SYLLABUS PART ONE (the somewhat boring businessy stuff)

I don't usually like to post this one, but the email system is being wonky--isn't that a great British word?

COURSE INFORMATION/COURSE SYLLABUS

Modes of Writing, English 3109, Dr. Brett Schmoll

bschmoll@csub.edu

Office Hours: Fridays, 3-6pm…but always make an appointment before showing up to ensure that I do not make another meeting during that time.

Course Description

English 3109 is a hybrid course in effective expository writing with an emphasis on writing as a process. Fulfills the GWAR.

Prerequisite

ENGL 1109 (formerly ENGL 110) or the equivalent with a grade of C- or higher and upper-division standing.

General Education & GWAR Requirement

This course fulfills the GWAR requirement of the CSU Bakersfield General Education Program, including reading and writing foundational skills and reinforcement of the following General Education themes— Theme Q: Quality of Life; Theme R: Revolutionary Ideas and Innovations; and Theme S: Sustainability & Justice—through readings, discussions, and assignments.

This course counts toward the Teacher Preparation Programs in Liberal Studies and Child Development but does not count toward the major or minor.

Students must earn a grade of C- or higher in this course to satisfy the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR). In addition, this course can fulfill the GWAR only if a student has completed 90 or more quarter units of college work before taking it.

Successful Completion of English 3109

To be eligible for a C- in English 3109, students must earn a C- or higher on at least one in-class writing assignment and a C- average or higher on all other course assignments. Since this is an online class, in- class writing assignments may be given at the first meeting, the last meeting, or both meetings.

Course Learning Outcomes

GWAR Goals
Goal G-1: Students will demonstrate college-level reading skills.

Outcome G-1: Students will evaluate how effectively a writer’s rhetorical choices (e.g., bias, rhetorical modes, organization, diction, etc.) and logic meet the needs of a particular rhetorical context.

Goal G-2: Students will demonstrate college-level writing skills.
Outcome G-2A: Students will create effective thesis statements for various types of writing

tasks.
Outcome G-2B: Students will effectively use discourse-appropriate prose.
Outcome G-2C: Students will use logical reasoning, at the appropriate level, to develop and

organize ideas.

Goal G-3: Students will demonstrate college-level research skills.
Outcome G-3A: Students will find and evaluate diverse, reputable sources for a specific writing

task.
Outcome G-3B: Students will effectively and correctly use summary, paraphrase, and direct

quotes to synthesize sources.

Waiting List/Drop Policy

Students enrolled in English 3109 must attend the mandatory Saturday orientation session. Students who miss this session will be dropped. There is no make-up orientation session.

Students who wish to add the course once the class is full can contact the instructor before the quarter begins and ask to be put on a waiting list. These students must attend the mandatory Saturday session to remain eligible for a seat, and these students can only be added if a spot in the class becomes available.

MyWritingLabPlus

MyWritingLabPlus is designed to help you with writing and grammar necessary for persuasive, logical, and effective writing. This online program allows you access to work on grammar, mechanics, writing, and research skills at your own pace, on your own time. MyWritingLabPlus supports different learning styles as well, utilizing audio files, videos, and interactive exercises. For this particular course, there is a class set up in MyWritingLabPlus where all the topics and resources are available to you. You can treat this as an online handbook, where you can go for more information about writing, research, or grammar. You can also submit papers in any subject area to Pearson Tutor Services, and within 48 hours, someone with a Master’s or PhD in that area will get back to you with feedback in grammar, mechanics, documentation, and content. Your instructor may also require you to complete specific topics on an individual basis.

Website URL:
Username:
Password:
is November 9, 1993, then your password would be 11091983). You can change this password after you log in the first time.

http://csub.mylabsplus.com
Student ID# (e.g., 000123456)
The first time you log in, your password will be your full birth date (e.g., if your birthday

Academic Honesty Policy

“The principles of truth and integrity are recognized as fundamental to a community of teachers and scholars. The University expects that both faculty and students will honor these principles and in so doing will protect the integrity of all academic work and student grades. Students are expected to do all work assigned to them without unauthorized assistance and without giving unauthorized assistance.”

For a complete version of the University’s policy on academic honesty, go to

http://www.csub.edu/osrr/academic%20integrity%20/

Support Services for Students

To request academic accommodations due to a disability, you should contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) as soon as possible. This office is located in SA 140, and they may be reached at 661-654-3360 (voice) or 661-654-6288 (TDD). If you have an accommodations letter from the SSD Office documenting a disability, you should present it to me as soon as possible so we can discuss the specific accommodations you need for this class.

At times, school, work, and/or our personal lives can become overwhelming and difficult to handle. CSUB’s Counseling Center is available to you with skilled and experienced counselors to guide you through the challenges of daily life. Contact 654-3366 for an appointment.

Turnitin.com

Turnitin.com is a tool to help you avoid plagiarism. Approximately two hours after submitting a paper to this online program, you can access a color-coded report with details about the use of sources in your paper. Because this site does not detect problems with paraphrasing that is not cited properly, you should use this site only as a guide. To use turnitin.com, you will need to register on the site and set up a password. Once this is done, you then will need to create a “user profile” specifically for this class and any others that may use the site. You will need the following information to set up your user profile:

Class ID--###
Class Enrollment Password—XXXX I WILL GIVE YOU THIS INFO LATER…

After creating a profile, students can log onto and use the site.

 As an online course, it is imperative that you advocate for yourself on campus and on email. If you ever have any issues or questions, please email me and we will set up a meeting. In general, I hold office hours on Friday afternoons

 Required Texts:

For all of these books, you may buy any edition, online or paper.

1.     The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell.

2.     The Tortilla Curtain, by TC Boyle.

3. Quick Access (Rationale: This handbook, which is required of all CSUB writing courses, is a resource for questions of grammar and mechanics. If purchased new, this text is expensive, so I recommend you find a used copy, borrow one from a friend, or just use an online tool such as the Owl site at Purdue.

English 305 Waiting List/Drop Policy Statement

Students enrolled in English 305 must attend the first Saturday orientation session. Students who miss this session will be dropped so that other students may add the course. There is no make-up orientation session.

Students who wish to add the course once the class is full can contact the instructor before the quarter begins and ask to be put on a waiting list. These students must attend the first Saturday session to remain eligible for a seat, and these students can only be added if a spot in the class becomes available.

Course Description: An online course in effective expository writing. Emphasis on writing as a process. This course counts toward the Teacher Preparation programs in English, Liberal Studies, and Child Development but does not count toward the major or minor. Fulfills the GWAR.

Course Goals

At the end of ten weeks, students in English 305 should be able to do the following:

1. read and write literally, interpretively, and analytically or critically;

2. recognize a writer’s tone and how it informs a text’s statements; this includes analyzing diction and syntax;

3. consider rhetorical strategies and their connection to meaning;

4. identify assumptions in reading and writing;

5. analyze a potential audience and use an appropriate style and tone;

6. analyze and adapt writing techniques to purpose;

7. present appropriate details, examples, and definitions as support;

8. fully develop arguments and write cohesively using adequate transitions;

9. recognize faulty logic;

10. use a variety of sentence structures;

11. use varied levels of linguistic formality;

12. revise and edit their own writing using standard, edited American English.

Writing Requirements

Assignments will gradually increase in difficulty, and each assignment will include both a rough draft and a final essay. Writing assignments may be distributed as follows:

● at least one in-class assignment, during the first or last meeting

● writing to inform

● writing to amuse or move the reader emotionally

● writing to persuade

● writing to analyze literature and/or art