Writing and Political Rhetoric

WRIT 1122: Academic Writing

Section 24, Winter 2011
Monday and Wednesday, 12pm-1:50pm
Centennial Towers 131

Instructor: Jeff Ludwig

Office: Penrose Library 352 | Phone: (303) 871-7835
Hours: Mon & Wed–4-6 and by email appointment
Email: jludwig5@du.edu | Blackboard: http://blackboard.du.edu
Course Description: Does “Obamamania” exist? What motivates local politics?
How do we write our political selves persuasively? The central focus of this
section of WRIT 1122 will be reading, examining, and writing about how
political arguments are constructed for different situations. Politics on national
and local levels, then, will be a lens we’ll use to start writing for the course, but
you will also learn about and use basic principles of rhetoric and written
argumentation. In addition to extensive work in analyzing, writing, and
workshopping political arguments you’ll create, students will create a self-
selected portfolio of their own work for evaluation.
Course Goals: In WRIT 1122, students will
• Demonstrate practical knowledge of the concept “rhetorical situation,”
through the ability both to analyze and to write effectively in different
kinds of situations.
• Demonstrate proficiency with basic elements of rhetorical analysis (such
as logos, ethos, and pathos) in a range of texts, and the application of
that facility in their own writing.
• Demonstrate the ability to produce writing that effectively provides
evidence and reasoning for assertions, for audiences of educated
readers.
• Demonstrate the ability effectively to incorporate written sources into
their own writing and to document those materials.
• Demonstrate the ability to use feedback to revise their own writing and
the ability to provide useful feedback to others.
• Demonstrate the ability to edit and proofread their writing.
For more on these course goals, visit: http://www.du.edu/writing/1122.htm
Required Materials:
• Lundsford, Ruszkiewicz, and Walters. Everything’s an Argument. 4th
Edition. Boston: Bedford St. Martin’s Press, 2007. ISBN: 0-312-44749-3
• Articles on [http://blackboard.du.edu], see “Readings.” You MUST HAVE
ACCESS to this space, and I suggest printing articles for ease of reading.
• Money on your Pioneer Card and a laptop to bring to class everyday
• Generic pocket folder or manila folder for turning in assignment materials
• A 1” 3-ring binder for your final portfolio
Course Work: Arguing well and writing well takes a lot of practice. As a general
rule, we’ll spend part of our class day discussing readings assigned and any
informal writings due, and the second half of class writing. The writing may
involve responding to a prompt, completing an exercise, drafting or revising an
essay, brainstorming or revising, or working in small groups. You can also
expect to spend some time every day writing at home, and more than that
when you’re working on a paper project. Finally, because a good writing is the
end result of many revisions, you can expect to revise each of regularly and
with guidance from me and your classmates.

1) Formal Assignments: Overall the class will take the shape of four different
units or projects, each covering different forms of political rhetoric and writing
for various purposes, audiences, and contexts. Each of these formal
assignments will be workshopped with your peers and/or me, and will be
revised and polished before evaluation. These units are:

Editorial Series (6-8 pages total)

Feature Article (5-6 pages)
Writing for a Political Identity (Group Project) (5-6 pages,
depending on genre)
Proposal for Political Change: Portfolio Revision Assignment (5-6
pages)
Final Rhetorical Analysis (2-3 pages)

You will receive more detailed assignment sequences as the quarter moves
along. Specific requirements and criteria for individual assignments will vary,
but in all cases my evaluation of your writing will consider overall
appropriateness to the rhetorical situation, content and development,
organization, style, and mechanics.

Advisory Grades: All Formal Assignments will receive an Advisory Grade, or a

“what-you-would-have-if-this-were-graded-now” grade according to course and
assignment goals. Advisory Grades do not count toward your final grade, but
are required to complete your final portfolio. If you have a question about my
comments or a grade, be sure to talk to me. Finally, keep digital copies of
each assignment, in multiple drafts.

2) Final Portfolio: A significant portion of your grade for the course will be
determined by the final portfolio you turn in at the end of the quarter (See
Grading Distribution). The final portfolio will consist of selections of your
writing for the course, and only those that have received an Advisory
Grade. The writing in this portfolio will be evaluated holistically according to
the overall course goals to determine your grade, and will include:
• 2 of the 3 major assignments completed for the course that will
undergo significant global revision at the end of the quarter.
• 1 assignment that received an Advisory Grade during the quarter, which
will count in determining your overall grade for the portfolio
• An introductory essay that analyzes the writing included in the
portfolio
 • All supplementary documents that led up to the final, polished pieces,
including: Rough drafts and graded drafts, peer responses received by
peers and given to others, rhetorical analysis from each paper, and
comments from the instructor

* The writing program has also asked that, at the end of the quarter, you
upload three essays written in this class to you portfolio community at
http//:portfolio.du.edu.

