EN 102-05 Expository Writing
Chaminade University
Fall Day 2012
(subject to revision)

Course Time and Days:	10:30-11:20 am MWF CTCC 253
Instructor: 			Regina Pfeiffer, D. Min.
Office:				Henry Hall 208E
Office Hours:			M-F 8:30-9:30 am.
Office Phone:		808.739.8536
Email address:		rpfeiffe@chaminade.edu

Course Description

This course provided instruction and practice in writing short-to-medium length expository essays and in writing from sources.  Skills required for research and research writing are emphasized, such as summarizing, paraphrasing, quoting, evaluating, and synthesizing.  The course includes instruction and practice in writing a multi-source research paper of substantial length.  Prerequisite: EN 101 or placement by exam.

Student Learning Outcomes

In order to successfully complete this course, a student must demonstrate the following competencies:

Writing Skills
1. To demonstrate the correct use of grammar, punctuation, word choice, mechanics, 
and sentence structure in a written text.

2.  To demonstrate the ability to edit a text with grammar, punctuation, word choice, 
mechanics, and sentence structure errors.

3.  To demonstrate paragraph and essay development in a written text.
-To demonstrate thesis sentences.
-To demonstrate topic sentences.
-To demonstrate clear supporting examples for thesis sentence and topic sentences.
-To demonstrate logical and clear connections between topic/thesis sentences and supporting examples. 

4.  To demonstrate an organized paper.
-To demonstrate an effective introductory paragraph.
-To demonstrate an effective concluding paragraph.
-To demonstrate the use of transitions (internal/within a paragraph and external/ between paragraphs) in a written text. 

5.  To demonstrate pre-writing strategies and techniques such as mapping, 
      free writing, and listing.

6.  To identify and apply rhetorical writing techniques (narrative, descriptive, 
     exposition/illustration, comparison and contrast, cause and effect, definition,   
     persuasion, classification, division).
-To demonstrate logical structure utilizing the rhetorical techniques.

7.  To demonstrate the ability to research, draft, revise, and edit a research paper.

8.  To demonstrate the correct use of MLA documentation.
-To demonstrate an understanding of the difference between a bibliography and a works cited page.
-To demonstrate an understanding of plagiarism.
-To demonstrate the ability to cite sources within the body of a text.

Critical Thinking Skills
9.   To demonstrate the ability to evaluate and synthesize research information.
-To demonstrate the ability to evaluate the validity of source information.
-To demonstrate the ability to distinguish between reason and belief.

10. To demonstrate the ability to apply and integrate material from sources.

11. To be able to critically reflect on the writing process.

Required Texts – both are online resources.
1)	Rozakis, Laurie. Complete Idiot’s Guide to Writing Well. Penguin Putnam. 2000. 
a.	Text is available via the Library website: ebooks. First, go to the Chaminade website. Scroll Academics to the Library. 
b.	When you enter the Library site, it will have a dialog box with several tabs. Click on the tab “Ebooks.”
c.	Type in “Complete Idiot’s guide to writing well.” If you are not on campus, you will need to log in using your Chaminade ID number and password – the same one to access the portal.
d.	Once you have typed in the title, you may have several texts displayed. However, if you go to the top of the page, where the search words are located, click on the right box and indicate TI for title. Then click on the search box. It should open up with only the one text.
e.	Click on retrieve item to view the text. Later, you can either download the text, once you have created an account or use the Library EReader to view the text.

2)	You will be accessing information about MLA format on the following url: http://owl.english.purdue.edu.

On this site, you will be using particular sections for the class.

The assignments are not listed on the course schedule but will be given out in class.

Additional requirements
Access to a word processor (all papers must be typed).
Access to Internet and LiveText
Dictionary and Thesaurus are recommended. 

Organizational Theme: Marianist Educational Philosophy
	
The choice of content, the pedagogy selected, and the fulfillment of the course objectives rely on the organizational theme. The organizational theme around which the course is constructed is derived from the document, “Characteristics of Marianist Universities.”

