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ENGLISH 2150-KTRD
Baruch College, Spring 2016
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:55-4:35pm
17 Lexington Room 713
Instructor: Charles Rowe
Email: Charles.Rowe@baruch.cuny.edu
Course Blog: http://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/english2150cwrowe/
Office: English Department, 7290-P
Office Hours: 1-2pm Tuesdays or by appointment
Required Texts
All texts will be provided through the course blog or will be distributed in class.
Course Description
In this course, you will develop your ability to read and think critically and to write well about
subjects and issues you care about. We will look closely at how the way we think and the way we
experience the world is shaped by language. Over the semester, you will sharpen your abilities to
think critically about arguments of others while developing and communicating your own ideas and
arguments about subjects meaningful to you.
We will devote the majority of our attention to writing—our own writing, our peers’ writing and the
writing of authors in a variety of genres, including creative non-fiction, poetry, photography, and
academic articles. While I will always encourage you to take your own direction as you read and
write, the readings for this course are about the ethics of attention, which is just a fancy way of
saying that the readings will ask us to think critically about how we pay attention to ourselves and
how we pay attention to others. Among the many questions we will consider are: How does paying
attention to our own language choices—our sentence structures, our metaphors, our personal
discourses—help us flourish and form our own identities? How does paying attention to the
language of social media, advertising, and political rhetoric help us flourish and form our own
identities? How can each individual maintain his or her individual identity as a social being? What is
“worth” paying attention to? What is not “worth” paying attention to?
This course is meant to be a starting place for you to begin thinking, re-thinking, writing, and rewriting about ideas and issues that will help you throughout your course of study at Baruch and
beyond. Socrates famously said, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” I look forward to
examining life with you through the craft of writing. Let us search together for new ways to write
and think about ideas and issues that matter to us.
Learning outcomes for ENG 2100 and 2150 are:
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Rhetorical knowledge: You will analyze and identify key ideas in various discursive genres
(e.g. essays, news articles, speeches, documentaries, plays, poems, short stories), with careful
attention to the role of rhetorical conventions such as style, tropes, genre, audience and
purpose, and demonstrate an ability to apply such rhetorical knowledge in your own writing.
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Inquiry and research: You will identify credible sources for your research questions;
engage with multiple perspectives by summarizing, interpreting, critiquing, and synthesizing
the arguments of others; and avoid plagiarism by ethically acknowledging the work of others
when used in your own writing using a citation style appropriate to your audience and
purpose.
Well-developed thesis: You will develop your ideas into a focused, compelling argument,
developed in unified and coherent paragraphs, and supported by, as applicable, evidence
from your own experience, your research, and the texts you analyze.
Composing process: You will experience writing as a creative way of thinking and
generating knowledge and as a process involving multiple drafts, review of your work by
members of your discourse community (e.g. instructor and peers), revision, and editing,
reinforced by reflecting on your writing process in metacognitive ways.
Style and editing: You will produce effectively organized writing that demonstrates
sophistication in word choice, syntax, and sentence structure and that follows conventions
of standard English grammar and usage.
Course Requirements and Rules
Attendance: In-class work counts for 40% of your grade (see criteria for grading below). If you
miss more than three days of class (excused or not), your final grade for the course is lowered by
one half step (an A- becomes a B+). I will only excuse absences if you have official documentation
(doctor’s note or legal documentation). If you miss class more than 4 times, you must arrange to
meet with me privately and, according to Baruch College policy, you will be subject to a WU grade,
which counts as an F on your transcript and your GPA.
If you miss class, you are expected to turn in assignments on time. You should always let me know
in advance (with a reason) if you are going to miss class. It is your responsibility to consult a
classmate for the material covered in the class you missed.
Lateness: Frequent (late more than two times) and/or excessive lateness (more than 15 minutes
late) will be counted as absences that will negatively impact your final grade and can cause you to fail
the class.
Participation and Reading: Regular attendance and participation are required for success in this
class. You must complete reading and writing assignments before class so you are always prepared to
participate in discussions and complete in-class work. You should come to each class with at least
one discussion question from a specific passage from the reading that you will be asked to share
with the class. You must have your readings in front of you, either as a hard copy, e-reader, or
laptop at every class period as well as a pen/pencil to take notes. The internet access in our building
is spotty at best, so you will have to download readings before class-this is very important!
If you do not have a discussion question ready or your readings downloaded, your participation
grade will decrease. Your class participation grade is based on both the quantity and quality of
participation.
