WRIT 1122 Syllabus Winter 2011 Bateman

8/8/2019 WRIT 1122 Syllabus Winter 2011 Bateman

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WRIT 1122: Rhetoric and Academic Writing Prof. Geoffrey Bateman

Sect. 9: MW 10-11:50 am, Cherrington Hall 220 Office: Sturm 419

Sect. 22: MW 12-1:50 pm, Cherrington Hall 218 Phone: (303) 871-3603

Office Hours: MW 2-5 pm, TR 12-2 pm Email:[email protected]

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The Class

hat is rhetoric and how can it help you become a better and more effective writer, as a student atDU and in your future professional and civic life? For ancient philosophers, the study and use of

rhetoric was intimately connected with promoting (or inhibiting) moral citizenship. For Plato, who

tended to view it critically, rhetoric is the dubious art of enchanting the soul. But for Aristotle, rhetoric is a method

of inventionfaculty of discovering in any particular case all the available means of persuasion. And according to

Quintilian words, rhetoric is the art of a good man speaking well. Our course will draw on these (and others)

ancient philosophers of rhetoric and use them to explore the public discourse we encounter in Denver and examine

how and to what ends we are using language persuasively in our city. In this way, well take up Gerard Hausers

definition of rhetoric as communication that attempts to coordinate social action, and use it to focus your growth as

a publically-oriented writer in this class. To this end, you will analyze debates that impact you as a student, write for

DenveRhetor, a blog that reports on Denvers rhetorical situations, and create your own blog about a civic issue of

your choice that brings your arguments about it to life in our public sphere. Along the way, you will develop a more

sophisticated sense of audience, hone your abilities to reason thoughtfully, and make use of various rhetorical

strategies of invention. You will also pay close attention to your own writing process, using peer-response, substantial

revision, and self-reflection as tools to improve your writing.

Goals

In general, all sections of WRIT 1122 teach strategies that are vital in writing for well-educated readers, primarily in

situations that require you to present and justify positions. The course teaches rhetorical analysis and practices, the

effective use of readings and source materials, and techniques for generating, revising, and editing texts produced to

meet specific situations. WRIT 1122 provides sustained practice in writing, with systematic instructor feedback, that

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results in at least four finished and polished papers, totaling some 20-25 pages by quarters end. Students will

additionally complete several informal or drafting exercises. (Go to http://www.du.edu/writing/1122.htm for the

course features and an elaboration of the course goals.) By the end of the course, you will:

Demonstrate practical knowledge of the concept rhetorical situation by analyzing and writing effectively in

different kinds of situations;

Demonstrate proficiency with basic elements of rhetorical analysis (such as logos, ethos, and pathos) in a range of

texts and the application of this facility in your own writing;

Demonstrate the ability to produce writing that effectively provides evidence and reasoning for assertions

directed at audiences of educated readers;

Demonstrate the ability effectively to incorporate written sources into your writing and to document those

materials;

Demonstrate the ability to use feedback to revise your writing and the ability to provide useful feedback to

others;

And demonstrate the ability to edit and proofread your writing.

Texts

Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students, by Sharon Crowley & Debra Hawhee (available in the bookstore).

Online access to the New York Times and the Denver Post. Hard copy of the Denver Postalso required. You can

pick up a free copy on campus at a number of locations.

Quick Access: Compact, by Lynn Quitman Troyka and Douglas Hesse (available in the bookstore).

Texts on Blackboard: Go to http://blackboard.du.edu/ and click on Login. Use your DU id and password to

access the site. Under My Courses, click on WRIT 1122, and on the left hand side of the page, find Course

Reading and look for the assigned reading.

Laptop with wireless access: Please bring it to class every day.

Assignments

Rhetors NotebookTwo or three times a week youll post to our course blog, where as a class, we will elaborate on the connections

between our readings, class discussions, and your writing. This blog will also serve as a repository for our daily writing

exercises.

