Course Syllabus

Goals, Practices, and Policies for Andy Ross’s Spring 2018 E110

Course Information

Section 105
TuTh 8:00–9:15 AM
325 Alison Hall

Section 130
TuTh 9:30–10:45 AM
325 Alison Hall

Instructor Information

Dr. Andy Ross (andyross@udel.edu)
Memorial 055
Office Hours: Mon 12:00–2:00, Tues, 2:00–4:00, or gladly by appointment

Course Description

The word “seminar” comes from the Latin seminarium meaning “a place for seeds.” As a seminar in writing, English 110 provides students the opportunity to collectively and individually tend to a plot of knowledge, a little secluded space where ideas are planted, projects are cultivated, and texts are harvested. All of that work comes through the practice of writing, which we will do a lot of in the next few weeks — in this course we will write, write about writing, write about the way that we talk about writing, and reflect on the way writing shapes the world. My particular hope for this section of E110 is that our time together exceeds abstraction and theory, and that you will do the “real work” of writing of writing in the “real world” — that your efforts in this class will take you beyond the constraints of our classroom.

A course like E110 works best when we set out not just to write, but to write about something. In this instance, I have chosen to theme many of our readings and assignments around issues relating to technology and how it is shaping our social, academic, professional, and psychological lives. What influence does technology exert on our ways of relating to one another? Why are people increasingly inextricably dependent upon and unsatisfied by our devices? How can we be mindful about using digital and non-digital technologies for good? How has the history of writing been influenced by technology and how do such influences extend to writing practices in the present day?

To be clear, E110 is a writing class, not a computer science or even digital media class. In other words, the main emphasis will always be on writing. Class members who are either obsessed with or afraid of technology (or some mix of the two) are equally welcome and will be equally served by our activities this semester so long as they are willing to go along with this theme for our assignments and course discussions. Even if you are not a “tech expert,” willingness to think creatively and critically will serve you well throughout the semester.

Course Materials

Graff, Gerald and Cathy Berkenstein. They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. Third Edition. Norton, 2014.

Harris, Joseph. Rewriting: How to Do Things With Texts. Second Edition. Utah State University Press, 2017.

Course Goals

English 110 will help you:

• Write clearly about complex texts and ideas.
  Academic essays are almost always composed in response to other texts. You will learn to engage with] the work of others clearly, accurately, and with attention to nuance and detail.
• Consider issues of audience and context in your writing.
  No matter what you write, you always write to a particular group of readers in a particular situation. You will learn how to shape and support your ideas to address the needs of particular readers and contexts.
• Respond thoughtfully and constructively to the work of other writers.
  As part of a classroom community, you will read and offer advice on your classmates’ work in progress. Doing so will help you hone, clarify, and communicate your own ideas in writing.
• Research the various perspectives on a question or topic and contribute to the scholarly conversation about it.
  Good academic writing exhibits not only your own perspective on a topic, but also a thorough understanding of what others have said about it. You will learn to find credible sources and use them to position yourself within a community of writers that extends beyond English 110.
• Compose both print and digital texts.
  The composition process is more than just putting words on the page. In addition to writing printed texts, you will also practice composing online and making use of visual and audio forms.

Course Practices

As a student in English 110, you will:

• Write frequently, write for different audiences, and write pieces of varying length and complexity.
  You will compose both print and digital texts for various purposes and readers. In addition to a formal research paper, you will develop your skills in regular, shorter writing assignments, composed both in and out of class.
• Participate as a member of a community of writers.
  English 110 is designed as a seminar — a course in which the writing of students is regularly brought to the table for discussion. You will often be asked to participate in a writer’s workshop, sharing your work in progress with several of your classmates and reading and responding to theirs.
• Read as a writer, and write as a reader.
  You will read texts not simply for what they say but for how they say it. That is, you will consider texts not only as sources of ideas but also as models of rhetorical and compositional strategies you can use in your own writing.
• Take several pieces through a process of drafting, workshopping with peers, revising in response to feedback, and editing.
  Good writing doesn’t usually happen all at once. Instead it usually involves an ongoing process of composing, sharing, and reworking a piece over several drafts. You will use feedback from your classmates and teacher to develop and refine the pieces you write for this course.
• Reflect on your aims and strategies as a writer.
  You will reflect on both your processes of writing and the actual texts you compose. In doing so, you will cultivate habits of mind and work that will help you develop as a writer beyond English 110.

