Bill Di Nome  |  Burney 181  |  962-7138  |  dinomew@uncw.edu

Fall 2003 | Class Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 6:30 – 7:45 p.m. | Morton Hall 104

Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 2 – 3 p.m. and by appointment

English 201-030

                             College Writing & Reading II

Fall 2003

Essay Assignments in Detail |  Class Schedule | Appendices

Required Texts & Resources

• Writing, Reading, and Research, 6th ed., Veit & Gould (Longman 2003)

• Readings on Reserve at Randall Library

• Access to a college-level dictionary

• Course links available through Campus Pipeline (check Message Board weekly)

• Randall Library Instructional Services Class Guide: English 201

• Randall Library’s “Evaluating Web Resources Checklist”

• Additional resources available elsewhere at this Web site

Course Overview

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Constitution of the United States

This course in college-level reading and writing will emphasize the composing process, with emphasis on research and argumentation thematically focused upon the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The content of the course integrates frequent responses, both written and verbal, to various texts; practical exercises in specific techniques; and extended writing assignments completed over a series of drafts. Instruction will utilize classwide discussion, peer-group workshops, self-evaluations, and two mandatory conferences with your instructor. You are strongly encouraged to use the Writing Place (Randall Library, 2d floor; ext. 7155) as a supplementary resource.

Our primary goals:

• to facilitate the transition from writing and reading based on personal experience to writing and reading for the variety of academic purposes you will encounter at UNCW;

• to achieve a basic competence in rhetorical analysis, specifically through examining popular political discourse;

• to achieve basic competence in academic research;

• to acquire the conventions of academic discourse, including a balanced, informed voice and a tolerant intellectual stance.

 Requirements for this course include

• Two conferences with your instructor are required. Individual meetings will be scheduled during the weeks prior to each conference week. Conferences replace our regular class meetings during conference weeks.

• Class attendance and active participation

• Daily preparation. You are expected to be conversant in all assigned readings regardless of whether they are addressed explicitly in class and to come to class with assigned written exercises completed.

• Timely submission of written assignments (see Deadlines). For detailed descriptions of the essay assignments, click here.

Academic Honesty

You are expected to understand the precepts of academic honesty outlined in the Student Handbook/Code of Student Life, especially with regard to plagiarism, defined as the use of any source, published or unpublished, without proper acknowledgment. Plagiarism not only undermines the integrity of one's academic work and reputation, it also has legal ramifications relative to copyright and intellectual property rights. Plagiarism often results from inadequate documentation of sources; but even when unintended, it remains a serious and actionable violation.

Plagiarism, academic dishonesty, and any fabrication of fact, quotation, intention, authorship, or sourcing will not be tolerated. A violation of this honor code will result in an F for the course and possibly other sanctions as well. If you have any questions about how properly to acknowledge your sources, ask your instructor or visit the Writing Place.

Deadlines

Observing deadlines is as important to developing self-discipline (scholarly or professional) as it is to your need as a writer to receive timely feedback, and to the effectiveness of any instructor. Therefore, the timeliness of your submissions of assignments is taken into account for your final grade. Assignments submitted late will be graded down at the rate of a “partial letter-grade” per day (an A becomes A-minus; B-plus becomes B, and so forth.) For the semester’s final assignment, due Dec. 04, the deadline is not negotiable without prior approval. A final assignment submitted late will earn a failing grade.

 Attendance

You are permitted two unexcused absences without penalty. For three to five absences, your final grade will be reduced by a partial letter-grade for each absence. Six or more absences will result in a failing course grade regardless of the reason(s) for your absences.

Arriving to class 20 minutes late or leaving 20 minutes early constitutes an absence. Legitimate reasons for missing class do not include sitting up with sick friends, surfing a storm surge, quitting work late, leaving town early for vacations or concerts, or coming to class unprepared. (Better to attend  unprepared than not to attend.)

Class Policies

• Our classroom is a Cellphone-Free Zone. Please turn off or silence your phone before classes begin.

• Be mindful of our room’s small size. Keep the aisles as clear as possible of bags, skateboards, etc.

• Classes will begin and end promptly at the ascribed hour. Please arrive on time and refrain from packing up to leave before class has been dismissed.

Special Needs

Students with disabilities who need accommodation to fulfill the course requirements should notify me in writing as soon as possible. Please include a copy of your accommodation letter, available by registering with the Office of Disability Services in Friday Hall Annex (ext. 3746).

Essay Assignments in Detail  (in chronological order)

See the Class Schedule for due dates.

See Grade Weights for assignments’ point-value.

“Scholarship is polite argument.”   —Philip Rieff

The major written assignments for this course:

• one literature review (“LR”), a.k.a. objective summary report

• two analyses of texts (“A1,” “A2”), which will require you to explore techniques writers employ to present information to specific audiences for specific purposes. One analysis will take the form of a critique of an argument.

• two extended essays incorporating research (“R1,” “R2”). The second essay will be persuasive. These essays will be preceded by a series of staged written assignments and will undergo repeated revision.

