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RWS 305W: Writing in Various Settings
San Diego State University, Fall 2013
Section 30, TT 9:30-10:45, MCS-101
Instructor:
Office:
E-mail:
Office Hours:
Professor Sean Cissel
Adams Humanities 3162
cissel@hotmail.com
Monday and Wednesday, 10:00-10:50, Tuesday, 11:00-12:15, and by appointment.
Prerequisites: All RWS 305W students must have satisfactory completion of RWS 100 and RWS 200 or
the equivalent. RWS 305W students must also have completed the Writing Proficiency Assessment with a
score of 8 or 9 or RWS 280 or 281 with a grade of “C” or better.
Course Description: 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. This course meets the upper division writing
requirements for students who complete the class with a grade of “C” or better.
Learning Goals for RWS 305W:
Rhetorical Knowledge: RWS 305W will help students to analyze writing in different contexts by
introducing you to the concept of rhetorical situations: the complex interplay among writer, audience,
subject, and context. Students will learn how to:
1.
Respond effectively in writing to issues and arguments raised in a variety of disciplinary, popular,
and professional texts and/or contexts;
2.
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;
3.
Analyze the details of a wide variety or 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;
4.
Understand the concept of rhetorical situations: the relationship among writer-audience-subjectcontext.
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:
1.
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;
2.
Apply critical reading strategies to a variety of publicly and individually produced texts;
3.
Work with demanding readings and learn to interpret, incorporate, and evaluate these readings;
4.
Use writing as a way to learn – to think about, question, and communicate ideas;
5.
Understand the relationships among language, knowledge, and power.
Writing Process: RWS 305W will enhance students’ abilities to develop writing processes that reflect
invention, inquiry, revision, and editing. Students will learn how to:
1.
2.
3.
Develop effective, flexible strategies for generating, revising, and editing texts;
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:
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1.
Identify how different discourse communities employ particular strategies for conveying,
researching, and evaluating information;
2.
Analyze and address a range of audience expectations of conventions;
3.
Effectively integrate a variety of appropriate sources into writings
4.
Practice appropriate means of documenting sources;
5.
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, to:
1.
Work cooperatively to achieve mutually defined goals, face-to-face in the classroom and in other
settings.
2.
Respect the diverse voices and perspectives that characterize life in a multi-cultural classroom and
society;
3.
Critically analyze a variety of publicly and individually produced texts;
4.
Value free expression and participate confidently in public discussion on issues of importance to
the workplace and the community;
5.
Show initiative in problem solving situations.
Required Materials
For portions of this class, students will have to keep up-to-date with current events as they occur outside of
the specific assigned readings. Relevant newspaper subscriptions are available online through Love
Library.
Assigned readings in this course will typically be assigned via Blackboard and will typically either be
available via internet links or scanned PDF files.
Students need to have the readings with them on the dates we'll be discussing them, and those readings
should be annotated. The preferred method is to print out the readings and bring paper copies. Students
may also bring their tablets or computers and have the readings in electronic form, provided they're also
annotated electronically. In other words, students need both the readings and their notes.
Assignments
20%
15%
15%
20%
5%
5%
10%
10%
Paper 1: Argumentative Essay
Paper 2: Personal Statement
Paper 3: Cover Letter
Paper 4: Research Paper
First Reading Response/Discussion Lead
Second Reading Response/Discussion Lead
Participation
Quizzes (lowest two will be dropped)
Grading Scale
A
93-100%
A90-92
B+
87-89%
B
83-86%
B80-82%
C+
77-79%
C
73-76%
C70-72%
D+
67-69%
D
60-66%
F
Below 60%
Written assignments are due at the beginning of class on the dates listed on the syllabus. I do not
accept assignments via email, and I will not accept late copies of the research paper. For assignments
other than the research paper, I will subtract twenty points for every class date that an assignment is
late. I will only accept assignments on class dates; in other words, if an assignment is due on Thursday,
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and you put it in my mailbox on Friday, I will not accept it until Tuesday anyway, so you might as well just
give it to me on Tuesday at class. Make sure you save your work frequently while composing it and after
you finish, both to the computer’s hard drive and to a disk. SDSU computer labs, especially, can easily
erase your work if you do not save it to a disk. Sending a copy of your work to your own email address as
an attachment is also a good idea; doing so saves your work in cyberspace. Make sure the computer and
printer you use are in proper operating condition to avoid any last-minute disasters like crashed systems,
infected flash drives, broken or out-of-ink printers, et cetera. Computer problems and the like do not
excuse late or incomplete assignments.
