San José State University
Communication Studies Department
Comm 100W, Writing for Influence
Instructor:
Office Location:
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Office Hours:
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Prerequisites:
GE/SJSU Studies Category
A grade of “C” or better in English IB, passage of the Writing
Skills Test (WST), upper division standing, and completion of
Core GE.
Z
Catalog Description
Current conventions and forms of exposition, argument and persuasion. Writing for the general
and specialized audience from the thesis statement approach.
Course Description
It is not uncommon that when we set out to improve our writing skills our aim is to write clear,
effective, and credible prose. Our goal, most of the time, is to convey our ideas without those
ideas becoming muddled or falling prey to manipulation by others. We tend to believe that the
best prose for the job is that which leaves no room for misinterpretation and which takes the
most direct route to get to the point.
This course offers a different perspective on writing. It begins from the premise that the practice
of writing is always an act of persuasion and that often we mistake a writer’s persuasiveness for
“clarity.” The objective of the course is to give you the opportunity to practice persuasive writing
techniques so that you can make informed decisions about all aspects of your writing from
grammatical rules and citations to your choice of words and composition of a thesis statement.
The assignments and exercises specific to COMM 100W are designed to show you how the
stylistic conventions of your audience influence your choices and how your language and
compositional choices influence your message. This course will help even confident writers
tailor their writing style for different audiences and write to influence.
Course Website
You will find copies of the course syllabus, course readings, major assignment sheets, your
grades, and other resources in our Desire2Learn course site: https://sjsu.desire2learn.com
To locate your Desire2Learn login name and password, follow the instructions posted here:
http://www.sjsu.edu/ecampus/students/
Additional course resources may be found on my faculty website:
It is your responsibility to access your Desire2Learn account throughout the semester and
regularly check for discrepancies between what you believe your grade to be and what I have
official posted. Any concerns you have about your grade should be brought to my attention
immediately.
Succeeding in this Class
At SJSU, students are expected to spend two hours outside of class for every one-hour of class
time. Because this is a three-unit class, you can expect to spend a minimum of six hours per
week in addition to time spent in class and on scheduled tutorials or activities. Special projects or
assignments may require additional work for the course. Careful time management will help you
keep up with readings and assignments and enable you to be successful in all of your courses.
Course Learning Objectives
LO1 Refine the competencies established in Written Communication 1A & 1B;
LO2 Express (explain, analyze, develop and criticize) ideas effectively, including ideas
encountered in multiple readings and expressed in different forms of discourse;
LO3 Organize and develop essays and documents for both professional and general audiences,
including appropriate editorial standards for citing primary and secondary sources;
LO4 Develop appreciation for the persuasive capacity of all elements of writing including
grammar, composition, and use of citations.
Required Course Materials
1) O’Conner, P. T. Woe is I: The grammarphobe’s guide to better English in plain English.
New York: Riverhead Books, 2004. Print. ISBN: 978-1594480065
2) Kirszner, L. G. and Mandell, S. R. The Wadsworth pocket handbook (4th Ed.). Belmont:
Wadsworth, 2008. Print. ISBN: 978-1428229785
3) A collection of essays on writing for influence (see list below). Electronic copies of all the
essays are available on our Desire2Learn course site: https://sjsu.desire2learn.com If you have
any problems locating, opening, or reading these files, let me know as soon as possible.
4) A lined composition notebook (no spiral notebooks please!) with standard 8 ½ x 11 pages that
you can dedicate exclusively to in-class writing exercises. You will hand in this notebook several
times throughout the course of the semester. Please have a notebook by our second class and
bring it with you to class everyday.
5) Access to a camera (the standard camera feature on any phone will suffice).
6) You may also need to allocate a modest photocopy budget ($10-15) in order to distribute
copies of your writing-in-progress.
Required readings in alphabetical order
Bayh, Evan. “Why I Am Leaving the Senate.” February 22, 2010.
Borges, Jorge Luis. The Book of Imaginary Beings. New York, NY: Viking Adult, 2005.
[Selections]
Elbow, Peter. “The Dangerous Method.” Writing with power: Techniques for mastering the
writing process (2nd Ed.). New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Fish, Stanley. “The Writing Lesson.” The New York Times May 4, 2006.
Kirsh, Sharon J. “’Suppose a Grammar Uses Invention’: Gertrude Stein’s Theory of Rhetorical
Grammar.” Rhetoric Society Quarterly 38.3 (2008): 283–310.
