Lynch-Biniek, Syllabus 1
Kutztown University
English 025: Honors College Composition
Fall 2006
Professor:
Office:
Phone:
Email:
Web:
Office hours:
Amy Lynch-Biniek
Lytle 130B
610.683.4629 (off-campus) 3-4629 (on campus)
lynchbin@kutztown.edu
http://faculty.kutztown.edu/lynchbin
Monday 2pm—3pm
Tuesday 10am—11 am and 1pm—3pm
Wednesday 2pm—3pm
Thursday by appointment
Friday 2pm—3pm
Course overview:
My view of composing
In his book Writing Relationships, Lad Tobin writes, “But writing for an editor—like
writing for a teacher—is not just about being happy with our own texts; it’s also about
power and authority, identification and resistance, negotiation and compromise” (7). In
other words, Tobin believes that writing never happens in a vacuum, unaffected by the
community in which it is written. When we write, we do so from varying positions of
power, desire, and motivation. Writing is contextual—how it is produced, interpreted,
and judged depends largely on the circumstances of the writer, the audience, and the
society in which they all find themselves. This isn’t a huge leap. Consider that you likely
would not write a note to your grandmother using the same tone, style, or vocabulary as
you would compose an email to an old friend, a letter to an employer, or a paper for a
professor.
Moreover, Tobin alludes to the ways in which we shape language, as well as the ways
in which language shapes us. I am interested in exploring this relationship among our
writing, our readers, and our world.
Lastly, I believe that thinking and writing are closely linked. When we write, we put our
thoughts on paper so that we can reflect, criticize, and reshape them. Essentially, we
can do careful, close thinking about our thinking through writing.
This class
We will spend this semester reflecting on our writing processes, exploring the forces
that shape our beliefs about writing and ourselves. We will also examine the power we
have over language, as well as the power it has over us. To that end, we’ll be asking:
 How does our use of language identify us with varying groups of people?
 How do we alter our language use as we move from group to group?
 How do definitions of “good” and “bad” writing alter between contexts?
 How does our language use affect the ways we think, argue, and interpret
ourselves, each other, and the world?
Lynch-Biniek, Syllabus 2
While we all come from disparate language groups, we are now all academic writers as
well. Therefore, we’ll spend time reflecting on this community:
 What are the rules and forms of academic writing?
 Where did they come from? How do they affect my thinking and communicating?
 How can I negotiate them and incorporate them into my other ways of writing and
thinking?
Ultimately, we will practice the conventions of academic writing while at the same time
critiquing and challenging them.
In addition, I hope you will raise your own questions about writing and language for the
class to discuss and explore. Your interests and needs can shape the readings,
discussion and assignments. I will offer you opportunities to affect the direction of the
class, and you are welcome to discuss your interests with me at any time.
As this is an honors course, you will be expected to read more and at greater critical
depths. You will conduct independent research and analyze your findings. Moreover,
your writing assignments are longer and more demanding than non-honors sections of
my course.
Departmental Course Objectives:
A. Students will improve their abilities to communicate through written language.
B. Students will gain a fuller understanding of the natural composing process and
develop their abilities to manipulate
that process in an effective manner.
C. Students will learn to use writing as a means of discovery and learning as well as a
way of recording what has
been learned.
D. Students will learn a variety of invention techniques and procedures for effective
revision of their prose.
E. Students will gain a greater understanding of the English language as a linguistic
and social phenomenon.
F. Students will learn a variety of rhetorical strategies and techniques which they can
then apply in their writing.
G. Students will gain greater control over the grammar, syntax, and conventions of the
English language.
Required Textbook and Supplies:
 What’s Language Got to Do With It?, edited by Keith Walters and Michal Brody.
New York: W. W. Norton, 2005
 Access to a college writing handbook
 KU email account
 Notebook of any kind for in-class writing, group work, and notes
 A sturdy folder to keep all drafts and drafting letters
 In addition, you will be asked to make copies of readings from eReserve and of
some rough drafts to share with your classmates and me during in-class
workshops and conferences.
Lynch-Biniek, Syllabus 3
Assignments and Grading
Five major writing assignments will be workshopped and revised:
Writing autobiography (5-7 pages)
Analysis of discourse community (3-5 pages)
Rhetorical analysis of a text (3-5 pages)
Investigation of language and personal identity (3-4pages)
Research paper, student-generated topic (7-8 pages)
25%
10%
20%
10%
25%
In addition, you are responsible for these items:
Short writing assignments, in-class writing, workshops, group work, and instructor
conferences
10%
You will receive detailed assignment sheets for each writing assignment, and we will
spend class time discussing and workshopping them.
