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Writing and Rhetoric
WRTG 1150 Section 94
(T/TH 3:30pm-4:45pm) Fall 2011
Professor: Steve Caldes
Email: stephen.caldes@colorado.edu
Office: _________
Office Hours: 10:00-12:00 Tuesday (and T/Th by appointment)
Texts and Materials:
 Knowing Words: A Guide to First-Year Writing and Rhetoric, Eighth Ed. (required)
 Writing handbook of your choice (required)
 Loose-leaf notebook paper for in-class writing (required)
 Copies of your work when needed for class discussion (required)
 College dictionary of your choice (optional)
Class Policies and Etiquette:
 Attendance in this class is mandatory; no more than three absences will be allowed. Similarly,
being absent from a scheduled conference will count as an absence (unless the conference
was rescheduled 24 hours before the original conference time). After four absences, you will
either be dropped (if this occurs before the drop date) or you will fail the course (if this
occurs after the drop date).
As classes will be full of insightful discussions, enlightening workshops and edifying
instruction, it is crucial that you attend all class sessions. In-class activities have been
designed to boost your understanding of the readings, sharpen your writing and editing
skills, and offer you the essential tools to succeed in this class. Simply showing up for class,
however, will not be enough. I expect the class to be the site of lively intellectual activity,
which is not the sound of one voice (mine), but rather your voices as you challenge your
own beliefs, encounter new ideas, question our texts, welcome new points of view, and—
always—contribute respectfully and thoughtfully. Regular participation during class will
positively affect our collective classroom experience (and raise your final grade). Failing to
contribute your unique voice will strip the class of its diversity.
 Group work is vital to this class and the only way group work is effective is if all members of
the group participate. It is important that you be present on days of peer critiquing, not only
for your benefit, but also because your group members are counting on your input. This
activity plays a major role in your participation grade. Each instance of being unprepared for
group work with count as an absence.
 Please be punctual. This class starts at 3:30pm. Late arrivals disrupt the class and are
inconsiderate. Two late arrivals count as an absence.
 Cell phones, iPods and other such devices are both disruptive to the class and inconsiderate.
Therefore, these gadgets must be turned off before class.
 Late assignments will not be accepted. This is to encourage you to keep up with class
assignments and to allow me to return work back to you in a timely manner.
 Your hard work is a reflection of yourself. Plagiarism and/or academic dishonesty will result
in failing this course.
 This classroom is a safe haven for all ideas. Respect not only me as your instructor but also
your peers. We are all unique individuals entitled to our own opinions and beliefs, however,
any comments, jokes, or remarks that denigrate the worth of an individual’s physical/mental
ability, body size, religion, race, creed, ethnic background, sexual preference, or gender are
inappropriate and will not be tolerated.
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I have read and understood these policies.
Signature: ________________________ Date: _______
Course Description
Welcome! This course is an introduction to college-level academic writing. The course emphasizes
thinking, reading and writing critically—that is, thinking, reading and writing that does more than
absorb the content of a text but also carefully studies the:
 significant points and arguments in a text and various interpretations of the same text
 structure and rhetoric of a text (we will define the term “rhetoric” during the course of the
semester)
 ideologies, assumptions, and beliefs underlying a text.
As stated in Knowing Words, the aim of the course is to help you:
 write with fluency; to acquire a practical and reflective understanding of the writing
process
Throughout the semester, you’ll use a variety of strategies throughout the stages of writing—
researching, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading—to help you refine your own writing
process. One of the most important strategies that you’ll practice is workshopping each other’s
writing. A regular part of classtime will be devoted to small- and large-group workshops in
which you will read and critique each other’s work. The benefits of this workshop approach are
two-fold: as a writer, you receive a range of responses to your work and, as a reader, you learn
from reading and critiquing your peers’ writing.

develop rhetorical knowledge, making informed choices as you adapt your writing to
the needs of your audience, to a specific context and situation, and for a particular
purpose
We’ll begin by analyzing the rhetorical situation in a variety of texts—that is, we’ll ask questions
about the relationships between the text, writer, audience, and context, and we’ll discuss how
these relationships shaped the writer’s choices. Then you’ll apply this rhetorical knowledge by
writing in different genres and for different audiences, adapting the voice, tone, format and
structure of your writing to meet the needs of your audience. We’ll also discuss the ethical use
of rhetoric—if rhetoric is a form of power, what are our ethical responsibilities as writers?

