English 1050
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Course Syllabus Addtional Resources

 

English 1050 - 41693 185: Thought and Writing

Fall 2007

 

Course Introduction:

ENG1050 - 41693 185 meets MW 12 - 1:50 p.m in 2208 Dunbar Hall, 4 credit hours
Instructors: Cheryl Almeda and Erinn Bentley
Office hours: before and after class and by appointment
Phone: 387-2572 (English Office; leave message)
Mailbox: English office, 6th floor Sprau
Email: cheryl.almeda@wmich.edu or erinn.j.bentley@wmich.edu

Website: http://homepages.wmich.edu/~e3bentle/index.htm

Course Objectives:

This course is designed as an entry-level writing course; one which will meet each student individually in areas of writing strengths and weaknesses. The text is helpful and the course material is revised and polished “as we go” to help eliminate problem areas and build a foundation for successful writing experiences in this course and beyond. This particular section places a special emphasis on research and technology affording students innovative experiences and exciting opportunities in research.


Required Materials:

 

Assignments and Course Requirements:


3 in-class writing assignments (IN-CWAs) - Essays will be 2 pages in length. Prewriting, drafting, and polishing will take place in class.
Requirements will be addressed in class.
See Almeda/Bentley if absence is anticipated.

4 major papers - including prewriting, rough drafts, and finals
Final papers should be neatly typed, double-spaced throughout, and should
follow MLA documentation format.
Papers are due on the day indicated on the class calendar. If you will not be
present in class, papers are due to Almeda/Bentley mailbox (6th floor Sprau
English office) by 12:00 p.m. of that day. Please have the secretary date and
time your papers before putting them our mailboxes.

Midterm - details to follow

Final portfolio - details to follow


Perspectives - in-class, timed writing responses
These will be collected two times as indicated in the class calendar.
entries may be neatly written or typed and should be dated in the top right hand corner. If you miss a class, you miss a perspective. Advance notice of absence will allow for the perspective to be made- up. See instructors for that information.

Nicenet – online writing responses to be completed outside of class. Students will be notified during class or via assignment sheets of when responses must be completed on Nicenet. Students will receive two credits for posting an original response and one credit for each response he/she posts to another students' comment(s). Click here (or log onto http://www.nicenet.org) to access the class Nicenet site. You will need to register with a name and password. Our class is called “English1050.07” and the key for registering is: 97PA68M38.

Readings - assigned as homework
all students are expected to complete the reading homework.
class participation in discussion is expected; should there be little contribution to the discussion, pop quizzes will be administered.

Writing groups - an essential component of our process writing classroom
groups are mandatory and participation on all levels is required.
students are expected to come to class prepared to share your own works with others and engage in constructive criticism with your peers.
Those unprepared for group or individual conferences will see that their grades reflect this failure to meet class expectations.

 

Course Policies:

Late Work
Late papers should be submitted to the 6th floor Sprau Towers English office. Be sure to ask the secretary to time and date your submissions, and deliver them to the appropriate Almeda/Bentley mailbox. You may bring your paper to our next scheduled class but understand that each day your paper is late penalizes your grade, whether or not we have class scheduled. We will not accept papers on disk or via. email unless previously arranged.
Late papers will not be accepted after the next assigned paper has been collected (I.e. paper 2 will no longer be accepted as a late paper after paper 3 has been collected.)

Attendance
We do not differentiate between excused and unexcused absences. More than 2 absences may mean the lowering of the term grade by one letter for each absence (I.e. a B/A with 3 absences will result in a B). Even if your work is unfinished, come to class to avoid further confusion and additional penalties!
Students are expected to be on time and remain in class for the entire class period.
It is your responsibility to arrange with your instructor what, if any, work can be made up.

Email Information
The only email address that should be used for communication between WMU students and WMU faculty and staff is the email address associated with the BroncoNet ID. This email address typically takes the form first name.middle initial.lastname@wmich.edu. An example is buster.h.bronco@wmich.edu. Students cannot automatically forward email from this address to other addresses. Students can access this email account or get instructions for obtaining a BroncoNet ID at GoWMU.wmich.edu.

Academic Dishonesty (Plagiarism)
You are responsible for making yourself aware of and understanding the policies and procedures in the Student Code and the Undergraduate Catalog that pertain to Academic Integrity. The policies include cheating, fabrication, falsification and forgery, multiple submission, plagiarism complicity, and computer misuse:

a. You may not submit a paper that has been written for another class. These include papers written for high school classes and those submitted for other courses here at Western or elsewhere.
b. You may not plagiarize - claim to have written something someone else has written. It makes no difference if that work is an article or a book, an encyclopedia or dictionary, a lecture, the introduction to a literary text, Cliff Notes or Spark Notes, that of another student or off the internet.
c. You may not claim information as your own that is not common knowledge” - I.e. you must document your sources carefully and completely. Mrs. Almeda and Mrs. Bentley will assist you in this task.

A paper containing plagiarism will receive an automatic F and the student will face possible failure for the course. For further information on how to cite properly, consult the MLA Handbook and/or go to the following website: www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite5.html.

You are responsible for making yourself aware of and understanding the policies and procedures in the Undergraduate (pp. 274-276) [Graduate (pp. 25-27)] Catalog that pertain to Academic Honesty. These policies include cheating, fabrication, falsification and forgery, multiple submission, plagiarism, complicity and computer misuse. If there is reason to believe you have been involved in academic dishonesty, you will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. You will be given the opportunity to review the charge(s). If you believe you are not responsible, you will have the opportunity for a hearing. You should consult with me if you are uncertain about an issue of academic honesty prior to the submission of an assignment or test. Faculty Senate Western Michigan University 1003 Trimpe Building 1903 W. Michigan Avenue Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5332 Ph: 269.387.3310 FAX: 269.387.3030 faculty-senate@wmich.edu www.wmich.edu/facultysenate

In-Class Computer Usage
For this section of English l050, students are allocated laptop computers for use within the classroom. Each student will be assigned a computer to use, and it is that student’s responsibility to borrow and return his/her computer to its designated place in the laptop computer cart. Computers may only be used within the class period if the instructors have assigned specific drafting, revising, or research activities. The computers are designed for classroom use; should any misuse of computers (i.e. physical damage or use of computers for personal reasons – checking email, playing games) occur, the instructors reserve the right to revoke computer privileges.

Students with Special Needs
Western Michigan University maintains the Office of Disabled Student Resources and Services (DSRS) to help assure compliance with the rules and regulations set forth by various congressional acts to provide services and assistance to students with special needs.

As defined by the Office of DSRS, “A disability is a physical or mental impairment that impedes normal achievement.” If any student feels he/she needs assistance due to physical, learning, or emotional impairments, the student should immediately notify the instructor. Further information regarding the Office of DSRS can be found at this link.


Grading:

Writing Process/ Groups: 25%
Class Assignments / Perspectives/Nicenet: 25%
Final Portfolio: 50%

Western uses combined grades instead of + and - signs:
93 - 100 % A 72 - 77 % C
88-92% B/A 68 - 71% D/C
82 - 87% B 60 - 67% D
78 - 81% C/B
59 and below E