Rhetoric 105 B9
Monday/Wednesday/Friday 9-9:50 a.m.
104 English Building
Heather Blain
332English Building
Office Hours: Monday noon-2 p.m.
English Mailbox: 113
blain1@illinois.edu
You are a writer and a scholar!
Over the course of the semester, Rhetoric 105 will be introducing you to new ways of reading,
writing, and thinking. You’ll be critically examining arguments, both scholarly and nonscholarly, and making scholarly arguments of your own in return. You will also be constantly
practicing your craft of writing, making informed, rhetorical decisions about the arguments,
style, and evidence you choose present to your audience.
What are we reading?
Course Texts:
Writing @ the University of Illinois
The SF Compact Manual: 2009 MLA Update Edition
What do I need to bring to class?
Looseleaf paper (You will be writing every day in class)
Blue or black pen
A binder or folder for handouts (You will need another two-pocket folder for submitting essays)
A notebook for notes/style work
A manila envelope for submitting revisions
Assigned readings
How will I be graded?
Essays
In-class writing
Quizzes
Homework
Presentations
Peer Review
55%
10 %
5%
15 %
5%
10%
You will be expected to revise all essays other than the final essay. The due date for essay
revisions is Wednesday, May 5.
How do I access the ebook or Compass?
The URL you’ll need to use in order to access your ebook and ehandbook is
www.pearsoncustom.com/il/rhetoric_illinois. The course ID (ebook) for this class is
Blain0584977eb; the course ID (ehandbook) is Blain0529702eb.
In order to access Compass, go to compass.illinois.edu.
What’s up with attendance?
This class meets for 50 minutes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. In order for you to truly
develop as a writer, it is critical that you attend each and every class. I will not penalize you for
absences. Keep in mind, though, that in-class assignments and activities cannot be made up, and
that peer review is a significant part of your grade. Thus, if you do not attend class, your grade
will suffer considerably.
If you do have miss class, you are responsible for arranging for a classmate to pick up any
materials for you, and (if he/she is feeling benevolent) to take notes for you.
☺Those of you who diligently attend class and have perfect attendance will receive a bonus of
2 percentage points on your combined essay grades.
How about being late?
Being late to class shows a lack of respect for yourself, your work, your classmates, and me.
Please be on time. You will not be allowed to make up any work you missed due to a late arrival.
Can I turn in things late?
Things happen. Each of you gets one “No Explanations Needed” extension pass to use in order
to turn in an essay one class period late (you may not use this pass on in-class writing, homework
assignments, or Peer Review responses) and one “Dog Ate My Homework” pass to give you full
credit on one missed homework. To use these passes, you must be in class to present the pass to
me on the day the paper or homework is due (Make sure to sign and date the pass, in addition to
writing the missed assignment title).
You must give me the late essay at the beginning of the following class period after the original
due date or I will follow the late policy listed on the next page.
The late policy is as follows:
If you submit an essay late, first, your grade will be lowered by 2/3 of a letter grade for
each class late. Therefore, if you submit a B paper two days late, your grade would be a
C-. Also, you will not be allowed to revise any late essays for a better grade.
In-class writing assignments, homework, and Peer Review responses may not be submitted late.
Exceptions to this policy will be made in the case of extreme emergency and at my discretion. In
such a case it would be wise to contact the Emergency Dean at 217-333-0050 in order to provide
me with documentation; however, a letter from the Emergency Dean does not necessarily mean I
will make an exception.
Why is Peer Review such a big chunk of my grade?
“Every writer needs a reader.” Stephen North
Proficient writers know that their most valuable asset is a good reader. Among other things, a
good reader lets you know about the global issues, like organization, use of evidence, and where
your argument has veered from what you really wanted to say, along with advising you on the
smaller-order concerns like style, citation, and mechanics. A peer reviewer can offer solutions
that you haven’t thought of and highlight concerns that did not occur to you, the writer.
You will learn as much, or more, from critically and constructively reading your peers’ texts, as
you will from writing your own work.
Skipping out on Peer Review, giving sloppy or unhelpful commentary, or not reading your peers’
texts thoroughly and carefully is unacceptable.
What do kind of behavior do you expect in the classroom?
A writing classroom should be a kind of a sanctuary for writers. Together, we want to build a
classroom environment that’s conducive to genuine discussion: as such, it’s vital that you offer
respectful consideration to your peers’ ideas and feelings, even when you disagree with these
ideas and feelings.
Do not use your cell phone (this includes texting and using the internet) during class. Your cell
phone should be off and put away at all times. Ipods, MP3 players, laptops, etc., also should be
turned off and stowed.
Rule of thumb: If it’s electronic, I don’t want to see it out. That is, unless you’re planning on
giving said electronic device to me as a present.
Eating in class is fine as long as you bring enough for all of us.
What about plagiarism?
As writers and scholars, we are continually perfecting our craft of citation. While I recognize
citation is a continual learning process and we will be discussing citation this semester, it is
nonetheless your responsibility as a scholar to ensure that you know the citation standards and
have cited all sources effectively using the Modern Language Association’s citation guide.
The University of Illinois defines plagiarism as “representing the words or ideas of another as
one’s own in any academic endeavor.” If you fail to properly document sources, represent the
work of another author as your own, or act in a similarly dishonest way, your work will be
considered plagiarism and is subject to severe penalties under University policies.
What if I need disability accommodations?
If you would benefit from any disability-related accommodations or assistance in the classroom,
come speak with me. I will help you in any way I can. You may come to my office hours or
email me to set up an appointment. I also urge you to contact the Department of Rehabilitation
Education Services (DRES) at 217-333-4503.
What if I am an athlete that travels this semester?
Athletes who are traveling for athletic events this semester should request to meet with me
during office hours as soon as possible to work out any make-up assignments. Make sure you
bring the proper documentation with you (i.e. forms from the athletic department that include
travel days, etc.) to this meeting.
How do I submit work?
In general, all essays and homework will be submitted to me in typed hard-copy (MLA
formatting) at the beginning of the class period in which it is due. Unless otherwise indicated
(either in the course schedule or verbally) you will also turn in Peer Review responses in hardcopy. However, some assignments may require submission through our Compass site.
Again, these exceptions will be indicated either in the course schedule or verbally.
How do I format my essays and homework assignments?
All of your work must be formatted according to MLA style (You will receive a style lesson on
this). Essays and homework assignments must be typed in Times New Roman 12-point font and
double-spaced; be sure include your name, my name, the course and section number, and date on
the upper left-hand side, a centered title, and your last name and page numbers in the upper right
header. Also, be sure to staple (in the left-hand corner) all work that is more than one page. This
means your papers should something like this:
*Papers that are not formatted properly and do not have proper citation will automatically be
deducted 2/3 of a letter grade.
Respect your work! Format it properly!
Note: I want you to be successful in this course. If you are having difficulty outside of class or
are finding the material/workload overwhelming, be pro-active and come and talk to me.
Together, we can work out a plan or talk about ways for you to be successful.
Name, Email, and Phone Number of Two Classmates
1)
2)
No Excuses Needed
Good for a one-class period extension on Any Essay
*In order to use this pass, you must be present in class when the paper is due and hand this pass
to me instead of the paper.
Name:
Essay:
Date:
Dog Ate My Homework
Good for full credit on a missed homework assignment
*In order to use this pass, you must be present in class when the homework is due and hand this
pass to me instead of the homework.
Name:
Homework Assignment:
Date: