English 15: Rhetoric and Composition

Fall 2014
Instructor: Jim Manis
NOTE: This page has been designed for ease of printing.
Office: Memorial Building, Room 105
Office hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2:00 to 2:50 p.m. and by appointment.
Phone: 450-3189 (includes voice mail)
E-mail: JDM12@PSU.EDU
Web: http://www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis
Text: Best of Freshman Writing Vol. 19 and Diana Hacker's A Writer's Reference
Suggested text: A good college dictionary
Prerequisites: If you were scheduled to take English 004, you must have successfully completed that
course, prior to taking English 015.
Grades: Your final grade will be determined largely by the average of your written assignments;
however, participation is critical. You will write and revise four essay assignments of various lengths.
This will include producing a minimum of one rough draft through each stage of the writing
assignment, an in-class draft to be graded by the instructor for each of the first three, shorter
assignments, and a final edited rewritten, typed version of the paper receiving the lowest grade for each
of the first three assignments. The minimum number of drafts to be produced for the course is 18, with
a minimum of eleven to be graded by the instructor.
Purpose of the Course: This course serves as the introduction to college level writing. The student will
learn techniques of discovery, the workshop method of critiquing writing, audience assessment and
needs, and a variety of rhetorical approaches in delivering written work to an audience, emphasizing
persuasion and argumentation. In addition the student will learn the use of secondary source material to
include parenthetical, MLA style documentation.
Assignment #1: 500-650 words, in-class paper: 10.0%
Revision, typed, out-of-class paper with secondary library source: 10.0%
Edited, typed rewrite of paper receiving lowest grade: New grade will take the place of the lower grade.
Total: 20.0%
Assignment #2: 500-650 words, in-class paper: 10.0%

Revision, typed, out-of-class paper with secondary library source: 10.0%

Edited, typed rewrite of paper receiving lowest grade: New grade will take the place of the lower grade.
Total: 20.0%
Assignment #3: 500-650 words, in-class paper: 10.0%
Revision, typed, out-of-class paper with secondary library source: 10.0%
Edited, typed rewrite of paper receiving lowest grade: New grade will take the place of the lower grade.
Total: 20.0%
Assignment #4: Typed, Research paper, 1500 words, employing a minimum of three secondary
sources: 30.0%
Participation: 10.0%
Total for course grade: 100.0%
All written assignments must be completed by their due dates, and all graded work must be submitted
in either blue or black ink or typed as indicated by the individual assignments as they are made.
All assigned work must be completed and submitted for grading; the student may NOT arbitrarily
choose to omit work.
Late papers are accepted only with special permission from the instructor. No late papers will be
accepted after the final week of classes. No papers will be accepted during the final exam period
without special/prior permission from the instructor.
All graded work must be accompanied by at least one rough draft; all revised work must be
accompanied by the original graded work.
All graded work must be submitted on standard white, 8 1/2 by 11-inch paper, using proper margins all
around and with the writer's name in the upper right hand corner of all pages and the page number of
each page after the first page.
Documented papers will follow a slightly altered format for placement of name on the title/first page;
see your handbook for proper format. Failure to comply with these rules can cause your paper to fail.
Attendance: Attendance is mandatory. I will allow you to miss the equivalent of three one-hour classes
without requiring you to submit an excuse. Any absences in excess of this limitation will require you to
submit a written excuse and then you will be required to perform additional work in order to make up
the absence.
In addition to attending class, you will be expected to participate in workshops, including reading a
paper of your own aloud, responding to such work as read by others, and volunteering comments when

