Syllabus Composition Fundamentals

SPRING 2002 COURSE SYLLABUS

Composition Fundamentals 0310.05 - Instructor Fran Tolliver

Class Meets Monday and Wednesday 6:00 PM - in Stabler Hall 403B

January 14 through May 2, 2002

This course is offered by the Department of Rhetoric and Writing

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Instructor's Office Phone: 501-569-3160 or 569-3553

Instructor's Home Phone: 501-868-4042 (8am-to-8pm message phone only)

Office Hours: By appointment, SU-B Rm100

Mailbox: Rhetoric & Writing, Building SU-B, Room 100

e-mail: fatolliver@ualr.edu

Teacher's Website: http://www.ualr.edu/~fatolliver/

Textbooks

Required Text: Patterns for College Writing, by Kirszner & Mandell
Recommended Text: Telling Your Own Stories, by Donald Davis
Recommended Text: S. F. Writer, by Ruszkiewicz, Hairston & Seward
NOTE: This style manual includes grammar excercises that will help you in this course.

Materials Required

Inexpensive paperback Collegiate Dictionary And Thesaurus
Composition book for journal entries
Inexpensive Pocket file folder
One 31/2-inch computer disk (High Density) formatted for IBM use
Loose leaf 81/2 x 11 college ruled writing paper (NO SPIRAL BOUND PAPER)

Course Description

This course provides the student with an opportunity to study and learn to construct more mature and sophisticated sentence patterns, create coherent and well-developed paragraphs, organize and produce paragraphs into essays with the use of keyboarding on PC's and Macintosh Computers, and master basic composition skills required by institutions of higher learning.

Instructor's Policies

Essays will be submitted typewritten, organized, revised, edited and polished with feedback from your instructor and your peers. By the end of the semester, you should be able to produce a well-developed and substantially error-free essay of at least 500 words. Failure to attempt all assignments will yield a no credit (NC) for the course.

An unexcused absence is one in which the student fails to attend a regularly scheduled class. Absences due to unforeseen emergencies (death of an immediate family member, illness, or accidents) require notification and documentation to instructor. Because this is a workshop course, your presence in class is vital to your peer group.

Sports-Related Absences

Should your course load demand absences for required sports practice, you will need to obtain a signed permission form and file it with me during the first week of class.

Deadlines

All assignments must be handed in on time when due. Late work will not be accepted, unless you have consulted me beforehand and made appropriate arrangements-and only in cases of extreme emergencies will instructor accept assignments after deadlines. If you fail to turn in work on the assigned date, your work will be docked one full grade for the first delinquent paper. Beyond that date, no work will be accepted (except in cases of demonstrated personal hardship). In cases where you must miss a class or a deadline for a legitimate purpose, you should notify me and provide documented reasons and submit make-up work for your grade consideration.

Inclement Weather Policy

When UALR is closed, radio and television stations in central Arkansas will be notified through the Office of Communications. If there is no announcement, students should assume the university is open.

Ethics

If you plagiarize any aspect of written work, you will receive a no credit for the course. Review "Principles of Academic Integrity and Honesty," outlined in the UALR Student Guide, concerning cheating, plagiarism, and other dishonest or unethical violations.

Classroom Disruptions

This university views classroom disruptions as academic and behavioral violations. Such behavior as outlined in the UALR Student Handbook will subject the violator to disciplinary sanctions. Any student who persists in being disruptive during class (using cellular phones, pagers, verbal or physical abuse, interruptions during lesson presentation, arriving to class late or leaving early, or otherwise interfering with teaching or learning) will face immediate disciplinary actions and/or eviction from the classroom and possibly from further access to this university.

Office Hours

By appointment in Old Student Union-B, Room 100, or UWC. Students will assume the responsibility of notifying the instructor when they are experiencing levels of anxiety with reference to course work.

Disability Statement

It is the policy of UALR to accommodate students with disabilities, pursuant to federal and state law. Any student with a disability who needs accommodation (such as seating placement, arrangements for visual or hearing impairment or examinations), should inform the instructor at the beginning of the course. The chair of the department offering this course is also available to assist with accommodations. Students with disabilities are also encouraged to contact Disability Support Services, which is located in the Donaghey Student Center, Room 103, telephone 569-3143.

