Writing 150: Strategies in Writing

							                           Writing 150: Strategies in Writing
Professor Dauvan Mulally                                                                 Winter 2006
mulallyd@gvsu.edu                                                         Section EB: 12:00-1:50 p.m.
310 Lake Ontario Hall (W-331-3547 or 233-5987) (H-863-9326          Tuesdays—112 Lake Superior Hall
Office hours:                                                      Thursdays—230 Lake Superior Hall

Course Description: As the single writing course required of all students, Writing 150 focuses on
academic writing informed by scholarly research. Instructors assume that you can read, summarize,
and analyze a variety of college-level published material. The Writing Department program prefers
that students choose to begin their writing careers at GVSU with the course that best suits them and
their writing abilities.

By enrolling in WRT 150, you have indicated that you believe you are prepared to engage in college-
level writing, which means that you have adequate computer skills, a working familiarity with the
conventions of grammar, ample experience writing papers, and the confidence to succeed in this
course. Students must receive a grade of C or better (not a C-) in WRT 150 to satisfy the first-year
writing requirement. If you have questions or concerns about taking this course, please see me some
time during the first week of classes.

Course Goals: The purpose of this course is to prepare you for the various kinds of writing required
of your courses at Grand Valley State University. By the time you leave this course, you should be
able to do the following:

   Draft and revise papers incorporating responses from your instructors, your peers, and writing
    center consultants;
   Find, use, and document library and Internet sources relevant to your paper topics; and
   Write effective papers for an academic audience.

To be successful in this course you are encouraged to:

   Organize yourself to keep up with assignments;
   Attend class regularly and come prepared;
   Improve your writing by seeking out advice from your peers, writing center consultants, and
    instructor;
   Take advantage of professor’s office hours;
   Learn to assess your own writing.

Class Materials: You will need to bring to each class meeting the following:

   WRT 150: A Guide to First-Year Writing at Grand Valley State University
   Writing handbook (optional)
   Computer disk, memory stick, binder or folder, pen and paper

A writing handbook will help you correctly document sources in MLA format and remind you of
basic grammar and punctuation rules. In addition, you should visit our class Blackboard website on a
daily basis, as updates of course materials and homework assignments will be frequently added there.

Student Responsibilities: Please take the time to carefully read the following policies.

Attending Class: Here is the writing program’s attendance policy, which this course will adhere to:
Regular attendance is required to succeed in WRT 150. According to the Grand Valley State
University catalog, "in case of excessive absences, the instructor may refuse to grant credit for the
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course." The Writing Department and Composition Program have determined that missing class or
coming unprepared more than 4 times constitutes "excessive absences."

WRT 150 instructors will send students an email warning (to their GVSU accounts) on the fourth
absence. Any further absences after the warning will prohibit the student from submitting a final
portfolio for the course, thereby necessitating that the course be retaken. Keep in mind that coming
to class unprepared or refusing to participate in class activities may count as an absence.

Participating in Class Activities: Students are expected to come to class on time and prepared to
participate in whatever activity is happening that day. In class, be ready to share your ideas and
writing with your classmates, writing center consultants, and instructor.

Maintaining Academic Integrity: All writing that you bring to class for workshopping, show an
instructor, or turn in for a grade should be your own work, written for this course. Plagiarism
(submitting someone else’s work as your own or failing to cite the ideas or words of others) is
grounds for failing this course and will not be tolerated. I will talk about plagiarism as it relates to
citing research sources during the semester, but if you have a question about what constitutes
plagiarism, please make an appointment to see me.

Staying in Touch with Your Instructor: If you are concerned about the course material, make an
appointment to see me. I am available to you during class time and office hours and by appointment
to discuss your writing, your performance in the course, and your concerns about the course material.

Instructor Responsibilities: I’m sure that you have high expectations for your professors, too. Here
are the things you can count on from me.

