English 104: Introduction to Rhetoric and Composition II
Instructor: Erika Sparby
Office address:
Section: G33
Meeting time and place:
Course URL: http://webcourses.niu.edu
Spring 2015
E-mail:
Office hours:
Course Description: This course involves writing and revising argumentative and analytical essays accompanied by the critical
reading of various forms of writing. In this course, you will:
 Practice college-level research and argumentation in several writing tasks
 Engage in active critical reading and questioning
 Enhance library and electronic research skills
 Practice working in a team setting
Course Requirements: Writing is a skill that develops with practice. Consequently, this will be a workshop course where we
will write often. The course also assumes that your final revised essays will observe the conventions of grammar, spelling, and
punctuation of written academic American English. If you need extra support with these conventions, there are many resources
available to you.
Required Texts: Pearson Writer (access code available in Bookstore or online)
Homework Submission: All homework is submitted in electronic form. I will not accept hard copy submission unless
otherwise noted or if arrangements are made prior to the due date. All writing assignments must be correctly uploaded to
Blackboard in the proper format on or before the due date, as indicated on the schedule below. You are responsible for any
technical difficulties, so plan ahead. All assignments, unless otherwise specified, must be in 12-point Times New Roman font,
double-spaced, with 1” margins. Documents must be saved in Word (.doc or .docx) format.
Late work is accepted, but you will lose 10 points if it is more than five minutes late, and 10 more points for each additional day
it is late. For example, if something is due at 3:30pm on Monday, but you do not turn it in until Wednesday, you lose 20 points.
Grading Scale: All First Year Composition Courses have implemented the +/- grading scale as follows:
A 93-100
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 70-76
D 60-69
F 59 and below
A grade of C or better is required for core competency.
Attendance and Participation: Your attendance and punctuality in class and lab are required. If you are ill or have a personal
emergency, you are responsible for notifying me and making up the work. Habitual tardiness will affect your course grade,
unexcused absences will negatively affect your grade, and six or more unexcused absences will result in automatic failure for
the course. If you arrive to class after more than half of it (35+ minutes) has passed, it will count as an unexcused absence.
When possible, notify me BEFORE an absence occurs. Medical documentation may be required in the case of extended illness.
In addition, your grade will reflect your attitude, preparation for class, attention, and contributions to oral and electronic class
discussions and activities. Respect toward your instructor and your classmates is expected at all times.
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Evaluation: There are a total of 1400 points, which will be distributed as follows:
Attendance/Participation (100 points): See above for more information.
Expertise Essay (50 points)
A 250-500 word essay that describes your expertise. This will help you find a topic for your final research paper. For
example, if you are an expert in childcare you might write your research paper about an issue relating to child development.
Citation Style Sheet (60 points):
You will need to find out what citation style is predominantly used in your area of interest (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.). You
will then write out and turn in several examples of citations, both in-text and on the references page.
Source Response Papers (90 points total, 45 points per response paper)
You will find, read, and respond to articles from academic journals, both to become more familiar with academic writing as a
genre and to find potential sources for your research paper. You will be turning in two 500-word reports total.
Source Conversation (150 points)
A 1000+ word essay which introduces a topic and discusses several possible stances on that topic (for, against, neither for nor
against, etc.). You will evaluate the credibility and usefulness of the sources as well. You will, of course, need to cite your
sources with in-text citations and a references page that follows the conventions of your area of interest.
Collaborative Research Proposal (400 points total)
The group research proposal asks you to work in groups of three or four (preferably of a wide range of majors) in order to
propose a solution to a problem you perceive on NIU’s campus. There will be multiple parts.
 Preliminary Proposal – 50 pts
 Finished research proposal – 200 pts
 Showcase presentation – 150 pts
Individual Research Project (400 points total)
The research project is a documented, persuasive essay with multiple drafts. You will take a stance on a topic and defend it
while also refuting the opposing stance(s).
 Thesis Statement and Outline – 100 pts
 Research Paper Draft – 100 pts
 Research Paper Final – 200 pts
Electronic Portfolio (150 points total)
The electronic portfolio (ePortfolio) assignment is a web-based project that reflects on your progress over the course of
FYComp:
 Upload all assignments and reflections from this course – 50 pts
 Upload a detailed reflection of your entire first-year composition experience – 50 pts
 Upload a research visual and explanation – 50 pts
You are required to turn in the ePortfolio in order to pass the course.
Extra Credit: There will be very few (if any) opportunities for extra credit available, so be sure to complete all assignments
and earn as many points as you can.
Conferences: We will have two scheduled conferences during the semester as you are revising your papers. However, you
should feel free to drop in any time during office hours or make an appointment to discuss the course and your writing.