Each paper will be graded throughout the semester. However, with the exception of the
writing autobiography, papers may be revised and re-evaluated once during the
semester, with this secondary due-date indicated on the assignment sheets.
I use letter grades: A B C D F. Although KU does not report final grades using the
plus/minus system, I will use these designations to give you a better idea of your
performance.
General Guidelines for Papers:
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All papers must be word-processed and double-spaced. Use only Microsoft Word
or a knowingly compatible program that will not lose formatting. Do not use
Works or WordPad.
You may use MLA or APA format, but you must use one or the other correctly
and consistently.
Include the appropriate style heading on every paper (MLA or APA, including
your name, my name, the course and section number, the title, and the date you
are handing it in).
Number your pages according to MLA or APA style.
Save all papers in multiple locations. “Technical difficulties” will not be an
acceptable excuse.
You must turn in drafts on the due date in question in order to receive full credit. I
will grant extensions under some circumstances, but the reasons and terms must
be discussed with me prior to the due date in order to be granted. In other words,
you cannot ask for an extension on the day something is due or after the due
date has passed.
Lynch-Biniek, Syllabus 4

Late papers without extensions will be penalized; very late papers will not be
accepted. More specifically, without an approved extension, a paper handed in
one day late automatically loses one-half of a letter grade, e.g., an “A” becomes
a “B+”, and “B+” would become a “B.” After five days, I will no longer accept the
paper.
 You will use the Blackboard Digital Dropbox to submit all final drafts.
 In the unlikely event that Blackboard fails you, you may email me papers, but
you accept the risks of technical difficulties. If you choose to submit via email,
please follow these rules:
o Send your paper early in the day, and confirm with me in person that it
was sent and received.
o Check your email throughout the day for a confirmation email from me. If
you do not receive this email, then I did not receive your paper.
o Papers must be sent no later than 5pm; I check timestamps.
o Send your paper as an attachment—do not copy and paste it into the
body of the email.
When all electronic courses fail you….print a hardcopy and hand it to me!
Other notes on emailing the instructor
I welcome emails from students. Moreover, I try to be polite and respectful in my
electronic discussions. So, I expect the same from students. To begin, consider the
time. I generally don’t check mail after 5pm at night. Therefore, if you send me a
question at 9pm, don’t be surprised when you don’t receive a response until the next
day. Moreover, remember that I have a lot of students, and I may need my memory
jogged. Instead of writing, “What did you think if my last paper?” consider writing, “What
did you think of the intro we discussed in my paper on code-switching?” Remember to
identify yourself fully in the message. I might not know who you are simply from your
email address, so sign your name. Finally, email is great for short exchanges, or longer
ones when the writers live very far apart. As we will see each other regularly, though,
use email for brief exchanges and quick questions. I hope you’ll come and talk to me in
my office if you’d like to have lengthier or more in-depth conversation. Visit and write
and much as you like!
Class policies
Attendance at every class is expected. Absence is not an excuse for late or incomplete
work. Moreover, you cannot make up classwork missed due to absence. If you are
absent please consult a classmate or the course website or visit me in my office hours
to discover what you missed.
Participation is important to this course. I don’t lecture, so we all need to pull our
weight and participate by being active in small group work, workshops, and class
discussions. Make your voice heard!
Sharing rough drafts makes many people nervous. Know that we are all feeling this
way; insecurity is a part of even the professional writer’s process! Sharing your drafts is
mandatory, but if we respect and aim to help each other, it will be less painful than you
think.
Lynch-Biniek, Syllabus 5
As active reading is a crucial skill in this class, we will discuss strategies to improve the
way you approach texts. All readings are mandatory, as they will be the basis for much
group work, class discussions, and some papers.
Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty
We will discuss the meaning of plagiarism in class. However, you should take the time
to review the University’s Academic Dishonesty Policy at:
http://www.kutztown.edu/divisions/studentservices/departments/dsscl/acadhonesty/
I take plagiarism very seriously. Plagiarizing the whole or a significant part of an
assignment will result in failure of the paper or the course, depending on the severity of
the infraction. Be aware, as well, that the university subscribes to anti-plagiarism
services that search the Internet for sources of suspected plagiarism.
Students with Special Needs
If you have any special needs including physical or mental disabilities, please let me
know and contact the Disabilities Services located in the Office of Human Diversity,
Room 115 in the Stratton Administration Building. We will make any necessary
accommodations. To get further info about Disability services, visit their website at:
http://www.kutztown.edu/admin/humandiversity/disabilityservices/
University Writing Center
Take advantage of the excellent services of the UWC, located in Old Main.
