ENG 104: Introduction to Investigative Writing
[Semester]
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[Location]
Instructor Information
Name:
Office location:
Office hours:
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Email:
Course Description and Core Objectives
English 104 is an introduction to techniques of investigation and interpretation using campus resources
and an exploration of ways of shaping language for various audiences and purposes. It is a one-unit course
that meets the Core Writing Program’s requirements of English 102.
This course will be an intellectually challenging class requiring a great deal of research, reading, and
writing. You will be treated as professional writers—individuals with words and ideas who own their own
writing, requiring only guidance to become more effective writers. This class is also a writing community;
you will be working alongside your classmates, sharing ideas, collaborating on research, and providing
feedback, while moving towards individual research projects.
This course builds a foundation 1 for Core Objectives 01 and 03 of the Silver Core Curriculum:
 C01: Effective Composition & Communication: Students will be able to effectively compose
written, oral, and multimedia texts for a variety of scholarly, professional, and creative purposes.
 C03: Critical Analysis & Use of Information: Students will be critical consumers of
information, able to engage in systematic research processes, frame questions, read critically, and
apply observational and experimental approaches to obtain information.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and Correlation to Core Objectives (COs)
Students successfully completing this course will be able to:
1) Engage in critical reading and interpretation of a wide range of texts (CO3);
2) Be able to summarize, analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and apply what they read—both orally
and in writing (CO1/CO3);
3) Frame complex research questions or problems (CO3);
4) Be able to produce a coherent, well-supported argument that shows critical thinking about the
student’s own and alternative viewpoints (CO1/CO3);
5) Recognize, evaluate, and use a variety of information sources: expert people, publications of
information agencies, popular and specialized periodicals, professional journals, books, and
electronic resources (CO3);
6) Conduct research that shows evidence of the ability to synthesize, use fairly, and credit the
ideas of others using the appropriate citation style (CO3);
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Competency for CO1 and CO3 will be developed further in the General Education requirements. Majors will be expected to
further develop discipline-specific competency of these objectives, and they will also be integrated into the Core Capstone
course.
7) Write coherently and observe the standards of academic English (CO1).
Required Materials2
 Regular access to your email and WebCampus
 Money ($25-$30 ) for printing and/or copying course materials and essay drafts. This is much
cheaper than textbooks.
 Any required readings posted on WebCampus must be printed and brought to class. You
will also be required to bring the specified number of copies of all drafts on workshop
days. To save paper, any document that is a required reading or a peer-review copy of draft
may be printed double-sided or on scratch paper. Any final draft (the copy you hand in to
me) must be single-sided.
I. Attendance
According to UNR policy, there are no excused absences: http://www.unr.edu/studentconduct/policies/university-policies-andguidelines/academic-standards/policy. Attendance is particularly
important in Core Writing courses because so much of the learning in these courses happens during inclass writing exercises, peer review, and discussion. Nevertheless, students are allowed two absences
without penalty to their final grade. If you reach two absences—the equivalent of two weeks of class—
you may receive an automatic F in the class (regardless of how spectacular your writing is).
There are a very few exceptions to this policy. One is if you are representing the university in an official
capacity (sports, debate, band, etc.). In this case you may qualify for a limited number of additional
absences. To qualify for this exemption, you must bring me official notification (on university letterhead,
complete with contact information) from a university official by the end of the second week in class. Once
I have your letter, you and I will decide if you should remain in the course or should find a section whose
schedule better fits yours. The other exception may come in case of serious injury/illness. If you wish to
petition for an additional limited number of absences, you or a representative must notify me within a
week of the incident. Again, there are no excused absences from UNR courses, so exceptions are at my
discretion and must be negotiated by the above conditions.
If you miss a class, it is your duty to determine what you have missed. Missed classes for reasons other
than those outlined above will result in a zero for any daily assignments that were due in class for that
class period.
As for tardiness, you need to be in your seat when class starts and ends. Tardiness in excess of ten
minutes past the scheduled start time of the class may result in the student being marked as absent. Please
pay myself and your classmates the respect we deserve by showing up to class on time. If I feel that
tardiness has become a problem, I reserve the right to give unannounced attendance quizzes. If a student
is not in her/his seat at the start of class, s/he will not be permitted to take the attendance quiz.
II. Major Assignments
You must submit all major assignments to be eligible to pass this class. A failure to submit any of the
major assignments for the class within two weeks of the due date of the assignment will result in an
automatic failure for the course.
Writing Process and Workshops
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Required materials vary based on instructor and theme.
