The UTD First Year Experience

RHET 1101
Critical Thinking and Oral Communication
Syllabus
Section: 022
Instructor: Mary Dziorny Email: Mail tool inside eLearning ONLY
Office Hours & Location: W 3:30-4:30 pm Phone: 972-883-6814
and by appointment
JO 3.506 or in eLearning

Required Materials:
• Cohen, Harlan, (2007). The Naked Roommate, 3e. Sourcebooks, Inc. Naperville.
• Cohen, Harlan and Jenkins, Cynthia (2010) The Naked Roommate’s First Year Survival Workbook, .
Sourcebooks, Inc. Naperville.
• DiTiberio, John, K. & Hammer, Allen, L. (1993). Introduction to Type in College, CPP, Inc. Palo Alto.
• UTD student email account
• Twitter account

Recommended Materials:
• Cohen, Harlan, The Naked Roommate 2010-2011 Planner Sourcebooks, Inc. Naperville

Course Objectives:

• To connect you with the UTD campus community through department presentations, campus
involvement, community service, and interactions with peers.

• To help you discover your personal learning style and ways to use that knowledge to achieve
greater success and enjoyment in your classes.

• To present tips, tactics, and techniques for more effective learning, emphasizing time
management strategies, critical thinking, and the use of campus resources.

• To enhance your communication skills through opportunities for both oral and written
expression.

Course Syllabus Page 1

_________________________________________________________________________
Coursework & Grading Philosophy:

• Rhet 1101 is a required course for all incoming freshmen as it has been effective in raising
GPA’s, retention from the freshman to sophomore year, and overall student satisfaction and
success.
• UTD is a selective admissions institution with one of the highest average Freshman class SAT
scores in the state, therefore performance and participation in Rhet 1101 is expected to reflect
the caliber of students and academic standards of the university as a whole.
• The course objectives for Rhet 1101 represent goals which are fundamental to student success
both inside and outside of the college classroom.

Course Requirements and Grading:

• Class Attendance/Participation
(includes journals, discussions, exercises, and
Twitter tweets ) 300 points
• Academic Autobiography 100 points
• Campus Event Attendance 400 points
• Service Project Participation 200 points
• Oral Presentation: Expert Testimony 100 points
• Group Project & Presentation 150 points
• Risk Project 160 points
• Final Exam 150 points

Total 1560 points

1560 A+ 1201 – 1247 C+

1450 – 1559 A 1138 – 1200 C
1404 – 1449 A- 1092– 1137 C-
1357 – 1403 B+ 1045 – 1091 D+
1294 – 1356 B 982 – 1044 D
1248 – 1293 B- 936 - 981 D-
Below 936 F

*Rhet 1101 is a requirement for graduation. If you drop the course or fail it, you must take Study
Skills (DRDG 194) in the Spring. It will be recoded as Rhet 1101 in order to give you credit for
the course and enable you to replace your low grade or W.

Course Syllabus Page 2

Classroom community/Inclusivity policy

Our classroom is a community, and communities are based on mutual respect. In this class, you will
encounter many beliefs or ideas with which you do not agree, and I do not expect everyone to agree all
the time. However, we will treat each other with respect. Please listen with an open mind and treat your
classmates the way you would like to be treated. No slurs or insults are allowed in this classroom at any
time. Respectful disagreement and debate is welcome, but aggressive, demeaning, or
racist/sexist/homophobic or otherwise biased comments are not. Treat your classmates as you would
like to be treated.

Course & Instructor Policies

• Cell phones must be turned off or to vibrate and are not to be answered or used for text
messaging during class time.
• Food and drink should be kept to a minimum and put away once class begins.
• Arriving late is disruptive to class activities and may affect your attendance and
participation grade. If you have a legitimate reason for being late, please inform your
instructor ahead of time or immediately after class.

Class Participation \Journal Entries\ Discussions\ Twitter Tweets (300 points)

You must complete all Journal Entries and Twitter Tweets in addition to attending
and participating in class each week in order to get full points for the week.

