Provisional Syllabus: As the semester evolves, so will this syllabus.  As such, scheduled in class activities may change. Moreover, even if we have departed from syllabus-scheduled activities at times, there is no reason for you to assume that any scheduled work has been cancelled or changed if I have made no such announcement.

Course Theme and Your Writings: Your writings must, at all times, reflect the theme of the course: Self-Ownership in the New Millennium: An Introduction to Writing Argumentative Research Papers. Part of my grading process will involve assessing how each individual writing assignment demonstrates a connection to that theme.  Writing that does not make evident this connection will receive a lower grade.

First pocket folder--The four major projects must be turned in for grading in a pocket folder with all drafts.

Second pocket folder--contains your syllabus and all the class handouts. This second pocket folder should be brought to every class.

Third pocket folder--contains all work returned to you, so that you have an ongoing record of all your graded assignments.  By keeping your graded assignments organized you will be able to calculate your own grade at any given point in the semester. I will not calculate your grade until after the final examination.

Floppy diskette--make backup copies of all your final work and your work in progress, so as to avoid lost work through computer related problems.

There will be additional assignments that do not currently appear on the syllabus.  They may be assigned via E-mail, during class, or updated to my website.

You are required to check your E-mail on a daily basis.  If absent, you should communicate with peers regarding missed work, or see me during my office hours. I will not update you by E-mail if you have missed a class.

You must also provide me with the section number of that former class and that instructor's name. Attendance from the former class will be applied to this class.

Further, you should communicate with your peers about missed lecture materials, E-mails, etc., or see me during office hours.

The First Thing You Need to Know is:

Below I List Policies for Turning in Late Major Projects, Late Reading Responses, Thought Papers, Quizzes, and What am I Wondering?:

Turning in Late Reading Responses:

Turning in Late Thought Papers:

Turning in Late Quizzes:

Turning in Late What am I Wonderings?:

A Final Word About Late Work:

Missing Work: Missing work of any kind can affect your Attendance/Participation/Discussion grade, perhaps to the point of zero in that component of the course.  So when you fail to turn in thought papers, reading responses, discussion questions, etc., not only do you lose credit for that particular assignment, but you may lose points in your Attendance/Participation/Discussion grade as well. If you are not handing in written assignments then I assume you are not doing the assigned reading, or at least you are not adequately analyzing the reading; if your analysis is inadequate then you are not prepared to participate in class and groupwork discussions. Do the coursework as it is assigned, do it to the best of your abilities, and turn it in on time if you expect to pass this course.

All students have access to computer labs on campus.  You will need your student id card to get in and out of the labs in addition to your master password for the novell system.  Most of the labs should have someone on duty to help you find this password, or you may go to the site http://home.okstate.edu/prism to learn your password.  If you encounter difficulties with the prism website, you can call tech support at 744-7836. The printing in each of these labs is free.  Three of the labs are 24 hours: Bennett Hall, Willham Mezzanine, Math Sciences Lab 108 (periodically reserved between 8am-6pm).  Student Union 065 is open M-F 8am-10pm and Sa-Su Noon-5pm.  Business Building 002 (periodically reserved) is open M-Th 8:30am-11:45pm, F 8:30am-4:45pm, Sa Noon-4:45pm, Su Noon-11:45pm.  Classroom Building 4th Floor (periodically reserved) is open M-F 8am-5pm.  Sparc Lab Engineering South 113 is open during Engineering South hours of operation. The OSU Writing Center in Morrill Hall 104 is the only facility that charges for printing, 25 cents per page. Further, to the best of my knowledge the hours of operation listed above are accurate. However, it is your responsibility to verify this information and be prepared in advance to use these labs.

All course work must be in a 12 point Times New Roman font.  Other fonts, particularly those generating a deceptively higher page count, are unacceptable, and such papers will receive a lower grade.

Margins are to be either 1 inch or 1¼ inches.

Always double space.  Do not turn in any typewritten single spaced work or I will reduce the grade by a minimum of one full letter grade.

Every major project and Reading Response you hand in must be titled, and the title must include a colon. We will discuss this further in class. See the title of this course as an example. Writings that do not follow this guideline will receive a 5 point grade reduction.

Never use subject headings in your writings. I will give specific examples of subject headings during class. I will reduce the grade of any assignment by 2 points per subject heading used.

Adhere to the page count guidelines for all assignments.  See the subject heading: Page Count Requirements for: Major Projects; Peer Revision Workshop Drafts; All Course Work, listed below.

If any of the above problems persist, I will grade the assignment as a zero.

OSU Composition Program guidelines mandate that no student can pass this course unless all of the major projects are handed in.  Even if the project is so late that it requires a grade of zero to be given, the project must still be handed in and the page count must adhere to the guidelines on this syllabus, as well as other guidelines established via handouts/E-mails/lectures.  Failure to hand in a major project constitutes automatic failure of this course.  No exceptions, regardless of circumstances.  Major projects that are late lose 5% per calendar day including weekends, holidays, breaks, etc. You should also review the information listed below under Grading of Your Major Projects and Peer Revision Workshops.