 Additional assignments include

• two self-evaluation (“S1,” “S2”)s of your performance on the research-based essays

• numerous exercises from our textbook, some graded.

• Frequent reading & discussion. You are expected to come to class prepared to discuss all readings in detail. You are strongly encouraged to keep a reading journal to facilitate your understanding and recall.

 (LR) Literature Review | Due 8/28

Write a brief, objective summary report on the following set of readings (available on Reserve) relating to David Horowitz’s advertisement opposing slavery reparations.

• “10 Reasons” — The text of Horowitz’s original anti-reparations advertisement

• “Miffing the Myth-Makers” by John Leo, U.S. News & World Report

• “Censorship on College Campuses” by Stephen Goode, Insight

• “Don’t Censor Horowitz,” by Matthew Rothschild, Progressive

See textbook chapter 6.

(A1) Brief Analysis

Workshop Draft Due 9/09 | Final Draft Due 9/11*

Read the two articles listed below (on Reserve). Using the techniques and structure suggested in chapter 7 of our textbook, write a brief reading analysis of one of them. Bring a complete draft to the workshop on Sep. 09.

•  “On McCarthyism at Berkeley: The Enemy Is Us” by Leo Breiman, Daedalus, OR

• “Talking the Talk: Have Universities Lost Sight of Why They Exist?” by Loren Lomasky, Reason. (Note: The pages in the electronic version on Reserve are out of order, but the article is complete.)

* Note: On Sep. 11, class will meet in the Library Instruction room, on the first floor of Randall Library. (Walk to the rear of the library & turn right. The Library Instruction room is on the left, just beyond the Interlibrary Loan office.)

 “The way to do research is to attack the facts at the point of greatest astonishment.”

—Celia Green

(R1) Researched Essay #1

• An extended expository essay, based on research, supporting an original thesis concerning any topic relative to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Within that area of concern, your precise focus may be anything you choose, but it must either focus upon or spring directly from any of the five protections of the First Amendment.

•  If you choose to work with freedom of religion issues, avoid arguments based solely in belief. For example, the prospect of eternal damnation or heavenly reward is inadmissible as an arguable outcome of personal behavior, social policy, or political agenda. Using religious/spiritual belief in place of verifiable evidence or academic discourse does not meet the grading criteria for Development & Support (see the Grading Rubric).

• Minimum of 5 sources required. These must include two peer-reviewed journals and one book-length work. Sources should also be politically well balanced among leftist and rightist sources.

• Length: 6 – 8  pp. (counting the works-cited page); no cover page, please, and no folder.

• MLA-style documentation. Pages consecutively numbered in upper right-hand corner; 1” margins; spell-checked, proof-read, and pages stapled together.

• Your final draft must be submitted with all earlier components attached: topic questions, research prospectus, and two previous drafts.

 (R1) Possible Topic Questions | Due 9/30

Create a preliminary proposal outlining your areas of interest for your first extended essay. The preferred method is to define possible questions, or hypotheses, you would like to explore and what opportunities you anticipate in each case. This assignment must include

• 3 to 5 possible questions

• For each question, a brief analysis of possible paths of inquiry: What related questions or issues might you anticipate? How might your discussion be framed?

• For each question, a brief description of potential source materials

• Length: 2 pages minimum

(R1) Research Prospectus | Due 10/02

Note: No research papers will be accepted without an approved prospectus.

You may submit more than one prospectus if you are not prepared to limit your options. If submitting multiple proposals, staple them all together into one package. Your instructor will discuss your prospectus with you individually during conference week.

The research prospectus must consist of the following elements:

• A statement of your research question — a clear description of the issue you intend to investigate. This issue must be closely related to the First Amendment.

• A brief summary of your progress so far — Note what you already know about your subject and what you hope to discover.

• A working bibliography — A list of raw sources, including those you may not have had chance to evaluate. Minimum 5 proposed sources, politically balanced among leftist and rightist (see Appendix 3). Put asterisks or stars beside the sources that are “authorities” on the topic or very important sources (i.e., widely cited by others). Label the sources “BG” or “QPS” to indicate whether each one will provide background material or will be directly quoted from, paraphrased or summarized, respectively. Briefly annotate each source according to the following guidelines:

1.   Identify author’s political position, using clues from affiliation with a particular research institute, book publisher, journal of opinion, party, or organization, and — more importantly — from arguments s/he presents that exemplify the particular patterns of rhetoric in Appendix Five; quote adequately (or provide highlighted photocopies) to support your identification. In cases where the author is not arguing from an identifiable position but only reporting facts, indicate which position the reported facts support, and explain how. (Note while some newspapers, magazines, etc., have identifiable political viewpoints, many also sometimes attempt to present other views. You should not assume that any article appearing in a particular periodical will automatically support the predominant viewpoint.)

2.    Be sure to evaluate the credibility and authority of the material you find in Web sites. For help, visit the Randall Library Web Site.

3.   Apply to each source the “Semantic Assessment for Bias in Rhetoric” (Appendix Four) along with the more general principles of rhetorical analysis studied in this course.

See textbook chapter 11 for more information on creating a research prospectus.

