CourseOverview

=Course Overview and Policies=

Texts

 * //The Wadsworth Guide to Research//, Susan K. Miller-Cochran and Rochelle L. Rodrigo
 * [|Ballpoint], the English Department's Writing Program handbook. The password is "POP."

Course Description
English 104 applies the fundamentals of rhetoric, which you studied in 101/102 or 103, to the research process. This class will introduce you to methods of research; the rhetorical nature of research; and the elements, strategies, and conventions common to research writing, including the visual as well as the verbal organization of new knowledge.

I will run the course as a workshop. This means that we will spend class time doing things—writing, revising, working in small groups, sharing and responding to drafts, participating in class discussions, and reflecting on your writing and learning. Class participation is required and will factor into your grade. You will also have to do work outside of class; in addition to the usual reading and writing, you will do fieldwork, conduct interviews, and conduct research online and in the library. Throughout the semester, we will work on exercises and short papers that will lead to longer projects that bring together what you have learned.

Course Goals
On successful completion of the course, you should be able to
 * Create and complete research projects. This involves generating a research question, engaging in critical/analytical reading, developing an argument with evidence collected from both primary and secondary research, and documenting sources appropriately.
 * Align research questions with appropriate research methods.
 * Employ critical thinking in evaluation, speculation, analysis, and synthesis required to evolve and complete a research project.
 * Use a variety of strategies to gather and organize information appropriate for the context and persuasive to the intended audience.
 * Use the university research library to forward your research agenda.
 * Engage in collaborative research.
 * Employ format, syntax, punctuation, and spelling appropriate to various rhetorical situations in a stylistically sophisticated manner.
 * Collect, analyze, and organize research information in verbally and visually compelling ways.
 * Take initiative for the development and completion of individual and joint research projects, syntax, punctuation, and spelling.

UCC Objectives
As part of the University Core Curriculum, English 104 seeks to develop your ability to
 * Engage in lifelong education by learning to acquire knowledge and to use it for intelligent ends.
 * Communicate at a level acceptable for college graduates.
 * Clarify your personal values and be sensitive to those held by others.
 * Recognize and seek solutions for the common problems of living by drawing on a knowledge of historical and contemporary events and elements of the cultural heritage surrounding those events.
 * Assess your unique interests, talents, and goals and choose specialized learning experiences that will foster their fulfillment.

Course Requirements
In English 104, you will be required to complete You will also be expected to participate actively in class discussions and peer-editing workshops.
 * Assigned readings, exercises, and response papers;
 * Informal writing assignments;
 * A number of brief class presentations;
 * Course-related library instruction;
 * Library and field research;
 * Essays and revisions;

Grading
Final course grades will be determined by combining grades in the following manner:


 * Definition Essay (10%)
 * Summary/Critical Engagement Essay (15%)
 * Proposal/Annotated Bibliography (10%)
 * Exploratory Research Essay (20%)
 * Researched Argument Essay (20%)
 * Powerpoint (10%)
 * Daily work, including writing exercises, in-class writing, peer response, library quizzes, and essay drafts (15%)

Note: In order to fulfill the University Core Curriculum’s requirement in Writing Program courses, you must earn a minimum grade of C; a grade of C- is not considered acceptable. Further details regarding this policy are available in Ballpoint.

Evaluation of Assignments
I will use the[| Writing Program’s grading rubric] to evaluate your papers. All Writing Program courses use the same rubric to ensure consistency when assigning grades to student essays.

Attendance
Since much of the work of a writing class—including invention, drafting, revising, sharing, responding, and editing—depends on everyone being here almost every day, attendance is mandatory. Regular attendance is required to pass the course.
 * 1) You are allowed three absences free and clear, no excuses necessary. You don’t need to provide any documentation to explain your absence, but you only get three, so use them wisely.
 * 2) After your three absences, any and all absences, regardless of the reason, will adversely affect your grade as follows. For each absence after the third, your daily work grade (15% of the total course grade) will be lowered by 10 percentage points.
 * 3) After nine absences, you will fail the course. I will be following the English department policy which mandates that a student who misses 20% of the class meetings will automatically fail the class; for a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule, that means 9 or more absences result in a failing grade. Thus, only 8 absences are allowed.
 * 4) If you are absent, you are responsible for submitting the assigned homework, for making arrangements to get the materials for the next class, and for coming prepared to discuss the next class materials. Students whose illness or family responsibilities require a long absence should contact me as soon as possible (NOT after an unexplained absence of several weeks).

Late Assignments
Keep in mind:
 * In-class writing cannot be made up.
 * Absence is not an excuse for late work: assignments must be turned in the day they are due. If you will be absent when an assignment is due, arrange to have someone turn in the assignment for you. If you cannot make such arrangements, contact me before the due date.
 * Technology is not an excuse for late work. Plan ahead for the inevitable problems with printers, flash drives, etc.
 * A late essay will be penalized one full letter grade (e.g., from a B to a C) for each class day it is late (e.g., the essay is due Friday but not turned in until Monday).

Academic Dishonesty & Plagiarism
Honesty, trust, and personal responsibility are fundamental attributes of the university community. Academic dishonesty by a student will not be tolerated, for it threatens the foundation of an institution dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. To maintain its credibility and reputation, and to equitably assign evaluations of scholastic and creative performance, Ball State University is committed to maintaining a climate that upholds and values the highest standards of academic integrity. Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty (such as turning in a paper originally written for another course) will be punished in accordance with the Ball State disciplinary policy. If you plagiarize, you will fail the paper for sure, and you could fail the class.

For a concise definition of plagiarism and details on the disciplinary policy, refer to Ballpoint. In addition, The Wadsworth Guide to Research demonstrates acceptable methods of summarizing, paraphrasing, quoting, and citing sources.

Accommodations
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible.