Intermediate Composition ENGL 20803 Arguing in Public Fall, 2013 MWF 11:00 11:50 Reed 120

Course Description
ENGL 20803 builds on the materials you learned in EGNL 10803 by moving the focus from writing as a process of inquiry, to focusing on the analysis and production of arguments in a variety of media. In this course, you will work individually and in groups to read, write, and research arguments about issues of local and national importance. In particular, this semester we will explore what it Instructor: Tyler S. Branson means to argue in public, or rather, well consider the Office Hours: Reed 402; TR 1:002:30 implications of using writing to impact and intervene across Email: tyler.branson@tcu.edu diverse publics. This means we will critically analyze terms like Twitter: @tylerbranson or / public and argument, and also practice various forms of #arguinginpublic public argument: from blogs to oral presentations, public activism, and academic discourse. In a world thats increasingly digital and increasingly public, ENGL 20803 is designed to investigate, analyze and produce complex arguments that impact audiences beyond the confines of the classroom, the limits of which we will unpack and critique in a variety of ways throughout the semester. Here are some questions I want to consider with you this semester: What does it mean to argue, and why should we want to argue well? What is a public, do we belong to one, and how do we/should we intervene in one? Who gets to argue in public? How is access to public deliberation regulated?

What is the a relationship between academic discourse and public discourse? What does it mean to go public? How do we make arguments in public venues? What kinds of knowledge should the public have access to? What are our obligations as citizens? As members of a democracy? As college students?

From the classical period in which rhetoric was fundamentally conceived of as a public art, to contemporary debates about the need for better public intellectuals, we see that being able to argue in public, is a skill that people have valued for a very long time. Thus, throughout our brief time together this semester, I hope to explore these questions above and others that arise as we try to understand the linkage between argument and public discourse.

Requirements and Policies

Textbook I am not requiring a textbook for this class. All of our readings are free online, open-sources, PDF documents posted onto our course-website, or articles free and available from the TCU library. However, you probably will need to set aside some money to cover printing costs if you prefer to print our readings before bringing them to class. Whatever you do, though, whenever we have a reading due, you will be expected to have it handy in classeither digitally or in print. Major Assignments In addition to maintaining blogs (which I will discuss below) there are 2 major writing projects over the course of the semester: 1) Analyzing Public Arguments, and 2) Making Public Arguments; Each major project has several components that will be turned in over the course of each unit, all totaling about 30 pages of text. Some pieces of writing may go through subsequent drafts and revisions, and can be revised throughout the semester. Also, each version of your essay should be accompanied by a brief reflective memo in which you reflect on your writing process, what issues you struggled with, and where you felt you succeeded. We will discuss the nature of these authors notes in more detail later. For every project I will give you an assignment sheet that goes into extensive detail and well discuss everything together as a class too. Below is a brief overview of the assignments, but like I said above, each unit will be accompanied by a more in-depth handout that explains the ins and outs of each assignment and my expectations. 1) Analyzing Public Arguments: The goal of this unit is to become an expert on a contemporary public issue. In other words, in order to effectively make a public argument, which youll be doing in Unit 2, you first need to understand many of the rhetorical, social, cultural, and historical complexities that go into contemporary debates and issues. Thus in this unit youll need to pick an issue to study, consider the stakeholders, issues at stake, and various positions across this issue, including researching the history of the issue to find out how the conversations surrounding it have historically been shaped, altered, and constructed. Staggered throughout this unit, then, youll be composing: 1) An Issue Proposal, 2) Rhetorical Situation Report, 3) Annotated Bibliography 4) Issue in Context Report, and 5) a final digital portfolio that curates all of this information together with a cover memo. Your blogs (explained below) are central to doing this assignment well, as they allow you the space to think through the readings and your writing

