ENGLISH 101: COMPOSITION I
FALL 2011, SECTIONS 52 AND 58
Instructor:
Email:
Office:
Office Hours:
Class Schedule:
Classroom:
Summar C. Sparks
scsparks@uncg.edu
MHRA 3112
TR 2:00 to 3:00 and by Appointment
Section 52, TR 11:00-12:15
Section 58, TR 12:30-1:45
Section 52, MHRA 1206
Section 58, MHRA 1207
I. COURSE DESCRIPTION1
Welcome to English 101! In this course, we will be learning about the rhetoric of authorship. Our course is divided into
three units—“Meaning Making,” “Authors in Theory,” and “Authors in Practice”—with each unit organized around a
particular project.
During our first unit, “Meaning Making,” we will be developing the foundation for our other two units through an indepth examination of rhetoric. As part of this unit, we will be completing a project in which we analyze the rhetoric of a
written text by investigating the conversation surrounding it. The primary goals of this unit are to establish a framework
of analyzing the content and structure of complex texts, and to produce a cogent thesis-driven essay that demonstrates
an ability to use and indentify rhetorical concepts.
During our second unit, “Authors in Theory,” we will use rhetorical concepts to gain a greater understanding of the
ways in which authorship is defined. In our readings for this unit, we will explore various theoretical constructions of
authorship. As we develop a greater understanding of ways of thinking about authorship, we will turn to depictions of
authors in the media. In our project for this unit, we will be analyzing a particular representation of an author or
authorship. The primary goals of this unit are to use source material to build an evidence-based argument about the
rhetorical stance of a text, and to develop the ability to place theoretical and popular texts in conversation with each
other.
During our third unit, Authors in Practice, we will be exploring debates involving particular authors or concepts of
authorship. In groups, we will be producing a case study of a particular figure, product, or situation. The primary goal of
this unit is to demonstrate the ability to effectively use rhetorical concepts and source material to engage in a
conversation with others by constructing an argument.
English 101 satisfies three of the six hours of the Reasoning and Discourse (GRD) requirement at UNCG, which asserts that students
“gain skills in intellectual discourse, including constructing cogent arguments, locating, synthesizing and analyzing documents, and writing and
speaking clearly, coherently, and effectively” (http://web.uncg.edu/reg/Bulletin/Current/UnivReq/GECDescription.aspx).
In addition, English 101 is designed to meet Learning Goal #1 (LG1) in the UNCG General Education Program. This is the ability to
“think critically, communicate effectively, and develop appropriate fundamental skills in quantitative and information literacies.”
(http://web.uncg.edu/reg/Bulletin/Current/UnivReq/GECProgram.aspx)
The following are English 101 Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), each of which corresponds to both the GRD goals and to LG1:
English 101 Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
At the completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Analyze the content and structure of complex texts (written, oral, and/or visual in nature);
2. Compose cogent, evidence-based, argumentative texts;
3. Identify and employ the rhetorical triangle, the canons, and the appeals in both formal and informal discourse;
1
English 101 is one course with multiple sections. To ensure consistency across sections, the composition program and English 101
instructors have developed and instituted certain common policies and requirements. While these requirements allow the sections to
work toward the same student learning outcomes, they also encourage instructors to structure their sections according to their
particular areas of interest and expertise. To give you a better sense of what is common to all sections and what is unique to ours, I
have italicized the information that is consistent across all courses.
4.
5.
6.
Summarize, quote, paraphrase, and synthesize source material in support of an argument;
Employ drafting, peer review, and revision techniques in order to improve content, style, and structure of their own writing;
Appraise their own composing abilities and composing processes through critical reflection.
II. COURSE REQUIREMENTS (ONE HUNDRED POINTS)
One hundred points are available in this course. At the end of the semester, the total number of points earned will be
translated into a letter grade based on this chart:
97-100 A+
93-96 A
90-92 A-
87-89
83-86
80-82
B+
B
B-
77-79
73-76
70-72
C+
C
C-
67-69
63-66
60-62
D+
D
D-
59-0
F
1. Writing (Eighty-Seven Points)
1A. Unit Projects (Thirty Points)
Students write 20 pages of polished (revised) prose, completed across three or four formal assignments, each of which engages with outside
sources (primary and/or secondary). All of these assignments focus on developing argumentative and/or analytical discourse using the
principles of rhetoric, and employ peer review as part of the drafting and revising process.