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES AND GRADE EVALUATION

Grading Policy

Total points (out of 1,000)	Grade
900-1000 points earned	A
800-899 points earned	B
700-799 points	C (& Score 70% on English Grammar-Assessment Skills Lab)

Composition Fundamentals Course 0310 is a pass/fail course. Each student is expected to read the texts and come to class prepared to actively participate in the discussion. This class is a combination of class discussion, group activity, and lecture. Because writing assignments are derived from class discussion and often involve peer response, you should participate daily. Further, if you have more than three unexcused absences, you will receive no credit for this course. To receive a passing grade of A, B, or C, you must satisfy these requirements as you evaluate, analyze, and synthesize course information:

Attend classes, UWC workshops, be on time, be prepared, and participate courteously and collaboratively in daily assignments (journals, readings, portfolios, in-class exercises, peer groups).
Achieve 70% or higher on the English Grammar Assessment Skills Micro Lab Exercise.
Complete all assignments in a timely manner.

Attendance and Participation

(300 points) This class meets two days a week, and attendance is essential for you to receive a passing score of A, B, or C. I expect you to be on time and stay for the entire class period. Repeated tardiness and unexcused absences will severely impact your grade and may result in "No Credit" for this course. Your record of attendance and class participation will be considered in your final grade. If you are chronically late or absent, you will receive no credit for the course.

Reflective Journal

(300 points) You will keep a reflective journal with at least 30 (ONE-PAGE) entries in your own legible handwriting. The purpose of this reflective journal is for you to explore and discuss and reflect on your personal learning experiences. As you write, keep in mind this is not a diary, but an investigation into who you are and the philosophies that inform your decision-making. I am expecting an in-depth exploration into your personal lived experiences as they relate to the assigned readings of our texts. You will use your journal in and outside of the classroom.

Essay

(100 points) One assigned essay (2-3 typewritten pages), details of which are to be announced in class.

Portfolio Assessment

(300 points) During this sixteen-week semester course, students will routinely read and write, reflect, analyze, discuss, brainstorm, organize, synthesize, create written works, review, revise, edit, and publish their essays. As a group project, students will submit their best original finished (revised and edited) work for publication in a class anthology entitled, Kaleidoscope, an annual publication of teacher directed, student-oriented learning objectives.

Portfolios will include such writing activities as poetry, essays, reflective journal entries, literary analyses, personal or historical narratives, a resume and a final essay reflecting your personal growth as a writer. Your final piece of writing chosen for your portfolio will be typewritten or word processed on standard 81/2 x 11 white bond, double-spaced, with one inch margins using a standard font (size 12 point, Times). Final work submitted will have been revised, edited, and submitted error-free for grading, with two hard copies plus the complete text on an IBM compatible diskette. I will evaluate your portfolio based on accuracy and completeness of information, depth of topic covered, and quality of presentation. You will submit with your final chosen piece of writing along with your handwritten notes, drafts, revisions, and instructor-approved subject matter.

These facilities are available for your use, and I encourage you to take advantage of either/all of the following locations:

UALR's University Writing Center, located in the Old Student Union Building (SUB, Room 116 floor level beneath the banner, "Write Here") beside the Donaghey Center's red canopy.
UALR's Computing Lab, located in the Old Student Union Building (SUA, south entrance). near your classroom in Stabler Hall.
Ottenheimer Library, ground level research terminals and computer lab.

Present your student ID at each location. (You may obtain your free Student ID Card at the Donaghey Student Center, basement level, by the pool.)

Books should have been ordered by the UALR Bookstore. You can also find used copies of Patterns for College Writing at the University Book Store across the street from UALR (by Pizza Inn). Texts required for this course are available for loan to you and are located on the reserve reading shelf in Ottenheimer Library, ground level. Ask at the counter, give your teacher's name, this course number, and show your ID. You may check out the text for 3 hours for study only in the library. Remember, if you have been approved for Federal Financial Aide, you can ask for a "book voucher" to obtain your books during the first day of class. Check at Financial Aide in Administration South for book vouchers.

