New York City College of Technology Professor Rodgers
English 1101 Office: Namm 503
What Is Writing?: jrodgers@citytech.cuny.edu
An Introduction to College Writing in the 21st Century
Spring, 2013
Office Hours: M/W 11:15-12:15; 2:15-3:15 and by appointment
Course Description
This course is designed to assist students in further developing the writing, reading, and critical thinking practices needed to participate in various academic and professional communities. The course will focus on a study of the use, structure, significance, and applications of reading and writing in a digital age. The course is not only structured around an inquiry into various issues related to writing and reading, but, through that inquiry, asks students to develop their understanding of–and comfort with–the writing process, explore their unique relationships to writing and language, and consider how writing relates to critical thinking. The overall goal of the course is to better enable students to structure and complete written work in future courses, as well as to use writing as a means of expression and problem-solving in various academic, creative, personal, and professional projects. There will be a strong emphasis on writing, close textual analysis, and research methods.
Course Web Site
https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/whatiswriting/
You will find all of our course assignments and links to or copies of additional course readings on this site. Please make sure that register for Open Lab and add this course to your profile.
Required Texts
While the majority of the texts for our class are available online and free of charge, I am asking that you purchase one printed book. See below for details.
1) Rodgers, Johannah, ed. Digital Composition Reader.
2) Barthes, Roland. Mythologies. New York: Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1972.
3) A College-level English Dictionary. You can use reliable dictionaries on the web, e.g., Merriam Webster (http://www.merriam-webster.com), Oxford, and/or a dictionary that you already own.
In addition to the books listed above, we will be using several different texts for our course this semester, all of which are available on the Web. I have made every effort to ensure that the required books for this course are both affordable and portable. Please make sure that you bring whatever books/handouts that we will be discussing to class with you, and that you purchase the required texts for our course by the end of the first week of classes.
Course Readings
I will be assigning some readings, which will all be found in the Digital Composition Reader. We will also, as a class, select a text or a series of texts on a specific theme chosen by the class.
Supplies
One notebook for In-Class Assignments and Notes.
One folder with pockets for Assignments and Course Handouts.
Course Requirements
Writing Journal: This is a self-directed assignment that is due at the end of the semester. For details, see “Writing Journal” under Assignments. Over the course of the semester, you will be completing FIVE structured free writing exercises, as well as reading and responding to Barthes’ book Mythologies.
Reading and Writing Assignments (RWA): Related to the writing process, research methods, and course readings and themes, these assignments will be discussed in class before they are due and, once completed, will form the basis of various discussions and writing projects. See Course Schedule for details and due dates. These assignments must be typed. Please make every effort to get these assignments in on time. The work in our course is cumulative and it is very important to keep up with the assignments. If you hand in an assignment within one to two classes of its due date, I will generally give you full credit for the assignment. However, in general, late assignments WILL BE GIVEN 0-50% CREDIT and will be reviewed and returned at my discretion.
Essays: We will be discussing, drafting, and revising expository essays for several weeks before they are due. You will be given a letter grade for these essays based on a grading rubric assessing various issues related to academic writing, all of which will be reviewed and discussed during the course of the semester. See Course Schedule for details and due dates.
1/ Personal Essay (2-3 pages)
2/ Analysis Essay (2-3 pages)
3/ Research Project (4-5 pages)
Final Writing Portfolio: Over the course of the semester, I would like you to keep all of the writing that you do. At the end of the semester, you will compile your writing assignments, journals, drafts, and essays into a final writing portfolio.
Exams: The English department requires that our course include two exams: a midterm exam and a final exam. We will discuss and prepare for these exams in the course of the semester.
A Note on Course Workload: Per CUNY guidelines, please calculate two hours of work per credit hour per week, EXCLUSIVE OF CLASS TIME. This means that for a 3 credit course, you will need to budget 8.5 hours/week (2.5 class hours plus 6 hours independent study/class preparation). Taking into consideration your other professional, educational, and personal obligations, please make sure that you have the time to do the work for this course and successfully complete it. If you do not have the time to accommodate the work for this course, I STRONGLY encourage you to consider taking this course at some point in the future when you will have the time to successfully complete it.
A Note on What College Is: While the notion and function of “college” changes over time and one that we will discuss in this class, the one thing that does not change is that deciding to go to college is a choice. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE HERE. Instead, it is your choice to be here. Please keep this in mind and try to keep an open mind towards the work you are asked to do. We will be spending quite a bit of time together this semester. Let’s try to make this time as productive and pleasant as possible.
Grading
This course is about the practice of reading and writing, your exploration of that practice, and your engagement with it. I will ask you to do some things and it is expected that you will complete these assignments, which will be assessed on whether or not you complete them, as well as on the effort and attention you appear to have expended in completing them.