Until I, and peer reviewers, have read and commented on an intermediate drafts of the paper  (one that ts typed and meet the assignment requirements as to subject, approach, formatting, and length) and you have revised in accordance with those comments, you cannot turn in a final copy for grading.

Even if I have read and commented on a paper copy or an E-mailed draft of your paper, but you have participated in none of the peer revision workshops for that paper, you cannot turn in a final copy for grading.  Your only recourse is to schedule at least one consultation at the writing center. One consultation makes up for one missed peer revision workshop. That consultation must take place in-person: E-mail consultations do not count as make-up for a missed peer revision workshop.  The writing center must also E-mail me verification of your consultation.  Only then may you hand in a final copy for grading.  A late major project will also result in a reduction of your Attendance/Participation/Discussion grade, perhaps to the point of zero in that component of the course.

Also, make certain you are familiar with the information contained below under the subject heading Peer Revision Workshops.

I will reduce the final grade of an essay by 5% per day if a peer review workshop is missed for any reason, including absence from class.

Remember, if you have failed to participate in all of the peer revision workshops for a major project, you cannot turn in a final copy for grading.  Also see the subject heading Grading of Your Major Projects for more information.  Further, even if one or more of the peer revision workshops has been cancelled or rescheduled, and you have participated in none of the peer revision workshops, you cannot turn in a final copy for grading. You should also review the information under the subject heading Major Projects.

This means you must participate in all peer revision workshops.

Also, pay particular attention to the information contained below under the subject heading: Page Count Requirements for: Major Projects; Peer Revision Workshop Drafts; All Course Work.

If you have any questions about these policies, then ask me.

My instructions for page count requirements are unmistakably clear; on any given assignment I tell you the minimum full page count required to the maximum full page count required.  Assignments that do not meet these requirements receive a lower grade, perhaps to the point of zero.   Also, see formatting requirements.

For peer revision workshops: if your paper falls even slightly short of the minimum page count, even if only by a line or two of text, you will not receive credit for participation in that workshop.

There are two types of extra credit. Students are eligible for one or the other, not both.

First type extra credit:

Scholars publish their writings. You are a beginning scholar, and in this class you have the opportunity to publish your writing and earn extra credit at the same time.  And I wish to make clear that participation here is optional.  Choosing not to participate will have no effect on your grade.

If you decide to participate, you need to do the following:

• Sign the Student Consent Form # 2, which grants me permission to publish your writings on the Web.

• You have (probably) three opportunities to publish your writing, meaning one opportunity for each of the following Major Projects: Essay 2, the Annotated Bibliography, and the Bibliographical Analysis Essay.
• For each major project of yours that is published it raises your grade to 100 on either 1 or 2 previously graded Reading Responses.
• This means that a student could, conceivably, earn 100 on from 1-6 Reading Responses.
• I will decide, based upon the quality of scholarship reflected in your major project, how many Reading Responses will receive the extra credit. The criteria I use to determine the quality of scholarship directly relates to your effective negotiation of various syllabus guidelines, lectures, course materials, etc.  I will cover this further during class.
• Eligible Reading Responses are those which were written and turned in during the time scheduled for that particular Major Project and must have earned an original grade of 65 or higher.
• Eligible Essays are those which were written and turned in during the time scheduled for that particular Major Project and must have earned an original grade of 72 or higher.
• Once you have failed to turn in a total of three Reading Responses, or have received a failing grade on a total of three Reading Responses, you are no longer eligible for any type of extra credit for the remainder of this course. However, if the essay receives a grade of 85 or higher and you request my feedback and revise in accordance with the suggestions, then you may be offered an opportunity to publish the essay with no extra credit points awarded.

• In English Discourse in Composition, which is a non-profit scholarly E-Journal publishing the writings of students enrolled in the classes I teach.  This is my own site on the World Wide Web, located at englishdiscourse.org.   If I launch similar non-profit online projects in the future, then your writing may be published there as well.
• As author, you retain the rights to your writing, but you are granting me the right to publish your writing on the Web.
• You are, of course, given credit as the author.
• If your essay is chosen to be published you will receive an E-mail from [email protected] (which is, of course, me), informing you of the decision.
• No essays will be published as is. Based on suggestions in the E-mail, you will generate a revision for publication. You will have one week to make the revisions and resubmit the essay for publication.
• Once you turn in a revised copy of the essay (either on floppy diskette or by E-mail), and if the revised essay meets the requirements set forth in the E-mail, you will receive the extra credit points.

Second type extra credit:

• If your essay is not chosen for publication you still have an opportunity to earn extra credit:
• I will choose one of your previous Reading Responses and you will have one week to revise it in accordance with my suggestions.
• The revised Reading Response may earn a grade up to but no more than 10 points higher than its original grade.
• Eligible Reading Responses are those which were written and turned in during the time scheduled for that particular Major Project and must have earned an original grade of 72 or higher.
• When turned in, the revised Reading Response must be accompanied by the originally graded copy.
• Second type extra credit opportunities are not eligible for publication.

