Course Description

ENG 1430 focuses on expository and persuasive writing for academic purposes. It emphasizes writing as a reflective and social process, writing across the curriculum, critical thinking, and the development of a personal intellectual perspective and style. It is a General Education requirement. ENG 1300 is a prerequisite for this course.

As a course in argumentation, ENG 1430 is designed to enhance your understanding of academic and public writing and give you practice in producing it. You will learn how to
• identify, evaluate, construct, and organize appropriate and effective arguments in written academic discourse;
• write using different rhetorical modes, strategies, and patterns across the curriculum;
• practice writing as a social and reflective process;
• develop a personal intellectual perspective and style of writing;
• read and think critically;
• learn to use reading, writing, and critical thinking to understand better your own culture and others' better; and
• conduct library research and document sources.

Writing and reading assignments, class discussions, compositional coaching, written commentary, conferences, email correspondence, peer collaboration and review, interactive and other software, audio-visual presentations, lectures, web-site visits, tutorials, publishing, library and internet research, internet chat-room discussions, author circles, interventions, and competitions.

Course Requirements

A portfolio of course work, a paper file, and an electronic file (plus back-up)
Portfolio review
Participation in appropriate academic support
Keeping copies of all submitted papers and originals of all graded papers
Attendance
Completion of all course requirements
Completion of projects such as:

Grading

The above percentages are general guidelines. Grades will be based on a portfolio system that looks at the quality and quantity of your work, plus your development in the areas of rhetoric, reading, research, and collaboration.

Because this is a General Education course, early warning grades for all ENG 1430 students are submitted during the 4th week of the semester in order to monitor student progress. (As it is for monitoring purposes, this grade will not beocme a part of your permanent record at Kean University.) Your performance at that point will be measured according to the following criteria:

Attendance
Engagement and participation
Completion of all assignments
Written work that shows strengths and improvement in ENG 1430 evaluation criteria for written work (see the rubric below)

Writing assignments will be evaluated in relation to the following criteria:

Focus - The essay responds to the topic and includes a comment that identifies the central issue of the topic.

Clarity - The position of the writer is clearly stated and limited appropriately for the writing purpose.

Coherence - The structure of the argument is apparent with points presented in a recognizable pattern with apparent transitions and effective paragraphing.

Development - The essay provides sufficient detail and/or explanation to develop the position of the writer.

Knowledge - The writer is persuasive, giving adequate support for generalizations with specific, sufficient, and reliable supporting data.

Critical thinking - The writer has evaluated his/her information and presented it in a logical and analytical way.

Intellectual ambition - The topic is challenging or the response to the topic is thoughtful and complex.

Expression - On the whole, the language of the essay sounds native-like. The writing may contain occasional words, idioms or expressions that strike the reader as unusual, but the message is conveyed clearly.

Grammar and usage - The writing is fluent and sentence structure is varied and appropriate. Spelling and punctuation are generally accurate.

Attendance and participation

You are expected to be punctual, to attend all classes, and to participate in all in-class activities, including editing, revising, and discussion sessions. You are also expected to participate in out-of-class activities, such as author circles and interventions. While in the computer classroom, computers must be used only for class-related activities.

Late Assignments and Drafts

Late assignments will be accepted but they will be lowered one grade for being turned in after the beginning of the class they are due and two grades if more than one week late. If you cannot attend class when an assignment is due, arrange to have someone turn it in during scheduled class time or email it to me as an attachment in Microsoft Word before the class begins in which it is due. There is no makeup of in-class work.

Scholastic Honesty

Copying from a book or other material without giving credit to the author, copying other students' work, doing other students' assignments for them, or pretending in any way that someone else's work is yours is a serious unethical act. It will result in failure in the assignment and possible failure in the course. Extensive or repeated academic dishonesty can result in dismissal from the university. For complete guidelines on academic honesty, see the Kean University Policy on Academic Honesty.

We will be covering the use of sources in class. In general, I will ask you to provide me with photocopies or printouts of all sources you use. I will explain the procedures for presenting this material later in the course. If you have any questions about the use you are making of sources for your assignments, see me before you turn in the assignment.

Questions and Complaints

Bring any questions you have about grades or policies to me. With respect to grades, you must keep copies both of all papers that you turn in and also the graded originals once they are returned.

If you have a disability, let me know, so I can help arrange for appropriate assistance.

Spring 2003 Semester