We will discuss grading policies for assignments and essays in detail over the course of the semester. Grades for the course will be based on the following:
10% Class Participation
15% Writing Journal
10% Final Writing Portfolio
25% Reading and Writing Assignments (Completion=50%; Grade=50%)
20% Essays
20% Midterm and Final Exam
Although grades will be calculated based on the percentages listed above, this calculation, and your ability to receive a passing grade for the course, are dependent both upon your completion of all essays and assignments, upon course attendance, and upon passing the final exam.
You are expected to arrive on time and attend all classes; City Tech’s attendance policy states that more than three absences can result in a failing grade for the course. Arriving late or leaving early will count as a partial absence.
The work for this course is cumulative, which means that one assignment builds from the next and it is difficult to catch-up once you fall behind. Please remember that being absent is not an excuse for missing or late work, so be sure to get notes and assignments from a classmate or from our course Web site so that you can be informed and prepared for every class.
While I plan to attend each one of our classes, I am also aware that illnesses and emergencies arise. As a result, it is my policy to grant students three absences to manage over the course of the semester. Grades for those students who have no absences will be positively impacted; those with three absences will not be affected; and those with more than three absences will be negatively effected. With four absences, a student cannot expect to receive a grade higher than a B, with five, a grade no higher than a C, with six, a grade no higher than a D. With seven absences, a student will receive a failing grade for the course. Please also keep in mind that three latenesses are the equivalent of one absence and that leaving a class before its completion will be counted as an absence. Finally, if situations arise that are beyond your control and that will result in a prolonged absence, please come talk to me.
Course Policies
Participation: Class participation is vital to lively and focused discussions. Everyone must speak at least once each class period, no matter how shy or nervous you might be. Be respectful to your classmates, and please be free of distractions such as cell phones, food, or other non-course material.
Preparedness: Preparedness means that you will have read the text scheduled for that day and underlined passages you feel are important or about which you have questions and respect the voices and opinions of your fellow students.
Essays and Assignments: Essays and writing/reading assignments are due at the BEGINNING OF CLASS on the date indicated. Late essays will not be accepted. Essays and assignments must be typed. Essays should be formatted according to MLA guidelines, which will be reviewed in class and are explained below and on our course Blackboard site. Please make sure that you retain a copy of all assignments, essays, and handouts. If you must miss a class, please consult with one of your classmates or our course Blackboard site regarding any assignments you may have missed.
Formatting papers: Use MLA guidelines, which include the following recommendations: Double-space the text of your paper, and use a legible font (e.g. Times New Roman). The font size should be 12 pt.. The left and right margins of your document should be 1.25 inches. In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor’s name, the course, the date, and the assignment title. Include a title for all essays and for any assignments for which a title may be appropriate.
Contacting Me: The best ways to contact me are in-person before and after class and during my office hours. If you need to get any assignments or essays to me, please either leave them in my mailbox, which is located in Namm 503, or bring them to class. I am unable to e-mail assignments to students and unable to receive assignments or essays via e-mail.
Students with Disabilities: If you have any type of disability, please come discuss this with me so we can make arrangements to tailor any course policies or assignments to your specific needs.
Plagiarism: Any part of submitted work that has appropriated another’s ideas or language, intentionally or unintentionally, without proper acknowledgement of the source, is considered plagiarism. You will receive a failing grade for work that is plagiarized, and the English Department will be notified. No excuses, exceptions, or rewrites. Please see our course Blackboard site for the complete City Tech plagiarism policy and please do not hesitate to talk to me if you have any questions about practical or theoretical issues related to plagiarism.
Cell Phones, Computers, Other Electronic Devices, etc.: Cell Phones, computers, and other electronic devices need to be turned off and stored away during class. Anyone using a computer or cell phone for purposes unrelated to a class activity will be marked absent for that class.
Semester Course Schedule : Below, you will find an Overview of our Fall Class Schedule. For a detailed class schedule that includes reading and writing assignments, please consult our course OpenLab site.
Date Topic Exam/Essay Due Dates
Week 1
January 28 Introductions/What Is Writing?
January 30
Week 2
February 4 Writing: Rhetoric and Communication
February 6
Week 3
February 11 Writing: Rhetoric and Communication
February 13
Week 4 Writing Processes
February 18 NO CLASS
February 20
Week 5
February 25 Reading in Response
February 27
Week 6
March 4 Reading in Response and Summary Writing
March 6
Week 7
March 11 Introduction to Argumentation
March 13
Week 8
March 18 Writing and Revising College Essays
March 20
SPRING BREAK 3/25 – 4/2
Week 9
April 1 Summary Writing and Midterm Prep
April 3 MIDTERM
Week 10
April 8 Revision
April 10
Week 11
April 15 Revision
April 17 Final Draft Essay 2 DUE
Week 12
April 22 Research Projects LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW (W) FROM COURSES
April 24 Library Visit
Week 13
April 29 Research Projects
May 1
Week 14
May 6 Research Projects
May 8 Research Project Proposal/Annotated Bibliography DUE
Week 15
May 13 Final Exam Prep
May 15 FINAL EXAM PART I/Researched Response Essay DUE
May 20 FINAL EXAM PART II/Portfolio DUE
