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University Writing Programs
UWRT 1102 Section 007
Fall 2014
Professor Justin Cary
Email: jcary1@uncc.edu
Twitter: @justinrcary
Class Meeting Time: Monday/Wednesday 11:00am-12:15pm, Cameron 157
Office: Cameron 145C, Phone: 704-687-1920
Office Hours: Monday/Wednesday: 10:00am-11:00am, 1:30-3:00pm
Tuesday/Thursday: 10:00am-12:00pm, 1:30-3:00pm,
UWRT 1102 Course Overview
As writers in an academic community we are constantly engaged in research, writing and
discourse. Writing is not a learned set of conventions but instead a situated, social act that
employs a wide variety of forms. You were first exposed to this idea in UWRT 1101 when you
created the groundwork for your understanding of what it means to argue, to use research to
support your arguments and to function within a rhetorical framework with your writing. UWRT
1102 will help to hone these skills, continue to encourage you to write in an academic community
and context, and promotes the process and situation of writing. To this end, a major focus of
UWRT 1102 is the Extended Inquiry Project or EIP. This project will help you understand that
writing is a situated, social experience and your goals as a writer can be supported, in any situation,
by your work as a writer. Writing is about the forming; not necessarily the form.
One of the most important concepts to understand moving into UWRT 1102 is the
concept of a writing portfolio. As a writer, you are constantly working, evolving and growing. A
writing portfolio is a tool that will not only help you to improve your writing skills but allow you the
space to reflect, comment, observe, and interact with the writing you have produced. A great
emphasis will be placed on creating a compelling writing portfolio all semester long. This portfolio
will aim to accomplish the following goals:
-Chronicle your writing, research and reflection as a writer as you engage in a semester long
inquiry project.
-Offer insightful reflection and observations about your writing in order to create a discourse
about the importance of the research you are doing and how that research fits into a broader
academic context.
-Engage in a semester long inquiry process in order to immerse yourself in a topic or topics,
investigate avenues of thought and research on this topic, coalesce information about this topic,
and publish your work.
-Become a shared artifact which you can show to your colleagues and friends, encouraging them
to participate in your writing.
Course Focus
All semester long you will be engaged in an Extended Inquiry Project, or EIP. This project
will be of your own design and will consist of inquiry questions, essays, research, visual media and
rhetoric and multi-modal writing. During the first few weeks of the course, we will be exploring a
different social justice related topic each day in class. This will be a fast paced overview and
immersion in these topics and we will be asking questions and reading material on these
topics. The goal here is to expose you to as many diverse topics as possible in order to give you
ample material from which to begin building inquiry questions. Through this examination of social
justice issues as our primary focus of inquiry, we will aim to produce writing and research that is
both relevant and important to each individual writer as well as create a safe space to discuss real
issues faced every day by diverse populations. We will be spending a great deal of our class time
discussing reading assignments, writing about different topics, engaging in an argumentative
discourse together and engaging in the EIP. Through all of this writing, discussion and research,
three main points of focus will be stressed:
1). Developing Core Writing Skills
-We will work together to practice and hone those skills that make writers and the writing
they produce so powerful. A few of these skills include: argumentative rhetoric, understanding
writing in different contexts, communication fluency, multi-modal writing, digital literacy, tone,
style, voice and mechanics.
2). Embracing Technology
-Everything we do in this course will involve technology in a practical and beneficial
manner. From the use of Facebook to Infographics, websites, online journals and more, we will
use technology to enhance our abilities as writers.
3). Becoming a Live Writer
-As a benefit of technology, writing is no longer forced to be confined to a
classroom. Many of our projects will be shared, uploaded, posted and seen by a wide audience in
order to emphasize the idea that anyone can be a writer. Offering your writing to a real audience
will help to create a discourse and give each writer an opportunity to understand the great
responsibility that comes with publishing work.
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UNCC Course Description
UWRT 1102. Writing and Inquiry in Academic Contexts II. (3)
Prerequisite: UWRT 1101.
In UWRT 1102, students develop an extended inquiry project that integrates materials from varied
sources and includes writing in multiple genres. Students write, revise, edit and reflect on their
writing with the support of the teacher and peers. Students also immerse themselves in a
conversation about a topic through reading, questioning, and process writing. Polished writing
might assume the forms of presentations, reviews of research, essayistic arguments, or multimedia and web-based projects. Students learn to distinguish rhetorical contexts, practice different
conventions, and develop positions in relation to research. They also adopt digital technologies to
network, compose, and/or critique and disseminate their work. Grades are derived primarily from
portfolios that include work generated throughout the term.
Required Text
There is no required textbook to purchase for this course. All of our readings will come from online
sources and can be found in our class Moodle page. From time to time, readings will be posted in
our Google+ community.
