Course Syllabus

English 100: Introduction to College Composition (3 credits)

Writing on and Through Popular Culture

University of Wisconsin-Madison, Fall 2018

 

 

Instructor: Hilal Kasikci

Section: ENGL 100 Lec005

Office: HCW 7134

E-Mail: hilal.kasikci@gmail.com

Office Hours: Mondays, 10:00 – 11:00 Open Book Café in Helen C. White, or by

appointment

Canvas Page: https://canvas.wisc.edu/courses/108447

Welcome to English 100, Introduction to College Composition. This course provides a starting point for participating in the university community, contributing to scholarly conversations, and becoming a successfully engaged learner at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In this course you will learn strategies and skills for critical and creative thinking, communicating through writing and speaking, and seeking out information through research. As you develop these abilities, they will serve you throughout college and your lifetime.

 

Contacting me

Please contact me if you have questions about course materials or policies. I am happy to answer questions or discuss areas of concern. The best way to handle substantive issues is through a face-to-face meeting. You can always come without an appointment to my office hours. Or we can make an appointment to meet at a specific time. The best way to contact me for an appointment or to ask a quick question is through email.

Access Statement

English 100 is committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities for all students who we recognize may learn, participate, and engage in different ways. If formal, disability-related accommodations are necessary, it is important that you register with the McBurney Center (http://www.mcburney.wisc.edu/) and also notify me of those accommodations. We can then work together to best coordinate your accommodations for this course. Whether or not you have a McBurney VISA, if you anticipate any issues related to the requirements, structure, or format of this course, please reach out to me so we can discuss ways to ensure your full participation and success in this course.

 

Course Description

English 100 is an introduction to college composition that begins to prepare you for the demands of writing in the university and also helps you to think about writing in a variety of contexts beyond the classroom. Writing is both an act of inquiry and communication. With that in mind, this course offers you opportunities to identify, develop, and express concepts; to engage in conversations with the ideas of others; and to critique and construct arguments or investigations through original research. Writing is also a process, and this course emphasizes drafting, revising, and editing as critical practices in developing thoughtful arguments and effective communication.

 

To accomplish these goals, English 100 places attention on rhetorical awareness in both written and oral communication, asking you to consider questions like these: Who are your audiences and what are your purposes for writing? How do you use different genres or discourse conventions to make your writing work? What can you do to make a research presentation interesting? How can you contribute to creating a lively and engaged classroom conversation through speaking and listening well?

 

Finally, English 100 emphasizes critical thinking, which rests on a process of careful and engaged reading of texts in a variety of forms and the use of writing to explore, express, and argue about ideas as well as their place in the larger world.

 

Course Learning Objectives

The broad course learning objectives for English 100 are to

• practice writing, speaking, reading and listening (four modes of literacy), with special emphasis on writing;
• develop critical thinking skills; and
• learn information-seeking skills and strategies within the context of the university.

As you know, English 100 fulfills the University’s Comm A general education requirement. See pages 8-9 of Concepts, Conversation, Critique (CCC) for details about this requirement in relation to the learning objectives. As you work toward these goals, you’ll be developing strategies for planning, drafting, revising, and seeking out reliable, authoritative information.

 

 

Texts and Materials

You’ll need the following course materials:

• Course Reader: Concepts, Conversations, Critique, 9^th, Bedford-St. Martin’s, 2015 (gray cover)
• A notebook for taking notes in class and drafting paper ideas
• A folder for collecting your work
• $25-30 on your WiscCard for printing and photocopying

 

 

Coursework

In this course, you will write often, turning something in for response from either your peers or me nearly every week. The goal is for you to write constantly, in a variety of genres, in response to different assignments with different kinds of challenges, and for multiple readers.