Class Attendance
This is a discussion-based class that involves collaborative learning and interactive
exercises in order to explore a variety of topics relative to your transition to college life and
The University of Texas at Dallas. Therefore, it is critical that you come to class to take
part in the activities and contribute to the class dynamics.

For an excused absence, you must adhere to the following:

• All students participating on UTD competitive teams (athletic and intellectual) must
bring an official Intercollegiate Competition Memo signed by John Jackson prior to
any sanctioned absences. Students must inform the instructor of the impending absence
at least 2 weeks prior to the absence. If this does not occur, it is at the instructor’s
discretion to excuse or not excuse the absence.

• Any anticipated absence arranged through Disability Services must be shared with the
instructor at least 2 weeks prior to the absence. If this does not occur, it is at the
instructor’s discretion to excuse or not excuse the absence.

• Students observing a holy day must inform the instructor before the class day to be
missed

Journal Entries\Discussions
All Journal Entries and Discussions are in eLearning. Your responses to the Naked Journal
Entries and Discussions should be concise and thoughtful. You must complete all Journal
Entries and Discussions prior to class on the day they are due.

Course Syllabus Page 3

Twitter Tweets
We will use Twitter throughout this class to help use all make our writing clearer and more
concise. The topic for each required tweet will be tweeted to the class on Wednesday.
Your response must be tweeted by midnight Friday.

Academic Autobiography (100 points)

You will write a minimum 5 page paper about your life as a student thus far and
considering where you want to go with your major and career, examining your experiences
in the context of your learning style, based on your score on The Paragon Learning Style
Inventory (PLSI).

Oral Presentation: Expert Testimony (100 points)

You will prepare a 2 – 2½ minute talk about something familiar to you and that you would
like to share with the class.

Group Project & Presentation (150 points)

You will work with a group of your classmates to explore issues related to making a
successful transition to college life through The Naked Roommate and other sources. Your
findings will form the basis of a minimum 8 minute oral presentation to the class.

UTD Campus Exploration (400 points)

You will attend a variety of four on-campus events in order to discover what UTD has to
offer in the way of student services, personal resources, social opportunities, and
entertainment. A community service option is available to count for two of the events.

UTD Community Service Project Participation (200 points)

You will participate in at least one campus-sponsored service project event. Community
service is a strong initiative for the University of Texas at Dallas and it offers a wonderful
way to develop skills related to your future career, make connections with the community,
socialize with fellow Comets, and give back to your local community.

Take A Risk (160 points)

You will identify ways in which getting out of your comfort zone will help you grow as a
person and enable you to successfully achieve your goals. You’ll take a risk, then write
about the thoughts and experiences leading up to it and your conclusions about the
experience afterwards in a minimum 4 page paper.

Final Exam

This will be your opportunity to demonstrate what you have gained over the course of the
semester.

Course Syllabus Page 4

Written Assignment Format

All assignments are due on the specified due date and time– NO LATE WORK
WILL BE ACCEPTED!! Also, unless otherwise stated, all work must exhibit the
following format:

• All citations must be in APA style for this course.

• A coherent essay that addresses all required elements of the assignment.

• Typed, double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font with one-inch margins.

• Students should include their name, section number, and date on all work.

• Papers should be free of typos, spelling, grammatical, and formatting errors.

• Vocabulary should reflect that of a college student, and writing style should be mature
and cognizant of the instructor as audience.

• All assignments must be submitted in eLearning by the due date and time!

Failure to adhere to any of the above will result in:

• A 10 % deduction for incorrect format.
• A 5 % deduction for multiple typos, spelling and grammatical errors.
• A 5 % deduction for poor language use and/or a disrespectful voice in the paper.
• No points for work turned in after the specified due date.

Technical Support

If you experience any problems with your UTD account you may send an email to: assist@utdallas.edu or call the
UTD Computer Helpdesk at 972-883-2911.

Field Trip Policies

Off-campus Instruction and Course Activities

Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law and University policies and
procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities. Information regarding these rules and regulations may be
found at the website address http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm. Additional
information is available from the office of the school dean. Below is a description of any travel and/or risk-related
activity associated with this course.

