RHET 1311: Composition I, Section 32 (CRN 60732) Instructor: Jessica Jacobs Email: jljacobs1@ualr.

edu Class Info: 1:40-2:55 T Ross Hall 104 TH SUA 102D (tech room)

Fall 2013, UALR

Office: SUA 100 Office Hours: T 3-4; by appointment Coursesite: jjacobscourses.wordpress.com

COURSE OVERVIEW Prerequisite: A minimum ACT English score of 19, a minimum SAT I verbal score of 450, or a grade of C or higher in RHET 0310 or RHET 0321. Final course grades are A, B, C, or NC. Students must complete this course with a grade of C or greater to take RHET 1312. Three credit hours. Course Description Writing is an integral part of everyday life. Composition I coursework will strengthen the writing and critical reading skills you already possess while enable you to focus on organizing and revising ideas and writing well organized, thoroughly developed papers that achieve the writers purpose, meet the readers needs, and develop the writers voice. To do this, we will reflect on ourselves as readers and writers, investigate what it means to craft knowledge in the academic and professional disciplines in which you are interested, and emphasize the use of technology in composing across multiple media. Ultimately, this course is designed to serve you, to help you become more effective and confident writers in your current and future academic, professional, and personal endeavors. Learning Outcomes for First-Year Composition The Department of Rhetoric and Writing has adapted the following outcomes for first-year composition courses from the outcome statements of the Council for Writing Program Administrators: Rhetorical Knowledge: Students will learn how audience, purpose, situation, and content shape the meaning and effectiveness of selecting the appropriate genre and medium. Critical Reading, Thinking, and Writing: Students will use writing and reading for inquiry, learning, thinking, and communicating. Students will learn that writing is a series of tasks, including finding, evaluating, analyzing, and synthesizing appropriate primary and secondary sources. They will discover how to integrate their original ideas with the ideas of others. Writing Process Strategies: Students will develop strategies for generating ideas, revising, and editing their writing through successive drafts. Those strategies will include collaborating with others, including giving and receiving feedback in peer groups. Knowledge of Conventions: Students will have extensive practice in writing and will develop knowledge of conventions, including organization, formats/genre, style, control of surface features, and incorporation and documentation of materials from sources. Composing in Electronic Environments: Students will learn how to use electronic environments for drafting, reviewing, revising, editing, and sharing texts. They will also be able to locate, evaluate, organize, and use research material collected from electronic sources. Additionally, they will understand and exploit the differences in the rhetorical strategies and in the capabilities of both print and electronic composing processes and texts.

 Required Texts Cheryl Glenn, The Harbrace Guide to Writing, Brief 2nd Edition Andrea A. Lundsford, The Everyday Writer, Special UALR 5th Edition

COURSE REQUIREMENTS Each of these three elements are a means of assuring your exposure toand subsequent understanding ofthe learning outcomes. There are 1000 points possible. This is only an estimate of what youll complete this semester. I will adjust these requirements as necessary based on the needs of the class. Major Assignments (50% of final grade) Points: 1. Memoirs: Stories of Perseverance and Success a. Students will write a reflective personal essay about a difficulty they have overcome to achieve their definition of success. 125 2. Disciplinary Report a. Students will explore a field in which they are interested (Education, Writing, Technology, Psychology, etc.) through a variety of activities including 1) an analyses of websites and publications in that field, 2) profiles based on interviews with people in that field (an upper level student, a professor, a professional), 3) a reflective summary of what you have learned. 250 3. Public Service Announcement a. Students will work in small groups to produce a public service announcement about some change they would like to see happeneither in their immediate community or the larger world. This project can be in the format of their choosing: print, audio, video, informational broadside, or pamphlet. 125 Minor Assignments (30% of final grade) Brief writing assignments, daily work, quizzes Online responses Attendance & Participation Final Portfolio (20% of final grade) Total Possible Points for the Semester

125 50 125 200 1,000

Extra Credit Two points of extra credit can be earned for each assignment if you conference with a tutor from The Writing Center on your draft. Proof of this visit must be given to instructor. Grade Evaluation This course is graded A (90-100%), B (80-89%), C (70-79%), or NC. You must pass this course with a C or better to advance to RHET 1312.

