WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
English 100: Introduction to Writing
Fall 2014
Section 4: Tuesday/Thursday; 8:00 – 9:15 am
Section 11: Tuesday/Thursday; 9:30 – 10:45 am
Section 27: Tuesday/Thursday; 12:30 – 1:45 pm
Section 36: Tuesday/Thursday; 2:00 – 3:15 pm
Class Location: Simpkins 119
Instructor: Brenda Porter
Office: Simpkins 216
Office Hours: Monday 1:00 – 3:00 pm; Tuesday/Thursday 11:00 am - 12:00 pm; by appointment
Telephone: (309) 298-2754 Fax: (309) 298-2974
Email: bm-porter@wiu.edu
Email: bm-porter@wiu.edu
A. Course Description
Course Catalog: “Instruction and experience in the basics of clear, accurate, and effective paragraphs and
essays. Required of students placed in the course during initial registration.”
Course Focus: Planning and executing purposeful writing; developing meaningful reading strategies
Note: This course requires the permission of the instructor and the Director of Writing in order to drop. If you
wish to drop this course you will need to speak with me first, and I will forward your request to the Director
for consideration (permission is not granted automatically). Because you need permission to drop, you should
begin the drop process early.
B. Course Objectives
English 100 will provide semester-long practice in:
1) Developing confidence as a writer
2) Discovering ideas for writing
3) Building an essay around a controlling idea
4) Developing your ideas in detail
5) Writing fully-developed and effective paragraphs
6) Writing full-length essays
7) Drafting different versions of paragraphs and sentences
8) Revising the content of essays
9) Using teacher and peer responses effectively
10) Editing and proofreading
11) Using conventions of Edited American English
For complete information about the standard objectives for English 100, see the Writing Program’s handout
provided in .pdf form here: http://www.wiu.edu/cas/english_and_journalism/writing/100-handoutSp12.pdf
C. Required Texts and Materials
~ Please bring all required materials to each class meeting. ~
Book: A Pocket Style Manual 6th ed. by Diana Hacker ISBN-13: 978-0312542542
Readings: Essays, articles, and sample student papers will be emailed. Students are required to print the
articles and include them in their course binders.
Required Supplies: Composition Notebook, 1” Three-Ring Binder and Dividers, Notebook Paper
English 100. Fall 2014. Syllabus page 1
D. Course Policies
Academic Integrity: Academic dishonesty is an extremely serious violation of university policy and you
may jeopardize your academic career by engaging in it. (See http://www.wiu.edu/policies/acintegrity.php.)
 Each student is expected to do his/her own original work on all course assignments.
 Assignments completed previously for other courses may not be submitted.
 Acts of plagiarism and cheating will result in failure for the assignment and possible course failure.
Attendance Policy:
 Attendance is taken at every class meeting. It is expected that you will attend every class.
 Please arrive on time to class; tardiness in excess of ten minutes will be considered an absence.
 No distinction is made between excused and unexcused absences, so plan accordingly.
 If an absence cannot be avoided:
(1) please use the Online Absence Reporting System (O.A.R.S.) to report your absence.
https://www.wiu.edu/OARS/index.sphp
(2) Check with another student for class notes. Notes/make-up work are not provided by the instructor.
 A mandatory office visit will be required of any student who misses three classes.
 For each absence beyond four, your final grade will be lowered one full letter grade. Seven absences
will result in automatic failure of the course.
Calendar: Students are expected to be aware of the following important dates on the academic calendar.
August 29: Open registration ends (Seek permission before 4:30 that day.)
September 1: Labor Day—no class
September 8: Last day of restricted schedule changes (Seek permission before 4:30 that day.)
October 10: Fall Break—no class
November 2: Last day to drop a course; last day for a total university withdrawal. (Seek permission prior to
October 31 at 4:30.)
November 24-28: Thanksgiving Break—no class
Conduct: Students are expected to conduct themselves with courtesy and maturity at all times.
 Be Punctual: Arrive on time. (See “Attendance” for penalties associated with tardiness and absence.)
 Be Prepared: Bring required textbooks, journal, course binder, paper, and pens/pencils to every class.
 Concentrate: Limit distractions by turning off cell phones/iPods. Students using cell phones in class
will be asked to leave.
 Participate: Each student is expected to contribute to class discussions and to participate fully in all
group activities and workshops.
 Show Respect: Speak respectfully and exhibit respectful behavior toward classmates and instructor.
