WRD 103: Composition and Rhetoric I DePaul University Winter Quarter 2014 Instructor: Meaghan Zang Office: SAC

496 Email: mzang@depaul.edu Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 2:00-3:30

Course Description:
Welcome to WRD 103! This course is the first in a series of two courses at DePaul that will prepare you for critical reading and writing in the university and beyond. In this course, you will read, write, and respond to texts in multiple genres. Your writing will be processbased: you will complete multiple drafts of assignments and spend time editing and revising. More broadly, as a class, we will explore the relationships between writer, reader, and subject in the texts we read and create.

Course Goals and Learning Outcomes:

WRD 103 helps students develop competency in rhetorical knowledge; critical thinking, reading, and writing; writing processes; knowledge of conventions; and composing in electronic environments. In this class, our goals include: Students should gain experience reading and writing in multiple genres. Students should develop a stance appropriate to the rhetorical circumstances, the ability to marshal sufficient, plausible support for their assertions and should become familiar with a variety of structures for presenting such evidence, including but not limited to narration, exemplification, definition, classification, comparison, analogy, and cause and effect that depend upon the rhetorical situation. Students should develop the ability to shape the language of written discourse to their audiences and purposes. Students should develop the ability to read and evaluate the writing of others and to identify the rhetorical strategies at work in written texts. For more detailed information on these goals and competencies, please visit the Course Goals section on D2L.

Required Texts and Materials:

Clark, Carol Lea. Praxis: A Brief Rhetoric. 2nd ed. Fountainhead Press 2012. Lunsford, Andrea. The St. Martins Handbook. 7th ed. Bedford St. Martins 2012. Additional readings and materials (syllabi, discussion board, dropbox) will be posted on D2L. You can access D2L by visiting http://d2l.depaul.edu and entering your Campus Connect username and password. Access to Digication (http://depaul.digication.com). Use your Campus Connect username and password.

Class Policies:
Attendance: Regular attendance is crucial to success in this class. Missing more than 4 class sessions for any reason will result in failure of the course. Late arrivals will cause your participation grade to drop. Academic Integrity: Make sure to give attribution to any outside sources that you use in your work. There are serious penalties for plagiarism at DePaul, and I am required to report all instances of plagiarism to the Academic Integrity Board. If you are not sure what constitutes plagiarism or how to avoid it in your writing, please ask me. Participation: A part of your grade in this class is dependent upon your participation. This category includes your preparation for class (Have you done the readings thoroughly? Have you brought all of the required materials?) and your contributions to class discussions and activity. You dont need to always have your hand up to earn points for class discussion, but I do expect you to participate in small groups and engage in activities. Technology: During class time, I expect you to be in class, mentally as well as physically. Given that, this is not the time to text, scroll through Facebook, or check your Twitter.

Assignments:
This course includes 4 major writing assignments: a literacy narrative, a rhetorical analysis, an editorial, and a multimodal essay. For each assignment, you will produce a draft, do an in class writing workshop, and submit a final copy on D2L for my feedback. At midterm and the end of the quarter, you will submit a portfolio of your revised work for a grade. You will receive detailed instruction sheets for each assignment and for the portfolios. All final drafts must be typed and double-spaced. All assignments must be turned in ON TIME.

Other Activities:
In addition to the 4 major assignments, you will participate in a variety of other reading and writing activities throughout the quarter. Among other things, these activities will include: 1. Writing Workshops. During these sessions, you will work with peer groups to give and receive feedback on your drafts. You must have a complete draft on workshop days. When you submit your final draft of each assignment, you will also submit a copy of the feedback you received. 2. In-Class Writing. These writings may include invention activities, fastwrites, or other assignments. 3. Assigned and In-Class readings. 4. Reflective analysis of your writing and writing goals

Grading:
Your grade will be determined by these approximate percentages: 1. Midterm Portfolio (25%) 2. Final Portfolio (50%) 3. Class Participation (completing assignments, keeping up with reading) (15%) 4. Peer Review Participation (10%)

Methods:
I believe that writing is a process I dont expect your first drafts to be perfect and, therefore, they are not graded. For each of your major assignments, you will write a draft, participate in a writing workshop, revise and edit your draft, and then submit a copy to me via D2Ls dropbox. I will return your paper to you with written feedback and either a check, check plus, or a check minus. These marks denote that you met, exceeded, or failed to meet the assignments parameters. These marks arent grades they are merely meant to assure you that youre on the right track. Your midterm and final portfolios will be graded, so I expect you to continue to revise and edit your work based on the feedback you received from your peers and me before including these papers in your portfolio.

Exceptional Students:
Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss their specific needs. Students should also contact the Center for Students with Disabilities for additional support and services. CSD Lincoln Park: 773.325.1677 CSD Loop: 312.362.8002 CSD@depaul.edu

Writing Center
DePauls Writing Center is an excellent service that is free for all students. I encourage you to meet with a Writing Center tutor to gain more feedback on your writing. Visit http://condor.depaul.edu/writing for more information.