California
State University,
Sacramento
English
20: Expository Writing
Images
of the University: What Is College
Like?
Section 19
Monday & Wednesday 3:00 - 4:15
PM
Lassen Hall
3005
Spring
2000
Warning
THIS SECTION OF ENGLISH 20 WILL MAKE EXTENSIVE USE OF COMPUTER COMMUNICATIONS AND RESEARCH TOOLS -- e-mail and the World Wide Web. Students will need an electronic mail account and computer access to the Web. All CSUS students enrolled in one or more units can create a SacLink account for electronic mail and Internet services.
Although a home computer with a high speed modem running Netscape or Internet Explorer would be beneficial, students can use the Web from one of the campus student labs.
If you are not currently using e-mail and the Web, you must be willing to learn these technologies rapidly in order to succeed in this class. Talk to me soon if you need help!
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Catalog Description:
Exploratory, expository, and analytical writing; development of research skills; reading, summarizing, evaluating, and integrating texts, including literature by both men and women, and by a number of ethnic groups, focusing on a single broad theme.
Section Description:
The topic of inquiry for this section of English 20 is "What are our popular images of what college is like?" We will explore the accuracy of these images and the reasons for their persistance.
This course will include many writing opportunities -- several short assignments and two longer papers -- which will be based on reading and structured inquiry, including group research and class discussions and presentations. Your own writing and presentations and those of your classmates will be considered as significant sources in your inquiry.
This class begins with several assumptions:
- students' experience of higher education are both similar & unique,
- colleges and universities share many goals and features, but differ in the focus of their missions, structures, and traditions,
- the language used in the university and within each academic discipline is a specialized discourse which must be learned; academic English is nobody's native language.
Building from these assumptions, the members of the class will develop a set of issues within the general question of the purposes and varieties of higher education which we wish to pursue. Students will be responsible for collecting and sharing relevant texts--articles, books, stories, film, and electronic documents--which illuminate these issues, deeper our shared knowledge, and provide evidence for possible answers. Many of the topics which we will investigate will be generated by the class. See the description of topics below.
Topic Description:
There are many interesting issues involved in determining
the place of higher education in our popular imagination. I
have planned discussion of this aspect of higher education
as our common reading; the questions here include
What are the common images of colleges and college students
and professors in books, stories, and film? Why are these
the ones which get play?
However, the class will determine which other issues we explore. Below is a list of some possibilities:
Reputation--Why do some schools have "brand name" appeal? Does it always match actual performance?
History--Where did universities come from; what did they used to be like; how did they get to be the way they are now?
Variety--Why are there so many different types, sizes, and missions of universities?
Purposes--What do philosophers and educators say about what universities are for? How has this changed over time?
Mission statements--What universities say for themselves about their purposes?
Necessity -- Is college education needed? Bill Gates dropped out, so why should I graduate?
Career Preparation -- Most students see college as a preparation for "a good job." Is this what universities are designed to do? Has this always been the case? What about apprenticeships and trade schools?
Public Support--Why do governments support universities?
Access--Who gets to go to college? How has this changed over time and why?
Diversity--What has university been like for women, ethnic and religious minorities, and members of working class families?
Quality--What makes a great (or even a good college)?
Outcomes--What does it mean to have a degree? Educationally, personally, economically?
College Life--What is common to students' experience of college? What is the variety of types of experiences? How has this changed over time?
Local vs Distance Education -- How well do non-traditional options like internet, television, and correspondence work for university education?
Course Objectives
This course will provide you with a number of writing opportunities in which to practice your composition skills and continue to hone your abilities in a variety of academic reading and writing styles including research, and summarizing, evaluating, and integrating sources into your own work. This section will explore the question of the purposes and nature of higher education and the variety of discourse communities which make up a university.
By the end of this class, it is expected that you will have done the following:
- explored the question of higher education from several different intellectual approaches; as a group, we will begin with the approach of historical analysis,
- researched an aspect of the question which is of special interest to you,
- presented some part of your research findings to your classmates orally and in writing,
- responded to your peers presentations orally and in writing,
- provided each other with useful feedback for improvement of your work,
- used electronic communication tools (e-mail, web conferencing, etc.) to share your work,
- examined the discourse of at least one academic discipline, including the types of questions which are of interest and the kind of evidence which are commonly valued.
- written an academic paper of significant length on your chosen aspect of the course question, using some of the features of disciplinary discourse, including several iterations of drafting and revising.
- developed your skills in researching and in reading, summarizing, evaluating, and integrating a variety of texts into your own writing.
Course Calendar
For the current course calendar, including reading assignments, click here.
This calendar is subject to change upon notice. Check the calendar often.
Assignments
Every student will be a member of an inquiry group focused on an issue of interest (i.e. student life, types of universities, etc.). An inquiry group, consisting of four or five students, is a research and reporting TEAM.
