“Histories make men wise; poets, witty; the mathematics, subtle; natural philosophy, deep; moral, grave; logic and rhetoric, able to contend.”  Francis Bacon (1561–1626).  

I am hopeful that this course will help make you deep, witty, moral, grave, logical and able to contend.

Syllabus as Guide:  This course syllabus is intended to provide students in English 2307 with basic information concerning the course.  This syllabus should be viewed as a “blueprint” for the course; changes in the syllabus may be made, but students will be informed of any substantial changes concerning examinations, grading or attendance policies, or project assignments. 

Course Description: This 2000-level course serves as the introductory course for the writing concentration. You will be introduced to rhetorical theory and a variety of applications as well as basic creative writing processes.  Rhetoric units will include but not be limited to studies of genres encountered in the writing major; rhetorical appeals; comparison of speech, writing, and visual literacies; social construction of meaning; semiotics—words as signifiers; authorship—authority and status; intertextuality and means of production.  You will also explore writing fiction by imitation, working on a variety of structural elements within fiction and poetry.

Prerequisites: English 1301 and 1302. This course must be taken prior to or in conjunction with the first selected course in the writing concentration. 

Required Texts: 
Crowley, Sharon and Debra Hawhee.  Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students. 3rd ed.  New York:
        Pearson/Longman, 2004.

Gibaldi, Joseph.  MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.  6th ed. New York: MLA, 2003.

King, Stephen.  On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.  New York: Scribner, 2000.

+$ for copying research materials.

Course Assignments: 

1. Read selections identified in Schedule of Assignments.
2. Write four major writing projects, one of which will be creative.
3. Research and maintain one annotated bibliography
4. Present one oral presentation over researched bibliography
5. Write responses on WebCT as indicated in Schedule of Assignments.
6. Complete rhetoric/writing exercises as directed.

**Please note that I do not provide hard copies of any assignments; you will find all assignments and their due dates at Eng2307rl.htm.

Course Evaluations:  The grade earned in this course will be a combined average from the above assignments.  The various components of the course will be averaged as follows:

• Writing Project One                 10%

• Writing Project Two                10%

• Writing Project Three               15%

• Writing Project Four                15%

• Annotated Bibliography            15%

• Oral Presentation                     10%

• WebCT                                   10%

• One Major Opportunity           15%, which includes rhetorical terms and MLA documentation form

  *One Writing Project must be submitted for publication or public presentation

Important Note about Submission of Work:
You must complete and turn in all assignments, major and minor, in the order in which they are assigned, to pass this class.  All documents must be turned in on the designated date.  If you do not have major assignments ready when class begins, you will lose 10 points from your grade; if you submit an assignment one calendar day late, you will lose 20 points, if you submit an assignment two calendar days late, you will lose 30 points.  This instructor will not accept any assignments submitted after the third calendar day.  Extensive experience substantiates the reality that you attend class regularly, maintain assignments, follow guidelines and deadlines set forth for each assignment, you will have few situations that prevent on-time delivery of assignments.  The Annotated Bibliography WILL NOT be accepted late.

Document Format Requirements:

§    In lieu of a cover page when turning in final drafts for all work, please place a cover memo on top of the document.  Please use Word's Professional template.  In company name slot, you should write the course name: English 2307.01.   I will be the recipient of the memo although assignments will have designated audiences other than me.  Sample cover memo.

§    All final drafts must be word processed (double-spaced) on 8.5 X 11 white paper with standard one-inch margins in either 12 point Times or Times New Roman font.

§    Consecutive pages should be headed and numbered as necessary for each type of document.

§  All final drafts of essays must follow the Modern Language Association’s (MLA) Style Manual.

Student Responsibilities:

1. To attend class regularly.  If you do miss class, you must, nonetheless, be prepared for the next class session and must have completed any work missed during your absence.
2. To check web site frequently for any assignment changes or updates: Eng2307rl.htm
3. To read the assigned textbook selections before class and to be prepared to discuss them.
4. To ask for help when needed.  This help must be obtained in a timely fashion, not the day before an assignment is due.
5. To turn in out-of-class assignments on time and in the format designated in the syllabus.
6. To participate in class discussions and to read aloud when requested to do so.
7. To share creative work when called on in class.
8. To practice academic integrity in the full meaning of the word.  Please read carefully my brief statement on that below and a more extensive statement at http://department.txwes.edu/lnl/lcarroll/integrity.
9. To make a friend in class so that notes can be exchanged and assignments can be discussed.
10. Not to expect me to repeat a lecture, provide a synopsis of class discussion, or provide detailed instructions that were given when you are absent. 