Blog: The course blog has the syllabus, all readings, and an up-to-date schedule, with important
announcements. Please check it regularly.
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Writing Assignments: Paper topics/guidelines will be distributed well in advance of the due date.
The basic criteria and the weight each assignment carries towards your final grade (using 100%
scale), as well as basic details about formatting and style are below:
Essay One: Creative non-fiction essay (1500-1800 words/5-6 page double-spaced). 15%
Essay Two: Close-reading essay (1800-2100 words/6-7 pages double-spaced). 20%
Essay Three: Research-based argument essay (2400 words/8 pages double-spaced). 40%
Essay Four: Re-Visioning of major project of your choice + Class Presentation (varying lengths based
on approach). 10%
Formatting and Word Count: Your papers must always include your name, my name, the name of the
course, and the date (all left justified), as well as a title that should be centered. All of this should be
in plain text (no bold, no underline, no italics). All essays must be typed and double-spaced in Times
New Roman 12 point, with 1-inch margins all around. This produces an average of 300 words per
page, which means a 5-page paper should be about 1500 words.
MLA Style: All essays must follow the formal guidelines of the Modern Language Association
(MLA). We will go over these guidelines in detail in class. For more information, please see:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01.
Turning in Assignments: Short informal writing assignments must be turned in at the beginning of class
on the day they are due in order to receive full credit. These can be handwritten or typed.
Formal writing assignments must be uploaded in PDF format to the course Dropbox folder by
9AM on the due date. For every day that any assignment is late, I will deduct 1 full letter grade
from the assignment. If it is more than 1 week late, I will not accept the assignment and you will get
a 0. It will be nearly impossible for you to pass this course if you get a 0 any of the three major essay
assignments.
In-Class Work and Readings Responses: In addition to the major assignments, there will also be
frequent short writing assignments, both outside and during class, that give you a place to respond
to readings and class discussions. Use these to your advantage; they will help you develop your
writing voice and come up with ideas that you may very well use in your formal assignments. Along
with class participation, these will make up 15% of your course grade.
Approximate Criteria for Evaluation
85% Writing Assignments (breakdown above)
15% Participation, reading responses, in-class writing, attendance
Grading
Below is the 100% grading scale I use to assess individual assignments and your final course grade.
If at any time you have a question about your grade in the class, please bring it to my attention
immediately. You must have a D or higher to pass this class.
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A 93-100
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 73-76
C- 70-72
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D+ 67-69
D 60-66
Email and Classroom Etiquette
I will post to our course blog frequently to remind you about impending assignments and other
news about our course. Please check it often. Email me anytime with questions or concerns but do
not email me about what you missed if you were absent. I will respond to your emails as quickly as
possible.
Electronic devices (except for phones) are allowed only if you are using them to access course
materials. You will be marked absent if you use electronic devices for unrelated purposes.
One-on-One Meetings
All of you will meet one-on-one with me once this semester in my office, for a 20-minute
conference. Our meetings will be held instead of regular class, so missing a meeting means being
counted absent.
The Reading/Writing Center
This is a free resource that can be of great importance to you when you are writing papers. I
encourage you to visit and to make use of this important resource. You can schedule an
appointment at: https://bc.mywconline.com/. Visit the Writing Center in NVC 8-185 or at the
Newman Library Reference Desk, or log on to their website, writingcenter.baruch.cuny.edu, to learn
more.
Academic Integrity
Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. Plagiarism is defined as word-for-word copying,
paraphrasing, or summarizing, without explaining that the language or ideas have come from
another writer. No passage of writing, no matter how short, can be copied, paraphrased, or
summarized without acknowledge its original source. Baruch College regards acts of academic
dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism, cheating on examinations, obtaining unfair advantage, and falsification
of records and official documents) as serious offenses against the values of intellectual honesty. The
college is committed to enforcing the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity and will pursue cases of
academic dishonesty according to the Baruch College Academic Integrity Procedures.
If you ever have any questions or concerns about plagiarism, please ask me. You can also check out
the online plagiarism tutorial prepared by members of the Newman Library faculty at
http://newman.baruch.cuny.edu/help/plagiarism/default.htm and Baruch College’s academic
integrity policy at http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/academic/academic_honesty.htm.
