Seminar in Composition

Course InformationSemester: Spring 2021 Course: ENGL 110Professor: Dr. Christine Grogan Section: 711Email: cgrogan@udel.edu Meetings: TR 9:30-10:45 synchronousZoom: https://udel.zoom.us/j/91453271066 Credit: 3Office Hours: TR 12:30-1:30 and W 2:30-3:30 https://udel.zoom.us/j/91453271066Website: http://christinegrogan.weebly.com/composition.htmlLibrary Resource: https://library.udel.edu/associateinarts/

Course DescriptionIn their book on academic writing, Andrea Lunsford and John Ruszkiewicz state that the best academic writing is deeply engaged in some way with other people’s views: academic “arguments always come in response to other claims, part of an ongoing conversation” (Everything’s An Argument). Introducing first-year students to college-level academic writing, this university-required, 3-credit course takes a process-based approach that emphasizes rhetorical competency to prepare you to compose analytical, research-based essays in order to join those ongoing conversations in a variety of disciplines. The goal of English 110 is to provide

you with the tools to engage with arguments and to guide you as you become more confident and capable readers and writers. In addition to homework and peer-review workshops, the graded assignments include 5 major projects: a rhetorical analysis, annotated bibliography, position paper, research paper, and multimodal presentation. Our 14 weeks are roughly broken into 4 three-week blocks with a lecture week, workshop week, and one-on-one conference week.

Required Text Lunsford, Andrea A., and John J. Ruszkiewicz. Everything’s an Argument. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2019.

(Note: Del Tech Bookstore does not have our book! UD Bookstore does.)

Learning Goals & PracticesGoals: English 110 will help you:

Read texts and images critically and in context, considering multiple perspectives. Reading carefully, deliberately, and considering context not only helps you learn, but it helps you develop your own ideas. You will practice approaching all sources with both generosity and skepticism.

Consider issues of audience and context in your own compositions. We aim to help you become rhetorically flexible. Because you always write to a unique audience in a particular situation, you will learn how to shape and support your ideas to address these needs in and outside the classroom by adjusting to each situation.

Evaluate sources rigorously.Information literacy is an essential skill. You will learn to research responsibly, assess the credibility of sources, and make informed decisions about how to use various kinds of sources in your research projects.

Respond thoughtfully and constructively to the work of others. As a part of a writing community, you and your peers will give and receive feedback on works in progress. This process will help you better understand the needs of readers while honing and clarifying your own ideas.

Compose print, digital, and multimodal texts. Composition for various audiences in the 21st century requires us to engage beyond words on the page or screen. In addition to writing print-based texts, you will also practice other modes of composition: online, visual, audio, and oral.

Contribute to ongoing discussions or existing research.

Academic essays are almost always composed in response to and in conversation with other writers and other texts whether written, auditory, visual, or graphic. You will learn to find gaps in those conversations, and contribute to them by engaging with the work of others with integrity, honesty, and attention to nuance and detail.

Use writing as an act of engaged citizenship. We will encourage and equip students to use all of their reading and writing skills to engage in courageous, informed reflection on matters of social justice in our campus community and in society at large.

Practices: As a student in English 110, you will: Write frequently, in varying lengths and complexities, and write for different audiences.

You will compose a variety of texts, in multiple media and for various purposes and readers. In addition to a conventional, evidence-based composition with scholarly sources, you will develop your skills in frequent, shorter writing assignments, composed both in and out of class.

Conduct research in order to deepen your understanding of a topic and engage with the ongoing conversations about it. You will make use of a range of resources (including UD’s library databases) to find credible, relevant sources. You will learn conscientious and thorough research strategies, close reading, and annotation, in order to summarize, paraphrase, quote, and synthesize sources to use in your own writing.

Participate as a member of a community of writers.English 110 is designed as an intersection of a seminar and a lab—a course in which the writing of students is regularly brought to the table for discussion. You will participate in a writer’s workshop, sharing your work in progress with several of your classmates while reading, responding to, and giving feedback on theirs.

Identify and consider the values that all writers bring to their work.Communicative acts are rooted in values, beliefs, and biases that influence who we are, what we say, and what we do. You will reflect on the ways that your own background, identity, and experience have shaped the values that inform how you read others’ work, how you write, and how you interact with your peers.

Read as writer, and write as a reader. You will read texts not simply for what they say, but also for how they say it, considering texts both as sources for ideas and as models for writing strategies you can use in your own work.

Take several pieces through a process of drafting and revising.Effective writing doesn’t happen in solitude or all at once. Instead it usually involves an ongoing process of brainstorming, drafting, composing, sharing, and reworking a piece over several drafts. You will use feedback from your classmates and instructor to develop and revise your writing.

