Benjamin Miller
email: benjamin.miller@hunter.cuny.edu
office hours: TBD and by appointment
office: 1238 HW
Introduction to Composition
English 120, Section 011
TWF 10:10-11:00 am
Spring 2009
COURSE DESCRIPTION
English 120, an introductory expository writing course, has four related goals: Through recursive
processes of reading, writing, discussion, and reflection, it teaches students 1) to generate,
explore, and refine their own ideas; 2) to analyze and evaluate intellectual arguments; 3) to take
positions, develop thesis statements, and support them persuasively; and 4) to proofread for
standard acceptable grammar, varied sentence structure, logical organization, and coherence.
Our section will be conducted as an inquiry into and conversation about the role of writing in our
lives and in our learning. Together, we will examine published writers’ reflections on composing
and language; enter written debates about theories and practices of writing – and how it should
be taught; and practice strategies for generating and revising our own texts (as well as reading
those of others). Because I believe that the most rewarding inquiry is self-driven, students will
have a great deal of input into the specific questions and topics that we explore within this
overarching field.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
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Regular attendance and participation in-class activities, including shared writing exercises
and peer workshops
Regular out-of-class reading and writing, including an online active reading journal
Two revised short essays ( 1000 words) incorporating perspectives from the course readings
One revised longer essay ( 1500 words) incorporating independent research
One revised reflective essay ( 800 words), which will serve as a cover letter introducing a
final portfolio of writing composed during the course
Successful completion of a course-wide timed final exam
Attendance and Participation
I expect that everyone will come to every class meeting. In a small group like this one, the loss
of even one participant weakens the discussion. Slightly differently, you should be present in
every class: perhaps the best (if not the only) way to learn is to be open to the possibility of
learning.
This class is a seminar, meaning that you will be reading a lot, discussing ideas, raising doubts,
etc; but it is also a workshop, meaning that a large part of what you read, discuss, and interrogate
will be your work and the work of your peers. When giving feedback to a member of the class,
you may suggest specific changes, if you have them, or respond more generally – but remember
that you are responding to rough drafts and exercises. Always offer what you think would be
most helpful to you, were it your work and not someone else's.
Miller – syllabus – page 28
If you know in advance that you must miss more than three classes (because of athletic or
religious obligations, for example), you must speak with me by the end of the first week. In
general, if you know you must miss class, please email me before the class you miss. Absences
beyond the third will result in grade reductions, as discussed below (Grading Policy, page 5).
Students who miss the first three class meetings will not be permitted to join the class.
Reading Assignments
Please obtain the following required textbooks, which are available at the Hunter Bookstore:
Hacker, Diana. A Pocket Style Manual, 5th Edition. New York: Bedford, St.
Martin's Press, 2008.
ISBN-13: 9780312452759. Expected cost: $23.75.
A light-weight and easy-to-use style guide, PSM contains advice and guidelines for
sentence construction and grammar, as well as extensive references for citation and
documentation standards in several academic fields.
Sargent, M. Elizabeth and Cornelia C. Paraskevas. Conversations about
Writing: Eavesdropping, Inkshedding, and Joining In. Toronto, ON,
Canada: Thomson Nelson, 2005.
ISBN-13: 9780176414986. Expected cost: $46.50.
Conversations will be our primary source for shared reading material this semester,
which will include excerpts from writers’ memoirs, debates in writing about writing (and
how it should be taught), as well as strategies for generating and revising your own text
(and reading those of others).
We won’t be able to cover everything in this rich anthology in one semester, but I
hope you will find what we do cover to be sufficient motivation to keep this book around,
so you can continue to draw on it throughout college, and beyond.
Because the texts in Conversations, and especially your writing in response to them, will form
the basis of much of our work this semester, I ask that you obtain that book as soon as possible –
before the first day, if you can – and bring it with you to every class meeting. I will refer to PSM
mostly in response to questions, in one-on-one conferences, or in the margins of your drafts (if I
notice a pattern of non-standard grammar or punctuation). If we’ll need it in class, I’ll let you
know in advance.