Academic Accommodation
Baruch College is committed to making individuals with disabilities full participants in the programs,
services, and activities of the college community through compliance with Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. It is the policy of
Baruch College that no otherwise qualified individual with a disability will be denied access to any
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program, service, or activity offered by the university. Individuals with disabilities have a right to request
accommodations. If you require any special assistance or accommodation, please contact the Office of
Services for Students with Disabilities at (646) 312-4590, and let me know as soon as you can, ideally
during the first three weeks of the semester. I encourage persons with disabilities or particular needs that
impact course performance to meet with me to co-design accommodations.
For additional information see:
http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/facultyhandbook/DisabilitiesInformation.htm
Schedule
This is a tentative schedule. I may make adjustments throughout the semester.
See the course blog for the most up-to-date schedule.
2/1 TUES
Introduction, syllabus review, and diagnostic essay
Reading for next meeting: Matthew Crawford’s “Attention as A Cultural
Problem” and write your “Attentional Narrative”
2/4 TH
No Class
2/9 TUES
No Class-Classes run on Friday Schedule
2/11 TH
Attention to Attention/Attention to Self
Discuss readings and “Attentional Narratives”
Readings for next meeting: William James’s “Attention” and “Will”
2/16 TUES
Attention to Language
Readings for next week: John Keats’s “On First Looking into
Chapman’s Homer” and Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue”
2/18 TH
Discuss readings/Brainstorm Creative Non-Fiction
Creative Non-Fiction Essay Draft Due Next Meeting
2/23 TUES
Peer Review of Creative Non-Fiction Essay Draft
Readings for next meeting: “Metaphors We Live By” by Lakoff/Johnson
Creative Non-Fiction Essay Due Next Meeting
2/25 TH
In-Class Art/Photography “Reading”
Creative Non-Fiction Essay Due Today
Readings for next meeting: Excerpts from Nel Noddings’s Caring: A Feminine
Approach to Ethics and Moral Education and Antonio Damasio’s Joy, Sorrow
And the Feeling Brain
3/1 TUES
Attention to Others
Discuss readings
Reading for next meeting: Walt Whitman’s “Song of the Open Road”
3/3 TH
Discuss readings
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Reading for next meeting: Ta-Nehisi Coates’s “The Case for Reparations,”
3/8 TUES
Discuss readings
Readings for next meeting: Kevin Williamson’s “The Case Against Reparations”
and Ta-Nehisi Coates’s “The Case for American History”
3/10 TH
Discuss Readings/Critical Analysis Essay
Readings for next meeting: “Shooting and Elephant” by George Orwell
3/15 TUES
Discuss Readings/Brainstorm Critical Analysis Essay
No Meeting Next Class: Sign up to meet with Prof. Rowe
3/17 TH
No formal class meeting: writer’s group conferences with Prof. Rowe
Readings for next meeting: Excerpts from They Say/I Say by Gerald Graff
3/22 TUES
Discuss Critical Analysis Essays and Drafting Process
Readings for next time: “I Need You To Say I: Why First Person is Important in
College Writing”
3/24 TH
In-Class Writing Workshop
Readings for next meeting: Excerpts from Strunk and White’s Elements of
Style
Critical Analysis Essay Due Next Meeting
3/29 TUES
Discuss Research Projects/Reflection
Critical Analysis Essay Due Today
Reading for next meeting: Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat”
3/31 TH
Attention to Self and Others
Discuss radical individualism/communitarian dynamic
Reading for next meeting: “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery
O’Connor
4/5 TUES
Discuss readings/Introduce Research Project
Reading for next meeting: “What Is Academic Writing? By L. Lennie
Irvin
4/7 TH
Library/Librarian Visit
Research Paper Proposal Due Next Meeting
4/12 TUES
In-Class Writing/Research Workshop
Assignment for next meeting: “Entering the Conversation” in
They Say/I Say
4/14 TH
Style/Argumentation
Research Paper Draft Due Next Meeting
4/19 TUES
Discuss Research Process/Peer Pairing
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Research Paper Draft Due Today
Complete Peer Review Forms For Next Meeting
4/21 TH
Peer Review/In-Class Writing
Assignments for next time: Read “Revision or What Have I Actually Said?” by
Jaques Barzun
4/26 TUES
Spring Break-No Class
4/28 TH
Spring Break-No Class
5/3 TUES
Research Paper Questions/Revision Discussion
5/5 TH
Research Paper Due Today
Introduce Revisioning project
5/10 TUES
In-class work on Revisioning Project
5/12 TH
In-class work on Revisioning Project
5/17 TUES
Final Day of Class
In-Class Writing Reflection
5/26 TH
Re-Visioning Project Presentations and Party
Class Meets from 3:30-5:30
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