WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
Hawaii Campus
School of Languages and Literature
Wayland Baptist University Mission Statement: Wayland Baptist University exists to educate students in an
academically challenging, learning-focused and distinctively Christian environment for professional success, and
service to God and humankind.
Course Name: ENGL 1301 – Composition and Writing
Term and Year: Summer 2016 [May 23, 2016 – August 6, 2016]
Full Name of Instructor: Susan Arias
Office Phone and Email: (808) 675-6518
Susan.Arias@Wayland.wbu.edu
Office Hours, Building, and Location: Before and after class at the Mililani campus and online continually in
Blackboard
Class Meeting Time and Location: Thursdays from 9:00 am – approximately 12:00 pm at the Mililani campus.
This course is a hybrid course—meaning we will use 70% of the class time for lecture/discussion/group work and
the other 30% will be completed online through the various Blackboard assignments and discussion forums. We will
be meeting face-to-face each week for 3 hours and completing online discussion boards and assignments for the
remaining 1.5 hours.
Catalog Description: -Principles of clear, correct, effective expository writing; with illustrative readings, and
frequent essays and conferences.
Prerequisite: None
Required Textbook and Resources: Ruszkiewicz and Dolmage, How to Write Anything: A Guide and Reference
with Readings, 3rd Ed. ISBN: 978-1-457-66703-9 Students may use the e-book version;
LaunchPad Resource
Course outcome competencies: Upon the conclusion of this course, students actively engaged in learning will be
able to:
1. Apply standard rules and conventions of the English language to written expression.
2. Summarize the steps and components of the writing process.
3. Compose academic, non-fiction essays or responses in at least four different rhetorical modes or style.
4. Demonstrate basic college-level research skills.
5. Employ active reading strategies.
The more the student puts into the course, the higher his or her outcome competencies will be.
Attendance Requirements: As stated in the Wayland Catalog, students enrolled at one of the University’s external
campuses should make every effort to attend all class meetings. All absences must be explained to the instructor,
who will then determine whether the omitted work may be made up. When a student reaches that number of
absences considered by the instructor to be excessive, the instructor will so advise the student and file an
unsatisfactory progress report with the campus executive director. Any student who misses 25 percent or more of
the regularly scheduled class meetings may receive a grade of F in the course. Additional attendance policies for
each course, as defined by the instructor in the course syllabus, are considered a part of the University’s attendance
policy.
Disability Statement: “In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), it is the policy of
Wayland Baptist University that no otherwise qualified person with a disability be excluded from participation in, be
denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity in the university.
The Coordinator of Counseling Services serves as the coordinator of students with a disability and should be
contacted concerning accommodation requests at (806) 291- 3765. Documentation of a disability must accompany
any request for accommodations.”
Course Requirements and Grading Criteria:
COURSE CONTENT:
Assigned Genre Papers: For this component, you will produce four short papers in the genres assigned to you by
the instructor. You will post the draft of your papers in MLA format on the discussion page for peer review, and
respond to at least two peer papers. Each genre will be taught as a mini-lesson, with activities, during class.
Reading Discussions: Each week your response to the instructor-generated discussion question must be posted in
assignments by 11:30 PM (Texas time zone) on Saturdays and at least two peer responses must be posted in discussion by
noon on Mondays. For the initial DQ response 200-350 words are required, using higher-level, critical thinking. You
must have two quotes from the texts to support your statements. Remember to use open and closed quote marks. The
responses are to be posted on BOTH the discussion tool page (for peer response) and the assignment tool page (for
individual feedback and points from the instructor). For week one journal, please use internet sources. No Wikipedia
references are permitted. When you respond to peer posts, you are not required to have 200-350 words; but do use your
higher-level, critical, thinking.
3 points for the initial post and 2 points for the peer posts. A total of 5 points per week will be awarded for Discussion
Questions.
Argument Paper: For this component, you will produce an argument with a thesis statement, three claims, as a
five-paragraph essay. The assignment must be at least two pages in length, double spaced. Be sure to follow MLA
format and use Times New Roman, 12-point font. You will also produce a 10 slide PPT as your visual argument. All
slides must have a graphic and slide 10 must be a reference slide. The paper will be submitted in 2 stages: draft for
peer review posted only in discussion due week 8, and final version due in assignments week 10. You will also need
to clear your thesis statement and claims with the instructor, to avoid duplication. The sooner you choose your
argument, the more likely you are to get your first choice.
Final Exam: This comprehensive exam will consist of two essay questions; the first one will be tied to the learning
objectives, the second one will be about your contribution to this class.
ASSIGNMENTS
PERCENT
Individual (100%)
Virtual Journal (reflections, based upon Instructor prompts on assigned readings) (worth 3 pts per week, weeks
two through nine; first week only, journal is worth 4 pts) (to be posted on both the discussion tool page and the
assignment tool page).
20
Online Discussion (weeks two through nine, based upon Peer discussion prompts from Peer research) (2 pts per
week) (to be posted on the discussion tool page only). See criteria for assignment.
25
ASSIGNED Genre Papers (to be posted on both the discussion tool page and the assignment tool page).
20
Argument Paper for a topic of student’s own choosing (to be posted on both the discussion tool page and the
assignment tool page) See criteria for assignment.
15
Classroom Participation in Writer’s Workshop
10
Final Exam (to be taken online, within the course)
10
Total
100
“Students shall have protection through orderly procedures against prejudices or capricious
academic evaluation. A student who believes that he or she has not been held to realistic
academic standards, just evaluation procedures, or appropriate grading, may appeal the final
grade given in the course by using the student grade appeal process described in the Academic
Catalog. Appeals may not be made for advanced placement examinations or course
bypass examinations. Appeals are limited to the final course grade, which may be upheld, raised,
or lowered at any stage of the appeal process. Any recommendation to lower a course grade must
be submitted through the Executive Vice President/Provost to the Faculty Assembly Grade
Appeals Committee for review and approval. The Faculty Assembly Grade Appeals Committee
may instruct that the course grade be upheld, raised, or lowered to a more proper evaluation.”
Tentative Schedule:
Week One: Bios, Course Orientation, Journal, Plagiarism, The Task Analysis Essay
Week Two: Peer Review of The Task Analysis Essay; The Descriptive Essay
Week Three: Peer Review of The Descriptive Essay; The Narrative Essay
Week Four: Peer Review of The Narrative Essay; Grammar; Writing effectively
Week Five: The Comparison-Contrast Essay
Week Six: Peer Review of The Comparison-Contrast Essay; Five-Paragraph Essay
Week Seven: Research and the Argument; Readings and Discussion
Week Eight: Argument draft due in Discussion
Week Nine: A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Hamlet
Week Ten: Argument Five-Paragraph Essay due in Assignments;
Week Eleven: Final Exam online in Blackboard.
Additional Information:
Paper Format:
Please use Times New Roman, Verdana, or Arial font and do not add borders or graphics
Right justify running header and page numbers. Insert using header/footer
Left justify first page header
Please add your name, course number, instructor name, and date to all first page headers.
Center the paper title after first page header
Double space entire paper, including first page header and references.
Use hanging indent for references
Do not add extra space between citations
Do not simply copy/paste URL – see OWL at Perdue Son of Citation Machine
Note: Avoid use of the first person (I, me, my) in academic writing unless writing about a personal experience.
Make statements and support the statements with evidence. Avoid voicing opinion.
Contractions are inappropriate in college writing, spell out the words.
The passive voice is a form of "be" (is) and a participle (made). Over-use of the passive voice can make paragraphs
officious and tedious to read. Prefer the active voice. For example, passive voice = The paper was completed on
time. Active voice = the student completed the paper on time.