ENC 1102 Syllabus

ENC 1102 Schedule

ENC 1102 Blog

ENC 1102 Gradebook

INSTRUCTOR: Cathlena Martin
EMAIL: cmartin@english.ufl.edu
Webpage: http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/cmartin
Office: Image Lab on 4th Floor of Rolfs or Turlington 4413
Office Hours: Directly following class or by appointment
Class Gradebook: http://www.clas.ufl.edu/~cmartin/gradebook/
Section: 4433
Classroom: Rolfs 314
Period: MTWRF period 4 (12:30 to 1:45)
Blog: http://uwpenc1102.blogspot.com/
UWP Homepage: http://www.writing.ufl.edu

REQUIRED TEXTS
1. Lester Faigley, The Brief Penguin Handbook. New York: Pearson Education, 2003.

Other materials will be linked from the syllabus posted online.

“Official” University Writing Program Course Description

ENC 1102 focuses on the essential stylistics of writing clearly and efficiently within the framework of argumentative research writing. Students in ENC 1102 will learn how to formulate a coherent thesis and defend it logically with evidence drawn from research in their various fields. They will also learn how to work through the stages of planning, research, organizing, and revising their writing.

ENC 1102 introduces students to techniques and forms of argument in a broad range of disciplines, including the humanities, social sciences, business, and natural sciences. This course encourages students to investigate the relationship between writing and knowledge, and to discover how writing can create, rather than merely transmit, knowledge. Class lectures and discussions will reveal the complementary relationship between writing and research and demonstrate how persuasive techniques and genres vary from discipline to discipline. Students will learn how writing effectively and correctly in their fields will help to integrate them as professionals into their “knowledge communities.”

General Education Learning Outcomes
You must pass this course with a grade of C or better to receive 6,000-word Gordon Rule credit (E6). You must turn in all papers to receive credit for writing 6,000 words. A grade of D or better satisfies the University's General Education Composition (C) requirement. You must pass with a grade of C or better if this course is to satisfy the CLAS requirement of a second course in Composition (C). If you are not in CLAS, check the catalog or with your advisor to see if your college has other writing requirements.

CLASSROOM RULES AND POLICIES

Attendance
ENC 1102 is a participation-oriented, skills-based writing course, which means that you will build your skills incrementally and systematically in each class throughout the semester. Consequently, the University Writing Program policy is that if you miss more than three periods, you will fail the entire course. Only absences involving university-sponsored events, such as athletics or band, and religious holidays will be excused.

The University Writing Program, which oversees the ENC 1102 course, establishes that no student can pass the summer term if s/he has missed more than three class sessions. This policy is a program-wide policy of the UWP; the instructor cannot override it. So remember, YOU WILL FAIL THE COURSE IF YOU MISS MORE THAN THREE CLASSES--even if your grade is still passing.

In particular, because summer term is such a condensed term, each class represents a greater portion of the course whole, and you are expected to attend all meetings of this class. In this section, you may, however, take two “free” absences this term without penalty EXCEPT that you will lose credit for whatever in-class work or quizzes you miss, and participation. (Advice: Conserve your free absences until you really need them—because you’re sick, need a long weekend, partied too hard, or must go to the beach!)

If you have a university-approved reason for missing class (i.e. varsity athletics or religious holidays), you must inform the instructor at the start of the term. Your first two absences will count as your allowed ones.

Absences can be checked through the Online Gradebook at: http://www.clas.ufl.edu/~cmartin/gradebook/
Preparation
You must be present for the quizzes and in-class writings to receive credit for them. You cannot make them up.

Assigned Work Deadlines
Any assigned work is due on the specified due date whether or not you are taking one of your allowed absences. It is your responsibility to get the work to me even if you will not be in class.
Students with Disabilities
The University of Florida complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students requesting accommodation should contact the Students with Disabilities Office, Peabody 202. That office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the instructor when requesting accommodation.

If you have a learning disability, hardship, or other special dispensation that has been approved by the Office of Student Affairs, please meet with me to discuss your requirements as early in the term as possible.

