College Writing

42.101.261 / MWF 8-8:50

Kitson Hall - NC 301

Instructor:

Kevin Petersen

Email: Kevin Petersen

College Writing examines and practices the art of college writing and prepares you for the academic discourses you will encounter. This syllabus lays out policies and assignments that are meant to guide your efforts towards those goals. The policies, including the grading policy, establish an orderly and clear set of expectations that will serve as a basis for all of your work. During this semester, you'll focus on the composition process at every stage, from pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing through proofreading. You'll learn how to improve your writing in clarity, purpose, and style. You'll get to know your own strengths and weaknesses, and learn how to manage the process to arrive at the best possible results. You'll work collaboratively with me and with your peers, giving and receiving feedback and learning how to use others' suggestions to make your writing stronger. You'll get down to the nitty-gritty of building sound sentences, paragraphs, and essays. You'll read quite a lot, and write quite a lot, responding critically to others' ideas so that you can effectively and meaningfully integrate your own ideas into an ongoing discourse with intellectual integrity. You'll consider the meaning of plagiarism and learn how to make sure your writing meets the standards of academic integrity. In summary, you'll accumulate writing strategies that you can use for the rest of your life.

We'll join in the campus-wide conversation about The U.S. Declaration of Independence, and it is my hope that you'll come to understand how the work you do in this class is connected to the rest of your collegiate experience and to your general development as an articulate and thoughtful person. In order to be able to accomplish all of this work, you must be prepared to participate in class in an open-minded, productive manner, and to complete all of the assignments with a sense of purpose and engagement. The course will require you to make a significant commitment of your time. Be ready to make a serious effort to improve your writing.

The class website will be a dynamic part of this course and you will need to access it routinely. On the site will be the most current version of the syllabus (I may adjust our schedule depending on our progress and interests). We will also make ample use of the site's blog where I will periodically ask you to respond to questions regarding the reading or class discussions. There you will also find directions for assignments after we discuss them in class, links to resources, helpful handouts, and style sheets for your essays. You will need to register for the site (nfomedia.com/collegewriting) with the password: petersen.

I expect students to bring their texts to class everyday. We will use them heavily during the semester and you will not be able to complete in-class exercises without them.

• They Say/I Say: With Readings, Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst (Norton, 2009)
• Declaration of Independence (provided by Common Text Program)
• A good dictionary
• Recommended: Style, Joseph Williams (Chicago). This is one of the most accessible and helpful guides to writing strong and persuasive prose. If you are eager to improve your sentences, this book is more than worth the money.

Here is a general breakdown of the grading percentages:

• Essays - 55%
• Blog - 15%
• Revision and Peer Review - 20%
• Class Participation - 10%

Blog entries will not be graded with letter grades, but with numbers 0, 1, or 2. These are less formal and provide you a place to practice new ideas, take chances, challenge classmates, or sing praises; but rules of grammar and logic still apply and should be written with care.

There will be four papers you will be asked to write. I will hand out more information on specific topics and requirements later in the semester. Papers must be handed in on time at the beginning of class. No late work will be accepted. If you foresee a problem turning in a paper on time, please speak with me before the due date so that we can make arrangements. With each essay you will produce a number of drafts and have the opportunity to meet individually with me to discuss your topic and approach. Therefore rewrites of graded essays will not be accepted because I expect you to work carefully at each stage of the writing process.

Plagiarism is presenting the work of another as your own or not acknowledging the work of another. As college students and adults you are responsible for understanding the college's rules for academic honesty and asking me to explain any confusion you may have about plagiarism. Please see the University's policy for more information: Academic Integrity. It is always better to consult me ahead of time about any questions you may have; after a paper is turned in, there is nothing I can do. Cases of plagiarism will not be tolerated and will result in a failure in the course as well as possible University sanctions.

If you cannot meet during my scheduled office hours, please let me know (in person) so we can arrange a time. Feel free to email me as well, although I have found that for anything beyond a simple question it is far more productive, and enjoyable, to talk face-to-face. I do not check my email after 5 pm so please give me ample time to respond.

In accordance with University policy and the ADA, I will happily accommodate students with documented disabilities confirmed by the Office of Disability Services (McGauvran 363, (978) 934-4338). If you have a documented disability that will necessitate academic accommodations, please notify me in the first week of classes so that we might make appropriate arrangements. If you will miss class due to religious observances or other protected activities, please see me in advance so that we can plan for any changes to due dates, etc.

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