Pause and reflect on your process, goals, and aims throughout writing.Metacognition is a key element of learning and writing. While you compose, you will reflect on both your processes of writing and the texts you compose. In doing so, you will cultivate habits of mind and work that will help you develop as a writer beyond English 110.

Graded Assignments

The following distribution will be used to determine final grades:Rhetorical Analysis 10% Homework Assignments 10%

Annotated Bibliography 15% Peer-Review Workshops 10%Position Paper 15% Attendance 10%Research Essay 20% Multimodal Presentation 10%

Rhetorical AnalysisThe purpose of the rhetorical analysis is to examine how well the components of an argument work together to persuade or move an audience. You will study how the argument works and assess its effectiveness using specific evidence from the text. The essay should answer questions such as: What message does the text present? How do you know that? For what audience(s) is that message appealing, and why? You will establish a general claim (thesis) that you support in your 3-4 page essay. “Here’s the hardest part for most writers of rhetorical analyses,” Andrea Lunsford notes in Everything’s an Argument, “whether you agree or disagree with an argument should not keep you from careful, meticulous analysis: you need to stay out of the fray and pay attention only to how—and to how well—the argument works” (126).

Annotated BibliographyThe second assignment asks you to continue to analyze arguments as you are introduced to the quickly changing world of academic research, which will undergird most of the work you do in college. For the annotated bibliography, you are tasked with finding 4 credible sources regarding a topic you wish to write about for your position paper and research essay. I encourage students to choose a topic that pertains to their intended majors. The sources can either support or complicate what you think regarding the topic. In this assignment, you should demonstrate your library and Internet research skills and careful, thorough documentation. You will practice summarizing the source, analyzing how well it works, and discussing how you can shape it to use in your later work. Before you write your annotated bibliography, the differences between summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting will be explained.

Position PaperUnlike the rhetorical analysis, for the position paper, it now matters whether you agree or disagree with an argument. For this paper, you engage with one of the sources you annotated for the previous assignment. In their book on academic writing, Graff and Birkenstein explore three ways to respond to others’ ideas—disagreeing and explaining why, agreeing and adding to the discussion, and agreeing and disagreeing simultaneously. You choose one of the three ways to respond and write a 4-5 page paper that skillfully articulates your position on the issue. As you respond to an existing argument, you should advance your own position in a respectful manner.

The goal is to actively listen to the source’s position, civilly engage in the larger conversation, and create understanding and new insights that build community and evoke change.

Research EssayFor this capstone project, you develop an argument about an issue that you support and sustain through your research. This 7-8 page academic argument, which is formal in tone and directed to an academic audience, takes a clear stance or position on the issue and defends and supports the thesis throughout the essay by drawing on your research (five peer-reviewed sources). Your job is to advance your audience’s understanding of the issue, move them to action, and/or change their attitude about how they should approach or understand the issue.

Multimodal PresentationFor this assignment, you use a multimodal form to present the arguments from your research paper to the class. Specifically, you deliver a PowerPoint (or PowerPoint-like presentation) and lecture OR show a PowerPoint (or PowerPoint-like presentation) with voiceover narration in order to persuade the class to think the way you do about your chosen research paper topic. In other words, you need to design a presentation in which you use both spoken and written language.

Homework AssignmentsTo break down larger tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks, you will be assigned homework, which is specifically targeted towards moving you to complete one of the larger assignments. Each homework assignment is a part of the larger whole, as maintaining steady progress on your daily work will improve the final product.

Peer-Review WorkshopsDuring the four peer-review workshops, you will offer feedback to your classmates. Taking turns, one of your classmates will read aloud your paper and then answer a list of peer-review questions I’ve composed in order to give constructive feedback on how to improve the paper. You will be required to upload a PDF of your draft to Canvas. To get credit for this assignment, you must be present on the day of the review, have a complete draft, and answer the questions completely.

AttendanceEnglish 110 aims to teach you not only skills of writing but habits of mind and work—to show you how writers go about the actual work of drafting, revising, and refining their essays. Along with being present and on time, you should have all reading completed and in-hand, ideas to share in discussion, and any assignments completed and submitted by the start of class time. Thus, you need to be here—ready to learn, participate, and write.

However, I also realize that life can sometimes conspire against perfect attendance. Indeed, the

UD Faculty Handbook recognizes several categories of excused absences—including religious holidays, participation in athletic events or other activities representing the university, serious illnesses or deaths in the family, serious personal illnesses, and short-term military service. If you need to miss a class for one of these reasons, you must obtain the documentation described in the Handbook in order for your absence to be excused. Even then, you are still responsible for any work missed and due that day.