Course Policies

Attendance, Participation, and In-class Work

E110 aims to teach you not only skills in writing, but habits of mind and work — to show you how writers go about the actual work of drafting, revising, and refining their work. Thus, you need to attend class regularly — ready to learn, participate, and write. For each of our 26 class meetings (including mandatory conferences) you will be assessed using the following rubric:

Present, satisfactory in-class work = 1 point
Present, unsatisfactory in-class work = .5 point
Late, satisfactory in-class work = .5 point
Late, unsatisfactory in-class work = 0 point
Excused absence, required work (see below) = .5 point
Absent, no required work = 0 points

Reasons for excused absences include serious illness or death in the family, athletic and military commitments, and other categories as outlined in the UD Faculty Handbook. Should you provide me with proper documentation, I will allow you to submit a reading response for that class period (though quizzes and other in-class activities cannot be made up). If you are truly sick, especially if you may be contagious, please email me in advance of class and stay home and rest. As long as I don’t feel such a policy is being taken advantage of, I will count such sick days as excused absences and the above policy regarding submitting work will apply.

Unexcused absences are days when for a reason other than physical illness you don’t make it to class. College can be stressful, and I understand the occasional necessity of taking a day off. I am allowing you two unexcused absences without penalty (note: you are still responsible, however, for major papers due that day). This means that while there are 26 class meetings, the attendance and participation grade is only worth 24 points. If you continue to have unexcused absences you will lose points from this component of our your course grade.

Because this is a seminar, I ask my students to commit their focus and energy to our discussions. I may call on you spontaneously to add to our conversation. You will often work in groups, and at times will be asked to respond directly to the written and verbally-expressed ideas of other class members. Please be respectful: of yourself, of the authors/artists/ideas we’ll encounter, and of your classmates. Racist, xenophobic, misogynistic, homophobic, or otherwise aggressive behavior/language have no place in my classroom. Texting, arriving late or leaving early, chit-chatting (or snapchatting), clipping toenails, etc. will result in a loss of participation points.

Some final notes:

• Do be in touch with me as soon as possible should extenuating circumstances arise — it is better to for me to know in advance if you’re going to miss class than to find out after the fact.
• I encourage you to get the contact info of a friend or neighbor in class, who you can check in with about work or announcements you may have missed in the case of an absence. Please don’t email me asking if “you missed anything important” (The answer is always: “YES!”)

Technology in Class

There is a growing body of fascinating research about the ways that technology is shaping education, some of which we will be reading and responding to in our writing. Such tools are incredibly powerful and can be ways of collaborating and creatively engaging with course materials. They can also distract (both you and the people around you). If you have one, I encourage you to bring a laptop to class but to please use it discriminately — appropriate uses include looking at an assigned reading or doing a writing or workshopping activity. At other times, I will ask you to put “lids down” so that we can focus our attention without any distractions. If at any time I suspect that you are being distracted by a device (messaging, doing work for another class, etc.), I will ask you to put it away. If I need to ask a second time in a class period you will be marked absent and lose that day’s participation points.

Submitting Work

“Smaller” assignments (meaning reading responses or workshopping materials) will not be accepted late. Larger assignments (such as papers) will be marked down 1/3 of a grade for each day they are late. Likewise, submitting a final draft of a paper without completing the required initial drafts will result in failure for the assignment. “Lost” papers (say, in the event of a tech issue) will still be considered late.

In an effort to save paper and the energy required to avoid spilling on it, I am going to an online submission policy. This means all of your major assignments will be submitted and graded via Canvas. If this process is intimidating, or if you run into technical problems, please be in touch ASAP — I am more than happy to try to help. But please note that “late is late,” even in the case of IT problems.

All papers should be typed and formatted following the guidelines of the recently-updated 8th edition of the MLA Handbook (Purdue OWL and the MLA Style Center are great online resource for this information, or you can go to the source itself and purchase a copy of the handbook). I am of the view that proper formatting is a crucial part of polishing an assignment and preparing it to successfully meet the expectations of its audience — please take it seriously. To help, below is a quick version of the header to a sample paper, following MLA guidelines.

