Elementary Composition W131- [Insert your course number and course]
"Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular opinion."
-- Jack Kerouac
Instructor: [Insert Name]
Email: [Insert Email Address]
Day, Time, and Room Number:
Office Phone: [Insert office phone]
[Insert day, time, and room number of your class]
Office: [Insert office location]
Office Hours: [Insert office hours]
Textbooks and Supplies
Bullock, Richard. The Norton Field Guide to Writing. New York: Norton, 2006.
You will also need: [Insert anything that you want your students to have besides their book (i.e.
a pocket folder to turn in papers, a three-ring binder, etc.)]
Specific Course Outcomes for W131
"Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go." -- E.L. Doctorow
Students who complete W131 should be able to demonstrate their competence in four areas:
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Rhetorical Knowledge, including the ability to focus on a purpose and audience; to
respond appropriately to different kinds of rhetorical situations; to adopt appropriate
voice, tone, and level of formality; and to write in several genres.
Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing, including the ability to use writing and
reading for inquiry, learning, thinking, and communicating; to manage a writing
assignment as a series of tasks, including finding, evaluating, analyzing, and synthesizing
appropriate primary and secondary sources; and to integrate one’s own ideas with those
of others.
Writing Processes, including the use of multiple drafts to create and complete a
successful text; the development of flexible strategies for generating, revising, editing,
and proof-reading; and participation in collaborative and social processes that require
the ability to critique one’s own and others’ works.
Knowledge of Conventions, including the ability to follow common formats for
different kinds of genres; to practice appropriate means of documenting one’s work; to
control such surface features as syntax, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Classroom as Community – [In this section, include your thoughts about writing and/or
other ideas you might want to share with them.]
Thoughts about Writing: I would like us to view our classroom as a
community. In other words, each one of us should respect the other members
in the class and we should all do our best to create an environment that fosters
writing. We can do this by listening to each other and by having a positive
attitude toward the tasks at hand. I will do my best to provide a safe and
respectful learning environment and I expect that each of us will work toward
being a productive member of this community.
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Ways to Succeed: “Every writer I know has trouble writing.” -- Joseph Heller
You will succeed in this class if you keep an open mind. I will attempt to help you find your own
unique way of writing, but you have to be willing to take some risks. Writing can be a very
personal endeavor at times, yet it is also something that we all must master
on
some level. I am not asking you to become a grammarian or a “Stephen
King,” but rather to come along this journey with an open mind and a
positive attitude about your own writing.
Something to Keep in Mind: As you begin writing, remember that I am
here
for your benefit. Please ask questions and ask for help when you need it. I will not always
realize that you don’t understand something or that something is not clear. You know the old
adage: “There is no stupid question.” Also: don’t be afraid; writing can be fun and productive.
Ground Rules for Discussion and Peer Review: As the semester progresses, we may
encounter, either in discussion or within someone’s paper, a topic that brings forth conflict.
Each of us has a unique perspective and prior experience and it is essential that we treat each
other with respect. It is perfectly acceptable to have strong opinions. It is perfectly acceptable
to discuss the way you feel about an issue. I encourage all of us to discuss issues that we do not
agree upon so that we may broaden our scope. However, in doing so, I also expect each of us,
including me, to respect the intelligence and humanity of your fellow classmates. Conflict can
be an interesting and productive aspect of our class. Hateful and demeaning speech will not be
tolerated.
-- Borrowed from Dr. Pat Ashton
University Services and Information [Include university services and university
information here; I would suggest including more than less because your students might not
know about what the university has to offer.]
The Writing Center: Save time and write better papers for any class through free
individual consultations in The Writing Center, Kettler G19. Bring assignments, questions,
ideas, and a draft (if you have one). Consultants can help you get started, write more clearly,
revise, edit, and cite sources responsibly. Come as you begin a paper and as you revise. Dropins are welcome, but to ensure appointments, sign up on TutorTrac at
www.ipfw.edu/casa/wc. Questions? Call 481-5740.
www.ipfw.edu/casa/wc
Kettler G19  481-5740
[This is my policy about the Writing Center: Include your own.]