There is also a second category of absences, usually involving minor illnesses like colds or flus or mental health challenges, which require, in the words of the Faculty Handbook, “reasonable communication” between you and me. If at all possible, you should inform me beforehand if you cannot attend a class. Whether your absence is reasonable or not depends entirely on my judgment.

Finally, there is a third category—unexcused absences. Avoid these. I excuse your first two absences. For every unexcused absence after two, your Attendance score will be decreased by 10 points for each absence. If you have a reason for being absent that would normally be excused, it is your responsibility to inform me within one week of the absence. It is also your responsibility to notify me that you are present if you are late. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to get the assignments, class notes, and course announcements from a classmate. Students with extended absences are encouraged to contact Dr. Trembanis to coordinate communication with faculty and with Mr. Mendoza to work through program progress issues.

Regardless if your absences are excused or unexcused, you are still responsible for all work we do in class that day or any work due that day.

Grades A = 94-100 A- = 90-93

B+ = 87-89 B = 84-86 B- = 80-83C+ = 77-79 C = 74-76 C- = 70-73D+ = 67-69 D = 64-66 D- = 60-63 F = below 60

* In order to receive credit for this class, you must earn at least a C-.

Assignment SubmissionsPapers should be typed (in 12-point, Times New Roman, black font), double-spaced, and one-inch margins. MLA formatting should be followed (your name, my name, course section, and date in the upper left-hand corner of the first page). All of the pages should be numbered (your last name and page number in the upper right-hand corner). A works cited page should be included if you are citing external sources. A title should be provided, which is centered. Please see the MLA document posted on Canvas.

For electronic copies, you should ensure the file is in PDF and should always check that your submitted file successfully uploaded to Canvas. I may have additional instructions, and requirements may change depending on the assignment medium. You should check with me well

in advance of a deadline if you are unsure.

For every class day that the final draft of one of the four assignments is late, your final grade on that assignment will be lowered 5 points. For example, in a TR class, if a project is due on Tuesday and you turn it in on Thursday, you lose 5 points; if on the following Tuesday, you lose 10 points. An assignment is late if it is not turned in by the due date and time. Homework assignments, peer-review workshops, conferences, and the multimodal presentation cannot be made up.

Class RulesProfessionalism is expected at all times. Others’ opinions should be respected, especially when they differ from your own. Please do not talk when others are talking, text or take phone calls during our Zoom meetings, be on your phone, sleep, read the paper, do other assignments, or generally not pay attention. If you engage in disruptive or disrespectful behavior repeatedly, I will ask you to leave the Zoom meeting.

One-on-One Conferences Individual conferences are an invaluable way for you to learn more about writing as a process, rather than just a product. You are required to have a one-on-one conference with me this semester to discuss your work and your progress in the course. Missing a conference is counted as two absences. I encourage you to also come to my Zoom office hours throughout the semester and to take your work to the Writing Center.

Writing CenterAAP writing specialists Professor Michael Aronovitz and Dr. Brandy Yates offer Zoom tutoring sessions through which all members of the UD AAP community can meet to talk and learn about writing. They can help you with each step in the writing process: selecting a topic, developing a thesis statement, organizing your ideas, and using APA and MLA format effectively. They also offer expert assistance with résumé writing, creative writing, job and scholarship applications, oral presentations and speeches. Use the links below to schedule a writing appointment:

Professor Aronovitz (MW 8-11 and F 9-1): https://udel.campus.eab.com/pal/GhlAKmDQTJDr. Yates (MW 12-5): https://udel.campus.eab.com/pal/hC7tCT7lUa

If Prof. Aronovitz and Dr. Yates are booked for your preferred time slot, you can make an appointment with the University of Delaware Writing Center at https://udel.mywconline.net.  I always took my papers to the Writing Center, even as a graduate student. As writing expert William Germano says, “Revision makes writing better. Always.”

Course Evaluations

You are expected to complete the online student evaluation for this course. This survey will be available for you to complete during the last two weeks of the semester via http://www.udel.edu/udsis-students/courseevaluations.html. Apart from being an expectation of the course, your evaluation provides valuable information to the program and to the Department.

Accessibility StatementThis course welcomes students with disabilities. I want all students to have the best possible chance to succeed in English 110. Any student who thinks s/he may need an accommodation based on a disability should contact one of the AAP liaisons and the Office of Disability Support Services (DSS) as soon as possible. In Wilmington: Dan McDevit, mcdevit@udel.edu. In Dover and Georgetown: Amy Shupard, ashupard@udel.edu. If you will be using accommodations in this course (or if you are in the process of registering for accommodations), please contact me as soon as possible so that we can work together to develop strategies for adapting assignments to meet both your needs and the requirements of the course. 

