ENG 110 E

 

Course Syllabus

English 110 E: Course Syllabus

English Composition

 

“Until we can go beyond just doing something, to the point where we can also name it, see ourselves doing it, understand something about where, why, and how it works, and plan to do it again, we are at the mercy of our muse…”                                                                                                                                      –Shelley Reid

We Meet On:
Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:00-9:50 AM
Marcil 317

Instructor: Elisha M. Emerson
Contact information:
Email: EEmerson2@une.edu
Phone: (252) 305-3926
Office: Marcil 27
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 12:30 – 1:30 PM

Or by Appointment (Please never hesitate to reach out. I am always eager to help in any way I can.)

Course Description (from the catalog): 

This course introduces students to writing as a conscious and developmental activity. Students learn to read, think, and write in response to a variety of texts, to integrate their ideas with those of others, and to treat writing as recursive process. Through this work with texts, students are exposed to a range of reading and writing techniques they can employ in other courses. Students work individually and collaboratively, participate in peer review, and learn to take more responsibility for their writing development. Placement into this course is determined by multiple measures, including high school achievement and SAT scores. 4.000 Credit hours.

Successful completion of English 110 fulfills the writing requirements in CAS Core Curriculum or the CHP Common Curriculum.

 

Specifics for ENG110 E:

With this class, you officially enter a conversation between scholars, writers, and readers. Your individuality and voice qualify you to enter this dialogue. Your ability to notice, to engage a text, to organize and articulate your thoughts, and to interrogate those thoughts will empower that voice.

Through Peer Review, we will engage, encourage, and challenge one another. Our classroom will serve as a living, real-time microcosm for this greater dialogue. We will read and write in earnest, and as we learn to read actively, the line between reading and writing will blur. We will often engage in group discussion. When we connect—with a text or with each other—we learn.

This class will cover the reading and writing skills necessary for a thriving student experience. We will engage all parts of the academic writing process: active reading, critical thinking, brainstorming, “first” drafts, research, writing, and revision. Students should leave this class confident in their ability to read and notice, to express their own thoughts, and to integrate these thoughts with outside texts. Writing can and should be a conscious and productive process that will serve every student throughout his or her college experience and beyond.

 

The Multimodal Element 

In an effort to keep up with the ever-changing face of composition, this course will spend time navigating and composing a multimodal text. Inside of our first two weeks together, we will establish a web page that will showcase weekly blog posts. We will use these posts as experimental ground for exploring how media and design can empower communication and meaning. We will integrate video, images, links, and sound into our written texts, as we build a skill set that will allow us to complete a final, multimodal essay and reflective ePortfolio.

 

Learning Outcomes:

  • Demonstrate the ability to approach writing as a recursive process that requires substantial revision of drafts for content, organization, and clarity (global revision), as well as editing and proofreading (local revision).
  • Be able to integrate their ideas with those of others using summary, paraphrase, quotation, analysis, and synthesis of relevant sources.
  • Employ techniques of active reading, critical reading, and informal reading response for inquiry, learning, and thinking.
  • Be able to critique their own and others’ work by emphasizing global revision early in the writing process and local revision later in the process.
  • Document their work using appropriate conventions (MLA).
  • Control sentence-level error (grammar, punctuation, spelling).

 

A Note on Workload:

According to the US DOE, a college credit requires student work that “reasonably approximates not less than one hour of class and two hours of out-of-class student work per week.” As a 4-credit course, ENG 110 will require four in-class hours and not less than 8 out-of-class hours of student work.

 

Snow Day Homework Policy:

 In the event of a snow day–before you grab your snowshoes or sled–please take time to post or email your homework by class time. Again, your homework is due whether or not class is canceled. Furthermore, I will email you by the end of class time with further instructions and/or expectations. I will never give you busy work, but if we need to move onto a new reading, for example, I will let you know before the end of class time. Snow days can add up, and this policy helps keep our class on track. I’ve found it’s better to maintain a steady pace rather than doubling your workload.

 

Writing Fellow

Congratulations! This course has its own, dedicated peer tutor to support writing in a variety of ways, for example, by helping you navigate prompts, draft and revise essays, or even by being a sounding board for your ideas. Although at least one meeting with the fellow is mandatory, you will have the option to meet with Emmy Jones frequently throughout the semester.

Each student is required to meet with Emmy Jones to discuss one of their first two writing projects. I may instruct you to continue working with Emmy on specific aspects to your writing in addition to meeting with me. Please note that I will lower your paper grade (e.g., from B to B-) if you miss these meetings.

Course Materials:

  • Bullock, Richard, Brody, Michal, and Weinberg, Francine. The Little Seagull Handbook. 3rd ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2017. (ISBN: 978-0-393-93580-6)
  • Graff, Gerald, Birkenstein, Cathy. They Say I Say: The Moves that Matters in Academic Writing. 4th ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2014. (ISBN: 978-0-393-93584-4)
  • Journal/Notebook.