Lanham, Richard. “Introduction: The Domain of Style.” Analyzing Prose. New York, NY:
Continuum, 2003. pp. 1–10.
Power, Matthew. “Ghosts of Wounded Knee.” Harper’s Magazine December 2009: 63–73.
Stein, Gertrude. “Sentences and Paragraphs.” How to Write. New York, NY: Dover Publications,
1975. pp. 25–35
Trinh T. Minh-ha. “Vertically imposed language: on clarity, craftsmanship, and She who steals
language.” Women, Native, Other. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1989. pp. 15–20.
Wallace, David Foster. “Tense Present: Democracy, English, and the Wars over Usage.”
Harper’s Magazine April 2001: 40–58.
Additional Readings
A collection of popular press articles on the State of California’s use of capital punishment. One
file is titled “California Execution Debate” and the second is titled “Anti and Pro Death Penalty.”
The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
Student Resources
Technology Resources
Computer labs for student use are available in the new Academic Success Center located on the
1st floor of Clark Hall and on the 2nd floor of the Student Union. In addition, computers are
available in the Martin Luther King Library. The COMM Lab, located in Clark Hall 240, also
has a few computers available for student use. A wide variety of audio-visual equipment is
available for student checkout from Media Services located in IRC 112. These items include
digital and VHS camcorders, VHS and Beta video players, 16 mm, slide, overhead, DVD, CD,
and audiotape players, sound systems, wireless microphones, screens and monitors.
COMM Lab
The COMM Lab is located in Clark Hall 240. Tutors for the lab are recruited from well-qualified
communication studies graduate and upper division students. The Lab provides resources for
enrichment and assistance for those enrolled in all Communication Studies classes. Lab hours
vary by semester and are posted on the COMM Lab wiki available at commlab.pbwiki.com.
Learning Assistance Resource Center
The Learning Assistance Resource Center is designed to assist students in the development of
their full academic potential and to motivate them to become self-directed learners. The center
provides support services, such as skills assessment, individual or group tutorials, subject
advising, learning assistance, summer academic preparation and basic skills development. The
Learning Assistance Resource Center is located in Room 600 in the Student Services Center.
SJSU Writing Center
The Writing Center in Clark Hall 126 offers tutoring services to San Jose State students in all
courses. Writing Specialists assist in all areas of the writing process, including grammar,
organization, paragraph development, coherence, syntax, and documentation styles. For more
information, visit the Writing Center website at http://www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter or call 9242308.
Library Liaison
The Communication Studies Department encourages vigorous and ethical research as part of
information literacy for all of its students. For assistance in the library go to the King Library
Reference Desk (2nd floor; 408-808-2100) and/or utilize the Communication Research Guide
available at http://libguides.sjsu.edu/communication. For major research consultations contact
Crystal Goldman at Crystal.Goldman@sjsu.edu.
Campus Policy in Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have
emergency medical information you feel you should share with me, or if you need special
arrangements in case this building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as
soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires that
students with disabilities register with the DRC to establish a record of their disability.
Academic Integrity
Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at San José State
University, and the University’s Academic Integrity Policy, requires you to be honest in all your
academic course work. Plagiarism consists of the use of the work of others as if it were your own
without properly acknowledging their contributions through the use of quotations (where
appropriate) or citations in footnotes and endnotes. Ignorance of the rules and regulations
regarding plagiarism and student conduct is not a defense against indiscretions. Be aware that I
am required to report all infractions to the Office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development
and I will uphold San José State University’s policy on academic honesty. The policy on
academic integrity can be found at: http://sa.sjsu.edu/student_conduct/. Consequently, an
instance of academic misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, cheating, taking credit for others’ work,
submitting work completed in another course) will likely result in a failing grade.
Dropping and Adding
You are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drops, academic
renewal, and similar topics found at sa.sjsu.edu/student_conduct.
Classroom Decorum
Please see my expectations for student professionalism and classroom decorum detailed in the
document titled “Professionalism” available on our course website. That document is a supplement
to this syllabus.