Course Syllabus Page 5

Student Conduct & Discipline

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regulations for the orderly
and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student and each student organization to be
knowledgeable about the rules and regulations which govern student conduct and activities. General information on
student conduct and discipline is contained in the UTD printed publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all
registered students each academic year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of recognized and
established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and Regulations, Series 50000, Board of
Regents, The University of Texas System, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the
university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in
the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391) and online at http://www.utdallas.edu/judicialaffairs/UTDJudicialAffairs-
HOPV.html

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship. He or she is
expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and
administrative rules. Students are subject to discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such conduct
takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.

Academic Integrity

The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because the value of an
academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the student for that degree, it is
imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.

Scholastic Dishonesty, any student who commits an act of scholastic dishonesty is subject to discipline. Scholastic
dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or
materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any
act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other source is
unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see general catalog for details).
This course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over 90%
effective.

Copyright Notice

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other
reproductions of copyrighted materials, including music and software. Copying, displaying, reproducing, or
distributing copyrighted works may infringe the copyright owner’s rights and such infringement is subject to
appropriate disciplinary action as well as criminal penalties provided by federal law. Usage of such material is only
appropriate when that usage constitutes “fair use” under the Copyright Act. As a UT Dallas student, you are
required to follow the institution’s copyright policy (Policy Memorandum 84-I.3-46). For more information about
the fair use exemption, see http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/copypol2.htm

Email Use

The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between faculty/staff and
students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues concerning security and the identity of
each individual in an email exchange. The university encourages all official student email correspondence be sent
only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if
it originates from a UTD student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the
identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD furnishes each
student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with university personnel. The

Course Syllabus Page 6

 Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail
forwarded to other accounts.

Withdrawal from Class

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level courses. These dates and
times are published in that semester's course catalog. Administration procedures must be followed. It is the
student's responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or
withdraw any student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in
a course if you choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled.

Student Grievance Procedures

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities, of the university’s
Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other fulfillments of academic
responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to resolve the matter with the
instructor, supervisor, administrator, or committee with whom the grievance originates (hereafter called “the
respondent”). Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. If the
matter cannot be resolved at that level, the grievance must be submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of
the respondent’s School Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the respondent, the
student may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not resolved by the School Dean’s
decision, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean of Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the deal
will appoint and convene an Academic Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The
results of the academic appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.

Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff
members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations.

Incomplete Grade Policy

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably missed at the semester’s end
and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An incomplete grade must be resolved within eight (8)
weeks from the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the required work to complete the course and to
remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline, the incomplete grade is changed
automatically to a grade of F.

Disability Services

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities equal to those of
their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are
Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30
a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)
disabilityservice@utdallas.edu

If you anticipate issues related to the format or requirements of this course, please meet with the Coordinator of
Disability Services. The Coordinator is available to discuss ways to ensure your full participation in the course. If
you determine that formal, disability-related accommodations are necessary, it is very important that you be
registered with Disability Services to notify them of your eligibility for reasonable accommodations. Disability
Services can then plan how best to coordinate your accommodations.

Course Syllabus Page 7

 It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an accommodation. Disability
Services provides students with letters to present to faculty members to verify that the student has a disability and
needs accommodations. Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the professor after class or
during office hours.

Religious Holy Days

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activities for the travel to and
observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are exempt from property tax under
Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding the absence,
preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be allowed to take the exam or complete the
assignment within a reasonable time after the absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a
maximum of one week. A student who notifies the instructor and completes any missed exam or assignment may
not be penalized for the absence. A student who fails to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed
period may receive a failing grade for that exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of observing a religious
holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has been given a reasonable time to
complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor may request a ruling from the
chief executive officer of the institution, or his or her designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take
into account the legislative intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the
chief executive officer or designee.

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.

