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RWS 100
Rhetoric of Written Argument
Fall 2015
Section 12
Meeting Times: MWF 9:00-9:50
Meeting Place: EBA-441
Instructor: Iris Farrou
Email: i.farrou@acg.edu
Office: SHW 112
Office Hours: Wednesday 8:00-8:50am and
by appointment
RWS Office Phone: 619-594-6515
Mailbox: in DRWS Office (SHW 141)
Prerequisites
All RWS 100 students must have satisfactory completion of the Lower Division Writing
Competency Requirement.
Required Materials
Books- available at the SDSU Bookstore
1. RWS 100 Course Texts—available on Blackboard
2. Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in
Academic Writing (3rd edition) W.W. Norton & Co., 2014.
3. Wood, Nancy V. Essentials of Argument (3rd edition) Pearson, 2011.
4. Bullock, Richard et al. The Little Aztec Handbook. W.W. Norton & Co., 2014.
Computer, Printer, and Software
 An email account
 Access to a computer with Internet connection
 Software: Word or Word-compatible software
 Access to a printer and sufficient ink
 Pen and paper for in-class writing and taking notes
Course Description
This section of RWS 100 aims to be a collaborative learning environment; a lot of the class work
will be done in a small group setting. This arrangement is designed to help students discover and
make meaning for themselves, rather than simply repeating a meaning that has been
predetermined by the instructor and is delivered in a lecture format. You will, therefore, be
practicing the real world writing skills of maintaining a collaborative writing relationship with
peers and working together on writing projects. However, the individual assignments are not
group projects in which several people turn in one paper and get the same grade.
General Education Capacities/Goals & RWS Learning Outcomes
Our Learning Outcomes reflect the goals and capacities of the General Education Program. RWS
100 is one of several courses in the area of General Education defined as “Communication and
Critical Thinking.” Focusing particularly on argument, this course emphasizes four essential
general education capacities: the ability to a) construct, analyze and communicate an argument,
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b) contextualize phenomena, c) negotiate differences, and d) apply theoretical models to the real
world. This course advances general education by helping students understand the general
function of writing, speaking, visual texts, and thinking within the context of the university at
large, rather than within specific disciplines. In addition to featuring the basic rules and
conventions governing composition and presentation, RWS 100 establishes intellectual
frameworks and analytical tools that help students explore, construct, critique, and integrate
sophisticated texts.
Within this framework of four general capacities, the course realizes four closely related
subsidiary goals. These goals focus on helping students:
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craft well-reasoned arguments for specific audiences
analyze a variety of texts commonly encountered in the academic setting
situate discourse within social, generic, cultural, and historic contexts
assess the relative strengths of arguments and supporting evidence
Our student learning outcomes for RWS 100 are closely aligned with these goals and capacities,
and reflect the program’s overall objective of helping students attain “essential skills that
underlie all university education.”
RWS 100 Learning Outcomes
The following four outcomes describe the four main writing projects or “assignment types” for
the course. Students will be able to:
1. Describe and analyze an author’s argument, claims, project, support and rhetorical
strategies.
2. Construct an account of an author’s project and argument and carry out small, focused
research tasks to find information that helps clarify, illustrate, extend or complicate that
argument; use appropriate reference materials, including a dictionary, in order to clarify
their understanding of an argument.
3. Analyze and evaluate an author’s project and argument and explain rhetorical strategies
that this author—and by extension other writers—uses to engage readers in thinking
about her argument.
4. Assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of multiple assigned texts, including
discussion of rhetorical strategies, supporting evidence, audience, and text structure.
The following points describe outcomes to work on throughout the course. Upon successful
completion of the course, students will be able to:
1. Describe elements of an argument—claims, methods of development, kinds of
evidence, persuasive appeals; annotate the work that is done by each section of a written
argument.
2. Analyze and assess the relative strengths of arguments and supporting evidence.
3. Use all aspects of the writing process—including prewriting, drafting, revising, editing,
and proofreading.
