201: MWF 8:00-8:50
216: TR 9:30-10:50
Assignments % of Grade
2 In-Class Essays (350-word min. each)
ICE 1 (5%) + ICE 2/Final (15%) 20%
3 Formal, Revised Essays (750-word min. each)
FE 1 (10%) + FE 2 (10%) + FE 3 (10%) 30%
Working Bib. (5%) + Annotated Bib. (10%) 15%
Final Research Paper (1500-word min.)(30%) 30%
Participation (5%) 5%
IMPORTANT: For freshman and transfer students entering Midwestern in Fall 2011 or later, a grade of C or higher in ENGL 1113 is a prerequisite for enrolling in ENGL 1123, and a grade of C or higher in 1123 is required for graduation from Midwestern. In this class, the following numerical equivalents for final grades are used: A = 100-90%; B = 89-80%; C = 79-70%; D = 69-60%; F = 59-0%. Individual assignments will use the following pattern: A+ = 99%; A = 96%; A- =93%; etc. According to MSU’s Undergraduate Catalogue, “letter grades have the following significance: A indicates excellent work; B indicates good work; C indicates satisfactory work; D indicates passing work; F indicates failing work” (73). Consequently, essays that meet the basic requirements earn a C, not an A or B. If you wish to earn As and Bs, you will have to work harder to produce better than satisfactory, or average, writing.
All Formal Essays must be submitted typed in MLA format with stamped topics, pre-writing, rehearsal drills, and required drafts in a folder containing all previous Formal Essay assignments. By enrolling in this class, you expressly grant MSU a “limited right” to all intellectual property created by you for the purpose of this course. The “limited right” shall include but shall not be limited to the right to reproduce your work product in order to verify originality and authenticity, and for educational purposes. Note: You may not submit a paper for a grade in this class that already has been (or will be) submitted for a grade in another course, unless you obtain the explicit written permission of me and the other instructor involved in advance.
Late assignments, defined as work not submitted by the start of class on the designated due date, will be accepted, but they will lose 10% off the final grade. Additionally, no late work will be accepted more than 48 hours after the original deadline.
My policy is very simple and straightforward: if you have more than 3 weeks worth of absences excused or not, you fail the class. Please note that this is not an invitation to miss three weeks of class—class time will provide the instruction you need to meet the objectives of this course and to develop as a writer. In the unfortunate event that you accrue 10 or more (for MWF) or 7 or more (for TR) absences before the last day to withdraw, you have the responsibility of withdrawing from the class. Please don’t feel you have to explain or justify any absences to me; I respect your privacy, but you must accept the consequences. If you miss class, you miss any writing assignment or group work done during that period, and you miss any announcements regarding future assignments. Notify me in advance if you will not be able to make class; you may leave an email message. If you must miss class on a due date for an assignment, email it as an attachment or it will lose points. Consider it your responsibility to be here, prepared for class, or you will not do as well as you wish, nor gain as much as you could.
Draft Policy: The best and easiest way for you to improve in this course is to write drafts. Drafts are not required—they are your responsibility. On each draft, I will identify 2-4 “targets” for improvement and will make suggestions about how you should proceed. Usually (not on weekends) I will get drafts back to you the next day, sometimes the same day. If you want an even faster response, bring a draft to my office during office hours.
Revision Policy: Revisions are also optional on Formal Essays (with the exception of the final research paper). Revisions with substantial improvement in content, style, or organization will be “regraded,” and the new grade will be averaged with the original grade to get the final grade for the assignment.
Other Policies: This University is part of the academic community in which certain standards of behavior are upheld. Thus, certain guidelines will be observed during class: Lateness: I expect you to be on time. If you are repeatedly late to class, I will simply begin marking you absent. Preparedness: Students are expected to come to class prepared with materials and information. Students must ensure that they have read the assigned reading, as per the schedule. Each assignment should be read by the date it appears on the syllabus. General Courtesy: Please silence cell phones in class. Resist the temptation to text during class; texting not only interferes with your ability to learn but also distracts your peers. Show respect to your classmates by listening to them when they speak. Any student behaving in a disruptive manner will be asked once to stop the behavior. If the disruption continues, the student will be asked to leave and marked absent for the class. If a student is consistently disruptive in class, he or she will be reported to the Dean of Students and potentially dropped from the course.