Fall 2014
COMPOSITION & COMMUNICATIONS: WRD 110-001
Instructor: Ms. Hannah Ruehl
Office Location, Phone: 1302 POT, (859) 257-1840
Office Hours: 9-10am MWF & by appointment
Course Information: Funkhouser Rm 306B MWF 8-8:50
Email: hru223@g.uky.edu
Overview and Goals
WRD 110 is a course in speaking and writing emphasizing critical inquiry and research. Our concept of
research will go far beyond an ordinary (and, frankly, boring) idea of looking up information and
plugging it into essays. Research is a creative, complex, and exciting process. You will engage in
reflective thinking and analysis, conduct primary research in the community and secondary research using
print and online resources, and learn how to write and speak effectively about a local issue not only for
your classmates but also for audiences beyond the classroom. Your research will be presented in a
number of media, including text, images, sounds, and speeches. You can expect to work independently,
with a partner, or with a small group of classmates to investigate, share findings, and compose
presentations of your research, as well as to practice and evaluate interpersonal and team dynamics in
action.
Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of the semester, you will be able to
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compose written texts and deliver oral presentations that represent a relevant and informed point
of view appropriate for its audience, purpose, and occasion in an environment that reinforces the
recursive and generative nature of the composition and delivery rehearsal processes.
demonstrate an awareness of strategies that speakers and writers use in different communicative
situations and media, and in large and small groups; learn to analyze and use visuals effectively to
augment your oral presentations; to employ invention techniques for analyzing and developing
arguments; to recognize and address differing genre and discourse conventions; and to document
your sources appropriately.
find, analyze, evaluate, and properly cite pertinent primary and secondary sources, using relevant
discovery tools, as part of the process of speech preparation and writing process.
develop flexible and effective strategies for organizing, revising, editing, proofreading, and
practicing/rehearsing to improve the development of your ideas and the appropriateness of their
expression.
collaborate with peers, the instructor, and librarians to define revision strategies for your essays
and speeches, to set goals for improving them, and to devise effective plans for achieving those
goals.
engage in a range of small group activities that allow you to explore and express your experiences
and perspectives on issues under discussion.
Required Materials
How to Write Anything: A Guide and Reference
Fall 2014
COMPOSITION & COMMUNICATIONS: WRD 110-001
A Pocket Style Manual, custom version
The Engaged Citizen and The Pocket Guide to Public Speaking
3x5 inch index cards for speech notes
Grading Policy
Only students who have completed all components of the four major assignments are eligible for a
passing grade in this course.
In-class participation, reading quizzes, reflections
Formal Proposal/Shark Tank
In-Class Presentation of Research
Research Blog
Formal presentation of final project
Final project
15%
15%
15%
15%
20%
20%
A = 90-100
B = 80-89
C = 70-79
D = 60-69
E < 69
A rubric will be distributed in advance of all major assignments.
Participation and Attendance
Since discussion is an integral part of the course, you should be prepared for class, on time, and offer
productive comments based on the assigned readings. Preparation involves not only reading but also
making notes about the reading so that you are prepared to discuss issues in depth. Pop quizzes will
occur frequently to make sure all students have read the assigned material.
You can accrue 2 unexcused absences without penalty, but your final course grade will be reduced by a
half letter grade (5%) for each unexcused absence thereafter. To receive an excused absence, you should
provide official documentation; if for a sponsored University activity (such as intercollegiate athletics),
documentation should be provided in advance. The University Senate and the Division of Writing,
Rhetoric, and Digital Media set a limit on total absences—both excused and unexcused—at 1/5th of the
total class meetings, or 9 absences.
Students who are 10 minutes late will lose participation credit for that day. If a quiz occurs, you can only
make it up if you have a valid, documented excuse for your tardiness.
Late Assignments
Your assignments for this course—including speeches, essays, and informal assignments—are due on the
dates indicated in the class schedule below or as indicated in class. Late assignments are not accepted.
All assignments should be posted on Blackboard, which puts a date-time stamp on them. They should be
posted before class in order to be marked as on time. If you are absent on a day when an assignment is
due or your speech is scheduled, you will be allowed to hand in or make-up that work only if the absence
is officially excused. If you know you are going to absent in advance (excused or unexcused), it would be
wise to still turn in your assignments on time. If you missed material in class with an unexcused absence,
it is your responsibility to find out what you missed. Make sure to ask your fellow classmates and check
your syllabus.