Educate for formation in faith;
Provide for an integral quality education;
Educate for family spirit;
Educate for service, justice and peace; and,
Educate for adaptation and change.

The root of the word educate, educare, means to “lead out from.” To educate means to begin where persons are individually to lead them to a future locus of where they will become. It is a journey that continues throughout one’s life. As such, this course is a journey in writing. Through it, you are learning to write to express yourself better, increase your skills in this area, share your thoughts and your evaluations with one another in a family spirit, and grow in knowledge of the world of work, justice and peace. 

CLASSROOM CONDUCT
In order to create a viable and productive learning environment, and to show respect for each other in the classroom, all persons are expected to follow the basic rules of conduct.
1.	Arrive on time. Late arrival disrupts the class and is disrespectful to one’s self, classmates and instructor.
2.	Talking only when it is your turn to do so;
3.	Using offensive language, harassment, or any other action that can be deemed to be harmful or disrespectful to and of the instructor or the other students; 
4.	Cell phones, pagers or other such equipment must be turned off. If you need it for an emergency, permission must be obtained from the instructor;
5.	While there is no handbook policy that prohibits eating food or drinking non-alcoholic beverages during class time, all should limit their intake of food and drink. Any containers or rubbish must be discarded as appropriate.
	
According to the handbook, the instructor may require a student to leave the classroom if the conduct is such that it can be deemed as disruptive to the rest of the class.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Students are expected to:
•	attend class regularly;
•	read required text assignments;
•	participate in group discussions, writing workshops and other class activities;
•	do additional research as required;
•	complete all assignments on time. According to English Department policy – no assignment will be accepted late. If unforeseen circumstances do occur, students must contact the instructor immediately.

GRADING:
Grading will be based on class attendance, class work, homework, quizzes, participation, and three essays of varying length and requirements.  Assignments and papers must be typed, double-spaced, 12-point font only with 1 inch margins with required and appropriate citations using a consistent style.  Style must be consistent with the Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers.

Note:  In accordance with University policy, if you have a documented disability and require accommodations to obtain equal access in this course, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester or when given an assignment for which an accommodation is required.  It is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor of any specific special needs or difficulties that one may have in order that appropriate strategies for the completion of the work may be mutually developed.  Students with disabilities must verify their eligibility through the Student Affairs Office.

	CATEGORIES:		 	Percentages 

A = 90% and above
B = 80-89%
C = 70-79%
D = 63-69%
F = <157 points

Reminder: This course requires a “C” to pass.

Class Participation and Attendance:		10%
Portfolio – drafts, writing assignments:	20%
Quizzes:			10%
Draft one:			10%
Draft two:			10%
Research Paper:			30%
Final exam:			10%

While the above shows percentages, the papers and other assignments will be graded through a point system. A rubric will be used to assign points to various aspects of the essay that includes proper grammar and spelling, consistency and transition, accurate use of citations using MLA. Points are earned also on the various categories listed above. The following scale of the total points will be used to determine grades:  90-100% is an A; 80-89% is a B; 70-79% is a C; 60-69% is a D; 59% and below is an F. 

Class participation and attendance
Students are expected to attend all classes. The student is responsible for contacting the instructor regarding any absence. More than three unexcused absences will lower your final grade by one letter. Points are given for each class with none given for unexcused absences. Students with excused absences need to complete a missed-class assignment that the instructor will provide in order to receive a portion of the day’s points. 

Participation includes preparing readings, homework assignments, discussion and in-class writing assignments given at the discretion of the instructor. On occasion, writing workshops will be held during class. Students are expected to have their written work prepared for review by others in the class. 

Portfolio
Students are to maintain a portfolio of their work, such as drafts, revisions, homework assignments, and other material as determined by the instructor.  Assignments that are returned to the student must be kept in the portfolio. This portfolio will be submitted near the end of the term for final review and grading. 

