Accelerated College Writing and Rhetoric

English 1103
Spring 2011

Instructor: Dr. Jan Rieman

Office: 265-A Fretwell
Office Hours: 1:00-2:00 p.m. Wednesdays, and by appointment.
Phone: 704-687-3266
E-mail: jerieman@uncc.edu

Course Description:

English 1102 is a writing course whose subject, not surprisingly, is writing. We will spend the semester
exploring how we go about writing, reading and making meaning through writing and reading. An
important aspect of the course is developing an awareness of your writing self by paying attention to your
writing-reading-thinking processes. Throughout the semester you will work with various invention,
revision and reflection strategies that ask you to pay attention to how you go about writing as well as
what you write and what mode of expression you choose for various aims. Please come prepared to write
daily and to share your writing with others.

Course Goals:

 To use writing and reading to make meaning

 To think about what it means to be an academic writer
 To understand that academic writing is a complicated, multi-dimensional task
 To make thoughtful writing decisions
 To read and engage with academic texts
 To explore composing in various modes
 To support your interpretation of a text with examples from that text
 To use key ideas, terms, or concepts from reading one or more texts as a critical lens to interpret
other texts
 To conduct sound and engaging academic research about writing

Required Texts and Materials:

Writing about Writing Eds. Wardle and Downs (I have publisher copies from last semester to provide to
students, or you may buy your own, newer copy, available in the campus bookstore under Rieman,
ENGL 1102-073)

A blank notebook to use as your Day Book (please buy an old school composition book with a sewn spine
--not a spiral bound one. You will need this in class every day, beginning on the first day)

Access to a computer, copy machine or a scanner

Attendance: Class time is used for instruction, discussion, group work, and practice. It is critical to your
success that you attend class. Illness and emergencies arise, so if you are absent, contact someone in the
class for notes and assignments. You are responsible for work due even when you are absent.
Attendance Policy:
If you are more than 15 minutes late for class, you will be marked absent, but you may still attend class.
Up to four absences = no deduction in final course grade.
Every absence after the fourth = 10 point deduction from your final COURSE grade.

Religious Observance Policy: The UNC system allows students with a minimum of two
excused absences each academic year for religious observances required by the faith of a student.
If you have days you will miss this semester due to religious observances, please let me know
those dates early in the semester, in writing, so that those absences will not count as part of
regularly missed days.

Assessment:

Final grades will be based on commitment to class participation, required reading, Day Book activities,
various writing assignments and the compilation of a writer’s portfolio. Final grades will be weighted as
follows:

Writer’s Portfolio: 70%

Inquiry Paper Sequence: 15%
Writing to Explore and Reading Blog: 15%

Grades will be determined using a 10 point scale (90-100=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, etc.)
All formal papers and a final portfolio must be completed to receive a passing grade in the course.
Plagiarism will result in failure of the course.

Writer’s Portfolio: Your digital portfolio is due on the last day of class and is worth 70% of your grade
for the course. At the end of the semester, you will select from the formal and informal writings you have
completed, and you will analyze, synthesize, evaluate and reflect on your writing. It is important that
you start collecting materials in the portfolio from the first week of class since you will need
everything you work on throughout the semester to compile your portfolio. A good suggestion from
former students: start a file on your computer (or better yet, your H drive or Google docs site) and title it
English. Save all of your rough drafts, commented papers from me, your talk backs to me etc. in this file
so your work is easy to find at the end of the semester. Midterm in the semester you will begin to build a
website to house your work. Additional details about this assignment will be given throughout the
semester. Please, please, please, save the various drafts of your work in separate files so that you are
able to show your writing process and back up your work throughout the semester.

Submitting Work: The dialogue we have together about your writing will take place both in person and
electronically. You will submit papers and receive my written feedback on those drafts through Moodle.

Day Book: Your Day Book is a place where you will explore ideas and pose questions, essentially an
informal place to think in writing. This is your place to think and write. Use it. Bring your Day Book to
class every day since will write daily.