 NOTE: Students engaging in disruptive behavior may be asked to leave class and will be marked absent
for the day.
Communication:
 Email: The best way to communicate with me is via email. Replies may take up to one business day (24
hours). Emails submitted on Friday may not receive a response until the following Monday. Check your
email daily for communications about the course.
 Office Hours: I am available to discuss course assignments and any other course-related concerns in my
office. Please stop by (hours above) or email me to make an appointment.
Conferences: Our course schedule includes time for each student to meet with me individually twice during the
semester. Be punctual and be prepared. Missing a conference counts as an absence.
English 100. Fall 2014. Syllabus page 2
People with Disabilities: “In accordance with University policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA), academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an
accommodation. For the instructor to provide the proper accommodation(s) you must obtain documentation of
the need for an accommodation through Disability Resource Center (DRC) and provide it to the instructor. It is
imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor's attention, as he/she is not legally
permitted to inquire about such particular needs of students. Students who may require special assistance in
emergency evacuations (i.e. fire, tornado, etc.) should contact the instructor as to the most appropriate
procedures to follow in such an emergency. Contact Disability Resource Center (DRC) at 298-2512 for
additional services.” Please review your “Student Rights and Responsibilities” at
http://www.wiu.edu/provost/students and see me if you have any questions.
University Writing Center: Students are highly encouraged to utilize the services of the University Writing
Center. The mission of the UWC “is to offer students at any academic level collaborative, one-on-one
consultation on writing projects from any discipline at any point in the writing process.” For information about
locations and hours, see http://www.wiu.edu/cas/english_and_journalism/university_writing_center/index.php.
E. Coursework and Assignments
100 Journal: 10% of Final Grade
Students are required to purchase a composition notebook which must be brought to every class meeting. Each
class will begin with a journal entry. Journals will be collected twice during the semester and a grade will be
assessed based on the number of complete entries.
Class Work/Reading/Quizzes: 30% of Final Grade
Class Work: Class notes, group work, class discussions, grammar and research exercises, workshop activities
(Writing Workshop, Peer Review Workshop, Revision Workshop, etc.), and a variety of other tasks will be
completed during class.
Reading and Quizzes: Students will read essays, articles, and book chapters each week and will complete
regularly scheduled quizzes designed to assess reading comprehension. Information from class notes and
lectures may also be included on quizzes.
NOTE: If you are absent, you may not make up a missed quiz or in-class assignment. Successful students will
consistently attend class so that they do not miss these assignments.
Papers: 60% of Final Grade
Assignments: You will submit six formal writing assignments: four (long) paragraphs (one page) and two
(short) essays (2-3 pages). You will learn about and utilize the following: narration, description, exposition,
summary, and response to reading. A detailed Assignment Sheet (AS) will be distributed for each paper
Assignments 1-4: 30% of final grade (Assignments 1-2: 5% each; Assignments 3-4: 10% each)
Assignments 5-6: 30% of final grade (Each essay will be worth 15%.)
Due Dates: Submit print copies of papers at the beginning of the class period on the due date. Late work will be
penalized one full letter grade for each business day. For some papers, digital copies will be required (.doc or
.docx only) and are due to the instructor via email (bm-porter@wiu.edu) by 5:00 pm on the paper due date.
Formatting Guidelines: It is expected that all formal papers will conform to MLA manuscript format. Failure to
conform to these standards will result in a loss of credit. See Style Manual pp. 154-162.
Revision: You may revise and re-submit one paper for a new grade. You must make substantial changes to the
paper. A detailed Assignment Sheet (AS) will be distributed. The Revised Paper will be due on Final Exam day
and late papers will not accepted.
English 100. Fall 2014. Syllabus page 3
F. Grading
Paragraphs (4)
30%
Essays (2)
30%
Class Work/Reading/Quizzes 30%
100 Journal
10%


A: 93-100; A-: 90-92
B+: 88-89; B: 83-87; B-: 80-82
C+: 78-79; C: 73-77
U: <73
The student must earn a grade of C (73%) or higher in order to pass English 100.
Students who earn a U must repeat the class, but the U does not affect the GPA.
Paper grades: In order to protect each student’s right to privacy, I do not discuss paper grades during class
time. If you wish to discuss a paper grade, please make an appointment to meet with me during my office hours.
