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CO150 Sec 10: College Composition
Spring 1998

Instructor: Brenda Edmands
Office:309 Eddy
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 11-12, Thurs 9:30-10:30 and by appointment
Phone: 491-0674
E-mail: BEdmands@Lamar.colostate.edu

REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS Reid, The Prentice Hall Guide to College Writing, Fourth Edition
Goshgarian, Exploring Language, 7th Edition
Pocket folders for your final essays
3 1/2" Floppy disk, High density

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The titles of the required texts for this class are pretty good indicators of what we are going to be covering in this course: college writing and language. We will be studying the elements of effective academic writing and learning how to apply them to your own writing--a skill you will need time and again during your college career. We also will be exploring your own experiences with language, analyzing your writing process, reading outside authors on language issues, and learning how to relate your experiences and views on language with those of the authors. In other words, this is a course on how you can use language more effectively and the roles language can play in our lives. This course will require extensive reading, some of it quite difficult, and you will be writing daily both in and outside class. This course will have a discussion format rather than a lecture one and you will be expected to contribute to these discussions. In addition to your individual work, you will also be required to participate in group activities in class.

As this course is taught in a computer classroom, we will also be making use of the computers almost every class day. If you are not able to type at least 25 wpm or if you are unwilling to work on a computer, this is not the course for you.

GRADES

Final grades are based on your written work (of course), class participation, and attendance. A breakdown of the major written assignments and how they affect your grade follows.
Unit One Personal Literacy essay 5%
Summary/Response Essay 10%
Inquiry Essay 20%
Unit Two Annotated Bibliography 5%
Arguing Proposal 10%
Arguing Essay 25%
Unit Three Group Discourse Essay 10%
Participation 15%

PARTICIPATION GRADE: Your participation grade will be based on the following

ATTENDANCE: As this course is strongly process and student oriented, we will be doing a lot of in-class writing, discussion of issues, and peer review. In order for you to succeed in this course, it is absolutely essential that you attend regularly. I will give you four freebies--four absences with no questions asked. However, after you have used up your freebies, your overall grade will be lowered a full letter grade for each additional absence up to six absences. If you more than six classes, you will receive a failing grade for the course. Of course, if there is a family or medical emergency, you should see me.

WORKSHOPS: Because process is emphasized in this class, workshops are an essential part of this course's structure. These workshops are an excellent tool to help you learn both the strengths and weaknesses of your writing, see how other students have tackled the same task you've been assigned, and practice reading critically. Attendance for peer review workshops is mandatory. If you miss a workshop day, the absence will affect your participation grade AND your grade on that paper will be lowered a full grade. If you come to workshop without your draft, it will not affect your participation grade; however, your grade on that paper will be lowered one full grade.

LATE PAPERS: Will not be accepted for a full grade unless you have discussed it with me at least 24 hours prior to the due date and received my approval. Any unapproved late papers will be dropped a letter grade for each day late (a paper is considered a day late if it is not handed in during the class period on the date due). No paper will be accepted more than two days after the original due date unless prior arrangements have been made.

REVISING PAPERS: We will be revising papers frequently in and out of class during the semester prior to their being submitted for a grade. You may also revise one of your graded essays during the course of the semester to try to improve your grade on it. The most you can improve your grade on the paper by is one letter grade. You have one week after I pass back your essay to submit a revised version. Before you revise, you MUST have a conference with me to discuss your plans for revision.

DOCUMENTATION AND PLAGIARISM: Research makes up a significant portion of your Arguing Essay for this course. Two things to bear in mind about using outside sources in your paper:

PAPER FORMATS: All rough and final drafts of essays must be typed. Please use a 12-point font, 1-inch margins, and double-space. Papers should also be stapled and have page numbers. Also, accurate spelling and grammar is required. Be sure to spell check and proofread!
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