Disabilities Statement:  Students who have a disability or condition which may impair their ability to
complete assignments or otherwise satisfy course criteria should meet with me to identify, discuss and
document any feasible instructional modifications or accommodations.  Please inform me as soon as
possible after a disability or condition is diagnosed, whichever occurs earliest.  For information and
auxiliary assistance, contact The Office of Disability Services: http://www.ds.uncc.edu/.
Course Policies:
Clearly stated course policies help ensure fairness to all students.
1.  Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the given due date. All papers need to follow MLA
format. Failure to complete one of the major assignments will automatically result in your failing the
class. Also, failure to turn in a completed portfolio at the end of the term will result in automatic failure
of the class.  Accidents happen with computers; therefore, it is a requirement for the class that you backup
all of your work.  
2.  I will not accept late papers. Please have your work in on time.
3. I periodically make minor revisions to the syllabus.  I will announce these revisions in the class and
they will be reflected in the on-line syllabus. You are responsible for any announcements I make in class.

4. If you come to class without a completed draft on a workshop day OR miss peer workshop, 5 points
will be deducted from your final portfolio grade. If you are genuinely ill on peer workshop day, please do
not come to class, but email me your completed draft instead.
5. Part of adequate class participation is being completely engaged with the class throughout the entire
time period.  Refrain from any type of cell phone usage, texting, or inappropriate surfing on the Internet
during class. 
6. Academic Dishonesty: we will talk about plagiarism—what it is what it is not— throughout the
semester. You will learn how to document your sources using MLA format and hopefully become
comfortable doing so. If you intentionally use someone else’s work without giving credit for that work,
you will receive an F for the course. You are required to read and abide by UNC-Charlotte’s Code of
Student Academic Integrity, available online at http://www.legal.uncc.edu/policies/ps-105.html and
linked through our class Moodle site.

English Department Statement on Diversity: The English Department strives to create an academic
climate that respects people of varied cultural backgrounds and life experiences. As a community of
scholars and teachers who study language, literature, and writing, we are committed to nurturing
intellectual and aesthetic diversity. In all our activities, we invite participation by diverse groups,
including, but not limited to, those who define themselves in the following terms: race and ethnicity;
gender; political orientation; sexual orientation; special health needs; age; religion; country of origin; and
socio-economic status. Finally, by fostering multiple perspectives in our coursework, we can help our
students prepare to participate in our increasingly diverse society, as well as in the global community.

Please see the course Moodle site for links to the Writing Resources Center and the Center for Academic
Excellence.
 College English Spring 2011 Monday/Wednesday Dr. Jan Rieman

Please keep abreast of any changes made to the syllabus throughout the semester. Any changes
will be announced in class and on the website. What’s listed for the day’s reading needs to be
read before you come to class. Please check the syllabus daily and keep up with your work.

Reading Blog: You will write a Reading Blog entry for every essay you read for class. See
Active Reading/Reading Blog assignment sheet under the Reading block on Moodle for more
details.
Textbook: Pick up your textbook from my office (265-A Fretwell). I’ll either be in my office or
leave a stack of books for pick up outside of my door.
Reading: Read the introductory material for each essay in our textbook. Follow the Active
Reading guide posted in the Readings block of Moodle.

Literacies

Week 1
January 10: Introductions, Syllabus, Letter of Intro
January 12: Classroom Culture Work. Read “Intro to the Conversation” at the beginning of your
textbook. Write a Reading Blog entry.

Week 2
January 17: No class, MLK day.
Sometime before the next class, read “From Grading to de-Grading” by Kohn (find the link on
our Moodle site under Readings.) Write a Reading Blog entry.
January 19: Read intro to Ch. 3 and “Sponsors of Literacy” by Brandt. Write a Reading Blog
entry.
Classroom Culture work cont.
Writing Groups formed
January 20 (last day of drop/add)
Writing to Explore (WTE) Due each Friday by 5 p.m.

Week 3
January 24: Re-read “Sponsors of Literacy” Write a Reading Blog entry.
January 26: Read Malcolm X’s “Learning to Read” and Sherman Alexie’s “The Joy of Reading
and Writing” Write one Reading Blog entry that responds to both essays.
See what connections you make.
Sponsor’s of Literacy assignment given.
Writing to Explore (WTE) Due each Friday by 5 p.m.