Debating Stress and the High School Student EssayFor your first formal assignment, youll immerse yourself in

recent debates about the stress the high school students face as

they prepare for college. Using materials from the New York

Times, youll frame your discussion for a specific audience that

has a vested interest in this debate. Youll explain to them what

the problem is, evaluate other writers solutions, and then

justify the solution that you think is the most compelling.

DenveRhetorIn the middle section of our course, you will report on rhetorical situations, discourse, and events represented withinDenvers public sphere. Youll do so by posting two pieces to the website DenveRhetor. Your first post will analyze

the argument of an editorial or op-ed piece from the Denver Post, and your second post will report on and analyze a

live rhetorical event that you attend off campus in our local community.

Blogging for the Public GoodIn the last three weeks of class, you will work with two other students to design your own blog that features your own

persuasive commentary on a civic issue that the three of you identify as compelling and timely. You will each write a
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piece that presents a persuasive argument on the issue. Once you publish your blog, your team will comment on the

other blogs from the class and post a reflection on the assignment that discusses the choices you made as a writer.

Final PortfolioDuring the last week of class and finals week, you will have one more chance to revise your writing from our course

and submit the pieces that best represent your ability to analyze the rhetorical strategies of other writers and/or

produce your own rhetorically effective texts. You will accompany these pieces with an introductory essay that

reflects on how your writing illustrates our course goals.

Policies

Attendance

Because interaction with your classmates and me is a vital part of learning to write, I expect you to attend every class

meeting and participate actively in discussions, writing exercises, and revision workshops. Any absence will affect

your performance in this class, and multiple absences (except those affiliated with official university events) are likely

to have a dramatic negative effect on your grade. You are allowed two

absences, no questions asked. If you miss more than two class meetings, your

final grade will be lowered a third of a grade (e.g., from a B+ to a B, or a B to a

B-) for every day you miss. If you miss more than four class meetings, I will

recommend that you drop the course; if I determine that excessive absences more than fourhave compromised your ability to meet the goals of the

course, you may fail the course. If you do miss a class, it is your responsibility

to find out what you missed from classmates, our course blog or Blackboard.

Student Engagement & Participation

I expect you to be an active and engaged learner in this class, committed to the

material, your own writing, and your peers. Your engagement will be visible

through your participation in classroom discussions, conferences with me, peer

review sessions, formal group projects and informal group work, and general

efforts to improve not only your own learning but the learning of the entire

class. I will evaluate your engagement and participation according to these

guidelines:

Superior engagement means that you are always prepared, often adding additional insights to class discussion and

providing extensive feedback to your peers writing. You demonstrate active learning via consistently perceptive and

energetic engagement with the material, your peers, and me.

Average engagement means that you seem prepared, although you sometimes need to be prompted to participate.

Generally, your participation in discussion and your feedback on your peers writing seem to encourage and support

others in the class. Your presence is productive.

Weak engagement means that you come to class, but you

do not seem to be prepared or your presence detracts from

the quality of the class experience for others. Your

participation is listless, lackluster, or only intermittent.

Late Work

Assignments are due when they are due. I will accept late

work only if you have cleared it with me in advance, and

then only under the most extenuating circumstances. An

assignment that is turned in late without permission will be

graded down a third of a letter grade (e.g., from an A to an

A, from an Ato a B+) for each day its late.


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Civility and Tolerance in the ClassroomThe Writing Program supports DUs Code of Student Conduct, which in part expects students to recognize the

strength of personal differences while respecting institutional values. Because writing courses rely heavily on

interactions between all members of the class, students and faculty must act in a manner respectful of different

positions and perspectives. If you behave in an uncivil or intolerant manner, I will ask you to stop, formally reprimand

you, and/or subject you to action by the Office of Citizenship and Community.

Becoming educated requires encountering new ideas and information, some

of which may conflict with an individuals existing knowledge or perspectives.

I expect you to engage such materials thoughtfully, in ways that reflect the

values and mission of the University of Denver.

