RHET 1302.

023 / BURNETT / FALL 2011

RHET 1302: Rhetoric Fall 2011 Instructor: Lora Burnett Office Location: JO 3.602 Course Syllabus Introduction

Section 023 (T/Th 11:30 - 12:45)

EMAIL: lora.burnett@utdallas.edu Office Hours: Tues 10:15 - 11:15

RHET 1302 is a required course for all undergraduate majors at the University of Texas at Dallas. The course is designed to strengthen students' skills as writers, readers, and participants in scholarly research at the university level. While the course is intended to introduce freshmen and sophomores to the conventions and expectations of college-level writing, students at all stages of an undergraduate career can benefit from the practices and processes taught in this class. In On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, bestselling author Stephen King offers some simple advice. "If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot" (145). In this class you will do both of those things, and much else besides -- all with the aim of helping you become a stronger, clearer, more effective academic writer. However, this is not just a writing class; this is a rhetoric class. The academic discipline of rhetoric involves both studying how others communicate their ideas through various mediums (texts, visual arts, film, etc.) and practicing how to communicate your own ideas to various audiences. Over the course of the semester, our work in this class will address both those aspects of rhetoric, but will place a greater emphasis on putting rhetorical knowledge into practice through your writing. Course Description RHET 1302 will prepare you for college-level writing while helping you develop your critical thinking skills. Rhetoric is the study and practice of how people communicate messages, not only in writing and speech, but also through visual and digital mediums. In this class, you will develop skills to analyze the way rhetoric, in its various forms, addresses audiences. By paying attention to the strategies that good writers and speakers use to persuade their particular audiences, you will learn to reason better and to persuade others in your own writing. For RHET 1302, you will read and reread texts and write multidraft essays. Practically speaking, you will learn skills that you can use in your future course work regardless of your major. Student Learning Objectives Students will be able to write in different ways for different audiences. Students will be able to write effectively using appropriate organization, mechanics, and style. Students will be able to construct effective written arguments. Students will be able to gather, incorporate, and interpret source material in their writing.

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Required Texts and Materials Writing Analytically with Readings, Second Edition, by David Rosenwasser and Jill Stephen (New York: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2011). Writing Papers: A Handbook for Students at Smith College, 4th Revised Edition. A publication of the Jacobson Center for Writing, Teaching and Learning. (This textbook is available at the following URL as a free, downloadable .pdf file: http://www.smith.edu/jacobsoncenter/writing_papers.pdf ) Students should bring a spiral or perfect-bound notebook and a pen to class every day for in-class writing exercises. You will be writing in class every day this semester. Fun, fun, fun! Grading
Blog Project Essay #1: Community Writing Essay #2: Visual Rhetoric Essay #3: Academic Research Essay & Proposal (Proposal = 5% of total 30%) Portfolio Reading Reflections / In-Class Writing / Homework Assignments Participation Total 5% 15% 20% 30% 10% 10% 10% 100%

(I will make use of the +/- system in grading as stipulated by The University of Texas at Dallas Undergraduate Catalogue, 2010-2012.) Please note: In-class work (including reading reflections) and supplementary homework tasks, though not listed by date in the syllabus, will be assigned throughout the semester, and are worth 10% of your final grade. In addition, missing homework assignments may also negatively affect your participation grade, which is worth another 10% of your semester total. Absences beyond the allowable limit WILL negatively affect your final grade. See pages 8-9 of this syllabus for detailed information about the attendance policy and other important course policies which WILL affect your grade. CATCH-ALL DISCLAIMER: All matters associated with this course are subject to change at the instructor's discretion. Any and all changes to this syllabus will be communicated to students in writing via UT Dallas email and/or eLearning. Students should regularly check eLearning for updated course/ assignment information.

