Composition 1120: College Writing

Spring 2005: Section 33/34

11:00-11:50 Hum 470 Monday; Hum 458 Wed & Fri

 

Instructor: Susan Perala-Dewey                                       Email: speralad@d.umn.edu

Office: 419 Humanities                                                       Mailbox: Humanities 420

Phone: 726-6726                                                                  Office Hours: 9:00-11:00 M,W

Class email: comp1120-33-s2005                                                  or by appointment

 

Course Objectives: College writing is designed to develop your skills in critical reading and thinking, in presenting logical arguments supported by evidence, in using the conventions of standard written English, and in using technological methods for academic research and writing.

 

Liberal Education Requirements: College Writing meets the Category I Liberal Education requirements by teaching writing, revision, critical reading and thinking, effective communication and computer literacy.

 

Required Course Materials:

Gibson, William A., et al. College Writing: Assignments and Exercises. 9th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2003.

 

--- Computing for College Writing CD Revised 12th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2004.

 

Faigley, Lester. The Brief Penguin Handbook. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2003.

 

Two 3.5 inch double-sided high density (DSHD) computer floppy disks or CD.

 

Important: To receive a final grade for this course, all major assignments must be completed and all graded work, plus a computer disk with your work on it must be submitted at the end of the semester.

 

Attendance: Attendance at all lecture and lab sessions is mandatory.  Should you miss a class due to illness or family emergency, contact me as soon as possible. You are responsible to obtain notes and assignments from another class member.  Missed classes or habitual tardiness will adversely affect your grade.

 

Deadlines: Assignments will be collected at the beginning of the class period on the day they are due. Anything turned in later will be counted one day late. Assignments turned in late will lose 10% of their value (one letter grade) each day they are late.  Work done during class meetings cannot be made up.

 

Academic Honesty: All work done in this class must be your own. Plagiarism is the theft (either accidental or intentional) of someone else’s words or ideas and presenting them as your own. Plagiarism could result in failing this class, as well as further disciplinary action by the University.

 

Tutoring: Peer tutoring for writing and other subjects is available in the Tutoring Center in Campus Center 40 (726-6248). Help for concepts covered in Comp 1120 is available in the College Writing Workshop in Cina Hall 109. Mandatory tutoring may be required in order to pass this class.

 

Special Needs: If you have a disability, either permanent or temporary, which might affect your performance in this class, please inform me at the start of the semester. Methods, materials, or testing will be adapted as required for equitable participation.

 

In-Class Writing & Workshops: Throughout the semester we will spend a significant amount of time writing in class and working with peers on our writing. This practice and feedback is a critical way for you to recognize ways for others to improve their writing, as well as an opportunity to improve your own reading, thinking and writing skills. Quality participation is expected and required.

 

Grading: In general, your work will be graded on the effectiveness of its arguments, development, organization, style and format, as well as its mechanical correctness. To receive an “A” in this course, all work – including in-class work, quizzes and computer lab assignments – must be consistently excellent. Papers that do not meet the terms of the assignment or need substantial work will be returned for revision without being graded, and when resubmitted for grading will be counted as late. Revisions are accepted only at the request of the instructor.

 

While your final grade is at my discretion, the grading scale is:

              93-100% = A                  87-89% = B+                  77-79% = C+                 67-69% = D+

              90-92% = A-                   83-86% = B                    73-76% = C                    60-66% = D

                                                        80-82% = B-                   70-72% = C-                     <60%  + F

 

Major Written Assignments and their weight of your total grade:

 

Paraphrase                                                               5%

Research Topic Proposal                                         5%

Critical Analysis                                                      5%

Compare/Contrast                                                 10%

Classification Outline                                             10%

Research Paper Draft                                             20%

Final Research Paper                                             15%

Computer Lab Assignments                                   10%

Daily Work & Participation                                   10%

Final Exam                                                             10%

 

Final Exams: Will be scheduled during finals week and will take place in a computer lab.  The date, time and place will be announced.

 

Schedule: This is a tentative schedule and subject to change. I will give you as much notice as possible about changes. You are responsible for changes announced in class or transmitted by email. Check your email regularly! Daily exercises and assignments will be announced as we go along.

 

 

Week 1   1/19                     Introduction to course; Interview

              1/21                     Syllabus/Argumentation             (CSCs)                 Diagnostic Essay

 

Week 2 1/24                     Introduction to Lab; CCW 1  Paraphrase Ex.

              1/26                     Paraphrase/Argumentation

              1/28                     Paraphrase Workshop                                           Draft Due

 

Week 3   1/31                     CCW Lesson 2 – Topics                                         Paraphrase Due

              2/2                       Library Session – Lib 116                                      3 topic ideas

              2/4                       Topics                                             

 

Week 4   2/7                       CCW Lesson 3 – Research/MLA

              2/9                       Topics/Thesis Statements

              2/11                     Topics Workshop                                                     Draft Due                       

 

Week 5   2/14                      Library Research                                                   Topic Proposal Due

              2/16                     Critical Analysis                                                     

              2/18                     Analysis Workshop                                                  2 articles due

 

Week 6   2/21                     CCW Lesson 4                                                          

              2/23                     Topics Poster Workshop

              2/25                     Peer Review                                                              Draft Due

 

Week 7 2/28                     CCW Lesson 5                                                           Critical Analysis

              3/2                       Compare/Contrast

              3/4                    Annotated Bibliographies/Research                            2 articles

 

Week 8 3/7                       CCW Lesson 6 --  Compare/Contrast                  

              3/9                       Group Peer Review                                                  Paragraph Due

              3/11                     C/C + Bibliography Peer Review

 

Week 9 3/14                     Portfolio Demo                                                          Compare/Contrast

            3/16                     Classification

            3/18                     Classification Workshop

 

 

---March 19-27th --- Spring Break!

 

 

Week 10 3/28                     CCW Lesson 7-- Research                                     Conference Sign Up     

               3/30                    Classification Workshop                                        Conferences

               4/1                      CSC Workshop                                                      Conferences

 

Week 11 4/4                     CCW Lesson 8                                                         Classification Due

               4/6                     Introducing Evidence

               4/8                     Introductions/Conclusions                                      CSC #2

 

Week 12 4/11                   CCW Lesson 9                                                         Intro Due

               4/13                    Introductions/Conclusions                                     RP Draft Due

               4/15                    Reflection Writing                                                  Research Paper Due

             

Week 13 4/18                   CCW Lesson 10 - Revising                                    

               4/20                   Revising/Editing

               4/22                   Conference option

 

Week 14 4/25                    Polishing                                                                                

                4/27                   Workshop/Presentations

                4/29                   Finals Preparation

 

Week 15 5/2                       Practice Final                                                       Final RP Draft Due

               5/4                      Presentations/Evaluations

               5/6                      Presentations/Evaluations                                     Course Materials Due

 

 

 

Finals Week: May 9-13th