Note that all unit projects will be evaluated using the portfolio rubric. The holistic rubric grade will be converted to a
specific number of points using the conversions below:
If you earn an “A+” on the rubric, you have earned all of the possible points.
If you earn an “A” on the rubric, you have earned 95% of the possible points.
B+ converts to 90%
B converts to 85%
C+ converts to 80%
C converts to 75%
D+ converts to 70%
D converts to 65%
F converts to 50%
Formatting Guidelines for Unit Projects
When you submit projects and drafts, please make sure that your work is typed, double-spaced, and set in a 12 pt. serif
font. And avoid any formatting designed to lengthen your paper. For example, please keep the margins of your paper
between 1 and 1.25 inches. Also, resist the urge to add an extra space between periods and other punctuation.
Additionally, when submitting print versions of materials, please be sure that your work is stapled. I will not have a
stapler—I do not even know what one looks like.
Project One: Meaning Making (Five Points; SLOs 1-4)
For this project, you will be analyzing the use of the rhetorical appeals (logos, pathos, and ethos) in one of our course
readings—the essay by Eliot, Hirsch, or Barthes. To help you think about the effectiveness of the appeals, you will find
at least two sources—published within five years of the primary text—that engage with your primary material and
examine how they position themselves in relationship to the course reading. You are addressing the issue, “Is this essay
persuasive? Why or why not?” by answering these questions:
How does the author use the appeals?
Am I convinced by this author’s argument? Why or why not?
How do other authors respond to this use of the appeals?2
To adequately address this issue, you will need to write at least five pages.
Project Two: Authors in Theory (Ten Points; SLOs 1, 2, 4)
For this project, you will be selecting a representation of authorship to place in conversation with the pieces we read
during unit two—the essays by Sartre, Foucault, Nesbitt, Gilbert and Gubar, and/or Cixous. You do not need to use all
of the course readings; however, you do need to use at least one. In this essay, you are addressing the issue, “How do
popular representations of authors relate to conceptualizations of authorship?” by answering these questions:
How does the representation of authorship I selected depict authors? Why depict authors in this way?
What do I think about this representation of authorship? Why?
2
It will help you build a unified argument if you think about these questions as interconnected rather than as discrete.
What would a particular theorist think about this representation of authorship? Why?
Which aspects of the representation are explained by the theorist and which aspects are not? How might the
unexplained aspects complicate the theorist’s argument?
To adequately address this issue, you will need to write at least five pages.
Project Three: Authors in Practice (Fifteen Points; SLOs 1, 2, 4)
For this project, you will be examining a “case” involving either an author or a conceptualization of authorship. In a
group, you will research the case and the origins of the debate. As you research your selected topic or situation, your
group will determine the issues and questions involved in the conversation you are entering. In your written product,
you will engage with the arguments of others as you offer your own thesis. To adequately respond to this prompt, your
group will need to submit a ten page paper.
Reflection Pieces (SLOs 5 and 6)
When you submit a unit project, you will be asked to submit a reflection piece that provides insight into your composing
process and rhetorical choices. As part of this reflection piece, you will be asked to explain the revisions that you made.
We will be writing two of these reflection pieces in class, and you will be preparing one of these pieces as homework.
The reflection piece that you submit with your project will be graded as part of the unit project. Specifically, it will
determine the evaluation for the final two categories included in the rubric.
1B. Informal Assignments (Seventeen Points)
Students will also complete in-class or other assignments that may not be formally evaluated. These may include prewriting, brainstorming,
journaling, participation in asynchronous discussion threads, or other writing completed individually or in small groups, in class, out of class, or
online (e.g., on Blackboard).
Short Paper Assignment (Four Points; SLOs 1-4)
You will sign up to write two short papers, each of which should be three pages. One of the short papers will need to be
a rhetorical analysis and engage questions pertaining to the structure of the texts under discussion. One of the short
papers will need to be a response paper and engage questions pertaining to the content of the assigned readings.
Short papers should have a clear thesis presented in the introduction which is supported by relevant quotations from the
course readings. You may incorporate outside sources or readings from previous class periods, but you are not required
(or expected) to do so. Remember to cite all sources.
Short papers should be submitted to the class electronically via the Blackboard discussion forum by 8:00 pm two days
before the relevant class meeting. Please title the posting with your name and the date. If the paper is submitted on time
at the appropriate length with a thesis statement, you will receive full credit. If the paper is submitted on time at the
appropriate length without a thesis statement, you will receive half credit.
