SyllabusWriting 1310Intro to College Writing

Spring Semester 2016CRN 22465

Instructor: Audrey Heffers
Office: Thompson 319
Office Phone: (501) 450-5833
Email: acarroll4@cub.uca.edu
Office Hours: MW 9 a.m.-12 p.m., and by appointment
Class Times/Location: MWF 12-12:50 p.m., Thompson 102
Class Website: www.heffers1310.weebly.com
Required Texts & Materials: The St. Martin's Guide to Writing, Tenth Edition and a single subject
notebook dedicated as your Writing 1310 journal.
Bring your journal notebook and a writing utensil to class every day. You will also be expected to
bring any readings or texts with readings on the day they are due.
Participation points will be docked for lack of preparation to contribute to the conversation.
Course Description
The focus of this class will be to introduce you to the academic discourse communityor, in
simple terms, to get you used to writing as a part of the academic conversationand to give you
tools to make your writing process more efficient.
The skills you take from this class are ones which you can apply to writing in any of your other
classes, or in your future career. What research strategies work best for you? Do you work better
with or without an outline? How do you tackle revision? This class allows youthe writerto
explore your process and assess how your own writing plans are or are not helping you.
You should also start thinking of the class as a community of your peers, where participation and
contribution are vital. You should be prepared to engage in peer review, giving serious
consideration and constructive feedback to your peers (and, with the exception of true
emergency, this means showing up to all mandatory peer review days scheduled). You are also
expected to contribute your ideas in class, use in-class journal writing time to explore ideas, and
come prepared to do work.
Writing doesn't have to be your favorite activity. I'm not expecting everyone here to fall in love
with it. But our class will give you foundation for skills to succeed in whatever field you choose.
Biology, history, psychology, educationwhatever the case may be. You'll want to effectively
communicate your ideas and you'll want to follow the conventions of the community so that
you're taken seriously.
1

Catalog Description: Part of the lower division core and required of all student during the first
semester they are eligible to enroll. This course introduces students to the writing process,
focusing on audience, invention, and arrangement, and will be conducted as a workshop.
Prerequisite: ACT of 19 or higher or completion of UNIV 1300 with a grade of C or higher. Fall,
spring, summer.
Course Objectives: By the end of Writing 1310, students should be able to:
Acknowledge and adopt appropriate voice, tone, and level of formality
Demonstrate a knowledge of the various strategies for engaging in academic conversations,
drawing on personal experiences and other sources
Engage in an ongoing conversation with the ideas of others
Find, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize appropriate sources
Compose multiple drafts to create and complete a successful text
Develop flexible strategies for generating, revising, editing, and proof-reading
Employ the collaborative and social aspects of the writing processes
Critique their own and others' work
Compose in a variety of types of discourse, from narrative to analytical to persuasive

Class Theme: Gender in Media

Throughout this class, we will focus on the topic "gender in media," which involves looking at
the media we consume and enjoy (TV shows, web series, ads, video games, books, movies, etc.)
and what that media says about men and women. This means that every paper will, in some way,
relate to this subject.
The class theme serves two purposes:
1. You will be able to apply your own knowledge, authority, and interests to the classroom,
discussions, and papers.
2. You will adopt a critical and academic lens with gender studies. While you might be familiar
with a particular TV show, web series, video game, movie, etc., you will challenge yourself to
think about it further by asking "What does this say about the way men and women should or do
act?"

Major Writing Assignments:

Compare/Contrast Essay: You will compare how gender is represented in a piece of
media to your real-life experiences to determine realism. Due Monday, February 8th.

 Analysis Essay: You will determine if a scholarly article in the field of gender in media is
effective or ineffective by looking at 3 techniques the writer uses. Due Wednesday,
March 9th.
Argumentative Essay: You will choose a stance on an issue relating to gender in media
and find your own sources to enhance your argument, using them to support your thesis,
provide facts, or provide a different view for you to discuss. Due Monday, April 18th.
Final: You will hand in a self-analysis paper exploring both your progress and process as
a writer in this course. Due Wednesday, April 27th by 1:00 p.m.
Grading: Note that all major assignments must be submitted to pass this course.
A = 900-1,000
B = 800-899
C = 700-799
D = 600-699
F = Below 600