U grades: A grade of U indicates that a paper has serious errors (e.g. incoherent, lacks focus, not welldeveloped, frequent errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling). A paper that receives a U grade must be revised
and resubmitted one week from the date the original paper is returned. A revised U paper may receive no
higher than a grade of B. If the paper is not resubmitted, the grade on the original paper is changed to an F.
G. Course Schedule
Please note: The Syllabus and Course Schedule are subject to change.
The instructor will announce changes in class. Students are required to note all changes to the syllabus and schedule.
Syllabus Abbreviations:
The Pocket Style Manual: SM
Print, Read, Annotate, and Include in your binder: PRAI
Assignment Sheet: AS
DATE
WEEK 1:
Tuesday,
8.26.14
Thursday,
8.28.14
WEEK 2:
Tuesday,
9.2.14
Thursday,
9.4.14
DUE
Introduction to English 100; Course Overview; Syllabus
Topics: College reading and annotation
Read: Re-read English 100 syllabus for quiz
Print, read, annotate, and include in your binder: PRAI
 English 100 Handout: Find a .pdf of this document online
http://www.wiu.edu/cas/english_and_journalism/writing/100-handoutSp12.pdf
 Adler, “How to Mark a Book” (.pdf via email)
 Letter from instructor (.pdf via email)
Due: Letter of Introduction
Topics: Freewriting; Correspondence; The Writing Process; Paragraph #1 AS
Print, read, annotate, and include in your binder: PRAI
Elbow, “Freewriting”, Kirkpatrick, “Write a Letter” (.pdfs via email)
Due: (Optional) All Required Materials (10 points extra credit /class work category)
Topics: Rhetoric; The Rhetorical Situation (SWAP)
Due: Paragraph #1 Final Draft, printed, at the beginning of class
English 100. Fall 2014. Syllabus page 4
WEEK 3:
Tuesday,
9.9.14
Thursday,
9.11.14
WEEK 4:
Tuesday,
9.16.14
Thursday,
9.18.14
WEEK 5:
Tuesday,
9.23.14
Reminder: Monday, September 8: Last day of restricted schedule changes.
Topics: Sentences; Paragraphs; Writing Description
PRAI: Descriptive Writing handout; Sample Essays: Descriptive (.pdfs via email)
Quiz: All class notes to date; readings for 9.9.14
Topics: Writing Description; Paragraph #2 AS; Pre-Writing/Brainstorming techniques;
Inspectional Reading; Effective Emails
PRAI: Description book chapter, UNC handouts: Brainstorming, Emails (.pdfs via email)
Due: Annotations of Description book chapter for quiz grade
Topics: Peer Review Workshop; MLA Formatting; Sign up for conference appointments
Review: SM “Brief Contents” “Glossary of Usage” “Glossary of Grammatical Terms”
Read: SM pp. vii, 155-159
Due: Paragraph #2 Rough Draft, printed, at the beginning of class
Topics: Sentence fragments; Run-on sentences; Course Binder Workshop
Read: SM pp. 40-45
PRAI: Clark, “The Short Sentence as Gospel Truth”
Due: Paragraph #2 Final Draft, printed, at the beginning of class
Topics: Writing Narration; Paragraph #3 AS
PRAI: Narrative handout; Sample Essays: Narrative; Narrative chapter; (.pdfs via email)
Quiz: Class notes for 9.11, 9.16, 9.18; readings for 9.23.14
Thursday,
9.25.14
Classes Cancelled for Individual Conferences
Due at conference: Pre-writing for Paragraph #3; Rough Draft of Paragraph #3; 100 Journal
WEEK 6:
Tuesday,
9.30.14
Classes Cancelled for Individual Conferences
Due at conference: Pre-writing for Paragraph #3; Rough Draft of Paragraph #3; 100 Journal
Thursday,
10.2.14
WEEK 7:
Tuesday,
10.7.14
Topic: Writing Workshop for Paragraph #3
Thursday,
10.9.14
Topics: The history of the liberal arts; Cultural and scholarly conversations
Due: Paragraph #3 Final Draft, printed, at the beginning of class
Topics: Peer Review Workshop; Revision Workshop
Read: SM pp. 2-3 “Tighten Wordy Sentences”
PRAI: UNC Revision handout (.pdf via email)