You will be required to visit the Writing Center for a consultation four times during the
semester. Make sure that you get the proper documentation needed to prove that you have been
to a consultation because this will be part of your grade. You must have one face-to-face
consultation; however, you may also choose to go to Write Away Wednesday or to participate in
an online consultation. I recommend that you have at least one online consultation because it is
much quicker for you than a face-to-face consultation. I understand that this may seem like a
large time commitment, but going to the Writing Center on a regular basis can improve your
grades on each paper by as much as a letter grade.
Anti-Harassment Policy (from IPFW student handbook): We will abide by the AntiHarassment Policy for IPFW which protects you from harassment in all forms, covering those
with legally protected status for reasons of race, gender, religion, color, age, national origin,
Sandman Spring Syllabus 3
ancestry, or disability, as well as those who are harassed for other reasons such as sexual
orientation.
Special Needs: If you have a disability or acquire one, contact Services for Students with
Disabilities (Walb 113) for the services and accommodations available at IPFW. There are many
other services available and information about them can be located in your student handbook.
Athletics and Extracurricular Activities: Although outside activities are an important part
of college, academics are your number one priority. If you miss class due to a universitysponsored event, you are still expected to submit all work that is due on that day and the class in
not “excused.” Please provide a written schedule signed by your coach or sponsor of any classes
you may miss because of athletic or extracurricular activities.
Bad Weather Policy: If bad weather arises, be sure to watch the local news or listen to
WOWO for school closings. If the university is open, we will have class.
Policies and Procedures for our Classroom [Include your polices about late work,
attendance, and formatting of assignments, etc.]
Late work: Assigned work is due at the beginning of the class period. Late work will not be
accepted with the exception of an extenuating circumstance. If you know that you are going to
miss class on the day an assignment is due, you should turn it in early. You may email it to me,
turn it in during the previous class, or put it in my mailbox. There are few good excuses for late
work especially when you know all due dates ahead of time.
Attendance and Promptness: Please come to class on time. We will start promptly and I do
not wish to be continually disturbed nor should you. It is essential that you are in class so that
you may participate in class activities. Writing, although it may seem like something done in
solitude, really involves many people. You cannot receive everything you need from the class if
you are not here. Also, please remember that being in class physically, but not mentally, is like
not being in class at all. Missing more than four classes may be grounds for failure. After four
classes missed, your grade will be lowered by 2 percentage points per day after four. For
example, if you have a 95% and you miss 7 days, your grade will be lowered to an 89%. Keep
this in mind as you are scheduling appointments and the like.
Plagiarism and Cheating: With the rise of the Internet, plagiarism and
cheating has become a very intense problem. I take this issue seriously and
will do my best to help you learn how not to plagiarize. However, if the
case arises I will take the necessary steps to alleviate the problem.
The IPFW 2004-2006 Undergraduate Bulletin describes plagiarism as “the
adoption or reproduction of ideas or statements of another person as one’s
own without acknowledgment” (280). To borrow someone else’s writing
without acknowledging that use can result in failure for the course as well
as sanction from the University. (See the section entitled “Student
Conduct Subject for Disciplinary Action” beginning on page 280 of the
bulletin.) The “ghost writing” of a paper also can lead to sanction from the
University. That is, you should never do someone else’ homework for
them.
You must do your own original work in this course—and to identify that portion of your work
which is collaborative with others, or borrowed from others, or which is your own work from
other contexts. Whenever you quote passages, borrow graphics, or use ideas from others, you
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are legally and ethically obliged to acknowledge that use, following appropriate conventions for
documenting sources. If you have doubts about whether or not you are using other’s writing
ethically and legally, please ask me.
Formatting of Assignments: Each assignment may have different page lengths; however,
the default for traditional assignments should be: one inch margins on top, bottom, left, and
right, and Times New Roman size 12 or equivalent. The assignments should be double spaced.