If you don't have a thorough, comprehensive dictionary for use off-line, I recommend MerriamWebster's Collegiate Dictionary. And for greater historical depth, the Hunter Libraries provide
online access to the fun and inexhaustible Oxford English Dictionary. (Use the Databases link.)
In addition, I recommend but do not require the following:
Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. The Craft of
Research. 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008.
CR contains a surprisingly good presentation of techniques, not only for conducting
library research, but also for developing and defending claims and theses, and even for
revising sentences and paragraphs for clarity. Some exercises may be derived from this
book, so anyone desiring a fuller background and explanation will find it useful.
Miller – syllabus – page 38
Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in
Academic Writing. New York and London: W.W. Norton & Company,
2006.
A small and light textbook, TSIS provides templates (fill-in-the-blank guidelines) and
rationales for such fundamental tasks as summary, quotation, agreement, disagreement,
and acknowledgment of / response to counterarguments. A good nuts-and-bolts primer,
especially if you’re feeling underconfident. Depending on student interest, we may make
some templates of our own, for which this book would provide useful background.
Finally, while working on your researched essay, you will be responsible for locating, printing (if
online), and reading relevant texts using the library database system. Both I and our class's
librarian (Brian Lym, blym@hunter.cuny.edu) will happily assist you in this process.
Writing Assignments
Weekly blog posts. The majority of the writing you will do for this class will be informal, lowstakes writing exercises based on the inkshed model (which we will discuss in the first week of
class): unrevised, but public, thinking-on-the-page, to which your peers and I will respond. To
support this goal, each student will create and maintain a blog through wordpress.com, updated
at least once a week. Your weekly blog post could take a number of forms:
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respond to one or more inkshedding prompts in Conversations about Writing
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copy out a favorite (or puzzling, or troubling) passage from the reading, and
explain why you selected it
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enter a key term or phrase into our Word Hoard, and flesh out some of its
meanings (using the OED as well as the text in which you found it)
•
write Source Notes for a shared or supplemental text, with a focused summary
and key passages
Everyone should try at least one of each of these forms by mid-semester, and two of each by the
end of the term. Whichever option you choose in a given week, write at least 250 words per entry
(the equivalent of one full double-spaced page).
In addition, you will compose four formal, revised essays. Two of these will be in response to the
shared readings in Conversations about Writing; for the third, you will construct your own
textual conversation about writing in the form of an annotated bibliography, and then use your
essay to add your own voice to that conversation. The final essay will be a retrospective
reflection, summing up and analyzing the work you’ve done all semester long.
Miller – syllabus – page 48
Course Websites
Our classroom will blend elements of online and in-class conversation. The two central websites
you will need are:
miller09spring10am.wordpress.com – our group blog and the course home page. Come
here for important announcements here, as well as RSS feeds from our individual blogs.
miller09spring10am.pbwiki.com – our course wiki, home of the Word Hoard and
Source Notes, and repository of drafts and articles we ourselves write.
Bookmark these two sites in your web browser, and check them often.
Assignment Formatting
Many journals, conferences, and grant-providing organizations will reject out-of-hand any
submissions or applications that are incorrectly formatted. All formal assignments that you
submit for this class – including drafts – must:
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be typed, printed out, and stapled if necessary
be double-spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides
use a standard serif font (eg. Times New Roman or Garamond) in 12pt
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include a cover page or first-page header with your full name, my full name, the date,
and the course title/section number (Intro. to Composing – English 120-11)
include a header on each subsequent page with your name, the section number
(English 120-11), and the page number (X of Y)
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include a word count at the end of the paper
include a List of Works Cited, formatted using the MLA style
include a title for the piece, even if it's tentative.
In addition, you must post a copy of the document to the Our Articles folder in the wiki, as both
a screen-readable page and as an easily-printable attachment (.doc or .rtf formats only, please).
This not only makes it easier to do peer review and revisions, but will also save us much
agitation later when the print document goes missing, or you accidentally save over the early
draft you wanted to include in the final portfolio.
If you are concerned about publishing your documents in this way, please speak to me about
other options, including password protection.
