Syllabus, ENG 1060—Rizzo, 1
English 1050: Composition I
Section 104
Mon / Wed 3:30-4:45 pm, Fall 2010
125 Dial Humanities Bldg
Dr. Therese Rizzo
Office:
108 Dial Humanities Bldg.
Office phone: (910) 522-5802
Email:
therese.rizzo@uncp.edu
Office Hours: Mon. 1:00-1:30, Tues. 1:30-3:30, Wed. 5:00-5:30, Thur. 1:30-3:30,
or by appointment
Course Description
English 1050 is part of the required writing sequence for all UNCP undergraduates. This class trains
students for college level writing, reading, and subject matter comprehension. Throughout this course,
you will be challenged to think and read objectively while writing papers that reflect a thesis-centered
approach to summary, paraphrase, and argument. In a combination of formal and informal writing
exercises you will demonstrate your comprehension of rhetorical techniques through summary and
analysis of critics and films that address the theme of American materialism. By focusing on a similar
theme, your English 1050 writing assignments are constructed to help you progress as a writer, reader,
and thinker. Your assignments will help you to develop and exercise various writing skills that you
will need to utilize during your time at UNCP.
Although we will discuss many different issues in this class, I ask that you attempt to convince
yourself of one fact:
The only way to become a powerful, effective writer is to write constantly and to try new
things.
So what does it mean to “write constantly” when you have other classes, a job, and/or a family? It
means that you commit to reworking, revising, and refashioning each of your written products. It
means that you remain open to suggestion and help. And it means that you accept the idea that we
are all writers who benefit from revision. By the end of this course, I will expect you to understand
that writing is a process, and the major determiner of success in writing comes from how much you
are willing to commit to the act of writing.
Success in ENG 1060
You will successfully complete this course if you demonstrate a mastery of the following:
 Process! — Writing is a process that cannot be rushed into one evening (or one very
long all-nighter). You must demonstrate your willingness to grow as a writer by
showing thoughtful revision after each draft and by engaging comments and
suggestions from peer reviewers and myself.
 Critical Thinking and Reading Skills — Effective writing begins by asking the kinds of
questions that facilitate an engaging and thoughtful paper. Asking the right kinds of questions
Syllabus, ENG 1060—Rizzo, 2


begins by reading to discover content, intent, and rhetorical strategy. Practicing active reading
methods means that we must (1) remain attentive to the essay’s intended message, (2) discover
the essay’s secondary or unintended content, and (3) discern the essay’s effective and
ineffective rhetorical strategies. Remember, every piece of writing, no matter how effective,
offers us the possibility to learn by understanding how writers construct their arguments and
arrange their content.
Rhetorical Knowledge and Understanding Language Conventions — As we read
other writers and dissect their styles, you will be asked to use some of the same rhetorical
strategies in your writing. You will construct thesis statements in a variety of different essay
situations, and you will use many of the same strategies displayed by the critics in our course.
The nuances of making an effective argument or staging an easy-to-follow summary and
paraphrase will become one of the most important aspects of this course. I will also be holding
you accountable for correctly using writing and language conventions, such as paragraph
construction, sentence clarity and variety, syntax, and punctuation.
Honest Authorship — We will practice effective methods of documenting outside sources
and effective measures to avoid plagiarism. I will accept nothing less than complete honesty in
your writing process. In other words, undocumented plagiarism (someone other than yourself
writing your paper), for-profit plagiarism (buying your paper from someone else), and/or
unintentional plagiarism (failure to document all outside ideas or sources) are entirely
forbidden. Any infringement of these rules will result in the failure of your essay or a failure in
the class.
Class Theme
Sex, Lies, and Videotapes: We will explore the rhetoric of scandal and how the media portrays
sexual innuendo and deviancy, while creating heroes out of liars.
Required Texts and Materials
--The Little, Brown Compact Handbook, With Exercises, Jane E. Aaron
--Paper/Pens for every class meeting
--Folder for Portfolio
--Binder/Folder for storing notes/handouts
--Binder/Folder to store drafts of paper
Writing Projects
In this class, we will have four writing projects.
Reading Journal Assignments
Consider your journal entries as little papers where you can practice formulating a thesis and
supporting it with evidence from the essays. These assignments are an ideal forum to experiment
with various styles, vocabulary, and arguments. Be creative, and take these seriously. Your journals
are due by the last day of class, and late journals will not be accepted. I reserve the right to ask you
to redo any journal that is deficient or does not meet my criteria.