Quizzes
Quizzes will be based on grammar, spelling and other aspects pertaining to writing. Material for quizzes will be taken from the assigned text for this course and from the MLA website. Quizzes will be scheduled at instructor’s discretion.

Draft #1, #2 and Research Paper
Since this is an expository writing course, students should be prepared to write and, more importantly, revise, revise and revise. Students will be expected to complete three final written assignments. The first two will be a minimum of three pages each. Essay two will require the proper use of sources. The research paper will be 10-12 pages in length and use at least 10 approved sources. WIKIPEDIA is not an approved source for this instructor. All three papers will be submitted on LIVETEXT using the standard hard-copy format listed below.

All papers must be typed, double-spaced, using 12-point font and standard margins. On the first page, follow this single-spaced format.

Malia Christos
EN 102 – Section #
Assignment – such as Essay #1 first draft
Dr. Pfeiffer
Date

On subsequent pages, include last name and page number on the right side in the header.

You will be turning in more than one draft of your essay assignments and research paper so it is important that you indicate that it is first, second or final draft.

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism
A major aspect of academia is to engage in the process of sharing thoughts and ideas. Academic honesty instills the virtue that work presented under one’s name is the creative product of that individual. Plagiarism, however, presents material as one’s own. Copying and pasting from Internet sources, even if the website does not have a copyright symbol or wording, is one common example of plagiarism. Other examples may be found in the student handbook, both online and printed copy. Therefore, be careful of plagiarism! You must cite your resources particularly if most of the text come directly from a source of any kind, including web sites.
 
If any paper is deemed and proven to have been plagiarized, the student must resubmit the paper or receive a failing grade for the paper and possibly the course itself.

EN 102-05 Fall 2012 Course schedule subject to revision
Date
	Content	Reading and written assignments for following week or as indicated	
Week one
Aug. 27
	Introduction to course
Diagnostic
Reading critically	Writing Well: Chapters 1 and 2 pp 1-26 

For Wednesday’s class Sept. 5:
On pages 4-5 are several reasons for writing. Select one of those purposes or reasons for writing. In your portfolio, indicate which one you selected and write one sample paragraph for that purpose.

For Friday’s class Sept. 7:
Print pages 18-19. Answer the questions that are in the box on those two pages. Make certain your name is on those papers. You will turn in these pages to the instructor.	
Week two
Sept. 5
	Writing as a skill	No Class on Sept. 3 – LaborDay

Writing Well: Chapters 3, 4, 5
For Monday’s Class Sept. 10:
Assignment for portfolio – on page 31, Purpose, the writer describes writing for two different reasons. Write two different pieces – one whose purpose is to encourage students to use AAP, the library or other service at Chaminade University. For the second piece, write a description to encourage someone to donate funds to support that service at Chaminade. You only need to do one paragraph for each purpose.

For Wednesday’s class:
Do page 45. General and Specific. Look at page 46 first. Do not use the same ones as found in the text’s examples. 

For Friday’s class:
Select three of the verbs on page 63 that must be followed by a gerund. Create a sentence for each one of the verbs you selected. 
Select three of the verbs on page 64 that must be followed by an infinitive. Create a sentence for each one of the verbs you selected. 	
Week three
Sept. 10
	The tools of writing
	Writing Well: Chapters 8, 9, and 17

For Monday’s class Sept. 17
Using the outline sample on page 108, create an outline for one main idea – using one of the following as the topic:
1. Why should students vote in the upcoming election?
2. Should publishers lower costs for textbooks?
3. Can college prepare students to be better employees?
4. Do grades express a person’s abilities?

