syllabus

Professor Leslie Bickford		E-Mail: bickfordl@winthrop.edu
Bancroft 207		Office Phone: 323-4564
Office Hours: MW 2:30-4:30		Web: http://www.faculty.winthrop.edu/bickfordl
Critical Reading, Thinking and Writing Fall 2007
Texts	Nosich, Gerald. *Learning to Think Things Through* Fukuyama, Francis. *Our Posthuman Future* Harris, Muriel, ed. *Prentice Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and Usage*.
Course Goals	1. To learn that the complex process of critical thinking is a part of all we do and that the process relies on such skills as observing, listening, reading, and writing. 2. To use writing, reading, speaking, and critical thinking to foster intellectual growth in an academic environment. 3. To recognize critical thinking and problem solving strategies in different academic disciplines and for different audiences. 4. To evaluate arguments, evidence, and the contexts in which they appear. 5. To prepare for writing by carefully analyzing evidence. 6. To plan, organize, and develop essays based on introspection, general observation, deliberation, research, and the critical reading of mature prose texts drawn from varied disciplines. 7. To learn to revise effectively by completely rethinking, restructuring, and rewriting essays. 8. To recognize individual writing voices and learn how those voices can be adapted to fit different audiences and rhetorical situations. 9. To improve oral communications skills through class discussions and small group activities. See a complete listing of course goals for the Department of English at http://www.winthrop.edu/english/goals/index.htm. Goals for teacher certification majors are listed at http://www.winthrop.edu/english/goals.htm#englished.
Course Re Requirement	Assignment		% of Grade
	Paper One		10%
	Paper Two		15%
	Paper Three		15%
	Paper Four		25%
	Reading Journal		15%
	Final Exam		20%
Grading Standards	A description of letter grades for writing assignments can be found at http://www.winthrop.edu/english/rubric.htm.
Plagiarism Policy	Please review the English Department’s policy on Using Borrowed Information at http://www.winthrop.edu/english/plagiarism.htm. You are responsible for reviewing the Code of Student Conduct in your Student Handbook and the description of plagiarism in *The Prentice-Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and Usage* and handling source materials correctly. If you turn in plagiarized work, I reserve the right to assign you a failing grade for the course. The University Policy on Plagiarism is explained at http://www.winthrop.edu/studentaffairs/Judicial/judcode.htm under section V, “Academic Misconduct.”
Documenting Sources	All work in this class that uses outside sources must be documented correctly in the MLA documentation style or other style approved by your instructor.
Turnitin.com Policy	We will be using www.turnitin.com this semester; I will provide more information on that closer to the dates of those assignments. Papers not submitted to www.turnitin.com by 5 PM on the due date will not be graded.
Attendance Policy	Winthrop policy is that students who miss more than 25% of the classes in a semester cannot receive credit for the course. In addition, anyone missing four classes will receive a 5% grade cut, which will continue with each additional absence.
Late Paper /Assignment Po Policies	Papers are due at the beginning of class on the dates specified on the course calendar. Late papers will be penalized one letter grade; papers that are more than 24 hours late will receive the grade of 0. If some emergency keeps you from turning in your paper in class on the due date, it will not count as late if you have turned it in through turnitin.com by the beginning of class on that day, but no changes may then be made to the paper.
S Storage of Graded Papers	At the end of the semester, students' original graded papers must be filed in the department's storage room. The department keeps all students' papers from the course. If you want copies of your essays, make them before the end of the semester.
Accommo- dations	If you have a disability and need classroom accommodations, please contact Ms. Gena Smith, Coordinator, Services for Students with Disabilities, at 323-3290, as soon as possible. Once you have your professor notification letter, please notify me so that I am aware of your accommodations well before the first accommodated assignment is due.
T Technology Policy	I conduct most of my business with students using e-mail. If you do not have an e-mail account, go to 15 Tillman *immediately* to set it up. All class e-mail will be sent to your campus e-mail address, so make sure you set it to forward to any off-campus account you use (e.g. Comporium, AOL, Yahoo!, etc.) You must have a working Winthrop POBox e-mail address by Sept. 15, 2007. All students must subscribe to the class listserve.
Other Expectations	Please keep in mind that you must make a “C-” or better to earn credit for CRTW. I am available to meet with you not only during my scheduled office hours but also by appointment. The Writing Center, located in Bancroft 220, also offers FREE assistance to any and all students who want help with writing. Please call ahead for an appointment.