WRIT 101-037C Composition (Fall 2006)

GOALS: (See also English Department goals at http://www.winthrop.edu/english/goals/index/htm.)

C To plan, organize, and develop essays based on introspection, general observation, deliberation, research, and the critical reading of mature prose texts.

C To become aware of individual writing voices and how those voices can be adapted to fit different audiences and rhetorical situations.

C To view writing as a process by using several prewriting, organizing, and drafting strategies.

C To learn the importance of clear communication by revising effectively through the complete rethinking, restructuring, and rewriting of essays.

C To encourage independent thinking.

C attendance and participation in class meetings, group meetings, and conferences

C listserv discussion group

C reading journal (10%)

C four graded essays (17.5% each)

C final exam (15%)

C note: students must earn a grade of A C@ or higher to receive credit for the course

C Group meetings: Each student will be a member of a smaller group. Each group will meet regularly to discuss assignments and readings, do in-class workshops, read drafts, and work on revisions. Students will also participate in e-mail discussions and share work through e-mail.

C Conferences: Each student should have several conferences with the instructor over the course of the semester. Some conferences will involve short meetings in class, but others will involve longer meetings in the instructor= s office. Conferences may also be conducted by email; I will require you to send me drafts of papers, to which I will respond with suggestions for improvement. I will read subsequent drafts if time permits. (I will respond to large matters of revision and suggest improvements, but I will not edit/proofread your drafts.) I check both my Winthrop and home email each morning; I can respond better to you if you send any email to me at both addresses. I usually do not respond to email in the evenings and very rarely on the weekend.

C Paper Publication: Students will send each of their final papers as email attachments to the class listserv when papers are due to the instructor. Each student will read four essays by other students; we will discuss in the next class. Failure to publish a paper will count as an absence.

C Reading Journal: Critical reading is an essential writing skill and essential to this course. Students will keep a reading journal, which will consist mainly of responses to the course readings, as outlined in the text. The journal should be on looseleaf or unbound paper (handwritten or word processed), a separate set of pages for each of the assigned readings. I will collect these each day of readings, and you will turn in the collected journal (bound in a notebook or folder) at the end of the semester. The completed journal will constitute a great deal of writing and is nearly equivalent in grade to a paper. Successful completion of all the readings will earn a grade of A C@ ; higher or lower effort will receive a corresponding grade. You must keep up with the reading and responses, and you should realize that each of these readings will require an investment of your time and attention. Since keeping p with the reading assignments is so important, the reading assignments will count as A tickets@ of admission to class. If you come to class without your A ticket,@ or if the assignment is not fully completed, you will be asked to leave class and return when the assignment is done. At the discretion of the instructor, this may constitute an absence.

C The English Department= s home page is located at http://www.winthrop.edu/english. Resources for composition courses can be found at www.winthrop.edu/english/core/htm.