Academic IntegrityAny work that you submit at any stage of the writing process—draft, thesis and outline, bibliography, etc., through final version—must be your own; in addition, any words, ideas, or data that you borrow from other people and include in your work must be properly documented. Direct quotations need to be identified with markers such as quotation marks. Failure to do these things is plagiarism. The University of Delaware protects the rights of all students by insisting that individual students act with integrity. Accordingly, the University severely penalizes plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty.

Even in an online setting, academic integrity is important. Verified cheating of any sort (i.e., copying another student’s work, collaborating on assignments when such collaboration is prohibited, using an online paper-writing service, “lifting” information or phrasing from another source without proper citation, or any other form of academic dishonesty—popular or unique, clumsy or ingenious) puts your grade at risk.

I am bound by university policy and my own principles to take cheating seriously and to respond appropriately. Penalties for cheating of any kind can include a grade of -0- on the assignment, course failure, and/or a referral to the Office of Student Conduct. We will discuss plagiarism matters in class, but if you have questions at any point about whether something might constitute a violation of academic integrity policies, err on the side of caution, and ask me about it directly.

Mental Health Services at UD

The UD Helpline is a free service available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for any UD student feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or otherwise in need of someone to talk to. The number is 302.831.1001. Mental health counselors at the UD Center for Counseling and Student Development are also available at 302.831.2141 during business hours (M-F, 8-5). AAP students are eligible to receive one free triage session with a counselor, who can help you determine what

further resources you need and where to find them. More information about their services can be found at https://sites.udel.edu/counseling/ .

Harassment and DiscriminationThe University of Delaware works to promote an academic and work environment that is free from all forms of discrimination, including harassment. As a member of the community, your rights, resources, and responsibilities are reflected in the non-discrimination and sexual misconduct policies. Please familiarize yourself with these policies at www.udel.edu/oei. You can report any concerns to the University’s Office of Equity & Inclusion at 305 Hullihen Hall, 302.831.8063, or you can report anonymously through UD Police 302.831.2222 or the EthicsPoint Compliance Hotline at www1.udel.edu/compliance . You can also report any violation of UD policy on harassment, discrimination, or abuse of any person at this site: sites.udel.edu/sexualmisconduct/how-to-report/.

Sexual Misconduct & Title IXIf, at any time during this course, I happen to be made aware that you may have been the victim of sexual misconduct (including sexual harassment, sexual violence, domestic/dating violence, or stalking), I am obligated to inform the university’s Title IX Coordinator. The university needs to know information about such incidents in order to offer resources to victims and to ensure a safe campus environment for everyone. The Title IX Coordinator will decide if the incident should be examined further. If such a situation is disclosed to me in class, in a paper assignment, or in office hours, I promise to protect your privacy—I will not disclose the incident to anyone but the Title IX Coordinator. For more information on Sexual Misconduct policies, where to get help, and how to report information, please refer to www.udel.edu/sexualmisconduct. At UD, we provide 24-hour crisis assistance and victim advocacy and counseling. To contact the UD Helpline 24/7/365, call 302.831.1001. Student Health Services will put you in touch with a sexual offense support advocate.

Non-DiscriminationThe University of Delaware does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status, disability, religion, age, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law in its employment, educational programs and activities, admissions policies, and scholarship and loan programs as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and University policies. The University of Delaware also prohibits unlawful harassment including sexual harassment and sexual violence.

For inquiries or complaints related to non-discrimination policies, please contact: Director, Institutional Equity & Title IX Coordinator, Susan L. Groff, Ed.D., groff@udel.edu, 305 Hullihen Hall Newark, DE 19716, 302.831.8063.

For complaints related to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and/or the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact: Director, Office of Disability Support Services, Elizabeth Reed, ecreed@udel.edu, Alison Hall, Suite 130, Newark, DE 19716, 302.831.4643 or contact the U.S. Department of Education - Office for Civil Rights (https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html).

Black Lives Matter in the Associate in Arts ProgramThe Associate in Arts Program (AAP) values and celebrates the humanity of each student, staff member, and educator in our community. There is a long tradition of calling for racial justice in American society. Black Lives Matter continues that tradition. We categorically maintain that we care about Black lives. We acknowledge the long history of racist policies and attitudes that persist in American culture, including at the University of Delaware. As part of the University, the AAP is committed to creating and maintaining an equitable and inclusive learning and working environment for each member of our community through both reflection and action. 