Journal; 50

Final; 50

Paper #1; 150

Participation; 300

Paper #2; 200

Paper #3; 250

Attendance and Drop Policy: As a member of this classroom community, you are expected to
show up to class. People get sick, there are deaths in the family. These things happen. I must
emphasize that if you know that you will be absent for any length of time, get in touch with me.
In accordance with the policy of the Department of Writing, students missing two weeks'
worth of classes will be dropped. For our class, this means 6 absences. There are no excused
absences. I will give notice, as possible, if you are close to 6 absences, but the onus to keep track
3

of that is on you. If I email you to say you have 6 absences, it is to inform you that you have
been dropped for non-attendance. At this point, being dropped is non-negotiable. When dropping
a student for non-attendance, I will assign WF, WP, or W, as appropriate.
Days marked for Peer Review are mandatory. As of the writing of this syllabus, those dates are
as follows:
Friday, January 29th
Friday, March 4th
Monday, April 11th
As all scheduled information presented here, this may be subject to change. You will be informed
of such changes with as much warning as possible, likely via email and in the classroom. For the
time being, please plan to show up to these three classes without exception.
If you must miss a peer review day, contact me ahead of time. If you do not get in touch, you can
receive no higher than a B on your paper.
I will overlook the occasional tardiness. However, please bear in mind that if you more than five
minutes late to three classes, I will consider that an absence.
Peer Review: You will print and bring in two printed and stapled copies of your paper on peer
review dates.
For the Compare/Contrast, this is at least 2 pages.
For the Analysis, this is at least 3 pages.
For the Argumentative, this is at least 4 pages.
If you do not attend class prepared, you will be dismissed from the classroom and will have the
appropriate 1 letter grade deducted from your paper's final grade for missing peer review. If you
miss class altogether, you will have 1 letter grade deducted from your paper's final grade for
missing peer review. If you are more than ten minutes late on a peer review date, it will count as
an absence with the 1 letter grade deduction.
Late Work: If you have something come up, such as a serious illness, please speak to me before
the paper's due date. All papers are due at the beginning of class on the due date. For paper #1
and paper #2, this means you will have the electronic copy emailed to me before class starts and
you will have the print copy prepared to hand in when the class starts, or I will count it as late.
For paper #3 and the reflection paper, this means that you will have the electronic copy emailed
to me before class starts, but you will not need to deliver a physical paper copy.
If you hand your paper in on the same day but after the class ends, you will only be docked one
letter grade. (In other words, the highest grade you can get is a B.) If you hand the paper in one
4

calendar day late, the highest grade you can receive is a C. If you hand the paper in two calendar
days late, the highest grade you can receive is a D.
If you have not handed in a paper within 3 calendar days of the due date and have not talked to
me, I reserve the right to drop you from my class for failure to hand in a major assignment.
No late papers will be accepted for the final. If it is not in by 1:00 p.m. on April 27th, you will
receive 0 credit for it.
Handing in Assignments: All out-of-class writing assignments must be typed and printed in

Font : Times New Roman

Margins: 1 inch

NOT Arial, Calibri, or Comic Sans

Size: 12 pt.
NOT 11, 11.5, 12.5, or 13

NOT 1.25, 1.5, 2... etc.

Assignment Formatting
Requirements
Spacing: Double

Attachment: Stapled

NOT 1, 1.5, 2.5, or 3

There should also be no special spacing
between paragraphs.

NOT Paper clipped, binder clipped, or

folded over in the corner

If you do not have a paper that fulfills these formatting requirements to hand in in class, then I
may count the paper as late and follow my late work policies accordingly.
I will not give you time in class to go and print or staple your paper on the due date. Please note
that the Writing Center does not have a printer. The closest printer to Thompson will be at the
library.
In addition, all major assignments must be emailed to me by the beginning of class on the due
date. The electronic copy of your paper is to be attached from your UCA email to my UCA
email as either a .doc or .docx Word Document. I will not accept .rtf, .pdf, Google doc, a
pages document, or any other electronic file. I will not grade papers if I do not have
electronic copies of them that meet these specifications.
5