Staying Available to You: My office hours are posted on this syllabus, my office door, and our
Blackboard site. Feel free to drop in to discuss your writing during those times. In addition, you can
always email me with non-urgent requests/questions, or you can make appointments with me. Our
time together is not limited only to class time; you should seek me out at other times, too, as
necessary.

Giving Clear, Written Assignments: I will always give you written instructions for completing each
of the four major writing assignments–in fact, they’re already available to you online at our class
Blackboard website. I will post daily homework assignments to the Blackboard site so that you can
easily access that information, too.

Using Class Time Productively: While I cannot guarantee that you will find every class session
exciting and fun, I’ll do my very best to construct activities, homework assignments, and discussion
topics that are useful and give you direction in writing and revising the major assignments.

Description of Assignments: You’ll be doing quite a bit of writing in this course. You will write
four formal papers, all of which you must complete to pass this class with a C or above:

   Assignment One: Narrative
   Assignment Two: Problem/Solution
   Assignment Three: Argument/Research
   Assignment Four: American Icon
   Assignment Five: Optional Re-do

In addition to the above assignments, you also will complete numerous writing and discussion
activities throughout the term. Participating in these activities will help you to write and revise your
papers for the final portfolio. These activities will include:
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   Responding to your peers’ papers in class;
   Brainstorming, researching, revising, and editing activities;
   Reading and discussing material from our course textbook; and
   Informal writings, such as responses to the textbook or self-assessments of your work in the
    course.

Grading Policies: To earn credit for Writing 150, a student must earn a C or above in the course
(not a C-). Every student taking Writing 150 at GVSU is required to submit a portfolio of his or her
best writing at the end of the term to be graded by a committee of writing instructors. While you
must complete all four formal writing assignments, you must include final drafts of at least three
papers in your portfolio. In addition, your portfolio must demonstrate your ability to quote from and
appropriately cite multiple research sources.

Throughout the term, your classmates, writing center consultants, and instructor will give you
feedback to your writing but will not grade it. From time to time, as a class, we’ll read and “grade,”
volunteer students’ papers. Through these activities, you should have a strong sense of where your
writing stands throughout the term. You must complete all four required papers and participate
satisfactorily in class activities in order to be eligible to turn in a portfolio at the end of the term.

Portfolio Group Grading: Faculty meet for an hour every week or two in small groups to discuss
assignments, student writing, teaching, and grading. Teachers use copies of student work as anchors
for discussion. Teachers report back to their students the results of these discussions, so that students
gain an awareness of the expectations of the group—and, by implication, the program as a whole.

At the end of the semester, each student submits a final portfolio comprising three pieces of writing
from the course, including at least one paper integrating outside sources. Final portfolio grades—the
grade agreed upon by at least two faculty—constitute the student’s letter grade in the course. The
usual practice is to adjust the student’s portfolio grade with a plus or a minus (or no adjustment) to
reflect additional aspects of the student’s performance in class—participation, effectiveness in peer
review, completion of reading assignments, attendance, and so on.

The portfolios are graded with a simple letter grade: A, B, C, or D. Each portfolio is read and graded
by the teacher and by one reader from the group other than the student’s own teacher. Graders offer
brief comments on D portfolios only. Usually each grader reads roughly the same number of other
teachers’ portfolios as he or she has students—though portfolio groups may negotiate other
arrangements.

When the first reading is done, teachers compare the grades their students received to their own
impressions based on their familiarity with the student’s work in the portfolio. If, after reviewing an
individual portfolio, a teacher disagrees with the grade, he or she may ask for what would then
become a third reading from within the group. If the two outside readers agree, the teacher must
assign the agreed-upon grade. If the two outside readers disagree, the teacher’s own grade prevails. In
effect, then, teachers serve as a “first reader” in a three reader grading system.

Your course grade will be decided mainly by the quality of the papers in your portfolio and in part by
your participation in class activities. Your portfolio will account for the letter part of your course
grade (A, B, C, D, or F). Students whose portfolios receive a "D" or an “F” may not receive a grade
of "C" or better in WRT 150. The (+/-) part of your course grade will be determined by your
participation in the course.