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Fall 2011 Assignments Readings are listed on their due date -- the date on which they will be discussed in class. Please be sure to complete all readings before the start of the class period in which they are listed. (WAR = Writing Analytically w/ Readings; WP = Writing Papers)
Thur Aug 25 Tue Aug 30 UNIT ONE: Thur Sep 1 Introduction to the Course Diagnostic Writing Writing and the Writing Process WAR, Chapter 1; WP, pp. 1-15 RHETORICAL ANALYSIS Analytical Methods / Tools WAR, Chapters 2 - 3 BLOG PROJECT BEGINS Analytical Methods / Tools WAR, Chapters 4 - 5 Evidence and Claims WAR, Chapter 8 Online reading: http://chronicle.com/article/Whats-the-Problem-With-Quiet/124258/ Analyzing Arguments WAR, Chapter 9 WAR, pp. 521 - 532 ESSAY ONE: FIRST DRAFT DUE WAR, Chapter 7 Writing Workshop WP, pages 16-39 Writing Workshop ESSAY ONE: FINAL DRAFT DUE In-class assessment VISUAL RHETORIC Analyzing Visual Rhetoric WAR, Chapter 6 Analyzing Visual Rhetoric (cont'd) WAR, pp. 827 - 843, "Beauty (re)Discovers the Male Body"; pp. 845 - 856, "Listening to Khakis: What America's Most Popular Pants Tell About the Way Guys Think" Handouts: "Elements of Art"; "Principles of Design" Constructing Logical Arguments WAR, Chapter 10 Constructing Logical Arguments (cont'd) WAR, Chapter 11
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Tue Sep 6 Thur Sep 8

Tue Sep 13

Thur Sep 15 Tue Sep 20 Thur Sep 22 Tue Sep 27 UNIT TWO: Thur Sep 29 Tue Oct 4

Thur Oct 6 Tue Oct 11

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Thur Oct 13 Tue Oct 18 Thur Oct 20 Tue Oct 25

ESSAY TWO: FIRST DRAFT DUE WAR, Chapter 12 Writing Workshop Writing Workshop ESSAY TWO: FINAL DRAFT DUE GUEST PANEL: WRITING ACROSS THE PROFESSIONS

UNIT THREE: RESEARCH PAPER Thur Oct 27 Writing Across the Professions WP, pp. 40 - 53 Research resources Working with Sources WAR, Chapter 13 Plagiarism Tutorial LAST DAY TO DROP WITH A WP/WF ESSAY THREE: PROPOSAL DUE MLA Citation WAR, Chapter 14; WP, pp. 54-58 Body Paragraphs WAR, Chapter 15 Introductions and Conclusions WAR, Chapter 16 ESSAY THREE: FIRST DRAFT DUE Grammar and Punctuation WAR, Chapter 19 Writing Workshop Writing Workshop THANKSGIVING! ESSAY THREE: FINAL DRAFT DUE In-class assessment WRITING PORTFOLIO Portfolio Essay PORTFOLIO DUE Course evaluations

