Writing Workshop, Spring 2008, SJSU

	Writing Workshop English 100W (Fall 2009) Section 3, T/R 9-10:15am (Sweeney Hall 410) A word about my furlough days...	Printer-Friendly Version
		Dr. Katherine D. Harris Office Hours: 11:30-1:30pm Office: FO 220 [map] Phone: 408.924.4475 Email: katherine.harris@sjsu.edu
Course Description � Course Learning Objectives � Course Policies � Grading Policy
Grade Distribution � Late Policy � Plagiarism � Required Books

Course Description
English 100W is an integrated writing and literature course designed to provide English majors with a firm foundation for the professional study of literature. Over the course of the semester, students will engage in all phases of those reading, thinking, researching, and writing processes that produce clear and purposeful critical essays that demonstrate an understanding of and illuminate for others how literature contains and conveys its effects and meanings. Approximately one half of the semester will be spent on the study of poetry. Prerequisite: Passing score on the Writing Skills Test (WST), upper-division standing (56 units), and completion of CORE GE.

Required Books & Materials (all on Course Reserve in King Library or Amazon Listmania)
Anderson, Daniel. Writing About Literature in the Media Age. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2005. ISBN 0321198352 Baker, Nancy L. and Nancy Huling. A Research Guide for Undergraduate Students. 6^th ed. MLA, 2006. ISBN 9780873529242 Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. 2^nd ed. Ed. Ross C. Murfin. Bedford, 1996. ISBN 0312114915 Hacker, Diana. A Writer�s Reference. 6^th ed. 2007. ISBN 0312450257 Accompanying Website Harmon, William and C. Hugh Holman. A Handbook to Literature. 10^th ed. or 11th ed. Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2005. ISBN 0131344420; or 2008. ISBN 9780136014393 Accompanying Website Dictionary, Collegiate-level Email Account Recommended MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7^th ed. New York: MLA, 2009.
Course Learning Objectives
Students shall achieve the ability to write complete essays that demonstrate advanced proficiency in all of the following: Clear and effective communication of meaning. An identifiable thesis that asserts significance beyond the subjective response. Effective and rhetorically appropriate sentence structure and diction. Effective organization and development of ideas at paragraph and essay levels. Mastery of conventional mechanics (e.g., punctuation, spelling, reference, agreement) and manuscript format. An appropriate voice that demonstrates an awareness of audience and purpose. Careful attention to review and revision. Effective and correct use of both primary and secondary supporting materials (e.g., quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing, citing, and documenting sources) Effective analysis, interpretation, evaluation, and synthesis of ideas encountered in multiple readings.
Grade Distribution
10% Class Discussion & Participation 10% Weekly Reading/Listening/Audience Responses (300 words each) 10% Recitation 15% Essays 1 & 4 (in-class; 1000 words each) 15% Essay 2 (1250 words) 10% Essay 3 (1000 words) 5% Essay 5 ~~(1250 words)~~ -- NOT GRADED 20% ~~15%~~ Essay 6 (major revision of Essay 5 with research; 2000 words) 10% Final Exam [top]
Class Discussion & Participation
English 100W introduces students to various literary genres as well as sharpens the critical thinking and writing skills that you learned in introductory composition courses. This course will prepare you for writing critical and research essays in your upper-division English courses. However, before we can write about literature, we must read it, talk about it and analyze its structure. This requires that you are prepared with the assigned readings at each class meeting. In addition, you will have weekly writing assignments and six essays over the semester. In order for the writing workshops to be beneficial, you must come to class with the assigned writings. Between the assigned essays, revised drafts and weekly responses, you will write the 8000 words of formal writing required for this course. The readings will come from our various textbooks. Please have the textbooks by our next class meeting. A student�s participation is assessed by his/her contribution throughout the semester. Use the following as guidelines for this portion of your final grade:
To earn a "C," do the minimum: at every meeting, read and prepare assigned readings so you are never at a loss if you are asked a question, but speak only when called upon, do "ordinary," plain-vanilla presentations and responses. This is the "bottom line" for getting a "C" in this part of the course. To earn a "B," at every meeting, prepare assigned readings thoroughly, initiate discussions about them by asking good questions or suggesting ways to interpret readings, do presentations that reveal that you have done good additional work that you can make both interesting and meaningful to our discussions, and participate actively in those discussions. For an "A," take it up another level entirely: at every meeting, prepare readings thoroughly, find and talk about connections among them and among other aspects of culture (then and now), take a real leadership role in class discussions, including working actively to get others involved in the talk, make your presentations and responses "sparkle" by bringing to them something really special in terms of your own contributions, interests, skills, and abilities to think in broad even interdisciplinary terms. Most of all, remember that an "A" indicates the very best grade a person can get; that should tell you what sort of work you need to do to earn the grade of "A."