(Both of these books should be available in the campus bookstore.)

 

Laptops:

I will ask that you bring a laptop into class. If you do not have a laptop, please let me know, and I will provide you with one to use while in the classroom.

 

Grading and Policies:

College of Arts and Sciences Grading Schema:

A   = 93-100%
A- = 90-92.9%
B+ = 87-89.9%
B   = 83-86.9%
B- = 80-82.9%
C+ = 77-79.9%
C   = 73-76.9%
C-   = 70-72.9%
D   = 60-69.9%
F   = <60%
I     = Nearly all work completed, regular attendance
W = Withdrawal during first two-thirds of the term
WP = Withdrawal while passing during final third of the term
WF = Withdrawal while failing during final third of the term

Grade Breakdown:
Formal Writing: 55%
Peer Review: 15%
Informal Homework/Attendance: 15%
Portfolios: 15%

Grade Updates and Check-ins:

As you can see, your final grade is an emergent property of several ongoing components. This makes it difficult for me to give you a realistic weekly snapshot of your grade. That said, if you feel concerned about your performance, please reach out, and I am more than happy to discuss your current standing. 

Attendance:

Attendance is mandatory. More than two absences will begin to negatively affect your grade. Students who miss more than the equivalent of two weeks of class (four absences) should not expect to pass the course.

A special note on attendance: Do not miss a peer review day. When you miss peer review, your absence counts twice: once toward your peer review grade and again toward your attendance grade. If you must miss a peer review, please reach out to me immediately.

If you miss a class: don’t panic. Remember, you can miss two absences before your grade takes a hit. If you miss a class, you want to first check the class webpage. I try to keep the class calendar up to date with working links, a brief summary of material covered in class, and assigned work. If you have any questions after visiting the class calendar, please reach out for help. I try to check my email at least once a day, and I will usually respond within 24 hours.

 

Late work:

Please don’t be late—to class or with your homework.

Late Homework: Class discussion and exercise often build on homework assignments. I will grade reading questions and most other informal homework on a three point system. Each assignment is worth three points. I will deduct one point from an assignment for every day the assignment is late.

That said, I get that sometimes life happens, and I’m willing to discard the two lowest homework grades. (Note: Homework grades, not Formal Paper grades.)

Late Papers: I will sadly deduct one-half letter grade for every day a formal paper is late. So, please, don’t be late. If you run into a problem, please reach out. I am willing to work with you, so long as you take the initiative!

What to do if your peer’s late work infringes on your ability to complete your homework assignment on time: Sometimes, as is the case with peer review, you will need to rely on your peers to share their work with you on time in order to complete a homework assignment. If your peer misses a deadline, please take the following steps:

Step 1: Contact your peer. Sometimes, emails get lost in the ether. Perhaps your peer failed to hit “publish” on their blog. Give your peer the benefit of the doubt and ask him or her if he or she shared his or her Google Doc with the correct email address. Hopefully, this communication will resolve the issue inside of 24 hours. If not, proceed to Step 2.

Step 2: Contact me ASAP. If you contact me quickly enough, I can help resolve the issue. Not only can I help contact your peer, I can attempt to reassign you to a new peer group and/or provide an alternative assignment.

 

The Good Effort Bonus:

The Good Effort Bonus comprises three extra points toward an essay. We will write three major papers throughout this term—roughly one per month—and you will receive an opportunity to earn the Good Effort Bonus for each paper.

In order to earn these points you must:

  • Attend every class (receive 0 absences) between a paper’s first reading assignment and a paper’s due date
  • Complete every homework assignment between a paper’s first reading assignment and its due date
  • Receive at least four participation points between a paper’s first reading assignment and its due date
  • Stay off of your laptop and/or cellphone (unless class related). You get one slip up, but you cannot earn the Good Effort Bonus if you are checking game scores, updating social media, or studying for anatomy during our class time.

I understand this class meeting is long, and you’ll receive a five-minute break, a “half-time” of sorts to check your phone, visit the restroom, refill your water bottle, etc.

Note: A paper’s section begins with its first reading assignment and ends with its final due date.

 

Technical Assistance:

If you need technical assistance at any time during the course you can contact the ITS Help Desk.

  • Phone Toll-free 1-877-518-4673, ext. 220 from Biddeford Campus phones, or ext. 4400 from Portland Campus phones.
  • In Person Stop into the offices in Decary 414 (Biddeford) or Ginn 212 (Portland).

 

Computer Labs

Biddeford Campus

  • Decary 51 – Open with Building Hours
  • Decary 336 – Open with Building Hours
  • Jack S. Ketchum Library Lab – Open with Building Hours 

DigiSpace

DigiSpace is a digital makerspace, where students can drop in and work on digital projects. You are required to visit this space at least once during the first half of our semester. For more information, visit the website: http://uneportfolio.org/d-space/