Always refer to the assignment sheet for specifics of each paper.
Assigned Free Writes: [This is an added section that deals with journals and in-class
writings that I have created. I would suggest including a section about in-class writing and
journal expectations if you choose to use them.] Assigned Free Writes will either have a specific
writing prompt or you will choose what you would like to write. The free writes should be typed
because it is good practice for you to compose at the computer. They should be at least 150
words long and single spaced. They should have a header that identifies the date of the entry
and the number of the entry. The free writes will be due in your mid-term portfolio and final
portfolio. They will be assigned each Thursday and in order to keep up you should have them
finished by the following Tuesday.
Revision: Please note that revision does not just entail editing a polished
draft. Revision implies drastic changes in a text. We will discuss revision
techniques and processes as the semester progresses.
Assignment Sequence and Breakdown of Papers [This section
outlines the papers that students will be expected to do.]
Literacy Memoir (Paper 1): In this piece, you will look at a time when reading/and or
writing had a specific effect on you. You could also look at when you became aware of the world
of words. Essentially, it is your account of something important in regard to the multi-faceted
realm of our language. (2 page minimum)
Commentary (Paper 2): In this piece, you will take an issue that you have observed around
you and create a commentary about it. You will be able to stray from the objectivity of academia
and present your stance on the issue while also considering your readers as members of your
dialogue/conversation. This piece will require three sources, one of which needs to be from a
scholarly, trade, or reputable media source and you will cite the sources using APA style. (4
page minimum)
Textual Analysis (Paper 3): The purpose of this piece is to analyze the rhetorical strategies
used by an author. You will pick the author and article yourself and then you will look at a
variety of different aspects of the piece. You do not need outside sources, only the piece you are
analyzing. (4 page minimum)
Multigenre Research Project (Paper 4): This project is the culmination of the semester.
For this project you need to think of a question or issue that you are interested in researching.
Then, after being given a series of readings and samples you will create a multigenre piece. This
project is a nontraditional approach to the research paper which will allow you to explore an
issue that means something to you and present it in a way that is also meaningful to you. You
will be required to have 10 sources, 4 scholarly, and cited using MLA. However, the paper may
include many different genres including: poetry, letters, memos, emails, journals, expository
writing, prose, line drawings, graphics, photographs, etc. (10 page minimum)
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Grading – [Include a section that describes your grading scale and how each paper will be
graded.]
Your grade will consist of a variety of things. Each portion of the grade is important and should
be taken seriously.
Grading Scale: To earn an A, you must receive at least 90% of the points on a given
assignment. To earn a B, you must earn at least 80% of the points given on an assignment. To
earn a C, you must earn at least 70% of the points given on an assignment. To earn a D, you
must earn at least 60% of the points given on an assignment. To earn an F, you will have earned
less than 60% of the points given.
90-100 – A
80-89 – B
70-79 – C
60-69 – D
Below 60 – F
Literacy Narrative:
Commentary
Research
Particpation
Midterm and Final Reflection
10
20
50
15
5
Total:
100 pts.
[These final few sections explain participation and draft completion.]
Midterm and Final Reflections: 1-2 pages of polished writing in response to prompts given
to help you evaluate yourself.
Participation: Consists of in-class journals, assigned free writes, attendance, class and group
participation, and Writing Center visits.
Because much of the class will be based on your response to your writing and other’s writing, it is essential
that you are in class and that you participate. I expect you to be prepared for each class session – whether
that is by doing the reading, writing, or prewriting, etc. Writing is like a conversation – it doesn’t happen
if only one person is talking.
Completion of drafts will be part of your final paper grade. Each new draft
should be turned in with the drafts that preceded it. Your in-class writings will
be collected on the day they are completed. Journals and in-class writings may
not be made up.
No matter what your final grade percentage is, you must receive a
passing grade on all major assignments in order to pass the class.
This means that each paper must be completed to a final draft form.
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