RHETORIC AND WRITING STUDIES 305W
Instructor:
Phone:
E-mail:
Office Location:
Office Hours:
Carl Fielden
(619) 594-1667
cfielden@mail.sdsu.edu
AH 3167
M 6-6:50 p.m.; F 8-8:50 a.m.; and by appointment
Course Description
Rhetoric and Writing Studies 305W is designed to help upper-level students develop the
communication skills needed for successful professional careers. The course builds on the
rhetorical model that students are introduced to in earlier 100 and 200-level courses: attention to
audience, purpose, presentation (genre and organization), evidence, and language. In RWS
305W students learn to respond not just to academic tasks but a wider variety of genres and
settings that require diverse research methods and writing styles. The course also contains a
metacognitive component in which students learn to reflect on and evaluate the effectiveness of
their own writing style(s) within rhetorical contexts.
Prerequisites
A qualifying score on the Writing Proficiency Assessment (WPA), or a grade of C or higher in
RWS 280 or 281, and completion of general education requirements in composition and critical
thinking.
Materials
Required:
Course materials packet (available at SDSU bookstore)
Recommended:
Raimes: Keys for Writers (6th edition)
Note: Any other grammar, style, and usage handbook will do.
A college-level dictionary (e.g., American Heritage Dictionary or Webster’s
New Collegiate Dictionary)
1
Course Learning Objectives
1.
Rhetorical Knowledge
RWS 305W will help students to analyze writing in different contexts by introducing them
to the concept of rhetorical situations: the complex interplay among writer, audience,
subject, and context. Students will learn how to
2.

Respond effectively in writing to issues and arguments raised in a variety of
disciplinary, popular, and professional texts and/or contexts

Identify individual discourse communities and find and analyze their characteristic
texts, evaluate their credibility and principles, and apply relevant aspects of their
information to other contexts and arguments

Analyze the details of a wide variety of writing situations (textual elements such as
tone, evidence, organizational patterns, diction, even visuals) according to the author’s
purpose as well as the audience’s needs and tastes

Understand the concept of rhetorical situations: the relationship among writer-audiencesubject-context
Critical Thinking and Reading
RWS 305W will provide students with strategies to understand the function of reading and
writing in cultural, academic, and professional communities. Students will learn how to
3.

Use “language about language” that enables a writer to reflect on the use of rhetorical
strategies as well as strengths, difficulties, and progress as a working writer

Apply critical reading strategies to a variety of publicly and individually produced texts

Work with demanding readings and learn to interpret, incorporate, and evaluate these
readings

Use writing as a way to learn—to think about, question, and communicate ideas

Understand the relationships among language, knowledge and power
Writing Processes
RWS 305W will enhance students’ abilities to develop writing processes that reflect
invention, inquiry, revision, and editing. Students will learn how to

Develop successful, flexible strategies for generating, revising, and editing texts
2
4.

Understand the collaborative and social aspects of the writing process

Critique their own and others’ texts
Knowledge of Conventions
RWS 305W will provide students with strategies to analyze the writing conventions of
different discourse communities and to begin to write effectively within these communities.
Students will learn to
5.

Understand the ways various discourse communities use different strategies for
conveying information, researching information, and evaluating and analyzing
information

Analyze audience expectations about conventions and address them in critical ways

Effectively integrate a variety of sources into their writings

Practice appropriate means of documenting their sources

Sustain reasonable correctness in grammar and mechanics to perform well in a variety
of writing contexts and professional settings
Attitudes, Values, and Preparation for Life Beyond the University
RWS 305W reflects the values of a liberal arts education, namely,

Working cooperatively with others to achieve mutually defined goals, face-to-face in
the classroom and in other settings

Respecting the diverse voices and perspectives that characterize life in a multi-cultural
classroom and society

Applying critical reading strategies to a variety of publicly and individually produced
texts

Valuing free expression and the ability to participate confidently in public discussion
on issues of importance to the workplace and the community

Showing initiative in problem solving situations
3
Methods of Evaluating Student Performance
Students’ course grades will be determined as follows:
1.
60% based on course assignments (revised in- and out-of-class projects; see the course
schedule for the types of assignments you will complete and their due dates). You may
revise the first three papers for the possibility of receiving a higher grade. If you do revise
a paper, the higher of the two grades for a particular assignment will be used in computing
your course grade. Except for drafts written in class, all papers must be typed.
2.
10% based on labor market analysis paper.
3.
20% based on the rhetorical analysis paper.
4.
10% based on class participation (attendance, in-class assignments, in-class and electronic
discussions, peer evaluations).
Note: As the instructor, I reserve the right to examine and reconsider individual grades in terms
of students’ attendance, collaborative effort, and punctuality.
Course grades will be based on points earned and assigned according to the following scale:
A
Outstanding achievement; available only for the highest accomplishment
B
Praiseworthy achievement; definitely above average
C
Average; awarded for satisfactory performance; the most common undergraduate
degree
D
Minimally passing; less than the typical undergraduate achievement
F
Failing
Course Policies
Participation. This is a class in communication, so your participation is essential. Get involved.
Volunteer. Question. Probe. Share relevant ideas and observations. Offer your own
experiences. It is imperative that you attend class; three or more absences will damage your
grade. It is also important that you turn in informal exercises and come to class prepared to
discuss the day’s assignments. This is a case of mutual preparedness and respect. In addition,
much of the course is collaborative and as such, depends on you to regularly contribute your
insights as well as for you to receive feedback. No in-class work can be made up. It is your
responsibility to contact a classmate to find out what went on in class.
4
Grades. Each document or presentation you prepare reflects your knowledge and establishes
your professional image. Grades are determined by total points acquired. I will make every
effort to quickly evaluate formal written assignments. There is no other curve other than the
standards generated locally and the standards made explicit and implied through the instructor’s
presentations and assignments.
Writing Assignment Requirements. Specific requirements for assignments will be discussed in
class. Assignments are due on the date indicated in the course calendar. All assignments must
be prepared with appropriate software and should conform to the conventions of the genre. Keep
a copy of all assignments you hand in. Maintain a cumulative file that includes all your
assignments. The documents in this file will serve as a base for you to judge your improvement
during the semester.
Late Papers. All assignments for this course are to be on time, typed, and stapled. Try to avoid
late papers. However, you can receive an extension for good cause if you (1) contact me before
the assignment is due by means of a formal memo in which you explain the reason for the delay
and (2) propose in the memo a reasonable deadline (less than one week), which you then keep.
The memo is a contract. Failure to keep the new deadline breaks the contract, and I won’t accept
your paper. You can use this option no more than once in a semester.
Plagiarism. While this problem is highly improbable in this course due to the individualized
nature of the assignments, any writing suspected of plagiarism may result in a failing grade,
withdrawal, or in extensive revisions. Plagiarism is a violation of Title 5, California
Administrative Code, Part 5, Section 4130(a) and is to be taken seriously.
Come See Me for Help. You can always make an appointment to see me. You can email me
with any question or comment. Please arrange a specific time (to avoid crowds and to ensure
that you receive enough individual attention). Also, please make an appointment if you have
concerns, questions, or problems with any assignment.
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that reasonable accommodations be provided for
students with physical, sensory, cognitive, systemic, learning, and psychiatric disabilities. Please
contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to discuss any such accommodations for
this course.
5