Syllabus
Spring 2012 | Section B51M | MW | 12:00 – 12:50 P.m. | AC1 328
Prof. Tania C. Lopez | Office: AC1 358 | 305-919-5850 or 786-471-8115 | tlopez@fiu.edu
Office Hours: Mon. & Wed. 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. or by appointment
Giselda Aguiar| Office Hours: Mon. 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. | Office: AC1 358 | giselda.aguiar@fiu.edu
Veronica Suarez | Office Hours: Wed. 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. | Office: AC1 358 | vesuarez@fiu.edu
COURSE OVERVIEW
WELCOME to the hybrid version of ENC 1102: Writing and Rhetoric II. The second in FIU’s two-course writing sequence, ENC 1102
expands upon the writing and rhetorical skills learned in ENC 1101 by placing additional emphasis on analytical and researched
arguments. Students will read and analyze professional nonfiction texts to understand how experienced writers develop and present
ideas through writing. Through a deeper focus on research, writers will hone their abilities to locate, evaluate, and document
sources, and to incorporate them smoothly and responsibly into their own writing. Course work consists of three major assignments
(1,000-2,000 words in length), written to a variety of audiences and purposes in a multi-draft process.
COURSE OUTCOMES
By the end of ENC 1102, students will:

Write to achieve varying purposes and to engage specific audiences;

Understand and use the structure of closed-form arguments (including claim, reasons, evidence, counter-argument, and
underlying assumptions);

Employ persuasive appeals effectively for specific audiences;

Analyze rhetorical strategies in professional texts and demonstrate an understanding of how writers respond to their
historical/cultural context;

Generate research questions that lead to meaningful inquiry;

Use the conventions of academic research, particularly the ability to locate, evaluate, and document sources and to
incorporate sources effectively into their work;

Further develop their rhetorical vocabulary for understanding and discussing language and writing.

Use language styles appropriate to specific academic or non academic audiences consistently throughout a project.

Employ grammar and mechanics in a way that is relatively error free and appropriate for the intended audience.
WHAT MAKES THIS CLASS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER ENC 1102 SECTIONS?
1. HYBRID FORMAT
This hybrid course meets in the classroom on Mondays and Wednesdays. Instead of meeting on Friday, you will have to complete an
online lesson independently in Moodle – usually a combination of reading and writing assignments. Recent studies have shown that
students routinely perform better in hybrid courses than in traditional classes or fully online classes. The hybrid format, however, is
not for everyone. Students who do best in hybrids are those who can work independently and can manage their time with some
guidance.
2. TECHNOLOGY
To succeed in this Hybrid course you will need intermediate computer skills and a computer with internet access. If you have
concerns about either, please speak to me right away.
Moodle Login Instructions: Go to https://ecampus.fiu.edu. Use your FIU e-mail username (i.e. tlopez) and password to login. You'll
see a "My Courses" block on the right top corner of the screen. Click on the folder with our course name to enter the Moodle
environment. CHECK MOODLE EVERY DAY FOR E-MAILS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, ASSIGNMENTS, ETC.
Moodle Help: If you have any problems with Moodle you should call the UTS Support Call Center: 305-348-2284, or use the support
materials available at http://ecampus.fiu.edu. You can also attend one of the student orientation sessions during the first week of
classes. For the orientation schedule and Moodle tutorials go to http://ecampus.fiu.edu.
Turnitin: We will use Turnitin Moodle assignment boxes for the submission of working and final drafts. You can submit your work to
Turnitin and check the Originality Report before the final draft of any major writing project is due. That way, you'll have time to fix
any improper citations and reconsider how you integrated your sources. You should also be aware that the work you submit to
Turnitin will be checked for plagiarism, and will remain in their database (they use it to check other students' papers for plagiarism).
3. WRITING AS SOCIAL ACTION EMPHASIS IN THE COURSE
In this class, students will select a problematic, significant and interesting community problem early in the semester, which they
will continue to explore and propose a solution to through the main three writing projects assigned during the term.
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4. TITLE V EMPHASIS IN THE COURSE
FIU recently received funding to strengthen its capacity to improve the academic success of students whose first language is not
English, and this class has been designated as a pilot site for this work. In general, this course is just like any other ENC1102, with
some added emphasis on multicultural contexts, audiences, and the choices we make as we write and read in college.
You will be asked to respond to this emphasis in occasional anonymous surveys that you will complete throughout in the course. You
will receive credit for these surveys as homework by giving your instructor a "survey completed code" to verify your participation.
We believe that these changes will help you to think more broadly about the languages and cultures in the Miami community. They
will also bring an international flavor to much of what we do in the course and will support the campus global initiative. Other FIU
units involved in the Title V project are: The Math Department, Center for Academic Success, Center for Excellence in Writing,
Academic Advising, Center for Advancement of Teaching.
REQUIRED BOOKS