Fall 2014
COMPOSITION & COMMUNICATIONS: WRD 110-001
Revision Policy
You may rewrite one paper that gets a C, D or E. It must be turned in no later than two weeks after you
get the paper back. You should meet with me before rewriting the paper to discuss changes. This paper
will need to be accompanied by a typed explanation listing the major changes that were made to the
paper. I will re-evaluate the paper and assign a new grade. The highest possible grade on the revision is
an 85% B.
Plagiarism
Part II of Student Rights and Responsibilities states that all academic work‚ written or otherwise‚
submitted by students to their instructors or other academic supervisors‚ is expected to be the result of
their own thought‚ research‚ or self-expression. See section 6.3.1, online at http://www.uky.edu/Student
Affairs/Code/Section%20VI.pdf
For cases in which students feel unsure about a question of plagiarism involving their work‚ they are
obliged to consult their instructors on the matter before submission. When students submit work
purporting to be their own‚ but which in any way borrows ideas‚ organization‚ wording or anything else
from another source without appropriate acknowledgment of the fact‚ the students are guilty of
plagiarism.
Plagiarism includes reproducing someone else’s work‚ whether it be a published article‚ a chapter of a
book‚ a paper or file from a friend‚ or another source, including anything from the Internet. Plagiarism
also includes the practice of employing or allowing another person to alter or revise the work which a
student submits as his/her own‚ whoever that other person may be. Plagiarism also includes using
someone else’s work during an oral presentation without properly crediting that work in the form of an
oral citation.
Whenever you use outside sources or information‚ you should carefully acknowledge exactly what‚
where and how you have employed them. If the words of someone else are used‚ you should put
quotation marks around the passage in question and add an appropriate indication of its origin.
Plagiarism also includes making simple changes while leaving the organization‚ content, and phrasing
intact. However‚ nothing in these rules shall apply to those ideas which are so generally and freely
circulated as to be a part of the public domain.
You may discuss assignments among yourselves or with me or a tutor‚ but when the actual work is done‚
it should be done by you alone unless the assignment has been designed to be conducted with a partner or
small group of classmates. All work submitted should be new, original work; you may not submit work
you have produced for another purpose or class, including a previous CIS or WRD 110 course. If you do,
you will have plagiarized.
Class Conduct
Students are expected to:
● come to class prepared (do all reading and come prepared to discuss it; do all homework) and take
pride in the work you do,
● offer support and encouragement to your classmates,
Fall 2014
COMPOSITION & COMMUNICATIONS: WRD 110-001
● listen to others carefully before offering your opinion,
● talk to me outside of class if anything that happens during class bothers you.
In order to maintain a productive work environment, I expect you to turn off your cell phone before each
class period and refrain from eating, sleeping, reading irrelevant materials, talking once class is in
session unless asked to do so, and entering the classroom late or leaving early without permission.
Students who text during class will be warned once and then asked to leave the 2nd time. Students who
engage in behavior so disruptive that it is impossible to conduct class may be directed to leave for the
remainder of the class period.
Blackboard
The daily schedule may change during the semester. You will be responsible for checking the online
syllabus and schedule before beginning your homework for each of our class meetings for any changes or
updates. I will post all major assignments here and on the announcements section on Blackboard. You
are responsible for keeping back-up (I recommend several) copies of all your work since electronic texts
can be lost. Copies of work can be saved in the “Content Collection” area of your Blackboard account.
You are also responsible for checking to make sure that your assignments are posted to Blackboard on
time, in the right location, and in the right format. Additionally, you are expected to check your email on
a daily basis in case I need to contact you.
Resources
The Writing Center is located in W. T. Young Library, In the Hub, Basement 108 B (phone: 257-1368).
You can walk in or make an appointment online (http://web.as.uky.edu/oxford/). The staff can help you
identify and correct problems with all aspects of your writing as well as work with you on visual design.
If you have additional problems with your speaking, you may also go to the Multimodal Communication
Lab in 106 Grehan (phone: 859-257-8370). I recommend that you consider going to either location if you
feel stuck at any stage of the communication process.
Students with Special Needs
If you are registered with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) and require special accommodations to
complete the work for this course, you should get a letter from the DRC that details what you need before
I can grant you these accommodations. Special accommodations cannot be granted retroactively. This is
a non-negotiable class policy. Please contact the DRC at 859-257-2754 if you have questions about your
eligibility for special accommodations.
Echo Policy
Because this class involves live speeches, classes will be recorded by the Echo video service. We will use
this technology to study our speeches in order to improve them. Please be aware that these videos are
private and protected, and you may use them only for purposes related to the completion of this course.