Tue Nov 1

Thur Nov 3

Tue Nov 8 Thur Nov 10 Tue Nov 15

Thur Nov 17 Tue Nov 22 Thur Nov 24 Tue Nov 29 UNIT FOUR: Thur Dec 1 Tue Dec 6

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Assignment Descriptions

BLOG PROJECT Length: five posts of at least 250 words each Due Date: five (5) blog posts must be completed by Thursday, Dec 1 You will write five (5) blog posts over the course of the semester and post them to our class blog. I will provide you with a link and posting instructions in class. Our class blog provides a virtual space outside of the classroom for you to engage in an ongoing thoughtful conversation with your classmates, your instructor and other interested readers about ideas, topics and issues raised in class. I may assign a specific topic for a post, or you may choose a classrelated topic of your own or write your own post in response to another student's topic. For any blog post, you may revise and publish work from your in-class writing assignments. While your blog entries need not be formal in diction or style, they should be written with care. Avoid text-speak (ROTFL, SMH, FML, etc.) and swear words, and do not make statements which violate the University's policies regarding appropriate student conduct (http://provost.utdallas.edu/syllabuspolicies/). Since this blog is part of your assigned classwork, the same things which are inappropriate to express in the classroom--"racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, ageism, and other forms of bigotry"-are inappropriate to write on the class blog. Violation of this policy may result in disciplinary action. ESSAY ONE: RHETORICAL ANALYSIS Length: 750 - 1000 words (not including Works Cited), 12 point font, MLA format, double spaced Required sources: at least one (1) outside source First Draft Due Date: SEPTEMBER 15 (submit paper to turnitin.com AND bring a hard copy to class) Final Draft Due Date: SEPTEMBER 27 (submit paper to turnitin.com AND bring a hard copy to class) For this assignment, you will write an analysis of the rhetorical strategies and techniques a writer has used in constructing an essay. I will give you instructions in class regarding the selection of a particular essay for analysis. The purpose of this assignment is to develop the tools to help you think and write critically about a text. The skills you use in this exercise will also form part of your visual analysis essay and your research essay later in the semester. To begin your analysis, using some of the tools outlined in chapters 3 - 5 and drawing from our class discussions, develop a descriptive list of the essay author's rhetorical strategies and techniques. As a result of this rst-pass analysis, you will develop more material than you can possibly discuss in this short essay. From your rough analytical list choose some aspects on which to focus your essay. Your essay must have a thesis, and the thesis must speak to the rhetorical form and/or function of the piece of writing you are analyzing. While you may include a very brief summary of what the writer says, summary should only be a small portion of your essay -- perhaps no more than four or ve sentences. Instead, you should concentrate on developing your argument/thesis about the essay, using evidence to support your claim. The essay should include a Works Cited page.
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ESSAY TWO: VISUAL RHETORIC Length: 1000 - 1250 words (not including Works Cited), MLA format, 12 point font, double spaced Required Sources: at least two (2) secondary sources First Draft Due Date: OCTOBER 13 (submit paper to turnitin.com AND bring a hard copy to class) Final Draft Due Date: OCTOBER 25 (submit paper to turnitin.com AND bring a hard copy to class) The Visual Rhetoric essay asks you to select a visual text and analyze its rhetoric. Just like a written text, a visual text communicates meaning on multiple levels. For this assignment, you will be selecting and analyzing a pictorial/photographic advertisement from a glossy/lifestyle magazine aimed at a national readership -- Vogue, GQ, Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Ladies Home Journal, etc. You may use a current advertisement, or select an advertisement from a documented/sourced digital archive. We will look at several examples in class. Drawing upon our class discussions and course readings, you will write an essay analyzing how various visual features of the advertisement function rhetorically to make an argument to the viewer. That argument will be something more than, "Buy this product" -- all ads try to make that argument. Instead, the argument might be something like, "This product will make you more attractive," or "This product will make you feel young" or "This product will give you status and prestige among your work associates" or "If you buy/use/drink/drive/wear this product, you will have the house/husband/wife/lover/sex life/body you have always dreamed of." I will provide examples of previous student papers to give you an idea of what analysis of an advertisement might entail. Your essay will show how the visual elements of the advertisement you have chosen work together to convey that deeper meaning. This essay should be completed in a formal tone. Imagine that you are writing this essay to be included in a major magazine or an academic publication. You must include a minimum of two sources in your essay, but you may need to include more in order to make your case. The final draft of this essay should be free of technical errors ESSAY THREE: ACADEMIC RESEARCH ESSAY Length: 1500-2000 words (not including Works Cited), MLA format, 12 point font, double spaced Required Sources: at least three (3) scholarly and two (2) popular sources (5 sources total) Proposal Due Date: November 3 (submit paper to turnitin.com AND bring a hard copy to class) First Draft Due Date: November 15 (submit paper to turnitin.com AND bring a hard copy to class) Final Draft Due Date: November 29 (submit paper to turnitin.com AND bring a hard copy to class) For this assignment, you will write a research essay that examines an issue of importance within your academic discipline. Choose a topic of interest to you and consult other scholars' work to help you better understand your topic and better focus the scope of your paper. The assignment rubric for the Academic Research Essay has two components: a paper proposal and a research essay. The proposal is worth 20% of the Academic Research Essay grade. For a research paper of this length, your proposal should be no more than 500 words long (not counting sources). Your paper proposal should accomplish ve main tasks: introduce your topic, dene the scope of your inquiry, introduce a question which your research will answer, explain the basic approach you plan to take to answer the question, and indicate what sources you intend to use. We will look at some sample proposals in class.
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In writing the research essay, you will draw upon these outside sources to help inform and support your own interpretation/presentation of the issue at hand. You will be graded on your ability to present an informed, effective argument that demonstrates your understanding of the subject, displays your research into its issues, effectively uses source material (in summary, paraphrase, and cogent quotations), and reaches logical, substantiated conclusions based on well organized and subordinated claims.