Writing Center & Conferences: You will notice 3 class days canceled for Writing Center &
Conference deadlines. For each paper, you must either meet with a tutor in the Writing Center
(Thompson 109) and ask the tutor to email me, or come to Thompson 319 to conference with me.
If you do not do one of these by each deadline, I will not accept your paper and you will
receive 0 credit. You must try each resource at least once, and it must be face-to-face (not email)
to count. You can either go to the Writing Center twice and conference with me once or go to the
Writing Center once and conference with me twice. This will help you learn about your resources
while constructing a paper. You are welcome, of course, to both go to the Writing Center and
conference with me for every paper, if you think that would be useful for you.
Journal: In class you will be expected to journal, typically about writing process or what we are
currently working on. Please be sure to keep the journal in a single subject notebook that you do
not use for any other classes. I cannot accept binders or loose papers in folders or notebooks that
are more than one subject. Journals will be graded on quantity of entries, not quality. As long as
each entry is on topic, it will count toward your total. This is a space to get your thoughts out
without having to worry about getting it perfect.
Classroom Behavior: Since this class is a community, you are expected to be respectful of the
classroom environment, me as your instructor, and your fellow classmates. Barring emergency,
phones should be turned on silent in the classroom and put away. While you don't have to go into
extreme detail, please give me a heads up at the beginning of class if there is some reason you
might have to excuse yourself to take a phone call (ex: a family member is in the hospital).
Texting, or using a phone in any other context, is not allowed while class is in session. You will
lose points if you make a habit of such activity.
Unless you absolutely require them (ex: to aid with a disability), you are expected to not have
electronics on your desk or in sight when class is in session. This includes, but is not limited to,
laptops, Ipads, and other variations thereof. They tend to distract students and we all want to
contribute to the classroom community as best we can.
Additionally, there is a zero tolerance policy for hate language, constant disruptions, belittling
anyone in the classroom, and other such acts of disrespect. If you are being disrespectful in any
of the ways listed within classroom behavior or in any associated way that interrupts the learning
community of the college classroom, you will be dismissed from the classroom and it will be
your responsibility to make up any work you miss. Further, a record of this disciplinary action
will remain permanently on file with the university. If told to leave, you will also be docked
participation points. This is all non-negotiable, though you will typically get a warning first as
possible.

Pop Quizzes: If it seems the class has misunderstood or neglected reading or other assignments, I
reserve the right to give quizzes at random and assign grades that will count toward your process.
If you have difficulty with a concept or reading, it's to your benefit to ask me in class, during
office hours, or via email. Asking questions is a form of participation, just as much as answering
questions or otherwise being a part of a discussion.
Getting in Contact: I will contact you via your UCA email address for class cancellation, updates
to the schedule, etc. You will be held responsible for any correspondence to this email address.
You may get in touch with me via the information on the first page of your syllabus. I will also
post updates to the class website, and they can be found on the front page. If you miss class, it is
your responsibility to make up the work. You can use your syllabus, the class site, talking to
others in the class, or getting in touch with me, to see what we went over and what is due.
Plagiarism: The short policy: Don't do it. This course holds a zero tolerance policy for plagiarism.
This includes both intentional and unintentional plagiarism. If you take credit for someone else's
words or ideas be they published in print or electronically or if they are written specifically for you
for pay or as a favor then you will be dropped from the course and assigned a WF grade. An
Academic Integrity Violation form will also be turned into the university.
The long policy: Plagiarism: If a student in a Writing Department course turns in a paper that
includes an extended passage that has been a) written for him or her by someone else for pay or as a
favor, or b) copied in part or in whole from a print or electronic source written by another author,
even if some of the words have been changed. In addition to the aforementioned drop policy,
notification will be sent from the Writing Department office to the Office of the Registrar
documenting the students academic misconduct. This documentation will be retained permanently at
the Office of the Registrar.
If a student in a Writing Department course turns in a paper that has borrowed from other sources
without giving complete and unambiguous credit to every source (e.g, quotation marks are not
included around all direct quotations, in-text citations are missing, the bibliography is missing or
incomplete), that paper will receive a grade of 0 (zero). If the instructor deems the plagiarism to be
accidental, the instructor may allow the student to revise the paper for a higher grade.
Academic Integrity: Students in this course are subject to the provisions of the university's Academic
Integrity Policy, approved by the Board of Trustees and Board Policy No. 709 on February 10, 2010, and
published in the Students Handbook. Possible consequences for academic misconduct include:
a failing grade on an assignment
a failing grade for the course
or any other course-related sanction I, as the instructor, determine to be appropriate.
Continued enrollment in this course constitutes agreement with this university policy. Misconduct can
include cheating, plagiarism, or fabrication. Please visit http://uca.edu/integrity/examples/ for examples of
violations of academic integrity. Also reference First Year Writing pg. 140-146.
Sexual Harassment Policy: Harassment by any faculty member, staff member, or student is a violation of
both law and University policy and will not be tolerated. Please read the appropriate pages of your
Student Handbook for the policies, definition, and procedures concerning harassment. If you have
7

