"Collegiate" Writing

College writing standards require students' sentences to be clear and concise, showing capable use of the tools necessary to a mature writing style, such as coordination, subordination, parallelism, and transitional devices.

From the Purdue OWL & Essay Plant:

When writing, it is very important to use language that fits your audience and matches purpose. Inappropriate language uses can damage your credibility, undermine your argument, or alienate your audience. This handout will cover some of the major issues with appropriate language use: levels of language formality, deceitful language and Euphemisms, slang and idiomatic expressions; using group-specific jargon; and biased/stereotypical language.

The following is a short overview of the different aspects of using appropriate language. Review the other sections of this handout for a more complete discussion:

1. Levels of Formality: Write in a style that your audience expects and that fits your purpose is key to successful writing.  Students' papers and essays in college should be written in formal, standard English. They should be free of nonstandard constructions (such as double negatives) and of informal usage (such as "The experiment went O.K."). College Students' sentence structure should be free of major grammatical blunders, such as sentence fragments, subject-verb disagreement, inconsistent verb tenses, unclear pronoun reference, and misplaced modifiers.
2. In-Group Jargon: Jargon refers to specialized language used by groups of like-minded individuals. Only use in-group jargon when you are writing for members of that group. You should never use jargon for a general audience without first explaining it.  College Students' choice of words should be precise and appropriate to students' subject. Students may sometimes find it essential to use technical terms, but students should always avoid unnecessary jargon not to lose marks on their papers.
3. Slang and idiomatic expressions: Avoid using slang or idiomatic expressions in general academic writing.
4. Deceitful language and Euphemisms: Avoid using euphemisms (words that veil the truth, such as "collateral damage" for the unintended destruction of civilians and their property) and other deceitful language.
5. Biased language: Avoid using any biased language including language with a racial, ethnic, group, or gender bias or language that is stereotypical.

Syllabus

·         Instructor: Mrs. Sharon Aiken, H/SS 248   

·         Office phone: 478-471-2893

·         Office hours: M/W: 3:00-4:00; T/TH: noon-2 p.m. and by appointment (I will be happy to work with you to arrange a convenient time for a conference. 

·         Email: sharon.aiken@maconstate.edu

·         Website:  www.aikenenglish1101spring2012.blogspot.com

Best means of contact: email. I check and respond to my Macon State email, Monday-Thursday and on Sunday evenings.  If you email me late Thursday-Saturday and do not receive a quick response, please know that it may be because I have not checked my mail.  Use your Macon State email; if you have not already established your email, and need assistance; please see the support personnel at the ARC (Academic Resource Center. I typically use email for class announcements or changes in the class schedule. (This is important, especially in the event of inclement weather. Listen to local news. If schools in Jasper County are closed, check your email.)

Required Texts: Back to the Lake: A Reader; Pocket Style Manual with MLA Update; Of Mice and Men

Required Material: jump drive; pocket folder for research paper; half-inch binder in which all papers may be kept and submitted at the end of the semester

Purpose of the Class: The general aim of the class is to introduce college students to writing as a process. By the end of the course, you should be able to write effective essays that are precise, organized, clear, and correct in grammar and usage; this is not a grammar course, but we will set aside brief times for review, as needed. Class assignments will cultivate the ability to compare and contrast, summarize, describe, and persuade in writing and speaking; assignments will stress logic and unity; and all remarks, whether formal or informal, will stress an awareness of audience and purpose; evidence and supporting detail will form the basis for all kinds of class writing and speaking. This course will additionally increase your awareness of the essay as literature.

Class Goals – Students will:

·         Establish college-level, writing-based thinking and  analytical skills

·         Gain more experience using the library and the web for research

·         Learn to document research using MLA guidelines

·         Develop necessary skills to pass the Regents’ Test

·         Increase their familiarity and use of the web as a tool for communication

·         Engage in peer-review of papers

·         Extend their communication skills to a brief oral presentation accompanied by technology

Class Policies:

1.      If you have been required to take Learning Support English, you may not take English 1101 unless you have completed that course with a D.

2.      You can miss two class days without penalty—unless an in-class essay has been assigned. Normally students fail the class after four absences. (If you have a medical condition and see that you will be missing a number of days, be prepared to present a doctor’s excuse. If a member of your immediate family has a health condition requiring your absence from class, remember:  that is still an absence. English 1101 and 1102 have been known to cause sprains, eczema, childbirth, dandruff, seizures, hospitalizations, broken bones, accidents, and the plague. Students and their families are most susceptible one to two days before a paper deadline. Do your work, plan ahead and protect yourself and your loved ones.)

3.      Please be on time. Again, if you drive a distance to get here, plan accordingly. There are times we are all tardy, but being in class, ready to work says a great deal about your serious attention to this class and does not go unnoticed.

4.      Assignments are to be handed in on time, typed. Writing on class computers is part of the class; there will be both in-class and out-of-class essays.  Title all assignments and use MLA format, outlined in your handbook, on the Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab), and the class blog.