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4. Choose effective structures for their writing, acknowledging that different purposes,
contexts and audiences call for different structures; understand the relationship between
a text's ideas and its structure.
5. Identify devices an author has used to create cohesion or to carry the reader through the
text; use metadiscourse to signal the project of a paper, and guide a reader from one
idea to the next in their writing.
6. Effectively select material from written arguments, contextualize it, and comment on it
in their writing.
7. Determine when and where a source was published, who wrote it and whether it was
reprinted or edited; understand that texts are written in and respond to particular
contexts, communities or cultures; examine the vocabulary choices a writer makes and
how they are related to context, community or culture, audience or purpose.
8. Craft well-reasoned arguments for specific audiences.
9. Respond in writing to ideas drawn from various cultures and disciplines, using the
activity of writing to clarify and improve their understanding of an argument.
10. Analyze and assess arguments made by visual texts; incorporate visual images into their
documents.
11. Edit their writing for the grammar and usage conventions appropriate to each writing
situation.
12. Assign significance to the arguments that they read.
13. Reflect on how they wrote their papers, and revise arguments and findings based on
critical reflection.
Course Requirements
Essays: You are required to write 4 essays for this course; each essay will require at least one
rough draft, participation in an in-class workshop, an outline, in-class pre-writing, a reading
response when applicable and one mandatory meeting with me. All pre-writing and rough drafts
are due in class on the day specified (as hard copy). Submit your final drafts to Turnitin on the
due date, one hour before class (8am), and bring a hard copy to class on the same day. No email
submissions. Specific criteria for each essay will be given along with the prompt.
Readings: Throughout the semester we will be reading, analyzing, and discussing selections
from the Course Reader as well as additional texts distributed in class or available online (in
which case you must print them and bring them to class). Assigned readings must be completed
before class.
Reading Responses: Sometimes you will do reading responses on assigned readings. These will
be 300-350 words, following MLA conventions. Due date will be announced in class, no makeup or late responses. I will provide you with reading questions before the assigned due date,
which you will use as a guide to construct your response. These will be submitted on
Blackboard, unless I inform you otherwise.
Participation: You are expected to participate actively in class. Although you do not have to
contribute during every class session, you should arrive on time and be prepared, pay attention,
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and be involved. Verbal participation per se is not being graded, but it is reflected in the in-class
work, proof of which is included in your Essay Portfolios. However, participation in class
discussions is highly encouraged as it will enhance your understanding of the material and help
you produce better work.
Outlines: You must submit an outline for each of the four essays. Outlines are a part of your
Essay Portfolio and they will be submitted in a special folder on Blackboard.
Research Projects: For Assignments 2 and 4 you have to use outside sources. To ensure you are
on the right track, you will write a response on each of the sources you choose to use. This
response will be due along with the Outline and will count in your Essay Portfolio. You will
have to submit them on Blackboard.
Workshops: You will be working in groups with other students during class activities as well as
in review workshops. Your effort and contribution to these collaborative efforts will be taken
into account as part of your class grade. Hold on to any feedback you receive during these
workshops as it needs to be included in your Essay Portfolio.
In-Class Writing: There will be times in class when we will do some pre-writing for your
Assignments. This work will be included in the Essay Portfolio, but it cannot be made up if you
are absent on that particular class session.
Essay Portfolio: On the due date of each essay you will include in a folder the final draft of
your Assignment, any rough drafts you have written for this essay, your outline and (for
Assignments 2 and 4) the research project response, feedback you received during the
Workshops, and any in-class writing that pertains to each assignment. Although you are being
graded on the final draft, failure to include one or more of the above documents will result in a
grade penalty on your overall class grade.
Conferencing: Before each assignment is due you are required to meet with me to discuss a
draft of your essay. The conferences last approximately 10-15 minutes. Make sure that you bring
a hard copy of a typed draft. You may not be required to bring the full draft, but this will be
announced in class. If you come in with your laptop or tablet, I will ask you to reschedule.