Electronic Devices Policy
Please be sure to TURN ON your cell phone when class begins and be sure it is readily
available. Phones can be valuable classroom tools if used in the right way; if you want to look
something up to add to our class discussion, share a relevant video via our class Moodle page, or
even take a Selfie and Tweet it for the class to see, please feel free to use your cell phone. You
may also use your phone for note taking, live Tweeting of questions/relevant information during
class, posting, sharing, etc. If you need to take a call, just step outside and return when you
can. Please be aware of the students around you; if you are disrupting another student, you may
be asked to put away your device.
Digital Policy
Everything you do in this course will be done via a computer and all work will be digital. You will
never need to print anything and I will never hand you out a piece of paper. It is highly
recommended that you have a laptop, tablet or at least a mobile device in class on a daily basis in
order to facilitate the online writing and work we will do. Major projects, drafts and assignments
will be submitted via Moodle.
Social Media
From time to time through the semester, we will use social media for various activities. Sites such
as Twitter, Vine, Instagram and FourSquare will be in the mix. You may be asked to create
accounts for some of these sites.
Professor Cary's Social Media Presence:
Twitter: @jcary1uncc
Instagram: justin_r_cary
Vine: Justin Cary
YouTube: Justin R Cary
Google+: Justinrcary
Attendance Policy
My expectations of you for this course is that you will attend each and every class
meeting. However, I know that sometimes life issues or other obstacles come up which will
prevent you from attending. I do my best to post work, discussions and information in Moodle
so that if you have to miss a class you will not be left behind. This does not, however, mean
that you simply don’t have to attend class. Points will not be subtracted or added for
attendance but I can guarantee that I will never waste your time during class; each meeting will
be full of important, engaging and exciting learning opportunities so my hope is that you will
want to attend regularly. I will take attendance during every meeting; usually I will not do this
out loud and I will simply mark down those attending while we are working. You are allowed to
miss no more than 3 classes during the semester. Every absences after 3 will result in the loss
of 10 points (one letter grade) from your final course grade. This policy will be strictly
enforced.
Revision and Late Work Policy
No work will be accepted past the due date. This policy will be strictly enforced. If you do not
turn in an assignment on the day that it is due, this assignment will earn the grade of F. If you
do not turn in a major project, at least in part, on the due date you will not be eligible to
submit this project in your final portfolio. This prevents someone from turning in no work but
still submitting everything in the portfolio at the end. Each of your major essays and projects
are only worth five percent of your total course grade. The reason for this is because you will
have all semester long to rework, revise and improve your projects for submission in your final
writing portfolio which is worth 70% of your final course grade. For example; let’s say you turn
in project 1 and you earn a C. That C sticks with you; you won’t be able to change that
grade. But, you can and should keep working on that essay, tweaking it, revising it, etc. so that
when you turn that project in again for your portfolio, it is A quality. Then, that project will
drastically help to earn you the grade that you want on your portfolio which is worth 70%. The
idea here is to encourage you to turn in your work on time but lower the grade stakes so you
don’t feel such pressure for major assignments while at the same time giving you all semester
long to work and revise your writing.
that is good that we have the chance to correct our work and get a better grade on the portfolio
that is has a high percentage of our grade.
Grading Policy
Each major assignment is worth a very small percentage of your final course grade. Your final
writing portfolio is worth a very large percentage of the final grade. This helps to encourage you
to work hard on the major projects and continue revising them so they are in the best possible
form when you put them into your portfolio.
The Major Projects (Each Project is a part of the Extended Inquiry Project)
Project 1: Inquiry Proposal (Questioning, Discussion and Pre-Writing) 5%
Project 2: Storify Essay: Using social media for Inquiry (Hybrid Essay and Inquiry) 5%
Project 3: Infographic Argument Essay (Visual Argument and Rhetoric) 5%
Project 4: Inquiry Road Map Essay (Research Collection, Planning, Drafting) 5%
Project 5: Extended Inquiry Project (Multi-modal) 5%
Final Writing Portfolio: 70%
Semester Long Writing Work: 5%
Reflective Letters (One at the beginning, middle and end of the course)
Daily Posts to your Writing Journal and/or Writing Portfolio
Participation in Class Moodle Group discussions
Grading Rubric
“A” Quality Work
“A” quality work goes above and beyond the assignment given. This work is deep and thoughtful
with a great deal of discussion, analysis and thought on the topics at hand. The “A” quality
assignment has no errors or logical flaws and the writing is stylish, polished and extremely well
written. If required, this work has MLA style in-text citations with no errors in style and a
comprehensive works cited page. In addition to meeting the requirements of the assignment, the
“A” work contains all parts of the process approach and offers something more. This writing has a
clear thesis, strong transition statements and makes excellent use of source material and
quotes. This work does not veer off topic or include information not pertinent to the topic. This
work is turned in on time and is relevant, quality writing.
