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Friday, January 12, 2018

ENGL 1213 Syllabus

University of ArkansasFort Smith

5210 Grand Avenue
P.O. Box 3649
Fort Smith, AR 72913
501-788-7000

 General Syllabus



English 1213: Freshman English 2

Credit Hours: 3
Pre-Requisite: ENGL 1213     

Instructor: Dr. Kelly Jennings
Office: Vines 139           
Office Hours:  Office Hours: TR 8:00-11:00; Thurs: 2:00-5:00; Or by appointment
Phone: 788-7907

You can also friend me on Facebook – my FB is the Kelly Jennings in Fort Smith with this picture:




I have created a blog for the class; you will need to access the class assignments through this account.  The blog address is http://drdelagar.blogspot.com/  

Text:      Mammoths of the Great Plain, Eleanor Arnason ISBN 1604860758  
Little Seagull Handbook and a dictionary
               Reliable access to the internet
              
1213 Course Description
Provides instruction in rhetoric, academic research, and critical reading

Curricular Requirements
·         Students use recursive writing processes (invention, drafting, peer review, instructor feedback, revision, and editing) to produce 3 to 4 writing assignments requiring research and the incorporation of source material (one of which is an analysis of a book-length work).
·         Students produce at least 15-20 pages of polished (graded) writing over the course of the semester.
·         Students write a final exam (may be the final writing assignment turned in on the scheduled day of the final exam or an in-class final chosen by the instructor).

Major Course Topics
·         Recursive processes of writing;
·         Analysis of the rhetorical situation in reading and writing: audience/purpose/text/context;
·         Aiming writing at specific, and differing, audiences;
·         Use of rhetorical strategies such as appeals to logos, ethos, and pathos;
·         Use of narrative, analytic, and argumentative structures appropriate for the rhetorical situation;
·         Editing for conventions of usage and style;
·         Use of research tools and methods, including library databases;
·         Evaluation of sources for audience/purpose;
·         Integration of source material in writing;
·         Use of MLA style/documentation; and
·         Introduction to APA style/documentation.

Student Learning Outcomes—Subject Matter
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
·         Use available library databases and other research tools to locate sources;
·         Analyze and evaluate sources for audience/purpose;
·         Summarize and synthesize source material;
·         Make claims and support them using source material;
·         Document sources using proper MLA format.                                                

Assessment Measures
·         Portfolio of syllabi/assignments/reflection; and
·         Students’ final essays.

Requirements for this class:  

(1)   Essays: You will submit three typed essays to me this semester.  Initial submissions will be evaluated, but not graded.  Only when you have turned in a final draft to me, via the portfolio, will I grade the work. You will, however, receive 10% of their grade for turning in the essays on time, in the proper format.
 
(2)   Conference and quiz grade: You are responsible for meeting with me at least three times this semester. I will also be giving daily reading quizzes, which cannot be made up. NB: You may use your reading notes on these quizzes. These must be your own handwritten notes.  30% of the final grade is based on the conference/quiz grade.

(3)   The Portfolio: 60% of the final grade is based on Portfolio work: final drafts submitted to me as ready to be graded.  The very latest you can turn in final drafts is the day of the final exam: you may, however, turn work in earlier.

Attendance: I require regular attendance.  Note that regular means missing no more than three sessions for whatever reason.  After three classes have been missed the final average will be dropped 3 points for every absence.  On the other hand: Bonus points! Any student who attends all classes without fail will receive a 5 point bonus at the end of the semester.

Grading scale: 100-90 = A; 89-80; 79-70=C; 69-60=D; 59 & below =F.

Late Work: If you know you will have trouble getting your essay to me on time, contact me via email or Facebook.  We can work something out.  You will probably lose the 10% credit listed under point (1) above; but I do generally accept late work if you have a valid reason for needing an extension.

Extra Credit: From time to time, I will make available extra credit opportunities.  These are due by the last day of class, and the credit will be added to your quiz grade average.

