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Objectives of this Course
- You will produce 4 major assignments which require you to practice specific real-world genres and to acknowledge the needs of real audiences.
- You will read a variety of genres and rhetorically analyze their arguments.
- You will learn to draft, edit, and proof your work for final presentation, taking into consideration the needs and expectations of academic and public audiences.
Other Aims:
- You will practice thinking critically and independently. That is, you'll explore multiple perspectives on real issues, summarizing as well as analyzing those perspectives as arguments for different purposes and occasions.
- You will learn writing conventions which are generally and frequently expected in many types of real-world communication.
- You will practice reading actively and with understanding.
- You will hone your information-gathering skills, using the various kinds of evidence which come from careful research.
- You'll try your hand at solving real problems and begin to build collaborative problem-solving skills which you can use throughout your life.
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A NOTE CONCERNING VIEWPOINTS TAKEN IN THIS CLASS
In this class we will discuss sometimes volatile topics. No matter what the topic may be, all viewpoints are welcome, and no viewpoint is sanctioned by the instructor. You are in no way required to agree with the instructor on any issue, the positions you hold have no bearing on your grade in the course, and, indeed. you are encouraged to challenge the instructor as well as your classmates in debate at any time. (Willingness to argue counts as active class participation and can help your semester grade, especially in borderline cases.) You will, however, always be asked why you think what you think, and what evidence you can provide to back up your assertions. It is the quality of your arguments that will determine your grade—not the position you take in those arguments. We will frequently discuss what constitutes a valid argument, and this is at heart of the course
You are likewise expected to treat the viewpoints of others with respect, and to show good will.
Course Work
Major Projects (mandatory and scored; each is 30 pts. or 30% of semester grade)
#1 The Art Review
For this first assignment, you will practice argument by evaluation, reviewing your choice of new CD, film, book, play, concert, art exhibit, or poetry reading. You''ll read and study a wide variety of review types, reflect on the bases of your personal judgments, learn more about the kind of art you've chosen to review, and write a well-developed review of your own, suitable for publication as a long piece for a national magazine.
#2 The Visual Argument
#3 Up to You, Bone: The Newspaper Commentary, The Policy Letter, The Literary Analysis
For this project, everyone will learn about three distinct genres, but produce writing in only one.
Minor Project (mandatory and scored; 10 pts. or 10% of semester grade)
Tattoo You: A Facebook Exercise (10 pts. possible, or 10% of final grade)
Portfolio (mandatory and unscored with extra credit option)
At the end of the term you will hand in all four of your projects in a manila envelope, with a reflective letter explaining what you've learned. The portfolio is mandatory but not graded; it is for English department program assessment only. You may receive extra credit points (up to 4) for a good cover letter. CLICK HERE FOR FULL PORTFOLIO INSTRUCTIONS (link pending)
Weekly Work (unscored: check-plus, check, check-minus, minus)
We will do a variety of activities in class each day: quizzes, exercises, question sheets, peer critiques, small-group collaborations, reports, minute papers, etc. This work will help you prepare, and develop skills for, each major project. Even though it is not scored or graded, I will collect and read much of this work, record a check-plus, check, check-minus, or minus (outstanding, satisfactory, fair, or unsatisfactory) in my grade book, and keep very close tabs on your performance. When I score each major project, I will subjectively/holistically factor in your performance on this weekly material. A very weak or very strong performance on this daily work and overall profile may affect your essay and semester grades.
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Minimum Requirements and Grades
You must meet both of the following to pass this course:
 Accumulated total of 57 points for the semester
Satisfactory completion of a Portfolio and three Projects.
Semester grades are based on a simple point system, in which your aim is to earn as close to 100 as possible. You’ll start the semester with 0, then earn credit for the course work discussed below.
The final grade scale looks like this:
90-100=A 79-89=B 68-78=C 57-67=D below 57=F
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Definitions of Letter Grades
The following definitions of letter grades may help you understand what a particular grade in this class means.
A = Outstanding (literally, work that stands out). Course work has met all (or very close to all) criteria for major assignments exceptionally well, above the level of most work produced by students of English 120. Products have nearly always excelled in inventiveness, originality, and energy. Writing shows very good understanding of rhetorical situation for each major assignment. The student has produced coherent, clear, well-organized, well-edited, and carefully proofed work throughout, with few to no lapses. A fluent, accomplished style, again with few to no lapses.
Any piece of writing can always use improvement, but "A" work means that your performance has nearly always surpassed expectations. Very strong to exceptional semester work, needing virtually zero improvement to meet course criteria.
B = Very Good. Course work has met all criteria for major assignments quite well, or has met most of them extremely well, despite a weak performance in a limited but conspicuous few. Very competent, but may lack originality or inventiveness, relative to work produced generally in 120. OR is strikingly original and inventive, but suffers from minor, if persistent, weaknesses. Good attention to mechanics, with an occasional lapse in clarity or fluency (or good attention to style, with occasional lapses in mechanics). Has generally shown competent understanding of rhetorical situation for each major assignment. Very strong semester work that could still use some improvement in one or more key areas or several minor areas.