Each journal must be two double-spaced pages and submitted on our Blackboard site. You have
three journals due by the end of the semester.
Syllabus, ENG 1060—Rizzo, 3
Our Class is signed up for a Blackboard page. All Journals (and anything else marked “Online”)
must be posted to the page, and you should feel free to utilize the space to its fullest. If you have any
questions about how to use Blackboard, please let me know and I will attempt to help you in any
way that I can.
Portfolios and Rewrite Policy
You will have to turn in an end-of-term portfolio; the Portfolio will consist of all of your papers
(revision is optional) and the changes you have made on your final drafts. You MUST label, date,
and save all of your paper drafts and comments (peer reviewers and mine) for inclusion in the
portfolios. Failure to do so could result in a lowered grade on these portfolios.
This course has an open rewrite policy, which means that you can rewrite any written assignment
that was turned in on time. If you make substantial changes to an assignment which results in a
better grade, I will substitute the new grade for the previous grade. You may rewrite an assignment
as many times as you see fit. Moreover, rewriting an assignment can never result in a lower grade,
although you will not receive a better grade for papers without substantive rewrites. Additional help
and consideration will be given to those students who come see me during office hours for help on
their rewrites. All rewrites (including the original and any ensuing drafts/rewrites) are due in the
final portfolio.
ADA Statement
Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments must speak directly to
Disability Support Services and the instructor, as early in the semester (preferably within the first
week) as possible. All discussions will remain confidential. Please contact Disability Support
Services, DF Lowry Building, 910-521-6695.
Program-Wide Absence Policy:
A student who misses more than six hours of class, regardless of the reason for those absences, will
fail the course. Travel dates for university activities (sports, band, etc) also “count” as absences.
(Six hours= 4 MW or TR classes).
Lateness
If you are late (because of some unavoidable crisis that will only happen once) and arrive after roll is
called or a “writing burst” has begun, please slip into the room quietly and quickly become involved
with whatever we are doing. Make sure to see me at the end of class so that I can record your
attendance. If you are late more than once, participation points will be deducted. Three lates equals
a missed class. If you are more than 40 minutes late, thereby missing half the class, you will be
counted absent for that day.
Late and Missed Assignments
Instructors are under no obligation to accept or to grade work that is missed or late because of an
absence. Therefore, you are obligated to hand in all assignments (including drafts) on time, despite
any absences. If you are going to be absent, please arrange to hand in your work ahead of time. If
an emergency occurs, please contact me by phone or email before class begins, and we will arrange
for a new due date. Please do not invent an “emergency” on a due date; I will not consider hardship
cases the day an assignment is due. If you are having problems with an assignment or are falling
Syllabus, ENG 1060—Rizzo, 4
seriously behind in your work, contact me well before the assignment is due so that we can figure
out a feasible work plan.
Any late assignments will be penalized up to a whole letter grade every day it is late (including nonclass days and weekends). Being absent on the day a paper or assignment is due still causes that
assignment to be late. If you turn in a paper late, then your forfeit any future rewrites on that paper.
These rules also apply to paper drafts.
Note: You cannot pass this course without turning in every writing project. If any paper is missed
or skipped, it is mathematically impossible to achieve any grade higher than an “F.”
Plagiarism and Academic Integrity
Plagiarism is one of the worst crimes that can be committed at any academic institution, and UNC
Pembroke is no exception. There is absolutely no need for you to plagiarize. Each class assignment
is well within your capacity as a UNCP student to attempt and complete successfully. Henceforth,
there are absolutely no excuses for plagiarism. NONE.
You have the responsibility to know and observe UNCP’s Academic Honor Code. This code forbids
cheating, plagiarism, abuse of academic materials, fabrication or falsification of information, and
complicity in academic dishonesty. Academic evaluations in this course include a judgment that the
student’s work is free from academic dishonest of any type. Students who violate this code can be
dismissed from the University. The normal penalty for a first offence is an F in the course.
