EN 12 Texts and Contexts II: Rhetorics of Risk, Spring 2019   Dr. Tiffany Wilgar Fairfield University 

  Imagine that you enter a parlor. You come late.When you arrive, others have long preceded you,                                 and they are engaged in a heated discussion, a discussion too heated for them to pause and tell you                                     exactly what it is about...You listen for a while, until you decide that you have caught the tenor of                                     the argument; then you put in your oar. Someone answers; you answer him; another comes to your                                 defense; another aligns himself against you, to either the embarrassment or gratification of your                           opponent, depending upon the quality of your ally's assistance. However, the discussion is                         interminable. -Kenneth Burke  COURSE DESCRIPTION The EN 11 & 12 courses are a year-long sequence that explore the complexities of using                               language and composing texts. “Composition” is broadly defined as the creative and                       intellectual process of composing a text, and “text” is broadly defined to include all writing                             genres and types of media. These sections of EN 12 will introduce students to “texts” from                               fields and about topics that are often not considered rhetorical (even though, of course,                           

Dr. Tiffany Wilgar | EN 12 Spring 2019

everything is). In EN 12, students will build on their learning in EN 11 by broadening and                                 deepening their understanding of rhetoric and rhetorical awareness. This semester, students                     will refine their writing processes, sharpen their research strategies, and complicate notions of                         disciplinarity. The course prepares students to transfer this knowledge to their composing to                         future composition situations in school, work, and life.  

CONTACTING DR. WILGAR    COURSE INFORMATION EN 12 

section 27: MR 9:30-10:45 CNS 101 section 20: MR 11:00-12:15 CNS 101 section 11: MR 2:00-3:15 CNS 101 

Email: twilgar@fairfield.edu Phone: (203) 254-4000, ext. 2852 Twitter @EmpressAtreyu 

 

Office: Donnarumma Hall (DH) 101 Office hours: Tuesdays 9:30a-1:30p 

 

REQUIRED MATERIALS Reliable access to a computer with           internet.  Wordpress account (free). 

 

COURSE THEME: RHETORICS OF RISK  This class is based on the theoretical assumption that writing is conversation, and for the                             members of this class, both you and me, to engage in a productive conversation, we need                               something to discuss. The theme of this class is centered around risk and writing common in                               the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).   Academic writing is a common way to build and share knowledge in various fields. As such,                               academic writing is a form of making and sharing new knowledge. Knowledge about risk in                             the STEM fields is often not considered as related to rhetoric studies. In fact, some may                               consider these things as near opposites. However, the field of rhetoric concerns itself with                           uses of language and how choices in using language can affect thought, action, and lived                             experience. Knowledge about risks associated with science and technology is mediated by                       language and communication, which is where rhetoric studies steps in. Scholars of rhetoric                         ask questions about the uses of language in STEM fields to better understand how language                             is mediating scientific knowledge (and to what outcomes).   

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Additionally, scholars of rhetoric consider how cultural norms, expectations, and systems                     can affect what research questions are asked, how they are researched, and to what extent the                               general public is included in these conversations. Public controversies about scientific                     information are one example of how the way we talk and write about science can make a                                 difference in how people understand information. In this class, we will explore the                         rhetoricity of risk related to writing in the sciences. We will read academic literature from                             and about STEM, watch and listen to nonfiction texts about science, technology, ethics, and                           risk through the lens of rhetoric.  

 GOALS & OUTCOMES  Goal 1: Students will demonstrate understanding that writing is a collaborative, social, situated                         process and will demonstrate facility with the various tasks and habits of mind required by this                               process. 

● Outcome 1A: Students will develop multiple writing projects through multiple drafts                     therein demonstrating flexible strategies for reading, inventing, collaborating, drafting,                 reviewing, revising, editing, proofreading, and sharing and/or publishing. 

● Outcome 1B: Students will learn to give and to act upon productive feedback to works                             in progress, including feedback received in conferences with professors. 

  Goal 2: Students will join the academic community of ideas and scholarly inquiry by thinking                             critically, reading analytically, and writing supported, well-documented arguments. 

