Eastern Oregon University
School of Arts and Sciences
Course Syllabus
Fall 2009
Catalog Description: Intensive college-level practice in writing for students with pre-college skills. Students extend and enhance control of composing and rhetorical processes. Basic mastery of keyboarding is expected. If you need to improve your computer skills, Computer Lab Assistants in the Learning Resource Center in LH 234 will provide free training.
Credit Hours: 4
Instructor: Donald Wolff
Office: LH 153
Phone: 962-3527
Email: dwolff@eou.edu
Office Hours: MTR 1-3, W 9-12
Time and Place of Course: MTTF 9:00- 9:50 am LH 230
Required Texts:
Diane Hacker, A Writer’s Reference (6th ed.)
WR 115 Course Documents (purchase in EOU Bookstore)
WR 115 Course Anthology (copy from master in EOU library)
Required Supplies:
Gizmo (also called Flash Drive) (Available in EOU Bookstore and Learning Resource Center)
Ream of Copy Paper
Copy Card (Purchase in Pierce Library)
Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to
1. Take a responsible classroom role and develop the study skills necessary for college success
2. Recognize the variety of discourses that exist in a university community and how they intersect with one another and with one’s own
3. Read college-level texts and writing assignments to understand content and expectations and to align knowledge and interests with them
4. Use writing for self-expression and to generate ideas addressing the purposes, audiences, and occasions of college-level writing
5. Focus, organize, and develop ideas into formal drafts
6. Analyze others’ writing and use that understanding to revise own writing
7. Edit to improve Standard Written English (SWE) and style
8. Summarize, analyze, synthesize, paraphrase, quote, and cite source materials in preparation for college-level research
Course Requirements:
Major Assignments include final essays, drafts of essays, and reading guides. Students are also required to meet with a peer writing assistant weekly, participate in peer response groups, and attend conferences with the course Instructor, as requested. Students will submit a portfolio of all work at the end of the term. (There is also a midterm portfolio submission, with all the notes, drafts, and Blue slips for the first assignment, including a revised, well-edited final draft of assignment 1.)
Final Portfolio Contents:
Discourse Community Essay
Reader Response Essay
Social Structure Essay
Dear Reader Essay
Drafts of all Above Essays
Timed-Writing
Blue Slips (Tutorial Report Forms)—8 minimum (1 per week after Week 1)
Means of Assessment:
Discourse Community Essay (Outcomes 2, 4, 5, & 7)
Reader Response Essay (Outcomes 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, & 8)
Social Structure Essay (Outcomes 2 - 8)
Dear Reader Essay (Outcome 2)
Drafts of all Above Essays (Outcomes 2 - 8 )
Timed-Writing (Outcome 4, 5, & 7)
Reading Guides (Outcomes 2 & 3)
Attendance & Participation (Outcome 1)
Peer Response Groups (Outcome 6)
Grading Policies:
WR 115 is an S/U course. The course grade (Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory) depends on passing the end-of-term portfolio. Submitting a portfolio depends on satisfactory participation in course work. Portfolio Assessment: See “Writing 115 Portfolio-Based Holistic Assessment” for a complete description.
Brief Outline of Course:
In this course, students will draft and revise several essays to ideally create a passing portfolio of writing that will be evaluated by the Faculty of English/Writing. To work toward creating a passing portfolio, we will discuss readings that help students learn about focus, development, audience, and purpose. In addition, students will work on improving editing and proofreading skills, and learning to find and correct repeated error patterns. Students will work collaboratively in peer groups, with writing tutors in the Writing Lab, and in conference with the instructor to get feedback on works-in-progress. Students will submit a Portfolio of all work at the end of the term for final assessment.
Week 1: Course introduction college reading, summary, discourse communities, Essay 1 Draft 1
Week 2: College writing, development and organization, Essay 1 Draft 2
Week 3: College discourse communities, Blackboard, summary and response, analysis, Essay 1 Draft 3
Week 4: Proofreading, peer power, Essay 2 Draft 1
Week 5: Focus, organization, integrating quotes, gender, Midterm Portfolio, Essay 2 Draft 2
Week 6: Proofreading, intros and conclusions, synthesis, race, Essay 3 Draft 1
Week 7: Synthesis, class, Essay 3 Draft 2
Week 8: Integrating quotes, analysis, Essay 3 Draft 3
Week 9: Proofreading, Thanksgiving
Week 10: Course evaluations and reflection, Essay 4 Draft 1, Final Portfolio
Finals: Pick up portfolio at designated final time in classroom
See “Course Outline: Schedule of Readings and Assignments” for a more complete Course Outline reading and writing deadlines.
Statement on Academic Misconduct:
Eastern Oregon University places a high value upon the integrity of its student scholars. Any student found guilty of an act of academic misconduct (including, but not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, or theft of an examination or supplies) may be subject to having his or her grade reduced in the course in question, being placed on probation or suspended from the University, or being expelled from the University –or a combination of these. (Please see Section II of the Student Handbook at: http://www.eou.edu/saffairs/handbook/honest.html
Statement on Americans with Disabilities:
If you have a documented disability or suspect that you have a learning problem and need reasonable accommodations, please contact Pat Arnson, Director of the Disability Services Program, in Loso Hall 234. Telephone: 962-3081
Attendance Policy:
Because there is so much learning in only 10 weeks of class sessions, and because progress depends on your participation in class discussions and activities, attendance in ALL classes, Writing Lab tutorials, and instructor conferences is required. If you miss more than four classes, you seriously undermine your chances of creating a passing portfolio. Students who miss more than six classes will not be allowed to submit a portfolio for evaluation and will need to retake the course. In the first two weeks I will administratively withdraw students who miss four classes.
Writing Lab Peer Writing Assistants:
All students are required to work with a peer writing assistant in the Writing Lab (LH 234) for at least one 30-minute session per week. It is preferable to work with the same tutor at the same time each week, rather than use drop-in evening assistants. We encourage students for whom English is a Foreign Language to meet twice a week and perhaps sign up for one-hour sessions (2 sessions back-to-back). Students are required to fill out a “blue sheet” (Writing Tutorial Report Form) with their tutors and submit that form at the next class after each tutoring session. The goal here is for students to learn that all writers, even professional writers, seek feedback on works-in-progress to test their writing out on an audience in order to work toward excellence.
Meeting Deadlines:
Remembering that many of the class sessions will involve responding to each other’s writing, it is essential that all assignments be completed on time (print out or copy work the evening before, not just before class), with the appropriate copies for distribution when required. If students are absent or the work is turned in late, it will be of no use to the class and of little use to the student. If you miss a class, see the instructor or another member of the class to see if anything has been added to the assignment. Check your EOU email address Inbox and Blackboard each day for course and assignment updates. You must use your EOU email address. Computer Lab Assistants in the LRC can help you to activate your EOU email address if you have trouble doing so.
Syllabus Prepared by:
Donald Wolff
9/22/09