Standards of academic honor will be enforced in this course. Students are expected to report others’
acts of academic dishonesty to the instructor. In general, faculty members should, and will take
preventative measures to avoid cases of academic dishonesty (for example, examinations should be
carefully proctored). However, a faculty member’s failure to take such measures is no excuse for
academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty and integrity, in the final analysis, are matters of
personal history and individual integrity on the part of every student. More information on the
academic honor code can be fount at <www.uncp.edu/sa/pol_pub/honor_code.htm>
Any work that you submit at any stage of the writing process—draft, thesis and outline,
bibliography, etc., through final version—must be your own; in addition, any words, ideas, or data
that you borrow from other people and include in your work must be properly documented. Failure
to do either of these things is plagiarism.
The University Writing Center
The Writing Center in 128 Dial Hall provides free one-on-one instruction to students who have
writing assignments in this or any course. You may call (910-521-6546) or stop by the Writing
Center to make an appointment. Appointments are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, so you
should make your appointments as far in advance as possible.
Grading
Note: To receive a passing grade for this course you must complete all major writing assignments.
Grade Breakdown:
Paper #1:
13%
A = 95 and Above
C = 78-75
Syllabus, ENG 1060—Rizzo, 5
Paper #2:
Paper #3:
Paper #4:
Class Questions,
Journals, Part.:
17%
20%
25%
15%
A- = 94-92
B+ = 91-89
B = 88-85
B- = 84-82
C+ = 81-79
C- = 74-72
D+ = 71-69
D = 68-65
D- = 64-62
F = 61- 0
Participation
Active Participation is vital in our small, community-orientated classroom. Every time you
participate, whether you answer or ask a question, comment about the reading, or venture forth an
opinion, you boost your participation grade. Every student is charged with the duty of participation,
we must always respectful of others’ opinions and analysis. Any disrespectful or unnecessary
comments will detract from your Participation grade and cause an “F” for that day’s class work.
Engaging someone’s question, comment, or analysis is always encouraged; however, if you are in
any way disrespectful, domineering, or impolite, you detract from our community building.
E-mail Policy
E-mail is the quickest way to reach me. However, I cannot instantly return your emails or phone
calls, so if you e-mail me I will try to answer your e-mail within forty-eight hours (not including the
weekends). I will also try to return your call within forty-eight hours on Mondays through
Thursdays. Calls will not be returned on Fridays through Sunday. Note: Papers and/or writing
projects will not be accepted over email or fax. Also, grades will not be discussed over email or
phone.
Technology Policy
Anyone caught on the phone, texting, or emailing will be given an “F” for that day’s
attendance. If a phone rings or dings, I reserve the right to answer the phone or respond to
the text. If a phone rings or dings, I reserve the right to administer a quiz.
English 1020: Writing Lab
Section 702: Mon 1:30-2:20, 125 Dial
Section 703: Mon 2:30-3:20, 125 Dial
Section 704: Wed 2:30-3:20, 125 Dial
Course Description
English 1020 is part of the writing sequence for all UNCP undergraduates. This writing lab will be
used to complement the subject material of English 1060. It will also help to train students for
college level writing, reading, and subject matter comprehension.
Success in Engl 1020
You will successfully complete this course if you demonstrate a mastery of the following:
Process!
Critical Thinking and Reading Skills
Rhetorical Knowledge and Understanding Language Conventions
Honest Authorship and Scholarly Research
Syllabus, ENG 1060—Rizzo, 6
Attendance
According to the Program-Wide Absence Policy for ENG 1020:
Students must earn 75 points over the course of the semester in order to receive a passing grade
(C) in 1020.
Students may earn up to seven points for each 1020 class they attend according to the following
scale:
 Present and highly engaged = seven points
 Present and engaged = six points
 Present and partially engaged = five points
 Present = four points
 Absent = zero points
Students must earn 75 or more points to pass the class.
Students who wish to make up absences, up to two, may do so by attending other 1020 sessions
offered by their instructor or by visiting the University Writing Center for personal consultations.
Students may receive only two points for each absence they make up. Students who visit the
University Writing Center to make up an absence must request a signed form from their writing
center tutor that they bring to you.
We hope that this system causes students to understand that they are being assessed, positively, on
their positive contributions: they have something to strive for, as opposed to something to lose. We
wish to make clear to students that the 1020 requires a new level of engagement for success: they
might be able to be quiet and intent in 1050 and 1060, but the success of the 1020 depends on their
active participation, which should be easier (1) for the smallness of the class and (2) because they
have fewer people to feel nervous in front of.
Note: All other class policies, such as, but not limited to, Lateness and Technology Policy, from
the ENG 1050 Syllabus extend to ENG 1020.