Welcome!
Welcome to English 106, the First-year Composition course at Purdue University. The purpose of this course is to give you a broad introduction to writing so that you might become more comfortable in writing in various contexts. More specifically, we will work together to:
★ Develop effective writing processes for you to write in the later university courses;
★ Build confidence in your abilities to create, interpret, and evaluate texts in all types of media;
★ Construct knowledge and inspire new ideas through writing;
★ Become an effective writer who can respond credibly and accurately to a variety of writing situations.
In this course, you will be engaging in challenging activities that will involve reading, writing, visual design, and rhetorical/creative uses of technology. Basically, it is important to note that ICaP is more than a writing course; it is a composition course, with focus on a variety of aspects of the communication process.
Shihyu Chang
Heavilon Hall 214, 500 Oval Drive,
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2038
Tel: 765-494-3785
Email: chang73@purdue.edu
Office hours: M & F 2:30 ~ 3:00 PM
Approach Objectives
English 106, Introductory Composition at Purdue (ICaP) is designed to help you, typically first-year students at Purdue University become effective and influential communicators in today’s technologically advanced society. Furthermore, the “Writing Your Way into Purdue” syllabus approach will give you the opportunity to explore and create projects and ideas relevant to you as Purdue students. We will practice the writing process from the planning to the revising stages, while examining how language functions within cultural contexts. Assignments will focus on exploring places and organizations around campus, allowing you to examine how writers select different communication genres for different purposes as well as how writers address specific audiences. For more information about the course, please read the “Student Guide to Introductory Composition at Purdue”. The specific Goals, Means, and Outcomes of ICaP can be found at http://www.sla.purdue.edu/academic/engl/ICaP/106gmo.html. In all, you will, by the end of the course, be able to communicate, employing a variety of mediums that specifically suit your intended audience and purpose.
Required Text Available at (University, Follet’s and Von’s)
★ Wyscocki, Anne Frances & Lynch, Dennis A., Compose / Design / Advocate, New York: Pearson Longman, 2007.
★ Aaron, Jane E., The Little, Brown Compact Handbook with Exercises, New York: Pearson Longman, 2007.
★ Nathan, Rebekah, My Freshman Year: What a Professor Learned by Becoming a Student (Paperback), New York: Penguin Books (Non-Classics) 1991, 2001.
Other Necessary Materials:
★ A means of saving your work (such as USB drive)
★ Pens, paper and other writing supplies
★ Folders or binders to collect your reading materials and writing assignments
★ Binder clips
Grading Policy/Assignments:
All assignments, including rough drafts, must be completed for this class, regardless of final grade calculation. Final versions of your assignment must include (stapled to the final version) all rough drafts and peer review comments in order to receive full credit for the assignment! It is your responsibility to keep track of your paperwork and to turn it in with your final project. The deadlines for each of the projects are tentative and subject to change. I will keep you updated for any relevant information.
Grading:
For each assignment, you will receive a handout that provides instructions and a due date for that particular assignment. In general, your work will be graded based on its development, organization, style, format, and mechanical correctness. To receive an “A” in this course, your work—including in-class work, lab assignments and class projects — must be consistently at a high quality level. The grading scale is as follows:
900-810 points = A 809-720 points = B 719-630 points= C
629-540 points = D < 539 points = F
Assignments:
A1: Literacy Map (Worth 50 points)
A2: Literacy Narrative (Worth 50 points)
A3: Daily Assignments, In-Class Participation, and Quizzes (Worth 100 points)
A4 – 5: Two Reflective Response Journals of “My Freshman Year” (worth 200 points; each response paper is worth 100 points)
A6: Profile (Worth 100 points)
A7 – 9: Research Project Sequence (Worth 300 points)
A7: Annotated Bibliography (Worth 100 points)
A8: Proposal (Worth 150 points)
A9: PowerPoint/Visual presentation (Worth 50 points)
A10: Reflection Map (100 points)
Additional Information about assignments:
All the assignments must be typed, double spaced, 12pt. font, with 1 inch margins. If you reference information from other sources, you should cite the sources, following the MLA guidelines included in The Little, Brown Compact Handbook with Exercises. If you have questions about citing sources, please see me or visit the Writing Lab.
