Professor Evelyne Weeks

E-Mail: weeks@winthrop.edu 

Bancroft 201

Office Phone: 323-4634

Office Hours:  MW 12:30-2:00

Web:  faculty.winthrop.edu/weeks

Critical  Reading, Thinking and Writing

Fall 2005

Texts

Nosich, Gerald. Learning to Think Things Through 2^nd ed. Prentice Hall

Harris, Muriel, ed. Prentice Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and Usage. 6^th ed. Prentice Hall

Fukuyama, Francis. Our Posthuman Future. Picador

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 Requirements

Assignment

% of Grade

Paper 1& 3 in-class

15% each

Paper 2 (out of class)

20

Researched Argument

20

Class participation & Reading Journal

10

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.”

Documentation

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 will not be graded.

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend class.  An absence for any reason will count as a class missed.  Students who arrive to class late must check with me at the end of the class.   Four absences will lower the student’s final grade by 5%.  Five absences will lower the student’s final grade by 10%.  More than six absences will result in failure of the course.

Late Paper/Assignment Policies

Because I do not accept work late and because all assignments must be turned in to pass this course, failure to turn in any single assignment on the date it is due will result in failure of this course.                    

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.

Accommodations

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.

Technology Requirements

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.) All students must subscribe to the class listserve.