SYLLABUS

English 1010; Section 021

Instructor: Amanda Hand
MWF 12:00-12:50pm
Holt 208
Office Hours: 11:00-1:00 pm and by appointment
Office: Library 343
E-Mail: vfm951@mocs.utc.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION
ENGL 1010: Rhetoric and Composition (3) Credit Hours
The principles and practice of effective reading and writing. Frequent themes, exercises,
selected readings. Attention to individual problems of grammar and usage. Every
semester. In rare instances exemption from English 1010 may be recommended by the
department. Course Pre-requisite: Transfer placement of a C or better in English
1006. General Education Category: This course fulfills 3 hours in the
Rhetoric/Composition area of General Education.
English 1010 Objectives:
1. To practice and develop writing processes pertaining to invention, revision,
organization, drafting through multiple drafts, editing, and adjusting for rhetorical
context (purpose, audience, persona).
2. To discuss and share writing and reading with one another and develop a shared
vocabulary for talking about writing.
3. To practice critical thinking processes such as abstracting, representing,
incorporating, and synthesizing the ideas of others through writing.
4. To produce readable and interesting finished products, reflecting appropriate
academic textual conventions of presentation.
English 1010 Outcomes:
By the end of English 1010, each student who earns a C or better will have
1. Demonstrated and used invention strategies that help writers develop ideas,
formulate a thesis, and adjust organization and details for the audiences needs.
2. Used revision to clarify and/or improve a writing projects purpose, thesis,
organization, use of supporting details, use of source material, and audience
awareness.
3. Worked effectively in peer groups to give and receive substantive feedback on
emerging drafts.
4. Composed at least two formal writing projects that substantially and effectively
synthesize and incorporate texts produced by others.
5. Used basic multi-subject databases such as Academic OneFile to effectively
incorporate relevant research into at least two formal assignments.
6. Cited all outside sources correctly and consistently using an accepted and current
form of documentation such as MLA or APA style.
7. Used Edited American English in all formal projects. On rare occasions, features
of other dialects may be used to serve particular rhetorical purposes.

8. Completed an acceptable draft of all formal writing projects. An acceptable

draft is one that meets minimum assignment criteria to earn a grade of C or
better.
9. Revised and edited at least three formal projects for a total of 3750-5000 words
(approximately 15-20 double-spaced pages).
REQUIRED TEXTS
1. Ruszkiewicz, John J. How to Write Anything: A Guide and Reference. 2nd ed.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. Print.
2. Hackett and Sommers, The Bedford Handbook, 9th ed.
3. Extra On-line Articles found on Blackboard.
ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING POLICIES
Your grade is based on the following types of assignments. Each assignment has been
given a point value. I have also given the approximate percentage that each assignment
has towards your final grade.
Preliminary Drafts of Formal Assignments (20% or 200 points)
Literacy Memoir (5% or 50 points)
Summary Essay (5% or 50 points)
Rhetorical Analysis (5% or 50 points)
Synthesis Essay (5% or 50 points)
Final Drafts of Formal Assignments (40% or 400 points)
Literacy Memoir (10% or 100 points)
Summary Essay (10% or 100 points)
Rhetorical Analysis (10% or 100 points)
Synthesis Essay (10% or 100 points)
In-Class Assignments (10% or 100 points)
Final Portfolio (20% or 200 points)
The following are guidelines for grading preliminary drafts and informal writing:
A = Exceptional, thorough, imaginative, and thoughtful work. All assignments
complete.
B = Good work that goes beyond the basic requirements. All assignments
complete.
C = Basic requirements met. Acceptable work. All assignments complete.
D = Only some assignments complete or work fails to meet many of the assigned
requirements.
F = Few or no assignments complete or work fails to meet many of the assigned
requirements.
The following are guidelines for grading your writing portfolios (or final papers):
A = Texts fully meet assignment objectives and offer appropriate responses to the
original assignment. Writing is clear, engaging, grammatically correct, and easy
to read. Texts show originality in details, word choice, and approach to the
assignment.

B = Texts fully meet assignment objectives and offer appropriate responses to the
original assignment. Writing is clear, engaging, grammatically correct, and easy
to read. There may be a few awkward spots or minor grammatical problems, but
texts are basically well written and well developed.
C = Texts adequately meet assignment objectives and respond adequately to the
original assignment, although there may be several minor problems with style,
tone, thesis support, organization, or mechanics.
D = Texts show some evidence of attempting to meet assignment objectives but
have many problems with organization, thesis support, word choice, style, or
mechanics.
F = Texts fail to meet assignment objectives or have several major problems with
tone, writing style, thesis support, organization, and mechanics.
Preliminary Drafts of Formal Assignments (20% or 200 points): You will be required
to complete a preliminary draft for each Formal Assignment. This preliminary draft will
undergo several revisions and edits before it becomes suitable to submit as a final draft.
Each preliminary draft will be 50 points.
1.
Literacy Memoir (50)
2.
Summary Essay (50)
3.
Rhetorical Analysis (50)
4.
Synthesis (50)
In-Class Assignments (10% or 100 points): This portion of your grade will assess your
homework and in-class participation in class discussions, workshops, and other activities.
Because of this, it is expected that you will come to class regularly and on-time to
complete the necessary work each day.
Final Drafts of Formal Assignments (40% or 400 points): You will complete four
formal assignments
1.
Literacy Memoir (100)
2.
Summary Essay (100)
3.
Rhetorical Analysis (100)
4.
Synthesis (100)
Final Portfolio (20% or 200 points): Your final portfolio will consist of a final revision
for each of the formal assignments, as well as a writers memo that discusses your writing
experiences while creating the portfolio. Because writing is process, the portfolio
receives the greatest weight in this course. You should be able to work like a professional
writer wouldmeeting deadlines in a satisfactory manner. The portfolio should provide
evidence of the progress you have made throughout the term.
Grammar Instruction in ENGL 1010: Instruction in grammar rules and other
sentence-level writing conventions occur in a number of ways in this class. We often
address them in class if I see several students making the same error. I may also point out
problems in my written comments on your drafts. And if we are in a writing conference,
we can easily talk about any patterns of error that appear in your writing. When I point
out errors, the burden is on you to use your Bedford Handbook to understand how to
correct the problem. If you still have trouble, let me know.

