English 2010: Fall 2007

Section 22: M/W/F 11:00-11:50pm GT 6xx
Section 42: M/W/F 3:00-3:50pm LA 105

Instructor: Dr. John C. Goshert
Office: LA 121t Phone: 863-6288
email: gosherjo@uvsc.edu
Office Hours: T/R 1:30-3:00 and by appointment

Required Texts

Entering the Academic Conversation: Strategies for Research Writing (working draft)

Prentice Hall Guide to Grammar and Usage (preferably the 5^th Edition)

Additional texts will be available through electronic library reserves: http://eres.uvsc.edu.

Reading notes:

1. Per UVSC catalog, this course focuses on learning and enhancing academic inquiry and research skills; thus, you are responsible not only for writing assignments, but also for completing assigned readings (and there will be reading assigned almost every day of the term), and you must be prepared to discuss reading selections thematically and formally, both in terms of content and in relation to course projects.

2. This is a class focused on developing strategies of critical thinking, analysis, and writing. Reading selections are thus determined by standards of academic inquiry and a commitment to the exchange of ideas; materials will not be “rated G” or censored in any way.

3. Note that the Prentice Hall Guide is not assigned reading at any particular time in the semester; rather, it is your responsibility to purchase the book and to use it as a resource for grammar, spelling, and format conventions (among others). This is not a grammar course.

Course Description, Advice, and Policies

In order to register for this course, you will have already passed—by taking the course, AP credit, or testing out—English 1010. You should thus be relatively proficient in basic college writing skills as described in the college catalog.

This section of English 2010 will use a working draft of a new textbook, which is scheduled to be published by Prentice Hall next year. Like all sections of 2010/2020, this course will help you make the move from basic college writing skills to more advanced writing of the kind you will practice through the rest of your college career and perhaps beyond (in your profession, in graduate school, in simply leading an informed life, etc.). Your main goal this semester is to learn and enhance your abilities to read and respond to academic writing by professional scholars working on one or more fields, and you’ll have the opportunity to explore scholarship related to your academic major and/or anticipated profession. Your success in the course is dependent not only on completing the assigned reading and writing, but also on participating actively in the class—in developing process-oriented strategies for writing.

Because we will take a discussion/workshop approach to the course, attendance and participation will weigh significantly in your grade. More than two absences during the semester can result in failure of the class.

Summary: Briefly, there will be five major papers assigned throughout the semester:

Definition (about 2-3 pages): students choose a term or concept from a piece of scholarship and develop a multidimensional definition through general-audience and discipline-specific reference materials.
Summary/Strong Response (about 5 pages): students describe and respond to a piece of scholarship—either self-selected or chosen from samples in the textbook.
Proposal/Annotated Bibliography (about 3 pages): students prepare for extended research projects by developing a research question and performing some preliminary research in the library and/or through appropriate research databases.
Exploratory Research Project (about 5 pages): a first person narrative documenting the student’s initial efforts in scholarly research.
Formal Research Essay (7 or more pages): culminating research project demonstrating student knowledge of developing a research question, performing academic research, responding to scholarship, and using and documenting sources.

Revision: Students may revise papers 1 and 2 for better grades. Papers will be resubmitted with the following:

1. original graded draft;

2. a brief (one half to one page) narrative statement on improvements;

3. and a list of changes made on the revised draft.

Due within two weeks after the date papers are returned.

Style: Papers will be computer generated in black ink on white paper. Use a book-type font such as Times, Bookman, etc. and a reasonable type size. Papers will follow MLA guidelines (to be discussed), unless another format is approved prior to submission. Save copies of your papers in case there is a question about a missing assignment; it will be your responsibility to provide a duplicate. No late work will be accepted. If you’re not going to be in class on a due date, either turn your work in early or arrange for someone to turn it in for you.

Bookkeeping: Keep a portfolio (a wallet folder or the like) of all of your writing—from prewriting through your final drafts—throughout the semester.

Plagiarism: Don’t plagiarize. You’ll fail the course and risk expulsion from the College. We’ll discuss this in detail, but for reference, see the last section of Chapter 5 in Entering and/or PH (298-301).

Resources: If you ever have questions about the class in general or your work in particular, take advantage of office hours; they are there for your benefit. It is your responsibility to make sure assignments and other class activities are clear. Also, meet a couple of people in class who can give you notes, peer reviews, assignments, etc. on the days you can’t make it.

Take advantage of tutoring services in the writing lab (LA 201). Students of all levels will benefit from advice, readings, and discussions, in individual and small-group settings, which are provided free of charge by tutors.

Students will activate their UVSC email accounts and check email regularly.