Student Hardship Affecting LearningStudents who have difficulty affording groceries or accessing sufficient food to eat every day, or who lack a safe and stable place to live, and believe this may affect their performance in the course, are urged to reach out for support. Dr. Livingston is the student counselor for the AAP, and he can be reached via email at lmliving@udel.edu. Dr. Livingston holds regular zoom counseling hours on Mondays from 11:00-1:00 and Tuesdays & Thursdays from 12:30-3:30. Go to udel.zoom.us, and join by entering meeting ID: 423 546 4057. You may also notify me and/or your other professors if you are comfortable doing so. This will enable us to provide any resources that we may possess.

Additional student and family resources include: 

Student Crisis Fund Application:The University of Delaware’s Office of the Dean of Students provides money to eligible UD students who face a serious financial hardship due to unanticipated expenses, including those related to COVID-19. AAP students can apply to this fund, too. To find out if you are eligible, please fill out the Student Crisis Fund Application form, which you can find here: https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?UnivofDelaware&layout_id=24The Office of the Dean of Students will then contact you to discuss further. Please note that it is ok to leave questions on this form blank if you do not know the answer; just fill it out to the best of your ability.

Food Banks in Delaware:For an up-to-date list of food banks throughout DE please see this doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mS859FWgBcrGSi9kzNPfe-DQtdQRAQS7vbYoLDLhzN8/edit

WIFI:

For an up-to-date list of free and affordable WIFI please see this doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PgfToqlK2fAZ_nKXqHhTzOCpsd1TSfgzm6i1O3DciMM/edit

Technology: UD IT in conjunction with the Office of the Dean of Students is distributing technology (e.g., laptops, internet hot spots) to students. Go to the Tech at UD homepage (https://sites.udel.edu/techatud/), then follow the directions on the “Apply for a loaner laptop” button.  

Tentative Schedule*Chapters should be read before class. For example, Chapter 17 for February 25 should be read before we meet on February 25 for class.

Week 1February 16 T: Syllabus; Introductions; Writing DiagnosticFebruary 18 R: Lecture: Planning, Writing, Revising (Homework: download MS Word

https://services.udel.edu/TDClient/32/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=44)

Week 2 February 23 T: Lecture: Planning, Writing, Revising and ActivityFebruary 25 R: Lecture: Academic Arguments—Chapter 17 (405-437)

Rhetorical Analysis

Week 3March 2 T: Lecture: Rhetoric and the Rhetorical Situation; Rhetorical Analysis—Chapter 6 (97-131); Rhetorical Analysis Project Introduced and Student Model March 4 R: Lecture: Pathos—Chapter 2 (32-45); Ethos—Chapter 3 (46-57); Logos—Chapter 4 (58-78)

Week 4March 9 T: Workshop: Draft Rhetorical AnalysisMarch 11 R: Workshop: Peer Review 1

Week 5March 16 T: Conference: Group 1 Conference March 18 R: Conference: Group 1 Conference March 19 F: Upload Final to Canvas by 11:59 pm

Annotated Bibliography

Week 6March 23 T: Lecture: Research Day; Finding Evidence—Chapter 18 (438-453); Documenting Sources—Chapter 22 (494-532); Annotated Bibliography Project Introduced and Student Model; Library Resources Homework

March 25 R: Lecture: Evaluating Sources—Chapter 19 (454-463); Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting Workshop; Using Sources—Chapter 20 (464-483); Library Resources Homework; Mid-Semester Feedback (Stop/Start/Continue)

Week 7March 30 T: No Class April 1 R: Workshop: Draft Annotated Bibliography (librarian will be in class to help you search)

Week 8April 6 T: Workshop: Peer Review 2 April 8 R: Conference: Group 2 Conference

Position Paper

Week 9April 13 T: Conference: Group 2 Conference April 14 W: Upload Final to Canvas by 11:59 pmApril 15 R: Lecture: Position Paper Project Introduced and Student Model; Thesis Statement Workshop; Structuring Arguments—Chapter 7 (135-163)

Week 10April 20 T: Lecture: Graff and Birkenstein; Examples of Position Papers; Position Papers ActivityApril 22 R: Workshop: Draft Position Paper

Week 11April 27 T: Workshop: Peer Review 3April 29 R: Conference: Group 3 Conference

Research Essay and Multimodal Presentation

Week 12May 4 T: Conference: Group 3 Conference May 5 W: Upload Final to Canvas by 11:59 pmMay 6 R: Lecture: Research Essay Introduced; Presenting Arguments—Chapter 15 (363-380)

Week 13May 11 T: Workshop: Draft Research Essay May 13 R: Workshop: Peer Review 4

Week 14May 18 T: Multimodal PresentationsMay 20 R: Upload Final Research Essay to Canvas by 11:59 pm