Composition 105: Rhetoric & Writing I
Section 024
3 Credit Hours
Fall 2016
Instructor: Ian Kennedy
Office Location: 3082 CB
Phone Number: 313-410-2625
E-Mail: imkenned@umich.edu
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30-10:30am and 2:15-3pm
Dearborn Discovery Core Category: Written and Oral Communication
Course Meeting Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30-4:45pm, 3049 CB
Course Website: https://comp105sec24fall2016.wordpress.com/
Course Description:
Focuses on the study and practice of writing and rhetoric, with special emphasis on the writing process. Students write and read critically a range of texts, and consider academic and nonacademic genres and conventions.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of COMP 105 students will be able to:
- Approach writing as a process in composing formal and informal pieces
- Effectively revise writing and give useful feedback in response to the writing of others, including (though not limited to) feedback on grammar
- Recognize a range of academic and nonacademic genres and conventions and use important academic conventions in writing
- Demonstrate knowledge of important rhetorical concepts such as audience, purpose and context, and apply these to the writing process
- Understand that rhetorical concepts operate in other academic disciplines
- Read critically a range of texts
- Begin to go beyond an either/or debate on an issue or topic to a more complex rendering of perspectives
- Control voice, tone, style and other aspects of writing
Dearborn Discovery Core Goals:
https://umdearborn.edu/697337/
Required Materials:
There is one required textbook for this course (available in the campus bookstore):
A Little Argument (2nd edition), by Lester Faigley and Jack Selzer
Other readings will be made available online, either through Canvas or as links to elsewhere on the web.
Assignment and Grading Distribution:
Project 1: Ad Analysis: 4-5 pages
- Due 10/13
- 15% of final grade
Project 2: Entering a Conversation: 5-6 pages
- Due 11/10
- 20% of final grade
Project 3: Inventing an Argument: 6-7 pages
- Due 12/6
- 20% of final grade
Project 4: Reflective Portfolio: 3-4 page written reflection + electronic portfolio
- Due 12/15
- 25% of final grade
*Note that each of Projects 1-3 will require you to write a short Revision Reflection paper during the drafting and revision phase, in which you outline your revision strategy as you proceed from the rough draft to the final draft. Your performance on these Reflections is factored into the final grade for each Project, resulting in a 5-percent deduction from the overall paper grade if not completed.
In-class participation:
To do well in this course, prepare for class and be attentive to and engaged in whatever we are doing every day. Active participation is more than just coming to class and not being disruptive; it means contributing to what we are doing, be it small group work or large class discussion.
- 10% of final grade
Blog Posts:
Each of you will create and manage your own WordPress blog for this course. Your four assigned posts on this blog will serve as material for class discussion, and as pre-writing and idea-generating opportunities for our major writing projects. The WordPress blog itself will also provide the “bare bones” for what will become your online Reflective Portfolio in Project 4.
- 10% of final grade (2.5% each)
Late Work:
I subtract one letter grade for each day late for final drafts submitted after the deadline.
Grading Scale:
| A | 94-100% |
| A- | 90-93% |
| B+ | 87-89% |
| B | 84-86% |
| B- | 80-83% |
| C+ | 77-79% |
| C | 74-76% |
| C- | 70-73% |
| D+ | 67-69% |
| D | 64-66% |
| D- | 60-63% |
University Attendance Policy:
A student is expected to attend every class and laboratory for which he or she has registered. Each instructor may make known to the student his or her policy with respect to absences in the course. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of this policy. The instructor makes the final decision to excuse or not to excuse an absence. An instructor is entitled to give a failing grade (E) for excessive absences or an Unofficial Drop (UE) for a student who stops attending class at some point during the semester.
Comp 105 Attendance Policy:
Because learning to write depends upon collaboration and exchange of ideas with other writers, missing or coming unprepared to more than three class meetings may jeopardize a student’s status in the course.
Coming in more than 10 minutes late without prior notice counts as an absence.
Absences will only be excused in exceptional medical or family circumstances with some form of official documentation.
Here, numerically, is how absences will affect your final grade:
- 0 classes absent = 0 percentage points subtracted from final grade
- 1 class absent = 1 percentage point subtracted from final grade
- 2 classes absent = 2 percentage points subtracted from final grade
- 3 classes absent = 3 percentage points subtracted from final grade
- Each subsequent absence after 3 = 5 percentage points subtracted from final grade
Academic Integrity Policy:
The University of Michigan-Dearborn values academic honesty and integrity. Each student has a responsibility to understand, accept, and comply with the University’s standards of academic conduct as set forth by the Code of Academic Conduct (http://umdearborn.edu/697817/), as well as policies established by each college. Cheating, collusion, misconduct, fabrication, and plagiarism are considered serious offenses and violations can result in penalties up to and including expulsion from the University.
Plagiarism that makes it all the way to a final draft will result in a failing grade for that assignment. Repeated instances of plagiarism may result in a failing grade for the course.
Disability Statement:
The University will make reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities. Students need to register with Counseling & Disability Services (DS) every semester they are enrolled. DS is located in 2157 UC (http://www.umd.umich.edu/cs_disability/). To be assured of having services when they are needed, students should register no later than the end of the add/drop deadline of each term. If you have a disability that necessitates an accommodation or adjustment to the academic requirements stated in this syllabus, you must register with DS as described above and notify your professor.
Safety:
All students are encouraged to program 911 and UM-Dearborn’s University Police phone number (313) 593-5333 into personal cell phones. In case of emergency, first dial 911 and then if the situation allows call University Police.
The Emergency Alert Notification (EAN) system is the official process for notifying the campus community for emergency events. All students are strongly encouraged to register in the campus EAN, for communications during an emergency. The following link includes information on registering as well as safety and emergency procedures information: http://umdearborn.edu/emergencyalert/.
If you hear a fire alarm, class will be immediately suspended, and you must evacuate the building by using the nearest exit. Please proceed outdoors to the assembly area and away from the building. Do not use elevators. It is highly recommended that you do not head to your vehicle or leave campus since it is necessary to account for all persons and to ensure that first responders can access the campus.
If the class is notified of a shelter-in-place requirement for a tornado warning or severe weather warning, your instructor will suspend class and shelter the class in the lowest level of this building away from windows and doors.
If notified of an active threat (shooter) you will Run (get out), Hide (find a safe place to stay) or Fight (with anything available). Your response will be dictated by the specific circumstances of the encounter.
Rhetoric & Writing I 