Academic Integrity:
Although our University Catalog addresses academic integrity, which includes cheating and plagiarism, I would like to emphasize the importance of academic integrity as we begin this new semester. 

Please note that academic integrity is important in this course precisely because integrity is important in all areas of life.  If we don’t have integrity in the small things, if we find it possible to justify plagiarism or cheating or shoddy work in things that don’t seem to matter, how will we resist doing the same thing in areas that really do matter: where lives might be at stake (think about a doctor who cheated his/her way through college or medical school), where money may be a factor, or the possibility of advancement, or even our esteem in the eyes of others? 

Personal integrity is not a quality we’re born to naturally.  It’s a quality of character we need to nurture, and that requires practice in both meanings of the word (as in the practice the piano and to practice a profession).  We can only be a person of integrity if we practice integrity every day.  To discover what that means in this course, please refer to http://department.txwes.edu/lnl/lcarroll/integrity.htm for a more detailed statement.  You will discover that integrity requires the same things of me as a teacher as it does of you as a student.

A final note, if you decide after reading my statement to not practice academic integrity, you will pay the ultimate price in this class: an F in the course and a recommendation to the Dean that you be suspended from this university.

Grading Standards:
I will explain specific expectations for each major assignment.  Generally, however, the three significant criteria pertain to Purpose, Product, and Production/Process.

1. Purpose.  How effectively does the document accomplish its task for its intended purpose and audience?

·    Does it meet its goals and the demands of its context (both academic and/or organizational)? 

·        Does it solve a problem or address a significant organizational concern? 

·    Does it provide a sound argument in support of its claims?

·    Does it meet readers’ needs?  Does it provide relevant, useful, and accurate information? 

2. Product.  How well constructed is the document?

·    Is the material presented in an orderly and coherent way?

·    Is the document designed and formatted effectively?

·    Are visuals used effectively?

·    Does the document have a professional tone and style?

3. Production/Process.  How effectively was the document produced?

·    Was there effective planning and collaboration?

·    Was the document drafted, edited, and proofread effectively?

Revisions:

I frequently issue a Z grade in order to provide you a second chance because you are in this course to learn; moreover, I believe all students learn by examining their own strengths and weaknesses.  Therefore, when you submit a major document that is not strong enough to receive a grade of C or better, you will receive a grade of Z.  This grade provides you a second chance to rework the essay. 

Failure to do so will result in a grade of D or F for the Z paper. 

Any student who scores lower than desired is free to resubmit any revised work within one week of the date that papers are returned.  All revised assignments must be submitted within two class days of the date that papers are returned to the class. Acceptable revisions can improve an assigned grade upward, but revision does not guarantee a better grade.  Students receiving an A (between 90-100) will not be allowed to resubmit revised work as a paper earning this grade has already been determined to be superior work.  No revision will be allowed for in-class writing, WebCT responses, oral presentations, major opportunities, or the Annotated Bibliography. 

NOTE: You will need to read my revision process, which details how you are to revise a work.  All revisions MUST follow this process.

Absence and Tardy Policy:

Texas Wesleyan Policies:

You should read the current Texas Wesleyan University Catalog and Student Handbook to become familiar with University policies.  These policies include but are not limited to grade appeal, sexual harassment, student access to records, and others; policies specified in the current catalog are applicable unless otherwise stated in this syllabus.

Class Conduct:
See Student Handbook for details.  Student conduct in this class should be such that it does not interfere with the purpose of its meeting.  Cell phones and beepers must be turned off as they are disruptive to the learning process.  If a family emergency requires you to have your phone on, please let me know at the beginning of class, and should it ring, please leave the room immediately.   

Importance of Communication
Learning the art of communications is one of the requirements/necessities/expectations for college students.  Writing is but one form of this skill; verbal communication is another one.  I want you to succeed, and I have faith that you can; therefore, I encourage you to speak with me if you have a problem, question, or concern about this course.  My email address and phone number are at the top of this syllabus, and  I am glad to meet with you if you cannot meet during my posted office hours.