Handwritten drafts will not be accepted. This conferencing is mandatory.
Blackboard Discussion Board: You will be working with your group on discussions that take
place on BB and are meant to add to our in-class discussion. These will count as homework
assignments in preparation of your Essay Portfolio.
Writer’s Log: You are asked to reflect on and document your progress as a writer in a Journal
created individually for each student. This is a weekly assignment and should be 200-250 words
long. These Journal entries can be viewed only by you and me, not your classmates. Use of the
Writer’s Log counts as pre-writing for your Assignments, and is therefore part of the Essay
Portfolio.
Course and Classroom Policies
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Use of Blackboard, Turnitin and e-mail: In this class we will use Blackboard, Turnitin and email regularly. There are many resources on Blackboard which aim to increase your
understanding of key concepts taught, so please take the time to check BB and remember that we
will keep using it throughout the semester. Final drafts of your essays are submitted both as a
hard copy and to Turnitin. I do not accept submissions through e-mail, but if for some reason you
are unable to access Turnitin on the due date, do e-mail me saying what the problem is—please
do not attach your essays. Additionally, sometimes you might need clarification on something;
you are always welcome to e-mail me with specific questions or concerns, but please allow a
sufficient amount of time for my response.
Plagiarism: According to the policy file, “Plagiarism shall be defined as the act of incorporating
ideas, words, or specific substance of another, whether purchased, borrowed, or otherwise
obtained, and submitting same to the university as one’s own work to fulfill academic
requirements without giving credit to the appropriate source. Plagiarism includes submitting
work either in part or in whole completed by another, omitting footnotes for ideas, statements,
facts, or conclusions that belong to another, omitting quotation marks when quoting directly
from another, close and lengthy paraphrasing of the writings of another.” Plagiarism is a breach
of academic codes of conduct. Please refer to the General Catalog for the potential consequences
of plagiarism, which may include failing the course and/or possible expulsion from the
university.
Although cases of plagiarism are not common, as most students are aware that plagiarism robs
them of the very education for which they chose to attend university—in addition to being unfair
to their peers—when it does occur, I take it very seriously and it is my duty to report it to the
Office for Student Rights and Responsibilities.
As such, you will be asked to sign and give back to me an Agreement on Plagiarism.
Classroom Expectations:
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Arrive on time.
Be prepared with all readings and bring any texts you have been asked to examine.
Participate in class discussion, group work, and workshops.
Electronics: Your active participation is required in this course. As such, our classroom will be
a “cell-free zone.” You may use your laptop to keep notes, but if this proves to be distracting to
the class I will ask you to stick to the traditional method of pen and paper. If you are in class
listening to music or texting, I will mark you absent without warning. If there is an emergency
and you absolutely need to use your cellphone, please inform me before class.
Attendance Policy: There is no substitute for attending class. Students are expected to attend
all classes, and attendance will be recorded. You are allowed three absences without penalty, but
after the third absence, your participation grade will be affected. If you know that you have to
miss more than three classes, please make sure you discuss it with me.
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When you are absent, you are still responsible for knowing what was covered in class, what the
homework is, and when it is due. To help stay caught up check Blackboard and your email
regularly.
Absences due to religious observance and university events: If you will miss any classes
due to religious holidays or because you are a student athlete, please inform me no later than the
end of the first week of class.
Timeliness: This class is 50 minutes long. It is important that you arrive on time, since late
arrivals mean that you must catch up on what the class is doing, that you may have missed
important information, and they also disturb your fellow students. Students who are consistently
late or who are excessively late will be given a warning and may be asked to leave class on the
next occasion they are late. Three tardies will count as an absence.
