Individualized Instruction (INI)

COMP 3160 - Advanced Writing: Social Sciences - Section 200

Instructor: Timothy Larson

Instructor E-mail: tlarson@d.umn.edu

Term: Fall 2007

Date Range: Course begins on September 4, 2007. All course requirements must be completed by December 14th, 2007.

Course Level: Undergraduate

Credits: 3

Course Delivery: Online - Uses WebCT

Registration Deadline: September 4, 2007

Cost per undergraduate credit: To be announced

Additional fees may apply

Prerequisites: Comp 1120, minimum 60 credits

Additional Info: A-F only. Instructor consent required. Students must obtain a permission number from the instructor to register for the course.

Description: Study and practice of writing for those whose professional interests are in sociology, anthropology, geography, criminology, psychology, women's studies, history, political science, and similar fields. Assignments center on producing documents encountered in the workplace, such as career documents, proposals, research projects, oral presentations, observational studies, and position papers.

Required Textbooks: Textbooks can be purchased from the UMD Bookstore

Writing in the Social Sciences, 2^nd ed. by Kristine Hansen.

Strongly recommended

A writing handbook.  (A few resources are available online via the UMD Library.)

UMD Career Handbook (paper copies available from Career Services, 21 Solon Campus Center; also available online: http://careers.d.umn.edu/handbook/).

Some online readings may also be assigned. 

Course Welcome from Instructor:

Instructor: Tim Larson

E-mail: tlarson@d.umn.edu

Office phone: (218) 726-6684

Office: 318 Kirby Plaza

Special INI considerations ***Please read the following information carefully***

*The course must be completed within the 16-week semester.  No incompletes and no late work will be accepted after the end of the 16-week term in mid-December.  Assignments must be completed by the mandatory due dates specified on the syllabus if you want to receive full credit.  Treat deadlines as seriously as you would if you were completing projects for an employer.  See the schedule at the end of this syllabus for suggested (and a couple of mandatory) due dates.  Please do not turn in all of your assignments at once at the end of the term. Essays turned in after December 15 will have scores reduced by ten percent (one letter grade).  All work must be submitted by December 21 at midnight. 

*Students who are unable to complete all the work by the end of the semester will receive an F for the course (meaning you will need to register for the course and pay the tuition and fees all over if you take the course again).  A course grade of I (for incomplete) is not an option for this course.  

* Some of Comp 3160 INI will be conducted by e-mail.  Check your UMD e-mail account regularly for messages from the instructor.  Expect occasional messages with information about assignments. 

*Assignments should be submitted to the instructor via WebCT.  (If you need help, go the UMD home page; click on students; scroll down to Technology, and click on Student Resources.)  Please use Microsoft Word for your written assignments (unless instructed otherwise).  If for some reason you are unable to access WebCT, you may submit essays as e-mail attachments.  If the instructor finds that your work has been sent in a form that is not acceptable (such as attachments the instructor cannot open or read), you are responsible for resubmitting your work in a form the instructor can access. 

*You must contact the instructor immediately if a situation arises where you cannot turn work in on time.  It is up to you to keep in touch with the instructor; the instructor is not responsible for contacting you to check up on your progress.  

Course goals

You will refine your writing skills for careers related to the social sciences.  We will practice writing for real situations related to your possible careers.  Assignments will stress effective, purposeful writing for particular readers. 

You are strongly encouraged to write real pieces of writing for real readers.  Many careers related to the social sciences involve making the world a better place in some way or other.  Think about how you might make the world a better place with your writing assignments for this course.

Assignments

• Be advised: you should try to complete the assignments by the suggested deadlines.  Taking an independent study course can be somewhat like paying with a credit card: it’s easy to get behind with your installments and harder than you think to catch up! 
• Complete the assigned readings before writing each essay.
• Please make sure to label each assignment at the top, clearly stating which assignment you have completed. 
• Also give each essay a descriptive title, centered in boldface type above your text.

