ENGL 101-03 – Composition I
Western Carolina University
Fall 2010
Instructor: Nate Kreuter
Email: nakreuter [at-sign] email [dot] wcu [dot] edu
Course Website: Blackboard (100% of course material available)
Alternate Course Website: www.natekreuter.net/courses
Office: Coulter 207
Office Hours: W 9-11, R 9-10, and by appointment
Meeting Time: T, R 11-12:15
Class Location: T in McKee 129, R in McKee G13
POLICIES
In the unlikely event that a policy described herein conflicts with a Department of English, College of Arts and Sciences, or University policy, the Department, College, or University policy shall prevail.
Liberal Studies Core Description: This course partially satisfies the Liberal Studies Program’s C1 Core requirement, which consists of two sequential writing courses (English 101 and 102). These courses introduce you to college-level writing via the best practices of composition instruction available. These practices undergo constant assessment and improvement. This course sequence addresses immediately an essential academic skill, that of communicating ideas in written form. As in all of the Liberal Studies Core offerings, this course will provide you with academic skills and intellectual habits you will need throughout your undergraduate experience.
Course Objectives: The following objectives will drive our course content and assignments, and are goals that, if achieved or approached, will serve as a foundation for both the remainder of your collegiate career and your broader civic life. (Redundancies Intentional)
- Learn the processes of writing (Invention, Revision, Editing, Revision Again)
- Learn Individual Writing Strategies
- Learn How to Conduct Research and Evaluate Source Materials
- Learn How to Integrate and Synthesize Information from a Variety of Sources
- Learn How to Meaningfully and Ethically Engage in the Debates Surrounding Public Policies and Controversies (from Local to Global)
- Learn How to Analyze the Arguments (and Expectations) of Others
- Learn How to Make Constructive, Persuasive Written Arguments Aimed at Real Audiences (from Local to Global)
- Learn How to Evaluate, Communicate, and Act Upon the Values that Matter to You Personally
- Learn How to Engage Other Citizens
Attendance Policy: Students are allowed four (4) unexcused absences. A fifth (5th) unexcused absence will result in immediate failure of the course. Excused university absences are absences for official university activities, such as band trip or athletic events. However, students should provide official documentation of their expected absence as far in advance of the absence date as possible. It is much easier to make up work if we can anticipate your absence. Open communication with the instructor will greatly reduce the chance of excessive absences causing you to fail the course. Your instructor will also consider jury duty, military service requirements, and major family emergencies as excused absences, with documentation. Minor illnesses, even with documentation, will not be excused, so save a couple absences for flu season. Bottom line: if you’re not sure if something will be excused, just ask ahead of time.
Additionally, according to North Carolina General Statue 116-11(3a) a student may request absences for required religious observances. WCU allows two absences each academic year for religious observances required by faith. To obtain permission to be absent for religious reasons a student must complete the Absent due to Required Religious Observance Form with the instructor (electronic form obtained through MyCat) and submit it to the Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (Dr. Fred Hinson) for final approval at least two weeks prior to the proposed absence. Students are encouraged to discuss these absences with the faculty member prior to the end of drop/add in case the absence will unavoidably keep the student from completing the requirements of the course. However, if the student completes the form and submits it to the instructor prior to the two-week time frame, he/she shall be given the opportunity to make up any tests or other work missed due to an excused absence for a required religious observance.
Academic Honesty Policy (from student handbook): Students, faculty, staff, and administrators of Western Carolina University strive to achieve the highest standards of scholarship and integrity. Any violation of the Academic Integrity Policy is a serious offense because it threatens the quality of scholarship and undermines the integrity of the community. While academic in scope, any violation of this policy is by nature a violation of the student code of conduct. Violations of the Academic Integrity Policy include:
a. Cheating—Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise.
b. Fabrication—Creating and/or falsifying information or citation in any academic exercise.
c. Plagiarism—Representing the words or ideas of someone else as one’s own in any academic exercise.
d. Facilitation—Helping or attempting to help someone to commit a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy in any academic exercise (e.g. allowing another to copy information during an examination).