Late work Policy: You are allowed one “Get Out Of Jail Free” card, which means that you can
submit one of the essays one class period late. This does not apply to the 4 th Assignment, as it is
due the last day of class. Note that this option does not mean that if you have already submitted
your essay on Turnitin you can bring the hardcopy in class another day—these are a ticket. If you
need to use it, there will be an additional Turnitin folder for drafts submitted after the due date. If
there is a compelling reason and you need to submit your Portfolio later than one class period
late, I advise you to talk to me beforehand. I will accept late work up to one week after the
deadline, but it will be graded down by half a letter grade, and half a letter grade each day after
the one-week grace period. These options may be used only once and you can use either the “Get
Out Of Jail Free” card or the grace week, not both.
Re-writes: You may rewrite Assignments 1 and 2 until one week before the end of the semester.
You may not do so if the grade you have received is either A or A-, you have submitted either of
these Assignments late, or you have missed your conferencing for them.
Respect: This course abides by the Non-Discrimination Policy of SDSU, as this is listed in the
General Catalog. During this course, we might be bringing into our discussion controversial and
debatable subjects. Since this is a discussion-based class, it is vital that you listen and speak
respectfully to others at all times. Discriminatory and disrespectful remarks will not be tolerated.
Of course you are encouraged to express your opinions—I am sure they will inspire good
discussions—but please do so consciously with tact and professionalism.
Course Assistance Policies
Office Hours: I encourage all students to attend office hours, but especially if you have
questions or concerns. Please make an appointment with me in advance and bring any necessary
material to meetings. It will assist me in answering your questions.
Writing Center Tutoring: If you would like additional assistance, SDSU has a Writing Center
with an excellent staff of tutors to assist students in all courses. The Writing Center is located in
Love Library, Room LA 1103, which is located next to the Circulation Desk. For more
information, please visit their website at http://writingcenter.sdsu.edu/.
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For Students with Disabilities: If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need
accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services
at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should
contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not
retroactive, and that accommodations based upon disability cannot be provided until you have
presented your instructor with an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your
cooperation is appreciated.
Student athletes: If you are a student athlete with away games scheduled during the semester,
please let me know by the end of the first week of class, and present me with a copy of your team
travel schedule. I am aware of your multiple obligations as student athletes, and we will make
appropriate scheduling arrangements—this may include turning assignments in early.
Counseling: There are many events and situations that put additional stress on being a student.
SDSU has an excellent center for Counseling and Psychological Services that is open to students
Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm. To set up an initial consultation, call (619) 564-5220. C&PS on campus
also has a “Center for Well-Being” with multiple stations for relaxation if you are feeling
stressed during the semester. C&PS is located in the Calpulli Center, Room 4401.
Resources for SDSU Students:
Service
Location
Phone Number
Academic Advising Center
SSW 1551
594-6668
Counseling and Psychological Services Calpulli 4401
594-5220 (888-724-7240 after hours)
Student Disability Services
Calpulli 3101
594-6473
Student Health Services
Calpulli
594-5281
Public Safety
594-1991
Public Safety Escorts
594-6659
9-1-1 (emergency)
For additional safe spaces, consider the SafeZones@SDSU Student Organization
(safezonesatsdsu@gmail.com) or The Pride Center (619 594-3520)
Grading Policies
Each paper will receive a letter grade based on the quality of work it contains. Remember that if
your Essay Portfolio does not include all the required elements, your course grade will be
affected. Thus, the final draft of each Assignment will be graded for the quality of its work, but
you will lose some of your course grading if your Essay Portfolios are incomplete.
The value of the letter grade corresponds to the recommended values in the SDSU Catalog, and
is calculated by the percentiles below:
Letter Grade
A
AB+
B
Percentile
93-100%
90-93%
87-90%
83-87%
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Letter Grade
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Percentile
80-83%
77-80%
73-77%
70-73%
67-70%
63-67%
60-63%
0-60%
Your final grade will be determined by weighting those letter grades as follows:
Assignment 1: 20%
Assignment 2: 20%
Assignment 3: 20%
Assignment 4: 20%
Complete Portfolios: 20%