Writing Studies 3121 INI - Spring 2013

Instructor: Mike Lynch
Office: Kirby Plaza 320
Office Hours: 11 - 12:20 Mondays, 9:20 - 10:20 Tuesdays and Thursdays, and by appointment
Mailbox: Writing Studies Office (Humanities 420)
Office Phone: 726-6217
Email: mlynch@d.umn.edu
Course Website: http://www.d.umn.edu/~mlynch/writ3121ini.htm
Department of Writing Studies: 726-8131

Required Texts

Oliu, Walter E., Charles T. Brusaw, and Gerald J. Alred. Writing That Works. 10th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007. Print.

Kolln, Martha. Rhetorical Grammar. 6th ed. New York: Longman, 2007. Print.

Course Description
WRIT 3121 focuses on professional writing in business and organizations, especially for audiences who must make decisions based on your writing. You will work on planning, composing, and revising several types of writing. Assignments will address the principles of effective writing and your ability to apply them to specific writing tasks.

Readings & Assignments
This independent study course requires you to complete three papers and a functional ePortfolio presentation. You are also expected to complete several reading assignments which will assist you in producing better-quality written work.

All assignments must be word-processed, cited using MLA (Modern Language Association) style, and saved in Word .DOC or .DOCX format. Assignments submitted in Works, WordPerfect, or any non-Word format will not be accepted. Assignments should be shared to me through ePortfolio and/or sent to mlynch@d.umn.edu as file attachments. Papers sent to me as email body text, rather than email attachments, will not be accepted. Always double-check your emails to ensure that they include any attachments you intended to send. You are advised to keep at least two back-up disk copies of every paper to safeguard against accidental data loss. IMPORTANT: You must turn in all of the papers to pass the course.

The schedule of assignments is as follows:

WEEK 1: Read Oliu chs. 1 & 13; Read Kolln ch. 1

WEEK 2: Read Oliu chs. 2; Read Kolln ch. 2

WEEK 3: Read Oliu ch. 3; Read Kolln ch. 3; Research Proposal Topic Email Due 2/8

WEEK 4: Read Oliu ch. 4; Read Kolln ch. 13

WEEK 5: Read Oliu ch. 6; Read Kolln chs. 4 & 5; Research Proposal Due 2/22

WEEK 6: Read Oliu ch. 10; Read Kolln ch. 6

WEEK 7: Read Oliu ch. 8; Read Kolln ch. 7 & 8

WEEK 8: Read Oliu ch. 9; Read Kolln ch. 9

WEEK 9: Read Oliu ch. 7; Progress Report Due 3/29

WEEK 10: Read Oliu ch. 11; Read Kolln ch. 15

WEEK 11: Read Oliu ch. 14; Read Kolln ch. 16

WEEK 13: Read Oliu ch. 15; Read Kolln ch. 14; Optional: A&R Draft 1 Due 4/26

WEEK 14: Read Oliu ch. 16

WEEK 15: A&R Final Draft & ePortfolio Assignment Due 5/10

* = Note: You must turn in both a first draft and a final draft of the A&R report at the end of Week 15, but turning in the first draft during Week 13 is optional. If you turn it in on or before Friday of that week, I will evaluate your draft and make comments to aid you in revising the assignment. If you do not turn it in at that time, you must still turn it in with the final draft, so be sure to save each version of the assignment as a separate document. First drafts of the A&R turned in after Week 13 will not be evaluated separately.

All assignments must be turned in on time. Late work generally will not be accepted. Extensions will only be granted in the event of unusual and unpreventable circumstances (about which you notify me as soon as possible before the due date). Extensions will not be granted in the event of computer problems that you could have avoided by saving often and keeping a backup copy of your work. Because the course relies on email, you are advised to send in assignments well before the due date in case of an email problem that requires you to re-send the assignment—email problems are neither "unusual" nor "unpreventable."

Note: All work done for this class is considered to be public. It may be reproduced or reviewed in a future class for instructional purposes.

Contacting Me
If you have any questions about an assignment, contact me and I will help in any way I can. Emailed questions will usually be answered the fastest. When emailing me, include "3121 INI" in the subject heading of the message. Mutually convenient in-person meetings at my office can be arranged.

Special Needs
It is the policy and practice of the University of Minnesota Duluth to create inclusive learning environments for all students, including students with disabilities. If there are aspects of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or your ability to meet course requirements – such as time limited exams, inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videos – please notify the instructor as soon as possible. You are also encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Resources to discuss and arrange reasonable accommodations. For more information, please call 218-726-6130 or visit the DR website at: http://www.d.umn.edu/access

Academic Integrity
Academic dishonesty tarnishes UMD's reputation and discredits the accomplishments of students. Academic dishonesty is regarded as a serious offense by all members of the academic community. UMD's Student Academic Integrity Policy can be found at: http://www.d.umn.edu/conduct/integrity

Student Conduct Code
Appropriate classroom conduct promotes an environment of academic achievement and integrity. Disruptive classroom behavior that substantially or repeatedly interrupts either the instructor's ability to teach, or student learning, is prohibited. Students are expected to adhere to the University's Student Conduct Code: http://www1.umn.edu/regents/policies/academic/Student_Conduct_Code.pdf

Teaching & Learning: Instructor and Student Responsibilities
UMD is committed to providing a positive, safe, and inclusive place for all who study and work here.  Instructors and students have mutual responsibility to insure that the environment in all of these settings supports teaching and learning, is respectful of the rights and freedoms of all members, and promotes a civil and open exchange of ideas. To reference the full policy please see: http://www.d.umn.edu/vcaa/TeachingLearning.html

Course Grade
Your course grade will be based on the following items:

Please note that this is only a general guide to grading, not an exact indicator of your final grade. Final grades may differ for various reasons (significant improvement in writing skill, for example) and are determined at my discretion.

Percentage Grading Scale
You may wish to convert your numerical grade on papers to the letter grade system for your own benefit. To do so, calculate the percent of points possible and consult the chart below:

Grading Criteria

A
The "A" paper is excellent, surpassing the "B" paper in merit; it exhibits mastery of fundamentals and demonstrates accomplishment in many other areas as well. It contains no serious weaknesses and typically demonstrates versatility, originality, and intellectualism.

B
The "B" level demonstrates proficiency: mastery of all that is required at the "C" level, plus additional control and expertise. The "B" paper is clear, correct, and contains specific merits which make it more effective than the "C" paper. It contains very few serious weaknesses.

C
The "C" paper is satisfactory; acceptable but not outstanding. The "C" paper demonstrates competence in important areas, such as clear and correct writing, correct punctuation and spelling, and a reasonably clear and developed thesis. Some weaknesses may persist in areas such as diction, logic, style, and organization, but nearly flawless performance in fundamentals and basic paragraph construction is expected.

D
The "D" paper demonstrates minimal competence; often satisfactory in content and organizaton, the "D" paper often has many errors in fundamentals. It may possess satisfactory mechanics but lack appropriate paragraph structure and overall organization.

F
The unsatisfactory or "F" paper usually has many errors in fundamentals: sentence structure, punctuation, and/or spelling. It often reveals serious weaknesses in paragraph structure, overall organization and/or logic. It also frequently lacks precision in word choice and/or is inappropriate in tone.