Course: WRIT 102
Term: Spring 2015
Office Hours:
Instructor:
e-mail:
Office:
Sections:
Course Description: WRIT 102 (Writing 102) is a theme-based, first-year writing course
designed to build on writing skills learned in WRIT 100/101 and develop critical thinking and
research skills appropriate for use in academic writing. The course pays special attention to
developing argumentative skills, analyzing texts, and synthesizing information into thoughtful,
coherent essays and projects. Students enrolled in WRIT 102 will produce papers that are longer
than in WRIT 100/101. The course culminates in a final electronic portfolio of the student’s
work with a reflective introduction.
Course Outcomes: The objectives of this course are (1) to develop writing skills learned in
WRIT 100/101, including the understanding that writing is a process that develops over time
through revision (2) to write for specific purposes and for specific audiences, (3) to respond
critically to different points of view, allowing the student to create effective and sustainable
arguments, (4) to become skilled at locating primary and secondary research from a variety of
sources and at evaluating their reliability, and (5) to become effective researchers and writers of
research papers as a member of an active writing, reading, and researching community.
[SELECT WHICH THEME YOU ARE TEACHING]
Course Theme: Business. How many economic decisions have you made today? From what
you had for breakfast to what you decided to wear to class, your choices have been influenced by
businesses, both local and global. But there may be some issues of which you are many not even
be aware. In this class we will explore a variety of questions related to business, including, but
not limited to: is Wal-Mart good for America? Should corporations have the same legal rights as
that of an individual person? Is out-sourcing jobs a good idea? What ethical obligations does a
business have to the environment? To our health? To the nation?
Required Texts
Money, Ed. Kenneth M. Gillam, Fountainhead Press, 2011
Tomatoland, Barry Estabrook, Andrews McNeel Publishing, 2012
Handouts and readings on reserve/online.
A Writer’s Reference, 7th Edition (Please buy the Ole Miss custom edition from the Ole Miss
Bookstore.) Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers; Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011.
ISBN: 978-1-4576-0413-3
Course Theme: Environment. What is the meaning of ecology and nature? What counts as an
environment? How do current issues about our environment affect our daily lives? How do we
begin to connect with and investigate the real issues of impacting local ecologies and
environments? We will read and analyze a variety of genres—literary, social commentary,
cultural analyses, theory, and philosophy that relate to our theme.
Required Texts
American Earth: Environmental Writing since Thoreau. Ed. Bill McKibben. Library of America,
2008.
A Writer’s Reference, 7th Edition (Please buy the Ole Miss custom edition from the Ole Miss
Bookstore.) Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers; Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011.
ISBN: 978-1-4576-0413-3
Course Theme: Food. This WRIT 102 class looks at writings and arguments about food in the
United States. From the beginnings of food--planting, growing, feeding, and raising; to the sale
of food--harvesting, vending, and herding; to the effects that food have on those who eat it, we
will discuss the importance and impact of food in the lives of 20th and 21st century
Americans. In discussing the world of food, students will contribute critical evaluations and
ambitious arguments to the already on-going conversations about this subject.
Required Texts
Food. Eds. Brooke Rollins and Lee Bauknight. Fountainhead, 2011.
Tomatoland, Barry Estabrook, Andrews McNeel Publishing, 2012
Handouts and readings on reserve/online.
A Writer’s Reference, 7th Edition (Please buy the Ole Miss custom edition from the Ole Miss
Bookstore.) Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers; Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011.
ISBN: 978-1-4576-0413-3
Course Theme: Literature. Why do we read? What can a story tell us about the past? And what
can a poem tell us about the present? In this section of WRIT 102, we will approach literature as
an argument that constructs, discusses, and questions a specific place, time, and/or culture. We
will read a variety of literary genres in order to become skilled at reading critically and
constructing our own arguments about what the literature is telling us; then, we will learn how to
integrate and respond to the arguments of scholarly secondary sources. Course discussions may
also explore the ways in which literature is published, marketed, valued, and evaluated in our
society. Required Texts
Literature and the Writing Process. 10th Edition. Eds. Elizabeth McMahan, et al. Longman,
2013.
