Writing for Success

DWTG-0V91- 581
Summer 2007

Instructor: Thomasina Hickmann

Email: hickmann@utdallas.edu
Phone: (972)883-6707
Office: MC2.406

Class Times and Location: Monday and Wednesday from 5:30-6:45pm in MC2.408
Office Hours: Wednesday, 4:30-5:30 pm

Required Textbook: The Little, Brown Handbook by H. Ramsey Fowler and Jane E.
Aaron, 10th edition. Longman, 2007.

Recommended Textbook: The Official THEA Test Study Guide developed by National
Evaluation Systems. Amherst, 2004.

Course Description: (2 semester hours) A writing course that offers students the
opportunity to develop proficiency in the inventing, drafting, revising, and editing skills
necessary for writing multi-paragraph papers. Topics will include sentence structure,
grammar, paragraph development, usage, and mechanics. The course is writing-intensive,
and students will have the opportunity to do class assignments on a word processor. This
developmental course cannot be used for degree credit.

Course Objectives: Students will:

State and maintain a focus in writing

Provide adequate support for written statements

Produce writing samples that include functioning paragraphs and effective

introductions and conclusions

Expand vocabulary skills

Develop the relevant skills necessary to perform satisfactorily on the Texas Higher
Education Assessment (THEA)

Document references according to the MLA style

Discover how to recognize: purpose and audience; unity, focus, and development;
effective organization in writing; effective sentences; and edited “American English”
usage

NOTE: Please be advised that this syllabus is subject to change.

Attendance and Participation Policy

Prompt and regular attendance is expected of every student. If your enrollment at the
University of Texas at Dallas depends upon your attendance in this class, your attendance
is mandatory, as stated in the contract you have signed. There are no excused absences.
In case of an emergency absence, you must make up any missed work within one week.
This arrangement is subject to your providing official documentation that explains the
nature of the emergency, such as a letter from a doctor in the case of a medical issue or a
funeral program/announcement in the case of a family death. Without the proper
documentation, your absence will jeopardize your enrollment at the university.

If you are consistently late to class, this will negatively affect your attendance record
and also jeopardize your enrollment at the university.

If you pass the THEA and no longer choose to attend the class, you must consult
with me immediately to find out what your options are. For example, you may be
obliged to continue attending the class in order to maintain your enrollment status at the
university.

For those students who are NOT subject to the university’s THEA policy: You are
responsible for all work missed due to an absence from class. Your final grade, however,
may be lowered after three unexcused absences. If you choose not to attend class once
you are enrolled, you must withdraw from the course to avoid receiving a final grade of
“F.” The deadlines for withdrawal are published in each semester's course catalog.

NOTE: Depending on your skill level, you may need more than one semester of
developmental coursework to pass the relevant portion of the THEA.

Course Requirements and Grade Evaluation

Your final grade for the course will be based on the following:

Outline 1 = 5% Class Participation = 10%

Outline 2 = 5% Grammar/Mechanical Conventions Exam = 20%

Essay 1/Rough Draft = 10% Essay 1/Final Draft = 15%

Essay 2/Rough Draft = 15% Essay 2/Final Draft = 20%

 Grading Scale

A+ 97-100 C 73-76

A 93-96 C- 70-72

A- 90-92 D+ 67-69

B+ 87-89 D 63-66

B 83-8 D- 60-62

B- 80-82 F 0-59

C+ 77-79

Assignments

Essays and outlines should be typed, double spaced, have one inch margins, and use 12
point Times New Roman font (For more information, refer to the MLA format explained
in Chapter 47 in The Little, Brown Handbook.). These assignments should be turned in at
the beginning of class on the due date. Late assignments will be docked one letter grade,
but, if the work is turned in more than one week after the due date, it will not be accepted.
In addition, assignments submitted via email will not be accepted unless by arrangement
with the instructor.

Exams

The Grammar/Mechanical Conventions Exam will be based on the assigned material

covered in Sections III, IV, V, and VIII of The Little, Brown Handbook.

You cannot make up a missed exam except in the case of an emergency absence that
is officially documented. See the attendance policy on the previous page.
 Class Schedule

Week 1 – 5/30 Introduction to the course

Week 2 - 6/04-6/06 Discussion of Chapters 1 and10 in Little, Brown

Discussion of Chapters 2 and 3 in Little, Brown

Week 3 – 6/11-6/13 Discussion of Chapters 4 and 6 in Little, Brown

Monday, June 11th – Outline 1 is due

Week 4 – 6/18-6/20 Discussion of Chapters 15 and 19 in Little, Brown

Monday, June 18th - Rough Draft of Essay 1 is due

Week 5 – 6/25-6/27 Discussion of Chapters 17 and 18 in Little, Brown

Monday, June 25th – Final Draft of Essay 1 is due (Turn this in
with the rough draft that contains my comments.)

Week 6 – 7/02 Monday, July 2nd – Outline 2 is due

Wednesday, July 4th Holiday – No Classes

Week 7 – 7/09-7/11 Discussion of Chapters 20 and 21 in Little, Brown

Wednesday, July 11th – Rough Draft of Essay 2 is due

Week 8 – 7/16 Monday, July 16th – Grammar/Mechanical Conventions Exam

Final Exam Week Monday, July 23rd - Final Draft of Essay 2 is due (Turn this in
with the rough draft that contains my comments.)