Tardiness and Classroom Disruptions
Obviously, you should arrive at class on time. If you must arrive late, come in as quietly as possible and begin work quickly. (After class, YOU must make sure that I change my attendance record to reflect that you attended after all.)

The instructor reserves the right to penalize participation grades for repeated or flagrant tardiness, instances of “significant classroom disruption,” or other significant classroom discourtesy. (Note that the instructor makes these determinations.)

Classsroom Courtesy
The class may discuss controversial or volatile topics at times, and college classrooms should always be “safe” places to discuss such issues. You may speak openly, but standard courtesy guidelines are appropriate. If you disagree with someone's opinion, please express your disagreement through intellectual rather than emotional responses.

Some of our classroom time will be allocated for in-class writing or other work. Therefore, your conduct should not interfere with the other class members' ability to work productively. You may leave your seat when appropriate, and you may converse quietly with others regarding the assignment (unless the instructor has expressly asked you not to do so.)

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the unauthorized use of someone else’s ideas without citing the source; it is passing off someone else’s wording as your own (following the language too closely). Important tip: There should never be a time when you copy and paste something from the internet and don't provide the exact location from which it came or acknowledge it as a direct quotation.

Plagiarism is a serious offense and constitutes grounds for failure of the assignment and possibly the course. Unless otherwise indicated by the instructor concerning class group work, all work must be your own.

If a student is found to have plagiarized all or any part of any assignment, the student will receive a failing grade on the assignment and may (at the instructor’s discretion) fail the course. This is a program-wide policy established by the University Writing Program and is supported by the University of Florida’s suggested penalties for academic dishonesty. Your work may be tested for its “originality” against a wide variety of databases by anti-plagiarism guardian sites to which the University subscribes, and negative reports constitute PROOF of plagiarism. You are responsible for understanding the definitions below for what is considered to constitute plagiarism.

Plagiarism consists of any or all of the following:
• Submitting all or part of someone else’s work as if it is your own.
• “Borrowing” all or portions of anything (books, song lyrics, poetry, movie scripts) without crediting the source.
• “Borrowing” verbatim text without enclosing in quotation marks and citing source.
• Duplicate submissions - that is, submitting work in one class that you also submit in another class (UNLESS you have permission of both instructors in advance and IN WRITING.)
• “Collaborating” or receiving substantive help in writing your assignment unless such collaboration is part of the given assignment. (However, general advice from writing lab or OWL staff is permitted.)
• Failure to cite sources, or citing them improperly.

The University of Florida considers plagiarism a form of “academic dishonesty” and a serious violation of University standards regarding academic honor. You should know that, in verifiable instances, plagiarism may result in your expulsion from the University. Make sure you understand UF standards. See the UF Academic Honesty Guidelines at: http://www.dso.ufl.edu/judicial/honestybrochure.htm.

Academic Honesty
As a University of Florida student, your performance is governed by the UF Honor Code, available in its full form at http://www.reg.ufl.edu/01-02-catalog/student_life/. The Honor Code requires Florida students to neither give nor receive unauthorized aid in completing all assignments. Violations include cheating, plagiarism, bribery, and misrepresentation, all defined in detail at http://www.dso.ufl.edu/judicial/honestybrochure.htm.

Other forms of academic dishonesty will also result in a failing grade on the assignment as a minimum penalty. Examples are: cheating on a quiz or citing phony sources or making up quotations to include in your assignments.

Networked Writing Environment Classroom Rules
The NWE prohibits food and drink in the networked classrooms.
The NWE system does not permit downloading of music, games, or other non-academic files.
For security reasons, the NWE may block your future access to the system if you forget to log out before leaving the classroom, and you’ll find that regaining your access requires annoyingly bureaucratic complications for both you and your instructor. So please, always remember to LOG OUT of the NWE before leaving class.

Gordon Rule Minimums
Since ENC 1102 is a 6000-word Gordon Rule class (per the Gordon Rule established by the Florida Legislature), you must meet the writing volume minimums in order to pass the course. Again, this requirement cannot be over-ridden by the instructor. Minimum length standards are included in EVERY assignment.