● Outcome 2A: Students will read a diverse range of texts, including texts that may be                             outside their familiar worldviews, texts that bring disciplines into conversation, texts                     that foreground social justice, and texts from various genres that employ alphabetic and                         non-alphabetic elements. 

● Outcome 2B: Students will use inquiry, critical thinking, composing, and revision to                       draft arguments that identify problems, generate questions, propose solutions, and                   support positions, attending especially to relationships between assertion and evidence. 

● Outcome 2C: Students will locate and evaluate (for credibility, sufficiency, relevancy,                     accuracy, timeliness, bias, etc.) primary and secondary sources, including journal                   articles, books, and materials from scholarly and professionally established and                   maintained databases, archives, and networks. 

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● Outcome 2D: Students will use strategies—such as synthesis, response, design, and                     re/mediation—to compose texts that integrate the writer's ideas with those from                     appropriate sources. 

● Outcome 2E: Students will understand the rationale for and demonstrate correct usage                       of at least two academic documentation styles (for formatting texts, citing sources, and                         formatting bibliographies), exhibiting cognizance of intellectual property and abiding                 by all expectations for academic integrity. 

  Goal 3: Students will demonstrate sophisticated rhetorical knowledge. 

● Outcome 3A: Students will learn, use, and demonstrate facility with key rhetorical                       concepts such as audience and purpose by analyzing a variety of nonfiction texts that                           respond to and act on specific rhetorical situations. 

● Outcome 3B: Students will craft discursive choices (related to features of composing                       such as development, organization, text design, medium, modality, voice, grammatical                   effectiveness, and style) to address a variety of audiences and rhetorical situations. 

● Outcome 3C: Students will demonstrate an understanding that personal investments                   and cultural perspectives are woven into language, knowledge, and rhetoric.  

  Goal 4: Students will demonstrate understanding of the concepts of genre and disciplinarity                         and their interplay. 

● Outcome 4A: Students will read and analyze increasingly complex, cross-disciplinary                   texts across a range of genres, demonstrating insight into the common formats,                       conventions, and design features of different types of texts. 

● Outcome 4B: Students will compose in several genres, exhibiting understanding of how                       genre conventions shape writers’ practices (including paragraphing, tone, mechanics,                 design, and choice of modality and medium).  

● Outcome 4C: Students will gain experience negotiating variations in genre                   conventions, including the affordances and limitations inherent in disruption of genre                     conventions for the sake of rhetorical agency. 

  Goal 5: Students will transfer previous literacies into the course and transfer course content                           from the course by fostering a sense of metacognition. 

● Outcome 5A: Students will reflect on their development of composing processes and                       strategies and how these practices influence their writing. 

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● Outcome 5B: Students will connect rhetoric, genre, disciplinarity, and other concepts                     and practices of the course with the learning and composing they experience in other                           Core courses, courses beyond the Core, and in their own lives. 

● Outcome 5C: Students will complete a portfolio(s) that includes metacognitive                   reflection on their discursive choices and rhetorical strategies. 

  

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY  My teaching is informed by a social-epistemic pedagogy, which holds that meaning is socially                           constructed by communities of writers and readers and that teaching is most effective when                           students are critically engaged in solving problems and creating meaning, as opposed to                         passively receiving information. My teaching is student-centered and built on a mutual trust                         between teacher and student. My classroom is not a space in which information is                           transferred from teacher to student, but instead a space in which the teacher poses questions                             and problems for the students to work through and then provides guidance through the trial                             and error of the learning process. I believe that people learn best by doing, therefore this class                                 asks you to do a lot. I require a large amount of writing, both formal and informal, and a                                     large amount of reading/listening/viewing of required texts. I also expect you to attend every                           class session and be an active participant in the course. I expect you to think deeply about the                                   issues we discuss and to demonstrate growth as a writer and thinker throughout the                           semester.   In exchange, you can expect that I will also come to each class prepared and provide a                                 structured environment in which you will be able to participate without fear of failure or                             embarrassment. I make the intended outcomes and objectives of my class clear at the                           beginning and throughout the semester and I make every effort to clearly communicate how                           each assignment and activity serves these goals. I also welcome feedback from students on                           how activities and assignments can better achieve these goals. 