FINAL PROJECT: REFLECTION ESSAY AND PORTFOLIO The course portfolio is a complete collection of the work you have done during the semester. It is an opportunity for you to assess your progress as a writer, and evaluate those areas in which you still need work. Before the due date, I will give you specific instructions on how to submit the portfolio electronically. You must also submit the Reflection Essay separately to turnitin.com. Portfolio due date: December 6 The complete portfolio will include the following: 1. Reflection Essay: A 750-1,000 word reflection essay examining your work over the semester. This personal essay should include some reflection on each of the major assignments you have completed for the class, and it should express your overall views about your work in the course as a whole. The essay should highlight problems you faced, ways you improved, and areas in which you may still need more work. Completed Blog Project Copies of both drafts of your Community Writing Essay, Visual Rhetoric Essay, and Academic Research Paper

2. 3.

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Classroom Expectations and Course Policies Attendance Because each class period consists of a mixture of class discussion, group work and writing, your thoughtful, attentive, and active participation is essential (and will form a portion of your grade). If you sleep, engage in non-class-related activities, or interfere with your classmates' ability to learn you will be counted absent for that day. Be on time - class starts promptly. Leaving early will count as an absence. Each student is allowed THREE (3) missed classes, no questions asked. Save them for when you really need them. EACH additional unexcused absence above the noted three will cause 1% to be deducted off your final grade for the semester. You are responsible for your attendance. You must make sure you provide official documentation -- a note from a doctor, judge, parole officer, university dean, etc. -within ONE WEEK of any absence in order for the absence to be excused. Punctuality Persistent tardiness to class is disrespectful to both your instructor and your peers. Continually arriving late to class will affect your participation grade in the course. Furthermore, I will consider you absent if you arrive more than fifteen (15) minutes late to class. You are welcome to knock on the door and take a seat in the classroom. But you will be counted absent for the day. Classroom Citizenship In all matters, treat your fellow classmates as peers who deserve respect and whose views are worthy of your thoughtful consideration. Disruptive or disrespectful behavior, whether directed towards a classmate or towards the instructor, will not be tolerated. Such behavior includes anything that interferes with the teaching / learning process. If you engage in such behavior, I will speak to you and ask that you correct the behavior in question. If you persist in such behavior, I may ask you to leave the class and/or I may refer the matter to the Dean of Students. Late / Missing Work All drafts, including final drafts, must be submitted when and as required in order to successfully complete this course. ALL major essay assignments -- rhetorical analysis, visual rhetoric, research paper, and portfolio essay -- must be submitted in order to pass the class. Late assignments will receive a full-letter-grade deduction for each day late past the due date. Late assignments submitted more than one week after the due date will receive a ZERO, but will be considered as "completed" for the purposes of passing the course. Plagiarism Policy Plagiarism is the intentional or unintentional presentation of another's words or ideas as if they were your own. I recognize that students can sometimes commit unintentional plagiarism when they are uncertain about how/when to cite sources. However, as your instructor I cannot determine your intent; I can assess only what I see on the page. If I suspect that you have plagiarized an assignment, I will turn the matter over to the university's department of Judicial Affairs. So if you have any questions or doubts about whether and how to cite or acknowledge sources in your writing, please see me before turning in your assignment. If the university's Judicial Affairs Officer concludes that you have plagiarized an assignment, the following penalties will be assessed: 1) you will receive a zero on the assignment; 2) you will complete the assignment properly within a time frame agreed upon by me and the Judicial Affairs Officer; 3) you will receive ONLY a completion credit for the re-submitted assignment; 4) you may be asked to complete additional work by me and/or the Judicial Affairs Officer. Failure to comply with the assessed penalties will result in a SEMESTER GRADE OF "F".