process as we traverse through the materials this semester. 2) Making Public Arguments: The goal of the second unit this semester is to take the information and expertise cultivated in the previous unit and craft your own public argument. This unit asks you to use the tools of language to your best interests and use public writing to actually shape and construct knowledge rather than simply reproduce it. You are strongly encouraged to continue writing about the issue you chose in Unit 1. This means that not only will you research an issue using the conventions of academic discourse, but you will also remediate that same essay to effectively take the issue public. This requires an assessment of the various public genres available, rhetorical constraints, action-steps toward a public intervention, and a final sample remediation that you will present at the end of the semester. Staggered throughout this unit, then youll be composing: 1) a Research Essay Proposal 2) a Research Essay; 3) a Public Genre Report; 4) Action Steps toward a public remediation, and 5) a final digital portfolio that curates all of this information together with a cover memo. The actual sample remediation will be part of your final presentation at the end of the semester. Again, the blogs will be central to doing this project well, because its a relatively open space for you to work through the issues in a creative and sustained way. Blogs As part of our investigation of public argument, you will be required to create and maintain a blog for the semester. The blog will function as a space for you to react and respond to the course readings or as a place where you create your own arguments on topical issues that relate to our readings and/or discussions. I expect the blogs 1) to draw from our course readings in a meaningful way, which means an engaged, thoughtful, and creative response that either a) personally responds to the arguments made in the readings or b) uses our readings to reflect on a topical or contemporary issue; 2) your blogs should always have at least one image and/or piece of media; and 3) you should thoughtfully comment and on a different peers blog each week. Your comments need to reflect that you read the blog and that you are engaged in the issues/concerns they present. This means you can a) answer a question they posed, b) point them to a source that you think theyll find interesting; c) pose a counter-argument to their claims or d) ask a question of your own. There will be 8 blogs total; the blogs should be no less than 400 words, and include at least 1 image each, and the comments should be no less than 100 words. Style: Blogs are more conversational than your traditional academic essays, so the language you use can be a bit more casual and personal. But that does not mean they arent intellectually rigorous. This is still for your English class and not a personal blog. I will be reading your blogs to assess how you are grappling with the readings and the major concepts and issues discussed in class. This means that you need to be aware that inappropriate or disrespectful content on your blogs is unacceptable, and I reserve the right to lower your grade based on inappropriate content.

Oral Reports Early in the semester you will sign up to give an oral report on rhetorical terms and/or strategies. There is a master list of rhetorical terms on the website. Your objective in this report is to inform the class 1) the term; 2) what it means; 3) a contemporary example; and 4) How using it/avoiding it (if its a rhetorical

fallacy) can improve our public arguments. These reports should be informal but informative. You should do your homework. You will need to spend 5-10 minutes talking about your term. Participation Strong participation is also critical for this course: that includes small group discussion and workshops, whole class discussions, in-class writings, and carefully completing all reading assignments. Lackluster or no participation can affect your grade. Grades Much of your work in this class will be assessed holistically, which means I am looking at your major assignments as a body of work. This means that I am not grading each piece of writing individually, but rather assigning a grade at the end of each portfolio, based on the documents as a whole. o Please note: In this class, the grade of C means you fulfill the minimum requirements of the course. In other words, simply coming to class and doing the assignments does not earn an automatic A. Therefore, to earn a grade higher than average means your work and participation are above average. My evaluation of above average is based on: 1) distinctive quality and development of your work; 2) consistently demonstrating critical and creative thinking in your writing; 3) your ability to guide a piece of writing through the various stages of revision; and 4) a willingness to take risks by exploring new subjects, genres, and techniques. Youll each receive your own spreadsheet so you can track your grade throughout the semester.

Heres how I calculate the grades for each assignment: 1) Portfolios: I will return each assignment from the portfolio with in-depth commentary, but I will only assign one grade on the entire portfolio, which I wont provide until after you turn it in. Your task, then, is to productively use my feedback, in addition to the feedback of your peers in workshop, as you engage with the materials thoughtfully and creatively. In other words, each portfolio will be assessed as a body of work, based upon 1) thoughtful, creative, and critical engagement with the issue as reflected in your portfolio documents; 2) substantive revision of the documentswhich means engaging with the feedback from both the instructor and your peers; 3) following the appropriate style and conventions of the documents. Finally, once you receive a portfolio grade, you can keep it as is (this is called a pencil grade) or you can choose to revise the documents in the portfolio a second time. a. Please note, revising a pencil grade means substantive revision beyond merely cleaning up the grammar and spelling. Revising a pencil grade means an in-depth structural revision. Moreover, if you want to revise a pencil grade, you must first submit a half to full-page revision plan (due dates on the syllabus). Deadlines are strictly enforced, so if a pencil draft, revision plan, or revised portfolios are submitted late, they will not be accepted. I have the opportunity to accept or reject revision plans. Also: In preparation for constructing your portfolios, please save all of the writing that you do for this class. 2) Blogs: I will return each blog with in-depth commentary, but I will only assign one grade on your set of blogs at the end of the semester. After blog #4 I will conference with you about your work,

