent plagiarism usually results from an ignorant failure to
follow established rules for documenting sources or from simply not being sufficiently careful in research and writing.
Although not a violation of the Honor Code, inadvertent plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct for which an
instructor can impose appropriate academic sanctions. Students who are in doubt as to whether they are providing
proper attribution have the responsibility to consult with their instructor and obtain guidance. Examples of plagiarism
include: Direct Plagiarism-The verbatim copying of an original source without acknowledging the source. Paraphrased
Plagiarism-The paraphrasing, without acknowledgement, of ideas from another that the reader might mistake for the
author's own. Plagiarism Mosaic-The borrowing of words, ideas, or data from an original source and blending this
original material with one's own without acknowledging the source. Insufficient Acknowledgement-The partial or
incomplete attribution of words, ideas, or data from an original source. Plagiarism may occur with respect to
unpublished as well as published material. Copying another student's work and submitting it as one's own individual
work without proper attribution is a serious form of plagiarism.

Mental Health

Mental health concerns and stressful life events can affect students’ academic performance and quality of life. BYU
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS, 1500 WSC, 801-422-3035, caps.byu.edu) provides individual, couples,
and group counseling, as well as stress management services. These services are confidential and are provided by the
university at no cost for full-time students. For general information please visit https://caps.byu.edu; for more
immediate concerns please visit http://help.byu.edu.