COURSE POLICIES Attendance During our semester together, we will cover a great deal of materials and spend much time practicing reading and writing strategies. Class time will often be spent having hands-on time to collaborate on our projects, as well as responding to your writing and the writing of your peers. Because this is learning that cannot be made up, class attendance is required. You are expected to be in class on time and ready to work when you arrive. I do understand that sometimes that illness or other unavoidable circumstances may arise that may prevent you from attending class. Therefore, you are allowed 4 unexcused absences without penalty to your grade. Beyond 4 absences, your final letter grade will be lowered one full letter. This means if you have 5 absences, the highest grade you may obtain is "B." If you have 6 absences, the highest grade you may obtain is "C," etc. If you have 8 or more absences, you will fail the course. I will excuse absences for a death in the family or for illness if you have the appropriate documentation. If you know you will not be able to make it to class, contact me prior to your absence. We can then arrange for you to make up the missed learning and work. Please note attendance and participation will be factors in your final grade for this class. Tardiness As we will strive to make the most of our class time, showing up late does a disservice to both you and your classmates. Arriving 5 minutes or more after the start of class will be counted as officially tardy. 3 of these late arrivals will count as an absence. Cell Phones, Laptops, and Music Players If you use unapproved electronics while class is in session, you will be counted as absent for the day. Similarly, if you are using your laptop for non-class related purposes (Facebook, email, etc.), you will be counted as absent for the day. Late Work No late work will be accepted. Technology Responsibilities Familiarity with certain technologies is crucial for participation and success in the course. If you need any assistance now or at any point during the semester, please do not hesitate to ask. Because the course home page is the main locus of the class community, you are responsible for reading and keeping current with all content posted there, including what has been submitted by both the instructor and your colleagues. If at any time you have problems accessing the Internet from home, you'll need to find a public lab or connection point. In other words, it is your responsibility to find a way to complete the assignments on time. Because computer problems are a fact of life, always work to complete your assignments early and make frequent backups to multiple media. Problems with computers will not be an excuse for falling behind or failing to complete required assignments.

 Formatting Documents Both final AND rough drafts must be typed (no exceptions) and will be factored into the grade of your final, polished paper. One letter grade will be subtracted from your final paper grade if you choose not to participate in the rough draft peer review that we will do for each paper. Unless otherwise discussed, Word documents should be formatted with standard margins, black ink, 12-point, double-spaced Times New Roman font. Electronic Files In any office/classroom setting, there will always be a massive amount of information being passed between various individuals. Digitally generated reports need to be shared with team members, bosses, or other departments through email attachments. To help ensure that no ones work will become lost over the course of the semester, please use the following general guidelines for saving and submitting the work you complete. Always include: Your name on the document itself Your last name in the file name A description of the assignment in the file name And always separate each naming component with an underscore (_) Here is an example: Jacobs_Disciplinary Report_Draft2.doc

UNIVERSITY AND DEPARTMENTAL POLICIES Privacy and Writing Please consider all writing for this class to be "public. Part of becoming an effective writer is learning to appreciate the ideas and feedback of others; in this course, our purpose is to come together as a writing community. Remember that all students will be expected to share writing with others. Avoid writing about topics that you wish to keep private or that you feel so strongly about that you are unwilling to listen to the perspectives of others. Additionally, the feedback that is provided is intended to help improve your writing; be open to the suggestions about your writing. Academic Integrity University regulations regarding academic dishonesty, as set forth in the UALR student handbook and other university documents and publications, will be strictly enforced in this class. Any student who submits work that he/she did not produce for the given assignment will be assigned a grade of zero points (F) for the assignment in question, and may possibly fail the class. In accordance with Section VI: Statement of Student Behavior, under the code of student rights, responsibilities, and behavior, the university defines academic dishonesty under the classifications of cheating, plagiarism, collusion, and duplicity. Cheating and blatant plagiarism in this class can result in disciplinary sanction. Students with Disabilities Statement Your success in this class is important, and it is the policy and practice of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to create inclusive learning environments consistent with

federal and state law. If you have a documented disability (or need to have a disability documented), and need an accommodation, please contact me privately as soon as possible, so that we can discuss with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) how to meet your specific needs and the requirements of the course. The DRC offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process among you, your instructor(s) and the DRC. Thus, if you have a disability, please contact me and/or the DRC, at 501-569-3143 (V/TTY) or 501-683-7629 (VP). For more information, please visit the DRC website at www.ualr.edu/disability. Web Accessibility It is the policy and practice of UALR to make all web information accessible to students with disabilities. If you, as a student with a disability, have difficulty accessing any part of the electronic course materials for this class, please notify me immediately. Weather Policy The UALR website, UALR email, the Universitys main telephone number (501.569.3000), and the campus emergency alert system are the official means of communicating all information concerning weather-related closing. Local television and radio stations will also be notified. Weather and road conditions vary from place to place. Employees and students are expected to exercise good judgment regarding the safety of travel when road conditions are affected by the weather. Important Dates for Fall 2013 August 19: First day of class August 23: Last day to drop/add classes (with refund) September 2: Labor Day (no class) September 9: Memoir Final Draft Due October 14-15: Fall break (no classes) October 17: Last day to drop an individual class (without a refund) October 28: Disciplinary Report Final Draft Due November 25: Public Service Announcement Due November 27-29: Thanksgiving holiday (no classes) December 9: Last day of class December 9: Final Portfolio Due December 10: Consultation Day-Faculty available to meet with students December 10 at 4PM: Final exams begin. See final exam schedule at: http://ualr.edu/records/examschedule/201360.php December 12: Portfolio Presentations & End of Semester Wrap Party