English 114B: Approaches to University Writing B
SYLLABUS
California State University Northridge: Spring 2016
Instructor: James Bezerra
Office/Hours: Mondays 9:30-10:30
Contact: james.bezerra,[email protected]
Section #: 14152
Location: Santa Susana Hall (SN) #405
Day/Time: Monday/Wednesday 8:00am - 9:15am
Required Texts:
Required Materials:
Course Description:
English 114B is intended to engage students with expository prose writing in a way which focuses on both content and form. This course is designed to give students the necessary skills to examine and analyze complex topics and respond in clear, well-organized writing. Specifically this course is geared toward the exercise of logical thought and healthy skepticism We will be engaging with multiple types and forms of text and media.
Course Objectives:
Student Learning Outcomes:
GE Student Learning Outcomes: Analytic Reading and Expository Writing
Goal: Students will analyze and reflect on complex topics and appropriately synthesize their own and others’ ideas in clearly written and well organized edited American English.
Students will:
Course Requirements and Grading:
The following are REQUIRED in order to receive a passing grade in this course:
Attendance and Participation: 150 pts. (15%)
Your participation grade includes class discussions, staying current with the assigned readings, and class workshop activities. The class will often engage in discussion and there is no way to make up for having missed that aspect of the class. Students should attend and be prepared for each class, and arrive on time. Students will be allowed a maximum of 3 absences. A student who exceeds the 3 allowed absences must make arrangements with the professor to get caught up.
In cases of emergency, please contact me via email immediately and be prepared to present written documentation (i.e. a doctor’s note) supporting your excuse. It is your responsibility to contact your classmates or consult the class schedule for anything you missed in class.
Weebly Posts, as assigned: 100 pts. (10%)
This is a composition class and therefore we will be composing frequently, if not nearly constantly. The Weebly site you will build for this class will be the primary repository for your work over the course of the semester. Posts should generally be 250 - 500 words in length, but more is always welcome. These posts should be considered mini-essays and are an opportunity for you to engage your thinking and writing skills all at one.
The Projects and Essays: 250 pts. (25%)
A quarter your grade will be based upon the three projects which will be completed over the course of the semester. Each project is a series of interconnected reading, writing, and thinking exercises which culminate in a substantial written work. Each exercise and draft produced is worth points that will be part of your total course grade. You will be doing multiple exercises and drafts, which must be submitted on time. Drafts and exercises will be part of your final portfolio, therefore save all of your work.
Final Portfolio: 500 pts. (25%)
There are no tests of final exams in this class. In place of a final exam, you will submit a final portfolio of your best writing. The portfolio will include: a reflective essay and two essay packets (each packet will include the polished, revised final draft, the rough drafts, peer review sheet, progressions, and the writing prompt). For this reason, do not throw away anything from this class and always save a copy of your work. Members of the English Department faculty will be reading and grading your portfolio. Your final portfolio will be evaluated as representative of your writing ability at the end of the semester.
COURSE POLICIES:
Plagiarism
The CSUN catalog states that plagiarism is “intentionally or knowingly representing the words, ideas, or work of another as one’s own in any academic exercise.” Plagiarism is considered a serious offence and an intolerable act. As required by CSUN, all cases of plagiarism will be turned over to the Student Affairs office and the English Department. Students who are caught plagiarizing will fail the course. Furthermore, students who commit plagiarism may be suspended or expelled from the University.
Classroom Conduct
Be respectful and to your peers and your professor.
Late Work Policy:
Office Hour Policy:
Office hours are Mondays from 9:30am - 10:30am, or by appointment.
Grading Scale:
I use the +/- grading scale. There is a total of 1,000 points possible in this class. Final grades are determined as follows.
A: 940-1000 B+: 870-890 C+: 790-770 D+: 690-670 F: 590 or <
A-: 900-930 B: 830-860 C: 760-730 D: 660-630
B-: 800-820 C-: 720-700 D-: 620-600
Criteria for Writing Assessment
A - Represents a writing level of excellent polish and style, often taking an unusual or especially thoughtful or insightful position on the topic. The thesis is well supported and the writer addresses
the complexity of the topic by acknowledging and then arguing skillfully against its opposing viewpoint. The essay is extremely well developed and organized, and the writing is not only free of grammatical problems or careless mistakes but is rich in details and exhibits considerable fluency and control.
B - Represents solid, readable writing that does what the assignment requires. The thesis is thoughtful and the writer indicates his or her awareness of the complexity of the topic by acknowledging and then arguing skillfully against and opposing viewpoint. It demonstrates concrete support for the thesis, good organization, and is mostly free of grammatical problems or careless mistakes.
