WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
Fairbanks 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 Rhetoric
Term and Year: Fall 2014
August 18 – November 1
Instructor: Mary Parker
Contact Information and Office Hours:
Phone: (704) 576-5178
Email: mary.parker@wayland.wbu.edu
In an effort to ensure all students succeed, I am available before and after class, and by appointment. Please refer to
the schedule and contact your classmate(s) should you need to know whether or not an assignment is due. If you
need clarification or wish to set up a conference, I am available by phone M-F 8 a.m.- 4p.m. and check email
regularly.
Please note: Please refrain from contacting me with questions concerning assignment(s) due the same day.
Class Meeting Time and Location:
Wednesdays, 6 – 10pm
Eielson AFB Education Center, Room 104
Catalog Description: Principles of clear, correct, effective expository writing, with illustrative readings and
frequent essays and conferences.
Prerequisite: None
Required Textbook and Resources:
Ruszkiewicz. How to Write Anything: A Guide and Reference with Readings, 2 nd ed. (ISBN 13: 978-0-312-67489-2)
Blackboard Access
Microsoft Word/Computer access
Writing instrument – pen or pencil
Notebook paper – Although you may prefer to type, I will regularly require you to turn in assignments written
during class.
**Please ensure you have pen/pencil, textbook and paper accessible during every class meeting, beginning Week 1.
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 expressions.
2.
Summarize the steps and components of the writing process.
3.
Compose academic, nonfiction 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 (Equivalent to 3 classes) 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.
In the event of an extenuating circumstance, please contact me directly and we can discuss your study plan and keep
your course progress on track. Refrain from asking the instructor whether or not you “missed anything” in the event
of an absence – you did. Please prepare yourself by including the name and contact information of a classmate
below. Use this contact information to make sure you have all information about assignments should you miss a
class. Regardless of absence, completing course work (including papers, journals and other written
assignments) is your responsibility.
Name:
Phone:
Email:
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.”
Classroom Etiquette:
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In English 1301, we will discuss writing techniques and put pen to paper during every meeting.
Please arrive on time, ready to participate.
Participate in class discussions. Be mindful and respectful of others. We do not all learn at the same pace or
have the same perspective – patience is key to the learning process!
If using a computer during class, you must only be working on assigned coursework for English 1301.
Take notes!
Please turn off your cell phone.
*The only exception to this rule is in the case of an emergency- please notify instructor before class begins.
Students who do not comply with etiquette may be asked to leave the class.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Students will discuss academic honesty and plagiarism in-class and
sign a form regarding plagiarism. Any student who engages in plagiarism will receive an F for the course.
Course Requirements and Grading Criteria: 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. *Required by Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Grading will be evaluated based on a points scale:
900-1000
800-900
700-800
600-700
Below 600
A, 90-100%
B, 80-90%
C, 70-80%
D, 60-70%
F, 60% or below
Points will be earned based on the following assignments:
Major writing assignments:
600 points
Students will independently write four essays throughout the semester. All final drafts must be submitted via Safe
Assign in MLA format and submitted in class in hard copy on the due date. Points will be deducted each
spelling error and each grammatical/proofreading error discussed during the course.
Name of Assignment
Narrative Essay
Report Essay
Evaluation Essay
Requirements
2 Pages
2-3 Pages
2-3 Pages
Total Point Value
100
100
100
Argument Essay
5-6 Pages
300 Points
Due Date
September 3
September 17
October, 1
Annotated Bibliography: 50
Rough Draft: 50
Presentation: 50
Research Final Draft: 150
October 15
October 22
October 29
October 29
Journal entries:
150 points
Students will submit a weekly Blackboard journal in response to a prompt provided on Blackboard. Responses
should be 1-2 Word document pages in length, in MLA format. Each entry is worth a maximum 15 points. Unless
noted by the instructor, journals will be due Wednesdays at 11 a.m.