Due: Paragraph #3 Rough Draft, printed, at the beginning of class
English 100. Fall 2014. Syllabus page 5
WEEK 8:
Tuesday,
10.14.14
Thursday,
10.16.14
WEEK 9:
Tuesday,
10.21.14
Thursday,
10.23.14
WEEK 10:
Tuesday,
10.28.14
Thursday,
10.30.14
Topics: Joining the conversation about the liberal arts
PRAI: Cronin, “Only Connect” (.pdf via email)
Xu, “The Case for a Liberal Arts Education” (.pdf via email)
Due: Annotations of Cronin and Xu for quiz grade
Topics: Scholarly and academic conversations: Looking at both sides of the argument
PRAI: Friedman, “How to Get a Job at Google, Part 2” (.pdf via email)
Kleiman, “Why Getting a Liberal Arts Education is Not a Mistake” (.pdf via email)
Due: Annotations of Friedman and Kleiman for quiz grade
Topics: Two-column note-taking; Identifying a conversation about happiness: Happy
PRAI: Revken, “A New Measure of Well-Being from a Happy Little Kingdom” (.pdf via email)
Due: Annotations of Revken for quiz grade
Topics: Joining the conversation about happiness: Happy
PRAI: Rich, “Better You, Better Life” (.pdf via email)
Due: Annotations of Rich for quiz grade
Topics: Class discussion of Happy; Collaboration as a writing strategy
Due: Film notes
Topics: Summarizing a Text; Writing Summary and Response; Course Binder Workshop
WEEK 11:
Tuesday,
11.4.14
Topics: Essay #1 AS; Ways of Responding
PRAI: Summary and Response Handout
Thursday,
11. 6.14
Topics: Repairing sentence fragments; Writing a strong introduction
Due: Essay #1 AS (annotated) and Pre-writing; Paragraphs 2-4
WEEK 12:
Tuesday,
11.11.14
Topics: MLA Works Cited page
Group activity: Run-ons, Comma Splices, Fragments;
Thursday,
11.13.14
LIBRARY
WEEK 13:
Tuesday,
11.18.14
Topics: Peer Review Workshop
Due: Essay #1 Rough Draft, printed, at the beginning of class
Thursday,
11.20.14
Topics: Writing the Personal Narrative; Preparing the 100 Journal for Submission
Due: Essay #1 Final Draft, printed, at the beginning of class
Classes Cancelled for Open Individual Conferences
Due at conference: Essay #1 Revised Draft
English 100. Fall 2014. Syllabus page 6
Reminder: No Classes November 24 – 28. University Closed for Thanksgiving Vacation.
WEEK 14:
Tuesday,
Topic: Putting it all together: Essay 2 The Personal Narrative: Essay 2 AS
12.2.14
Print, read, annotate, and include in your course binder:
 White, “Once More to the Lake” (.pdf via email)
Due: Annotations of White for a quiz grade
Thursday,
12.4.14
INDIVIDUAL WRITING CONFERENCES (No classes)
Due at conference: Essay 2 AS (annotated) and Pre-Writing; Essay 2 First Rough Draft
WEEK 15:
Tuesday,
12.9.14
INDIVIDUAL WRITING CONFERENCES (No classes)
Due at conference: Essay 2 AS (annotated) and Pre-Writing; Essay 2 First Rough Draft
Thursday,
12.11.14
Topic: Peer Review Workshop
Due: Essay 2 Second Rough Draft for Peer Review
Due: 100 Freewriting Journal (see AS sent via email)
FINAL EXAM WEEK:
Schedule
Course/Section Number
Day/Date
Time
Location
English 100, Section 4 (8:00 am class)
Tuesday, 12.16.14
8:00 am
Simpkins 119
English 100, Section 11 (9:30 am class)
Thursday, 12.18.14
8:00 am
Simpkins 119
English 100, Section 27 (12:30 pm class)
Tuesday, 12.16.14
1:00 pm
Simpkins 119
English 100, Section 36 (2:00 pm class)
Tuesday, 12.16.14
3:00 pm
Simpkins 119
Assignments Due at Final Exam

Essay 2 Final Draft: The Personal Narrative Essay. Submit the following required items:
Final Draft, First Rough Draft (individual conference), Second Rough Draft, Peer Review Worksheet

Revised Paragraph (optional, see AS sent via email)
Final Exam Period Activities

In-Class Essay: Paragraph 4, 10% of final grade

Course Evaluations

Binder Check (optional, see AS sent via email)
English 100. Fall 2014. Syllabus page 7