If you miss class, contact a classmate for notes, reading assignments and handouts � or check our Course Website. (Please do not email me to ask "Did I miss anything important?")
Weekly Reading/Listening/Audience Responses Over the semester, you will produce various types of weekly response: some prepared outside of class and others prepared in class. For Reading Responses, you will produce a 1-2 page response (a minimum of 300 words) to the assigned reading for that week � emailed to me by 10:30am on the designated day. These will be used to stimulate your thoughts on the texts and to serve as ideas for your essays. Because these Reading Responses pertain to that week�s readings and are not useful after the discussion has been completed, late Reading Responses will not be accepted. For Listening or Audience Responses, you will produce an in-class 1-2 page response (300 words) to the presentations being given by your peers. Students who write nothing or who write frivolously will not receive credit for the exercise. I reserve the right to cancel or add weekly responses depending upon class performance.
Recitation Recitations are meant to allow you to engage very closely with a poem and so classmates may hear how a poem sounds. Rehearsing the poem will allow you to discover the intertwining relationship between poetic structure and poetic meaning. Each student will theatrically present a memorized 14-line (or more) poem on a designated day. This assignment will be in conjunction with Essay 2, an explication of a poem. See instructions here. [top]
Essays You will be required to write 5 graded essays with 1 major revision of an earlier essay throughout the semester for a total of 8,000 words: 2 written in-class, and 4 written outside of class. All take-home writing (both reading responses and essays) must be typed, 12 point font, 1 inch margins, and following MLA guidelines. The MLA has just published new guidelines for citing and documenting online resources; please review the 7^th edition of the handbook (in King Library or buy your own copy). One of the take-home essays will involve a substantial amount of scholarly research. See the Schedule for due dates and printed instructions. In addition to handing in a paper copy, each essay will be submitted to Turnitin.com for verification.
Final Exam Essay The mandatory department final exam will be given on Saturday, December 5. You must take this exam in order to pass the class.
Grading Policy
The Department of English reaffirms its commitment to the differential grading scale as defined in the official SJSU Catalog ("The Grading System"). Grades issued must represent a full range of student performance: A = excellent; B = above average; C = average; D = below average; F = failure. Courses graded according to the A,B,C,NoCredit system shall follow the same pattern, except that NC, for NoCredit, shall replace D or F. In A,B,C,NoCredit courses NC shall also substitute for W (for Withdrawl) because neither NC nor W affects students� grade point averages. In English Department courses, instructors will comment on and grade the quality of student writing as well as the quality of the ideas being conveyed. All student writing should be distinguished by correct grammar and punctuation, appropriate diction and syntax, and well-organized paragraphs. For your final grades, 100-90 is an A, 89-80 is a B, 79-70 is a C, 69-60 is a D, and below 60 is an F. Pluses and minuses are the middle of each range. In calculating the final grade, a set number will represent each letter grade; for example, B+ is 87.5, B is 85, and B- is 82.5. Note: This is an A, B, C, NoCredit course, but individual essays will be graded on an A to F scale. There are no C- final grades in English 100W. You must earn at least a C in order to pass. Any student with a final grade below a C will receive an NC and must repeat the course.
General Education Learning Objectives
English 100W is designed to meet the University Written Communication II requirements. Each assignment meets some aspect of these learning objectives. These requirements are as follows: Learning Objective 1: Students shall be able to refine the competencies established in Written Communication IA and IB as summarized below: IA Student Learning: Students should be able to perform effectively the essential steps in the writing process (prewriting, organizing, composing, revising, and editing). Students should be able to express (explain, analyze, develop, and criticize) ideas effectively. Students should be able to use correct grammar (syntax, mechanics, and citation of sources) at a college level of sophistication. Students should be able to write for different audiences (both specialized and general) IB Student Learning: Students should be able to use (locate, analyze, and evaluate) supporting materials, including independent library research. Students should be able to synthesize ideas encountered in multiple readings. Students should be able to construct effective arguments. Learning Objective 2: Students shall be able to express (explain, analyze, develop, and criticize) ideas effectively, including ideas encountered in multiple readings and expressed in different forms of discourse. Learning Objective 3: Students shall be able to organize and develop essays and documents for both professional and general audiences, including appropriate editorial standards for citing primary and secondary sources.
Course Policies
Late Assignments/Essays Any late ICE/OCE will not be accepted. For all other assignments: If you cannot meet a deadline, you must contact me at least 72 hours prior to our class meeting to discuss the situation. If this is not done, for every day that an essay is late, you will be penalized one grade step: A becomes A-, A- becomes a B+, etc. The weekend will count as one day. Unless you have prior permission or the assignment specifically requests it, absolutely no assignment will be accepted via email.