C - Represents writing that, for the most part, satisfies all the requirements of an assignment. However, the thesis is not well conceived and the writing lacks sufficient, concrete support needed to illustrate its assertions or prove its point. C-level writing also shows lapses in editing proficiency and many careless errors.
D - Represents writing that does not adequately satisfy the requirements of an assignment. The thesis is poorly conceived or missing, and the writing lacks coherence and support. D-level writing is characterized by significant lapses in editing proficiency and many careless errors.
F - Represents writing that is flawed in terms of fulfilling the requirements of the assignment and supporting a thesis, as well as in overall coherence and appropriateness. The writing is characterized by considerable lapses in editing and a great many grammatical errors.
A Note about Help or Special Considerations
If you require any course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability or special need, or if you have any emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case of a building evacuation, please let me know as soon as possible. You should also contact me right away if you have any questions or problems with respect to any assignment, class discussion, or any other aspect of this class. You are here to learn and I am here to facilitate that process to the best of my ability.
Professor’s Advice
SYLLABUS
California State University Northridge: Spring 2016
Instructor: James Bezerra
Office/Hours: Mondays 9:30-10:30
Contact: james.bezerra,[email protected]
Section #: 14152
Location: Santa Susana Hall (SN) #405
Day/Time: Monday/Wednesday 8:00am - 9:15am
Required Texts:
- 50 Essays 4th Edition Samuel Cohen
- The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman
- Rhetoric and Composition John Barrett. (This is a free wikibook which can either be downloaded as a PDF or accessed online): en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Rhetoric_and_Composition
Required Materials:
- A working CSUN email account
- Internet access
- Note taking ability (a paper notebook or a laptop/tablet, preferably both)
- Digital file storage (either a flash drive or online cloud storage of some kind)
- Some form of word processing software (Microsoft Word or Google Docs are prefered)
Course Description:
English 114B is intended to engage students with expository prose writing in a way which focuses on both content and form. This course is designed to give students the necessary skills to examine and analyze complex topics and respond in clear, well-organized writing. Specifically this course is geared toward the exercise of logical thought and healthy skepticism We will be engaging with multiple types and forms of text and media.
Course Objectives:
- Demonstrate competence in university writing
- Demonstrate the ability to use rhetorical strategies that include the appeal to audience, logic, and emotion
- Understand writing as a recursive process and demonstrate its use through invention, drafting, and revision (creating, shaping and completing)
- Demonstrate the ability to use conventions of format, structure, style, and language appropriate to the purpose of a written text
- Demonstrate the ability to use library and online resources effectively and to document their sources
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Students will gain the ability to read critically.
- Students will gain the ability to write effectively.
- Students will gain knowledge of the cultural diversity of literatures.
GE Student Learning Outcomes: Analytic Reading and Expository Writing
Goal: Students will analyze and reflect on complex topics and appropriately synthesize their own and others’ ideas in clearly written and well organized edited American English.
Students will:
- Analyze and compare perspective, meaning, and style in different texts, including those that reflect multicultural images and voices;
- Construct a theme or thesis and organize and develop a substantial, balanced and convincing defense of it in a voice, tone, language, and format (e.g., essay, autobiography, report, editorial, case study, inquiry, and research) appropriate to the purpose of the writing;
- Use logical support, including informed opinion and fact, as well as their interpretations, to develop ideas, avoiding fallacies, biased language, and inappropriate tone;
- Demonstrate satisfactory competence in the conventions of Edited American English and the elements of presentation (including layout, format, and printing);
- Select and incorporate ideas derived from a variety of sources, such as library electronic and print resources, books, journals, the Internet, and interviews, and document them responsibly and correctly;
- Apply a variety of strategies for planning, outlining, drafting, revising and editing written work.
Course Requirements and Grading:
The following are REQUIRED in order to receive a passing grade in this course:
- Regular attendance and vigorous participation
- At least one individual conference either with the professor or with an LRC tutor
- Weebly posts, as assigned
- Readings, as assigned
- Three completed projects, including drafts, peer review, and finished projects
- Final Portfolio
Attendance and Participation: 150 pts. (15%)
Your participation grade includes class discussions, staying current with the assigned readings, and class workshop activities. The class will often engage in discussion and there is no way to make up for having missed that aspect of the class. Students should attend and be prepared for each class, and arrive on time. Students will be allowed a maximum of 3 absences. A student who exceeds the 3 allowed absences must make arrangements with the professor to get caught up.
In cases of emergency, please contact me via email immediately and be prepared to present written documentation (i.e. a doctor’s note) supporting your excuse. It is your responsibility to contact your classmates or consult the class schedule for anything you missed in class.
Weebly Posts, as assigned: 100 pts. (10%)
This is a composition class and therefore we will be composing frequently, if not nearly constantly. The Weebly site you will build for this class will be the primary repository for your work over the course of the semester. Posts should generally be 250 - 500 words in length, but more is always welcome. These posts should be considered mini-essays and are an opportunity for you to engage your thinking and writing skills all at one.