“B” Quality Work
“B” quality work satisfies all the requirements of the assignment. The writing is good and offers
adequate discussion, thought and depth although the writer could do more of these things. If
required, MLA style is present but is used only sparsely and the writing suffers from lack of enough
source material and/or quotes. “B” quality work lacks the level of polish seen in “A” quality work
and contains some mistakes. The style is of the writing is good but not as unique and interesting
as the “A” work. Transition statements, thesis statement and other writing components are
present but not as well done as the “A” work. If any process work is missing, the assignment
automatically falls in the “B” quality category.
“C” Quality Work
“C” quality work satisfies only some of the assignment requirements. The writing is legible and
makes sense, but this work lacks any real depth of discussion or original thinking. If required, MLA
style is lacking and perhaps not present at all. If the paper uses no source material or quotes, it
automatically falls into the “C” category. Several writing elements are missing such as transitions
or strong thesis statements. Process work is not present.
“D” Quality Work
“D” quality work does not satisfy the assignment requirements. The writing is illogical or does not
make sense. “D” quality work also encompasses work that is thrown together at the last
minute. MLA style is missing and the work makes no use of source material.
“F” Quality Work
“F” quality work occurs only when nothing is turned in at all.
Electronic Resources
Academic Advising: http://www.advising.uncc.edu
This is where you find out about what courses to take and when to register.
Campus Computer Labs: http://www.labs.uncc.edu/
This is where you can find out about where to find campus computer labs.
Code of Student Academic Integrity and Plagiarism: http://www.legal.uncc.edu/policies/ps105.html
This is where you can read about the university code of integrity and plagiarism.
Counseling Center: http://counselingcenter.uncc.edu/
This is where to if you’re having issues of any type that are too big to handle alone.
Disability Services: http://www.ds.uncc.edu
This is where to go for assistance with a learning of physical disability.
Exam Schedule: http://www.registrat.uncc.edu/caldenars/exam.html
This is where to find out your final exam schedule for all your classes.
Grammar Issues: http://www.owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
This is where to go to get answers to grammar, documentation, and other questions.
Writing Resource Center: http://www.wrc.uncc.edu
This is where to go to make an appointment for a tutor or for one-on-one help with your writing.
General Policies
Email Policy. Email me whenever you would like, day or night. I will do my best to respond
promptly.
Keep everything; back up your work. We will be using some great apps such as Evernote and
Google Drive so please use these amazing tools to back up your work and you will never have to
worry about losing anything ever again!
Plagiarism. Because your writing should always reflect your own efforts and ideas, you must turn
in original work. Essays written for previous classes are not acceptable. Plagiarism, cheating, and
other forms of academic dishonesty are not tolerated. If I believe academic dishonesty of any
kind is occurring in the class the proper procedures will be followed and the process of truth
seeking regarding the infraction will be initiated. Please don’t hesitate to contact me anytime if
you have questions about plagiarism or anything related to it; I will always help guide you away
from this potentially dangerous path.
Course Withdrawal Policy (new and updated). Beginning this semester, a cap has been placed on
the total number of times a student is permitted to withdraw from a course. This cap is in the
form of credit hours. You are permitted to withdraw from a total of 16 credit hours total during
your tenure at UNCC. So, for example, if you were to withdraw from this course, that would count
as 3 credit hours toward the 16. The deadline for this is the 9th week of classes. I will do by
absolute best to ensure your success in this course and we will work diligently together to make
sure that you do not feel you need to withdraw.
Classroom Management Policies
Classroom Behaviour. Please be respectful and courteous to your colleagues and your
instructor. I will do my absolute best to create a safe, fun and dynamic classroom environment
but I need your help with this as well. Any sort of negative, hurtful, or disparaging comment will
addressed you will be asked to refrain from making these types of comments in the future. Please
allow your colleagues the space to share their thoughts and opinions and always be sure to respect
what someone else has to say. Do your best to arrive on time and stay the entire class period.
Class Discussion. Exercising our right of free speech brings with it responsibilities. Everyone has
the right to his or her opinion. However, I will not tolerate racist, sexist, demeaning, or otherwise
divisive comments in this class. If you are unable to refrain from making inappropriate remarks
you will be dismissed from the class.
Writing Teams. During the first week of class, you will be assigned to a writing team based on
feedback you provide via an in class survey. This writing team will be support group for you all
semester long; your team back be your biggest group of allies. We will do some team based, in
class assignments and you should get to know your team well as you work with them all semester.
Students with Disabilities. If you have a disability that qualifies you for academic accommodations,
please provide a letter of accommodation from Disability Services in the beginning of the semester.
For more information regarding accommodations, please contact the Office of Disability Services
at 704-687-0040 or stop by their office in Fretwell 230.