not specifically assigned to do so by me. You have an obligation to your fellow students to be in class
and to participate in all class activities. Be aggressive toward the subject matter and helpful toward one
another. You will not be penalized for an incorrect response; you WILL be penalized for failing to
respond.
During the semester I will at times cancel class in order to hold conferences, for which you will have
made an appointment in advance; you must attend these conferences. They are even more important
than attending class.
Definition of Grades:
An "A" paper is an exceptional paper with very little if any reader interference from mechanics or a
lack of development. All points are adequately illustrated or provided with sufficient examples. The
language is fresh and provides unique insight. Point of view is controlled. The essay is appropriately
restricted by its thesis and that thesis is completely developed.
A "B" paper is a good paper. It strongly resembles the A paper, but usually falls short of freshness of
language or development of thesis. It may have a few more errors in mechanics than the A paper.
A "C" paper is an average paper. This paper is representative of 50 percent of the writing freshman
college students produce. Insight is average, language is typical, and the paper may have a few more
errors in mechanics than we expect from a good or exceptional paper.
A "D" paper is a poor paper. Development is lacking. Errors in mechanics impair a clear understanding
of ideas. No thesis may be evident.
An "F" paper is a failing paper. This paper may be totally lacking in development or have no
recognizable thesis. Usually mechanical errors severely limit reader comprehension.
Important: Any typed/out-of-class paper which has two or more serious sentence errors (fragments,
comma splices, fused sentences) will receive a failing grade. Serious sentence errors tell your reader
that you are either incompetent or that you do not care what his opinion of you or your topic is. Thus
more than one such error, which might accidentally occur, cannot be tolerated.
Typed, out-of-class papers which ignore the "helpful hints" section below may also receive failing
grades.
I will be happy to assist you in correcting any such problems prior to your submitting a final draft of a
paper.
Any essay which is written without paragraphs or in only one paragraph will automatically fail.
GRADING OF REWRITES: Each assignment requires you to write two papers; after you have done
so, you will be required to rewrite the paper receiving the lowest grade. This rewrite must be typed,
with corrections of minor editing errors (sentence errors and smaller) and in special cases major
problems corrected, at the direction of the instructor. These re-written papers will earn the student an
improved grade, which will take the place of the original grade on the revised paper. This process must
be followed; failure to rewrite a paper will cause the original grade to drop to an F. The only exception
will be for papers which receive a grade of A. The original paper must be submitted with the rewrite.

Some Helpful Hints

1. Be careful of using contractions. Make sure they are punctuated properly and that they do not
interfere with your tone. (They sound conversational.) If you have doubts about whether to use one or
not, then don't use it.
2. Avoid using the second person pronoun, "you," unless you are giving directions. Do not try to
generalize by using it. Always aim for specificity.
3. Never write "alot." There ain't no such a word!!!!
4. Avoid using the phrase, "a lot." It is grossly over used and makes you sound careless, even infantile.
5. Avoid the words, "figured" and "hopefully." They are both over used colloquialisms that cause your
reader to dismiss your work in much the same way as "a lot." Note: Colloquialisms are words and
phrases used in casual conversation but are generally unacceptable in college writing.
6. Do not overuse the conditional verb tense, "would." You rarely ever need to use this word. When
you are speaking of the on-going past (the usual reason for using it) simply tell us that you (or
whomever you are describing) regularly did whatever it is you are saying he/she did: "Bob walked to
the bus stop each morning."
7. Avoid using the verb "to get" in any of its forms. The verb is highly overused, often colloquial, and
generally creates wordy sentences.
8. Avoid clichd language; strive for fresh, insightful imagery.
Statement of Academic Integrity
49-20 Academic Integrity
Definition and expectations: Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest
and responsible manner. Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The
Pennsylvania State University, and all members of the University community are expected to act in
accordance with this principle. Consistent with this expectation, the University's Code of Conduct
states that all students should act with personal integrity, respect other students' dignity, rights and
property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of
their efforts.
Academic integrity includes a commitment not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification,
misrepresentation or deception. Such acts of dishonesty violate the fundamental ethical principles of
the University community and compromise the worth of work completed by others.
To protect the rights and maintain the trust of honest students and support appropriate behavior, faculty
and administrators should regularly communicate high standards of integrity and reinforce them by
taking reasonable steps to anticipate and deter acts of dishonesty in all assignments (Senate Policy 4440: Proctoring of Examinations). At the beginning of each course, it is the responsibility of the
instructor to provide students with a statement clarifying the application of University and College

academic integrity policies to that course.