Do not use discriminatory words such as man and mankind.  Use non-gender-specific language like humankind, humanity, and people.  For each instance of gender-specific language in your writings one percentage point will be deducted from that assignment's grade. Further, do not use discriminatory language of any type. For each instance of discriminatory language in your writings one percentage point will be deducted from that assignment's grade.

Student/Teacher Conferences: On one or more occasions, I may schedule individual student/teacher conferences at my office, in which case a class period will be canceled.  All students are required to participate by scheduling an appointment.

You are expected to bring with you two copies of the most current draft of the Major Project you are working on.

I will reduce the final grade of your essay by 5% if a conference is missed for any reason.   There is no way to make up these points.  Further, I will not reschedule appointments: if you miss it or if you are unprepared for it, you will not receive credit.

All references must fully indicate the extent to which any parts of your project are not your own work.

Any instance of plagiarism can result in a grade reduction, perhaps to the point where a grade of zero would be the result for that assignment.

Depending on the severity of plagiarism, failure of this course and/or further action may result.

Plagiarism often results through error.  Even if you are not directly quoting someone else's work, but paraphrasing, you must make certain to give proper credit to that author in the form of an MLA style in-text-citation, as well as a citation on the works cited page of your paper.

Whether by error or by intention, plagiarism is unacceptable, and the rules pertaining to academic dishonesty apply.

Absences Policy Attendance/Participation/Discussion Grading:

7 absences result in a 5% reduction of the final course grade

8 absences result in a 10% reduction of the final course grade

9 absences result in a 15% reduction of the final course grade

10 absences result in automatic failure of this course

Your Attendance/Participation/Discussion grade is determined by the following factors: your attendance; how much you participate in discussions; the careful thinking demonstrated by your remarks.  There are also other variables involved that will negatively affect your grade, which include the following: late work; missing work; unsatisfactory in-class work; lack of preparation; unprofessional conduct; and your failure to meet the requirements of this syllabus.   Moreover, I expect you to participate in every class by significantly adding to class discussions, which means group discussions, as well as the discussions led by me.  I expect your reading, writing, analyses, and discussion to reflect careful thought and preparation.  Considering these policies, if you are absent  six or less times but you create a situation that negatively affects your grade, you will receive a grade that is lower than 100, perhaps to the point of zero in this component of the course.

1) Arrival after your name has been called for attendance is a tardy; three times tardy equals a charged absence; 5 minutes late is a charged absence; leaving class early is a charged absence.

2) If you inform me of a past or future absence I will merely acknowledge that you have communicated with me on the matter.  Such acknowledgements on my part do not excuse the absence.  You are either present in class or not, and I make an attendance record of the situation you create.  The only exceptions are for University Excused Absences.

If you accidentally delete a group E-mail sent by me, believe the E-mail was never received, or have any other E-mail problems, I will not forward a copy to you.  Ask a peer to do so.

It is your responsibility to provide me with an E-mail address and maintain that E-mail account in working order.  I will not take on the responsibility of updating you about E-mail being undeliverable to your account.

Do not leave assignment turn-ins or notes on my desk in 408 Morrill Hall. If for some reason you cannot turn in the work during class, then leave it in my mailbox in 205 Morrill Hall.

Being in college and being a professional means being prepared for class.

Most quizzes are taken Online and are accessible from the Teaching English Composition section of my webpage, englishdiscourse.org.

Some quizzes may be taken during class.  No quizzes may be retaken or made-up: the grade will be calculated as a zero. Some exceptions are made for University Excused Absences,  so refer to the information in that section.

The number of quizzes will be determined as the semester evolves.  Quizzes will be administered on an as needed/if needed basis.

How the Quiz/Thought Paper Grades are Calculated: Quizzes and Thought Papers are of equal value when calculated into the Quiz/Thought Paper component of your final course grade.  In effect, any given quiz is worth the same as any given Thought Paper when calculating this component of your final course grade. Thought Papers will sometimes be assigned a numerical grade, sometimes not.

1) Pose a question about the assigned reading. The question should not be superficial, but thought provoking.
2) Turn the question into a statement that makes a debatable claim.
3) Write one paragraph that proves your claim is correct. Here you must use textual analysis and textual evidence to support your argument, which means you must include a quote from the assigned reading.

What am I Wondering? is your opportunity to demonstrate your abilities in the following areas:

A)The careful thinking involved in your analyses.
B)Posing thought provoking questions.
C)Turning thought provoking questions into debatable claims (thesis statements).
D)Using textual analysis to advance an argument that proves your claim is correct.
E)Using textual support (quotes from the assigned reading) to provide direct examples of how your analysis relates to the assigned reading.
What am I Wondering? assignments will be graded on how well you demonstrate the above A through E requirements.

Click here to view/print a properly formatted What am I Wondering? assignment.

59 and below = F
60 - 69 = D
70 - 79 = C
80 - 89 = B
90 and above = A

The Final Course Grade Is Not Rounded Up.