Minds that Move The World
Rhetoric and Writing Studies100: The Rhetoric of Written Argument
Fall 2013
Section 93 T/Th 12:30
Professor: Marla Grupe Williams
Office: Adams Humanities 3160
Office Hours: T 1:45 after class
*and by appointment
Email: mmgrupe@aol.com
Mail: RWS Main Office, AH 3138
RWS Phone: 619-594-6515
Texts:
Access to working computer and printer for course readings distributed electronically
Keys for Writers by Ann Raimes, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, (any edition after 2009 is fine)
General Education Capacities/Goals & RWS Learning Outcomes for RWS 100
Our Learning Outcomes Reflect the Goals and Capacities of the General Education Program. RWS 100 is one of
several courses in the area of general education defined as “Communication and Critical Thinking.”
Focusing particularly on argument, this course emphasizes four essential general education capacities:
1) to construct, analyze and communicate argument
2) to contextualize phenomena
3) to negotiate differences
4) to apply theoretical models to the real world
This course advances general education by helping students understand the general function of writing, speaking,
visual texts, and thinking within the context of the university at large, rather than within specific disciplines. In
addition to featuring the basic rules and conventions governing composition and presentation, RWS 100
establishes intellectual frameworks and analytical tools that help students explore, construct, critique, and integrate
sophisticated texts.
Within this framework of four general capacities, the course realizes four closely related subsidiary goals. These
goals focus on helping students
1) craft well-reasoned arguments for specific audiences;
2) analyze a variety of texts commonly encountered in the academic setting;
3) situate discourse within social, generic, cultural, and historic contexts; and
4) assess the relative strengths of arguments and supporting evidence.
Our student learning outcomes for RWS 100 are closely aligned with these goals and capacities, and reflect the
program’s overall objective of helping students attain “essential skills that underlie all university education.”
Assignment Types: the following four outcomes describe the four main writing projects or traditional
"assignment types" for the course. Students will be able to:
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3.
4.
Describe and analyze an author’s argument, claims, project, support and rhetorical strategies.
Construct an account of an author’s project and argument and carry out small, focused research tasks to
find information that helps clarify, illustrate, extend or complicate that argument; use appropriate
reference materials, including a dictionary, in order to clarify their understanding of an argument.
Construct an account of one or more authors’ projects and arguments and explain rhetorical strategies that
these authors—and by extension other writers—use to engage readers in thinking about their arguments.
Construct an account of two authors’ projects and arguments in order to use concepts from one argument
as a framework for understanding and writing about another.
Outcomes across the semester: the following points describe outcomes to work on throughout the semester, to be
attained over the 15 weeks. Students will be able to:
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describe elements of an argument--claims, methods of development, kinds of evidence, persuasive
appeals; annotate the work that is done by each section of a written argument;
use all aspects of the writing process--including prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading;
choose effective structures for their writing, acknowledging that different purposes, contexts and
audiences call for different structures; understand the relationship between a text's ideas and its structure;
identify devices an author has used to create cohesion or to carry the reader through the text; use
metadiscourse to signal the project of a paper, and guide a reader from one idea to the next in their
writing;
effectively select material from written arguments, contextualize it, and comment on it in their writing;
determine when and where a source was published, who wrote it and whether it was reprinted or edited;
understand that texts are written in and respond to particular contexts, communities or cultures; examine
the vocabulary choices a writer makes and how they are related to context, community or culture,
audience or purpose;
respond in writing to ideas drawn from various cultures and disciplines, using the activity of writing to
clarify and improve their understanding of an argument;
analyze and assess the relative strengths of arguments and supporting evidence
analyze and assess arguments made by visual texts; incorporate visual images into their documents;
craft well reasoned arguments for specific audiences
edit their writing for the grammar and usage conventions appropriate to each writing situation;
assign significance to the arguments that they read;
reflect on how they wrote their papers, and revise arguments and findings based on critical reflection.
