Shaw University
Dept. of Humanities
ENG 113 07 (8-9:15 am, TH, TOS #213, Fall 2007-2008)
College Composition and Research
Office: Old Education Building #6
Contact: (919)546-8307/546-8254, dbaloubi@shawu.edu
“To
produce graduates who are critical thinkers and problem solvers with the
professional dispositions and
technological skills necessary to function as competent and effective
teachers in a diverse world.”
1. Goshgarian, Gary, and Kathleen Krueger. Dialogues: An Argument Rhetoric and Reader, 5th ed. New York: Longman, 2006.
2. A good English dictionary
3. Keys for Writers
ENG 113
ENG 113 07 (8:00 am--9:15 am, TH, TOS #213, Fall 2007-2008)
College Composition and Research
Dr. Désiré Baloubi
Office: Old Education Building #6
Contact: (919)546-8307/546-8254, dbaloubi@shawu.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday: 9:15 am - 11: 15 am
Conceptual Framework:
"To produce graduates who are critical thinkers and problem solvers with the
professional dispositions and technological skills necessary to function as
competent and effective teachers in a diverse world.?
Textbooks:
1. Goshgarian, Gary, and Kathleen Krueger. Dialogues: An Arf!Ument Rhetoric and
Reader, 5th ed. New York: Longman, 2006.
2. A good English
dictionary
3. Keys for Writers
Course Description:
English 113 is a course in research writing. It emphasizes interpretive,
synthesizing, and evaluative skills. It gives students practice in writing
arguments and analytical essays informed by research. Prerequisite: English 112
or its equivalent.
Course Objectives:
Course Objectives are to help students:
1. improve the ability to write
2. define an appropriate research thesis 3. select appropriate source material
4. read accurately and critically to improve analysis of source material
5. sharpen basic research skills (summarizing, paraphrasing, quoting,
integrating, and documenting source material)
6. synthesize source material into original argumentative essays
7. participate in the discourse of academic communities; that is, realize that
writing is a vital part of all academic disciplines, not just English
Specialty Area Standards:
Standard 3: Teachers know and understand written and oral composition processes.
Standard 6: Teachers use effective strategies and techniques in teaching English
Language Arts (ELA).
Standard 7: Teachers evaluate and select appropriate, high-quality resources
that support learning of the ELA.
Standard 10: Teachers use instruction that promotes understanding of varied uses
and purposes for language.
Diversity Standard: Teachers respect and accommodate areas of exceptionality in
learning, including learning disabilities, visual and perceptual difficulties,
special physical or mental challenges, and giftedness.
Specific Indicators (approved by the North Carolina Department of Public
Instruction):
3:1. Teachers understand how different forms of oral and written discourse can
influence thought and action.
3:3. Teachers understand composition theory.
6:2. Teachers develop interdisciplinary teaching strategies and materials.
6:3. Teachers promote active, personal engagement through reading, writing, and
discussion.
7:1. Teachers emphasize interdisciplinary connections through materials
selected.
7:2. Teachers promote awareness of diversity through selection of appropriate
instructional materials.
7:3. Teachers use information on developmental characteristics of students to
provide rich and appropriately challenging materials.
10:1. Teachers model Standard English.
10:3. Teachers read and write regularly with students.
13:1. Teachers use instructional materials to meet the various needs of
students.
13:2. Teachers use varying strategies and techniques to meet the individual
needs of students.
Student Classroom Decorum Expectations
To enhance the learning atmosphere of the classroom, students are expected to
dress and
behave in a fashion conducive to learning in the classroom. More specifically,
students will refrain from disruptive classroom behavior, that is, talking to
classmates, disrespectful responses to teacher instructions; swearing; wearing
clothes that impede academic learning such as but not limited to wearing
body-revealing clothing and excessively baggy pants; hats/caps; and/or
headdress. Students will turn off telephones prior to entering the classroom.
Students who exhibit the behaviors described above, or similar behaviors, will
be immediately dismissed from class at the third documented offense. The student
will be readmitted to class only following a decision by the department chair.
The student may appeal the decision of the department chair to the Dean of the
College offering the course, and, subsequently, to the Office of the Vice
President for Academic Affairs, and then to the President of Shaw University.
The decision of the President will be final. Failure to follow the procedures
herein outlined will result in termination of the appeal, and revert to the
decision of the department chair.
Each behavior construed by the teacher/professor as non-contributive to learning
will be recorded, properly documented, and appropriately reported to the student
and to the chair of the academic department offering the course. The report will
be in written form with a copy provided to both the student and the department
chair. The faculty member should retain a copy for his/her own records.
Additional student behavior codes may be found in Student Affairs.
Schedule of Class work and Assignments
Th Aug 16: Introduction to the course; writing sample; Read Goshgarian,
Dialogues, 1-21.
T Aug 21: In-class exercise: Thesis statements. Read Goshgarian, 28-46
Th Aug 23: In-class: Writing summaries. For next class, summarize Lewis, "The
Case Against Tipping," 22-24, and read pp. 49-61 on recognizing logical
fallacies.