Contact/Availability

I do my absolute best to be available to help my students. I’ve found over the years teaching these kinds of courses that the students who do best are those who aren’t afraid to ask for help. So please be in touch. Specifically, it seems like the students who take advantage of office hours by coming to ask questions, brainstorm ideas, or simply discuss their work in the class tend to see a more rapid improvement in their writing. I am planning to be at my desk in my office at the scheduled times and will make it clear if I am going to have to cancel or reschedule office hours. If your schedule does not allow you to come during office hours, I am happy to meet during a time that works with your schedule. Please don’t hesitate to set up a meeting time! Because I will periodically send out announcements, reminders, and mini-lessons, I encourage you to regularly check your UD email account.

I will also do my best to provide a quick and clear response to course-related email though I will be slower to respond to emails on the weekend. In general, it’s unwise to email with a last-minute question right before an assignment is due and expect me to answer in time for you to make changes to your assignment.

Reading

There’s quite a bit of reading on the calendar, but I’ve tried to be realistic, and not go beyond what I think is a justifiable amount for a university course at this level. Here are some ideas for ways to get the most out of your reading in this course:

• Do it. You can’t succeed in this course if you don’t complete the assigned reading.
• Give yourself time and don’t rush. Some of what we’re going to read is hard — it’s dense, and occasionally tough to follow. I strongly recommend you avoid trying to read late at night or in the hour before class. Going slowly will help you get much more out of the assigned reading.
• Read actively. Underline. Highlight. Write notes in the margins or in a notebook. Read critically in such a way that goes beyond searching for the “main points,” to thinking about what arguments are being made and through what means. What are the text’s implications? How effective do you find its rhetorical strategies? Can you think of a counterargument?

Extra Help (Writing Center)

Sharing your writing with someone else can be hard. But the more readers you receive feedback from, the stronger your writing will be — that is one of the basic principles this course is built upon. For this reason, the UD Writing Center can be an excellent resource. I encourage you to go call, stop by, or go online to make appointments: 016 Memorial Hall and 017 Morris Library, (302) 831–1168, www.english.udel.edu/wc/

Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities or diverse abilities are welcome in my classroom. If you need accommodation in order to succeed in ENG 110, I strongly encourage you to contact the UD Office of Disability Support Services (DSS) in Alison Hall, Suite 130, (302) 831–4643, dssoffice@udel.edu or www.sites.udel.edu/dss/

Other Sources of Support at UD

The University of Delaware is committed to helping students thrive academically and personally and has committed to a number of resources for helping them do so. These include support regarding health and wellness, counseling, study tips, and career guidance. In this class, you should always feel supported. If you need any assistance, please do not hesitate to speak with me before or after class or during office hours. At UD, there is always someone ready and willing to listen — a 24-hour helpline is available at (302) 831–1001. Below are some other campus resources available to students. I encourage you to learn as much as you can about them.

• Center for Counseling and Student Development
• Student Wellness and Health Promotion
• Center for Black Culture
• LGBTQ+ Advocacy, Support & Resources
• The Office for Academic Enrichment (OAE)

Course Evaluation

At the end of the semester students will be given the opportunity to evaluate the course. Your feedback helps me to improve my teaching, and I take it seriously. I am also planning various mid-semester “check ins” in which students can provide feedback anonymously. At any point in the semester, you are welcome to come and discuss concerns or challenges. Again, I am here to help!

Disclosure of Sexual Misconduct

If, at any time during this course, I happen to be made aware that a student may have been the victim of sexual misconduct (including sexual harassment, sexual violence, domestic/dating violence, or stalking), I am obligated by federal law to inform the university’s Title IX Coordinator. The university needs to know information about such incidents to, not only offer resources, but to ensure a safe campus environment. The Title IX Coordinator will decide if the incident should be examined further. If such a situation is disclosed to me in class, in a paper assignment, or in office hours, I promise to protect your privacy — I will not disclose the incident to anyone but the Title IX Coordinator. For more information on Sexual Misconduct policies, where to get help, and reporting information please refer to www.udel.edu/sexualmisconduct. At UD, we provide 24 hour crisis assistance and victim advocacy and counseling. Contact 302–831–2226, Student Health Services, to get in touch with a sexual offense support advocate.