Ramage, John, John Bean and June Johnson. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing: Customized for Florida International
University. 4th Ed. New York: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2010.

Lunsford, Andrea. The Everyday Writer. Florida International University Edition/4th Ed. Bedford/St. Martin’s Custom Publishing,
2009.
OTHER NECESSITIES

Daily access to a computer with online capability.

Access to a printer (you will often be asked to bring copies of your own work, readings, and other class materials to class).
COURSE STRUCTURE
GRADE DISTRIBUTION
In general, the Writing Program's Grade Definitions will be used to evaluate student performance. In addition, specific grading
criteria will be provided for each assignment. Please also remember, that students must receive a “C” grade or higher to pass ENC
1101 and ENC 1102.
Summary of Course Work and Evaluation Criteria
Major Writing Projects
Weeks 1-6: WP1: Rhetorical Critique: closed-form, thesis-driven critique of
individually-selected article about community problem.
Weeks 6-9: WP2: Exploratory Narrative: open/closed form, thesis-seeking narrative
about writer's research and thought process while investigation previously chosen
community problem.
Weeks 11-15: WP3: Practical Proposal Argument: closed-from, thesis-driven practical
proposal (presents and defends a practical solution to previously selected community
problem).
Final Draft
4-5 pages
Value
10%
6-7 pages
25%
8-10 pages
35%
Subtotal:
70%
Student Engagement:
Short (Process) Writing Assignments: peer reviews, online discussions, written responses to
readings, etc.
Attendance and in-class participation (see detailed explanation below)
Subtotal:
Total:
20%
10%
30%
100%
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
94-100%
90-93%
87-89%
84-86%
80-83%
77-79%
74-76%
70-73%
67-69%
64-66%
60-63%
less than
60%
ATTENDANCE AND IN-CLASS PARTICIPATION (10%)
You, the student, are the cornerstone of this class. Therefore, your presence and contributions to class discussions are essential.
Points for participation will be granted based on both the quantity and quality of your contributions to class discussions, workshops,
etc.
Absences and tardiness will affect your participation grade as well. Per English Department policy, you must attend 80% of our
meetings in order to pass this class. Unless you have an emergency, we assume that you will attend every class meeting, arrive on
time, and hand in every assignment in a timely fashion. Three late arrivals will count as one absence.
COURSE SCHEDULE:
The lesson-by-lesson schedule will be posted on Moodle's main page before the start of each writing project or learning unit. Please
note that the schedule is subject to change, but students will be given notice of those changes ahead of time.
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COURSE POLICIES & PROCEDURES
COMMUNICATION
While Moodle e-mail is the preferred way for private instructor/TA-student communication, the Help forum is the best way to
address course questions or concerns as a class. Course reminders and announcements will be posted on the Announcement forum.
CHECK MOODLE EVERY DAY FOR E-MAILS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, ASSIGNMENTS, ETC.
We will try to address your questions within 24 hours of receipt. The reply time may be longer on the weekend.
ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT: TURNITIN AND PLAGIARISM
FIU defines PLAGIARISM as "the deliberate use and appropriation of another's work without any indication of the source and the
representation of such work as the student's own." This means that "any student who fails to give credit for ideas, expressions or
materials taken from another source, including internet sources, is guilty of plagiarism", and that "[a]ny student helping another to
plagiarize may be found guilty of academic misconduct", a serious offence punishable by expulsion.
It is your responsibility to review FIU’s plagiarism policy and to make yourself aware of the disciplinary sanctions resulting from
academic misconduct. I expect you to become familiar with and abide by FIU's Code of Academic Integrity.
As your acknowledgment of understanding of these policies, please print out and sign the STUDENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF
SYLLABUS AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY PLEDGE at the end of this syllabus and return it to me by the end of the week.