Email Policy
Fall 2014
COMPOSITION & COMMUNICATIONS: WRD 110-001
I will not discuss your grades with you over email. If you have any question about what your grade is,
you should check blackboard. If you would like to discuss your grade, I am happy to set an appointment
to meet with you.
Inclement Weather
In the event of treacherous storms, class may be cancelled so that we may all happily sip on hot tea in the
comfort of our homes with a good book while the storm rages on. If the school cancels class, check alerts.
Also, check your email for any notifications from myself.
Last Words
Unfortunately, I am not telepathic or have any form of ESP. While this is both comforting to you and a
huge loss to my superhero possibilities, it should also inform you that I will not understand that you have
any questions or concerns unless you talk to me about them. I am happy to aide those willing to seek help.
Open communication will make all of our lives easier and, probably, inadvertently bring about world
peace. Here’s to keeping our fingers crossed on that one.
Important Dates
Labor Day/No class
Feet Wet Speech
Shark Tank
Presentation of research
Thanksgiving Holiday
Final Project
Final Presentation
9/1
9/3
9/17 & 9/19
10/27 & 10/29
11/26-29
12/6
12/10 & 12/12
*Blog Posts are due by Friday. They should be completed throughout the week and not done last minute.
Major Assignment Descriptions
Final Investigative Project (Documentary)
Our major project is an investigative documentary on a specific space or organization on
campus. The goal of this documentary is to investigate what makes this space or group so interesting to
the members, and present your findings to an audience that may have never encountered this group
otherwise. The documentary will be a minimum of five minutes long, but shouldn’t be more than seven
minutes long. Your film will use primary research (from archives and interviews) and secondary
resources (from journals or newspapers).
You will submit a supplementary bibliography
with your film using MLA. A transcript should also be provided.
Formal Presentation of final project: Group Speech
Students will deliver a formal 4-6 minute speech summarizing and presenting their final project for
classmates. This speech may use 2 (3X5) note cards, and it must include visuals. A formal outline must be
printed out and handed in before presentation and submitted to blackboard.
Fall 2014
COMPOSITION & COMMUNICATIONS: WRD 110-001
Research Blog
To help track the course of your research, you will be responsible for keeping a blog of your research
throughout the semester. A post can be anything from a picture you have taken that is of interest in
relation to your project, a transcription of an interview with a member of an organization that you are
researching, or an article/pamphlet/website related to your project. In additions to posting the source you
will provide a short summary of the piece itself and why is it of interest to you and your project (What are
the questions it brings up? How does it relate to your project? Does it leave you unsure of one thing or
another? Does it suggest a way of understanding the space or the organization? Is that suggestion
troubling or understandable to you and why?). Each post should reach a minimum of 300 words, include a
summary of the source, and how you see it focusing your project. Some of these will be guided by
specific instructions by me. Some of them will be free for you to post whatever is in your researching
heart in relation to your project. These posts should be proofread before they are posted.
In-class presentation of research
Students will deliver a 3 to 4 minute speech (with visuals) that summarizes their
Research so far based off your blog. Your goal is to demonstrate persuasively that you have found
extremely important and interesting research that will inform your project. You should be able to focus on
two or three of the most important sources for your project. You will have many posts to choose from,
and you may find some sources not as useful as others once you begin understanding your space or
organization better. So, you’ll need to narrow your presentation down by choosing the posts that are the
most relevant to your project. In your presentation, you will not only summarize what this research
means, but how the you plan to use it in your project. The presentation should conclude by defining the
project’s focus or question a bit more specifically. For the presentation you will create a formal (full
sentence) outline of your presentation that will be submitted on B.B. and printed off and handed in before
your presentation.
Formal Proposal (Shark Tank)
Students will write a 600 word (approximately two pages) proposal that presents background and history
related to the topic and will show why the topic is one worthy of further research. Students will then
deliver a brief, 2-4 minute pitch for their project proposal. Using visuals and props, each student will
attempt to “sell” the class on the value and interest of his or her project. Audience will then conduct a
brief Q & A will the presenter regarding the merits of the project. Pitches, unlike speeches, have only a
small rehearsed portion, and will rely just as much on a student’s ability to answer questions from the
audience.
In-class participation
Simply being physically present in class does not count as participation. In order to receive an A for inclass participation, you’ll need to make sure you do the following every class:
● bring your books and notes,
● ask and answer questions,
● avoid texting and web surfing,
● pay attention,
● take notes,
● participate in all group activities
Fall 2014
COMPOSITION & COMMUNICATIONS: WRD 110-001