English 101-11: English Composition I
10-10:50 MWF; Curry 303
Instructor: Ms. S. Scudder
Email Address: s_scudde@uncg.edu
Office: MHRA 3112F
Office Hours: M, W, F 11-12
Mailbox: Grad Lounge, English Department
Course Description:
English 101 satisfies three of the six hours of the Reasoning and Discourse (GRD) requirement at UNCG,
which asserts that students “gain skills in intellectual discourse, including constructing cogent
arguments, locating, synthesizing and analyzing documents, and writing and speaking clearly,
coherently, and effectively” (http://uncg.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2013-2014/Undergraduate-Bulletin/University-Requirements/General-EducationProgram/General-Education-Core-Requirements).
In addition, English 101 is designed to meet Learning Goal #1 (LG1) in the UNCG General Education
Program. This is the ability to “think critically, communicate effectively, and develop appropriate
fundamental skills in quantitative and information literacies” (http://uncg.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2013-2014/UndergraduateBulletin/University-Requirements/General-Education-Program).
The following are English 101 Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), each of which correspond to both the
GRD goals and to LG1:
A. English 101 Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs):
At the completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Analyze the content and structure of complex texts (written, oral, and/or visual in nature);
2. Compose cogent, evidence-based, argumentative texts;
3. Identify and employ the rhetorical triangle, the canons, and the appeals in both formal and
informal discourse;
4. Summarize, quote, paraphrase, and synthesize source material in support of an argument;
5. Employ drafting, peer review, and revision techniques in order to improve content, style, and
structure of their own writing;
6. Appraise their own composing abilities and composing processes through critical reflection.
Required Texts:
Bordo, Susan. Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western Culture, and the Body. Berkeley, U of California
Press, 2003.
Ensor, Lavina, Chelsea Atkins Skelley, and Kathleen T. Leuschen, eds. Rhetorical Approaches to College
Writing. Plymouth, MI: Hayden McNeil, 2014. ISBN 978-0-7380-6133-7
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Hornbacher, Marya. Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia. New York: HarperCollins, 1998. ISBN
9780060187392
McQuade, Donald and Christine. Seeing & Writing 4. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. ISBN 978-0312-47605-5
Classroom Expectations:
Absolutely no cell phones should be visible at any time during class. If your phone rings, or if you are
caught texting, you will automatically lose participation points for the day. No exceptions.
Any inappropriate or disrespectful actions or speech towards any of your classmates or myself will not
be tolerated. If your behavior is disruptive or disrespectful you will be given a warning before you are
asked to leave the classroom. If the behavior is repeated, you will be referred to another faculty
member for further disciplinary action, up to and including your removal from the course. I expect
mutual respect and tolerance of everyone regardless of race, gender expression, sexual orientation,
ethnicity, national origin, age, and physical ability. I hold both myself and you to this standard, across
the board.
Given the often sensitive nature of the theme I have selected for this course, respectful and courteous
speech and behavior will be especially important. Please keep in mind that you can disagree with
someone’s point of view without attacking them personally. These are the very strategies and modes of
discourse we will be examining as part of this class, so please practice that not only in your writing, but
in class discussions as well.
Participation, Attendance, Absences:
You are to read all assigned material and bring written work with you to class, in hard copy format.
Since this is a discussion-based class, you are expected to make every effort to attend each class
meeting. If you miss two classes, your final grade will be lowered by half a letter grade. If you miss four
classes, you will automatically fail the course.
Students are by state law allowed two excused absences due to religious holidays. These absences do
not count toward the total maximums allowed above. If a student plans to miss class due to a religious
holiday, he or she must notify me at least 48 hours prior to the absence.
Though I generally discourage the use of laptops in the classroom because I think they can be
distracting, if you prefer to use a laptop in class, it may be used only to take notes pertaining to our class
or to view documents on our Blackboard website. Any student who uses a laptop for any non-classroom
activity during class time will not be allowed to use a laptop in class again. To be perfectly clear: one
violation means no laptop use for the remainder of the semester.