The Projects and Essays: 250 pts. (25%)
A quarter your grade will be based upon the three projects which will be completed over the course of the semester. Each project is a series of interconnected reading, writing, and thinking exercises which culminate in a substantial written work. Each exercise and draft produced is worth points that will be part of your total course grade. You will be doing multiple exercises and drafts, which must be submitted on time. Drafts and exercises will be part of your final portfolio, therefore save all of your work.
Final Portfolio: 500 pts. (25%)
There are no tests of final exams in this class. In place of a final exam, you will submit a final portfolio of your best writing. The portfolio will include: a reflective essay and two essay packets (each packet will include the polished, revised final draft, the rough drafts, peer review sheet, progressions, and the writing prompt). For this reason, do not throw away anything from this class and always save a copy of your work. Members of the English Department faculty will be reading and grading your portfolio. Your final portfolio will be evaluated as representative of your writing ability at the end of the semester.
COURSE POLICIES:
Plagiarism
The CSUN catalog states that plagiarism is “intentionally or knowingly representing the words, ideas, or work of another as one’s own in any academic exercise.” Plagiarism is considered a serious offence and an intolerable act. As required by CSUN, all cases of plagiarism will be turned over to the Student Affairs office and the English Department. Students who are caught plagiarizing will fail the course. Furthermore, students who commit plagiarism may be suspended or expelled from the University.
Classroom Conduct
Be respectful and to your peers and your professor.
Late Work Policy:
- Weebly assignments must be posted before class on the day they are due, unless otherwise specified.
- All reading should be completed before class begins on the appropriate day.
- Assignments which must be printed and brought to class must be printed and brought to class, there is really no way around that.
- Progression essays MUST be completed by their due date. Late progression essays will be docked a letter grade, at the instructor’s discretion.
- Final Portfolios can not be late. Late portfolios WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
- In all other, non-specified cases, all class assignments are due at the start of class on the due date.
Office Hour Policy:
Office hours are Mondays from 9:30am - 10:30am, or by appointment.
Grading Scale:
I use the +/- grading scale. There is a total of 1,000 points possible in this class. Final grades are determined as follows.
A: 940-1000 B+: 870-890 C+: 790-770 D+: 690-670 F: 590 or <
A-: 900-930 B: 830-860 C: 760-730 D: 660-630
B-: 800-820 C-: 720-700 D-: 620-600
Criteria for Writing Assessment
A - Represents a writing level of excellent polish and style, often taking an unusual or especially thoughtful or insightful position on the topic. The thesis is well supported and the writer addresses
the complexity of the topic by acknowledging and then arguing skillfully against its opposing viewpoint. The essay is extremely well developed and organized, and the writing is not only free of grammatical problems or careless mistakes but is rich in details and exhibits considerable fluency and control.
B - Represents solid, readable writing that does what the assignment requires. The thesis is thoughtful and the writer indicates his or her awareness of the complexity of the topic by acknowledging and then arguing skillfully against and opposing viewpoint. It demonstrates concrete support for the thesis, good organization, and is mostly free of grammatical problems or careless mistakes.
C - Represents writing that, for the most part, satisfies all the requirements of an assignment. However, the thesis is not well conceived and the writing lacks sufficient, concrete support needed to illustrate its assertions or prove its point. C-level writing also shows lapses in editing proficiency and many careless errors.
D - Represents writing that does not adequately satisfy the requirements of an assignment. The thesis is poorly conceived or missing, and the writing lacks coherence and support. D-level writing is characterized by significant lapses in editing proficiency and many careless errors.
F - Represents writing that is flawed in terms of fulfilling the requirements of the assignment and supporting a thesis, as well as in overall coherence and appropriateness. The writing is characterized by considerable lapses in editing and a great many grammatical errors.
A Note about Help or Special Considerations
If you require any course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability or special need, or if you have any emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case of a building evacuation, please let me know as soon as possible. You should also contact me right away if you have any questions or problems with respect to any assignment, class discussion, or any other aspect of this class. You are here to learn and I am here to facilitate that process to the best of my ability.
Professor’s Advice
- Always take notes. You never know when something said in class will be important for the essays you are writing.
- Keep everything. Because prompts and drafts will be included in the portfolio, filing them in a safe place is important.
- Get your classmates’ contact information.
- Come to class with an open mind.
- Read instructions carefully, and always ask for clarification if you are unsure about anything.
- Come see me during office hours with any individualized questions, concerns, or just to say ‘Hi’.
- Don’t procrastinate! We have a great deal of material to cover, and it is very easy to fall behind. Set aside an appropriate amount of time every week so that you can keep up.