become a proficient reader, approaching texts with a writer’s awareness of craft and a
critic’s ability to interpret and respond to a text’s meaning and effects
We’ll explore texts that come from a variety of sources (both scholarly and popular, for
example) and from a variety of media (traditional print, film, websites, etc.). You’ll be asked to
read critically: to recognize the rhetorical strategies an author has chosen—both in format and
content—that invite the audience to interpret the text in a particular way. We’ll also discuss how
the same text may be interpreted in different ways.

develop strategies of research that will enable you to become an active investigator of
your culture
You’ll learn about research technologies available here at CU (on-line databases, electronic
books and journals, bibliographic software, etc.) through a library seminar. More importantly,
we’ll discuss how to evaluate a source for accuracy, relevance, credibility, reliability and bias by
examining the source’s rhetoric and rhetorical situation.

understand and apply conventions of standard linguistic usage, including proper
grammar, syntax, punctuation, and spelling as you compose, revise, and edit your
writing across a range of rhetorical tasks and genres.
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Yes, grammar counts…but what counts as “good” grammar changes in different rhetorical
situations. Because this is an academic course, in most of your major assignments you’ll be
expected to use a writing style and tone that is considered appropriate for a general academic
audience. However, as part of the course you’ll also write in other genres and for other
audiences, so you’ll need to think carefully about how to adapt your writing for the rhetorical
situation at hand.
Grading
To complete this course successfully, you must attend class and scheduled conferences, complete
assignments on time, and participate in class activities and discussions. For major essay assignments,
you must turn in all drafts before I will grade the final version of your essay. If you have a question
about your grade, please ask me about it. An important thing to remember is that even if you feel you
have done poorly on an assignment, turn it in anyway! If you turn the assignment in, you will at
least receive some points that count toward your final grade. Otherwise, you will not receive any
points for the assignment.
Note: A word to the wise—keep copies of all of your assignments! Although I don’t often lose
things, it can happen. If you have a copy, we’ll both be happier in the rare event that I misplace your
paper.
Your grade for the course will be determined according to the following scale:
Week One In-class Essay
Project 1: Summary and Response Essay
required/ungraded
100
Project 2: Auto-Ethnography
150
Project 3: Rhetorical Analysis Essay
200
Project 4: Documented Argument
Proposal
Annotated Bibliography
Library Tutorials (RIOT)
350 (200 paper)
(25)
(50)
(75)
Project 5: Revision (of paper 2 or 3) and Reflective Essay and Portfolio
100
HW (Responses, Reading Quizzes, et al. 5 points each)
100
Total
A= 900-1000 points; B = 800-899 points; C = 700-799; D = 600-699
1000
Teaching Philosophy
I enjoy the teaching of rhetoric and take great pleasure in my students’ developing proficiency in
academic reading, writing, and critical thinking. I will gladly act as coach and mentor, but please be
advised that I consider higher education an exercise in self-reliance, and I will not rescue students
from the consequences of their choices. Please understand that enrolling in this class does not mean
that you should expect me as your teacher to be solely responsible for your unique learning
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experience. I will do my utmost to ensure that you do improve your writing abilities and leave my
class better equipped to handle future courses and job requirements; however, you must take
responsibility if you fail to meet the demands of the course. I expect that students will familiarize
themselves with the course requirements and policies and do their best to follow these guidelines.
Major Assignments
 Summary and Response: This paper focuses on critical reading and writing skills. We will
focus on summarizing the argument embedded within the article (and not merely a summary of
the entire article) and offering a well thought out response.
 Auto-Ethnography: A narrative essay in which you draw from personal experience to
reflect on a larger question, idea or concept.
 Rhetorical Analysis Essay: The focus of this essay is an analysis not of what a text is
saying, but how the text is presented.
 Documented Argument: This will be our research paper for the semester. You will be
exploring and researching a topic of interest and taking an informed stance on that topic.
Scholarly research, article annotation and argument construction will be our areas of interest
for this project.
 Library Tutorials (RIOT): You are required to complete all four of the Research
Instruction Online Tutorials. These tutorials prepare you to research your topic for the
Cultural Analysis Essay.
 Final Reflective Essay and Portfolio: Although you’ll write short reflective responses
about your writing throughout the semester, at the end of the semester I will ask you to take
a deep breath, step back, and survey what you’ve done over the semester. You’ll choose
some of the pieces that were most useful for you and write a brief essay in which you
present an argument for how you’ve met the course objectives. In this essay, your writing
will be your evidence, so you’ll need to point to specific passages and features of your
writing to support your argument.