Week 4
January 31: Read Heath’s “Protean Shapes in Literacy Events: Ever-Shifting Oral and Literate
Traditions” Write a Reading Blog entry.
Feb. 2: Peer workshop of Literacy Sponsors paper. Bring a printed, complete draft (failure to
do so or to show up for peer workshop will result in 5 points deducted off your final portfolio
grade).
Writing to Explore (WTE) Due each Friday by 5 p.m.

Week 5
Feb. 7: Mutlimodal work with Sponsors of Literacy paper
Sponsors of Literacy paper due via Moodle before class
Feb. 9: Muti-Modal show. Bring a printed copy of your Word Cloud, Toon Doo or photo collage
to class for presentation.
Writing to Explore (WTE) Due each Friday by 5 p.m.

Inquiry/Texts/Constructs
Week 6
Feb. 14: Read “Argument as Conversation: The Role of Inquiry in Writing a Researched
Argument” by Greene (pp. 9-21). Write a Reading Blog Entry.
Feb. 16: Read Intro to Chapter 1 (pp. 42-45), and Williams’ “The Phenomenology of Error” pp.
46-67
Preliminary Inquiry Question Due via Moodle
Writing to Explore (WTE) Due each Friday by 5 p.m.

Discourse Communities
Week 7
Feb. 21: Read intro to chapter 4 “Discourses: How Do Communities Shape Writing?” and “The
Concept of Discourse Community” by Swales. Write a Reading Blog Entry
Library Instruction / MLA workshop (TDB)
Feb. 23: Read “Coaches Can Read, Too: An Ethnographic Study of a Football Coaching
Discourse Community” Write a Reading Blog Entry
Library Instruction / MLA workshop (TDB)
Writing to Explore (WTE) Due each Friday by 5 p.m.

Week 8
Feb. 28: Midterm reflection work / Portfolio Website Creation
March 2: Peer Workshop for Midterm Reflection
Revised Inquiry Question due via Moodle
(sign up for conferences)
Writing to Explore (WTE) Pieces Due each Friday by 5 p.m.

Week 9
March 7 and March 9: Spring Break
No WTE piece due
Week 10:
March 14: Read “Helping Students Use Textual Resources Persuasively” by Katz
March 16: Evaluating and Analyzing sources / MLA workshop Bring copies of your Inquiry
paper sources to class. Inquiry Paper Research Proposal Due
Writing to Explore (WTE) Pieces Due each Friday by 5 p.m.
Week 11
March 21: Writing Group Conferences (those not conferencing should be doing research for their
Inquiry paper)
(last day to withdraw from a course with a W)
March 23: Writing Group Conferences (those not conferencing should be doing research for
their Inquiry paper)
Writing to Explore (WTE) Pieces Due each Friday by 5 p.m.

Week 12
March 28: The Art of Quoting.
Annotated Bibliography Due
March 30: MLA and more art of quoting.
April 1: Final Writing to Explore (WTE) Due by Friday at 5 p.m.

Week 13
April 4: Peer Workshop for Inquiry Paper. Bring a printed, complete draft (failure to do so or
to show up for peer workshop will result in 5 points deducted off your final portfolio grade).
April 6: Portfolio Information

Week 14
April 11: TBD
April 13: TBD
Inquiry paper due via Moodle before class

Week 15
April 18: Read “Tuning, Trying, and Training Texts: Metaphors for Revision” pp. 297-324
Write a Reading Blog entry Reflection on Inquiry Process
April 20: TBD

Week 16
April 25: Portfolio Work (computer classroom)
April 27: Portfolio Work (computer classroom)
Week 17
May 2: Course Evaluations / Presentations
Portfolio is due before you come to class
Final Exams
We will meet during our final exam period. Dates are currently scheduled as follows, but please
note that these dates often change near the end of the semester, so please check the final exam
schedule nearer the end of the semester and make plans to be on campus for our exam time.
MW 9:30 class: May 11 8:00-10:20
MW 11:00 class: May 9 11:00-1:30

The Spring Final Exam Schedule can be viewed at:

http://www.registrar.uncc.edu/calendars/exam.htm