Academic Integrity

For the purposes of this course I am following the MLA’s definition of plagiarism as “presenting another person’s ideas, information, expressions, or entire work as one’s own.” The UD Faculty Handbook includes the following policy regarding academic integrity (which I will comply with): “It is the official policy of the University of Delaware that all acts or attempted acts of alleged student academic dishonesty be reported to the Office of Judicial Affairs.” The University of Delaware protects the rights of all students by insisting that individual students act with integrity. Accordingly, the University severely penalizes plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty. The most likely outcome in a case of academic dishonesty is failure for the assignment.

Secret Policy

Shh! Don’t tell the others that I’m here. If you’ve made it this far, send me an email at andyross@udel.edu with a quick run-down of one academic goal you have for this semester. Doing so will earn you ½ a point extra credit (policy self-destructs at the end of the day February 9).

Course Assignments

(Brief descriptions of assignments follow. Much more information forthcoming.)

Participation and In-Class Work

(See above about how I’m going to assess attendance and participation.) The forms of our in-class work will vary over the course of the semester: at times we’ll take a quick reading quiz; at others we may work collaboratively in groups on an activity or individually on a practice writing prompt. Part of this in-class work will be periodic reading responses which you will post to our class blog before our class meeting (see the calendar for more). I am considering these part of our “in-class” work because I see them as opportunities for you to prepare for a meaningful discussion in class. I will often call on individuals to draw from their blog posts to get our conversation going, or to highlight thematic trends emerging in students’ responses. You are writing to your peers in these short posts (roughly 500 words) and should assume that they are as familiar with the reading as you are. They will be graded on the following scale:

Satisfactory = .5 point
(suitably responding to the prompt, showing a willingness to engage with the reading material, clearly composed)

Unsatisfactory (or not submitted) = 0 points
(Not making any meaningful reference to the reading, clearly rushed or sloppy)

Rhetorical Analysis

This first major paper will ask you to “read as a writer and write as a reader” by practicing responding to the rhetorical moves of another writer. You will write an analysis that (in addition to practicing the vital skill of summary) “comes to terms” (using Joseph Harris’s term) with the aims, methods, and materials of another writer’s work. The analysis will evaluate the effectiveness of an argument and consider its implications or limits. You will compose two drafts of this assignment, which should be between 900 and 1200 words.

Research Paper

This is the culmination of our work in E110, in which you will draft, workshop, and revise a research paper that participates in the scholarly conversation happening about an issue or your choosing relating to technology. The final product should be between 1400 and 1800 words and will be supported by a number of shorter assignments: a proposal, a series of annotations (in which you practice summarizing and evaluating sources), a source paper (in which you engage with multiple sources to understand the conversation your paper is participating in), and two rough drafts.

Research Paper Remix

This last of our main assignments asks you to “remix” the content of your research paper in a new form. In particular, I am going to ask you to think creatively and critically about the ways that technologies might inform the content of the paper. For instance, how would a research paper look different if presented as a vlog or podcast? How would you represent your paper effectively as an Instagram feed or hand-printed linotype poster? I encourage you to approach this assignment as a chance to take a few encouraged risks in how you think about “academic” work.

Research Paper Remix Presentation

We will conclude the semester with short presentations in which you will showcase to the class both your research and how you’ve remixed it. More details to come about this assignment, but it is worth emphasizing that I approach oral presentations as another opportunity to practice audience awareness.

Reflections

For each of our major assignments you will write short reflections in which you account for the choices you made as a writer. These assignments are designed to encourage you to become more self-aware of your practices as a writer, and to articulate both for yourself and me the ways the process behind each product.

Workshopping

At several times throughout the semester I will put you in workshop groups to respond thoughtfully and constructively to the work of others. This is a crucial part of the course — it helps to foster the type of creative community that writers best succeed in. Following each one of these in-class workshops, you will write a letter to your assigned peer, which I will evaluate using a very simple rubric (Satisfactory = 1 point, Unsatisfactory = 0 points).

Course Calendar

The calendar of readings and written assignments for this course is available here.