 GRADING This course is made of both formative and summative assignments. Formative assignments are                         intended for you to work through ideas and collaborate with classmates. The purpose of these                             assignments is to to help you generate ideas and practice new skills, so formative assignments                             are graded on a completion basis (if you do it, you get full credit). Summative assignments are                                 more formal writing tasks that ask you to demonstrate the learning of the course. Summative                             

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assignments are graded on performance (as opposed to completion). Grading is based on                         assignment-specific criteria (available on assignment sheets for major projects) for content,                     organization, presentation, and mechanics. To compute grades for summative assignments                   and final course grades, the following point values (out of 100) are assigned to the standard                               letter grades of A through F, per the Fairfield University Grading System:   A = 100-93; A- = 92-90; B+ = 89-87; B = 86-83; B- = 82-80; C+ = 79-77; C = 76-73; C- =                                             72-70; D = 69-60; F = 59-0; No submission = 0   The final grade for this course will be calculated according to the following point values for course assignments. Coursework totals 1,000 points.   

Formative Assignments  Points  Summative Assignments  Points 

Participation (in-class work, peer review, discussion, required reading/viewing, conferencing, etc.) 

200  Project 1: Synthesizing Theoretical Texts 

100 

Blog Assignment and Responding to Peers 

200  Project 2: Technical Documents for Popular Audiences   

200 

        

Project 3: Pop Culture and Rhetoric of Science 

100 

Final Project  200  

  Students will be graded on Projects 1, 2, and 3, as final drafts are submitted. Students will be                                   graded on the Final Project at the end of the semester. Students will be graded on Participation                                 and Blogging twice (once at mid-term and once at the end of the semester). Refer to                               assignment-specific requirements for more detailed requirements.   

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If you disagree with or don’t understand any grade, please talk to me about it during office                                 hours in a relatively timely manner. I am also happy to discuss your work and/or grades with                                 you during office hours at any stage of the writing process throughout the semester. Due to                               federal laws protecting student privacy, I can’t discuss grades via email.   MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS The following is a brief overview of the assignments for this class. More detailed descriptions                             can be found on our course management site with detailed assignment requirements for each                           individual project and due dates are listed on the Schedule of Assignments.  

Blog Assignment 

During the first week of class, you will establish a personal blog using                         Wordpress.com for writing about your reactions to the required                 reading/viewing from class. I will separate the class into “blog                   groups” of 3-4 members. You will be writing blog entries that deal                       with reading, viewing, or other class content, and you will be reading                       and commenting on your group members’ blogs when prompted on                   the schedule of assignments. 

Project 1: Synthesizing Theoretical Texts 

In a hard maximum of 1200 words, synthesize the reading for class to                         answer one of the following questions: 

↬ How do scholars in the humanities contribute uniquely to                 STEM-based conversations about risk? 

↬ Scholars in STEM fields and scholars of the humanities                 approach risk differently. How could a happy marriage               between these approaches be accomplished? 

↬ Conversations about risk are often politically charged. Using a                 contemporary example, write a recommendation (or “how             to”) for best practices when communicating about risk for                 politically-charged topics. 

Your final product must discuss Beck and Johnson plus at least two                       other authors from our reading/viewing/listening list. 

Project 2: Technical Documents for Popular Audiences 

Students will work in pairs to locate a technical document related to                       a topic or issue of risk. Students must then figure out a way to                           “translate” the technical information for a lay audience. Student                 compositions should be tailored to a specific audience and the final                     

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product should consider the delicate balance of the audience’s                 existing knowledge, expertise, and personal investment. Students may               compose their work in any media, so the choice of medium and genre                         should suit the purposes of informative writing and all other                   elements of the rhetorical situation.  

Project 3: Pop Culture and Rhetoric of Science 

Students will locate an artifact of pop culture (past or present) that                       deals with or is associated with risk. Students will develop an oral                       presentation on their chosen artifact focusing on the artifact as a                     potential participant in social risk construction. Presentations should               draw on the reading from class and include relevant context about                     the chosen artifact.  