Course Syllabus Page 8

 Course Schedule (MW)

August
23 First Day of Class, Syllabus Overview, Welcome Week Event Highlights
Reading: none
Exercises/Homework: Complete Syllabus Quiz (eLearning)- PLEASE NOTE! You must
make a grade of 100 on the Syllabus Quiz in order to see the rest of the class in eLearning.
You may take the quiz as many times as you need, and you may look at your syllabus while
you are taking the quiz., Set up Twitter account
Journal: none
Tweets: none
25 Human Bingo, Calculating Your GPA, Introduction to the Academic Autobiography
Reading: Tips 1, 2
Exercises/Homework: UTDAT in eLearning, Exercises 1, 2
Journal: Naked Journals 1, 2
Tweets: none
30 What the !@!&% is a Syllabus? (*bring syllabi from all your courses), bring your
planner/calendar/scheduling device
Reading: none
Exercises/Homework: Exercise 34, we will complete 50-51 in class, complete PLSI
(eLearning) and bring to class
Journal: none
Tweets: Topic will be tweeted Wednesday. You must tweet your response by midnight
Friday!

September
1 Introduction to The Naked Roommate Group Project: Group work day
Reading: Tips 3, 4, 8
Exercises/Homework: Exercises 4, 8, Complete Leadership Tendencies Assessment
(eLearning) and bring to class
Journal: Naked Journal 8 (required), 3 and 4 (optional)
Tweets: Topic will be tweeted today. You must tweet your response by midnight Friday!
6 Labor Day: No Class

8 DUE: Academic Autobiography (in eLearning by 12:00pm) and Identifying Your Comfort
Zone (Exercise 9, part 1)
The Importance of Public Speaking & Elements of a Good Oral Presentation Reading: none
Exercises/Homework: Exercise 9, part 1
Journal: none
Tweets: Topic will be tweeted today. You must tweet your response by midnight Friday!
13 DUE: Campus Event #1
Meet in SOM 1.118 (Davidson Auditorium) - Presentation: Academic Integrity
Reading: Tips 5, 44
Exercises/Homework: Exercise 5
Journal: Journal 5
Tweets: Topic will be tweeted Wednesday. You must tweet your response by midnight
Friday!

Course Syllabus Page 9

15 DUE: Assessing Your Comfort Zone (Exercise 9 part 2), Class discussion on leaving your
comfort zone
Reading: Tip 6
Exercises/Homework: Exercise 6, 9 part 2
Journal: Journal 6
Tweets: Topic will be tweeted today. You must tweet your response by midnight Friday!
20 Meet in SOM 1.118 (Davidson Auditorium) - Presentation: Counseling Center
Reading: Chapter 4 (Tips 24-28)
Exercises/Homework: Self Exam 2, Exercises 10, 11
Journal: Journal 10 (required), 11 (optional)
Tweets: Topic will be tweeted Wednesday. You must tweet your response by midnight
Friday!
22 DUE: Planning Your Change (Exercise 9 part 3), Civil Communication, Begin Your Time
Log (must be completed and with you in class on 9/29
Reading: “Change Through Debate” and “Rude Democracy” articles (eLearning)
Exercises/Homework: Exercise 41, Complete Incivility Survey (eLearning)
Journal: Civil Communication Discussion in eLearning
Tweets: Topic will be tweeted today. You must tweet your response by midnight Friday!
27 Oral Presentation: Expert Testimony
Reading: none
Exercises/Homework: none
Journal: none
Tweets: none
29 DUE: Time Logs, Oral Presentation: Expert Testimony (cont.), Time Management
Reading: Tips 5, 44, 52
Exercises/Homework: Self Exam 6, Exercises 31-33, 35-40, 42
Journal: none
Tweets: none

October
4 DUE: Campus Event #2, Library Day, Meet in lobby of McDermott Library
Reading: Tips 5, 44
Exercises/Homework: Self Exam 6, Exercises 31-33, 35-40, 42
Journal: none
Tweets: Topic will be tweeted Wednesday. You must tweet your response by midnight
Friday!
6 Guest Speaker: Career Center, Campus Involvement
Reading: Chapter 5 (Tips 29-34)
Exercises/Homework: Exercises 12, 13, 14
Journal: Journal 14
Tweets: Topic will be tweeted today. You must tweet your response by midnight Friday!
11 Group Presentation #1- Living the Independent College Life and follow-up discussion
Reading: Chapter 3 (Tips 14-23)
Exercises/Homework: Self Exam 5, Exercises 24-30
Journal: Journals 29, 24, choose one from 26, 28, 30
Tweets: Topic will be tweeted Wednesday. You must tweet your response by midnight
Friday!