Unit Project and Reflection Peer Review/Workshops (Eight Points; SLO 5)
We will have a peer review session/workshop session for each of the unit projects as well as for the portfolio reflection.
Peer reviews involve exchanging papers with another student and providing written responses. Workshops involve
reading through papers together and providing spoken feedback.
Each peer review/workshop is worth two points. If you come prepared and if you provide thoughtful contributions, you
earn all of these points. If not, you do not earn these points.
Project Three Group Presentation (Five Points; SLOs 1, 2, 4, and 5)
In preparation for the collaborative project, you will contribute to a eight to ten minutes group presentation that explains
what your group plans to argue, what your group is contributing to the critical conversation, the structure of your
collaborative essay, and the kinds of sources that your group plans to use. Teach, delight, and instruct us!
1C. Portfolio (40 Points; SLOs 1-6)
The culminating assignment for the course is a portfolio of the student’s work, worth 40-50% of the final grade. In this portfolio, students
further revise 2-3 formal essays, totaling at least 15 pages, as well as any other informal writing they choose to include. The portfolio also
includes previous drafts and revisions of the formal essays, as well as any other material the instructor requires. The portfolio opens with an
argument-based, rationale essay which analyzes the student’s progress in English 101 and articulates, for the portfolio reader(s), the reasoning
behind the choices made/selections included and the strengths and weaknesses of the portfolio. The rationale essay is not included in the 15
pages of polished prose required for the portfolio or the 20 pages of polished prose required for the course.
2. Reading/Textual Analysis (Thirteen Points)
Students read, on average, 25-50 pages per week from either a course reader/anthology, other course readings posted on Blackboard, internetbased texts, or a book-length text or texts. Texts may also be read multiple times, for different rhetorical purposes, and instructors may allow
multiple, comparable texts to be under discussion at any given time.
Course readings are primarily non-fiction prose, including argument-based essays and other examples of scholarly, sociocultural/media/communications, or journalistic-based writing. English 101 is a course in rhetoric and writing; therefore, if course texts
include literature or film(s), student work on these texts (including essay assignments) will be explicitly rooted in rhetorical analysis.
2A. Discussion Leader Assignment (Six Points; SLOs 1 and 3)
You will sign up for three days to be a discussant for the class. While everyone should be participating, discussants in
particular are responsible for the following:
Keeping class discussion moving when it slows down
Preparing questions about the short papers and incorporating them into discussion
Responding to comments and questions from your classmates
Making connections among the readings for that day
Making connections to ideas, questions, and readings from previous class sessions
Coming in with questions, topics, and passages you would like to discuss
2B. Daily Participation (Five Points, SLOs 1, 3, and 4)
Throughout the semester, you are expected to come to class prepared and to contribute to class discussions. In order to
be considered prepared for class, you need to have completed all of the assigned readings and writings as well as to have
both the assigned readings and writings with them. If you are not prepared for class, I reserve the right to ask you to
leave and to mark you absent for the day.
Participation will be evaluated using the following scale:
A
Superior communication skills; excellent preparation for class discussion; always volunteers; student
exemplifies mastery, rigor, and intellectual curiosity regarding course readings and concepts while also
introducing relevant independent insights to the discussion; student demonstrates enthusiasm and
takes initiative, particularly during group activities.
B
Good communication skills; solid preparation for class discussion; consistently volunteers; student
exemplifies interest and engagement regarding course readings and concepts; student demonstrates
positive attitude; makes meaningful contributions during group activities
C
Adequate communication skills; fair preparation for class discussion; occasionally volunteers; student
exemplifies competence regarding course readings and concepts; student demonstrates an inoffensive,
but noncommittal attitude; sporadic contributions during group activites
D
Limited communication skills; uneven preparation for class; rarely volunteers; demonstrates
indifference or irritation when prompted; inattentive during class; rare contributions during group
activites [Performance may be marked by other flaws: consistant tardiness; disruptive; etc…]
F
Weak communication skills; little to no preparation for class; little evidence of reading assignments
(this includes not buying the course texts or not making up missed material); never volunteers, or
doesn’t respond when prompted; demonstrates potential hostility to discussion; irrelevant, distracting,
or no contributions to group activities
2C. Final Exam (Two Points; SLOs 5 and 6)
Per university policy, all English 101 classes will meet during their regularly scheduled final exam slot at the end of the semester. The final
exam session will take the form of a final exam or engagement in a teaching and learning-related activity during this time slot. Examples of
such activities include presentations, conferences, or return or receipt of course portfolios.