If you would like to "recycle" work you've done in the past or if you are planning to use the work or part of the work you've done in
this class in another context or vice versa, you must get instructor approval (e-mail me, come to speak to me during office hours).
LATE WORK
SHORT (PROCESS) ASSIGNMENTS: Late short assignments will not be accepted. Missed in-class work cannot be made up. Unless
otherwise specified, we do not accept any assignments by email. At the end of the semester, the average of your short assignment
grades will count for 20% of your final grade. You will be allowed to drop one short assignment grade at the end of the semester.
FINAL DRAFTS: Your final draft's grade will be reduced by ½ a letter grade for every day it is late. If you turn in the paper on the
due date, but after the deadline, it will be considered a day late. A final draft submitted more than a week (7 days) late will receive
a 0 grade.
You cannot pass this class if you fail to turn in any of the major final drafts on the assigned due date.
OPTIONAL REVISION
At end of the semester, you will be able to revise one final draft and submit it for a new grade. Revising your work does not
automatically warrant a higher grade, but only the highest grade earned will count in the end. We will discuss this later in the
semester.
You cannot submit a revised draft for a final draft that you never turned in on the original due date. By the same token, points
deducted for lateness cannot be made-up through this revision.
FORMAT (DOCUMENT DESIGN)
Unless otherwise specified, all assignments must follow MLA formatting and citation guidelines. Refer to The Everyday Writer for
detailed MLA guidelines.
GRIEVANCES
If at any point in the semester you have any questions or concerns about your grade or your standing in the class, please talk to me
right away. Addressing your questions and concerns is part of my job. In the unlikely event that we reach an impasse, you can
contact Assoc. Director Cindy Chinelly (chinelly@fiu.edu).
DISSABILITY RESOURCE CENTER (DRC) (excerpts from their website)
In the postsecondary educational environment a student with a disability is required to self- identify and complete a thorough intake
process. The university is then legally obligated to provide services and academic accommodations to qualified students. The
DRC strongly encourages students to make the determination of accommodation requests at the beginning of each semester.
To register, contact the DRC to schedule an intake appointment. Appointments are offered at both the MMC or BBC locations. MMC:
305-348-3532, GC 190 | BBC: 305-919-5345, WUC 131 | Website: http://drc.fiu.edu/
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STUDENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF SYLLABUS & ACADEMIC INTEGRITY PLEDGE
ENC 1102 B51M - SPRING 2012
PROF. TANIA C. LOPEZ
I have read and understood the terms of this Syllabus, and agree to follow the policies and rules established herein.
In addition, I hereby pledge to follow FIU's Code of Academic Integrity as outlined below:
CODE OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
This Code of Academic Integrity was adopted by the Student Government Association on November 28, 2001 and reflects the values
articulated in the Student Code of Standards. Florida International University is a community dedicated to generating and imparting
knowledge through excellent teaching and research, the rigorous and respectful exchange of ideas, and community service. All
students should respect the right of others to have an equitable opportunity to learn and honestly to demonstrate the quality of
their learning. Therefore, all students are expected to adhere to a standard of academic conduct, which demonstrates respect for
themselves, their fellow students, and the educational mission of Florida International University.
PLEDGE
As a student of this university:
I will be honest in my academic endeavors.
I will not represent someone else’s work as my own.
I will not cheat, nor will I aid in another’s cheating.
All students are deemed by the University to understand that if they are found responsible for academic misconduct, they will be
subject to the Academic Misconduct procedures and sanctions, as outlined in the Student Handbook.
________________________________________
Student Name (printed)
________________________________________
Student Signature
________________________________________
Date (MM/DD/YY)
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