Per UVSC policies: “Each student is expected to take an active role in the learning process by meeting course requirements as specified in written syllabi” (VII.A). Thus, the course syllabus comprises a contract between instructor and students, who will be held to its terms and expectations for “The right to receive academic credit and/or academic degrees when all specified requirements and course work have been satisfied” (V.L). In other words, the student has the right to receive credit for work that meets or exceeds satisfactory performance; however, the student also has the right to fail based on those same conditions of performance.

It is not only your right, but also your responsibility to ask questions, to raise challenges, to discuss readings, and to otherwise participate in the class as it unfolds over the semester.

If you have any disability that may impair your ability to successfully complete this course, please contact the Accessibility Services Department located in WB 146. Academic accommodations are granted for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with the student and instructor by the Accessibility Services Department. Accessibility Services Department telephone 801‑863‑8747; TDD 801‑221‑0908.

A $3.00 fee has been assessed for photocopying.

Grade Distribution

Paper #1 (definition) 10%

Paper #2 (summary/response) 20%

Paper #3 (proposal/bibliography) 10%

Paper #4 (exploratory essay) 20%

Paper #5 (formal research project) 20%

Attendance and participation 20%

Grading Notes:

Per UVSC catalog:

A: “an honor grade indicating superior achievement”

B: “a grade indicating commendable mastery”

C: “indicates satisfactory mastery”

D: “indicates substandard progress and insufficient evidence of ability to succeed in sequential courses”

F: “indicates inadequate mastery of pertinent skills or repeated absences from class”

Week 1

W 22 August Course introduction/self assessment

Assignment: come to class on Friday with three areas/topics of interest (see chapter 1)

F 24 Read EAC intro

Chapter 1

Week 2

M 27 complete chapter 1

W 29 begin chapter 2—read through first 6 paragraphs in Tompkins article

F 31 complete Tompkins article

Talk about reading strategies

Week 3

M 3 September No Class

W 5 complete chapter 2

Chapter 2 writing assignment due

F 7 begin chapter 7

Week 4

M 10 complete chapter 7

Read Gunders essay

W 12 Select term/concept for paper #1

Begin drafting

Read Ch. 7 writing samples

F 14 Bring initial drafts to class

Week 5

M 17 Peer review paper #1—bring typed draft to class

W 19 Ch. 3

Return to topics generated in Ch. 1

Paper #1 due Include:

Reflective statement

Final draft

Two (or more) peer reviews

Peer review draft

Photocopies of reference materials

F 21 Ch. 3

Scale of abstraction assignment—position your anticipated topic in relation to three more general

issues/topics and three more specific issues/topics

Week 6

M 24 Ch. 3

Think about research purpose: what do you want to do with your research?

Draft a research plan

W 26 Ch. 4

F 28 Ch. 4

Class meets in library (LC 218) for research seminar

Week 7

M 1 October Ch. 4

W 3 Independent research

F 5 Independent research

Select and read scholarly/peer reviewed article (of 10-20 pages) for paper #2

Week 8

M 8 Ch. 8

W 10 Ch. 8

F 12 No Class

Week 9

M 15 Ch. 8

Peer review: summary

W 17 Ch 5

F 19 Ch 5

Peer review: summary/strong response

Week 10

M 22 Ch. 5

Paper #2 due Include:

Reflective statement

Final draft

Two (or more) peer reviews

Peer review draft

Photocopy of source

Use the weekend to review sources found in research for Paper #2 and find at least three

interesting, related sources for use in remaining research projects.

W 24 Ch. 9

F 26 Ch. 9

Review sample proposals

Week 11

M 29 Paper #3 due Include:

Reflective statement

Final draft

W 31 Student conferences—meet in LA 121t

F 2 November No Class students behind on research

use this week to find additional

Week 12 sources and review textbook chapters

M 5 Student conferences—meet in LA 121t

W 7 Student conferences—meet in LA 121t

F 9 Ch. 10: Intro

Week 13

M 12 Ch. 10: Ethics case study

W 14 Ch. 10: field research strategies

Begin drafting paper #4

Review sample papers

F 16 Ch. 6: Identifying elements; constructing bibliographies

Peer review paper #4

Week 14

M 19 Ch 11

Paper #4 due Include:

Reflective statement

Final draft

Introductory page (or two) from each source

W 21 No Class

F 23 No Class

Week 15

M 26 Ch 11

W 28 Ch 6 review

F 30 Independent research/extended office hours

Week 16

M 3 December peer review paper #5

W 5 peer review paper #5

Week 17

W 12 3:00pm Final exam period

Paper #5 due Include

Reflective statement on course

Final draft

Two (or more) peer reviews

Peer review draft

home