I am pleased to have you in my class this semester. Review the preliminary daily schedule that is attached. If you have questions, stop by or call. I also work part-time in Dickinson Hall, Room 419F. You can leave written messages for me (my mailbox is in Old Student Union B, Room 100, SU-B).

Spring 2002 Schedule-0310.05 - Comp Fundamentals
First Trimester
Stabler Hall 403B
MW 6:00 pm-7:15 pm

Week One

MW beginning January 14, 2002
Announcements
Introduction to Composition Fundamentals Course Syllabus
Individual Goal Directed Self-Assessment
Transition Writing
Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator
"Getting to Know You - What's in a Name?"
Navigating in a Computer-Oriented Society
The University Writing Center
The Computer Lab
Class Discussions

Reflective Journal Entries
Attendance and Group Participations
Reading Assignments
A Review of Introduction & Chapter One-Patterns Text
Myths about Writing
What is Your Learning Style?

Note: Adjustments to weekly assignments will be anounced in class as required. Should you miss a class or arrive late for class, it is your duty to keep informed and be prepared for daily readings and topic discussions. Call on a friend and keep current! You will be working outside of class in the University Writing Center. Trained assistants will help you while you are there.

GRADING POLICY

Composition Fundamentals - 0310
Total Possible Points for this Course = 1000

Grading Policy for the student enrolled in Composition Fundamentals 0310 Course is designed for fair and impartial scoring of writing (essays, reflective journals, collaborative peer group activities, and attendance and participation in daily in-class activities). Final scoring is tabulated only after student has been offered a variety of tools and opportunities in this course which include:

Daily writing process activities that reinforce learning
Grammar exercises both in class and at the University Writing Center
Reading of essays and prose introduced in Patterns for College Writing
Writing skill development through collaborative activities with peers
Reflective journaling processes
Editing and revising the personal narrative essay

The course invites frequent student self-assessment in a learner centered environment that provides great flexibility for individual goal setting, based on student learning styles and his/her personal motivation.

300 Attendance & Participation (10 possible points each class)
300 Reflective Journal (30 entries in response to learning activities)
300 Portfolio (see attached guidelines)
100 Essay (Student's best 500 word essay typed, double spaced, revised, edited and virtually error-free.) Save all drafts and hand written notes, 2 signed & dated reader responses, clusters, and vocabulary word lists. Submit essay saved to a diskette with TWO hard copies.

Total points (out of 1,000)	Grade
900-1000 points earned	A
800-899 points earned	B
700-799 points	C (& Score 70% on English Grammar-Assessment Skills Lab)

YOUR PORTFOLIO

It's time to start assembling your portfolio for conference with your instructor. We will share a few minutes this month at our regular student-teacher conference to see how you are progressing with your portfolio.

Your portfolio should at this time include your work for the semester to date-that is, your essay (first handwritten draft or notes, 2 peer reviews dated and signed, appropriate clustering or outline, teacher responses, revisions, and your final edited, corrected, and type-written product. I am looking for overall improvement in your writing, as evidenced by the work you have produced.

During the remainder of this semester, you will have opportunities to produce several pieces of writing. You may choose your favorite essay for your final portfolio grade. Include with your final narrative essay the following:

Choice narrative essay in final type-written form: On 81/2 x 11 white paper, use Times type style regular, 12 point font, double-space, one inch margins all around, center your title with your name centered on a separate line, and indent paragraphs (tab .05 spaces). Do not number your pages and do not staple. Save to diskette, and submit diskette with 2 hard copies. Possible points=100
Your best English Grammar-Assessment Skills Lab printout. Possible points=100
Your favorite Reflective Journal Entry, typewritten. Possible points=100
One additional writing that is your work (a Resume, a poem, a lyric, a literary analysis, a fictional short story, a biography, a non-fiction piece). Possible points=100

Criteria for Evaluation

Length and format appropriate to assignment
Free of repeated grammatical errors
Paragraphs unified and appropriately developed (Introduction, Body, Conclusion)
Awareness of audience needs, concise word choice, varied sentences
Control of tone, purpose, subject and individual style
Original ideas reflect writer's own thinking
Claim (thesis) clearly stated, well developed and supported
© 2002 Frances A. Tolliver, Instructor
CF Sp02-RW