Committee on Academic Integrity: Each College Dean (or Campus Executive Officer as determined by
College policy) shall appoint a Committee on Academic Integrity made up of faculty, students, and
academic administrators with faculty being the majority. This committee shall:
1. Promote expectations for academic integrity consistent with the definition in this policy.
2. Ensure fairness and consistency in processes and outcomes. To ensure University-wide consistency,
College Committees will work with the Office of Judicial Affairs and the Office of the Provost of the
University to develop procedures for handling and sanctioning dishonesty infractions.
3. Review and settle all contested cases in which academic sanctions are applied. If necessary, further
disciplinary action will be taken by Judicial Affairs.
4. Record all cases of academic dishonesty within a college and report them to Judicial Affairs.
G-9: ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Introduction:
Recognizing the intrinsic nature of academic integrity as a linchpin of the Penn State community, the
University Faculty Senate adopted a new Academic Integrity policy, Spring 2000. The shared
conviction represented in the procedures that follow is that academic integrity is best taught and
reinforced by faculty as an element of the teaching and learning process. Only in the limited instances
in which faculty believe that disciplinary, as well as academic, sanctions are called for should the
process move from the realm of faculty and students to the Office of Judicial Affairs.
The associate dean or campus director of academic affairs maintains and makes available to students
and faculty the academic integrity procedures adopted by the college's Academic Integrity Committee.
College Committees maintain guidelines on ranges of appropriate sanctions for given types of
infractions. Academic sanctions range from a warning to removal from the academic program.
Procedures:
A. When Academic Dishonesty is Suspected
1. The faculty member informs the student of the allegations while taking into account the need to
respect each student's privacy and the goal of maintaining an environment that supports teaching and
learn
2. The faculty member next conveys to the student the grade or grade and disciplinary action to be
taken and asks the student to sign the college's academic integrity form.
3. The faculty member may provide a cooling-off period after confronting a student with the allegation
that she or he violated academic integrity.
4. The faculty member may opt also to pursue a disciplinary action in conjunction with the College
Academic Integrity Committee and Judicial Affairs. Normally, however, it is preferable to settle issues
between faculty and student, which means relying on the awarding of grades and course-related
activities to support the learning process, rather than requesting additional disciplinary sanctions.
5. Throughout the academic integrity process, grading authority remains the responsibility of the
instructor.

6. Once a student has been informed that academic dishonesty is suspected, a drop or withdrawal from
the course will be reversed.
B. If the Student Accepts Responsibility for the Violation and the Proposed Academic Sanction
1. The faculty member has the student sign the college's academic integrity form. This closes the
academic sanction element of the case. The form is forwarded, through the appropriate associate dean,
to the Office of Judicial Affairs for record keeping.
2. When the student has a history of two or more previous academic integrity violations, or the faculty
member recommends an Office of Judicial Affairs consideration of disciplinary sanctions, the student is
informed at this time and it is indicated on the form that the disciplinary issues remain open.
3. The signed admission of responsibility is forwarded to the associate dean for administrative review
of:
a) An instructor recommendation that a disciplinary sanction be applied by the Office of Judicial
Affairs. The associate dean forwards the case to the College Academic Integrity Committee for review
(without formal fact finding) of the faculty disciplinary sanction recommendation. When the College
Academic Integrity Committee feels it is appropriate, the request for a disciplinary sanction is
forwarded to the Office Judicial Affairs for review.
b) The existence of past academic integrity violations. When a record of such violations exists (the
dean checks with the Office of Judicial Affairs, which is the only body that maintains such universitywide records), the case will be forwarded to the Office of Judicial Affairs, which may levy a
disciplinary sanction based on the cumulative record of repeat offenses.
C. If the Student Does Not Admit Responsibility for an Academic Integrity Violation
1. The instructor forwards the case to the College Academic Integrity Committee.
a) When the instructor has not recommended disciplinary sanctions, and the student does not have a
record of two or more previous academic integrity violations, the College Academic Integrity
Committee conducts fact finding in accordance with due process procedures. If the Committee finds
that the student violated standards of academic integrity, the Office of Judicial Affairs is notified for
record-keeping purposes. The College Committee notifies the faculty member to carry out academic
sanction, as approved.
b) If after administrative review, which does not include formal hearings or the questioning of
witnesses, the committee finds (1) a record of two or more previous violations of academic integrity,
and (2) the instructor and the committee are in agreement that a disciplinary sanction may be
warranted, then the case is forwarded to the Office of Judicial Affairs, which conducts formal fact
finding and seeks relevant input from the instructor and College Academic Integrity Committee.
c) Office of Judicial Affairs will notify the faculty member to (1) carry out the proposed academic
sanction if the Judicial Affairs finding warrants, or (2) grade the student based on a finding that no
violation of academic integrity has occurred.
D. The "XF" Grade
1. An "XF" grade is a formal University disciplinary sanction.
2. "XF" sanctions are only awarded with the concurrence of the instructor, the College of Academic
Integrity Committee, and Judicial Affairs. Reliance on the "XF" should be a rare occurrence and
reserved for the most serious breaches of academic integrity.
3. In any instance in which the instructor believes an "XF" sanction warranted, and whether or not the
student has admitted responsibility, the case is forwarded to the College Academic Integrity Committee

