Academic Writing--English 110D
Instructor: Joseph Conlin
Class Time : Tuesday and Thursday (9:30-10:45) Classroom: 206 in Humanities Center
Office Hours (Subject to Change): Friday 8:00-9:15; Friday: 9:30-10:30 in Mahogany Room
Afternoons on Saturday and Sunday are available by appointment in the Mahogany Room.
E-Mail: Conlinj@sacredheart.edu
Web Page: http://faculty.sacredheart.edu/conlinj/English110.html
13 August 2011
Tentative Schedule
SHU's academic calendar appears at the end of the syllabus.
Assignments due on date stated in syllabus unless otherwise specified.
Academic Warnings may be submitted any time during the semester.
Read Thoroughly: Unless otherwise instructed in class or by email, you will submit your work via email to
ConlinJ@sacredheart.edu. All submissions will comply with MLA's or APA's style for research papers.
In addition, make sure your Word software is set to accept revisions. It's simple. Click View, then Toolbars, look for the
setting Reviewing. If it is checked, then close the drop-down menu. If it is not checked, check it. The Reviewing toolbar
usually will appear as the lowest toolbar on the left. Make sure its window says either: Original Showing Markup or Final
Showing Markup. When I return your assignment by email, you will see my comments in “balloons” off the side of the
paper.
Remember: You can revise any homework assignment when you submit your mid-term and final portfolios. Revisions
should improve the essay beyond what I might have suggested because you have had time to rethink and revise your
own thinking on a subject.
Week 1
Aug. 29-Sept. 2: Welcome to English 110. You have two simple assignments for the week. Read the “Introduction” to Ways
of Reading that I emailed to you this week. Also read the Course Description and syllabus. Next week, be prepared to
discuss or to take a quiz on the “Introduction” essay.
Sept. 6, Tues.: Discussion or quiz about the “introduction” to Ways of Reading. Introduction to the course and writing.
Identifying to whom you are writing what. In-class writing assignment, which will not be graded.
Week 2
Week 2
Sept. 8, Thurs.: Discussion of the Susan Griffin's “Our Secret.”
Assignment: Read Susan Griffin's “Our Secret” (335 in Ninth Edition).To understand Griffin's concepts most students should
read the essay at least twice.
Sept. 12, Mon.: Last Day to Add/ Drop Classes.
Sept. 13, Tues.: Discussion of Griffin's essay and why she decided to present her ideas in the format she did.
Assignment: Re-read “Our Secret.”Read Assignment 3 on page 384 in the ninth edition. Come up with ideas you could use
for the assignment.
Sept. 15, Thurs.: Discussion of Griffin. Discussion of MLA style citation and reference (works cited). Analysis of Assignment
3.
Assignment: Do Assignment 3 on page 384 in the ninth edition. Submit 1000-word essay by 11:59 Sept. 18, as an
attachment to ConlinJ@sacredheart.edu.
Week 3
Sept. 20, Tues.: Extend Griffin's concept of discussing an idea to that of David Foster Wallace use of style in “Authority and
American Usage.”
Assignment: Read David Foster Wallace's “Authority and American Usage.”(622).
Sept. 22, Thurs.: Discussion of Wallace's essay.
Assignment: Re-read Wallace.Think about the question in Assignment 3 on page 652.
Week 4
Sept. 27, Tues.: Discussion of authority . Connecting the ideas of Griffin and Wallace. Analysis of Assignment 3.
Assignment: Do Assignment 3 on page 652. The essay should be 1500 words. In addition to citing Wallace you must cite at
least two other sources. They can be from the text or from outside the text. Naturally you will have a works cited page listing
your sources in alphabetically order (including Wallace)—all in MLA style. Submit on Sept. 29 at 11:59 pm to
conlinj@sacredheart.edu.
Early warning for undergraduate students due Sept. 27.
Sept. 29, Thurs.: Discussion of Wallace's and Griffin's essays.
Assignment: Submit answer to Assignment 3.
Oct. 4, Tues.: Students meet with instructor.
Assignment: Revise essays.
Week 5
Oct. 6, Thurs.:Students meet with instructor.
Assignment: Revise essays.
Oct. 11, Tues: Columbus Day Holiday Weekend. And Faculty Institute Day. No class.
Week 6
Oct. 13, Thurs.: Students meet individually with instructor.