A Writer’s Reference, 7th Edition (Please buy the Ole Miss custom edition from the Ole Miss
Bookstore.) Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers; Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011.
ISBN: 978-1-4576-0413-3
Course Theme: Pop Culture. Movies, music, television, social media, advertising--in our daily
lives, we are surrounded by a constant stream of popular culture. But how often do we stop to
ask ourselves what it all means? In this theme of WRIT 102, we will examine the various ways
in which we influence and are influenced by pop culture. Some questions we may attempt to
answer are: How are we affected by advertising? What can we learn from television, film, and
music? What are the roles of race and gender in popular culture? Students should come into this
course prepared to examine critically and thoroughly a variety of media and sources that are
often disregarded or taken for granted.
Required Texts
Signs of Life in the USA: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers. 7th Edition. Eds. Sonia
Maasik and Jack Solomon; Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012.
A Writer’s Reference, 7th Edition (Please buy the Ole Miss custom edition from the Ole Miss
Bookstore.) Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers; Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011.
ISBN: 978-1-4576-0413-3
[ALL THEMED COURSES WILL INCLUDE THE BELOW INFORMATION]
Required Materials
wi-fi enabled laptop, notebook, pens, pencils
[There is room to move some of these percentages up or down but the ePortfolio should be
at least 20% (preferably 25%), and not less than the Research Paper].
Major Assignments and Grade Weighting
1. Analysis Essay (10%)
2. In-class Essay (5%)
3. Synthesis Essay (15%)
4. Research Paper (20%)
5. Multimodal Project (15%)
6. Electronic Portfolio (25%)
7. Homework/Class Participation (10 %)
Grading Scale
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD
F
93-100%
90-92%
87-89%
83-86%
80-82%
77-79%
73-76%
70-72%
65-69%
64-below
Attendance Policy
Students are expected to attend all class meetings. Improving writing skills takes time and is a
process unlike learning content alone. In acknowledgment of the fact that students may
experience some circumstances which prevent complete attendance, the following policy is in
effect:
MWF Courses
5 absences: final course grade lowered by 1 letter grade
6 absences: final course grade lowered by 2 letter grades
7 absences: final course grade lowered by 3 letter grades
8 absences: failure
T/Th Courses
4 absences: final course grade lowered by 1 letter grade
5 absences: final course grade lowered by 2 letter grades
6 absences: final course grade lowered by 3 letter grades
7 absences: failure
There is no distinction between excused and unexcused absences.
Scholarship Clause
If a student is attending UM with a scholarship requiring course absences (e.g, athletics, band),
the following exception applies: students will not be penalized for required absences alone, as
long as the student presents to the instructor by the end of the course drop/add period an official
letter from the scholarship-issuing program declaring the required absences for the entire
semester. If a scholarship student accrues absences beyond those designated by the letter, he or
she will incur the penalty listed above. (For example: A scholarship student who documents a
requirement to miss 5 T/Th course meetings for a scholarship and is absent 5 times will suffer no
penalty; a student who documents a requirement to miss 5 T/Th course meetings for a
scholarship and is absent 6 times will have the final course grade lowered by three letter grades).
Students who miss 8 MWF or 7 T/Th classes for any reason will fail the course regardless of
scholarships, and students who plan to miss 10% of the course should enroll in the course during
another semester. Students whose scholarship-issuing programs cannot produce such a letter, or
determine a schedule in advance, should take the course during another semester. Letters cannot
be amended.
Students suffering traumatic hardships (hospitalization, emergency service, etc.) should promptly
consult section VI of the M-Book for procedures on contacting the Dean of Students.
If a student is absent from a class, then he or she must seek permission from the course instructor
as to whether or not the missed work can be submitted for a grade. In general, students who
notify an instructor of an absence in advance will be afforded the ability to submit their
coursework.
Late Work Policy
DEFINED BY INSTRUCTOR
Tardiness Policy
DEFINED BY INSTRUCTOR, BUT TARDIES SHOULD NOT BE CONFLATED WITH
ABSENCES
Communication
The official communication channel for this course is the University of Mississippi Webmail
system, accessed through olemiss.edu. Check Webmail and Blackboard each day.