Open hours are M-F 8am—4pm and MW 7pm—9pm.
Course Calendar
I have left some of the calendar TBA to allow for flexibility in scheduling and assignments. Please refer to
the course website for the latest calendar information.
Week one
Conversations on Writing
Wednesday 8/30
Syllabus review; Introductions: what’s in a name?
Friday 9/1
Introduction to composition: Defining “good” writing; writing conventions and contexts;
grading and subjectivity; plagiarism.
Review Assignment: Writing autobiography
Week two
Monday, 9/4 Labor Day—no class!
Tuesday, 9/5 Follow Monday Schedule
Lynch-Biniek, Syllabus 6
Reading due: “Metaphors We Read By” and “Human Nature: Thinking as a Hobby” (on
eReserve)
For writing and discussion: Active reading; critical thinking; function of the essay
Wednesday 9/6
Readings due: Foreword and Introduction in WLGTDWI?
For writing and discussion: discussion questions (handout)
Friday, 9/8
Review Assignment: Writing autobiography
For writing and discussion: Foreword and Introduction
Week three
Discourse Communities
Monday, 9/11
Review Assignment: Analysis of discourse community
For writing and discussion: What is a discourse community? What is academic
discourse? Consciously choosing a discourse.
Wednesday, 9/13
Readings due: Chpt 2: “Period Styles: A Punctuated History”; Chpt 3: “The New
Technologies of the Word”; “I Think, Therefore IM”
Friday, 9/15
Readings due: Chpt 4: “Why and When We Speak Spanish in Public”; “I’ve Never Made
Love in Spanish Before”; “The Hows and Whys of “Spanglish”
Week four
Note: Conferencing all week!
Monday, 9/18
Readings due: Chpt 5: “Suite for Ebony and Phonics”; “Nobody Mean More to Me Than
You”
Wednesday, 9/20
Workshop: Draft 1 of Analysis of discourse community
Friday, 9/22
Workshop Continues
Week five
Monday, 9/25
Workshop continues
Wednesday, 9/27
How do words shape reality?
Paper due: Analysis of Discourse community
Assignment review: Rhetorical Analysis
Lynch-Biniek, Syllabus 7
Readings due: Chpt 1: “Fighting for Our Lives” and “Debate? Dissent? Discussion? Oh,
Don’t Go There”
Friday, 9/29
Readings due: Chpt 1: “In the Mideast This Year, Even Words Shoot to Kill”
Read and bring in a newspaper or news magazine article regarding the current state of
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Week six
Monday, 10/2
Readings due Chpt one: “You Say “Hispanic, I Say Latino”; see website for additional
on-line readings
For writing discussion: Stereotypes, names, and labels (Lee)
Wednesday, 10/4
Readings due: Chpt 6: “The Return of Girl” and “Sexist Pronouns and Usage Guides”
For discussion: Analyzing a text
Friday, 10/6
Guest Speaker TBA
Week seven
Note: Conferencing all week!
Monday, 10/9 Columbus Day—no class!
Tuesday, 10/10 Follow Monday Schedule
Analyzing a text
Wednesday, 10/11
Workshop: Draft one of rhetorical analysis
Friday, 10/13
Readings: TBA
Language and Personal Identity
Week eight
Monday, 10/16
Wednesday, 10/18
Friday, 10/20
Paper due: Rhetorical analysis
Week nine
Monday, 10/23
Wednesday, 10/25
Lynch-Biniek, Syllabus 8
Friday, 10/27
Week ten
The Research Paper
Monday, 10/30
Wednesday, 11/1
Friday, 11/3
Week eleven
The research paper
Monday, 11/6
Wednesday, 11/8
Friday, 11/10
Week twelve Workshop: Research paper
Monday, 11/13
Wednesday. 11/ 15
Friday, 11/17
Week thirteen
Monday, 11/20
Paper due: Research paper
For discussion: reflecting on the process of writing a research paper
Wednesday, 11/22 Thanksgiving Recess—no class!
Friday, 11/24 Thanksgiving Recess—no class!
Week fourteen
TBA
Monday, 11/27
Wednesday, 11/29
Friday, 12/1
Workshop: Writing Autobiography
Week fifteen
Monday, 12/4
Workshop: Writing Autobiography
Wednesday, 12/6
Class reading
Lynch-Biniek, Syllabus 9
Friday, 12/8
Class reading
Paper due: Final draft of Writing Autobiography.