English 308
Advanced Composition
Section .006
Fall 2001
Dr. Snelson
Office: Dunkle139 Telephone: 4316 Department Secretary: 4221
Office Hours: TR, 12:30 –2:00, MW 10:00 – 11:00, and by appointment http://www.frostburg.edu/dept/engl/snelson/
Texts and Materials:
McGraw-Hill Primis, The Accommodating Reader/ Playing Dumb
Loose leaf notebook and paper
The APA Publication Manual
Catalog Description:
Development of advanced writing skills. Based on readings for specialized audiences and intended to prepare students for extended papers; some attention to research tools and documentation.
Learning Outcomes
This course is designed to help you
1. Develop intelligent thinking and articulate writing worthy of you as a potential graduate of the university.
2. Appreciate the merits and analyze the limitations of specific published works.
3. Do research and come to independent conclusions on the basis of extensive reading about a subject, usually within your own major, and to use established principles of research and documentation.
4. Maintain relatively error-free writing in mechanics and usage, at least to the 101 standards.
Course Description: This section focuses on writing in the Social Sciences and concentrates on Education. It emphasizes what you can learn through research and how effectively you can convey that information in writing.
In order to satisfy English department requirements, you will write approximately 4000 words. Actually, you will be writing many more than that because a vital part of effective writing is revision. Additionally, your on-line exercises will require 1000 – 1500 words in revised and edited form. You will write four major papers ranging in length from 750 - 1500 words. You will work individually, in small groups, and meet with me in conference. You will participate in class discussions of assigned readings. You will spend a great deal of time in the library using the research tools of your major. I will set aside class time for research and for conferences.
Your four major writing assignments may, if you so desire, revolve around one topic of interest to you, central in some way to your major, and approved by me. Here is a list of the four major assignments:
1. A resource report on an important book-length study in Education. (750 words)
2. An essay defining a fundamental concept/abstraction in Education. (750 words)
3. A review of empirical literature relating to a topic in education. (1000 words)
4. A major paper defending a clearly stated thesis, which is itself, developed in paragraphs organized around topic sentences, which clearly support the thesis. (1500 words)
Evaluation:
Applicable final grades are A, B, C, D, F, and CS. The CS is available only to students who have been absent no more than twice, who have shown steady improvement, and who have submitted all assignments on time. The grade of CS may be earned only once; any CS assigned thereafter will revert to an F. If your grade in the course is CS, you must re-take the course -- but not necessarily with the same professor. The NC is not available.
The evaluation of each paper will be based upon criteria established in class discussions, in the standards of English 101, and in the APA manual.
The four accumulated grades will, assuming that the Primis exercises have been submitted on time, determine the final grade. Each paper is worth 25% of your final grade. The quality of your class participation (which is expected of everyone) will be considered in “close calls.” Failure to submit Primis responses can result in a penalty of up to 15% of your final grade.
Late Papers:
Do not fall behind. Take advantage of the opportunities afforded to you through getting regular feedback. Papers are due at the beginning of the class period on the day on which they are assigned. Late papers will be penalized 5% per day late. Incomplete assignments will be returned -- and late penalties will apply.
Note: Do not, under any circumstances, give your only copy of any project to anyone.
Another Note: I consider any attempt on the part of a student to influence a grade by mentioning what grade the student “needs” or “must get” or by engaging in any other form of “grade grubbing” to be inappropriate, bad form, immoral, odious, repugnant, sinful, and probably illegal! My assumption is that everyone wants an A grade.
Attendance:
Because of the workshop nature of the course and the improvement that can be achieved through steady application, you are expected to attend every class meeting. You are permitted to miss no more than two days due to emergencies. A missed conference counts as an absence unless you notify me in advance by telephone and make up the conference at my convenience. Each absence after two reduces your final course average by 5%, and absences in excess of five result in the course grade of F. If you arrive for class after attendance is taken, you will be considered tardy. Two tardies count as one absence. See me privately in advance of absences for co- and extra curricular activities.
Extra Help:
If you need extra help, please ask. My office hours are flexible.
Academic Dishonesty:
See Pathfinder for full text. For this class, the most relevant part of the statement concerns plagiarism: “the presentation of written or oral material in a manner which conceals the true source of documentary material; or the presentation of material which uses hypotheses, conclusions, evidence, data, or the like, in a way that the student appears to have done the work which he/she did not, in fact, do.” This form of cheating or any other, is considered “impermissible and subject to disciplinary action.”
Notices of changes in the syllabus:
Should educational or practical considerations necessitate changes in the syllabus, the changes will be announced appropriately in advance. Emergencies may require a notice posted hastily on the classroom door.