Finally, I expect you to respect the classroom environment. In class, all cell

phones and electronic devices must be turned off; you should not use email

or instant messages; and engaging in other activities (reading non-course

materials, engaging in private conversations and so on) that disrespect the

classroom environment and learning conditions for others is strictly

prohibited. A student who fails to show such respect will receive a lowered

grade and may fail the course.

Plagiarism and the Honor Code

The Writing Program follows the Council of Writing Program Administrators

definition of plagiarism, which states, In an instructional setting, plagiarism

occurs when a writer deliberately uses someone elses language, ideas, or

other original (not common-knowledge) material without acknowledging its

source. For more information about plagiarism, go tohttp://wpacouncil.org/node/9.

DUs Honor Code also maintains that all members of the university must use the work of others in good faith. If you

plagiarize an assignment, you will receive an F on that assignment, and I will inform the Director of the Writing

Program and the Office of Community and Citizenship Standards. As a result of these communications, further action

may be taken. Any subsequent documented acts of plagiarism may be subject to more severe actions, including

suspension or dismissal from the university. For more information, go tohttp://www.du.edu/ccs/honorcode.html.

University Writing Center

As a DU student, you are able to visit the University Writing Center to consult one-on-one with a trained staff member

on any writing assignment, at any stage of the project. To schedule an appointment, log in to My Web at

http://myweb.du.edu, select Student andFinancial Aid tab, and click on the Writing and Research Center menu.

You can also call (303) 871-7456. I encourage all of you to make use of this free service.

Students with Disabilities

If you have a documented disability that will impact your performance in this class, please inform me during the first

two weeks of the course and provide documentation from DUs Disability Services Program. I will make every

reasonable accommodation for you so that you are able to succeed in this course. For more information, go to

http://www.du.edu/disability/dsp/index.htm.

Grades

For every formal assignment, you will have the chance to draft, workshop, and revise your writing based on feedback

that you will receive from me and your classmates. After you workshop each assignment with your peers, you will

submit a final draft to me, and I will assign a tentative grade to it. At the end of the quarter, you will have an

additional opportunity to revise your assignments and submit them to me in a portfolio that will count for most of

your final grade. Heres how I will calculate your final grade and what each letter grade means:
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Grade Calculat ion

Engagement & Participation 10%

Rhetors Notebook and Final Drafts 15%

Final Portfolio 65%

A ExcellentYour writing lucidly responds to the rhetorical situation in a sophisticated and original way; is exceptionally wellorganized with clear and logical transitions; maintains coherent focus throughout; if appropriate, seamlessly

integrates judicial use of other sources or textual evidence and analysis; and achieves

stylistic elegance and grace. Overall, it leaves a dazzling impressionthe writing is

fabulous and has either vividly narrated an experience, rigorously analyzed a text, or

persuasively presented an insightful argument.

B GoodYour writing clearly and solidly responds to the assignment in an interesting, if not

original, way; reflects strong organization and achieves coherence, even if there are

momentary lapses in these areas; if appropriate, includes textual evidence and competent

analysis; and stylistically, it is clear but may include occasional errors, imprecise phrasing, or unnecessary

wordiness. Overall, a solid performance that gets the point acrossyoure doing interesting work that shows

youre engaging productively with the assignment.

C AcceptableYour writing adequately responds to the rhetorical situation but in a rudimentary fashion. It may implicitly

suggest an argument rather than state it explicitly, appear mostly organized but inconsistently use topic,

transition, and conclusion sentences and phrases; work for coherence, but may falter occasionally; gesture to the

text, but may not use or analyze it as effectively as it might; show a basic grasp of style, but may not do so

consistently; and contain more than the occasional error. Overall, you fulfill the basic goals of the assignment, but

theres room for improvement.

D Serious FlawsYour writing responds inadequately or inappropriately to the rhetorical situation. It may entirely lack a thesis,

vivid narration, organizational logic, paragraph coherence, and/ortextual evidence or analysis. It may also include a number of

grammatical or mechanical flaws that impede effective delivery of

ideas. Overall, youve written something that completes the

assignment, but it misses the mark in significant areas.