Learning Support:
Disability Services: Students with documentation of special needs should speak to me about
accommodations as soon as possible. You must first register with the Office of Disability Services on
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campus before such accommodations can be made. The office is located on the second floor of the
Elliott University Center (EUC) in Suite 215, and the office is open 8am to 5pm, Monday - Friday.
Telephone: 334-5440; e-mail: ods@uncg.edu.
The Writing Center: The purpose of the Writing Center is to enhance the confidence and competence of
student writers by providing free, individual assistance at any stage of any writing project. Staff
consultants are experienced writers and alert readers, prepared to offer feedback and suggestions on
drafts of papers, help students find answers to their questions about writing, and provide one-on-one
instruction as needed. Located in the Moore Humanities and Research Building, room 3211.
Appointments are not necessary; consultations are provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The Learning Assistance Center: offers free services to the entire UNCG undergraduate community and
is located in McIver Hall, rooms 101-104, and 150. For help with study skills, contact Erin Farrior,
Academic Skills specialist. Telephone: 334-3878; e-mail: lac@uncg.edu.
Student Affairs / Dean of Students: If you have a serious illness, family death, or family emergency that
is affecting your ability to attend class or complete work in a timely manner, then you should notify your
instructors and contact the Student Affairs Office at (336) 334-5514 or at 141 Mossman right away.
Course Requirements and Grade Distribution:
Portfolio (40% of course grade; links to SLOs #1-6)
Essay Drafts (30% of course grade; links to SLOs #1-5)
Participation, Attendance, Homework, In-class work (30% of course grade; links to SLOs #1, 3, 4, 6)
Participation includes in-class writing and any short take-home writing assignments, peer review, group
work and discussion, and any reading quizzes you may receive. In other words, I will not generally assign
individual grades for small assignments, but they will collectively count towards your participation
grade. Participation does not just mean talking in class; there are many different ways of earning full
credit for participation including, but by no means limited to, in-class discussions.
Essay drafts consist of the three major writing assignments you will have throughout the semester.
These essays are considered “drafts” because you will further revise them for your portfolio. Generally,
Essays 1 and 2 are 4-5 pages and Essay 3 is 7-8 pages and involves a more substantial research
component than Essays 1 or 2.
Your portfolio is your final project for this class, and should consist of revisions of each of your major
essays, along with the draft containing my comments. These portfolios should be neatly bound in either
a small 3-ring binder, or spiral-bound at Kinko’s. Your portfolio should also contain a reflective essay in
which you evaluate your process and progress as a writer throughout the semester.
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Evaluation:
You will be graded on a standard 10-point scale (90-100% A; 80-89% B; 70-79% C; 60-69% D; below 60%
F); however you should be aware that in this class, work that is considered average will receive a C
grade. I consider B’s and A’s to be marks of work that is good or excellent; in other words, work that
goes beyond the basic requirements of the assignment.
Late and Missed Work:
The penalty for late assignments is one letter grade per day. After three days, you will receive a zero on
the assignment.
Academic Integrity:
Academic integrity is founded upon and encompasses the following five values: honesty, trust, fairness,
respect, and responsibility. Violations include, for example, cheating, plagiarism, misuse of academic
resources, falsification, and facilitating academic dishonesty. If knowledge is to be gained and properly
evaluated, it must be pursued under conditions free from dishonesty. Deceit and misrepresentations are
incompatible with the fundamental activity of this academic institution and shall not be tolerated” (from
UNCG’s Academic Integrity Policy). Incidents of cheating and plagiarism are reported to the Dean of
Students and sanctions are aligned with the policies at http://sa.uncg.edu/dean/academicintegrity/violation/plagiarism/.