Writing Center
If you want additional help with your writing, the Writing Center in Norlin Library is a great place to
go to talk about ideas, improve your thesis or essay organization, or just generally work on your
writing skills. Check the Writing Center website for more information about hours and services, or
request an appointment online at: http://www.colorado.edu/pwr/writingcenter.html.
REVISIONS: Revision is the key to successful, thoughtful writing. A successful revision is one that
goes beyond peers’ and the instructor’s comments by making significant changes that are the results
of your own careful re-reading of your writing. Students will be allowed to revise ONE paper (either
Paper 2 or Paper 3; the grade will become the average of both scores). Students wishing to revise
their papers for a better grade may do so by following these guidelines:
1. You must turn in your revision 2 weeks after the paper has been graded and returned.
2. Along with the new draft of the paper you must submit the graded copy with my comments.
3. In a cover letter you must outline in detail the changes you made to your paper in the
revision. You should write about your original thoughts on the essay, how my comments
relate to your judgment of the essay, and how you have changed or revised your essay.
4. A conference with me or with someone in the Writing Center, in which you discuss your
ideas for revision, is also strongly recommended.
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Disabilities*
If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to me a letter from
Disability Services in a timely manner so that your needs may be addressed. Disability Services
determines accommodations based on documented disabilities (303-492-8671, Willard 322,
www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices).
Religious Observances*
Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to deal
reasonably and fairly with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with
scheduled exams, assignments, or required attendance. In this class, I ask that you contact me at least
one week ahead of the date(s) that you will be absent so that we can discuss any assignments/class
material that you will miss.
Classroom Behavior*
Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment.
Those who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Professional
courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with
differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender, gender variance, and
nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student's legal name. I will gladly
honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this
preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. (See policies
at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html and at
http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code.)
Discrimination and Harassment*
The University of Colorado at Boulder policy on Discrimination and Harassment, the University of
Colorado policy on Sexual Harassment and the University of Colorado policy on Amorous
Relationships apply to all students, staff and faculty. Any student, staff or faculty member who
believes s/he has been the subject of discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national
origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the Office of
Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-4925550. Information about the ODH, the above referenced policies and the campus resources available
to assist individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be obtained at
http://www.colorado.edu/odh.
The Honor Code*
All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to
the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating,
plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All
incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council
(honor@colorado.edu; 303-725-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the academic
integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and nonacademic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion).
Other information on the Honor Code can be found at
http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html and at
http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/.
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Course Calendar: (This is a tentative schedule for the Fall 2011 semester. For each project you will
receive an in-depth project calendar that highlights the reading and due dates in more depth.)
WEEK 1 Course Introduction; Documentary Response Paper; Syllabus (Aug. 23/25)
WEEK 2 Introduce Project One; Rhetorical Précis Exercises (Aug. 30/Sept. 1)
Read: “In the Unlikely Event of a Water Landing,” by Lauren Slater
WEEK 3 “Arguments are Everywhere” exercise; Rough Draft of Project 1 (peer review) (Sept. 6/8)
WEEK 4 Final Draft of Project One; vignette exercise (Sept. 13/15)
WEEK 5 Introduce Project Two; CNF lecture; in-class drafting (Sept. 20/22)
WEEK 6 Rough Draft of Project Two Due (peer review) (Sept. 27/29)
WEEK 7 Introduce Project Three; Rhetorical Analysis Lectures (Oct. 4/6)
Read: “Consider the Lobster” by DFW; map out article
WEEK 8 Revised and Final Draft of Project Two Due (Oct. 11/13)
WEEK 9 “Says vs. Does” lecture/exercise (Oct. 18/20)
WEEK 10 Rough Draft of Project Three Due (peer review) (Oct. 25/27)
WEEK 11 Final Draft of Project Three Due; Introduce Project 4 (Nov. 1/3)
WEEK 12 Project Proposal; Riot; Library Instruction (Nov. 7/10)
WEEK 13 Project 4 Draft Due (peer review) (Nov. 15-17)
WEEK 14 Thanksgiving Break (Nov. 22/24)
WEEK 15 Project 4 Final Due (Nov. 29/Dec. 1)
WEEK 16 Revision and Reflective Essay Due (Dec. 6/8)
WEEK 17 Finals Week (Dec. 13/15)