Week four
Sept. 17
	Developing a Topic	Writing Well: Chapters 18 and 19
Assignments for locating and evaluating resources will be given in class during the week of Sept. 24. You will be using material on page 264 for annotation of resources.	
Week five
Sept. 24
	Finding and evaluating resources
	Writing Well: Chapters 6, 7  and 26

For Friday, Oct. 5 – complete the worksheet on pages 356 and 357. 
Library workshop – Sept. 26 and 28.	
Week six
Oct. 1	Finding and evaluating resources
Beginning your first draft	NO Class on Oct. 1 – Work on library project to turn in on Oct. 3

Writing Well: Chapters 10, 12 and14
	
Week seven
Oct. 10	Due Oct. 12 Draft #1 	No Class on Oct. 8 – Discoverers’ Day

Peer review of draft on Friday, Oct. 12	
Week eight
Oct. 15
		Individual Student conferences – no class sessions this week

Writing Well: Chapters 20, 21	
Week nine
Oct. 22	Writing and citing sources 
Avoiding plagiarism	Writing Well: Chapter 11, 27, 28, 29

For portfolio: 
On pages 382 and 383 is a list of difficult words to spell. Select three of them that are unfamiliar to you or ones that you haven’t used frequently in writing. Write the definition of the words. Then, use the word in a sentence.	
Week ten
Oct. 29	Improving your writing	Peer review of draft #2 on Nov. 2	
Week eleven 
Nov. 5		Draft #2 Due this week: Individual Student conferences – no class sessions this week	
Week twelve
Nov. 14	Peer Review on Nov. 16	No Class on Nov. 12 – Veterans’ Day
Peer Review on Nov. 16.	
Week thirteen
Nov. 19	NO CLASSES – this week: Complete final paper	Thanksgiving Holiday – Nov. 23

Writing Well: Chapters 16, 22 and 24
Using your Works Cited from your research paper – reformat the page based on APA style as found on www.owl.english.purdue.edu

Bring to class on Nov. 30	
Week fourteen
Nov. 26	Writing across the curricula	Paper Due: Nov. 26
	
Week fifteen
Dec. 3	Presentations of Final Research Projects		
Monday, Dec. 10	Final Exam	3:30-5:30 p.m. Location to be announced	

English department -- Grading Rubric for Papers

Instructor will provide a grading rubric similar to this but indicating point system used. It will be located on LIVETEXT.

Points	Integration of Sources	Clarity and Rhetoric	Organizational Development 	Grammar and Mechanics	
A	Accurate assessment (summary and paraphrase) of source information.  The sources are introduced using a concise summary and the sources are integrated logically and effectively into the paper. The validity of the source information has been tested and documented in the paper.  	The goal of the paper is clear.  The language and rhetorical techniques used in the paper are clear and effective for the audience provided.   	The paper displays a clear organizational structure which includes an introduction, thesis, topic sentences, examples, transitions, and a conclusion, and the research clearly supports the thesis.	The paper uses correct MLA documentation and contains few errors in grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.	
B	Same as above, however the summary introduction of the text is accurate but not as concise.	Rhetorical techniques are applied correctly throughout the paper, but it may not be effective for the audience provided.	The paper has a clear organizational structure, but further research may be needed for conclusive development.	The paper may contain several errors in grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.	
C	The summary introduction or the paraphrase of the source may be less than accurate.  	The rhetorical techniques may present less than a logical application.  Or additional techniques should have been used in the paper.	The organizational structure is not always clear making it difficult to follow the writers points at all time, or further research is needed for sufficient support..	The paper contains numerous errors in grammar and punctuation that does not hinder a general reading or   few minor documentation errors (1-3).	
D

	There is no summary introduction of the texts, and the text is not integrated into the paper.	Same as above.	The paper lacks a clear organizational structure (topic sentences and transitions)., or the research does not appear to support the thesis.	The “works cited” page is not in MLA format.	
F	It is unclear what additional texts are being used and for what purpose.	It is unclear what techniques are being used	The purpose of the paper/thesis is unclear and/or not support is given.	No “works cited” page  was included in the paper.