for review and then to the Office of Judicial Affairs for appropriate fact finding and judgment.
4. The College Academic Integrity Committee must include with any recommendation of an "XF"
grade to Judicial Affairs, conditions under which it would approve the removal by Judicial Affairs of
the "XF" sanction from the transcript (with an academic F remaining). Such conditions must reflect
both the circumstances of the individual case and consultation among the instructor, the college
academic integrity committee, and the Office of Judicial Affairs.
E. Schreyer Honors College Students
1. The college with authority for courses, including those designated Honors courses, in which an
alleged violation of academic integrity occurs maintains responsibility for issuing academic sanctions
and referring cases to the Office of Judicial Affairs.
2. When a college finds that a Schreyer Honors College student has violated academic integrity, then
the Schreyer Honors College will be notified and may invoke its own sanctions.
3. The Schreyer Honors College maintains authority over alleged breaches of academic integrity for its
students in all cases in which the violation concerns Schreyer Honors College work, such as thesis
research, but in which the student is not enrolled in a course.
F. Record Keeping:
1. The appropriate assistant or associate dean is responsible for convening Committees of Academic
Integrity and seeing that students and faculty have ready access to such bodies. They also are
responsible for seeing that all cases handled on the college level, in which a student is found
responsible for dishonesty, are reported to Judicial Affairs.
2. Judicial Affairs alone is responsible for central record keeping of all academic dishonesty cases.
3. A Committee on Academic Integrity or dean may request information from Judicial Affairs on
whether students found responsible for academic dishonesty have previously been sanctioned for other
acts of academic dishonesty. This information may not be used as a basis for judging a student's guilt,
but it may be used as a basis for imposing sanctions or deciding whether disciplinary action is
warranted.
Policy: click to access Senate Policy 49-20, Academic Integrity
Approved: ACUI (1-5-78)
Revised: ACUI (5-19-83)
Revised: ACUI (3-29-84)
Revised: ACUE (7-26-96)
Revised: ACUE (11-2-00)
Revised: ACUE (7-5-01)
The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at
any time. Please consult a Penn State academic adviser for more detailed information. Penn State is an
affirmative action, equal opportunity university.
Agenda
NOTE: All assignments can be found at the following page:
http://www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/assign.htm.

Agenda:
Note: Not all dates are shown below. Class will be held daily. Do NOT assume that class has been
canceled because a date is not provided below.
Aug 25 & 27 Introduction to course; the college essay, a review, discuss essays in Best of Freshman
Writing.
Aug 29 Begin assignment #1
Sep 3 Workshop rough draft of assignment #1
Sep 5 Finish assignment #1 in class
Sep 8 Begin assignment #2
Sep 10 Workshop; hand back assignment #1
Sep 12 Finish assignment #2 in class
Sep 15 Begin assignment #3
Sep 17 Workshop; hand back assign. #2
Sep 19 Finish assignment #3 in class
Sep 22 & 24 Hand back assignment #3; discussion of research/argumentative paper
Sep 26 Rough Draft of Revision #1 due; due date for final draft will be made at this time
Oct 3 Rough Draft of Revision #2 due; due date for final draft will be made at this time
Oct 10 Rough Draft of Revision #3 due; due date for final draft will be made at this time
Dec 1 Final drafts of research papers due
Dec 8 ALL rewrites due
Dec 12 Last day of classes
NOTE: Additional due dates will be made during class.
This page created and maintained by Jim Manis; last updated August 22, 2014.