Assignments
Self-introduction or cover letter (500 words): 25 points
Photo essay (500 words): 50 points
Fictional Facts Paper (250 words): 25 points
Fact Paper (1000 words): 75 points
Letter to an editor (250 words): 25 points
The Meaning Of….. (1500 words): 75 points
Final Project (2500 words): 100 points
Final Presentation: 25 points
In-class writing exercises/reading quizzes (1500 words): 85 points
Peer reviews: 40 points
Grade distribution:
A = 494–525
A- = 473–493
B+ = 457–472
B = 441–456
B- = 421–440
C+ = 405–420
C = 390–404
C- = 368–389
D+ = 352–367
D = 336–351
D- = 315–335
F = 314 or below is a failing grade
General assignment information
Written work should be typed, double-spaced, printed on paper, with one-inch margins all
around, in standard 12-point Times New Roman font and stapled. Do not include a title/cover
page. Please do not attempt to submit your work as an e-mail attachment, or on any media other
than paper, or at any other time other than the start of class on the due date unless I specifically
request it. Any citations you include must follow either MLA or APA guidelines, which we will
review in class.
Participation
I strongly encourage you to make a habit of attending class. Your ability to navigate the course
material and master the course concepts will be greatly compromised without the aid of our inclass discussions and activities. Past experience suggests that students who miss even three
classes are disadvantaged on assignments and exams. In the rare event that you are unable to
attend class, it is your responsibility to catch up on course materials in a timely and responsible
manner. It is always best to assume that you have missed something important.
Late Work Policy
Late work will drop a letter grade (“A-“ becomes a “B –“) for each day it is late. If you wish to
turn in work early, or should you need someone submit it for you, please make arrangements
with me no later than the class meeting before the due date listed on the syllabus.
COMM 100W, Writing for Influence, Class Schedule
Subject to change with fair notice.
For full citations, see the “required readings” list above.
Table 1 Course Schedule
Week
Date
Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
1
Thurs 8/26
Introduction to COMM 100W
2
Tues 8/31
Reading: Lanham, Richard. “Introduction: The Domain of Style.”
3
Thurs 9/2
Tues 9/7
Credibility
Citations
Due: Self-introductory or cover letter
Thurs 9/9
The importance of composition (overview of photo essay)
Reading: Elbow, Peter. “The Dangerous Method.”
The proposition of fact
4
Tues 9/14
Thurs 9/16
5
Tues 9/21
Thurs 9/23
6
Tues 9/28
Thurs 9/30
7
Tues 10/5
Thurs 10/7
The grammar of facts
Reading: Fish, Stanley. “The Writing Lesson.”
The selection and arrangement of facts
Reading: “California Execution Debate”
Due: Photo essay
Vivid language
Reading: Power, Matthew. “Ghosts of Wounded Knee;”
Borges, Jorge Luis. The Book of Imaginary Beings. [Selections]
Due: Fictional Facts Paper (in-class presentations)
Peer review of fact papers
Due: Draft of fact paper and notebooks
The proposition of value
Due: Fact Paper
Style and value judgments
Reading: Wallace, David Foster. “Tense Present”
Appealing to your audience (overview of Letter to an editor)
Reading: “Anti and Pro Death Penalty”
8
Tues 10/12
9
Thurs 10/14
Tues 10/19
Due: selected publication
Researching definitions (overview of The Meaning Of….)
Due: Letter to an editor
Thurs 10/21
The grammar of values
Bayh, Evan. “Why I Am Leaving the Senate.”
Week
Date
10
Tues 10/26
11
Thurs 10/28
Tues 11/2
Thurs 11/4
Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
Peer reviews of The Meaning Of….
Due: Draft of The Meaning Of…., and Notebooks
Overview of Final Project Options
Due: The Meaning Of…
Writing with voice
Reading: Kirsh, Sharon J. “’Suppose a Grammar Uses Invention’”
Stein, Gertrude. “Sentences and Paragraphs”
12
Tues 11/9
Grammar and style
Trinh T. Minh-ha. “Vertically imposed language”
Outlining and color-coding
13
Thurs 11/11
Tues 11/16
Veteran’s Day
Scholarly research
14
Thurs 11/18
Tues 11/23
Library workshop (lead by Crystal Goldman)
Project workshop
15
Thurs 11/25
Tues 11/30
Thanksgiving
Peer reviews
Due: Draft of final project and notebooks
16
Thurs 12/2
Tues 12/7
Peer reviews/course evaluations
Final Presentations
Final
Thurs 12/9
Mon 12/13
Dead Day
Final Presentations
12:15 – 2:30 pm in HGH 219