and Ill give you an assessment of your grade up to that point. Your blog grade will be assessed, as I mentioned above, on how well they 1) engage with the readings in a meaningful way; 2) include at least one piece of media and are submitted on time; and 3) how thoughtfully you respond to your peers. 3) Oral Reports: Some time after your oral report, I will provide feedback to you with a letter grade attached to it. In general, your oral reports are assessed upon 1) how effectively you convey your idea to the class (i.e. time management of information) 2) The interest you sustain with your audience (i.e. rhetorical strategies, handouts, presentations, etc) and 3) how well you demonstrate your understanding of the term/theory/figure you are presenting 4) Participation: Your participation grade will be holistically calculated on the quality of your contributions in the workshops, discussions, and in-class writings. Around midterm we will conference about your participation level. 5) Final Presentation: We will discuss assessment of your final presentation later in the semester. Grade-Breakdown of Course Assignments Unit 1: Analyzing Public Arguments Unit 2: Making Public Arguments Eight blogs Oral Reports Participation Final Presentation Letter Grade 100 Point Scale 4.0 Scale Quality of Work
A AB+ B BC+ C CD+ D F 100-93 92-90 89-87 86-83 82-80 79-77 76-73 72-70 69-67 66-60 59 or below 4.00 3.67 3.33 3.00 2.67 2.33 2.00 1.67 1.33 1.00 0 Below average/needs work Unacceptable/Incomplete Meets Expectations/Average Exceeds Expectations Outstanding

25% 25% 20% 10% 10% 10%

Drafts/Workshops For each writing project you will workshop drafts and revisions in small groups, by the whole class, and/or by me. As I said above, each project draft should include a reflective memo reflecting on 1) what you were trying to accomplish in this draft; 2) what you think is going well; and 3) what you are having trouble with or would like feedback on. Please note that reflective memos are crucial and failure to include them in your drafts can affect your final grade. During workshops you are expected to read your peers drafts carefully and provide thoughtful, substantive responses dealing with high-order concerns. This is why in a workshop you will need to bring a full draft. Drafts do not mean messy or incomplete. A draft, in this class, means a well thought-out and engaging composition. A Writing workshop serves dual purposes: on one hand, we get feedback from our peers and grow as writers. But on the other hand, a workshop teaches us how to become better readers. When we workshop writing, we are learning how to look for certain things as readers, how to become more informed and critical readers of texts. This is why your participation as a reader is just as important if not more sothan your participation as a writer. A writing workshop also presents us with certain expectations of etiquette as participants. When we provide feedback to our peers, it is crucial that we keep the comments to the text: How does the text make an impression to us as readers? What is persuasive? What isnt? We need to mention things we liked about the paperthings that worked, organizational patterns that made an impact. We must refrain from personal attacks, overly rude or bossy comments, excessive correction of grammar and spelling (especially on early drafts), and antagonistic rhetoric that is unhelpful to the writer. We will practice these skills and go over them in more detail throughout the semester.

Conferences Early in the semester, well meet one-on-one to discuss your goals and work for the course. When we meet, please come preparedyou will plan the agenda for our time together. Attendance is required for these conferencesif you need to reschedule, contact me ahead of time. Conferences will not be rescheduled due to lateness or an unexcused absence. Feedback When I respond to your writing, I like to provide feedback that is helpful for you. So here is a breakdown of what that feedback looks like so you can get the most out of it. Passages that are particularly moving, inspiring, successful, or effective, are highlighted in Yellow. Grammar, spelling, usage, syntax, proofreading, or other kinds of errors will be highlighted in Green. In depth commentary, questions, and other kinds of feedback will be marked as a comment to the side. And finally, summative comments will be marked at the bottom of the essay. Late Work

Most work is due at the beginning of class. Generally I will not accept late work unless I am notified in advance that you will need an extension. Extensions are given in rare and extenuating circumstances. Also, I do not consider technology failure to be an acceptable excuse for submitting late work. Plan ahead to avoid last minute crises related to submitting assignments. Attendance Attendance: To improve as a writer you need practicethis means writing by yourself but it also means peer discussion and getting feedback from readers. Long story short, if you dont come to class you wont do well in this course. It is a Composition Program policy that in writing workshop courses, only official university absences are excused (and you are responsible for bringing me notification of university absences before the event). Students representing TCU in a university-mandated activity that requires missing class should provide official documentation of schedules and turn in work in advance. Three weeks of unexcused absences, that means nine (9) class periods, constitute grounds for failure of the course. Absences due to illness, sleeping, and long weekends are NOT excused--they all count toward the three weeks' absences limit. Since illness is likely at some point during the semester, students are urged to save their unexcused absences for times when you are too sick to come to class. Students whose absences are due to circumstances beyond their control may appeal this policy by scheduling a meeting with the Director of Composition. Generally, the Director of Composition does not excuse additional absences without documentation. Class Conduct In classroom discussions, workshops, or activities, we will critique ideas, not people. This preserves our classroom as a place suitable for the free exchange of ideas in an environment of mutual respect. Students whose behavior distracts or disrespects others will be asked to leave and will be counted absent. Technology We will rely heavily on technology in this course. Particularly you will be using 1) Course readings and other materials on our course website; 2) a blogging software for your reading responses; and finally 3) culling all your unit writing on an electronic portfolio. Thus the temptation to check Facebook or email is perhaps greater than other courses. Please, out of respect for me and your other classmates, limit your technology use only to that which is engaged with daily activities of the course. If you have to ask whether or not your activity is related, then it probably isnt. If I notice excessive violations I will notify you after class or via email; two violations will equal an absence for the course, and each additional violation will accrue another absence. Thus, failure to adhere to the technology policies can impact your final grade. Course Website / Portfolio Website We have a course website well use for various activities throughout the course: required readings will be there, we will share resources on the webliography, and we will submit course assignments to the dropbox. In addition, you will submit your final portfolios digitally by creating a personal website to collect your writing for the semester. We will demo various sites as a class and learn how to use them. You are welcome to use any site you are comfortable with. Your blogs will also be linked here as well.