COURSE POLICIES
Attendance: Since passing this class depends heavily upon full attendance, you should
never plan to miss a class. However, I understand situations arise that might prevent you
from coming to class (sickness, hospitalization, etc). Because of this, I will permit you
three (3) absences for the semester. If you miss more than three (3) class periods, you
will automatically lose 10 points from your final overall grade.
Acceptable Drafts: An acceptable draft meets the minimum paper requirements for each
formal assignment. You are required to complete two acceptable drafts for each formal
assignment prior to revising for the portfolio. Formal assignment points will be
distributed as follows: completed first draft brought to scheduled peer review session =
50 points and second draft = a possible total of 100 points. An acceptable second draft
will earn a minimum of 50 points. You will be expected to keep up with all other
assignments and due dates while working on the revision. An acceptable second draft
revision must be a substantial revision of the original first draft.
Late Work/Make-Up Work: In-class work and homework assignments cannot be made
up; however, if prior arrangements are made, class work may be accepted prior to an
absence. You must speak to me before assuming such an option is available. If you have
UTC sponsored commitments that may interfere with your full participation, you should
consult with me during the first week of class so that I may inform you of the documents
that are required in order for you to be excused from any class; however, you will not be
excused from assignments.
Electronics: All cellphones, iPods, etc. should be TURNED OFF during class. Do not
merely place your phone on vibrate. Quiet is not the only issue; focus is also of concern.
Also, remove all headphones when entering the class. If anyone is caught using an
unapproved electronic device during class, the entire class will be given a pop quiz.
Communication: The University will use your UTC email address for communications.
Please check your UTC email on a regular basis. If you have problems accessing your
email account, contact the Help Desk at 423/425-4000. Always use your UTC email
account for any UTC-related communications. To contact me outside of class, use my
UTC email address. Do not contact me through any other medium while you are
officially my student; I will ignore messages from you received through any medium
other than UTC email.
UNIVERSITY POLICIES AND SERVICES
ADA STATEMENT: Attention: If you are a student with a disability (e.g. physical,
learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) and think that you might need special
assistance or a special accommodation in this class or any other class, call the Disability
Resource Center (DRC) at 425-4006 or come by the office, 102 Frist Hall
http://www.utc.edu/disability-resource-center/
If you find that personal problems, career indecision, study and time management
difficulties, etc. are adversely affecting your successful progress at UTC, please contact

the Counseling and Career Planning Center at 425-4438 or

http://www.utc.edu/counseling-personal-development-center/index.php .
Counseling and Career Planning: If you find that personal problems, career indecision,
study, or time management difficulties are adversely impacting your progress at UTC,
please contact the Counseling and Career Planning Center at 425-4438.
Writing Center: The Writing Center at UTC provides a free service offered to all
members of the University community. Offering various services to writersincluding
tutorials, workshops, and access to resources, the Center is staffed by peer tutors,
graduate students, and English instructors. Please visit the Writing Center in Holt 119.
UTC email: To enhance student services, the University will use your UTC email address
for communications. Please check your UTC email on a regular basis. If you have
problems with accessing your email account, contact the Help Desk at 423/425-4000.
The UTC Composition Programs Statement on Plagiarism: Plagiarism occurs when
you usein your writingthe words, phrases, sentence arrangement, or main ideas of
someone else without giving credit to the source. In the most blatant cases, a student will
turn in a paper that was written by another person, downloaded from an Internet site, or
ordered from an essay factory or term paper mill. In other cases, students commit
plagiarism because they do not fully understand the proper way to document outside
source material. In either case, plagiarism is wrong. Students who are suspected of
committing plagiarism may be reported to the UTC Honor Court. If found guilty by the
Honor Court, the student will receive an F on the assignment or in the course. In
especially egregious cases of academic fraud, the student may be dismissed from the
University.
Documentation is required when you quote, paraphrase, or summarize the words or ideas
of other writers in your own writing. Your composition textbook clearly explains how to
give credit to outside material that you use in your work. If you are ever uncertain about
how or whether to document material, consult your teacher before turning in the written
work.