Grading Rubric
I will give you a handout concerning the rules for writing in this class. Keep it; use it; bond with it.
An A essay contains a completely developed thesis or point of view and supports it throughout; is well
organized and coherently developed; clearly explains or illustrates key ideas; demonstrates variety in
sentence structure; clearly displays facility in the use of language; uses outside sources critically and
insightfully; and is nearly free from errors in mechanics and grammar. In short, an A essay makes the
reader say, “Dang! That’s really good stuff! Far superior to the writer’s peers.”
A B essay contains a well-developed thesis or point of view and generally supports it throughout; is
generally well organized and coherently developed; explains or illustrates key ideas; demonstrates some
variety in sentence structure; displays facility in the use of language; uses outside sources critically and
insightfully for the most part; and is generally free from errors in mechanics or grammar. A B essay makes
the reader say, “Hey, that’s pretty darn good. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it; it’s clearly better than the
average essay.”
A C essay contains an adequate thesis or point of view and generally supports it; shows some organization
and development; explains or illustrates some of the key ideas; demonstrates some facility in the use of
language; incorporates sources, but allows sources to dominate and/or restrict flow; and may display errors
in mechanics or grammar, but not a consistent pattern of such errors. A C essay makes the reader say, “Not
bad at all. It’s written by an intelligent student who put some work into it, but it doesn’t rise above the
average level of his or her peers.”
A D essay contains an underdeveloped thesis or point of view that is poorly supported; is inadequately
organized or developed; inadequately explains or illustrates key ideas; uses sources but poorly deploys
them; contains a pattern or accumulation of errors in mechanics or grammar; and has limited or
inappropriate word choices. A D essay makes the reader say, “Well, this is not particularly appealing. This
is not up to the level set forth by this student’s peers. Needs greater effort.”
An F essay has no thesis or clear point of view, a circular thesis or point of view, or a completely
unsupported thesis or point of view; is poorly organized or unorganized with very little development; has
little or no relevant detail; has no sources or uses sources uncritically; and has serious errors in mechanics
and/or grammar. An F essay makes the reader say, “I have serious doubts about this student’s level of
interest and about the effort he or she put forth. This is just not adequate.”
Essay Format: Please adhere to MLA style (see Keys for Writers, or the website
<http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html> for a fairly thorough discussion of MLA
style) throughout your essays, including cosmetic concerns (i.e., what your essay looks like). Please
purchase a small box of paper clips at the beginning of the semester, if you do not have any already.
Grammar and Punctuation Errors: This is not a class on grammar or punctuation, but grammar and
punctuation are necessary elements of written language. In your four essays, I will put a checkmark at the
end of any line in which a grammatical or stylistic error occurs and deduct one point for each error:
√c
= a misused, unnecessary, or missing comma.
√p
= a misused, unnecessary, or missing punctuation error besides a comma.
√g
= a grammatical error.
√pv
= a passive voice verb construction.
√e
= an empty expression, such as those that use “there” or “it” without a clear antecedent.
Two checkmarks at the end of a line means two errors, three checkmarks means three errors, and so on.
You may correct each error within a week of me returning the essay to you and bring it back to me on the
check-marked copy to regain points, with the exception of the research paper, where you can regain none of
the points. Again, you must correct your errors on the check-marked copy, or they will not count.
Someone correcting these errors for you is an honor code violation and will be treated as such. Someone
helping you correct these errors and/or using a handbook is okay.
