Writing 150 – Writing and Critical Reasoning--Thematic Approaches
Identity & Diversity in American Contexts—Fall 2015
Section 64390 GFS 111 MWF 10:00-10:50
Section 64575 GFS220 MWF 12:00-12:50
Instructor: Dr. LauraAnne Carroll-Adler
Office: JEF 245
@AdlerWriting
#Adler150
E-Mail: lauraana@usc.edu
Office Hours: MWF 2:00-3:15
Class Website: www.Carroll-Adler.weebly.com
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Check website at least once a week for updates.
Assignment sheets will also be available on the website.
Links to Proquest/Lexis-Nexis articles required for assignments will also be available on the
website.
Required Texts:
Writing 150 Course Book--Bookstore
Rules for Writers --Bookstore, Amazon, other retailers
Course Objectives: To develop the writing processes necessary for academic writing; to learn to apply critical
reasoning skills in response to the arguments of others; to cultivate strong academic skills; to conduct
intertextual analysis and argument.
Course Requirements
4 writing projects
#1
#2
#3
#4
Timed Writing
Essay / Oral Presentation
Midterm
Academic Blog
Participation
10%
15%
15%
10%
25%
10%
109%
5%
Academic Blogs. Students will set up and maintain an academic blog throughout the semester. Grades will be based
on quality/timeliness of entries and on commentary in classmates’ blogs. We will set these up in class on Monday,
31 September. Bring laptops or tablets on this day; if you don’t have one, let me know and we will work to arrange
access for you.
Rough drafts: Since this class emphasizes the process of writing, it is important that you participate in class
activities/assignments that will help you produce the finished product, the final paper. Students who fail to bring a
workable rough draft on the assigned day will lose 10 points from the final grade of their paper.
Conferences: We will schedule a conference for each assignment. A link to the sign-up sheet for the conferences will
be made available on the class website a few days before the conferences. Class and office hour times may be
cancelled to make enough conference slots available for everyone. A CONFERENCE COUNTS AS A CLASS
MEETING, and missed conferences will be treated as absences.
Note--Essays will not be accepted for grading and will receive a “0” if both the conference and the drafting workshop
for that assignment are missed and I have not seen a draft version of the paper.
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Assignments, Scheduling
An assignment sheet detailing the topic, requirements, and schedule for each paper will be distributed at
the beginning of each unit. These will also be posted on the class website for easy accessibility.
Grading
Grades for each paper are determined according to the criteria outlined in your Course Book. These
criteria emphasize strength of thesis, overall organization of the paper, and development and support. The
scale for my sections is a little different than what most of you are familiar with; it is meant to correspond
more closely and fairly with the 4-pt. grading system. Your work will earn a numerical grade which will
correspond to a letter grade as follows:
Grading Scale:
95-100
88-94
83-87
77-82
71-76
64-70
57-63
50-56
45-49
40-44
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
Late Papers:
Papers will lose 5 points for the first calendar day late, and 3
points for each day after that. For example, a paper due on a
Tuesday would lose 5 points if turned in Wednesday, 8 points if
turned in Thursday, and 17 points if turned in the following
Monday.
Readings: Familiarity with all assigned course materials is necessary for full participation in class. A
midterm given near the end of the semester will assume knowledge of all the assigned readings and class
work. Students who cannot answer questions about the readings or participate in class may be given an
NP for the day.
Attendance/Participation: You are expected to attend all classes and conferences. This is a workshop class;
sessions cannot be summarized afterwards for those who have missed class. Students who do not bring a
workable rough draft (typed, required length) to peer editing sessions or required homework to
workshopping sessions will be marked NP for that day. Students will also be expected to participate in
class Twitter discussions and will comment on posts in other students’ blogs.
Penalties:
 First absence—no effect. Think of this absence as your “free” absence. Don’t waste it at the
beginning of the semester.
 2nd absence: Deduct 4 pts from participation grade.
 3rd absence: Deduct 7 additional pts. from participation grade
 Each absence after 3: subtract 9 additional points from participation grade.
 Students who add after the 2nd class meeting will have already used the “free” absence.