Miller – syllabus – page 58
GRADING POLICY
Final Portfolio
Your final grade for the course will be determined by two readers' assessment of your final
portfolio. The portfolio must contain the following materials:
- your documented research essay ( 1500 words), with drafts and annotated
bibliography;
- one other essay ( 1000 words), also with drafts;
- your unrevised diagnostic essay from the first week of class;
- one other unrevised in-class essay;
- your reflective essay ( 800 words), introducing the aforementioned materials.
These materials will reviewed and checked against the following rubric:
Is the portfolio complete?
Yes: move on.
Yes
Yes, but
(4)
(3)
No: portfolio fails.
No, but
No
(2)
(1)
Do drafts show evidence of development?
Do the final versions of both revised pieces have
substantial content (claims, reasons, evidence)?
Are both revised pieces well-focused and effectively
organized?
Does the documented paper show appropriate use of
sources?
Is the revised work well-edited for language and
mechanics?
Does the in-class essay meet expectations?
Thus, the maximum raw score for the portfolio will be 32 points. Further adjustments to this
score may then be made for participation, up to an additional 6 points, and for absences, as
follows: 4 absences = –2 points; 5 absences = –3 points; 6 absences = –5 points; 7 absences =
–6 points; etc. If you miss more than 1/4 of the classes for the term, you will receive a grade of
WU. Note that no distinction will be made between excused and unexcused absences, so please
save your absences for when you are actually sick.
Raw points are roughly convertible to letter grades as follows:
28-36 points = A
20-27 points = B
12-19 points = C
4-11 points = D
An incomplete portfolio will receive an F. If you're worried, ask me ahead of time about C/NC.
Miller – syllabus – page 68
Final Exam
In addition to the portfolio, all English 120 students must pass a 2-hour final exam modeled on
the Comprehensive Proficiency Exam (CPE). You will be given a choice of two questions asking
you to connect, compare, and/or analyze two essays assigned to you ahead of time; only one of
these essays will have been part of the shared readings that we discuss in class. We will discuss
the specific expectations for your response later in the semester.
Late and Missed Assignments
All assignments must be turned in on time. For one thing, inksheds in response to a text are often
most effective immediately after reading. In addition, your blog posts will form the basis for inclass discussion, so that late completions cannot be officially “made up.” (Working through
inkshed prompts on your own may help you to complete later assignments, however.) Submitting
drafts late robs your classmates of the ability to practice critical feedback skills, and late drafts
will not receive timely or extensive comments from me, either. Note that inksheds and drafts are
designed to build on one another; not completing any of these assignments will have a
cumulative negative effect on your final product.
Do not let latenesses build up: while you may continue to revise up until the final portfolio, you
may not submit entirely new work in the last three weeks of class. If you anticipate a problem,
let me know as soon as possible, so that we can work together to best resolve it. In general, no
extensions will be granted within 24 hours of a given deadline. Extensions do not excuse you
from completing any subsequent assignments on time.
Inksheds, In-class Exercises, and Drafts
Since these assignments are designed to help you develop and experiment with ideas and
language, they will not be individually graded. Participation will be noted, however, and a
pattern of late or missed assignments could lower your overall grade for the course. Conversely,
a pattern of excellent and respectful contributions to the class community, in person or online,
could raise your overall grade. That said, mere participation does not in itself guarantee any
particular grade.
Lack of grading does not, however, mean a lack of evaluation: you will receive some form of
feedback on all of your writing. In addition to written comments from me, you may have peer
responses or self-reflection; you'll also meet with me for several one-on-one conferences during
the semester to discuss the work you're doing. You are also encouraged to visit the Writing
Center at any point in your writing process (see below).
Plagiarism - Don't Do It
This is a collaborative class, in which we offer each other suggestions and constructive criticism.
However, the goal of all this collaboration is to clarify the expression of original ideas – never to
substitute someone else's ideas for our own, or to impose our ideas on someone else.
To misrepresent the origins of an idea is plagiarism, and it will not be tolerated.