Course Outcomes
Students will demonstrate facility with the language and analysis of argument.

Students will demonstrate the ability to write an argument for a specific rhetorical situation. Students will demonstrate competency in using sources, (primary, secondary, electronic) in argument construction. Students will demonstrate the ability to use computers effectively as a communication mechanism.

Academic Honesty
Representing someone else's words or ideas as your own is a serious offense which can result in penalties as severe as dismissal from the university. It may be particularly tempting in an online course to simply cut and paste material from the Internet into your discussion postings or exams. Don't be tempted; the penalties are severe. I urge any of you who don't understand what plagiarism is or how to avoid it to contact me immediately and/or read TCU's academic misconduct policy. The following examples apply specifically to academic misconduct in online courses: Plagiarism : The appropriation, theft, purchase, or obtaining by any means another's work, and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of that work as one's own offered for credit. Appropriation includes the quoting or paraphrasing of another's work without giving credit therefore. Collusion : The unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing work offered for credit. Fabrication and falsification : Unauthorized alteration or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise. Falsification involves altering information for use in any academic exercise. Fabrication involves inventing or counterfeiting information for use in any academic exercise. Multiple Submission : The submission by the same individual of substantial portions of the same academic work (including oral reports) for credit more than once in the same or another class without authorization. Complicity in academic misconduct : Helping another to commit an act of academic misconduct. Sanctions imposed for cases of academic misconduct range from zero credit for the assignment to expulsion from the University. This policy applies to quizzes, threaded discussions, and drafts as well as final papers.

Disability Statement (ADA)

Texas Christian University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 regarding students with disabilities. Eligible students seeking accommodations should contact the Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities in the Center for Academic Services located in Sadler Hall, 11. Accommodations are not retroactive, therefore, students should contact the Coordinator as soon as possible in the term for which they are seeking accommodations. Further information can be obtained from the Center for Academic Services, TCU Box 297710, Fort Worth, TX 76129, or at (817) 257-7486.

Course Calendar
Unit 1: Analyzing Public Arguments Week 1: Introduction to the course M 8/19 Introductions, course outline, In-Class Writing: What difference does writing (argument) make? Arguing with Millenials Readings: 60 Minutes, The Age of Millenials; and Pamela Gerhardt, A Higher Degree of Indifference. Digital Day: Setting up blogs, course websites

W 8/21

F 8/23

Week 2: Arguing in Public M 8/26 A brief history of arguing in public Readings: Covino and Jolliffe, Introduction to Rhetoric p. 1-21; P.J. Corbitt Introduction p. 3-29

W 8/28

Brainstorming Issues and exigencies Readings: Read an in-depth feature from a credible publication, bring it to class, and be prepared to talk about it (examples: The Atlantic, New Yorker, The Nation, New York Times);: Lloyd Bitzer, Rhetorical Situation Discussion, Do I belong to a public? Readings: Bruce Robbins, Public in Keywords for American Cultural Studies, [TCU E-Book] Blog 1 Due at 11am

F 8/30

Week 3: Who gets to argue? M 9/2 W 9/4 Labor Day: No School Who gets left out of public debate? Readings: The Texas Legislatures Sexist Little Secret, from The Texas Observer; Blog Comments Due by 11am

F 9/6

Arguments, stasis, and academic impasses Interview with Reza Aslan on NPR David Graham, Is Muslim Academic Reza Aslan More Biased Than a Christian Scholar? (wath the video, too); New York Times, Facts, Arguments, and Politics Issues Proposal Due

