Required Textbooks (available at the UT Co-Op):
They Say/I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing. Gerald Graff & Cathy Birkenstein.
ISBN: 0393924092
The Devil’s Highway: A True Story. Luis Alberto Urrea.
ISBN: 0316010804
The Little Penguin Handbook. Lester Faigley
ISBN: 032124401X
Additional Materials:
Access to a computer, printer, and stapler (all available at the CWRL student lab).
A fully functional e-mail address (check this regularly).
Grading and Requirements:
(Percentages are subject to change.)
Students will write a series of short response papers, three longer papers, lead discussions, conduct research, and present their work to the class.
In-Class performance and participation: 10%
(includes discussions, topic proposals, peer review, and in-class work)
Response Papers: 30%
Paper 1 (Mapping a Controversy): 15% (may be revised)
Paper 2 (Analyzing a Position): 15%
Paper 3 (Advocating a Position): 20%
Research Presentation: 10%
Grades:
To pass the course, you must turn in and complete all assignments. Your final grade for the course will be calculated from your paper grades, presentations, response papers, your performance on daily assignments and in-class work. You may fail the course if you consistently fail to fulfill the daily assignments. Do not discard any drafts, notes, papers or research materials you produce during the semester until you receive a final grade for the course.
To discuss any questions about grades, please follow this procedure: 1) Wait at least one day after I’ve passed back the assignment. 2) Put your reasons for protesting the grade in writing. 3) Hand me your written statement, and then we will make an appointment to meet. Complaints we cannot resolve will be taken to the appropriate departmental advisor.
Paper Format and Guidelines:
All assignments and papers must be typewritten and stapled (if I request a paper copy). The first page of your paper must include the following information: your name, my name, course, date, and paper title. Double-space the lines and use a one-inch margin all the way around the text. Use a 12-point standard font (preferably Times New Roman). Please also make sure to meet the page length requirement for each assignment. Note: a longer paper doesn’t necessarily mean a better paper; sometimes less is more. And sometimes less is just less. Some papers require research and a “Works Cited” page documenting your sources. I will require photocopies and/or printouts of the actual pages from the sources and resources you use. Your papers should follow the MLA format and guidelines, which can be found in MLA handbooks. If you have any questions about research and how to document and cite sources, please see me, especially if you’re not sure what constitutes plagiarism.
Attendance:
Lateness and absences are associated with doing poorly in class. Lateness is particularly disruptive to the class. You are expected to attend class daily, to arrive on time with course materials, to have prepared all assigned reading and writing, and to participate in all in-class editing, revising, and discussion sessions. You will be counted absent if you are more than 10 minutes late or if you leave more than 10 minutes early.
For every absence in excess of three absences (that is, with your fourth absence), your final grade will be lowered half a letter grade (5 points). If you have five absences (excused or not), you will fail the course. If you are not present when class begins at 3:30 p.m., you are tardy. Two tardies constitute an absence. (See The Rhetoric & Writing Department’s Policy Statement handout).
Save your absences to use when you are sick, or when you have an emergency. If you find that an unavoidable problem prevents you from attending class, please discuss the problem with me. Should you miss a class, it is your responsibility to contact me or another student in the class to see what you have missed and to get the next day’s work assignment. If you cannot attend class on the date an assignment is due, arrange to have a classmate or friend drop it off during scheduled class time. Hard copies are required, so please do not submit your work via e-mail unless I request or approve it.
You will not be penalized for missing class on religious holy days. A student who misses class(es) or other required activities, including examinations, for the observance of a religious holy day should inform the instructor, in writing, well in advance of the absence so that alternative arrangements can be made to complete work. If you know you will have to miss class(es) for this reason, provide your instructor with date(s) as early as possible. Please note that the University specifies very few other excused absences (e.g., jury duty).
Late Assignments and Papers:
Papers, and all other out-of-class assignments are due at the beginning of class. Five points will be deducted from any paper or assignment not turned in at the beginning of class. Ten points will be deducted for each additional day the assignment or paper is late. If you cannot attend class on the date an assignment or paper is due, contact me before the due date. There is no makeup of in-class work.
Late Arrival For In-Class Work:
On any day that in-class work is assigned, 5 points will be deducted from the grade for that assignment if you arrive late--even if you arrive with enough time to complete the assignment. The reasoning behind this is that at the beginning of class I will have given instructions or provided examples, and missing this makes for a difficult time for all of us. If you are late on a day when the class is doing peer editing, you will lose 10 points from the grade for the peer review.
Discussion and Participation:
Central to our class is group discussion. Everyone is required to speak, share ideas, raise points, and offer interpretations. You are not, however, required to agree, and should feel free to offer thoughtful counterarguments with supporting analysis and evidence. Also, please feel free to bring in any research you would like to share with the class. Most of our classes will combine lecture and discussion, so come prepared to discuss and take some notes. We will begin some classes discussing your responses to what you read, so make sure you take notes on your readings, jotting down ideas, questions, and interpretations. Please also feel free to make the most of my office hours to discuss our readings and your ideas, papers, and topics.
Preparedness:
You are expected to come to class prepared with course materials and with the day’s assignments read and ready to discuss. If you are unable to participate in discussion because you are unprepared, you may be marked absent.
Computer Use and Availability:
Because you are in a CWRL classroom, you have the student lab available to you during its hours of operation. Check the following website for the location and hours of operation: http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/?q=locations. Computers are also available to you at the Flawn Academic Center. Check the following website for hours and availability: http://www.utexas.edu/computer/fac/hours.html
Communication:
Our primary method of communication outside of class will be through UT e-mail. Please check your e-mail daily. I get a lot of email, so to make sure I reply to yours, please begin the subject line with RHE306: (for instance, RHE306: question about assignment) so that I will know to read it right away. I’ll do the same. General course information and other documents and resources are available on the course website. Please keep up with and make use of the website. If you need to reach me outside of office hours to ask questions, schedule an appointment, or voice a concern, please do so via e-mail. I encourage and welcome you to visit with me during office hours or schedule an appointment to meet outside of office hours at any point in the semester and during any stage of the writing process.
Meetings/Conferences:
Throughout the semester I may schedule a few required meetings with each of you to discuss topic proposals, assignments, or to review your work. I will pass around a sign-up sheet well in advance for you to select a time that does not conflict with your schedule; I will also be expanding my office hours to accommodate your schedules. Each meeting should run no longer than 10-15 minutes. Again, these meetings are required.
Scholastic Honesty:
Turning in work that is not your own, or any other form of scholastic dishonesty, will result in a major course penalty, possibly failure of the course. This standard applies to all drafts and assignments. A report of the incident will also be submitted to the Office of the Dean of Students and filed in your permanent UT record. Under certain circumstances, the Dean of Students will initiate proceedings to expel you from the University. So, be sure you read and understand the Statement on Scholastic Responsibility. I strongly encourage you to use services offered by the Undergraduate Writing Center in FAC 211 which offers free one-on-one writing consultations with trained specialists, and the Learning Center. The consultants at these centers are trained to help you resolve your own problems so that all your writing reflects what you have learned. If you have any questions about the use you are making of sources for your assignments, see me before you turn in the assignment.
Students With Disabilities:
The University of Texas at Austin provides, upon request, appropriate academic adjustments for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students (471-4641 TDD). Students must provide all documentation at the beginning of the semester before any substantial work is due.
Electronic Devices:
Be considerate of others and turn off all phones and other communication devices before coming to class. Keep your phones and other devices out of sight while in the classroom. You might be asked to leave class for electronic disruptions.