 

The course is organized around three sequences with the following goals: identifying and exploring a concept; engaging the ideas of others; and developing a critical approach through research and argumentation. Each sequence builds upon short writing assignments toward a longer writing project to address the goal of the sequence. (For more details on each sequence, see CCC, pages 3-4.) Your writing will include

 

• Short Writing Assignments: For each sequence, there are several short writing assignments and/or oral presentations. These might include 2-3 page response papers, summaries of research, proposals, short bibliographies, or descriptive narratives. Although usually not as structured as the longer writing projects, these short pieces should still be completed with care and attention, and they should be included in your portfolios, when required.

 

• Writing Projects: You will be asked to do three longer writing projects for the course. I will provide guidelines, but we might also collaborate to design projects based on the texts and issues we discuss in class.

 

• Writer’s Memos: For each major writing assignment you will include a “Writer’s Memo” as a coversheet. In this memo you will describe your purpose and strategy in approaching the assignment, and ask any questions about the writing that you may have yourself. This is your chance to provide some context for your writing but also an opportunity to ask your reader directly about the effectiveness and effect of the piece. Typically, the memo will be at least a paragraph but no more than a page.

 

 

Grades

Your course grade will reflect my assessment of your work over the course of the semester as well as the level of your conscientiousness in meeting course responsibilities and requirements. I will assess your writing through a portfolio system, as described in this syllabus. Course responsibilities and requirements include attendance and participation. All of these factors will be reflected in your final course grade, weighted as follows:

 

Portfolio 1                   20%

Portfolio 2                   25%

Portfolio 3                   35%

Participation                20%

 

Participation

Everyone contributes to the success of this course. Attending class and turning in your work on time are expected. You must come to each class meeting prepared to be an active participant in discussions and activities. Speaking during class is easier for some than for others. If you need help in this area, let me know in an email or by talking with me outside of class.

 

Feedback and Portfolios

 

A central philosophy and practice of English 100 is that writing is a process. Your learning depends on engaging in that process fully. As a process, writing requires planning, drafting, revision, and editing. As part of the process, you also must consider the purpose, audience, and effect of your writing. In English 100 you can expect to write several drafts for your longer writing projects, to share your writing with other readers, and to respond to the writing of others. In paying attention to this process as both writer and reader you will develop your ability to provide useful feedback and advice for others and for yourself.

 

Because the emphasis is on your development as a writer—something that cannot occur without trial and error—your work will be assessed in a variety of ways. For early drafts, you will receive comments intended to help you improve your writing as you work through and form your ideas. On later drafts, you will receive comments that address more specifically the development of ideas, the effectiveness of your argument or writing goal, and the quality of writing. Some of this feedback will come from me. Some of it will come from your peers.

 

You will not receive individual letter or numerical grades on each assignment or draft. Instead, you will turn in a portfolio of your work at the end of each sequence [or at midterm and final], which will be assessed as a whole. Your portfolio will receive a traditional grade, in accordance with UW-Madison’s grading system. These grades will take into account your development as a writer and your ability to meet course expectations, including the expectation that you will take part in writing workshops, participate consistently in other ways, and complete work on time.

 

For each required portfolio you will collect your writing to submit for review and a grade. The content of each portfolio will typically include short writing assignments, your writing project(s), and draft work for these pieces. Guidelines for portfolios will be provided when needed.

 

Guidelines for Formatting

Unless otherwise noted, all of your work, including drafts – whether submitted in hard copy or electronically – must be typed, and should use MLA formatting guidelines. These include the following features:

• Double-spacing
• Times New Roman 12-point font
• 1-inch margins on all sides
• Double-spaced header in upper-left corner of the first page with each of the following on separate lines: your first and last name, English 100-XX, date, assignment name (including draft number)
• A title centered and printed in normal style font (no italics, no underlining, and no font size changes). Please do not use a separate title page.
• Last name and page number in upper-right corner of every page following the first page.

 

For more information on proper formatting, see “Working with Sources” in CCC.