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Spelling, Proofreading, and Essay Format Errors: Any time you misspell a word, commit a
proofreading or typographical error (for example, omitting a word or writing a word twice in a row), or use
incorrect essay format (for example, incorrect spacing, font, or page numbers), I will deduct one point that
you cannot get back. If you spend sufficient time on your essay and revise it, you should not make any of
these errors.
Attendance: Expectation is that all students will be present and engaged in every class meeting. Quizzes
cannot be made up except in cases of pre-excused, university-related absences. Absences for peer
workshops will result in significant loss of participation points.
Electronics/Classroom Etiquette: Please do not use electronic devices in class.
Communication with Me: Email and office hours are the best means through which to get in touch with
me. From time to time, I will need to email you regarding the class. Check your email at least twice a day.
You are responsible for keeping your email account active and making sure your inbox is not full. I will
only deal with the email address on file with SDSU Blackboard. If you need to contact me, please try to
email me before five o'clock if you want a response that day.
Academic Dishonesty: Everything you will do this semester must adhere to the SDSU Honor Code. Err
on the side of asking questions, especially concerning proper citation and quotation, before submitting
work of which you are unsure.
Turning in an essay you’ve written in the past or for another class this semester, even if you revise it, is a
form of plagiarism.
Other forms of academic dishonesty include the following:
Collusion – lending your work to another person to submit it as his or her own;
Fabrication – deliberately creating false information on a works cited or reference page;
Plagiarism – the presentation of another person’s work as your own.
I am well aware that several thousand websites offer (for sale or otherwise) downloadable essays for
students to use to cheat. Please resist the urge to cheat for a number of reasons: 1) You are paying good
money to learn here; 2) You have a conscience; 3) I will find out about it, take your offense seriously, and
pursue it with the Honor Council doggedly; 4) The late penalty is not that bad, really; and 5) I have internet
access and have not, as far as I know, had large portions of my brain removed with a soldering iron.
Access: If you have a disability (physical or learning) that you think may affect your performance in this
class, please see me during the first week of the term so we can discuss whatever accommodations may be
necessary to assure your access to all classroom activities. Student-athletes should also see me during the
first week of class regarding any time that they will have to miss for school-sponsored activities.
Tentative Schedule
All readings and assignments must be completed by the beginning of the class day listed. This schedule is
subject to change.
Week 2
9/5: Course intro.
Week 3
9/10: Reading assigned via Blackboard. One-page response due.
9/12: Reading assigned via Blackboard.
Week 4
9/17: Reading assigned via Blackboard.
9/19: Reading assigned via Blackboard.
Week 5
9/24: Reading assigned via Blackboard.
9/26: Reading assigned via Blackboard. Draft of Paper 1 due.
Week 6
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10/1: No regular class meeting. Group conferences in AH 3162
10/3: No regular class meeting. Group conferences in AH 3162.
Week 7
10/8: Peer workshop. Bring two copies of your latest draft.
10/10: Paper 1 due.
Week 8
10/15: Reading assigned via Blackboard.
10/17: Reading assigned via Blackboard.
Week 9
10/22: Reading assigned via Blackboard.
10/24: Reading assigned via Blackboard.
Week 10
10/29: No regular class meeting. Group conferences in AH 3162.
10/31: No regular class meeting. Group conferences in AH 3162.
Week 11
11/5: Peer workshop. Bring two copies of your latest draft to class.
11/7: Paper 2 due.
Week 12
11/12: Reading assigned via Blackboard.
11/14: Reading assigned via Blackboard.
Week 13
11/19: Reading assigned via Blackboard. Topic of Paper 4 due.
11/21: Reading assigned via Blackboard. Thesis/Preliminary Outline of Paper 4 due.
Week 14
11/26: Paper 3 due.
11/28: No class. Thanksgiving.
Week 15
12/3: No regular class meeting. Group conferences in AH 3162.
12/5: No regular class meeting. Group conferences in AH 3162.
Week 16
12/10: Peer workshop. Bring two copies of your latest draft to class.
12/12: Paper 4 due. Turn it into AH 3162 by 4 p.m. If no one is there, please slide it under the door.
No late papers will be accepted.