Getting feedback and revising your writing is an important part the writing process and an important part
of this course. As such, your success in this course depends partly on your level of commitment to and
participation in the various stages of the writing process. All readings and reading responses, pre-writing
assignments, and drafts are designed to help you work toward each of the two major papers.
Additionally, each major paper will have at least one in class workshop day. To receive full credit for
your participation in these workshops you must be present and alert, prepared with copies of your draft,
and make constructive contributions throughout the workshop process.
Format
All assignments should be typed in a normal, 12 point font (Times New Roman is recommended) and
follow either MLA or APA format (your choice—but stay consistent), unless otherwise noted.
Conferences
You will be required to attend one conference during the semester. In this conference, you will meet with
me one-on-one to discuss your research and research process. This one-on-one conference serves as an
opportunity for you to discuss your work with me and is a key part of the writing process. As our regular
class time will be cancelled to accommodate conferences, missing a conference will result in both an
absence and a deduction of participation points.
ASSIGNMENTS
This course will focus on two major research assignments——plus corresponding assignments for each.
GRADING BREAKDOWN
The breakdown for grading is detailed below. Any changes to or additional details about grading or
criteria will be announced in class as well as posted on WebCampus.
Essay 1:
Annotated Bib
Essay 2:
Annotated Bib
Presentation:
Homework and in-class activities :
20%
15%
30%
15%
10%
10%
CO1; CO3
CO3
CO1; CO3
CO3
CO1
CO1; CO3
Grading scale:
A: 95 – 100%
A-:90 – 94%
B+: 87 – 89%
B: 83 – 86%
B-:80 – 82%
C+: 77 – 79%
C: 73 – 76%
C-:70 – 72%
D: 60 – 69%
F: 59% and below
All major assignments are due in class by the beginning of class on the due date. Major assignments
submitted after the start of class on the date due will be penalized ten percent for each day (including
weekends and holidays). If you are unable to attend class on an essay's due date, you are responsible for
making arrangements to submit the essay to me before it is due.
I will be happy to address any questions or concerns regarding the grading of an individual
essay/assignment during my office hours, but due to privacy restrictions I am not permitted to discuss
these concerns in front of other students, and these concerns will not be addressed during class.
III. Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty
Academic honesty is highly valued at UNR. Plagiarism (copying all or part of someone else’s work and
passing it off as your own) is a serious form of academic misconduct and will not be tolerated. The
following definitions and possible courses of action are taken from the Academic Standards section of the
university catalog:
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Academic dishonesty is defined as: cheating, plagiarism or otherwise obtaining grades under false
pretenses. Plagiarism is defined as submitting the language, ideas, thoughts or work of another as
one’s own; or assisting in the act of plagiarism by allowing one’s work to be used in this fashion.
Disciplinary procedures for incidents of academic dishonesty may involve both academic action
and administrative action for behavior against the campus regulations of student
conduct….Academic action may include: (1) canceling the student’s enrollment in the class
without a grade; (2) filing a final grade of “F”; (3) awarding a failing mark on the test or paper in
question; (4) requiring the student to retake the test or resubmit the paper.
Please note that “the work of another” does not just mean whole papers or articles copied from another
source. It includes any information, ideas, sentences, or phrases that came from somewhere other than
your own head (i.e. books, articles, internet sites, videos, documents, lecture notes or handouts from other
courses, and any other sources). Whether you are quoting directly or paraphrasing, sources must be
properly acknowledged by providing references and an MLA-formatted Works Cited page. Citations
should also be given for little-known facts and statistics. If you have questions as to what constitutes
plagiarism, please talk to me, or see the webpage “Academic Standards” at http://www.unr.edu/academiccentral/forms-andpolicies/policies/academic-standards.
IV. Miscellaneous
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Cell phones and pagers must be either silenced or turned off during class. If your cell phone goes
off during class, I reserve the right to ask you to leave the classroom. In addition, text messaging is
prohibited during class. Violations of this cell phone policy will result in you being asked to leave
the classroom, you receiving a zero for the day for any in class assignments, and it will count as an
unexcused absence.
Use of laptops, Mp3 players, and all other electronics during class is prohibited unless you are
given permission from the instructor.
Class discussions or activities may often contain frank subject matter. Each student will respect
the comments of the other students in the class, the instructor and any visitors that we may have in
class.
When working on assignments for this course, students will be frequently asked to visit outside
sources such as the library. In these instances, students will conduct themselves as they would in
class and deal professionally with all University staff and personnel they come in contact with.
If a student has a problem with the subject matter of any assignment, he/she is encouraged to meet
with me privately during office hours so that I may address his/her concerns and discuss a suitable
alternative assignment.