Assignments

Work for the course is worth a possible 100 points.  The following list of assignments includes the maximum number of points that can be earned for each:                             

Pay attention to instructions; ask when you have questions.  The instructor is happy to communicate via e-mail though it may take a day or two for you to receive a reply.  You may also meet with the instructor, during office hours or by appointment, if you have questions about assignments. 

Note: The instructor is not responsible for lost or missing work.  Students should keep back-up copies of completed writing assignments.

Students with special needs

Individuals who have any disability (either permanent or temporary) that might affect their performance in this class are encouraged to inform the instructor at the start of the semester.  Adaptation of methods, materials, or testing may be made as required to provide for equitable participation.

About grades

Expect the instructor to take a week or two to grade papers.  The instructor will often reply with a brief comment or two along with your grade for each assignment.  Most assignments do not have absolute due dates (except Proposal: due June 15).  You should try, however, to follow the suggested schedule below.

***Please note that due dates suggested below are highly recommended; however, the October 5 Proposal deadline is MANDATORY.*** 

All essays should be submitted by December 15.  Work turned in after December 15 will have scores reduced by 10%, or one letter grade.  All work must be submitted by the absolutely final deadline of December 21, 2007.

WebCT Information:

Please read through this document carefully as it will explain how to use WebCT and different ways to access your online course:

• If you have not used the WebCT environment before please visit the “Student Orientation Course Site” http://webct.umn.edu/students/ prior to the beginning of this course.
• It is very important that you test your login prior to the course start date. If you are having problems or if you need assistance, please email the WebCT Vista help desk at webct@umn.edu. Please note, you will not be able to access your course materials until September 4, 2007, but can test your login.
• Please have your book or course materials before the course begins, contact the UMD bookstore to request the required materials 218-726-7286 or toll free 866-726-UMD1 or visit the book store web site at http://umdstores.com.

How do I access my online course(s)?

Log in:

• Go to the University of Minnesota Duluth homepage http://www.d.umn.edu
• On the left side of the page click on “My UMD” (see Quick Links)
• Click on “Log into Portal”
• Enter your x.500 login information
• Click on the “My Toolkit” tab
• Scroll down to find your course(s) or click on the WebCT Vista link.
• Remember to Log Out when you are finished using WebCT.

You can also access your online course by following this route:

• Go to the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Psychology homepage: http://www.d.umn.edu/psy
• On the left of the page click on “Online Courses”
• In the middle of the page click on “MyU Portal”
• In the upper left of page click on “Click here to sign-in”
• Enter your x.500 login information (same username and password you use for UMD email)
• Click on the “My Toolkit” tab
• Scroll down to find your course(s) or click on the WebCT Vista link.
• Remember to Log Out when you are finished using WebCT.

Note: There is a wealth of information located within the psychology online course web page, so please bookmark this site: http://www.d.umn.edu/psy/online_courses/index.html

I do not know my University Internet ID and password

• Please note: you must initiate your internet id account before logging into your online course. https://www.umn.edu/initiate
• If you have initiated your account and forgotten your password, you will need to have your password reset. During business hours contact the Help Desk (218-726-8847) or if you are on campus, please visit the Campus Center Info Desk).

Important browser set up information

• Please check to make sure that your browser is set to work with correctly with your online learning environment. http://webct.umn.edu/browser/config-vista.shtml
• You will need to have your pop-up windows enabled and java configured. Review the above link.

Helpful WebCT Vista Student Resources:

• UMD WebCT Vista Support Page: http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/etrg/webct/index.html
• Student Support Information: http://webct.umn.edu/students/

DISABILITY ACCESS STATEMENT

To request disability accommodations, please contact:

Catherine Rackliffe
UMD Office of Equal Opportunity
269 DAdB
1049 University Drive
Duluth, MN 55812-2496
Tel. 218-726-6827
FAX No. 218-726-7505
E -mail: cracklif@d.umn.edu

For more information on disability services and resources at UMD, please check out http://www.d.umn.edu/access/.