Participation:
150 points
Please arrive to class on time, and come prepared to learn and engage with the instructor and classmates. You will
frequently work in groups during class. Questions based on the learning material are encouraged!
Midterm
100 points
A midterm designed to gauge course progress will be proctored in-class, and cannot be made-up.
Please note: The instructor does not “give” grades. Students earn grades. You alone have the ability to affect your
progress and success in this course.
English 1301 is a writing course. This means you will write in-class independently and in groups; as part of your
weekly homework assignments; in a weekly journal and to complete four major assignments. We will discuss
writing techniques and course competencies expected of you during class, therefore it is imperative you attend class
weekly.
Late work will receive a 10% point deduction per day on the assignment grade. This means a perfect assignment
worth 100 points will automatically drop to 90 points after one day.
*Assignments turned in more than one week late will not be accepted. In the case of military documented TDY or
exercises, please notify me as soon as possible so that we may discuss alternative arrangements.
Tentative Schedule
The instructor may amend this schedule, as needed.
Week One (August 20): Introduction to course; Purposes of Writing; Effective Reading;
Grammar Exercises; MLA Exercises; Narrative Essay
Homework: Journal 1; Read Ch.1 – Narratives and “Strange Tools” p.23-28; Read Ch. 19;
Brainstorm Narrative Essay; Grammar Exercises – Nouns and Verbs
Week Two (August 27): Narratives – Timeline Activity; Drafting a Thesis, Ch.26; Word
Choice Exercises; Writing and Revision Process, Ch. 38 - 39; Sentence and Paragraph Structure,
Ch.30 - 33
Homework: Journal 2; Read Ch.2 - Reports, Ch. 40 and 49 ; Grammar Exercises – Comma
Splices, Run-ons and Fragments; Complete Narrative Essay
Week Three (September 3): Narrative Essay due; Discuss Report Writing and Research
(Ch.45-48); Play the Role Activity; Brainstorm Report and begin research; Grammar Exercises –
Subject Verb Agreement
Homework: Journal 3; Read Layton, p.47 and Wolman, p.691; Develop thesis question for
Report Essay; Read Ch. 29 and create outline for Report Essay; Grammar Exercises -Subject
verb agreement/Irregular verbs
Week Four (September 10): Smart Searching Activity (Ch.2); Writing from Images – Time
magazine activity; Moving from Observation to Inference activity; Discuss Style, Ch. 35-37
Homework: Journal 4; Complete Report Essay
Week Five (September 17): Report Essay due; Midterm; Go Local Activity; Introduce
Evaluation Essay; Grammar Exercises - Pronouns
Homework: Journal 5; Read Ch. 4 and Evaluation Essay of choice from Readings (Ch.69);
Grammar Exercises – Apostrophes and Capitalization;
Week Six (September 24): Evaluation Activity – Observation to Judgment; Outline Evaluation
Essay; Read Brown, p.131 and discuss
Homework: Journal 6; Complete Evaluation Essay; Grammar Exercises - Prepositions
Week Seven (October 1): Evaluation Essay due; Introduce Argument Essay; Taking a Side
Activity; Ch. 11 – Annotated Bibliography
Homework: Journal 7; Read Ch. 3 - Arguments and Bazelon, p.743; Stylistic Writing Exercises
Week Eight (October 8): Discuss Arguments and complete Time Machine Activity; Complete
Argument Research Worksheet and begin Annotated Bibliography; Vibrant Sentences Exercise
Homework: Journal 8; Read Ch. 53; Complete Annotated Bibliography; Grammar Exercises –
Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
Week Nine (October 15): Annotated Bibliography due; Draft Argument Outline; Claims and
Evidence
Homework: Journal 9; Read Ch. 18 – Oral Reports
Week Ten (October 22): Rough Draft Argument essay due; Peer Review; Ch. 38 – Revising
Homework: Journal 10; Revise and edit Argument essay; Prepare final presentation
Week Eleven (October 29): Submit Final Exams and Presentations; Course Evaluation; Discuss
Practical Applications