Instructors have the right to determine the appropriate sanction or sanctions for academic dishonesty within their courses up to and including a final grade of “F” in the course. Within 5 calendar days of the instructor’s knowledge of the violation of the Academic Integrity Policy, the instructor will inform his/her department head (Associate Dean of the Graduate School) in writing of the allegation and sanction. See student handbook for further information.
Your instructor, Nate Kreuter, reserves the right to assign grades in cases when students are caught violating the Academic Honesty Policy. He may assign a failing grade for the assignment, or even for the course, as well as less severe penalties. He also reserves the right to use third-party plagiarism detection software to detect violations of the academic integrity policy.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Western Carolina University is committed to providing equal educational opportunities for students with documented disabilities. Students who require disability services or reasonable accommodations must identify themselves as having a disability and provide current diagnostic documentation to Disability Services. All information is confidential. Please contact Disability Services for more information at (828) 227-2716; or 144 Killian Annex. You can also visit the office’s website: http://www.wcu.edu/12789.asp
Communications (and Submission of Writing): All writing is to be turned in to Nate electronically. We will exchange as little paper as possible. Nate will only respond to emails originating from Catamount email addresses. Students are expected to use their Catamount email addresses and to check them at least once daily. Writing assignments are due by the time that class starts via electronic submission. Example: Paper 1.2 is due to the instructor on 9/28. So, your papers should be delivered from your Catamount email address to Nate’s email by the start of your class period. Any changes to assignments or updates of the syllabus will be delivered electronically via email, as well as updated in Blackboard and on the alternate website.
Cell Phones: Don’t let them ring in class. Don’t text in class. Violators can be assigned an unexcused absence at the instructor’s discretion.
Required Texts: The following texts are required for this course, and are available through the WCU bookstore, as well as other outlets:
- No Impact Man, by Colin Beavan
- Thank You for Arguing, by Jay Heinrichs
- Ways of Reading, 8th edition, edited by Bartholomae and Petrosky
- Ink, edited by Huber
- Rules for Writers, edited by Diana Hacker
Portfolios: You must keep an electronic copy of all assignments and all drafts, and be prepared to produce them for the instructor. This is critical to evaluating your progress over the course of the semester. Do not save over drafts as you revise. Save new copies. We will talk about this in class.
Expectations: Students are expected to be prepared at all times, to complete all assignments on time, and to bring copies of the text to be discussed with them to class. See Student/Instructor Contract for more details.
The Jerk Clause: Quite simply, don’t be a jerk, not to your classmates, and not to your instructor. College is not only a time for learning content material, but is also a time to learn how to interact with the world as an adult. Commensurately, I won’t tolerate anything other than respectful, professional behavior. If you are profoundly or repeatedly disrespectful to anyone associated with our class (the instructor gets to define these terms), Nate reserves the right to penalize your grade in a manner proportional to your offense. (FYI—your instructor has always had this rule, and have never had to invoke it. Please don’t be the first.)
Grades and Grading: The following list outlines our major writing assignments and how each assignment will be weighted towards the calculation of your final grade. There will be no opportunities for “extra credit.”
Paper 1.1 – Advisory
Paper 1.2 – 10%
Paper 2.1 – 10%
Paper 2.2 – 15%
Paper 3.1 – 15%
Paper 3.2 – 20%
All Other Assignments Combined – 30% (There will be at least six [6] of these smaller assignments, meaning that each one will represent 5% of your final grade. If there are more than six assignments, each one will represent less than 5% of your final grade.)
Grading Scale: The following scale will be used to determine final grades. Holistic scales will generally be used for individual assignments, and will be explained on individual assignment prompts.
A+ 100%
A 99% – 94%
A – 93% – 90%
B+ 89% – 88%
B 87% – 84%
B – 83% – 80%
C+ 79% – 78%
C 77% – 74%
C- 73% – 70%
D 69% – 65%
F 64% – 0%
Questions: Students should ALWAYS feel free to come to Nate with any questions or problems. Generally, the sooner a problem is brought to his attention, the more likely he is to be able to help fix it. Students should always feel free to come by during office hours, make an appointment, or email about questions not only relating to our own class, but regarding other University issues as well. Nate is here to help. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s his job and obligation to help you through them.