The groups will be formed around common interests, and all members of each group will be responsible for its success. You will have some class time for meetings, but you will also be responsible for maintaining contact with your partners outside of class time (much of this communication can be done by e-mail and telephone, although some face-to-face meeting is likely to be necessary). You are also responsible for presenting on your groups' areas of expertise to the entire class. Your largest individual writing assignment, the Issue Essay, will be based in large part on the research you do with your group.
Expect to spend AT LEAST 15 hours on this project outside of class.
Each group must
- narrow its issue and developing project goals,
- develop a preliminary plan for how to reach them,
- meet with the instructor to discuss the plan
- create a group contract, dividing the tasks among the members,
- assure that all members carry out their
assignments
(No Hitchhikers!), - research its issue,
- assign a reading to the class (one week in advance)
- and teach a class meeting on its findings .
This MUST take some form other than reading a report or simple lecture (multimedia, performance, discussion, and role playing are all possibilities--the best presentations will involve the class actively).
Group members will be our classes experts on their issues; you will teach the rest of us what you discover, both on the day you teach and by bringing it up in class discussions (when appropriate). For example, a group investigating the history of higher education should remind us, in a conversation on access for minorities, of how American universities had changed on this issue over the last 100 years.
The group participation grade will include my evaluation of your groups' teaching, your self-assessment of your contributions, your group mates assessment of your work, some individual writing based on group research, and your brief written responses to at least three other group's presentations.
return to Assignments
Regularly, throughout the semester, I will post a question to the WebCT Bulletin Board. Each student will respond to my question and to other students comments. Details of this assignment will provided soon; however, students should be prepared to record their understanding of the point of each reading, unfamiliar terms and concepts (with definitions), and questions for the class to discuss.
return to Assignments
A microtheme is a brief paper--no more than two typed pages or 500 words--in which you will be asked to respond to some text, idea, or group of texts and ideas. These assignments will be designed to be possible starting points for the longer essays.
return to Assignments
This paper will ask you to answer the question of how your own life and university experience have repeated or differed from the images we have discussed. This does not mean that you will only be narrating your biography or simply expressing your opinions. This assignment will ask you to bring evidence and analytic tools to bear on the example of your own experience. This can be quite a difficult task.
return to Assignments
This will be your longest work for this class. For this assignment, you will write a researched essay about an issue which arises from one of the images we discuss.
This will be an academic essay, possibly from the perspective of your academic discipline, employing academic forms of evidence, discourse, and mode of argument.
This will be a multiple stage assignment, beginning with a one page research proposal. Next, you will prepare an annotated bibliography and then two drafts prior to the final version. The proposal will receive feedback from me. The bibliography will receive feedback both from me and from your group mates. Your first draft will be read and responded to both by me and your peers; your second draft will be posted to the class web site and receive comments from your classmates. In your final draft, you must take into account at least one classmate's work, citing the draft posted to the web.
return to Assignments
Assignments are due on the dates indicated.
Assignment Participation,
in-class & homework Inquiry group and
presentation Bulletin
Board Microtheme
1 Personal Analysis
Essay Microtheme
2 Issue
Proposal Annotated
Bibliography Week 7 -
Monday Issue Essay - Draft
1 Issue Essay - Draft
2 Issue Essay - Final
Version Microtheme
3
for each group
Final - Week 6 - Wednesday
Final - Week 9 - Monday
(5 copies)
(post to
WebCT)
These due dates and grading
weights are subject to change upon notice.
Course Policies
We need policies to make this class fair for you and for me. The following are the policies I would like us to agree on; these reflect what my last several classes suggested. On the first day of class we will discuss what would make for a fair class and make changes and additions.
Participation & Attendance
Learning is a social activity; your interaction with each other is as important as the readings or your interaction with me. This course cannot succeed without your regular, on-time attendance and full participation. Indeed, discussion of your current collegiate experiences will be an important part of the course content. Therefore, attendance and participation are required and in-class work will count heavily toward course grades.
While people have real lives which sometimes force them to miss class, it is only fair to your classmates that you find out what you missed without taking up class time to do it. Ask your fellow students or me before class or send email asking about what we did.
Shared Responsibility
It is not fair to the other members of your group if you don't "pull your own weight." Each member of the group is responsible to the others for doing a fair share of the work.
Respect and Open-mindedness
We owe each other the respect to listen to opinions and position with which we don't agree. We should also discuss differences in a respectful manner and argue using evidence rather than personal attacks. This means that we will refrain from using derogatory language when commenting about anyone's statements in class and about anyone's written work.
Learning not Memorization
It is not fair to you if the class were only to ask you to memorize some number of "facts." I promise that this class is concerned that you are developing intellectual skills and learning about ideas, not your rote memorization.
Due dates
Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day specified if they will be used in class, otherwise, at the end of that class. Late assignments will not receive credit unless you have a prior arrangement with me or have a legitimate emergency. Email me as soon as possible if you are unavoidably prevented from turning in a paper on time.
It is wise to retain a copy of all written work for your records. This is especially important for projects like the group research and issue essay you will do this term, as they will be produced in stages and you will want to be able to keep working on the next section after turning in each part.