questions or concerns, please contact your instructor or the director of first-year writing. Individuals who
believe they have been subjected to harassment should report the incident promptly to their academic
dean or to a departmental chair or directly to the University's Affirmative Action officer, legal counsel, or
assistant vice-president for human resources.
Title IX Disclosure: If a student discloses an act of sexual harassment, discrimination, assault, or other
sexual misconduct to a faculty member (as it relates to "student-on-student" or "employee-on-student"),
the faculty member cannot maintain complete confidentiality and is required to report the act and may be
required to reveal the names of the parties involved. Any allegations made by a student may or may not
trigger an investigation. Each situation differs and the obligation to conduct an investigation will depend
on those specific set of circumstances. The determination to conduct an investigation will be made by the
Title IX Coordinator. For further information, please visit: https://uca.edu/titleix. *Disclosure of sexual
misconduct by a third party who is not a student and/or employee is also required if the misconduct
occurs when the third party is a participant in a university-sponsored program, event, or activity.
Americans with Disabilities Act: The University of Central Arkansas adheres to the requirements of the
Americans with Disabilities Act. If you need an accommodation under this Act due to a disability, please
contact the UCA Office of Disability Services, 450-3613.
Emergency Procedures Summary: An Emergency Procedures Summary (EPS) for the building in which
this class is held will be discussed during the first week of this course. EPS documents for most buildings
on campus are available at http://uca.edu/mysaftey/bep/. Every student should be familiar with emergency
procedures for any campus building in which he/she spends time for classes or other purposes.
Other Policies: You should familiarize yourself with all academic policies in your Student Handbook.

Writing 1310 Grade Sheet

Assignment

Points

Compare/Contrast Essay

/150

Analysis Essay

/200

Argumentative Essay

/250

Journal

/50

Final Essay

/50

Process

/300

Total Points

/1000

Percentage

Letter Grade

WRTG 1310 Schedule

All scheduled material is subject to change.

Week 1
Friday Jan. 7: Syllabus. Class theme. Explain TV Tropes. Writing Experience essay.

Week 2
Mon. Jan. 11: Flower and Hayes model. Amber Benson process video and Writing Process
Animation video.
Due: Read Anne Lamott's Shitty First Drafts.
Wed. Jan. 13: Global to local process. X-Ray and Vav pilot. Mulan songs. Responses (in journal).
Due: Draw process model (in journal).
Fri. Jan. 15: Creepy Romance video. Master of None S1E7. Responses (in journal). Discuss
tropes.
Due: Read TV Tropes: Gender and Sexuality Tropes. Bring list of 5+ tropes in journal
with examples from TV shows, movies, etc. you enjoy.

Week 3
Mon. Jan. 18: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. No class.
Wed. Jan. 20: Invention strategies. Assignment Guidelines #1. Considering gender in media (in
journal). Writing Center visit.
Due: Read SMG Ch. 11.
Fri. Jan. 22: Griffon Ramsey video and Girls Girls Girls. First Thoughts Worksheet #1. Partner
peer review of paper ideas. What makes a good thesis.

Week 4
Mon. Jan. 25: Discourse communities. Language video. Write & evaluate thesis possibilities (in
journal). Workshop thesis.
Due: Read Hacker pg. 5.

10

Wed. Jan. 27: Development. (Including relevant sub-points & details.) Organization. Pre- vs.
reverse outlining & other organizing invention strategies. Furthering thesis ideas (in journal). Inclass drafting.
Due: Write about 3 discourse communities you're a part of (in journal).
Fri. Jan. 29: MANDATORY PEER REVIEW FOR PAPER #1. Revision video. Grammar
video. Grammar 101.
Due: 2 pg. of paper #1, printed & stapled, 2 copies.