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Extra Credit Extra credit will be available on any/all of the first three major essay assignments of the semester: Rhetorical Analysis, Visual Rhetoric, and Academic Research. To qualify for extra credit, you must meet with a writing coach at the university Writing Center and hand in the signed slip with your final essay draft. Drop by CN 1.126 or call (972) 883-6707 to schedule an appointment. Be aware that appointments ll up fast during mid-term and towards semester's end. Extra credit will be awarded in the form of one higher mark in the plus/minus grade system. In other words, extra credit would move a paper grade from a B to a B+, or from a B+ to an A-. Class Participation Your participation in classroom discussion, group exercises, and other in-class activities is expected, and a full 10% of your final grade depends on it. I expect your interactions with your peers and your instructor to be thoughtful, respectful and appropriate. Remarks/behavior which demean others or disrupt classroom instruction are not appropriate and will not be tolerated. If I need to ask you to leave the classroom, you will be counted absent for the day. Don't go there. In terms of your participation grade, I am interested in the quality of your remarks rather than the quantity. Not having done the readings or homework prior to class would no doubt adversely affect the quality of your remarks in class, so come to class prepared to take part in our discussions. Participation in this course does not include doing work unrelated to this course during class, sleeping in class, or using the computers or other personal electronic devices for personal messaging, entertainment, or research not connected with the class. If I need to ask you to leave the classroom, you will be counted absent for the day. Don't go there. Laptops, Phones, and Other Electronic Devices You MAY NOT use laptops, cell phones, or other electronic devices during class. Turn off or silence your cell phone before class starts. Unless using your cell phone is part of the in-class assignment, you should put it away until class is over. If your cell phone becomes an interruption or disruption, you will be asked to leave class, and you will be counted absent for the day. Don't go there. Instructor's Email Policy You must use your UTD email account for all email correspondence with the instructor. Please do not expect an immediate response. I will respond to your email no later than 48 hours after you sent it, and usually much sooner than that. Room and Equipment Use Tampering with or destroying any of the computers, printers, modems, or wiring in the classroom is strictly prohibited. Violations will result in disciplinary action by the Dean of Students office. Hacking a door code and entering a classroom without the instructors permission constitutes criminal trespass. The Director of Rhetoric and Writing will pursue action through the Dean of Students Office and/or the UTD Police Department against any student who engages in such behavior. The Director of Rhetoric and Writing will also pursue action against students who are caught attempting to enter a room without permission (i.e., entering possible number combinations in an attempt to open a classroom door).

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University Policies Please consult the following website for University Policies related to Student Conduct and Discipline, Academic Integrity, Email Use, Withdrawal from Class, Student Grievance Procedures, Incomplete Grades, Disability Services, and Religious Holy Days: http://provost.utdallas.edu/syllabus-policies/

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I have read the policies for RHET 1302.023 and understood them. I agree to comply with the policies for the FALL 2011 semester. I realize that failure to comply with these policies will result in a reduced grade the course.

Signature: ______________________

Date: ________________________

Name (print): __________________________ UTD e-mail address: __________________________

The use of students work during Rhetoric class allows instructors to demonstrate writing concepts with examples specifically tailored for this course. Use of a sample paper or an excerpt from a paper benefits students by allowing them to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses in others writing and to apply whats learned to their own work. If you agree to allow your instructor to share your writing samples, your name and other identifying information will be removed from writing samples. Your work will be treated respectfully by instructors, who also expect that students demonstrate such respect. All students are expected to participate in peer review. If you agree to share your work for class demonstration and exercises, please sign the following statement: I allow my instructor to use samples of my writing for demonstration during this class and for other sections of Rhetoric. I may revoke my permission by letting my instructor know I no longer wish my work to be shared.

Signature: ______________________

Date: ________________________

Name (print): __________________________

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