Assignment: Submit revisions of your Griffin and your Wallace essays at 11:59 pm. Send as attachments to
ConlinJ@sacredheart.edu
Oct. 18, Tues.: Lecture about John E. Wideman's approach to his essay, “Our Time.”
Assignment: Read John E. Wideman's “Our Time” (681-718).
Week 7
Oct. 20, Thurs.: Discussion of how Griffin, Wallace, and Wideman intersect. Comparison of styles. Reasons for different
approaches.
Assignment: Re-read Wideman's essay.
Submit midterm grades Oct. 21.
Oct. 24, Mon.: Advising for the Spring 2012 semester.
Week 8
Oct. 25, Tues.: Discussion of Wideman's essay.
Assignment: Read Assignment 3 on page 695.
Oct. 27, Thurs.: More discussion of Wideman's essay and an Analysis of Assignment 3.
Assignment: Do Assignment 3 on page 695. It must be 1500 words. You must use two peer-reviewed sources. Submit the
essay mentioned above by Nov. 1 to conlinj@sacredheart.edu.
Oct. 31, Mon: Last day to withdraw from a course.
Week 9
Nov. 1, Tues. : Further discussion of Wideman and Assignment 3 on page 695.
Assignment: Do Assignment 3 on page 695. It must be 1500 words. You must use two peer-reviewed sources. Submit the
essay mentioned above by Nov. 1 to conlinj@sacredheart.edu.
Nov. 3, Thjurs.: Discussion of the role experts.
Assignment: Read Walker Percy's “The Loss of the Creature” (457-471). Read it twice.
Nov. 8, Tues.: Discussion of Percy's concept of the expert and what individuals should and should not expect from them.
Week 10
Nov. 10, Thurs.:How does Percy's perception of expertise effect your perception now of the essays by Rich, Geertz, and
Wideman?
Nov. 15, Tues.: Further discussion about Percy, Rich, Geertz, and Wideman.
Assignment: Do Assignment 1 on page 472. The essay will be 1800 words. You will use four peer-reviewed sources as well
as citing Percy, Rich, Geertz, and Wideman.
Week 11
As well as citing the authors mentioned, you will need to cite four peer-reviewed sources. Submit the essay to
conlinj@sacredheart.edu by Nov. 20, at 11:59 pm.
Nov. 17, Thurs.: Discussion of how the concepts of the four writers relate.
Assignment: Submit your final essay (citing four peer-reviewed sources as well as those thoughts of Rich, Geertz,
Wideman, and Percy) to conlinj@sacredheart.edu at 11:59 pm Nov. 17.
Nov. 22, Tues.: Individual reviews of essays with instructor.
Week 12
Nov. 25, Thurs.: Thanksgiving Holiday
Nov. 29, Tues.: Individual reviews of essays with instructor.
Week 13
Dec. 1, Thurs.: Individual reviews of essays with instructor.
Dec. 6, Tues.: Individual reviews of essays with instructor.
Week 14
Dec. 8, Thurs.:Last Class. Bring your laptops to class. You will transfer your portfolios and your 300-word letter in-class to
the CD that I will provide.
Dec. 12, Mon.: Classes end for the semester.
Week 15
Dec. 19, Mon.: Final Grades Due to Registrar.
UNDERGRADUATE FALL 2011
Fall Semester
Fall 2011
Labor Day - No Classes
Mon., Sept. 5
Classes Begin
Tues., Sept. 6
Last Day to Add/Drop
Mon., Sept. 12
Early Warnings for Undergraduates
Due*
Tues., Sept. 27
Columbus Weekend - No Classes
Sun. - Tues., Oct. 9 - 11
Faculty Institute Day - No Classes
Tues. Oct., 11
Last Day to Convert Incomplete
Grades for Spring & Summer
Tues., Oct. 18
Undergraduate Advising for Spring
2012 Begins
Mon., Oct. 24 (approximate
date)
Undergraduate Mid-Term
Grades/Warnings due
Fri., Oct. 21
Last Day to Withdraw from a Course** Mon., Oct. 31
Assigned Online Registration begins
for Spring 2012
Wed., Nov. 2 (approximate
date)
Thanksgiving Holiday - No Classes
Wed. - Sun., Nov. 23 - 27
Last Day of Classes
Mon., Dec. 12
Final Exams
Tues. - Sat., Dec. 13 - 17
Final Exams Snow Date
Mon., Dec. 19
*Academic Warnings may be submitted any time during the semester.