F UnacceptableYour writing does not respond to the assignment and meet its

basic requirements, such as the purpose, topic, genre, use of text,

or page length. Overall, your response makes me think you didnt read the directions, didnt do your own writing,

or didnt spend enough time to complete the assignment.

Grading ScaleB+ 88- 89 C+ 78- 79 D+ 68- 69

A 93- 100 B 83- 87 C 73- 77 D 63- 67 F 0- 59

A- 90-92 B- 80-82 C- 70-72 D- 60-62


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Course Schedule

M Jan. 3 Introduction to the course and each other.

Due Post rhetors notebook entry #1 to our course blog before class ends.W Jan. 5 Read Ancient Rhetorics, pp. 1-29, and Stress and the High School Student and related

documents (Blackboard).

Due Post rhetors notebook entry #2 to our course blog before class begins.M Jan. 10 Read Ancient Rhetorics, pp. 44-63, and your classmates writers inventories on our course blog.

Due Email Prof. Bateman your preferences for your first writing group before class begins.Due Post rhetors notebook entry #3 to our course blog before class begins.

W Jan. 12 Read Ancient Rhetorics, pp. 71-93, and 103-112.

Workshop Email a draft of your essay on Stress and the High School Student to your writing group

for peer review before class begins.

M Jan. 17 No Class Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

W Jan. 19 Read Ancient Rhetorics, pp. 117-140, and the Opinion section of the Denver Post

Due Email a final draft of your essay to Prof. Bateman before class begins.M Jan. 24 Read Ancient Rhetorics, pp. 158-186, and the Opinion section of the Denver Post.

Due Post rhetors notebook entry #4 to our course blog before class begins.W Jan. 26 Read Ancient Rhetorics, pp. 195-230, and the Opinion section of the Denver Post.

Due Post rhetors notebook entry #5 to our course blog before class begins.M Jan. 31 Workshop Email a draft of your first DenverRhetor piece to your writing group for peer review.

W Feb. 2 Read Ancient Rhetorics, pp. 246-262, and the Opinion section of the Denver Post.

Due Post rhetors notebook entry #6 to our course blog before class begins.M Feb. 7 Read Ancient Rhetorics, pp. 267-282, and the Opinion section of the Denver Post.

Due Post your final draft of your first DenverRhetor piece to the DenveRhetor blog beforeclass begins.

W Feb. 9 Read Ancient Rhetorics, pp. 292-318.

Due Post rhetors notebook #7 to our course blog before class begins.M Feb. 14 Workshop Email a draft of your second DenveRhetor piece to your writing group for peer review.

W Feb. 16 Read Lev Gross, Meet Joe Blog, and recent blog posts from three ofTimes Best Blogs of 2010

(Blackboard).

Due Post your final draft of your second DenveRhetor piece to the DenveRhetor blogbefore class begins.

M Feb. 21 Read Ancient Rhetorics, pp. 327-364.

Due Post rhetors notebook entry #8 to our course blog before class begins.W Feb. 23 Read Ancient Rhetorics, pp. 405-426.

Due Post rhetors notebook entry #9 to our course blog before class begins.M Feb. 28 Workshop Email your writing group a draft of your individual blog post.

W Mar. 2 Due Post final draft of your individual blog for the blogging for the public good projectbefore class begins.

Workshop Read blog posts from the rest of class and draft, review, and post three comments in class.

Draft and review self-reflection in class.

M Mar. 7 Due Post self-reflection comment to your blog before class starts.Workshop Bring materials for final portfolio to class to review and revise.

W Mar. 9 Workshop Bring materials for final portfolio to class to review and revise. Draft and review

introductory essay for final portfolio.

Upload your final portfolio by 5 pm on Sunday, March 13, and drop off a hard copy in my office in Sturm 419.

Documents

WRIT 1122 Syllabus Winter 2011 Bateman