3) Process Assignments: Process assignments serve your writing of major

assignments at different stages (invention, drafting, revision, reflection), and
will sometimes be done in class. Expect to turn in process assignments on due
dates outlined in the Course Schedule and/or with your finished project.
Process Assignments will be given a √ (“Good”), √ + (“Excellent”), √ - (“Needs
work”), or 0 (Not completed or turned in). Regular process assignments
include:
• Writer’s Memo (1 single-spaced page): At the end of each major
assignment, write a short analysis of the rhetorical moves you, as the
author, made in to make your arguments or analysis effective for your
readers. You’re explaining what you did, rhetorically, to make your draft
effective. You might explain: How you structured your argument,
supported main points or warrants, how you used ethos, pathos, or logos
in the service of your argument, or how you composed your essay to
target an audience. In your memo, pay particular attention to why you
made the rhetorical moves you did, how you revised to make these
moves successful, and use examples from your writing to explain
your rhetorical decisions. Your memo could also discuss how your draft
might be revised to make it more effective.
• Peer response (1 double-spaced page, for multiple people): For each
major assignment you will be asked to spend some class time receiving
written feedback from your peers and offering written feedback to those
peers.
• Teacher Conferences: Twice during the quarter, and on days you
decide, you will be asked to conference with me on a draft you’re working
on or a draft you plan to submit for your final portfolio. Submit drafted
paper with a Cover Sheet to me at least 48 hours before the conference.
All other Process Assignments will be posted under the Course
Schedule on Blackboard.

4) In-Class Writing: Informal writing assignments will be used for various

purposes, but mostly to facilitate discussion of readings and other topics of
rhetorical worth. Often informal assignments will be assigned in-class and
cannot be made up. Informal assignments will be graded similarly to Process
Assignments.

5) Readings: Assigned readings will facilitate discussion and model the kinds of
rhetorical moves made in academic and public forums. It is not only expected
that you come to class having read, but that you understand how essential
these readings are as you write and revise your own work. We will read
extensively from Everything’s an Argument, however, you will also be expected
to access readings electronically on Blackboard, under “Readings.”

Grading Distribution:
Final Porfolio: 60%
Process Assignments: 20%
Student Engagement: 20%

Writing Guidelines:
1. All writing must be double-spaced on a computer. No hand-written
papers will be accepted.
2. Following the Modern Language Association, margins will be 1” from the
top and bottom of the page, and 1” from the left and right
margins. Use size twelve fonts.
3. Starting on the second page, pages should be numbered in the upper,
right margin.
4. The upper, left-hand corner of the first page should look as such:
Your name
WRIT 1122, Section #
Jeff Ludwig
Assignment and Draft #
Due date
5. Skip one line and place your title in the center of the first page.
6. We also follow MLA for citation format. Consult any handbook for general
guidelines, and http://www.mla.org for further information.
7. Cover Sheets: Before every scheduled peer workshop or teacher
conference, and when you turn in major assignments, attach a Cover
Sheet. Briefly explain the following:
Purpose:
Possible Audience:
Look for this as you read:
Three things I need your help with:
Policies

Attendance: Because interaction with other students and the professor is a vital
part of learning to write, I expect students to attend every class meeting,
scheduled conference, and online activity. Any absence will affect the student’s
performance, and multiple absences (except those affiliated with official
university events) will have a negative effect on learning and the student’s
grade. Excessive absences (20% of class meetings or more) will affect your
grade and may cause you to fail the course. In this case, consider dropping
and re-enrolling in a quarter during which they can devote the required effort.
Students who miss class are personally responsible for learning about any
missed material or assignments, either from classmates or from the course
website.

Late Work: Assignments are due when they are due. (See the Course
Schedule.) Late work will be accepted only at my discretion, and often only if
you have communicated with me in advance of any possibly delayed work. If
you turn in a late assignment, expect: a lowered grade, delayed response, or
no credit. In-class work and class participation cannot be made up.

Plagiarism: The Writing Program follows the Council of Writing Program

Administrators policy “Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism,” which states, “In an
instructional setting, plagiarism occurs when a writer deliberately uses
someone else’s language, ideas, or other original (not common-knowledge)
material without acknowledging its source” (http://wpacouncil.org/node/9).
DU’s Honor Code also maintains that all members of the University must
responsibly use the work of others. Students who have plagiarized a project will
receive an F on that project or portfolio, and the instructor will inform the
Director of Writing and the Office of Community and Citizenship Standards, who
may take further action. Any documented acts of plagiarism after the first may
be subject to more severe actions.