Week 5
Mon. Feb. 1: Review grammar worksheets in small groups. Citation 101. In-class drafting.
Due: Grammar correction worksheet. Read Hacker pg. 21.
Wed. Feb. 3: WRITING CENTER/CONFERENCE DEADLINE. NO CLASS.
Fri. Feb. 5: Review citation worksheets in small groups. Local-level peer review.
Due: Citation correction worksheet.

Week 6
Mon. Feb. 8: List 5 topics of interest in gender in media (in journal). Discuss search terms.
Review techniques handout.
Due: PAPER #1.
Wed. Feb. 10: Assignment Guidelines #2. Rhetorical Analysis video. Explaining Strategies
video.
Fri. Feb. 12: First Thoughts worksheet #2. How to find an appropriate article.

Week 7
Mon. Feb. 15: Group article annotation(s).
Due: Read SMG Ch. 12.
Wed. Feb. 17: Library databases/research. Pick an article for paper #2.
11

Due: Read SMG Ch. 24, pg. 674-679.

Fri. Feb. 19: In-class annotation of article for paper #2.

Week 8
Mon. Feb. 22: Write thesis possibilities (in journal). Evaluate thesis examples. Start rough
outlines/freewrites/vomit drafts/etc.
Wed. Feb. 24: Bring paragraph 1 of paper #2 for small peer review. Class discussion of
techniques found in articles. In-class drafting.
Fri. Feb. 26: Crediting sources quiz. Discussion of article arguments. Write any arguments that
might interest you for paper #3 (i.e. argumentative paper) in journal.
Due: Journal Part 1

Week 9
Mon. Feb. 29: WRITING CENTER/CONFERENCE DEADLINE. NO CLASS.
Wed. Mar. 2: In-class drafting.
Fri. Mar. 4: MANDATORY PEER REVIEW FOR PAPER #2.
Due: 3 pg. of paper #2, printed & stapled, 2 copies.

Week 10
Mon. Mar. 7: Local-level peer review. In-class drafting. Any final questions.
Wed. Mar. 9: List 10 things you believe about Gender in Media (in journal). Class discussion.
Due: PAPER #2.
Fri. Mar. 11: Paper #3 Assignment Guidelines.
Due: Read Everything is an Argument pg. 21-25 & 139.

Week 11
12

Mon. Mar. 14: First Thoughts worksheet #3. Write 3 thesis possibilities (in journal). Evaluate
thesis ideas. Pick 2 theses & list keyword/evidence ideas under each.
Due: Read SMG Ch. 19, pg. 608-625.
Wed. Mar. 16: Incorporating sources video. Integrating sources video. Discuss how to work
sources into a paper.
Due: Read SMG Ch. 25.
Fri. Mar. 18: Research. Work on Defense of Sources.
Due: Read SMG Ch. 23, pg. 666-673.

Week 12
SPRING BREAK

Week 13
Mon. Mar. 28: Peer review Defense of Sources. Thesis peer review. Work on rough
outline/freewrite/etc. thinking about main points of paper.
Due: Defense of Sources.
Wed. Mar. 30: In-class drafting.
Fri. Apr. 1: Anticipating counterarguments. Small group counterarguments activity (in journal).
Due: Read Hacker pg. 72 & SMG

Week 14
Mon. Apr. 4: Bring 2 pages for small group peer review. Discuss any issues with
organization/research.
Due: Read SMG Ch. 26.
Wed. Apr. 6: In-class drafting.
Fri. Apr. 8: Bring printed copy of paper #3 so far. With a peer review partner, double-check all
citation. Use reverse outline to evaluate structure/build-up (in journal).
13

Due: Journal Part 2.

Week 15
Mon. Apr. 11: MANDATORY PEER REVIEW FOR PAPER #3. In-class drafting.
Due: 4 pg. of paper #2, printed & stapled, 2 copies
Wed. Apr. 13: WRITING CENTER/CONFERENCE DUE DATE. NO CLASS.
Fri. Apr. 15: Local-level peer review. In-class drafting.

Week 16
Mon. Apr. 18: Reflection paper assignment guidelines. Draw new writing process model (in
journal).
Due: PAPER #3.
Wed. Apr. 20: In-class drafting for reflection paper. Final wrap-up for class.

Reflection paper due Wednesday, April 27th by 1:00 p.m. It can be handed in at any time
between April 19th and the deadline.

14