Academic Integrity
All students are required to read and abide by the Code of Student Academic Integrity. Violations
of the Code of Student Academic Integrity, including plagiarism, will result in disciplinary action as
provided in the Code. Definitions and examples of plagiarism are set forth in the Code. The Code is
available from the Dean of Students Office or online. Faculty may ask students to produce
identification at examinations and may require students to demonstrate that graded assignments
completed outside of class are their own work.
UNC-Charlotte University Writing Programs Department Statement on Diversity
The University Writing Program strives to create an academic climate that respects people of
varied cultural backgrounds and life experiences. As a community of scholars and teachers who
study language, literature, and writing, we are committed to nurturing intellectual and aesthetic
diversity. In all our activities, we invite participation by diverse groups, include, but not limited to,
those who define themselves in the following terms: race and ethnicity; gender; political
orientation; sexual orientation; special health needs; age; religion; country of origin; and socioeconomic status. Finally, by fostering multiple perspectives in our coursework, we can help our
students prepare to participate in our increasingly diverse society, as well as in the global
community.
Religious Observances
The UNC system allows students with a minimum of two excused absences each academic year for
religious observances required by the faith of a student. If you have days you will miss this
semester due to religious observances, please let me know those dates early in the semester, in
writing, so that those absences will not count as part of regularly missed days. The form to submit
can be found here.
Schedule of Events
Unit 1: What is Social Justice, Inquiry and Literacy?
-8/18: Day 1 Activity, What is Inquiry, and take Writing Teams Survey
-Opening Reflection Letter
-8/20: Social Justice Topic: Gender Equality
Project 1 Assigned, Reading: The Gender Battlefield in 2013: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
-8/25: Social Justice Topic: Racism and “The War on Drugs”
Reading: “The War on Drugs”
In class writing, working with inquiry questions, how to ask important questions.
-8/27: Social Justice Topic: Politics, Satire and Media
Reading: “Lighten Up”
-9/1: Project 1 Due, Writing Workshop
Unit 2: Social Media, Digital Writing and Research
-9/3: Social Justice Topic: Social Media and Politics “How Obama Tapped into Social Network’s
Power”
-9/8: Project 2 Assigned Today; Storify Project.
-9/10: Social Justice Topic: “Music, Social Justice and Social Media”
Reading: “People Get Ready”, “UN Free and Equal” Website
-9/15: Project 2 Due Today: Storify Essay, writing workshop in class
Unit 3: Civil Rights Through the Ages
-9/17: Social Justice Topic: LGBTQ Rights and Equality
Reading: “Gay is the New Black”
-9/22: Social Justice Topic:
Reading: “Reconceptualizing Success for Underserved Students in Higher Education”
-9/24: Project 3 Assigned Today, Initial Writing, Inquiry and Planning
-9/29:
Unit 4: Modern Electronic Entertainment: Equality, Sexism, Violence, and Contemporary Play
-10/1:Inquiry into electronic entertainment as text, what can video games teach us, are they
sending bad signals?
-10/6: Reading: Tropes vs. Women in Video Games by Anita Sarkeesian. Video: "Damsel in
Distress, Part 1"
-Mid Term Reflection Letter
-10/8: Workshop
-10/13: Portfolio building
Unit 5: Taking Social Justice Into your own Hands
-10/20: Project 4 assigned today, "Inquiry Road Map" essay choosing a topic, finalizing your inquiry
project.
-10/22: Focus on research, locating specific sources for specific student created topics, Project 3
Due Today
-10/27: Writing workshop for project 4
-10/29: Focusing on observation and reflection; where are you now with your EIP, where do you
plan to go from here? Discussions of multimedia and multi-modal arguments.
Unit 6: Extended Inquiry Project, Style, Mechanics and Growth as a Writer
-11/3: Drafting final research papers, incorporating sources. Project 5 Assigned today, Final
Research Paper and Multi-Modal Project.
-11/5: Working with different mediums of argument; video, social media, Facebook, etc. Project 4
due today.
-11/10: Writing Workshop for EIP
-11/12: Writing Workshop for EIP
Unit 7: Publication, Portfolios, and Research Writing
-11/17: Final Writing Portfolio, working with more specific portfolio concepts.
-11/19: Reading for today: 22 Stunning Digital Portfolios,
-11/24: Student meetings.
-11/26 Final workshop for EIP research essay.
Unit 8: Final EIPs, Student Meetings, Presentations
-12/1: Final Reflection Letter
-12/3: Portfolio Workshop
Final Exam: Friday, December 12 11:00am-1:30pm, Final Portfolio Presentations
-Note: We will not have an administered final exam. Your final exam will consist of submitting and
briefly presenting your portfolio during the last few days of class. Therefore, we will not meet for
class on the scheduled final exam day and time.
NB: I reserve the right to amend, revise and update this syllabus at any point during the
semester.