Overview of Assignments and Grading
Project 1 – Rhetorical Analysis (speech)
Thursday, September 26 by 12:30 a.m. via Turnitin
Project 2 – Rhetorical Analysis (commercial)
Thursday, October 10 by 12:30 a.m. via Turnitin
Midterm - Analyzing Images Rhetorically
Tuesday, October 29 by 12:30 a.m. via Turnitin
Annotated Bibliography
Thursday, November 14 by 12:30 a.m. via Turnitin
Project 3 –Research Project/ Oral
Presentation
Thursday, November 21 by 12:30 a.m. via Turnitin
Creative Project
Thursday, December 5 by 12:30 a.m. via Turnitin
Final Exam – WPA - bring large blue book
Thursday, December 5 in class
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20 Percent
20 Percent
10 Percent
10 Percent
20 Percent
10 Percent
10 Percent
100 Percent Total
Please see course calendar for confirmation of assignment due dates
A = 93-100, A- = 90-92
B+ = 88-89, B = 83-87, B- = 80-82
C+ = 78-79, C = 73-77, C- = 70-72
D = 60-69, F = 59 and below
LATE WORK – There ain’t any… All work must be completed on time; this means that no late essays
will be accepted, EVER. Any university recognized exceptions must be cleared with me prior to the class
session when the assignment in question is due. If you have issues that are interfering with your progress
and success in school, drop me an email and we can discuss your options. There is no such thing as partial
credit; it’s on time or it is a zero. This is my number one course policy. All work is due at the beginning of
class whether you are present in class or not.
MLA – Failure to submit a properly formatted essay will result in a 10% grade reduction on the
assignment in question. We will go over each genre and format together in class, but it is your
responsibility to use your handbook or the Purdue OWL website to properly format your written work.
Attention to detail matters.
ACADEMIC MISCOUNDUCT – The University takes very seriously all forms of academic misconduct
which include, but are not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, copying
or allowing another student to copy a paper or assignment, and providing false or misleading information
in order to receive an extension on a paper or assignment. Plagiarism is always unacceptable and will
result in failure on the assignment and possibly expulsion from the course. All such improprieties will be
directly documented and reported to the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities.
CELL PHONES – Fighting against ever-present cell phones is somewhat of a losing battle; however, my
policy is that the ringing, beeping, handling, answering or use of cell phones is not allowed in my
classroom at anytime. I consider handling cell phones disrespectful to the classroom environment; I
notice when you leave class to answer a call and text under the desk – it’s rude. Just silence it for the
duration of the class. Bottom line, be respectful and courteous in your use of technology in class; always
focus on class activities and use class time wisely.
EMAIL & BLACKBOARD PROCEDURES – Please check your email regularly and be prepared to
print various emails and attachments that you receive. There is no course reader or formal textbook for
this class – our textual relationship is electronic – hence, you should have access to a printer, ink and
paper and consider this cost in lieu of payments to the bookstore. If and when you email me, you should
identify yourself and the course info in the email (you wouldn’t believe how many student email sans even
a name (who is “surferboy27@hotmail”???). All essays except the final letter assignment will be
submitted on Blackboard via Turnitin; Turnitin is a fickle mistress – all work is due by the beginning of
class time, and Turnitin will lock you out at the stroke of the deadline on the stated due date. There is no
late work, no partial credit, no retroactive excuses. Plan your use of technology accordingly and give
yourself sufficient time to upload your work.
WORKSHOP ENVIORNMENT – This class functions as a writing workshop; one of the main goals of
this class is to help you become an effective writer and build your confidence as a writer in preparation for
your future beyond SDSU. You will participate in different types of workshop for each major writing
assignment in this class. I expect a high level of effort and commitment to the workshop environment by
coming to class prepared and willing to give constructive comments to your classmates, and these
elements are noted in your participation grade. Workshop is an integral part of the writing process; the
idea that writing is an isolated activity is a myth – every writer needs editing, support and revision.
TUTORING – DRWS offers free drop in tutoring for all students; this is a valuable resource of which I
encourage you to take advantage for any class where you are struggling with the writing process. I may
also require you to see a tutor if you are having difficulty on the major, graded assignments. The tutoring
office is located in AH 3104. Hours and location will be announced on Blackboard.
“EXTRA CREDIT” – Nope… I believe 100% in keeping an equal playing field for every student in the
class. If one person receives a special accommodation, every student must also get that same opportunity.
You opportunities to revise your work, get my feedback, see a tutor, participate in workshop and assess
the grading criteria happen before the final draft is due. There are no do-overs or extra credit
opportunities built into the course if you don’t like your grade.
*Students with disabilities, whether physical, learning, or psychological, who believe that they may need
accommodations in this class, are encouraged to contact Students Disabled Services as soon as possible to
ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely manner. Students should discuss options
with their professors during the first two weeks of class.
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This syllabus acts as my contract with; your presence in this class is your acknowledgement of the
terms of this course and my expectations.