Course Schedule:
Week One (Aug. 19-23) Rhetorical Approaches to College Writing, Part 1: “Rhetorical Foundations”
Monday
Intro & Welcome
Wednesday
“An Introduction to Rhetoric and the Rhetorical Triangle,” “Rhetorical Context is
(Almost) Everything,” “Writing with the Rhetorical Appeals”
Friday
“Reading for the Rhetorical Appeals,” “Academic Integrity,” “The Portfolio Process”
Week Two (Aug. 26-30) Part 2: “Rhetorical Approaches”
Monday
“Reading Critically,” “Asking Questions to Find a Starting Point”
Wednesday
“How the Thesis Guides Effective Writing,” “Arrangement as Rhetorical Composing”
Friday
“Style as Revision,” “Revision as Writing,” “Understanding Tone and Voice”
Week Three (Sept. 2-6) Part 3: “Rhetorical Research”
Monday
“The Genre of Academic Discourse,” “Finding a Conversation to Find Research”
Wednesday
“Situating Evidence Through Contextualization,” “The Art of Summarizing, Paraphrasing,
and Quoting”
Friday
“Understanding the Rhetorical Dimensions of Academic Citations”
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Week Four (Sept. 9-13) Part 4: “Rhetorical Situations”
Monday
“Reading an Assignment Sheet,” “Viewing Peer Review as a Rhetorical Process,”
“Conferencing Rhetorically”
Wednesday
“Rhetoric and the Creative Writer,” “Rhetorical Analysis and Visual Media,” “Analyzing
Film Rhetoric”
Friday
“Delivering Multimodal Compositions,” “The Writing Center: Where Writers Meet”
Week Five (Sept 16-20) Seeing & Writing 4, Intro & Chapter 1
Monday
“Writing Matters,” “Making Observations,” Drawing Inferences,” “Drafting,” “Revising,”
“Composition Toolkit”
Wednesday
ESSAY 1 DUE; “Opening Portfolio,” Pair,” “Retrospect”
Friday
“Visualizing Composition,” “Portfolio + Context,” “Looking Closer: Unpacking Our Stuff”
Week Six (Sept. 30-Oct. 4) Chapter 2
Monday
Assign Essay 2; “Opening Portfolio,” “Pair,” “Retrospect + Context”
Wednesday
“Visualizing Composition,” “Portfolio”
Friday
“Looking Closer: Envisioning America”
Week Seven (Oct. 7-11) *Bring Drafts of Essay 2
Monday
Conferences
Wednesday
Conferences
Friday
Conferences
Week Eight (Oct. 14-18) Chapter 3
Monday
NO CLASS – FALL BREAK
Wednesday
ESSAY 2 DUE; “Opening Portfolio,” “Pair,” “Retrospect + Context”
Friday
“Visualizing Composition,” “Portfolio”
Week Nine (Oct. 21-25) Chapter 4
Monday
“Opening Portfolio,””Pair + Context,” “Retrospect”
Wednesday
“Visualizing Composition,” “Portfolio”
Friday
“Looking Closer: Engendering Identity”
Week Ten (Oct. 28-Nov. 1) Unbearable Weight, Wasted
Monday
Intro to UW
Wednesday
Assign Essay 3; Intro to Wasted
Friday
Wasted Chapter 1
Week Eleven (Nov. 4-8) *bring sources and thesis statement for Essay 3.
Monday
Conferences
Wednesday
Conferences
Friday
Conferences
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Week Twelve (Nov. 11-15)
Monday
UW “Whose Body Is This?”; Wasted Chapter 2
Wednesday
UW “Hunger as Ideology”; Wasted Chapter 3
Friday
Wasted Chapter 4
Week Thirteen (Nov. 18-22)
Monday
UW “Anorexia Nervosa,” Wasted Chapter 4
Wednesday
UW “The Body and the Reproduction of Femininity”; Wasted Chapter 5
Friday
UW “Reading the Slender Body”; Wasted Chapter 6
Week Fourteen (Nov. 25-29)
Monday
ESSAY 3 DUE; finish Wasted
Wednesday
NO CLASS – THANKSGIVING BREAK
Friday
NO CLASS – THANKSGIVING BREAK
Week Fifteen (Dec. 2-6) Wasted
Monday
Portfolio Peer Review
Wednesday
Last Day of Class; PORTFOLIOS DUE
EXAM PERIOD
Wednesday December 4th noon-3:00