Week 4: Conferences M 9/9 Mandatory Conferences

W 9/11

Mandatory Conferences Blog 2 due at 11am

F 9/13

Workshop Rhetorical Situation Summary Due for Workshop

Week 5: Whats credible? M 9/16 Finding, evaluating, and integrating sources Readings: Wayne Booth, Rhetoric of Rhetoric Blog comments due at 11am Oral Report: Avery McGrath - Faulty Analogy W 9/18 Writing Activities Readings: Selection from They Say I Say Oral Report: Adam OConnor - Arguments of Fact How and why do we believe what we do? Readings, The Science of Why we Dont Believe from Mother Jones; Michael Shermer, Why People Believe Weird Things Oral Report: Cam Means (Slippery Slope) Annotated Bibliography Due

F 9/20

Week 6: Context M 9/23 Social and historical context Blog comments due at 11am Readings: James Baldwin, Stranger in the Village Oral Report: Steffi Loe (topoi) Social and historical context (continued) Readings: George Lipsitz, Introduction to Possessive Investment in Whiteness [TCU E-BOOK]; Blog 3 Due at 11am

W 9/25

F 9/27

Issues in Context Due for workshop

Week 7: Public Space M 9/30 What belongs to the public? Readings: Tasty and Subversive, Too from The New York Times; Howard Kunstlers TED Talk on Public Spaces Oral Report: Caleb Ashbrook - Arguments of Evaluation Role of the University in public discourse Readings: From Ivory Tower to Public Square: Democracy and the Engaged University and Henry Giroux, The Disappearance of Public Intellectuals Blog Comments Due at 11am Oral Report Brandaise Armstrong - Arguments of Definition Unit 1 Rhetorical Case Study Portfolio Due Oral Report Christian Lueck- False Authority

W 10/2

F 10/4

Unit 2: Making Public Arguments Assignment: Essay and Public Remediation Week 8: Issues and Exigencies M 10/7 Copyright, copyleft, and public information

Readings: TED Talk, Lawrence Lessig, Reexamining the Remix Oral Report: THI NGUYEN (Sentimental Appeals) W 10/9 Edward Snowden, the NSA leaks, and public knowledge Readings: TBA Oral Report RYAN SMITH Non-Sequitur Testing, tracking, and public education Blog 4 due at 11am Readings: TBA Oral Report: ronni bacopulos: stacked evidence

F 10/11

Week 9: Counterpublics M 10/14 Counterpublic discourse Michael Warner, Publics and Counterpublics Oral Report Nick Brewer (Strawman) W 10/16 Counterpublics Continued Readings: Nancy Fraser, Rethinking the Public Sphere Blog Comments due by 11am Oral Report Brendan Hogan (pathos) Discussion, Why this topic? Research Paper Proposal Due Oral Report: Alexis Calderon- Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc

F 10/18

Week 10: Online Publics M 10/21 No School: Fall break W 10/23 Can social media change the world? Readings: TBA Oral Report: Jack Durkee- Social Constrution Public deliberation online Blog 5 due at 11am Readings: TBA

F 10/25

Week 11: M 10/28

Preparing for the Research Paper workshop

Readings TBA Oral Report: Victoria Olive - Ad Hominem W 10/30 Research Paper Due for Workshop Blog Comments due at 11am Continue Research Paper Workshop

F 11/1

Week 12: Public Genres M 11/4 Finish Research Paper Workshop W 11/6 ` Brainstorm public genres Reading: TBA F 11/8 Discussing Public Genres Blog 6 Due Oral Report: Charlie fitzmaurice Paradox

Week 13: M 11/11 Oral Report- chad childs- scare tactics W 11/13 Discussing Public Mediums Reading TBA Blog comments due at 11am Oral Report Charlie Auer- Red Herrings Talk about Action Steps, sign up for Whole Class Workshop Rhetorical Situation Report Due Oral Report Westin Green: Begging the Question

F 11/15

Week 14: Going Public M 11/18 W 11/20 F 11/22 Whole Class Workshop of Action Steps Whole Class Workshop: Action Steps Whole Class Workshop: Action Steps Blog 7 Due

Week 15 M 11/25 No Class - Open Office Hours Unit 2: Making Public Argument Final Portfolio due by 11am No School: Thanksgiving Holiday No School: Thanksgiving Holiday

W 11/27 F 11/29 Week 16 M 12/2

Progress Reports Revisions for Portfolio I Due Reflecting on arguing in public Last Day of Class Revisions of Portfolio II Due All remaining Blog Comments due at 11am Blog 8 Due Public Remediation Due: Must be uploaded to website by 11:30am Final Presentations @ 11:30am 2pm

W 12/4

W 12/11