 (R1) Rough Draft | Due 10/16 | Revised due date!

Bring two copies, one for the in-class workshop, one for the instructor.

 (R1) Revised Draft | Due 10/21 | Revised due date!

Bring three copies, two for peer-editing, one for the instructor.

 (R1) Final Draft | Due 10/23 | Revised due date!

Again, your final draft must be submitted with all earlier components attached: topic questions, research prospectus, and two workshop drafts.

(S1) Self-Evaluation | Due 10/23

Write a brief (1-  to 2-page) assessment of your research essay, R1. Given the time for more revision, what might you expand or reduce, what other revisions or redirection seems called for? Also, briefly critique the feedback you received from members of your group.

 (A2) Critique of an Argument

            Workshop Draft Due 10/30 | Final Draft Due 11/04

Read the three articles listed below (on Reserve), then choose one to critique. Using the procedures presented in chapter 14 of our textbook (p. 509 ff.), compose a polished written critique. Use your own ideas to evaluate the author’s arguments. Remember that a critique is not necessarily an attack on another person’s argument; you may find yourself agreeing with someone whose writing you critique. Your critique should address whatever successes and flaws you find in the text you analyze.

Bring one complete draft to the workshop on 10/30.

• “The First Amendment and the NEA” by Robert Brustein, The New Republic, OR

• “Michael Powell and the FCC: Giving Away the Marketplace of Ideas” by Tom Shales, Washington Post, OR

• “Speech Codes: Alive and Well at Colleges...” by Harvey Silverglate & Greg Lukianoff, Chronicle of Higher Education

(R2) Researched Essay #2

• An extended persuasive essay, based in research, supporting an original claim about an issue arising from, or in some way relevant to, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Again, within those constraints, you have complete latitude in your choice of issue and claim.

• If you choose to work with freedom of religion issues, please observe the caveat noted with regard to Researched Essay #1, above.

• Minimum of 5 sources required. These must include two peer-reviewed journals and one book-length work, politically well balanced between Left and Right.

• Length: 6 – 8  pp. (counting the works-cited page); no cover page, no folder.

• MLA-style documentation. Pages consecutively numbered in upper right-hand corner; 1” margins; spell-checked, proof-read, and pages stapled together.

• Your final draft must be submitted no later than Dec. 04 with all earlier components attached: topic questions, research prospectus, and two workshop drafts. Please note that your final self-evaluation (S2) is also due that same day.

(R2) Possible Topic Questions | Due 11/04

Create a preliminary proposal outlining your issues of interest for this persuasive argument. Define possible claims, or hypotheses, you would like to argue and what opportunities you anticipate in each case. This assignment must include

• 3 to 5 possible claims

• For each claim, a brief analysis of possible strategies to support it: What related questions, issues or possible rebuttals might you anticipate? How might you address them?

• For each claim, a brief description of potential source materials

• Length: 2 pages minimum

 (R2) Research Prospectus | Due 11/13

Note: No research papers will be accepted without an approved prospectus.

You may submit more than one prospectus if you are not prepared to limit your options. If submitting multiple proposals, staple them all together into one package. Your instructor will discuss your prospectus with you individually during conference week. Review chapter 11 of our textbook for information on creating a research prospectus.

The research prospectus must consist of the following elements:

• A statement of your claim about a specific issue —Again, the issue must somehow hinge upon some aspect or effect of the First Amendment.

• A summary of your progress so far — Note what you already know about your subject and what you hope to demonstrate.

• A working bibliography — A list of raw sources, including those you may not have had chance to evaluate. Minimum 5 proposed sources. Put asterisks or stars beside the sources that are “authorities” on the topic or very important sources (i.e., widely cited by others). Label the sources "BG" or "QPS" to indicate whether each one will provide background material or will be directly quoted from, paraphrased or summarized, respectively. Be sure to evaluate the credibility and authority of the material you find in Web sites.

 (R2) Rough Draft | Due 11/25

Bring two copies, one for the in-class workshop, one for the instructor.

 (R2) Revised Draft | Due 12/02

Bring three copies, two for peer-editing, one for the instructor.

 (R2, S2) Final Draft & Self-Evaluation | Due 12/04

Again, your final draft must be submitted with all earlier components attached: topic questions, research prospectus, two workshop drafts, and your final self-evaluation.

For the evaluation, write a brief (1-  to 2-page) assessment of your essay, R2. Given the time for more revision, what might you have expanded or reduced, what other revisions or redirection seems called for? Also, briefly critique the feedback you received from members of your group.

 Exercises (in chronological order)

Grade Weights

Here are the point-values of our assignments:

Grading Scale

Final grading for this course utilizes a plus/minus letter-grade scale based upon points earned of a total 150 points possible:

Class Schedule

Course Overview | Essay Assignments in Detail | Appendices

Notes:  Assignments and due-dates are subject to change.

Abbreviations, LR, A1, R1, etc., refer to essay assignments described above.

Exercises are listed by page number. Numbers or letters in parentheses adjoining page numbers indicate the individual problems within the exercise.

  “What is research but a blind date with knowledge?”

— Anonymous