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English 1310 Course Syllabus
Tuesday/Thursday Fall 2001
Instructor: Dr. Elaine Murmann Ferguson
WebPage: http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~ferguson/
Office and Phone: (915) 698-1564.
Office Hours: Use email: eamf322@aol.com
Course Description and Objectives: Welcome to McMurry English! Composition and
Rhetoric focuses on planning, researching, writing, and revising compositions, including the
development of critical and logical thinking skills. Also, this course you’ll develop skills
necessary to produce a university-level research paper. During the semester you’ll read and talk
about the writing process; a variety of topics about the texts; and much writing, revising,
researching, and editing. As you can see, the course is intended not only to increase your
knowledge of written communication but also to polish your academic survival skills in writing,
reading, researching, oral communication, and critical thinking.
Course Prerequisites: This is an entry-level course.
Text: The Brief Bedford Reader, 7th ed. Ed. X. J. Kennedy, et al. Boston:
Bedford, 2000. (BR)
Hacker, Diana. A Pocket Style Manual, 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford, 2000.
Harnack, Andrew and Eugene Kleppinger. Online! A Reference Guide to Using
Internet Sources. Boston: Bedford, 2000.
Required Writing: I’ll address this issue more thoroughly as the semester progresses; however,
the basic writing requirements are four relatively short essays (2-3 pages) and a lengthier
research paper (5-10 pages). Also, you’ll have many in-class writing, drafting, and editing
exercises to develop those papers considering the readings from the Bedford text. By the end of
the semester, you should have the required writing assignments stored on a 3 ½-inch disk and
printed copies of those assignments collected in a folder.
Grading: Your final grade will be based on the grades of your writing assignments (85%) and
class participation (15%). In addition, a portion of your participation assessment will be based
on a research presentation you’ll give toward the end of the course.
Attendance: Your presence in class benefits not only you but also your classmates. Unexcused
absences will affect your final grade—the greater the number of absences, the greater the effect.
In fact, if you have more than six absences (excused or unexcused), I may drop you from the
course. Please let me know of any circumstances that may affect your class attendance.
Late Papers: Papers turned in late without a truly extenuating excuse will be penalized—the
later the paper, the greater the penalty. To avoid unpleasant consequences: hand in your work on
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time!
Plagiarism: “Plagiarism” means presenting another’s work as your own without proper
acknowledgment. This course will teach or remind you of how to properly acknowledge sources
of information, so you don’t commit “unintentional” plagiarism; your own sense of right and
wrong should deter you from the more heinous offense of “intentional” plagiarism. Don’t
compromise your integrity in this or any other course . . . you can’t afford the academic
consequence (a zero for the course).
Dr. Ferguson’s Composition/Rhetoric T/Th 1310 Class Schedule
Tues Aug 28
Course Overview and Introductions.
Thurs Aug 31
Read BR pp. 5-8. “Reading an Essay.” In-class essay: Important Event in
your life; what you learned or became as a result of that event.
Tues Sep 4
Read BR pp. 453-458 and 428-431. “Once More to the Lake” and
“Lenses.”
Thurs Sep 6
Draft of Essay #1 Due. Revision Time.
Tues Sep 11
Read BR pp. 443-449. “Shooting an Elephant.”
Thurs Sep 13
Essay #1 Due. Writing Workshop. Bring Style Manual to class.
Tues Sep 18
Read BR pp. 52-54 and 57-58. “Champion of the World” and “Fish
Cheeks.”
Thurs Sep 20
Discuss results of Essay #1.
Tues Sep 25
Read BR pp. 157-159 and 163-165. “Neat People vs. Sloppy People” and
“Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out.”
Thurs Sep 27
Draft of Essay #2 Due.
Tues Oct 2
Read BR pp. 168-171. “Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts.”
Thurs Oct 4
Read BR pp. 320-325 and 329-332. “Homeplace” and “I Must Be Going.”
Tues Oct 9
Essay #2 Due. Writing Workshop. Bring Style Manual to class.
Thurs Oct 11
Read BR pp. 175-177, “Disability.” Read BR pp.285-291 "The World of
Doublespeak"
Discuss results of Essay #2.
Tues Oct 16
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Thurs Oct 18
Individual conferences. Bring a draft of Essay #3 with you.
Tues Oct 23
Individual conferences for Essay #3.
Thurs Oct 25
Essay #3 Due. Writing Workshop. Bring Style Manual to class.
Tues Oct 30
Read BR pp. 231-233 and 235-237. “I Want a Wife” and “Not All Men Are
Sly Foxes.”
Thurs Nov 1
Read BR pp. 361-363. “TV Addiction;” Read BR pp. 390-393. “The
Penalty of Death;” Read BR pp. 130-132. “Homeless.”
Tues Nov 6
Draft of Essay #4 Due (bring to Library); Library Tour.
Thurs Nov 8
Read BR pp. 403-408. “Why Don’t We Complain;” Read BR pp. 201-208.
“Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain.”
Tues Nov 13
Essay #4 Due. Writing Workshop. Bring Style Manual to class.
Thurs Nov 15
Discuss results of Essay #4.
Tues Nov 20
Discuss strategies for completing the Research Paper. Bring Style Manual
and Online! to class. Review Style Manual pp. 106-141. “MLA.”
Thurs Nov 22
THANKSGIVING
Tues Nov 27
Research materials due. Discuss more strategies for completing the
Research Paper. Bring Style Manual and Online! to class.
Thurs Nov 29
Draft of Research Paper Due.
Tues Dec 4
Research Paper Due. Begin Research Presentations.
Thurs Dec 6
Research Presentations.
Mon Dec 11
Research Presentations.
Final
Examinations
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