C =Fair. Course work has met only some of the stated criteria for major assignments, or has met all of them partially. Minimally competent but uninspired, or inspired and original but lacking competence in important areas (such as attention to rhetorical situation). Possibly some problems with missed work or absences. May have shown some inattention to, or misunderstanding of, instructions, feedback, and critiques. Clear efforts to proofread and edit, though one or more obtrusive mechanical or stylistic problems may persist. OR conscientious editing and proofing efforts are simply not, for the most part, apparent. May have demonstrated some inattention to or misunderstanding of audience and rhetorical situation for one or more major assignments. Passable semester work which conspicuously needs improvement.
D = Poor. Course work has met few of the criteria for all major assignments, or has shown exceptionally poor performance in one or two major assignments or in one or two key areas. Work has been handed in, but missed classes, and/or generally incomplete or missing daily work are likely an an important factor. May have ignored or seriuously misunderstood instructions and instructor feedback. Work has generally been sloppy, unproofed, unedited for clarity and coherence, and/or very perfunctory and uninspired. Some of this work, however, is saved by minimal attention to at least one or two important facets of major assignments. Barely passable semester performance (probably borderline "F"), conspicuously below the mean for 120.
F = Unacceptable. Course work has either failed to meet any of the stated criteria, or has demonstrated severe oversights or weaknesses in significant areas. Student may not have completed all three major projects, and/or has repeatedly missed class or important activities. Nearly all work is far below the mean. A semester performance which simply doesn't warrant a passing mark.
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Missed Work, Deadlines, Conduct
Activities Toward Completion of Major Projects
Since good writing comes about through a certain amount of perspiration (i.e., practice and revision) you will complete a variety of daily activities and exercises, attend one scheduled student-teacher conference, present your work once to the whole class for critique, and hand in an assigned number of rough drafts for each project.
Failure to complete any of these tasks will result in a more intensive evaluation of the final product. In other words, if you miss conferences, show weak performance on daily work, fail to participate in peer review, and/or do not complete assigned drafts, your final products will undergo special scrutiny. The severity of this scrutiny will depend upon how many activities you failed to complete. (Major projects which have not been through the full revision process rarely earn better than a C.)
Attendance Policy
In compliance with NDSU University Senate Policy, Section 333: Class Attendance and Policy and Procedure, located at <http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/policy/333.htm>, the English Department has established the following attendance policy. All English Department courses require active learning. Students are expected to speak, listen, and contribute. Therefore, prompt, regular attendance is required. Students who miss more than four weeks of class during the standard academic semester (e.g. twelve 50 minute classes, eight 75 minute classes, or their equivalent) will not pass the course. Moreover, each student is accountable for all work missed because of absence, and instructors have no obligation to make special arrangements for missed work. Additional attendance requirements may be implemented at the discretion of the individual instructor.
You will often be working with your classmates in collaboration, and they will frequently depend on you to be present and prepared. I therefore keep careful track of who is present, aware, and participating in class. Your attendance record will be factored subjectively into your final semester grade; in borderline cases, it can result in a higher or lower semester grade.
AVOID ARRIVING LATE. Late marks have a negative impact on your overall profile and may affect your semester grade, especially in borderline cases. Arriving late means you will miss important initial announcements and instructions. Late arrivals are also very distracting and discourteous.
If you are ever in doubt about where you stand in the course, feel free to visit or email me.
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What To Do If You Miss a Class Meeting or Assignment Deadline For Any Reason
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DO NOT come to me asking, “What did we do?” (Or, even worse, “Did we do anything?”)
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As soon as possible, contact 2 or more classmates for full class notes, instructions, handout titles, etc. If the classmates you contact did not take helpful notes or are otherwise uninformed, you should contact someone else. (You are responsible for knowing what transpires in each class session, whether you are present or not.) If you know in advance that you will miss a class meeting and/or class work, contact classmates well ahead of time for assistance.
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After contacting classmates for full information, you may then visit or email me if you have specific, informed questions. Always include your class and section number on the subject line of emails.
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You can make up any missed assignment or hand in any late material at any time in the semester up through Dec. 9. You must include a completed form:
 Click here for the late work form.
Material handed in without this completed form will not be excepted.
Late ESSAY DRAFTS are only accepted for feedback provided there is time for me to respond before you turn in your final version.
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What To Do If You Miss a Conference or Presentation For Any Reason
If you've missed a conference or presentation, email me for instructions. Be sure to include the course name on your subject line.
Late conferences and presentations are marked "Late" in my book, and contribute to your overall profile.
No coursework of any kind can be accepted or made up after Dec. 9 except with documented evidence of serious hardship or illness.
