English 101, “Writing & Research”
Course.Section
ENG101.82613
Meeting Schedule
Tues & Thu 2:00-3:15pm
Location
Hankin AAB 304
Gateway 139
Hankin AAB 304
Instructor
Erich Werner, PhD
E-mail (preferred)
erich.werner@sunywcc.edu
(I check email between
10 and 4 Mon-Thu and
will reply within 24
hours)
Section Description
English 101 will prepare you to do research at the college level. What is college
level research, you ask? Previously, you may have done research by gathering
information on a topic from a variety of sources. This is the “report” style of
research. In English 101, you will learn how to do research that does much more
than simply report. Here, you will learn how to do original research—research
that focuses on a specific question or problem that you (and your eventual
readers) find interesting and significant.
Here’s one example of the difference between report research and original
research. A student doing report research would gather a bunch of information
on the riots in Ferguson, Missouri—then type it up. In contrast, your original
research will ask a specific question like, “How did local police practices in
Ferguson contribute to tension in the community?” Your sources will still help
you gather information related to that question. However, your research will do
more than just repeat or compile that information. Instead, you will interpret or
digest the information, connecting and analyzing the info in your own original
way. In this way, your research will offer not more than just information; it will
also offer a unique perspective—one that readers cannot get from anyone else
but you!
Phone
(914)606-6161
Office
Hankin AAB 518
Office Hours
Mon, Tues, Wed, Thu
10-11am & 2-3pm
Course Description (from College Catalog)
“English 101 is a topics-based course that introduces students to the
fundamentals of academic writing. In this course, students read, write and
research about one or more topics. In College Research and Writing, the focus is
on the transference of fundamental essay concepts (introduction-bodyconclusion, thesis, topic sentences, logical progression of ideas in individual
paragraphs and the essay as a whole, etc.) to college-level analytical writing,
which includes use and integration of research.”
Course Outline for English 101, “Writing & Research”
Page 1
Learning Outcomes
By the end of “Writing and Research,” successful students will be able to...
Approach writing as a multistage process
● Use writing for inquiry, learning, thinking, and communicating
● Develop strategies for prewriting, composing, revising, editing, and proofreading (SUNY Basic
Communication 2)
Produce texts that present ideas effectively (SUNY Basic Communication 1)
● Focus on a controlling idea or question
● Support ideas with reasoning and evidence (SUNY Critical Thinking B, SUNY Basic
Communication 3)
● Summarize others’ ideas clearly, accurately, and thoroughly
● Integrate their own ideas with the ideas of others
● Synthesize others’ ideas into a conversation, identifying areas of agreement and disagreement
● Organize ideas to clarify a controlling idea or question (SUNY Basic Communication 3)
Engage in Research
● Develop and refine a research topic and question (SUNY Information Management, SUNY Basic
Communication B)
● Evaluate the credibility and reliability of sources
● Identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments in sources (SUNY Critical Thinking A)
● Document where information and ideas come from using a clear and consistent method
Required Texts and Materials
Buy or rent these immediately, from the bookstore
or online. Kindle and other e-books are fine, as
long as you can access your copy both inside and
outside of class.
 They Say, I Say by Gerald Graff and Cathy
Birkenstein. Second Edition. W.W.
Norton, publisher.
 The Craft of Research by Wayne C.
Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M.
Williams. Third Edition. University of
Chicago Press.
 A 3-ring binder where you can collect all
the entries from your Journal (described
under Projects, below), some of which will
be typed and others handwritten, etc.
 An active WCC e-mail address. I will send regular e-mails with important information about the class, our
schedule, etc.—and I will only send these to your WCC email address. You will be held responsible for
knowing this information, so if you don’t know how to login to your WCC email, contact the Help Desk
ASAP and get in the habit of checking this email account daily.
 Access to Blackboard. You must check Blackboard DAILY to learn about homework assignments,
submit your work, and generally stay in touch with me and with the course. Our Blackboard site is the
authoritative source for information about the course: what’s due, when it’s due, and so on. I often post
messages on Blackboard between class sessions here and you will be responsible for this information.
Course Outline for English 101, “Writing & Research”
Page 2
Projects & Point System
Project
Description
Points
Attendance &
Participation
We have thirty class sessions. Earn points for each session that you…
• attend in its entirety,
• complete all the outside preparation for,
• and fully participate in, putting effort into each and every class
activity.
If you are unprepared or not participating, or if you are arrive or leave
early, you will not earn points that day.