Electronic Devices: Turn off your phone when you come into the classroom.  If you need to have it on for an emergency situation, switch it to silent and sit near the door so that you can leave quietly if it rings.  If you need to use a laptop to take notes, use it only to take notes.  Playing games or the use of social media is distracting to other students, and readily apparent to your professor, who tries very hard not to let such things enter into her evaluation of you at semester’s end, but is not always successful.

Music, Chatting, Sleeping in Class: Don’t play your iPod, don’t talk to your neighbor, try hard to stay awake.  Again, you’re distracting people who want to pay attention, and you’re lowering my opinion of you as a student.  Everyone gets tired sometimes, and sometimes you’ve got something crucial you’ve got to say – maybe there’s a spider on your neighbor’s head!  But otherwise, not cool.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the major felony in the academic world.  Sometimes it surprises students that professors get so upset about it.  Trust me, we do, we will, and we’re justified in taking it so seriously.  It is intellectual dishonesty.

Plagiarizing will get students into serious trouble.  I know how to recognize plagiarism, I know what a paper written by someone not in the class looks like, I know how to find things on the net.  If someone plagiarizes in my class, on any assignment whatsoever, that person will fail the class

What is plagiarism? It is any time you turn in work you did not do with your name on it: any time that you present work you have not written as though it were your work.

  • If you get an essay off the net, that’s plagiarism. 
  • If you patch together half a dozen pieces from various web sites without citing them, and turn the result in as your own work, that’s plagiarism. 
  • If you use an essay your roommate wrote in high school, that’s plagiarism. 
  • If your mama, brother, girlfriend, roommate writes your essay for you, that’s plagiarism. 
  • If you take part of an essay off the net, change a few of its words, and add it to your paper without citing it, that’s plagiarism. 


Additional Course Policies


ADA STATEMENT

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), UA Fort Smith seeks to provide reasonable accommodations and services to students who have documented exceptionalities.  Students who believe they are eligible to declare a disability for the purpose of requesting and receiving accommodations must submit all required documentation of their disability to Roger Young, ADA Coordinator, for validation.  Mr. Young will develop an individualized plan for reasonable accommodation in learning and testing for all students qualifying for accommodation.  Mr. Young can be reached at 479-788-7577.

FERPA STATEMENT

According to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, you have certain rights with respect to your educational records, including the right to inspect your own educational records, to request an amendment if you believe them to be in error, and the right to consent to disclosure of your records (with certain exceptions).  Please refer to the UA-Fort Smith catalog for more information.

AVAILABLE SUPPORT SERVICES

The Gordon E. Kelley Academic Success Center (ASC) provides programs designed to meet individual student needs not met through the general curriculum.  Currently, the ASC is located in Room 202 of the Vines Building.  Students may contact ASC staff at (479) 788-7675.

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

Students who have questions or concerns about their grades, the course, or an assignment are encouraged to see their instructor as soon as possible.  If not satisfied with that discussion, students may see the Chair of the department (if there is an acting Chair).  If not satisfied with that discussion, students may see the appropriate Dean.  If not satisfied with that discussion—or to dispute an official course grade, students should contact the Academic Integrity Committee.


RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES

The instructor reserves the right to make changes in the syllabus and/or schedule when necessary to meet learning objectives, to compensate for missed classes, or for similar reasons.


Further Advice: I’ve hit the obvious things—don’t cheat, come to class, be on time. For further advice, I would add: come to my office for help.  It’s why I’m there. Feel free to email me, also.  I love email.


Tuesday, August 30, 2016

ENGL 1213: Logical Fallacies


1213: Logical Fallacies

Strawman

Your writer has committed the Strawman Fallacy when he ignores his opposition’s actual position and constructs an exaggerated version of that position to argue with instead – as if, instead of arguing with his real opponent, he were to argue with a strawman version.