 Excused absences will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and will generally require
documentation. Students with more than 2 excused absences will not also be granted a free
absence.
 NP—Deduct 3 pts from participation grade, regardless of absences.
A student who has 5 absences, then, will start with a 71, or B-, in participation.
Students who have added late or have excused absences—doctor’s notes, for example—will not be penalized
for any of those missed classes, but will not have any “free” absences to spend.
Tardiness--3 tardies = 1 absence. Students who miss a substantial portion of a class meeting will be given
a double tardy. If you arrive after work groups have been arranged, be prepared to work alone to catch up.
If you are absent for any reason--excused or unexcused--be sure to consult the website and other
students if necessary to complete any homework assignments or readings handed out in class. Do not ever
ask the instructor--any instructor--“Did I miss anything?” Do not expect the instructor to summarize the
class in an e-mail.
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Policies, Classroom Notes
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Electronic Devices--Please remember to turn your cell phone off before class.
If you forget and your phone rings (it happens to all of us!) turn it off
immediately.
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Laptops and tablets are to be kept closed and put away during class time
unless the class is specifically working on digital assignments.
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Non-class materials--do not read or work on non-class materials (homework or
reading for other classes, sudoku puzzles, etc.) at any time during class. Since
students cannot participate in this class while working on outside activities,
these activities will result in a marking of “NP” for that day. If you don’t find the
class stimulating enough to engage your full attention, change the situation by
adding your voice to the discussion.
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E-mail policy--please feel free to e-mail if you have a question or concern. Be
aware that, while sometimes I may be able to respond fairly quickly, I cannot
reasonably be expected to respond instantaneously on a regular basis.
Generally expect between a 12-18 hour turnaround time for responses. Also-it’s a good idea to start a new e-mail with a clear subject line (e.g., “Question
about Visions & Voices” or “Links for Readings aren’t working”) rather than
replying to one of my emails.
Also—take a moment to check this syllabus, the assignment sheet, or the
website first to see if the answer to your question is there.
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Students are welcome to discuss and clarify grades received on any
assignment in office hours (not by email), but are required to wait 24 hours
after essays are returned before asking about their essay grades. Any grade
appeals for individual essays need to be accompanied by a written analysis
that breaks down, ranks, and discusses the essay according to the six rubric
elements described in the 150 Course Book.
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Emailed drafts--We will work on drafts during conferences and office hours; I
cannot respond to full drafts via e-mail. You may email me a small portion (a
thesis statement, a paragraph), and request feedback on a specific issue.
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Video/audio recordings--please be aware that recording classroom activity
without the permission of all involved is not permitted. Students who record
classroom exchanges without permission will be asked to leave the class.
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Students with disabilities--Please let me know if you require specific academic
accommodations for this class. Students requiring such accommodations will
register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter
of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP, which
is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30-5:00 M-F. Call (213) 740-0776 for more
information.
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Plagiarism: do not try to pass off others’ work as your own. All papers will be
submitted to Turnitin.com. If your paper is copied in whole or in part from
another source, or from a paper submitted to another class, you will receive a
“0” on the paper and may be referred to the dean.
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The Writing Center
Taper Hall 216
213 740-3691
The Writing Center offers ½ hour individual tutoring sessions available to all USC students.
Experienced consultants will work with you on any stage of the writing process, from interpreting a
prompt, to creating a rough plan, to polishing your final draft. The Writing Center consultants will
not proofread or edit your paper for you, but they will help you to develop skills to revise your own
work. You may sign up in advance or walk in for a thirty-minute one-on-one consultation. In order
to maximize your meeting with a Writing Center consultant, come prepared with a copy of your
assignment, all drafts and prewriting, and specific questions.
See the link on our course page for additional information.
The Writing Center also offers 50-minute classes on style and grammar issues. Schedules and
information will be distributed around the 2nd or 3rd week of class. Some participation credit may be
given for attendance at approved workshops. Information on approved workshops for extra credit
will be provided in class and on the website.
Class Extra Credit Opportunities
Students will be given the opportunity to attend up to 3 pre-approved
Visions & Voices events on campus and post journals/reviews online to
earn extra credit. A list with the approved events will be available around
the 3rd week of class.
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