Civility in the Classroom: 1. The Writing Program affirms DU’s Code of Student
Conduct (http://www.du.edu/ccs/code.html), which “expects students to
recognize the strength of personal differences while respecting institutional
values.” Because writing courses rely heavily on interactions among
individuals, students and teachers must act in a manner respectful of different
positions and perspectives. While civility and tolerance are vital in and of
themselves, working productively with others is an important rhetorical skill.
The Writing Program will act to reduce behaviors that may compromise
productive learning environments. These actions may range from informal
conversations, to formal communications, to requested action by the Office of
Citizenship and Community Standards. 2. By definition, all of education
depends on encountering new ideas and information. Some of these may
conflict with individual’s existing knowledge or perspectives. The Writing
Program expects students to engage such materials thoughtfully, in ways that
reflect the values and mission of the University of Denver. 3. Students must
respect the classroom environment. In class, all cell phones and electronic
devices shall be turned off. Unless specifically directed by the instructor,
students shall refrain from sending email and instant messages, or from
engaging in other activities (reading non-course materials, engaging in private
conversations and so on) that disrespect the classroom environment and
learning conditions for others.

Student Engagement: The Writing Program expects students to be active and

engaged learners in collaborating, committing to the material, their own writing
processes, and to their peers. In a writing class engagement is visible in a
number of ways, including participation in classroom discussion, online
discussions, and other conferences and discussions outside the classroom, peer
review, group project contributions, and efforts to improve one's own learning
and that of the class. I will evaluate student engagement as follows:
“Average” engagement means that the student seems prepared, although he
or she sometimes needs to be prompted to participate, or he or she is
engaged with the work occasionally but infrequently. Generally,
participation in discussion, online comments, and feedback on writing seem
to encourage and support others in the class. Even if the student generally
remains silent, he or she is prepared and engaged. The student’s presence
is productive.
“Superior” engagement means that the student is always prepared, often
adding additional insights to a class or online discussion, providing
extensive feedback to writing, or doing additional work on group projects.
Consistent, judicious, and empathetic engagement with the material and his
or her peers and instructor demonstrate superior and active learning. This
engagement may manifest in consistently good comments that bring
productive perspectives to in class discussion, or it may be insightful and
extensive commentary in peer review. Students who take steps outside of
the classroom space to build a better learning environment demonstrate
superior engagement.
“Weak” engagement means that the student comes to class, but does not
seem prepared or his or her presence detracts from the quality of class
experience. In whatever fashion, the student consistently and deliberately
disengages from classroom activities and discussion. This disengagement
may take the form of sleeping, reading a paper, talking or texting on a cell
phone, or surfing the Internet while others discuss or work.
Technological Responsibilities: You are responsible for maintaining copies of
drafted essays. All essays will be returned after they have been evaluated, and
it is your responsibility to keep paper and/or electronic copies for this class. In
future classes, you may be expected to demonstrate a portfolio of your work,
so keep the writing you do for this class organized. Occasionally, essays are
stolen, lost, or destroyed; keep additional copies and a back-up disk in safe
places. Make sure you are saving copies of projects as multiple drafts (using
the "Save As") option, as well as peer responses you've both given and
received, and all in-class exercises.

Conferences/Office Hours: I will do everything that I can to help you succeed in

this course. My office hours are a chance for you to meet with me for
individual discussion, guidance, help with drafts, etc. Feel free to schedule a
conference or just drop by if you have any questions, concerns, suggestions, or
ideas you’d like to talk about. I will also make myself available for conferences
for each paper. If you schedule a conference, I fully expect you to attend or
notify me well in advance if you can’t be there.

ADA Statement: DU complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If
you have a documented disability, please contact the Disabilities Service
Program (DSP) at: http://www.du.edu/disability
Resources

DU’s Writing and Research Center: Any DU student may make an appointment
for a consultation by calling 303.871.7456 or by using the online scheduling
system at https://www.rich16.com/du. It is best to schedule an appointment.
Consultations last 45 minutes, and can help with any stage of the writing
process. http://www.du.edu/writing/student.htm

Blackboard: We will use frequently the Blackboard for class discussions, for
group projects, and for process assignments. Visit http://blackboard.du.edu to
register yourself for this class.

Penrose Library: Penrose Library offers access to many online databases and
thousands of articles for research and scholarship. Use the library’s databases,
or visit a Reference Librarian, to narrow down a research topic and find the
best sources for your writing. The library also maintains a sizeable collection of
print books, journals, and government documents. Visit
http://library.du.edu/services/index.cfm.

Final Note: I reserve the right to modify this syllabus at any time if it benefits
the students of this class. I will notify the class expediently and appropriately.