    Participation 

Engagement with the class during in-class meetings is a crucial                   component of success in this class. You will be graded on                     participation holistically twice during the semester: at midterm and at                   the end of the semester. At these times, students will be given a letter                           grade for participation and an explanation of the grade. I expect                     everyone to engage in class discussions (both in person and online)                     with an open-minded and respectful attitude.   Peer review sessions are considered in-class participation work,               therefore it creates logistical problems when members of peer review                   sessions fail to bring a draft for review. Students without a draft for                         review will be asked to leave class and will be marked absent (the                         attendance policy will apply).   Obviously, I expect students to abide by the Fairfield University                   Student Conduct Code and make any changes to behavior or                   participation if given specific feedback from me. If behavior becomes                   an issue, I might ask you to leave class for the day. This is rare, but it                                 happens. If it does, I will notify the Office of Dean of Students of the                             incident and cc you on that email. 

Final Project  TBA 

 

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ATTENDANCE POLICY Because EN 12 requires collaboration, attendance and participation are essential to student success. So, students are expected to attend all class sessions. Writing courses                         incorporate frequent small- and large-group activities into lessons, so students who are                       absent affect not only their own learning, but that of their fellow students. Exceptions to the                               attendance policy are granted for religious holidays and school-sponsored activities. For                     these exceptions, please notify me ahead of time with the appropriate documentation from                         your organization.   To allow for illness and other unexpected circumstances that interfere with attending class,                         students are allotted two absences without penalty, but further absences will result                       reductions of your participation grade as follows:  

0-2 absences: no penalty 3 absences: participation grade reduced 1 full letter grade (i.e. B becomes a C) 4 absences: participation grade reduced 2 full letter grades (i.e. B becomes a D) 5 absences: participation grade reduced to F 6+ absences: potential failure of the class   Coming late to class or leaving early will count as 1/2 absence towards this total. 

  If unexpected circumstances arise, please come talk to me in office hours before the end of                               the semester. My courses have an attendance policy to ensure full attendance at most class                             sessions, but I am not “out to get you.” For the most part, I am nice and I like my students.                                         You are welcome to come talk with me about attendance, if you would like to. 

  

BASIC NEEDS SECURITY Any student who has difficulty buying           groceries or accessing sufficient food to eat             every day, or who lacks a safe and stable place                   to live, and believes this may affect their               performance in the course, is urged to             contact the Dean of Students for support.             Furthermore, please notify the professor if           

IF I AM ABSENT If I need to cancel class for any reason, I will                     contact you via email. If possible, I will also                 try to get someone to post a sign. However, if                   you come to class and I have not arrived by                   the time 15 minutes have elapsed (from             when class is to start), please assume that class                 

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you are comfortable in doing so. This will               enable her to provide any resources that she               may possess. 

is cancelled, and check email frequently           afterwards for further instructions.  

WRITING CENTER The Writing Center (located in the library) is here to help you with any writing assignment.                               Consultants will work with you one-on-one and provide assistance with style, organization,                       content, voice, documentation, and/or grammar. In addition to your draft and/or any                       pre-writing notes, bring your assignment sheet to your session. Schedule your appointments                       online today! 

 PUBLIC NATURE OF WRITING AND         DISCUSSIONS Consider every piece of writing you do for               this class to be "public property." Remember             that you will often be expected to share your                 writing with others and sharing your views             online, so avoid writing about things that             you may not be prepared to subject to public                 scrutiny, or things you feel so strongly about               that you are unwilling to consider           perspectives that differ from your own. This             does not mean that you are not entitled to an                   opinion but that you adopt positions           responsibly by contemplating the possible         effect on others. This course may contain             content (assigned readings, in-class       discussions, etc.) considered controversial by         some students. If you have concerns about             any course content, please come talk to me               about your concerns during office hours. 

RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE POLICY You will be allowed two excused absences for               religious observances that are not already           recognized by the University’s academic         calendar. You are responsible for requesting           excused absences for religious observances in           writing no later than 8 February 2019. For               purposes of this policy, the term “religious             observances” shall include religious holidays         or holy days or similar observances that             require absence from class. You will be             afforded the opportunity to make up work             missed due to an excused absence for a               religious observance as is possible. Specific           arrangements to make up work will be made               upon receipt of your written request. 

TECHNOLOGICAL DISTRACTIONS 

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Much of the work of this class, including many of our readings, will be done online, so                                 phones, laptops, and tablets are allowed as long as they are being used for class-related                             purposes. Checking your phone quickly to see a text or check the time is fine, but be                                 respectful of class time by not over-using your technology for things unrelated to this class.                             A college class is a professional meeting, so use your technology like you would in a                               professional meeting.   As a teacher, I really dislike becoming a police officer for technology usage, but if I have to,                                   here’s what I do: If I notice that you are using your phone, tablet, computer for extended                                 texting conversations, I’ll be annoyed and ask you to stop. If I have to ask you to stop more                                     than once, I might have to do something embarrassing like ask you to leave class or prohibit                                 you from using any technology in future classes. 

BLACKBOARD We will be using both Blackboard and             Wordpress for our course management         system. All class policies, schedules, and           assigned readings are available online. I can             sometimes adjust our schedule based on how             the class is going (I will never add anything                 to your workload without warning,         however, I may cut or reshuffle           reading/writing assignments without     notice), so it’s a good idea to check the                 schedule regularly.   I store all class materials on online             throughout the semester, so all PowerPoint           presentations used in class (or anything I             handout during class) will be available to you               online. This is to help you refer back to                 course content (if note-taking isn’t your           thing) and to help catch you up to speed if                   you need to miss a class. 

RECORDING CLASS SESSIONS Generally, photographing, audio recording,       or video recording people without their           knowledge is unethical, and proceeding to           post such photos, audio, or footage online,             without the subject’s knowledge or consent,           is a serious violation of privacy.   Students are prohibited from audio or video             recording class sessions, in whole or part,             without prior written permission from the           instructor. 

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY  LATE WORK 

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Dr. Tiffany Wilgar | EN 12 Spring 2019

The university takes cheating seriously, so           cheating can get you into trouble. Most of               the academic integrity policy is common           sense: don’t try to cheat and you should               probably be fine. “Cheating” in a writing             class is usually called “plagiarism” which           includes: 1) using someone else's ideas and             presenting them as your own, 2) using             someone else's words and presenting them as             your own, or 3) re-submitting your own             writing to more than one instructor           (without permission to do so). Learning           appropriate citation guidelines can help you           ethically use other people’s ideas and words             in your own writing. PurdueOWL is an             excellent online resource for all citation           questions. So, most of the time, academic             integrity is common sense, however, there           may be some expectations unfamiliar to you             as students new to collegiate work and life. I                 recommend perusing the following website         to familiarize yourself with Fairfield’s         academic integrity policies. 

Rough drafts of major projects must be             brought to class for peer review. If you do                 not have a rough draft, you cannot             participate in class that day and I may ask                 you to leave (attendance policy will apply).             Because this work takes place during class,             neither rough drafts nor peer review can be               “made up” if you’re absent. Similarly, in-class             writing assignments/activities are often used         to generate class discussion, so in-class work             cannot be “made up” either.   Final drafts of major projects will be accepted               late but will be subject to a grade penalty of                   one letter grade per day late. If you need an                   extension on a major due date for whatever               reason, come talk to me about it before the                 deadline. Planning ahead and asking for extra             time when you need it can be a better option                   than submitting work late without talking           about it. 

ACCOMMODATIONS If you need reasonable accommodations for a documented disability, contact the Academic                       and Career Development Center (ACDC). You are welcome to talk with me about your                           accommodations; however, you are not required to talk to me about it. This is completely up                               to you.   I make an effort to upload everything I use in class to either Blackboard or Wordpress so you                                   have access to content covered during class online. If there is ever anything I forgot to put                                 online, don’t hesitate to let me know via email, Twitter, or office hours. 

    

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Dr. Tiffany Wilgar | EN 12 Spring 2019

      

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