Miller – syllabus – page 78
If you want to cite an outside source, there are ways of giving credit to the original author;
section 32 of the Pocket Style Manual presents one standard method of documenting sources. If
you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask, because Hunter takes a very hard stance on
plagiarism. It could get you expelled. Here's an excerpt from the CUNY Policy on Academic
Integrity, to give you the flavor:
Academic Dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and is punishable by penalties,
including failing grades, suspension and expulsion, as provided herein. […]
Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person's ideas, research, or writings as your own. The
following are some examples of plagiarism, but by no means is it an exhaustive list:
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Copying another person's actual words without the use of quotation marks and footnotes attributing
the words to their source.
Presenting another person's ideas or theories in your own words without acknowledging the source.
Using information that is not common knowledge without acknowledging the source.
Failing to acknowledge collaborators on homework and laboratory assignments.
Internet plagiarism includes submitting downloaded term papers or parts of term papers,
paraphrasing or copying information from the internet without citing the source and "cutting
& pasting" from various sources without proper attribution.
Hunter College regards acts of academic dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism, cheating on examinations,
obtaining unfair advantage, and falsification of records and official documents) as serious
offenses against the values of intellectual honesty. The College is committed to enforcing the
CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity and will pursue cases of academic dishonesty according to
the Hunter College Academic Integrity Procedures.
All cases of deliberate plagiarism will be referred to the appropriate Dean for disciplinary action.
CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR
I expect that everyone in this class – students and teachers alike – will treat each other with
respect, and will work together to create a maximally productive environment. Please do not use
your cell phones to talk or text during class, and please silence your ringers when you come in so
that we are not interrupted. With these as goals and ground rules, I hope not to have to elaborate
more specific rules for classroom behavior; however, I do reserve the right to update this policy,
in consultation with you, as needed.
THE OFFICE OF ACCESSABILITY
In compliance with the American Disability Act of 1990 (ADA) and with Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Hunter College is committed to ensuring educational parity and
accommodations for all students with documented disabilities and/or medical conditions. It is
recommended that all students with documented disabilities (Emotional, Medical, Physical
and/or Learning) consult the Office of AccessABILITY located in Room E1124 to secure
necessary academic accommodations. For further information and assistance please call 212772-4857 / TTY 212-650-3230.
Miller – syllabus – page 88
THE HUNTER COLLEGE READING/WRITING CENTER
The Hunter College Reading/Writing Center is a comprehensive service for the entire college
community offering tutoring and computer-assisted instruction to students and technical support
and development to faculty and staff.
The Reading/Writing Center offers tutorial assistance, free of charge, to all registered students of
the college. Tutors are undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of majors, trained to
help you develop your reading and writing skills. The Center will not interpret texts for you, nor
will tutors write, type, or correct papers. Tutors will help you develop a reading-writing process
you can use to improve your skills and negotiate the requirements of academic reading and
writing.
As a student, you may use the Center in several ways:
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Register for a regular appointment to meet with a tutor for an hour, once a
week throughout the whole semester. Usually, you will be paired with another
student who is enrolled in the same course.*
Drop in to work with a tutor during scheduled drop-in hours when tutors are
available to meet with you on a first-come, first-served basis. See schedule below
for drop-in times.
Attend workshops on various aspects of critical reading and writing. Workshop
topics and schedules are posted periodically throughout each semester.
Use computer terminals in the Center with access to CUNY Plus and to the
Reading/Writing Center web page at http://rwc.hunter.cuny.edu where you can
directly access Reading/Writing Center handouts, view current workshop
schedules, obtain information on the CPE and ACT exams, and link to a variety of
writing resources on the Web.
Use the Center's library of books during the hours the Center is open. The
Center does not lend books; however, they have an extensive file of handouts
which are available for you to take away.
You will learn the most if you use the Center at each stage of your writing process. Work with a
tutor to clarify an assignment, to generate material, to review a draft for organization and
development, and to learn how to proofread.
The Reading/Writing Center is located in Room 416, Thomas Hunter Building. Our tutoring
schedule is as follows:
TUTORING HOURS
Monday through Thursday 10 A.M. to 8 P.M.
Friday and Saturday 10 A.M. to 4 P.M.
*
NB: These slots are first-come, first-served, and tend to fill up quickly. If you would like to schedule a recurring
meeting, I recommend signing up during the first week or two of the semester.