5.      Do NOT hand in a late assignment. There has been a problem in the past with students who want to email me their papers. If you know you will be absent when a paper is due, email the paper to me BEFOREHAND; I will accept those, without penalty. If a hard copy of the paper is not handed in on time, in class, the date that it is due, you may email a copy of the paper, with penalties: a) you will automatically forfeit a letter grade off the paper; b) that essay may not be graded until the end of the semester, which is when I grade all late work. 

6.      I will NOT accept a research paper via email.

7.      If you work outside of class on a paper and plan to print it out in class, arrive early enough to do so without class disruption. I don’t mind your printing out your out-of-class papers when you arrive, but take care of it within the first 10-15 min. of class.

8.      If you use Ms Works or other word processing program out of class, safe your paper as an .rtf  (Rich Text Format) file.  Your paper cannot be opened, cannot be read, cannot be printed if it is saved as a Microsoft Works document.

9.      If you miss a daily assignment, you may NOT make it up; if you miss a major assignment, your grade will result in a zero. You MUST complete all major assignments to pass the class.

10. I give letter grades; if you have a questions about a grade, drop by my office or make an appointment to see me after class; if you wish to challenge a grade, do so in writing, no sooner than a day after getting your paper back, and no later than three class days after I return that assignment.                                                                                                                                              

11.  If you cheat on a test, you will get a zero. If you plagiarize an assignment, that grade will result in a zero. Plagiarism occurs when a writer uses the ideas, wording, organization, etc., of another writer without proper citation, whether intentional or unintentional. This includes having someone “help” you write the paper, buying the paper online, or lifting ideas, sentences, and/or paragraphs from another text. Keep an electronic copy of all assignments and be prepared to send it to me immediately if asked. Please go to the MSC Library site for further information on avoiding plagiarism. Students should know that failing this course is the common penalty for plagiarism.

Note:

A plagiarism prevention service is used in the evaluation of written work submitted for this course. As directed by the instructor, students are expected to submit their assignments, or have their assignments submitted, through the service in order to meet the requirements for this course. The papers may be retained by the service for the sole purpose of checking for plagiarized content in future student submissions.

12. POLICY ON ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT: “As a Macon State College student and as a student in this class, you are responsible for reading, understanding, and abiding by the MSC Student Code of Conduct. The Student Code of Conduct is included in the MSC Student Handbook and is available online at:http://www.maconstate.edu/studentlife/studenthandbook.pdf”

13. POLICY ON DISABILITY ACCOMODATIONS: “Students seeking academic accommodations for a special need must contact the MSC Counseling and Career Center (478-471-2714) located on the second floor of the Student Life Center on the Macon Campus.”

14.   If you have a D average based on the major assignments, no participation or daily grade average can bring that average up to a C. (Division Policy)

15.   In all class policies, I expect common sense and courtesy. No open food or drink in the computer lab. Turn your phones on “manner mode” if you must keep them on. Do not text, update your facebook status, shop on your tablet, or surf the web when I am teaching, when we are engaged in peer review or class discussion, or when students give a presentation. If you want to enjoy those activities, I will ask you to leave the class. Work on assignments for other classes elsewhere. With 168 hours in a week, this class asks only two and a half hours of your undivided attention. If that is too difficult, you should reconsider whether you are serious about this class (and college).

16.   Please do not distract others who are working or paying attention in this class. I respect your right to fail this class, but not your right to infringe upon others who may want to pass. No one needs to be distracted—I can usually provide enough distraction for everyone, including myself.

17. It is the policy of this department that I keep your initial drafts, revisions, and final drafts for at least one semester. Therefore, should you want these returned, please see me at the end of Spring Semester 2011.

18. The final exam in English 1101 is a two-hour essay. To prepare for this essay, each student must be assigned a specific reading designated by the instructor. While students may not use the actual readings during the exam, they are allowed to have one 3x5 index card with notes from the reading.

The best way to develop your writing is to read, read, read. There are no shortcuts, no easy outs, and no simple solutions. Read everything, good and bad, exciting and mediocre, suspenseful and boring. You will gradually begin to develop a sense of identifying good writing that is coherent and clear, complete, as well as concise. Bad writing will show you what to avoid; good writing will show you what to emulate. This class does not meet every day, but if you truly want to succeed and develop, not only in this class, but in college and in life, it is in your best interest to read every day and, if at all possible, to write every day. Seek help when you need it. Find your voice and remain true to it; take pride in your work. Do your best, whether your best is a “C” or an “A.”

IMPORTANT DATES:

January 12th: Last Day to Make Class Schedule Changes

January 16th: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

March 1: Last Day to Withdraw from a Regular Session Class with a "W"

March 12-17th: Spring Break

April 30: Regular Session Classes End

May 1-7: Final Exams for Regular Session Classes (refer to the Academic Calendar for the Exam Schedule)

“Writing is easy; all you have to do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until the drops of blood form on your forehead.”    Gene Fowler