Student Conduct
All interactions in this course including interactions by email, weblogs, discussion boards,or other online methods will be civil and students will demonstrate respect for one another. Student conduct at NDSU is governed by the Code of Student Behavior. See http://www.ndsu.edu/ndsu/vpsa/code/ for more information.
University Statement on Academic Honesty
Work submitted for this course must adhere to the Code of Academic Responsibility and Conduct as cited in the Handbook of Student Policies: "The academic community is operated on the basis of honesty, integrity, and fair play. Occasionally, this trust is violated when cheating occurs, either inadvertently or deliberately. This code will serve as the guidelines for cases where cheating, plagiarism, or other academic improprieties have occurred. . .Faculty members may fail the student for the particular assignment, test, course involved, or they may recommend that the student drop the course in question, or these penalties may be varied with the gravity of the offense and the circumstances of the particular case" (65). All written work and oral presentations must, "respect the intellectual rights of others. Statements lifted verbatim from the publications must be cited as quotations. Ideas, summaries, or paraphrased material, and other information taken from the literature must be properly referenced" (Guidelines for the Preparation of Disquisitions, the Graduate School: NDSU, 4).
See also NDSU CODE OF ACADEMIC RESPONSIBILITY AND CONDUCT: http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/policy/335.htm
Plagiarism in This Course
Any instance of deliberate plagiarism or other kinds of cheating in this section of English 120 will result in an F for the course.
Special Needs
Americans with Disabilities Statement about Students with Special Needs
Any students with disabilities or other special needs, who need special accommodations in this course are invited to share these concerns or requests with the instructor as soon as possible.
 Disclaimer! I believe in the creative as well as practical value of spontaneity. I also believe that disorder is always there, lurking in any plan or scheme no matter how carefully devised— especially my own! I therefore reserve the right, if the occasion warrants it, and with ample notice to you, of course, to alter some of the details on this page as the semester progresses. Fundamental aims and requirements will remain unchanged.
A Note to English Majors
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During their senior year, English majors generally enroll in the English Capstone course (Engl 467), during which they assemble a portfolio containing representative written work from NDSU English courses. The English Department evaluates these portfolios to assess its undergraduate programs, analyzing how student work meets departmental outcomes. In order to facilitate the preparation of senior portfolios, English majors are encouraged to save copies of their written work (in electronic and hard copy) each semester.
General Education Information
This course has been approved for the Humanities category in general education because it "systematically explores cultural and intellectual forces shaping events, individual expression, and social values.''
General Education Outcomes For which This Course is Approved
(All outcomes are met through completion of Projects 1-3, the assigned Portfolio, and Weekly Work. See above.)
Students shall communicate effectively in a variety of contexts and modes (genres), using a variety of communication skills (GE Outcome # 1). English 120 will build on English 110’s introduction to academic genres, and extend reading and writing to include genres common in public communication situations. In order to achieve this outcome, students will:
1. read a variety of genres of writing, with an emphasis on writing produced for students and scholars and writing produced for the general reader, intended to inform and influence members of the public on matters of concern to all.
2. write in a variety of genres for various audiences and purposes (e.g. writing for specific disciplines, writing to communicate visually as well as textually in order to reach wider audiences and meet different reading styles, writing for the general public about issues you care about, etc.)
3. practice effective and efficient writing strategies, including generating, developing, and focusing ideas, sharing drafts of writing with peers and the instructor, revising and editing for clarity, consistency, and correctness. Students should also understand that effective communication can only be defined within the context and situation of reading and writing tasks.
Students should learn to integrate knowledge and ideas in a coherent and meaningful manner (GE Outcome #6). English 120 will build on the library and web research skills taught in English 110, and emphasize field research as an additional means of finding or generating ideas and knowledge. In order to achieve this outcome, students will:
1. continue to locate information in library and web resources, and respond to others ideas within their own writing—build on English 110 skills.
2. conduct field research appropriate to their writing projects (e.g. observe people or things, conduct interviews, write and distribute surveys, relevant to their topic), and integrate that research
3. use a thesis statement, claims, and evidence effectively when a writing situation calls for these particular elements.
The English department also has a specific content goal for this course. Students should come to understand the relationship between effective communication and leadership. While civic leaders are often examples of good communicators, students should come to see through the collaborative assignments and explorations of leadership in this course that leadership can take many forms, and individuals who communicate well can either take leadership roles or support strong teams throughout college, into their careers, and within their communities. In order to achieve this goal, students will:
1. Work collaboratively on at least one writing assignment.
2. Reflect on their experiences as a collaborator as a means of understanding their own experiences in a group, as a leader or member.
3. Reflect on, and in some cases do research on, the concept of leadership.
Questions regarding this course should be directed to Kevin Brooks, Coordinator of the First-Year English Program, at 231-7146 or kevin.brooks@ndsu.nodak.edu.
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