ENGL 309 Fall 2017 Syllabus
- 1. ENGL 309 | Rhetorical Style SYLLABUS Fall 2017 This course is grounded in the premise that style is not simply a formal quality of writing and other forms of composition, but that it is always rhetorical: that is, it is deeply associated with audience, purpose, and genre. We will spend the semester investigating the rhetorical nature of style. We’ll begin by gaining an understanding of genre through analysis and play. Then we’ll practice different kinds of styles by writing about one topic across various genres, including the professional (a white paper solving a problem for a professional audience) to the literary (an essay written in the style of another writer) to the public (an open letter). As with dancing and other skills, a true facility with style will not come without practice: it requires attention and practice. Becoming aware of and practiced with style in this way will prepare you to write in a lot of different situations, for a lot of different audiences – something that will help you no matter what your career plans. At the end of the semester you will submit a final portfolio of your revised work and an extensive reflective statement about how you have met the learning outcomes for the course. Ideally, you’ll leave the course with
- 2. several beautifully polished pieces of writing that you’ll be able to use as writing samples for professional or graduate school purposes. By the end of the course, you should be able to... 1. Explain why style is rhetorical, a product of audience, purpose, and genre. 2. Effectively compose in a wide range of written genres using the style appropriate to that genre, audience, and purpose. 3. Thoroughly analyze the stylistic devices of a given piece of prose, and be able to imitate those devices in your own writing. 4. Use advanced research skills and understand how to use that research to advance your own writing goals. 5. Effectively give and receive feedback about writing in small and large- group settings. REQUIRED MATERIALS Chris Holcomb and Jimmie Killingsworth, Performing Prose: The Study and Practice of Style in Composition. This is available through Amazon for about $15. Required readings on the English 309 BbLearn site. Course Website If you are reading this, then you have already introduced yourself to our course BbLearn site. In the interests of saving paper and maintaining a dynamic course schedule, all of the course materials—including the syllabus, course calendar, electronic readings, and assignment sheets—will be contained on this site. For the most part, I will not provide printed copies of materials, though you can feel free to print them out if you like. Though I will try to notify you of changes in class and by email, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR REGULARLY CHECKING THE CALENDAR FOR CHANGES TO THE SCHEDULE. “I didn’t know” is not an excuse. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Come to class. We won’t meet every class period, especially when you’re working on major projects. However, when we do meet, we’ll be sharing ideas and critiquing each other’s work, so it’s vital that you are here and ready to participate. Excessive absences (any more than 5) will lead to an overall grade reduction of half a letter grade per class missed. Note that some days I will be teaching from Coeur d’Alene, since half our class is up there – I’ll give you plenty of notice when that’s the case. Complete homework assignments. For each project, there will be one or more assignments designed to help “scaffold” the project. There is no “busy
- 3. work” in this course – every assignment I give you is meaningful, and is designed to help you develop some important skill that will help you complete the project. Complete all major assignments. As per English department policy, you must complete every major assignment in order to pass the course. Not completing a major assignment leads automatically to a grade of F in the course. Late assignments will be docked 1/2 letter grade per day. Participate in draft workshops. Before each paper is due, we will also have at least one draft exchange/writing workshop to aid in your revision and writing process. Attendance and participation in these workshops is mandatory. If you miss a workshop or are unprepared for it, you will lose participation points from your final grade. Be civil. In any environment in which people gather to learn, it is essential that all members feel as free and safe as possible in their participation. To this end, it is expected that everyone in this course will be treated with mutual respect and civility, with an understanding that all of us (students, instructors, professors, guests, and teaching assistants) will be respectful and civil to one another in discussion, in action, in teaching, and in learning. Should you feel our classroom interactions do not reflect an environment of civility and respect, you are encouraged to meet with your instructor during office hours to discuss your concern. Additional resources for expression of concern or requesting support include the Dean of Students office and staff (5-6757), the UI Counseling & Testing Center’s confidential services (5- 6716), or the UI Office of Human Rights, Access, & Inclusion (5-4285) Cell phones must be turned off and stowed for the entirety of class. Complete a final portfolio. At the end of the semester, you will submit a final portfolio that reflects on your work during the semester and makes substantive arguments about how you met the course objectives. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY I will not tolerate academic dishonesty (cheating) of any sort. Consequences for academic dishonesty will certainly include failing the assignment; students who plagiarize may also receive an F in the course. If you’re not sure what plagiarism is, you can read the University of Idaho’s Academic Honesty Policy online at http://www.if.uidaho.edu/docs/academic_honesty.pdf. ACCOMMODATIONS
- 4. Reasonable accommodations are available for you if you have a documented disability. Please notify me during the first week of class regarding accommodation(s) needed for the course. All accommodations must be approved through Disability Support Services located in the Idaho Commons Building, Room 312 (885-7200; email at dss@uidaho.edu; see also www.access.uidaho.edu orwww.webs.uidaho.edu/aap). GRADING POLICY Each project includes a Drop Box for assignments. Homework assignments are due before class; Typically major assignments are due at end-of-day (11:59 p.m.) the day they are due. Unless you have gotten permission from me at least 24 hours ahead of time, late assignments will be docked a half-letter grade per day they are late. I will make exceptions if you have serious extenuating circumstances (severe illness, death in the family, etc.), but you must tell me about these circumstances before the paper is due, and you must provide the appropriate documentation upon your return. I will grade your work based on the following general criteria, though I’ll provide you with more specific criteria for each assignment: A: superior; the work is of near-professional quality. The assignment meets or exceeds all objectives. The content is mature, thorough, and well suited for the audience; the style is clear, accurate, and forceful; the information is well organized and formatted so that it is accessible and attractive; the mechanics and grammar are correct. B: good; the paper meets the objectives of the assignment, but it needs improvement in style, or it contains easily correctable errors in grammar, format, or content, or its content is superficial. C: competent; the paper needs significant improvement in concept, details, development, organization, grammar, or format. It may be formally correct but superficial in content. D: marginally acceptable; the paper meets some of the objectives but ignores others; the content is inadequately developed; or it contains numerous or major errors. F: unacceptable; the paper does not have enough information, does something other than the assignment required, or it contains major errors or excessive errors. Your final grade will be determined by the grades you receive on written and in-class assignments, based on the following weighting: Draft Workshops 100
- 5. Homework Assignments & Quizzes (these will be graded on thoroughness and completeness). 200 Genre Parody Assignment 100 Semester Topic Proposal 50 Annotated Bibliography 50 White Paper Assignment (Solving a Problem for a Professional Audience) 150 Imitative Essay 150 Open Letter 100 Final Portfolio 200 TOTAL POINTS 1100