ENGL 101-004 Spring 2014 1

ENGL 101-004 – Expository Writing

MWF 9:00-9:50AM, ESCP 107
Instructor: Clare Jennifer Russell Office Hours: Humanities 319
Email: [email protected] MW 11:30AM-1PM or by appointment

Welcome to English 101! This class is designed to familiarize you with the process of writing.
Together we will read, discuss, analyze and produce the types of writing you will experience
during college and beyond. The final product will be an electronic portfolio. The final eportfolio
will be a website that includes a collection of documents that showcase your accomplishments
and growth as a college writer. The class is designed in three different assignment sequences that
help you produce the writing that will be included in your end of semester eportfolio. That means
there will be three major writing assignments (MWAs) due this semester (one MWA per
sequence). Each sequence also requires 2 short writing assignments (SWAs) to be turned in, as
well as the completion of assignments on Learn, individual and group in-class writing
assignments, and attendance at peer review sessions and teacher conferences. The SWAs, online
work, and the in-class work are designed to help you practice the skills necessary for success
with the MWAs, and ultimately, success with the final portfolio. Each class session builds upon
skills learned in the previous session, therefore, CLASS ATTENDENCE AND ACTIVE
CLASS PARTCIPATION ARE REQUIRED. Class participation, attendance requirements
and other information helpful to your success in this course are contained within this syllabus.
This syllabus is a contract between you and me, the instructor. You are responsible for
reading and understanding the policies and procedures outlined in the syllabus. I am happy
to answer any questions you have about the course or the syllabus via email or during my office
hours. If you cannot make it to office hours talk to me and we can set up a time that works for
both of us.

Required Materials

Text: Johnson-Sheehan and Paine’s Writing Today for the University of New Mexico, 4th edition
(Pearson, 2013).

Other:

 USB drive for transporting files between campus computers

 Reliable, consistent internet access for Learn assignments and the design and completion
of your eportfolio.
 Your laptop, tablet, or other electronic note-taking device in welcome in class, but if I
feel like you are distracting yourself or your fellow classmates with such device, I may
ask you to leave class.

Now that you know the basics, let’s talk about the Course Description and Outcomes.
These are taken directly from the UNM Core Writing Handbook.
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In English 101, you will develop reading and writing skills that will help you with the writing
you will do in your own fields of study and other personal and professional contexts. You will
learn to analyze rhetorical situations in terms of audience, contexts, purpose, mediums, and
technologies and apply this knowledge to your reading and writing. You will also gain
understanding of how writing and other modes of communication (such as visual and audio
elements) work together for rhetorical purposes.

You will learn to read complex nonfiction texts and to summarize, interpret, and draw inferences
from them. You will conduct research using primary sources (e.g., observations, surveys, or
interviews). And you will write in multiple genres, making rhetorical choices according to the
purpose of the writing and your audience.

Throughout the semester in English 101, you will progress toward the following student learning
outcomes:

Rhetorical Situation and Genre

A. analyze, compose, and reflect on arguments in a variety of genres, considering the strategies,
claims, evidence, and various mediums and technologies that are appropriate to the rhetorical
situation

Writing as a Social Act

B. describe the social nature of composing, particularly the role of discourse communities at the
local, national, and international level

Writing as a Process
C. use multiple approaches for planning, researching, prewriting, composing, assessing, revising,
editing, proofreading, collaborating, and incorporating feedback in order to make your
compositions stronger in various mediums and using multiple technologies

Grammar and Usage

D. improve your fluency in the dialect of Standardized Written American English at the level of
the sentence, paragraph, and document
E. analyze and describe the value of incorporating various languages, dialects, and registers in
your own and others’ texts

Reflection
F. evaluate your development as a writer over the course of the semester and describe how
composing in multiple genres and mediums using various technologies can be applied in other
contexts to advance your goals

Research
G. use writing and research as a means of discovery to examine your personal beliefs in the
context of multiple perspectives and to explore focused research questions through various
mediums and technologies
H. integrate others’ positions and perspectives into your writing ethically, appropriately, and
effectively in various mediums and technologies
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Keep these outcomes in mind when completing assignments. We will talk about them together
frequently so that you can familiarize yourself with thinking and writing about them. You will
write multiple reflections that discuss and analyze your progress towards the English 101
Learning Outcomes and a final 3 page reflective letter must be included in your eportfolio to pass
the class.

Now that we know what UNM says this class should be like, let’s talk about how our class
will be unique.

You don’t have to be an English major, or even to like writing to do well in this class. You do,
however, need to be a valuable class member with a positive attitude towards learning. A
valuable class member comes to class prepared, contributes to class discussions, participates in
group activities, and provides meaningful feedback during peer reviews. A positive attitude
towards learning is demonstrated best by respectful and engaged behavior towards your
classmates.
Your peers are one of your best academic resources because they are doing the same work you
are. As a result they can give you advice on how to improve your work and help you generate
paper ideas.
Class discussions are also important for generating ideas and forming opinions, but please
respect your peers. If you disagree with someone or something, handle the disagreement in a
mature manner.
I know that you we are in a computer classroom, but please do not distract youself or your
classmates from the class discussion. If you have relevant online material to share with the class,
you can share on the big screen.