Grades
ENC1102 employs a percentage grading scale. You will earn points through a variety of assignments. (See Assignment Summary below.) Your instructor will post grades to the online gradebook, where you may access them at any time during the term. The instructor will notify the class when grades have been (periodically) updated. You should form the habit of checking your posted grades regularly. Don’t wait until the end of the term!

NOTE: Students are responsible for maintaining duplicate copies of all work submitted in this course and retaining all returned, graded work until the semester is over. Should the need arise for a re-submission of papers or a review of graded papers, it is the student's responsibility to have and make available this material.

ASSIGNMENT SUMMARY
Your grade will derive from four course components.

I. INTERACTIVE AND INFORMAL WRITING AND QUIZZES—ALL TERM (15%):

A. Discussion Blog – Weekly all Term

Each week will feature a choice of “Forum” topics on the Discussion Blog. You must post the equivalent of a 1+ page response EACH WEEK to your choice of the forums for the given week. (Thus, your term-long combined total writing on Discussion Blog forums should be about 5-7 pages) You may earn up to 30 points per week. You can earn up to 25 points for your response to the Discussion Blog forums and 5 points for “replying” to classmates’ postings. You must post before the deadline each week--Sunday night at 11:59 p.m. ET. (Warning: Don’t wait until the last minute—Late postings DO NOT qualify for points!)

In general, your postings MUST be made within the assigned week, and will earn points based on their coherency, creativity, evidence of thoughtfulness, courteousness, pertinence to the topic, and absence of excessive BS. In other words, you’re encouraged to use Discussion Blog to write creatively, adventurously, experimentally--but you should demonstrate that you’ve given some thought to your response. No points will be given if your posting is woefully inadequate. (Mistakes in grammar or spelling will not be penalized here—unless they’re so intrusive they make your writing unreadable.)

Your “reply” to a classmate’s postings carries no minimum length requirement, but you will gain all 5 points only if your reply demonstrates depth of thought and courteousness. Remember, also, that replying to your classmates’ postings will NOT count toward your five required postings.

Maximum credit is limited to 30 points weekly (including both your own responses to the forums and your replies to classmates) and the overall term maximum for the Discussion Blog is 150 points. Thus, your overall grade on this assignment will depend upon the total number of points you’ve earned by the end of the term.

IMPORTANT: You must respond to one forum each week (not counting replies to classmates) in order to satisfy Gordon Rule minimums and pass the course!

II. MISCELLANEOUS AND PRELIMINARY TO RESEARCH WRITING—WEEKS ONE & TWO (25%):

A. PORTFOLIO – Due IN CLASS on Friday, July 8
Note: As you submit the assignments that you will eventually include in your portfolio, you will receive back from the instructor a written “evaluation” and suggestions for each.

However… you will receive a grade only on the completed body of work in this section, which you’ll submit as a portfolio for grade assessment. By this method, you’ll have an opportunity to work on improving your writing (without undue grade stress) as we progress through the first part of the term. Your portfolio should include all the following originally submitted assignments, but may also include certain revisions. Your portfolio will also include in-class exercises and peer reviews.

1. Diagnostic essay (In-class writing exercise) – 1-2 pages
2. Rhetorical Analysis (100 points)– 2 pages
3. Editorial (50 points)– 1 page
4. Article Summary (50 points)–1 page
5. Topic Proposal (50 points)– 1 page

III. COMPONENTS OF RESEARCH PAPER—WEEKS THREE & FOUR (25%):

Writing on the research paper begins with the following assignments:

A. Annotated bibliography (50 points) – 2-3 pages
B. Research Synthesis and Review (75 points) 2-3 pages
C. Logic Outline and Abstract (25 points each) 1-2 pages
D. Research paper draft (100 points) – 4-5 pages

IV. FINAL RESEARCH PAPER (Revision, revision, revision) —WEEKS FIVE & SIX (25%):

The following comprise the “final research paper” portion of your grade:

A. Guided Review (100 points)
B. Critique (50 points)
C. Final Version of Research paper (150 points) –– 6-10 pages

V. PROFESSIONALISM, PARTICIPATION, AND ATTENDANCE 10%