Course Syllabus Page 10

13 Surviving College Classes
Reading: Tips 39-43, 44-51, 53
Exercises/Homework: Self Exam 7, Exercises 44-49, 52
Journal: none
Tweets: Topic will be tweeted today. You must tweet your response by midnight Friday!
18 Know Your Instructor, Impressions
Reading: Tips 39-43, 44-51, 53
Exercises/Homework: Complete Know Your Instructor (eLearning) and bring to class,
Exercises 53-55, 57-60
Journal: Journal 27
Tweets: Topic will be tweeted Wednesday. You must tweet your response by midnight
Friday!
20 Group Presentation #2- Succeeding in Class and Meeting Your Academic Goals and follow-
up discussion
Reading: none
Exercises/Homework: Self Exam 10, Exercises 74-81 (required), 82 (optional)
Journal: Academic Success Discussion in eLearning
Tweets: Topic will be tweeted today. You must tweet your response by midnight Friday!
25 Meet in SOM 1.118 (Davidson Auditorium) - Presentation: CCCS
Reading: Tips 88-96
Exercises/Homework: Self Exam 11, Exercises 86-89
Journal: Journals 84, 86, 87, 88
Tweets: none
27 Multicultural Activity
Reading: none
Exercises/Homework: Exercises 56
Journal: none
Tweets: none

November
1 DUE: Campus Event #3, Reading and Note Taking
Reading: none
Exercises/Homework: Self Exams 8, 9, Exercises 62-73
Journal: none
Tweets: Topic will be tweeted Wednesday. You must tweet your response by midnight
Friday!
3 Guest Speaker: Student Wellness Center- Alcohol and Other Drugs
Reading: none
Exercises/Homework: Self Exam 13
Journal: Drugs/Alcohol Discussion in eLearning
Tweets: Topic will be tweeted today. You must tweet your response by midnight Friday!
8 Group Presentation #3- What Makes the Bad Stuff (Drugs and Alcohol and other things)
Bad? and follow-up discussion
Reading: Chapters 10, 11 (Tips 73-87)
Exercises/Homework: Exercises 96-99, 101
Journal: Journals 98, 101
Tweets: Topic will be tweeted Wednesday. You must tweet your response by midnight
Friday!

Course Syllabus Page 11

10 Online Privacy and Security
Reading: articles in Online Privacy and Security module in eLearning
Exercises/Homework: WebQuest: Find at least 5 articles about identity theft, online security
and college students and post links to the articles in the Online Privacy and Security Discussion
in eLearning
Journal: Online Privacy and Security Discussion in eLearning
Tweets: Topic will be tweeted today. You must tweet your response by midnight Friday!
15 TBA

17 Guest Speaker: Student Wellness Center- Sex Ed/Sexual Responsibility

Reading: Chapters 9 (Tips 65-72)
Exercises/Homework: Exercises 91, 95
Journal: Journals 91, 95
Tweets: Topic will be tweeted today. You must tweet your response by midnight Friday!
22 DUE: Campus Event #4 + OSV Event, Group Presentation #4 - Being Social and Dealing
with Relationships and follow-up discussion
Reading: Chapter 8 (Tips 54-64)
Exercises/Homework: Self Exam 12, Exercises 92, 93, 94
Journal: Journals 93-94,
Tweets: Topic will be tweeted Wednesday. You must tweet your response by midnight
Friday!
24 Potluck, Recipe Swap, TBA
Reading: none
Exercises/Homework: Bring a dish to share
Journal: Post recipe to Recipe Discussion in eLearning
Tweets: Topic will be tweeted today. You must tweet your response by midnight Friday!
29 Work on Risk paper, Paper appointments

December
1 Risk debrief
6 DUE: Risk Paper
Last Day of Class – Final Exam IMPORTANT! The final exam is NOT in our normal
classroom.

Course Syllabus Page 12