The day of the final, you will be reading a selection from your portfolio. You will be given five minutes for your reading
so you will most likely need to choose a section of a larger/longer essay. Remember to provide a context your selection
so that your audience understands how the excerpt fits into the larger work.
3. Conferences (SLO 6)
Students will have at least one conference during the semester with their instructors, preferably at or near midterm. The conference time is
outlined in the syllabus, and accounted for via the cancellation of classes. Typically, one week of class is cancelled in order to accommodate
conferences with 22 students.
To prepare for your conference, you need to develop a list of questions—pertaining to your written work—for us to
think through. In Technê Rhêtorikê , Rae Ann Meriwether has an excellent essay, “Conferencing Rhetorically,” that further
explains how to prepare for a productive and useful conference. In preparing for these conferences, plan on each
meeting lasting between twenty and thirty minutes. Missing a conference is equivalent to missing a class period.
III. Policies
1. Attendance Policy
Students in MWF classes are allowed a maximum of three absences without a grade penalty (to be defined by the individual instructor);
students in TR classes are allowed two absences without such penalty. Students who miss six classes on a MWF schedule, or four classes on a
TR schedule, will fail the course. Attendance at the final exam session (see above) is required.
Students are by state law allowed two excused absences due to religious holidays. These absences do not count toward the total maximums
allowed above. If a student plans to miss class due to a religious holiday, he or she must notify the instructor at least 48 hours prior to the
absence.
If a student has a serious illness, family death, or family emergency, the student should contact the Dean’s office at (336)
334-5514 or at 141 Mossman.
2. Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is founded upon and encompasses the following five values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Violations
include, for example, cheating, plagiarism, misuse of academic resources, falsification, and facilitating academic dishonesty. If knowledge is to be
gained and properly evaluated, it must be pursued under conditions free from dishonesty. Deceit and misrepresentations are incompatible with
the fundamental activity of this academic institution and shall not be tolerated” (from UNCG's Academic Integrity Policy). To ensure that
you understand the university's policy on academic integrity, review the guidelines and list of violations at
<http://academicintegrity.uncg.edu>. I expect each student to abide by the Academic Integrity Policy. If a student is found guilty of an
academic integrity violation, he/she will earn an “F” for the relevant assignment and could potentially fail the course.
3. Late Work
I do not accept late work. You may not submit papers or other assignments after the due date unless you have expressed
written documentation from University administration that indicates you missed due to severe and extenuating
circumstances. All requests to make up exams, quizzes, or essays without this documentation will be denied.
4. Email Correspondence
I encourage students to make good use of my office hours as well as to email me. Between Monday and Friday, Students
may expect a response within 24 hours of sending me a message. Between Friday and Sunday, I will not be checking my
email. Students may expect a response Monday. If I do not reply within these time frames, please resend the message.
IV. Resources
1. Accommodations
Students with documentation of special needs should arrange to see me about accommodations as soon as possible. If
you believe that you could benefit from such accommodations, you must first register with the Office of Disability
Services on campus. To be clear, you must register with the Office of Disability before such accommodations can be
made. The office is located on the second floor of the Elliot University Center (EUC) in Suite 215. The office may be
reached by email at ods@uncg.edu.
2. The Writing Center
The purpose of the Writing Center is to enhance the confidence and competence of student writers by providing free,
individual assistance at any stage of any writing project. Staff consultants are experienced writers and alert readers,
prepared to offer feedback and suggestions on drafts of papers, helps students find answers to their questions about
writing, and provide one-on-one instruction as needed. The Writing Center is located in room 3211 of the Moore
Humanities and Research Building (MHRB).
V. Required Texts
On the course schedule, I have used the abbreviations in parentheses to indicate the source of a particular reading.
(AR)
Burke, Seán. Authorship: From Plato to the Postmodern. Reprinted. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press,
2006. Print.
ISBN: 0-7486-0618-1
(TR)
Babb, Jacob, Sally Smits, and Courtney Adams Wooten. Technê Rhêtorikê. Plymouth, MI: Hayden-McNeil, 2011.
Print.
ISBN: 0-7380-4669-3
(BB)
All additional course texts will be posted on Blackboard.