During the semester I will be in frequent contact with you via email. It is your responsibility to
make sure that I have your correct email address.
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During email and phone conversations students must maintain a formal and respectful tone.
Food and beverages are allowed as long as they do not become a distraction.
Chewing gum and tobacco products (including use of e-cigs) are prohibited.
Sleeping: Students are expected to remain sitting upright and awake during class. If you have your
head down or if you are sleeping during class, you will be asked to leave the classroom, you will
receive a zero for the day for any in class assignments, and it will count as an unexcused absence.
It is your responsibility to be prepared for every class period. If I find that you are unprepared for class
(incomplete reading or writing assignments, materials unprinted, missing textbook, etc.), then you will be
asked to leave the classroom, you will receive a zero for all class activities for that day, and it will count
as an unexcused absence.
Finally, any behavior that I find to be disruptive to the classroom environment will result in you being
asked to leave the classroom, you receiving a zero for all class activities for that day, and it being counted
as an unexcused absence. If you are dismissed from class due to behavioral concerns, you may also be
required to meet with an administrator in Core Writing before the next class period to discuss the issue(s).
A failure to meet with the administrator in Core Writing will result in every class period after this being
marked as an unexcused absence until this meeting has taken place. These unexcused absences will
remain as unexcused absences after the meeting has taken place.
Disability Services
The University of Nevada, Reno and the Core Writing Department support providing equal access for
students with disabilities. If you require assistance, please tell me and speak with the Disability Resource
Center (Thompson Building Suite 101) as soon as possible to arrange appropriate accommodations.
Statement for Academic Success Services
Your student fees cover usage of the Tutoring Center (784-6801 or www.unr.edu/tutoring-center), and
University Writing Center (784-6030 or http://www.unr.edu/writing-center). The mission of the
University
Writing Center is to assist students in any stage of the writing process through peer-to-peer consultation
and small group instruction. The staff offers free writing consultations to all undergraduate, graduate, and
faculty members. Writing consultations range from 30 minutes to one hour.
Audio and Video Recording
Surreptitious or covert video-taping of class or unauthorized audio recording of class is prohibited by law
and by Board of Regents policy. This class may be videotaped or audio recorded only with the written
permission of the instructor. In order to accommodate students with disabilities, some students may have
been given permission to record class lectures and discussions. Therefore, students should understand that
their comments during class may be recorded.
Statement on Online Course Evaluations
Your chance to evaluate this English course will appear two weeks before the last day of classes in the
form of a new course on your WebCampus home page. This new course contains only the evaluation
survey. These online course evaluations are extremely important to your instructor and to the Department
of English, so please take a few minutes to complete your course evaluation when it becomes available.
The evaluation is completely anonymous and your comments can never be connected with your name.
Instructors cannot see the evaluation course on WebCampus and will not have access to the contents of
these evaluations until after final grades have been posted.
Class Schedule*
All readings and assignments must be completed PRIOR to the class meeting for which they are assigned.
*(Schedule subject to change due to pace of class, direction of class discussions, and/or if changes would more directly address
learning outcomes.)
Week/Date
Week 1
08/26
Week 2
09/02
Week 3
09/9
Week 4
09/16
Week 5
09/23
Week 6
9/30
Week 7
10/07
Week 8
10/14
Week 9
10/21
Week 10
10/28
Week 11
11/04
Week 12
11/11
Week 13
11/18
Week 14
11/25
Week 15
12/02
Homework due
Introduction to the course and topic
Read: Harris Introduction and Chapter 1
Excerpt from Kembrew McLeod’s Freedom of Expression
Write a critical summary of McLeod’s project
Excerpt from Academic Research and Writing “Moving From Summary
to Synthesis”
Read: Rebecca Moore Howard – “Understanding ‘Internet Plagiarism’”
(Locate Howard writing synthesis and detail how she’s doing it and to
what effect – how does it advance her own project, you will heva to
define her project)
Lawrence Lessig “The Creative Commons” (description of his project)
Workshop: Research Questions and narrowing topic workshop
Bring three recent articles about your topic to class (be familiar with
them)
Library research day
Read Harris Chapter 2 “Forwarding”
Annotation workshop
Annotated Bibliography due
Workshop Draft Due
Essay 1 Due
Read Harris Chapter 3 “Countering”
Kairos and Exigence workshop
conferences
Burkean parlor map/swales moves
Annotated bib workshop
Annotated Bibliography due
Workshop Draft Due
Week 16
12/9
Final Paper Due