TEXTBOOKS AND SUPPLIES
Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum by Behrens and Rosen (8th edition)
Dictionary  (strongly recommended)
Email account

COURSE OBJECTIVES
The primary goal of this course is to assist you in developing the writing skills that you need to succeed in college and beyond.  We will discuss academic writing and its conventions, and you will certainly have ample practice in this form of writing; however, I will also provide you with opportunities to write for non-academic purposes and contexts.  Since writing is one important way of figuring out what you’re thinking, and sometimes it is the best way to explain that to others, you should aim for detailed, clear, and simple writing with every assignment. I hope that you complete this class with more confidence in your writing and a better understanding of your skills and talents in this area.

We will focus on and seek to improve your skills in at least these areas:

A. The composing process—and an increased awareness of your individual process.
B. Writing as a means of discovering what you think.
C. Writing for various contexts, purposes and audiences with special emphasis on academic writing situations.
D. Other writing considerations including rhetorical strategies and stylistic choices.
E. Critical reading and analysis.
F. Summary and synthesis of ideas expressed by authors.
G. Research skills including the use of KU’s online catalogue and internet sources.
H. Evaluation skills—the ability to evaluate your own and your peers’ writing.
I. Grammar, punctuation, and spelling as needed.
J. MLA style conventions.

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed as a writing workshop.  Class time will be used to compose and evaluate texts, discuss and practice writing skills, and respond to assigned readings.  Since participation is an essential element of our work, the success of this class depends as much on you as it does on me.  Please do your very best to be prompt and prepared for class.  Additionally, you should try to attend every class since poor attendance will affect your grades—and the quality of this course—in negative ways.  If a situation develops that is going to affect your work and attendance, please come and see me (or email me) so that we can decide how and if you can successfully complete the class.  You should be aware that even excused absences will negatively affect your grade unless you keep up with all of the work.

MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING
Summary Portfolio—readings from “Obedience to Authority.”
Review of an Event.
Developing an Argument—readings on “The Walmart Controversy.”
Analysis Essay—readings from “Obedience to Authority.”
Research Paper—readings from “You—The Jury” and other research activities.
Personal Critical Essay—readings provided.
Homework
Final Portfolio—Reflective Essay, Personal Essay and other inclusions.

Summary Portfolio  2 Summaries/Substantial revision 10%
Review   2-3 pages    10%
Developing an Argument        5%
Analysis Essay  4 pages    20%
Research Paper  5-7 pages    20%
Personal Critical Essay 4 pages    20%
Homework        10%
Final Portfolio          5%

Note: late homework will not be accepted and late essays and portfolios will be graded down.  If you are absent, contact a classmate or me to find out what is due for the next class—being absent is not an excuse for being unprepared when you return to class.

PRESENTATION OF PAPERS, HOMEWORK, AND PORTFOLIOS
All work done outside of class to be turned in must be typed; work that is not typed will be returned to you without remarks or grades.  Papers must be formatted according to MLA style rules which we will review in class.

GENERAL CRITERIA FOR GRADING PAPERS
In grading your papers, I will consider these questions:
1. Do you fulfill all of the stated requirements for the assignment?
2. Do you have a point to make, is it clearly stated, and is it significant?
3. Do you provide sufficient support—quotes, summaries, statistics, stories, examples—throughout your essay?  Is your evidence appropriately documented?
4. Is your essay organized in a logical manner?
5. Is each paragraph purposeful, are all paragraphs well developed, and do you provide clear transitions between paragraphs?
6. Have you thoroughly revised your work?
7. Have you eliminated all grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors from your final draft—in other words, have you thoroughly edited your paper?
8. Is your paper presented in MLA style?
NOTE: in addition to the above-stated general criteria, most assignments will have special criteria that we will develop and discuss together.

PLAGIARISM
Although often unintentional, plagiarism is a serious academic offense. The following actions constitute plagiarism:
· Summarizing someone else’s ideas in your own words without citing the source properly.
· Quoting part of a sentence (a key phrase) without citing the source properly.
· Quoting a whole sentence without citing the source properly.
· Quoting several sentences, a whole paragraph or more without citing the source properly.
· Turning in a paper that you did not write as if it were your own work.
Plagiarism will result in an automatic F for the assignment and a serious grade reduction for the course.  Please do not plagiarize.  If you have problems with an assignment for whatever reason, please come and speak with me rather than succumb to the temptation to plagiarize.  Please.  (See The Key for further information on plagiarism.)

Additionally, every paper that you submit must be written specifically for this class (and not for additional classes) unless you have my permission as well as the permission of the other professor(s).  Again, failure to comply with this request will result in an automatic F for the assignment.
 

CELLULAR TELEPHONES, PAGERS…
PLEASE, keep them turned off during all class sessions and conferences since they will disrupt and distract us.

CLASS CALENDAR
Tuesdays and Thursdays: 9:30 to 10:50
LY 202

Week 1   Aug. 26 Introduction to the class; setting goals for the semester.
               Aug. 28 Discussion of the writing process.

Week 2 Sept. 2  Follow your Monday schedule—no class.
             Sept. 4  Discuss summaries (1-20); discuss Lessing.

Week 3 Sept. 9  Discuss Asch and Milgrim; work on Summary Portfolio.
             Sept. 11 Discuss Baumrind; work on revisions of summaries and Reflective Essay.

Week 4 Sept. 16 Conferences.
             Sept. 18 Summary Portfolio due; discuss reviews.

Week 5 Sept. 23  Analysis of reviews.
             Sept. 25 Using quotations (38-48); discuss critical reading (51-67).

Week 6 Sept. 30  First Draft of Review due; peer review of drafts.
             Oct. 2  Work on reviews; discuss introductions.

Week 7 Oct. 7   Final Draft of Review due; discussion of editing.
             Oct. 9  Discuss “Argument Synthesis” (125-54).

Week 8 Oct. 14  Discuss “Argument Synthesis”; work on Developing an Argument Portfolio; conferences.
             Oct. 16  Developing an Argument Portfolio due; discuss Analysis Essay.

Week 9 Oct. 21    Discuss Zimbardo and Brooks; review other “Obedience to Authority” articles.
             Oct. 23  Work on Analysis Essay.

Week 10 Oct. 28  First Draft of Analysis Essay due; peer group review; introduction to Research Paper.
               Oct. 30  Groups review and present summaries of Hricik; discuss “Urban War Zone” and
                             “The Felled Stop Signs.”

Week 11 Nov. 4  Final Draft of Analysis Essay due; discuss “Legal Glossary,” research topics; discuss
                            note-taking, MLA, and research (163-210).
               Nov. 6   Library orientation.

 Week 12 Nov. 11 Meet in library; research and conferences.
                Nov. 13 Summaries of articles due; work on Research Paper thesis and main arguments.

Week 13 Nov. 18 Work on organization and development of ideas (bring research); introduce Personal Critical
                             Essay.
Nov. 20                First Draft of Research Paper due; peer review; begin work on Personal Critical Essay.

Week 14 Nov. 25 Further discussion of revision; discuss readings for Personal Critical Essay.
               Nov. 27 Thanksgiving Holiday—no class.

Week 15 Dec. 2  Work with anecdotes for Personal Critical Essay.
               Dec. 4  Last day of class; work on editing Research Paper.

Finals Week Dec. 8-12 Conferences on Personal Critical Essay.  Final: reading; Final Portfolio due.

Commencement—Dec. 13
 

Please note that this calendar is subject to change; however, if adjustments seem necessary, I will discuss them with you.