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Characteristics of A papers

Content

   The material challenges the intelligence and sophistication of a college-level audience.
   A single focus is emphasized through the entire paper.
   The writer appeals effectively to the intended audience.
   The focus is consistently developed with significant and interesting details, examples, and
    discussion.
   Relevant outside sources are clearly introduced and integrated into the surrounding discussion.

Organization

   The focus of the paper is clearly emphasized.
   The overall pattern is artfully conceived.
   The focus is developed through a sequence of related paragraphs.
   Paragraphs are purposefully organized and substantially developed with supporting evidence or
    detailed examples.
   The opening is inviting, challenging, and appropriate.
   Transitions between and within paragraphs are explicit, clear, and purposeful.

Style

   Sentence structure varies according to the content, purpose and audience.
   The sentences are clear, logical, and enjoyable to read.
   Word choice is precise, interesting, and appropriate to the writing task.
   The language is mature and idiomatic.
   The writer’s tone complements the paper’s purpose and suits the audience.

Mechanics

   Format is appropriate.
   References to outside sources are cited and documented according to the appropriate style sheet.
   Problems in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or usage do not interfere with communication.

Midterm Evaluation: GVSU requires professors to submit midterm grade reports "for all freshmen
and for any undergraduate student in other than good standing." Midterm grades will be mailed to
your local address but not recorded on your official transcript. Midterm grades are meant to give you
a sense of where you stand at that point in the course. As such, they are an estimate of your work
only halfway through the course and have no bearing whatsoever on your final grade.

Learning or Physical Challenges: If you have special learning or physical needs to help you
succeed in a college-level writing course, please contact the Office of Academic Support (OAS) at
331-2490. Also, let me know what I can do to help accommodate your learning needs.

Writing Center: Students enrolled in WRT 150 meet with consultants on a regular basis in their
classrooms. Each lab, a writing center consultant will be on hand to help facilitate group workshops
and to give you feedback to your writing. The Meijer Center for Writing and Michigan
Authors assists all writers at any stage of their writing processes. Peer consultants can help with
brainstorming ideas, organizing content, paraphrasing or summarizing research from various sources,
polishing a final draft, and correctly documenting sources. Their goal is to give writers the sort of
feedback and support they need to write successfully.
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Walk-in Hours: All students at the university can take advantage of our walk-in hours by simply
coming into the Center with whatever paper you are working on. A trained peer consultant will assist
you with whatever aspect of your writing you think needs work. A report documenting your walk-in
session gets sent to me each time you go.

On the Allendale Campus
Lake Ontario Hall 120, 331-2922
Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Fridays, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Sundays, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

On the Pew Campus, Grand Rapids
DeVos 101 B
Mondays through Thursdays, 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.

On the Meijer Campus, Holland
Room 119
Wednesdays, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

At the end of the semester, take advantage of our Writing Right Where You Are program, geared
especially to supporting WRT 150 students, as you complete your portfolios.

Grammar Chat: If you need a quick grammar or mechanics question answered, use the Writing
Center’s Grammar Chat hotline! Log onto AOL Instant Messenger or Yahoo! Messenger and chat
with one of our consultants. Here are their chat ID's:

AOL Instant Messenger: GVSU Wtg Ctr
Yahoo! Messenger: GVSU_Writing_Center

Writing Center Consultant(s): Write in your consultants’ names below.

Classroom Consultants: (Writing consultants will come to our classroom every few weeks to
workshop papers in small groups).

____________________________          ____________________________ ___________________

____________________________          ____________________________

Lab Consultant: (A writing consultant will come to our lab each week to brainstorm topics and
workshop papers). Take advantage of the opportunity to workshop papers with the consultant.

____________________________

For more information on the Grand Valley State University Writing Center go to:
www.gvsu.edu/wc/




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