120
(4 points per class X
30 class sessions)
Journal
A collection of style exercises, thinking-on-paper, notes, and other
low-stakes writing exercise. I will assign entries throughout the
semester. Earn points for each entry you complete in full.
120
(4 points per entry X
30 entries)
Research Proposal
Articulate your tentative research question, its significance, and your
work plan. We will have a one-on-one conference to discuss your
proposal.
100
(50 points per
proposal X 2
proposals)
Annotated Bibliography
Research something you’re interested in. Bring together five different
perspectives on that topic from five other researchers. Discuss how
these 5 perspectives relate to one another.
200
(100 points per
bibliography X 2
bibliographies)
Research Article
Write an essay that makes a debatable claim, supports it with
reasoning and evidence, and engages with the claims of other
thinkers. Within your argument, engage with (summarize and
synthesize) five sources that tackle the same specific topic or
question, but which offer differing perspectives.
400
(200 points per
article X 2 articles)
Research Talk
Present your first research project to the class in the simple but
provocative style of a TED Talk.
50
Research Fair
Present your second research project to the class using a medium of
your choice, anything from a poster to a video to an interactive 3D
printed model.
50
Total points available
1040
Final Grade
Points
C
700+
A
900+
D
600+
B
800+
F
590 or below
Course Outline for English 101, “Writing & Research”
Page 3
Contract for English 101
To participate in English 101, I agree to…
(write your initials beside each item if you agree)
Attend class regularly—not missing more than a week’s worth of classes (in other words, no more
than 2 classes).
Arrive to class on time. I understand that arriving late is disruptive and that…
-Arriving up to 5 minutes late will cost me 2 course points--half of the Attendance & Participation
(A&P) points for that class session.
-I cannot enter class more than five minutes after class has started, and I will lose all A&P points
for that session.
Complete and submit writing tasks when they are due. I understand that late work will be penalized
by 10 points per day, and that no late work will be accepted more than a week after the due date.
Complete all journal entries on time and bring a copy of each journal entry to class on the day that
entry is due. I understand that I cannot earn points for attending class if I do not have my journal
entry completed and with me in class.
Be prepared for each and every class session. This means completing, and bringing with me to
class, all materials (journal entries, readings, drafts, etc.) that were involved in preparing for that
class session.
Bring to class any and all readings completed for that particular class session. If reading an
electronic copy, I agree to print out the reading--or selected passages that I believe are important.
Participate in all in-class exercises and activities. I understand that if I do not participate in class
activities, I will lose my attendance and participation points for that day.
Submit only my own original work and never plagiarize. I understand that plagiarism includes
submitting others’ work as my own. I understand that plagiarism also includes borrowing
information or ideas from others and failing to give credit--to acknowledge that they are borrowed,
and whom they are borrowed from. I understand that plagiarism is a serious academic offense and
that, if I plagiarize, I will fail the assignment and be reported to college administration.
Refrain from using electronic devices including phones, tablets, and computers, except when
instructed, or after seeking permission to use these for class purposes only. If I must use my device,
I agree to leave the classroom to do so: “take the call in the hall.”
On the lines below, please print your name, then sign and date. You will submit this signed contract to the
instructor, but do make a copy for your records.
_________________________________ (Print)
_________________________________ (Sign and date)
Course Outline for English 101, “Writing & Research”
Page 4
Calendar
Note that this is a “preview” of our schedule this semester, and will probably change. Blackboard is the
authoritative source for our schedule, and especially our class-by-class schedule. You must check our Blackboard
site to learn what you need to do for each upcoming class session.
Week
Week
of…
1
9/1
Introductions.
2
9/8
What is research? Who is a researcher? Also, developing good
research questions.
3
9/15
Synthesizing the ideas of others.
4
9/22
Workshop for Research Proposals.
5
9/29
Workshop for Research Proposals.
6
10/6
Sources – how to read, analyze, and evaluate.
7
10/13
Summarizing. Documentation.
8
10/20
Focusing on a research question.
9
10/27
Workshop for Research Article.
10
11/3
Research Talks.
11
11/10
More on developing research questions.
12
11/17
Workshop for Research Proposals.
13
11/24
More on synthesizing the ideas of others.
14
12/1
Responding to counterarguments.
15
12/8
Articulating the significance of your research.
16
12/15
Research Fair.
Topics
Course Outline for English 101, “Writing & Research”
What’s due (in addition to daily
journal entries)
Research Proposal 1
Annotated Bibliography 1
Research Article 1
Research Talk
Research Proposal 2
Annotated Bibliography 2
Research Article 2
Research Fair project
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