Attendance Policy
Because students who miss two weeks—or one-eighth of a sixteen-week semester—of class time
generally have missed too much work to make up, you may be dropped from the course if your
absences total four. An absence is counted if you arrive more than 10 minutes late to class.

Drop Policy

Dropping or being dropped from a course can affect your GPA, enrollment status and financial
aid/award status. Always talk to your instructor before it’s too late about the possible
consequences of a drop and opportunities for avoiding it.

A few things to consider:

 A drop before the end of the third week in a sixteen-week semester will not appear on
your transcript, and you will not earn credit hours or a grade in the course.
 Your instructor can drop you from the course at any point in the semester before finals
for violating attendance policy.
 If you, your instructor, or the Dean of Students initiates a drop after the end of the third
week in a sixteen-week semester, you will receive a W. Although a W does not give you
credit hours for the course, it does appear on your transcript.
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 If no drop is initiated by the end of the semester by any party, then based on your
performance and attendance your instructor will use his/her discretion to decide whether
to assign you a grade from A+ to F or a W.
 In Core Writing, a C or above is passing. When deciding whether or not to drop a course,
consider the outcomes of earning a grade below C as opposed to a W and vice versa. For
grades C- to D-, you will earn credit hours, but you will have to repeat the course, and the
grade will appear on your transcript and factor into your GPA.

Grading Policy

Grading standards for individual writing assignments will be distributed as separate handouts
Your final grade will be determined by the following assignment breakdown.

Assignment Percentage

Final Portfolio (Contains 2 revised MWAs with 35%

supporting drafts and peer reviews, and a
reflective letter)

6 Short Writing Assignments (SWA) 25% total

3 Major Writing Assignments (MWA) 10% each

(30% total)
Class Participation and Online Assignments 10%
(100 points total, will include weekly Learn
activities and participation in peer review
sessions, group work, and class discussions)

Your final grade will be based on this scale. I DO GIVE A+s if you earn them!

A+ 97-100+% B+ 87-89.9% C+ 77-79.9% D+ 67-69.9% F 0-59.9%

A 93-96.9% B 84-86.9% C 74-76.9% D 64.66.9%
A- 90-92.9% B- 80-83.9% C- 70-73.9% D- 60-63.9%

Please note, the English Department requires a grade of C or above to successfully pass this class.

Portfolio: The portfolio contains your best, revised work during the semester, as well as a letter
reflecting upon your own work. It is worth 35% of your grade and you cannot pass English 101
without passing the portfolio. Most importantly, this portfolio is DIGITAL. That means it will be
a website that uses sounds, images, text and video to represent your work. The third and final
sequence in this course will require you to use video, audio and image editing software. We will
discuss which programs to use and practice with them throughout the course. You don’t have to
be a techie or a Photoshop expert to pass this class, and I will help you acquire the skills you’ll
need to complete the eportfolio and Sequence 3. However, if this digital requirement makes you
nervous, we should talk about it as soon as possible.
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Conferences: During the semester we’ll occasionally cancel class so that I can meet with you
either one-on-one, in a small group, or through chat to discuss the progress of your work. Your
on-time attendance at the conference is mandatory, and you must bring a rough draft of your
working assignment to receive credit. I will not accept your assignment if you have not
conferenced with me.

Late Work: You are responsible for being aware of all assignment due dates. Assignments are
to be submitted via Learn BEFORE THE ASSIGNED DATE AND TIME. Note that due dates
exist for a reason, and I am in no way obligated to ever accept late work. However, I completely
understand that sometimes stuff happens, so I am almost always (but dependent on the time of
year and the assignment in question) willing to accept late work at -5 points for every day late,
up until the assignment is handed back. You should email me as soon as you know you are going
to turn in a late assignment. Once I have returned an assignment to the rest of the class I will
no longer accept that assignment.

Extra Credit!
The UNM campus and Albuquerque are full of many wonderful events. There are always talks,
conferences, plays and presentations going on! In fact, I’m so excited about it, I’m willing to
offer extra credit for going to an academic event (clear it with me first if you’re unsure) and
submitting a one-page response summarizing the event and what you learned. I will let you know
of the events I hear about, but feel free to make announcements in class. This is a limited amount
of extra credit: you may submit up to 3 extra credit papers, worth 5 points each.

Using Student Writing in the Classroom

I often bring anonymous student writing into the classroom for analysis and discussion. This
means that each student will likely have his or her writing (anonymously) discussed by the class
at some point. Please do not write anything for this class that you would not be comfortable
sharing.

Write On! Workshops

Traditionally held on the Wednesday and Thursday before finals week each spring and fall
semester, the Write On! Workshops (WOW) provide an opportunity for English 101 and 102
students to meet one on one with volunteer Core Writing instructors to workshop their drafts,
revisions and reflective cover memos before submitting them for a final grade in their end-of-
semester portfolios. In conjunction, CAPS offers group workshops on strategies for revision. We
will discuss your participation later in the semester.