Academic Honesty
All work that you submit under your name for credit at UM is assumed to be your original work
for this class. While teachers hope and expect for you to incorporate the thinking of others in
your work, you must credit others’ work when you rely upon it. In your written assignments,
there are only three methods for properly importing the work of others: quotation, paraphrase,
and summary (see pp. 376-379, 448-451, and 502-504 in A Writer’s Reference).
The penalty for plagiarism in Writing 100, 101, 102, or LIBA 102 is failure of the course.
Additional penalties are possible.
Upon determining plagiarism, the instructor will notify the student and the Director of the Center
for Writing and Rhetoric in writing. Students may appeal this finding and/or penalty by notifying
the UM Academic Discipline Committee within 14 days of the instructor’s decision.
The applicable full UM policy is ACA.AR.600.001 and should be consulted by any student
concerned with plagiarism. Broadly speaking, plagiarism is completely avoidable: if you are ever
uncertain whether or not you are committing plagiarism, ask your instructor.
Classroom Decorum DEFINED BY INSTRUCTOR
[Here is an example of a policy:] The classroom is a place of learning; others are paying to be
here too. Please make sure not to distract others from learning and to respect the opinions of
others. From time to time we will review each other’s writing, either in peer review sessions or
by work shopping an essay. Please follow the guideline of being a “critical friend” in reviewing
your classmates’ work. Students who cannot adhere to these behavioral expectations are subject
to discipline in accordance with the procedures described in the M Book.
Laptop and Internet Use Policies
DEFINED BY INSTRUCTOR
Cell Phone Policy
DEFINED BY INSTRUCTOR
Students with Disabilities
If you have a documented disability as described by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 933112 Section 504) or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and would like to request
academic and/or physical accommodations please contact Student Disability Services at 234
Martindale Center, 662-915-7128. Course requirements will not be waived but reasonable
accommodations may be provided as appropriate. Please consult http://sds.olemiss.edu/ for more
information on student disability services.
University Writing Center
Aside from one-on-one meetings with teachers during office hours, the best way to improve your
writing is to work with writing consultants at one of the University's Writing Centers. On the
Oxford campus, the writing center is on the 3rd floor of Lamar Hall and online. Writing
consultants will work with any student writer working on any project in any discipline and at any
stage. To learn more about Writing Center locations, hours, scheduling and services, please go to
http://rhetoric.olemiss.edu/writing-centers/.
Make contact with a Writing Center consultant early and often. Working with a writing
consultant is easy, and you have access to face-to-face and online sessions. You may also upload
a draft of your paper once you have made the reservation for a session. If you want to see how an
online session works, a how-to video is available.
The goal of the Writing Center is to help students become better, independent writers, so the
writing consultants don't "proofread" or merely "correct" errors. Instead, they do something
better - they will help you brainstorm, talk about research and explore resources, and help you
improve your editing strategies. If you have questions about the writing center, use the LiveChat
tool on our website to talk with someone in the writing center, call us at 662-915-7689, or send
email to cwrwc@go.olemiss.edu.
Changes
All information in this syllabus is subject to change at any time, especially during the first weeks
of the semester. I will announce changes to our schedule during class time and also via
BlackBoard. You are responsible for changes to the schedule as they arise, regardless of whether
or not you attend class.
Course Calendar
DEFINED BY INSTRUCTOR, INCORPORATING THE FOLLOWING TIME
COMMITMENTS WITH SUGGESTED DUE DATES for Spring 2015
Analysis paper (2 weeks): Wednesday, February 4
Synthesis paper (2-3 weeks): Wednesday, February 25
Midterm grades due: March 8
Research paper and in-class essay (4 weeks):
Research Proposal: Monday, March 2
In-class essay: Wednesday, March 4
(Spring Break March 9-13)
Annotated Bibliography: Monday, March 16
In-class essay: Wednesday, March 18
Rough Draft/Peer Review: Monday, March 23
Conferencing with students: During the week of March 23
Final Draft due: Friday, April 3
Multimodal (2 weeks): Friday, April 17
ePortfolio (several days throughout the semester and two dedicated weeks at the end) Friday,
May 1 (last day of class)