Office Phone: 285-7518
Room: Memorial Hall 336
Hours: M T Th F 10-11

Introduction

Catalog Description: Argumentative writing with logical development of ideas and use of evidence based on research and critical thinking.

The Goals of the Course:
Through reading, debate, research, summary, and extensive drafting and revision, we will learn the skills of informal and formal argument, logical thinking, and formal documentation (the MLA Style), and cumulative sentences.

Required Texts:

1) Signs of Life in the USA: Readings on Popular
Culture for Writers, 3nd Edition, 2000

2) Materials to be handed out in class

Reference Books:
You do not have to buy these books. But for those who want to read more in conjunction with the required materials, I encourage you to consult and read the following:

1. Elements of Argument by Annette T. Rottenberg

2. Logic and Contemporary Rhetoric by Howard Kahane

3. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
by Joseph Gibald

4. Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace
by Joseph M. Williams

5. The Beacon Handbook by Robert Perrin

Requirements and Policies of the Course:

Written Assignments: Three themes (and many free writings and drafts) are due during the semester. Finished papers should be typed (double spaced and at least three pages long). The themes account for 60% of the final grade.

Plagiarism: "Kidnaping" the ideas of others is a serious offence. If caught, you will receive an "F" immediately. This is a difficult skill or balance you will have to learn: You are required in your own essay to use, discuss, and quote other people's ideas, sentences, essays; but you cannot simply copy others' ideas or sentences without proper acknowledgment or documentation.

Portfolio: The free writings are an important part of the course and you should keep all the free writings, reading notes, and drafts in a folder. I will examine this folder from time to time and it should be turned in along with the final paper at the end of the semester. The portfolio accounts for 20% of your final grade.

Quizzes: Quizzes and tests account for 20% of the final grade. Check the syllabus for the dates of the quizzes and tests. I will drop the two lowest grades of the quizzes. If you miss or fail a quiz, you can make it up by writing a one-page (single space) summary of all the essays on the quiz.

Class Participation: Since this class is based on the concept of a workshop, class participation is extremely important. This means three things: 1) you should finish all your reading assignments before class (check the syllabus for these assignments); 2) you should have the assigned drafts ready before class; and 3) you should contribute actively to class discussions. Needless to say, you won't be able to contribute much to class discussion without careful pre-class preparation. If you rarely participate in class discussion, you will lose 10% of the final grade.

Personal Conference: Your comments and suggestions about the course are valuable to me and they are always welcome. If you encounter any difficulty or have some questions during the semester, please do not hesitate to drop in by my office during the offices hours, or schedule an appointment to see me beyond the office hours.
One of the best ways of learning is to talk to the instructor informally. I encourage you to see me during my office hours either for serious discussions or just a chat. You are always welcome to have lunch with me in the cafeteria

Revision: Revision is a vital part of the writing process. I encourage you to discuss with me your draft of each theme before you do the final revision and copy editing. Remember: Revision is not just correcting a few grammatical and spelling mistakes.

Grades: Your final grade will be based on your work in the papers, classroom activities (discussion, debate, etc.), portfolio, attendance, and quizzes. Grading is not done on a "curve." You are not competing with anyone but yourself. Your course grade is cumulative, with the emphasis on your progress through the semester.

Writing Workshop in the Computer Lab: This is an essential part of our class. You don't have to have any knowledge of computers to attend this course; the writing program here is quite easy to learn. You need to buy a computer disk of 3 2/1" and a protective case. You should not chat in the writing lab or leave the lab without permission. Be considerate to people around you.

Deadlines: Papers handed in after deadlines will be down-graded by a letter grade.

Attendance: Not an option! This is part of the class participation. (For day class) With six absences, your final grade will drop a letter; and with eight or more absences, you will be given an "F" for the course. (For evening class) You lose a letter grade with three absences, and you may fail the class with four or more absences. If you have to miss classes for medical or other emergency reasons, it is imperative that you let me know so that we can work out a plan to make up for the losses.

Lateness: Lateness disrupts the teaching and the studying of both the teacher and your fellow students. Please be courteous to other people in the class. Habitual lateness will not be tolerated and will result in reduction of the final grade. If you come in late after I have taken the attendance, you need to approach me after the class to change the absence.

Disruptive Behaviors: Disruptive behaviors include (but not limited to) chatting in the writing lab, eating snacks, leaving classroom during a class or a writing workshop, and repeated lateness. (If you need to leave during a class for emergency reasons, please let me know.) For the repeated offenses, you will be asked to leave the classroom and be withdrawn from the class.

Wisdom on Argument and Education

Before you can be reasonably convinced you are right about an idea, you should be sure that you understand the objections of your most articulate antagonists. The person who can state his antagonist's point of view to the satisfaction of the antagonist is more likely to be correct than the person who cannot.

-------------- Paul G. Hewitt

You go to a great school not for knowledge so much as for arts and habits; for the habit of attention, for the art of expression, for the art of assuming at a moment's notice a new intellectual posture, for the art of entering quickly into another person's thought, for the habit of submitting to censure and refutation, for the art of indicating assent or dissent in graduated terms, for the habit of regarding minute points of accuracy, for the habit of working out what is possible in a given time, for taste, for discrimination, for mental courage and mental soberness. Above all, you go to a great school for self-knowledge.

---------------- William Cory

How far would Moses have gone if he had taken a poll in Egypt? What would Jesus Christ have preached if he had taken a poll in the land of Israel? What would have happened to the Reformation if Martin Luther had taken a poll? It isn't polls or public opinion of the moment that counts. It is right and wrong and leadership.

---------------Harry S. Truman

The best preparation for work is not thinking about work, talking about work, or studying for work: it is work.

----------------William Weld