 

Writing Workshops and Peer Response

Research suggests that a sole teacher might not always be the best reader for student writing. All writers benefit from hearing the responses of trusted readers. In English 100, we use Writing Workshops at all stages of the writing process to provide feedback on ideas, to generate or answer questions related to research, and to provide responses for drafts.

 

To develop as a writer, you need to practice writing for a variety of readers, especially readers who are not also evaluating you. That means you need to cultivate good intellectual relations with your classmates. You need to practice listening to others’ readings of your work; you need, also, to practice giving the kind of thoughtful and honest feedback that you want to receive as a writer.

 

On days when we are having a Writing Workshop, your presence is especially important. Therefore, an absence on a workshop day or failure to participate in a workshop can affect your course grade.

 

Conferences

You will meet with me at least twice during the semester to discuss your writing and your progress in the course. These conferences help me get to know you and your work and also are a place for us to focus, in detail, on your writing and revision strategies. I will talk to you in class about how I would like you to prepare for conferences. Failure to attend a conference at the appointed time may count as a class absence.

 

Late Work

All work must be turned in on the date specified. You will do a lot of writing and revising in this course and a lot of work with your peers, which means that staying on schedule is especially important for everyone. Work turned in late, including drafts, can result in grade penalties on your portfolios. Work more than a week late will not be accepted. Please speak with me right away if you are having trouble turning your work in on time.

 

• Program Policies and Resources

 

For a complete explanation of the English 100 program policies and resources, read pages 6-12 of Concepts, Conversations, Critique. You should consider those pages to be part of the course syllabus.

 

Attendance

Attendance is required. English 100 is a small seminar-like course and the presence of each student matters. You need to be in class, on time, prepared, every meeting. This matters for your own learning as well as for the contributions you can make to the learning of others. For those unavoidable times when you are sick or otherwise unable to come to class, you should be familiar with the full attendance policy in CCC. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed and to make up any work as required. Excessive or habitual tardiness may be counted as an absence.

 

As your instructor, I have the discretion to take into account extraordinary reasons for an absence such as a severe accident or illness, a family emergency or death, a recognized religious holiday, or jury duty. Documentation may be required. Too many absences for whatever reason will prevent you from completing the required coursework and in the case of excessive absences, I may recommend that you drop the class.

 

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

The University of Wisconsin-Madison and the English 100 Program expect students to (1) present their work honestly and (2) to credit others responsibly and with care. University policy states: “Academic honesty and integrity are fundamental to the mission of higher education and of the University of Wisconsin system” (Wisconsin Administrative Code 14.01).

 

Plagiarism is a serious offense, and it can occur in drafts as well as in final papers. Because this course relies heavily on sharing knowledge and information in the learning and writing processes, it is important that students learn how to work with sources without plagiarizing. Be sure to read about the definitions of plagiarism in CCC. If you have questions about citing sources or what constitutes plagiarism, please talk with me.

 

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has established a range of penalties for students guilty of plagiarism or academic dishonesty. Appropriate penalties include a reduced grade, a failing grade for an assignment, a failing grade for the course, or even suspension or expulsion from the university. All instances of suspected plagiarism are reported to the English 100 administration and may be reported to the Dean of Students. For more information, see http://students.wisc.edu/doso/acadintegrity.html

 

Resources

There are many resources available to you at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Please see CCC for a full listing. Two resources that are especially important for you to know about are

• The English 100 Tutorial: Consultations for English 100 writing assignments http://www.english.wisc.edu/english100/tutorials.html
• The McBurney Center: Consultations and resources for students who have a physical or learning disability.    http://www.mcburney.wisc.edu/

 

Course Directors

The course directors encourage you, whenever possible, to meet with me to address any questions you have about the course. However, if you have a question about the course that you think can only be answered by someone other than me, you can contact one of the directors for assistance.

 

Morris Young, Director of English 100 and Professor of English, msyoung4@wisc.edu

Mary Fiorenza, Associate Director of English 100, fiorenza@wisc.edu

 

 

 

*The course design and syllabus is borrowed from Tori Yonker