Caring and Help
I also promise that I do care that each of you will learn as much as you are willing to, that I will not "play" favorites, and that any help I offer to any of you will be available to all of you who ask for it and make the effort to take advantage of it.
Meeting with me
In addition to teaching this class, I am the Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning (Lassen Hall 3004, 278-5945). I will always be happy to talk to you about this class, the issues raised by our readings and discussions, and your own work. Feel free to talk to me before or after class, to phone me at my office 9:00 to 5:00 Monday through Fridays, or to e-mail me anytime (kalish@csus.edu).
I welcome feedback about the course which can help make it a better learning opportunity for everyone; you can e-mail or talk to me anytime, and will have formal opportunities to give me feedback about the course in evaluation surveys at midterm and end of term.
Integrity & Criteria
I will give you honest explanation of the criteria on which I will base your grades. I will not grade you down for supporting a position with which I disagree; you are free to reach your own conclusions. However, any debatable position (whether I agree or not) requires the support of legitimate, credible evidence.
Changes
Anything in this syllabus is subject to change; I will give you fair warning, as soon as any change becomes necessary. Notice will be given in class, via email, and on the web.
Grades
Assignment Grades
I will base the grades of your written work on the English Departments published English 20 Grading Rubric, a copy of which is attached here. I will provide you with the additional criteria I will use to assess each of your assignments and will be happy to answer any questions you have about what is required. All out of class writing (except the journal) must be typed or word processed, double spaced, in a standard font and size.
In general, I will be looking for evidence of the following:
- thoughtfulness and care in defining and developing your views,
- thoroughness,
- development of an "academic voice,"
- use of appropriate evidence
- academic integrity (attribution and citation of sources, etc.),
- care with grammar, mechanics and other surface features.
I will be happy to discuss questions about my response to your work during office hours, but would prefer not to in class. I do not anticipate much conflict about grades in this class. However, if you do feel the grade assigned does not fairly reflect how well your work met the announced criteria, you may request, in writing, that I re-grade the assignment and provide a written argument as to why you believe you earned a higher mark.
Course Grades
A Outstanding
achievement 90% B Excellent
performance; clearly exceeds course
requirements 80% C Average 70% D Passed, but not at
average achievement standards 60% F Failure to meet
class requirements (n.b. All
assignments MUST be turned in to pass the
class.) < 60% Incompletes:
Only available in exceptional circumstances;
you must negotiate this with me personally and
before the end of term.
Reading Materials & Supplies
Required: The text for the course this semester is/are:
Smiley, Jane. Moo. New York: Fawcett Columbine, 1995. Paper. ISBN 0-449-91023-7Other Readings as distributed, including those from the inquiry groups
at least 2 computer disks (3.5", HD, DS)
at least $20 of photocopy credit on your OneCard to allow you to distribute articles you find to the class.
You can purchase books through the Hornet Bookstore. Check their Distance and Distributed Learning page at http://www.bookstore.csus.edu/bookstore/distance/ for ordering information.
Each student needs an Internet account and access to a machine with a Web browser. Basic e-mail, netiquette, and file management skills are helpful.
Other Resources
Click here to browse some useful web sites on course topics.
This site is under construction; when you find an interested or useful site, email the information to me and I'll add it to the Resouces page.
Students will need an electronic mail account and computer access to the Web. All CSUS students enrolled in one or more units can create a SacLink account for electronic mail and Internet services.
Although a home computer with a high speed modem running Netscape or Internet Explorer would be beneficial, students can use the Web from one of the campus student labs.
Computing Recommendations
You should be comfortable using a computer and willing to browse the Web. This class requires online class participation on the Web assignments and electronic discussions.
You need :
- Macintosh compatible with System 8 or higher or Windows compatible Pentium running Windows NT, or Windows 95/98, or newer.
- 32 MB of RAM, preferably 64 MB (or more)
- 28.8Kbaud or faster modem, preferably 56K
- Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape 4.0 (or higher)
- SacLink Account (You may also have an additional email or internet account, but you must have SacLink to use WebCT.)
- Word processing skills
Students need an electronic mail account and computer access to the Web. All CSUS students enrolled in one or more units can create a SacLink account for electronic mail and Internet services. Although a home computer with a high speed modem running Netscape or Internet Explorer would be beneficial, students can use the Web from one of the campus student labs.
The online component of this section of English 20 is being delivered via the Web-based course management system, WebCT. Your course environment is a closed, secure environment. Your class is only accessible to registered students, the instructor, and the WebCT administrator.To access your WebCT 2.0 course(s):
- Open your Internet browser and type the CSUS WebCT URL http://www.courses.csus.edu:8900/ or click here.
- Press enter.
- Select my WebCT and log in. Your registered login for my WebCT is your SacLink account and the last four digits of your Campus ID is your password.
- You should have ENGL 020 Section 19 (Alan Kalish) listed as one of your courses. If you don't see it, email me AT ONCE.
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Page updated: 20 January 2000