SJSU Academic Integrity Policy: Students should know that the University�s Academic Integrity Policy is availabe at http://www.sa.sjsu.edu/download/judicial_affairs/Academic_Integrity_Policy_S07-2.pdf . Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University and the University�s integrity policy, require you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The website for Student Conduct and Ethical Development is available at http://www.sa.sjsu.edu/judicial_affairs/index.html . Instances of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Cheating on exams or plagiarism (presenting the work of another as your own, or the use of another person�s ideas without giving proper credit) will result in a failing grade and sanctions by the University. For this class, all assignments are to be completed by the individual student unless otherwise specified. If you would like to include in your assignment any material you have submitted, or plan to submit for another class, please note that SJSU�s Academic Policy F06-1 requires approval of instructors.
Avoiding Plagiarism Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of somebody else�s words or ideas and is considered an instance of academic dishonesty that instructors must report. You commit plagiarism by buying, stealing, or borrowing a paper; hiring someone to write a paper; building on someone�s ideas without providing a citation; or copying from another source or using a source too closely when paraphrasing. In other words, submit only your own work. In addition, please know that submitting work from another course (recycling) is also against the Academic Honesty Policy. To learn how to cite sources accurately and forthrightly, consult your handbook. If you have any questions about when or how to document a source, do not hesitate to ask me for clarification. Turning in plagiarized work may result in immediate failure in the course and could result in dismissal from San Jos� State University. See King Library�s definition, the University policy and a plagiarism tutorial: www.sjlibrary.org/services/literacy/info_comp/plagiarism.htm Plagiarism checks will be performed by asking students to submit various written exercises or essays to Turnitin.com, a service which scans documents for all references to Web sources and other essays. To sign up for Turnitin use the Class ID 2821675 and Password writingfall. The instructor reserves the right to revise the requirements and to notify students of such revision in a timely manner.
Classroom Environment Respect your fellow students and I: Arrive on time (excessive tardiness will effect your participation grade) and do not partake in disruptive behavior. If you are late, wait for an appropriate moment to enter so you do not disturb the class. Turn off cell phones or put them on silent mode during the class period.
Email Email is the best possible way to contact me (9am-5pm) and has the added bonus of recording our conversations. Please note that I will be unable to respond to emails on furlough days. When emailing me, please consider it a formal communication: include the appropriate salutation, your name, your question/comment or your Weekly Reading Response. Know that long conversations over email are not fruitful merely because of the limitations of technology. If you have an extended question or dilemma, please visit me during office hours. I will amass a class email list and will occasionally send out information regarding our meetings or the readings. Please provide an email address that you check daily.
Course Website � http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/harris/ As we move along in the semester, course materials will be posted on the course website. After you have entered, simply click on our class title to print the current schedule or handouts, visit online resources, print copies of lost documents, find the SJSU Writing Center, check my office hours, find writing help, discover local literary events or double-check the meaning of "plagiarism."
SJSU Writing Center Visit me during office hours for help with your writing. For even further help, go to the Writing Center located in Clark Hall, Suite 126. Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:30-5:30 and Friday 9-12. Call for appointments at 924-2308 or go online at www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter. Work with tutors in a one-on-one environment.
Library Liaison For library research questions, contact Toby Matoush, the English Department�s Library Liaison: (408) 808-2096 or tmatoush@sjsu.edu. King Library has created an extensive and very useful list of the library�s resources specifically for English majors.
Peer Mentor Center The Peer Mentor Center is located on the 1st floor of Clark Hall in the Academic Success Center. The Peer Mentor Center is staffed with Peer Mentors who excel in helping students manage university life, tackling problems that range from academic challenges to interpersonal struggles. On the road to graduation, Peer Mentors are navigators, offering "roadside assistance" to peers who feel a bit lost or simply need help mapping out the locations of campus resources. Peer Mentor services are free and available on a drop �in basis, no reservation required. The Peer Mentor Center website is located at http://www.sjsu.edu/muse/peermentor/ .
Student Technology Resources Computer labs for student use are available in the Academic Success Center located on the 1st floor of Clark Hall and on the 2nd floor of the Student Union. Additional computer labs may be available in your department/college. Computers are also available in the Martin Luther King Library. A wide variety of audio-visual equipment is available for student checkout from Media Services located in IRC 112. These items include digital and VHS camcorders, VHS and Beta video players, 16 mm, slide, overhead, DVD, CD, and audiotape players, sound systems, wireless microphones, projection screens and monitors.
Dropping and Adding Courses Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drops, academic renewal, etc. Information on add/drops are available at http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/narr/soc-fall/rec-298.html . Information about late drop is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/sac/advising/latedrops/policy/ Students should be aware of the current deadlines and penalties for adding and dropping classes.
Campus Policy on Compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires that students with disabilities register with DRC to establish a record of their disability. The DRC website is http://www.drc.sjsu.edu.
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Dr. Katherine D. Harris
Last updated: 11/19/2009 11:59 AM