T Aug 28: Summary is due. Class discussions on logical fallacies. Start research
on top 10 US universities and colleges.
Th Aug 30: Group discussions on findings. Read Goshgarian, Ch9, 252-267
(researching arguments). Essay One is assigned: "I believe Shaw can be one of
the top 10 American universities and colleges."
T Sep 4: Class discussions on researching arguments. Read Ch 3,62-73 (handling
quotations)
Th Sep 6: Class discussions on handling quotations & outlining your paper.
T Sep 11: More on handling quotations (in-text citations in MLA Style) & Writing
an introduction
Th Sep 13: Unity, Coherence, Support, and Error-free sentence skills. Read
Goshgarian, 278-303, Works Cited in MLA Style.
T Sep 18: Class discussions: Works Cited in MLA Style & Revising and editing. Be
prepared for Midterm Exam (Summary Writing).
Th Sep 20: No class: Fall Convocation (Please attend).
T Sep 25: Midterm Exam (20 pts.)
Th Sep 27: Library Research Day (mandatory). I recommend you bring a rough draft
of your first essay to an individual conference with me in my office (8:05--9:
15).
T Oct 2: Your first essay is due--15 paragraphs, six sentences each (900 -I, 350
words). Your second essay is assigned--In class: Read & write a two-paragraph
reaction to "Americans Don't Understand That Their Heritage is Itself a Threat,"
by Caleb Carr, 480-483.
Th Oct 4: Write three paragraphs on Carr's text.
T Oct 9: Write another three paragraphs on Carr's text.
Th Oct 11: Class
discussions on progress (Q & A)
T Oct 16: Library Research Day (mandatory). Get a signature from the librarian.
Th Oct 18: Library Research Day (mandatory). Get a signature from the librarian.
T Oct 23: Bring bibliography for the second essay (more class discussions on
Works cited page
Th Oct 25: Bring any research notes from your research for in-class discussion
of how to handle and document in-text citations.
T Oct 30: Your second essay is due--15 paragraphs, six sentences each (900 -
1,350 words). In-class reading, "Why we're Not One Nation 'Under God'," pp.
766-770. Your final essay will be based on this text (a position paper on
Greenberg's thesis).
Th Nov 1: Develop a thesis for your final paper
T Nov 6: Write a rough outline
Th Nov 8: Bring an example of formal outline and share in a group discussion &
Revise your own outline
T Nov 13: In class writing: Your introduction
Th Noy 15: In-class writing: at least two paragraphs
T Nov 20: In-class writing: another two paragraphs
Nov 21--25: Thanksgiving Holiday
T Nov 27: Work on your own for Competency Test
Th Nov 29: Turn your final essay in and take the Competency Test.
This will help you figure out your final grade even before I post it:
Essay 1:
40pts
Essay 2:
40 pts.
Essay 3:
40 pts.
Summary I:
30 pts.
Midterm exam (Summary II):
30 pts.
Class attendance:
20 pts.
Total:
200 pts.
200 - 180 = A; 178 - 160 = B; 158 -140 = C; 138 - 120 = D
Some explanations:
1. Please remember that this is a course in composition and research, and I will
expect to find properly documented research in all three essays. An essay
without research fails, scoring 0 points. An essay with any plagiarized material
in it fails, scoring 0 points.
2. Edited pages: Each essay should be double-spaced in typed form.
A few words about plagiarism:
There are two kinds of plagiarism, unintentional and intentional. Unintentional
plagiarism is the sloppy, careless, unclear, or incorrect citation of sources.
In other words, unintentional plagiarism happens when you make certain kinds of
mistakes. Avoiding and/or correcting those mistakes is what this course is all
about. . . . Intentional plagiarism means cheating -- turning in someone else's
work as your own or copying from sources without providing documentation.
Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, such activities as buying ready-made
term papers, either from a person or from a website; downloading a free essay
from a website, in whole or in part; cutting and pasting material (even one
sentence) from a website to your essay without proper documentation; having
someone else write your paper or revise it for you; turning in a paper someone
else has turned in, either for this course or another; turning in the same paper
for two different courses. Please note that anything you can find on the
internet, I can find on the internet, whether it's a term paper mill or a
website. To repeat: an essay which includes any plagiarized material fails,
scoring 0 points (adapted from Weil's syllabus, fall 2006).
Attendance and Deadlines:
Attendance is 20 points, and you lose 4 points per absence. This means you earn
0 points upon missing the fifth time around. Properly documented absences are
exceptions to this rule, but in all cases, each student is responsible for
making up all missed work.
Deadlines are critical. You must turn in your assignments on due dates, or you
lose 5 points if your paper is less than a week late. You'll lose 10 points a
week until you decide whether or not it's still worth submitting it for a grade.
Please do NOT email your work to me; you must turn it in at the beginning of
class sessions
NOTES: This syllabus is extensively adapted from Dr. Eric Weil's model (fall
2006) to meet the common needs of our students. I owe Eric a huge debt of
gratitude.