CAPS Writing & Language Center Services Information

Located on the 3rd floor of Zimmerman Library, the Writing and Language Center at UNM’s
Center for Academic Program Support (CAPS) offers a number of services to students free of
charge:
 Individual appointments;
 Virtual tutoring lab;
 Drop-in writing labs in various locations across campus;
 Writing and language workshops;
 English as a Second Language (ESL) Tutoring.
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CAPS tutors can assist you at all stages of the writing process, from understanding assignment
guidelines to improving your grammar. But before visiting the Writing and Language Center,
remember the following:
 Don’t wait until the last minute to bring your paper to CAPS and expect someone
to “fix it”; CAPS tutors work with you, not for you;
 Individual appointments must be made in advance, so use your course and
sequence calendars to predict when you might want to meet with a CAPS tutor;
 You must first register in person at the CAPS office before you can make
appointments online;
 It may take up to 48 hours to receive feedback through the Virtual Tutoring Lab.

For more information, visit CAPS online at http://caps.unm.edu/ or call 277-7205.

ADA Accommodation Policy

Equal Access: If you have a qualified disability that requires some form of accommodation to
ensure your equal access to learning in this class, please see me as soon as possible so that we
can work together to address your needs.
A qualified disability is one that has been diagnosed and documented through UNM's
Accessibility Resource Center. See http://as2.unm.edu/ for more information.

UNM Core Writing Plagiarism Policy

“Plagiarism” is a type of academic dishonesty. It occurs when writers deliberately use another
person’s language, ideas, or materials and present them as their own without acknowledging the
source. Every first-year writing class covers plagiarism in great detail, so there is little excuse for
failing to understand what constitutes plagiarism or the consequences that will result.

Types of Plagiarism
Plagiarism can include any of the following:
 Failing to quote material taken from another source.
 Failing to cite material taken from another source.
 Submitting writing that was written by another person or for another class.
 Submitting writing that was substantially edited by another person.

Procedures for Handling Plagiarism Cases

If an instructor thinks a student may have plagiarized, he or she will follow these steps:
 Meet privately with the student and the Core Writing director, course coordinator,
TA mentor or other instructor to discuss the assignment in question and the
evidence of plagiarism;
 Identify the appropriate consequence;
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 File a report with the Dean of Students;

 If you are an athlete, contact Henry Villegas, Director of the Lobo Center for
Student Athlete Success.

Possible Consequences
The instructor decides the academic consequence to be imposed, depending on the
seriousness of the violation. Sanctions include the following:
 Adequately redo or revise the assignment in question;
 Fail the assignment in question;
 Be dropped from the class with a W; or
 Fail the class.
 Be subject to more severe sanctions imposed by the Dean of Students.
All students suspected of plagiarism will be reported to the Dean of Students, who
maintains a file of past plagiarism cases. The UNM Student Code of Conduct also
addresses Academic Dishonesty at http://pathfinder.unm.edu/policies.htm.

Respectful Campus Policy

The English Department affirms its commitment to the joint responsibility of instructors and
students to foster and maintain a positive learning environment.
I discussed much of what this means in the section about student conduct. I will ask disruptive
students, and students that purposefully demean other students, to leave the class if necessary.
 ENGL 101-004 Spring 2014 8

Proposed Class Schedule

The following is a rough schedule of when small and major assignments will be due. This
schedule is open to change but I will always give you plenty of notice. Consult the class page on
Learn for the most current due dates.

Sequence 1: The Review

W January 22: Class introductions and syllabus review.

M January 27: Finalize MWA #1 Topic

F January 31: SWA #1 Due

F February 7: SWA #2 Due

M February 10 & W February 12: NO CLASS – CONFERENCES

Bring your first draft of MWA #1

F February 14: Online Peer Review

M February 17: In class peer review. Bring one copy of your second draft of MWA #1

F February 21: MWA #1 Final draft, reflective letter, peer review/editing forms DUE by
midnight on Learn

Sequence 2: The Rhetorical Analysis

M February 24: Sequence 2 intro and review.

M March 3: Finalize MWA #2 Topic

F March 7: SWA #3 Due

F March 14: SWA #4 Due

March 17-21: SPRING BREAK!!!!

M March 24 & W March 26:NO CLASS – CONFERENCES

Bring your first draft of MWA #2

F March 28: Online Peer Review of second draft of MWA #2

M March 31: MWA #2 Final draft, reflective letter, peer review/editing forms DUE by midnight
on Learn
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Sequence 3: Make Your Own Advertisement

M March 31: Sequence 3 intro and review.

M April 7: Finalize MWA #3 Topic

M April 14: SWA #5 Due

M April 21: SWA #6 Due

April 21-25: Lab Week - work in class on your projects and ask me for help

M April 28 & W April 30: In Class Peer Review of MWA #3 roughdraft

F May 2: MWA #3 Final draft, reflective letter, peer review/editing forms DUE

May 5-9: Portfolio Conferences

W May 14: FINAL PORTFOLIO DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON LEARN