Course Policies
To help all class members be successful, the following policies will be enforced.
Attendance:
Attendance at all lecture, lab, and conference sessions is REQUIRED. Additionally, to best utilize our time, come to class on time. You are considered absent if you are 1) more than 15 minutes late, 2) doing computer activities unrelated to class assignments during lab (these include instant messaging, surfing, checking e-mail, etc.), 3) unprepared for class, and/or 4) not in class at all (this includes conferences). There will be regular in-class work and a sign-in sheet to record your attendance and preparation for class. You will get FOUR absences for FREE for the semester, of which only ONE can be a conference. After four absences your grade will be lowered one whole letter grade (i.e. A > B) per absence. SEVEN absences constitute automatic failure of the course. Regardless of all of this, should an emergency arise that would require your absence from class, you must notify me as soon as possible so I can plan accordingly for class. All classes will begin promptly, as scheduled. As the instructor, I reserve the right to change a student’s grade based on attendance. Important: YOU are responsible to obtain notes, assignments, and handouts from another member of your English 106 class; I do not carry extra copies of handouts, etc. with me to subsequent classes. Exchange phone numbers, e-mail addresses, whatever is necessary to get the needed information from your classmates. Talk to your classmates. In addition, you are REQUIRED to check your email everyday. If you miss assignments because of not checking your email everyday, that is your own fault, not mine. Finally, YOU must be in class to hand in any journals, assignments, projects, etc. on the day that they are due. If not, you must make arrangements with me AHEAD of time.
Deadlines:
You are expected to turn in the assignments on time. All the assignments must be turned in on the due date given on the assignment handout. Late work will be severely penalized—assignments will receive a 10% reduction in grade for every day (not class session) late. Work will not be accepted after FIVE days. Assignments will be collected at the beginning of the class period on the day they are due, unless otherwise specified. The only exception to the no late work policy is when I grant a pre-arranged extension. Essentially, you will need a written request with excellent supporting evidence, a time frame for your deadline, and a formal, well- organized plan for fulfilling the extension contract. We will discuss this further in class. Be aware that extensions will not be granted on the day an assignment is due. Problems can arise, but the key to their successful resolution is communication. Keep me informed; avoid simply not showing up. We will discuss this further!
Academic Integrity/Plagiarism:
All work done for this course must be your own. When using someone else’s ideas or words, you must give that person credit to avoid PLAGIARISM whether it is in a draft of final version of your projects. We will discuss appropriate documentation in class. Please be aware that plagiarism, either accidental or intentional, could result in failing the class as well as being subject to further disciplinary action by the University, including expulsion from Purdue University. If you have any questions about using and acknowledging a source, please contact me or the Writing Lab.
Classroom Etiquette:
★ If you are late, please arrive quietly and inform me after class of the reason for your late arrival.
★ If you are leaving early, please inform me before class about your intentions to do so.
★ If you have a cell phone, SHUT IT OFF BEFORE CLASS. Do not answer your phone or text message during class time.
★ You may quietly eat, drink or chew gum in this class. I reserve the right to revoke this privilege if this becomes disruptive. NO eating or drinking during the computer sessions.
★ Please respect others and their opinions.
★ Please do not hesitate to contact me regarding your questions, comments, or concerns. Feel free to speak with me prior to class, by phone or email, or to make an appointment with me.
Conference Center Etiquette:
★ If you arrive early for your scheduled conference, please wait in the hall. ★ If I haven’t finished with the previous appointment at your scheduled time, please let me know you have arrived and are waiting.
★ Because it’s confidential information, please don’t ask me to discuss your course grade during a conference unless you can be certain the conversation won’t be overheard.
★ Please don’t bring any food or drinks into the conferencing center. ★ The computers in the conferencing center are only for students and instructors participating in a conference.
Statement about Disabilities:
Students with disabilities must be registered with Adaptive Programs in the Office of the Dean of Students before classroom accommodations can be provided. If you are eligible for academic accommodations because you have a documented disability that will impact your work in this class, please schedule an appointment with me as soon as possible to discuss your needs.