Writing Center: The Writing Center in Stevenson Towers South, Lower Level is a resource for improving your written
work. Contact the tutors and schedule appointments by walking in, by calling 753-6636, or by going to the website at:
http://uwc.niu.edu/.
Computer-Mediated Composition: This class will meet in a computer lab once a week. Remember to back up your files in
more than one place to prevent inconvenience or even disaster. You should have activated your computer LOGIN ID
(z######), your password, and your e-mail account last semester. If not, please do so immediately. You will need to access
BlackBoard as well.
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Programmatic Assessment: Occasionally, some student work may be used anonymously for program assessment at the end of
the semester. If you wish that your work not be used for program assessment, please inform me in writing as soon as possible.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: If you have a disability or any other special circumstance that may affect
your work and for which you may require accommodation, please tell me as soon as possible. The NIU Disability Resource
Center (on the 4th floor of University Health Services, 753-1303), is the designated office on campus that provides services and
accommodations for students with diagnosed disabilities. You need to provide documentation of your disability to that office.
Plagiarism Statement: For the purposes of this class, we’ll be using the Writing Program Administration’s (WPA) definition
of plagiarism: “In an instructional setting, plagiarism occurs when a writer deliberately uses someone else’s language, ideas, or
other original (not common-knowledge) material without acknowledging its source.” If your assignment contains plagiarized
material, you will be notified. The assignment will be considered incomplete until you properly reference/cite all sources. The
first time this happens, you have the option of meeting with me to discuss the matter. If it occurs again, you will fail the
assignment and will be required to meet with me.
Become an English Major! If you enjoy this class and find it useful, please consider taking additional English classes and/or
signing up for the major or minor in English. For additional information about these options, please contact
askenglish@niu.edu or come visit us in Reavis 216!
Schedule of Activities: Subject to change
PW: Pearson Writer – – CC: Core Concept
Week
Reading Assignments
Project Deadlines
Week 1
1/12-1/14
Week 2
1/21
Week 3
1/26-1/28
Week 4
2/2-2/4
Week 5
2/9-2/11
Week 6
2/16-2/18
Week 7
2/23-2/25
Week 8
3/2-3/4
3/9-3/11
PW: “Disciplines”; “Subject” CC; “Invention” CC; “What
documentation styles are used in college papers?”
NO CLASS MONDAY! PW: “What is Plagiarism?” CC
PW or PurdueOWL: Style section of your choice
LIBRARY VISIT MONDAY! PW: “Kinds of Sources” CC;
“Book Sources” CC; “Magazines and Journals” CC
PW: “Evaluating Print Sources” CC; “Evaluating Websites and
Online Sources” CC
PW: “Developing a Thesis”; “Integrating Sources” CC; “Using
Quotations from Sources” CC; “Blending Sources” CC
PW: “Drafting” CC; “Peer Review” CC; “Global Revision” CC;
“Local Revision” CC
CONFERENCES
DUE Wed: Expertise Essay
PW: “Finding a Research Topic” CC; “How Do You Effectively
Address Other Viewpoints?”; “Sample Proposal”
SPRING BREAK: NO CLASS! 
DUE Mon: Source Convo Final
DUE Fri: Preliminary Collab Proposal
Week 9
3/16-3/18
Week 10
3/23-3/25
Week 11
3/30-4/1
Week 12
4/6-4/9
Week 13
4/13-4/15
Week 14
4/20-4/23
Week 15
4/27-4/29
Week 16
5/4
PW: “Argument Essays” CC; “Structuring an Argument” CC;
“Visual Arguments” CC
CONFERENCES
DUE Fri 1/23: Citation Style Sheet
DUE Fri 1/30: Source Response #1
DUE Wed: Source Response #2
DUE Wed: Source Convo Draft
DUE Sun 2/22: Source Convo Draft
DUE Fri: Collaborative Research Proposal
DUE Wed: Classroom Showcase
Showcase of Student Research: HSC Duke Ellington at 3:30pm
CONFERENCES
PW: “How to Write Research Papers” CC; “Writing a Thesis
Statement” CC; “Drafting Research Papers” CC
PW: “Revising Research Papers” CC
DUE: Research Paper Thesis Statement
and Outline
DUE Wed: Research Paper Draft
PW: “Reflections” CC
DUE Fri: Reflection
FINAL: Monday, Computer Lab, 4-5:50
ePortfolio and Last Ditch Revision due
DUE Mon 5/4 at 11:59pm: ePortfolio and
Last Ditch Revision
DUE Fri: Research Paper Final
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