ENC 1101 English Composition I

Syllabus 1

ENC 1101 English Composition I Truth and Truthiness: Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and the News Section 2607, Tuesday and Thursday 2:30-3:45 Building 74, Room 103

Rustian Phelps Office: 51 / 146 Office Hours: Wednesday 1:45-2:45, Thursday 4:15-5:15 [email protected]

Syllabus

Basic Tenets of the Composition Program  Democracy is best sustained by an educated and informed public versed in the practices of critical perception and expression.  University students need preparation not just for their academic careers, but also for dealing with the world at large, beyond the campus. This preparation should include the teaching of those practices of critical perception and expression that will enable them to become contributing members not only of the academy, but also of the democratic public.  Composition courses teach not just writing, but also critical reading, evaluation, and synthesis of information and ideas.  Students learn best to write in real genres by practicing those real genres, as opposed to artificial genres manufactured exclusively for the writing classroom.  All good writing, academic or public, is based on sound research.

Course Description Composition I develops students’ academic and information literacies. Students engage in a semester-long research project based on the course theme. Types of writing may include summary, critical response, rhetorical analysis of arguments in academic genres, annotated bibliography, and the literature review. All students must produce an academically-argued research paper.

Truth and Truthiness: Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and the News A 2004 study conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that viewers of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart were better informed about politics and current events than viewers of “real” news programs were, and separate polls by The Pew Research Center and The New York Times have shown that many people trust Jon Stewart to be their primary source for news. Are comedy news programs like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report really just “fake” news, and what is the difference between those programs and “real” news? Through the use of Stewart’s own harsh and hilarious criticisms of television news and others’ criticisms of Stewart, we will investigate those questions and work toward developing a critical understanding of what qualifies as truth in reporting and what constitutes the thing that Stephen Colbert calls “truthiness.” Students will be expected to participate in classroom discussions, complete weekly reading and writing assignments, and produce a final argumentative paper. Syllabus 2

Required Texts  The Essentials of Argument by Nancy Wood (2nd edition, 2008) (about $53.00 new or $40.00 used at the campus bookstore)  A Pocket Style Manual by Diana Hacker (5th edition, 2009) (about $24.00 new or $18.00 used at the campus bookstore)  Readings I have posted on the UWF Library’s electronic reserves. Simply log on to Argus using your user name and password, then go to the My Campus tab > Services > Course Reserves > type in “Phelps” > click on the appropriate reading assignment. You will need to print these readings off and bring them to class in order to do your daily quizzes and participate in class discussions.  You will also need to access the class D2L page through eLearning. Go to elearning.uwf.edu. Again, you will need the user name and password you use to log on to Argus.

Recommended Texts  The Write Advice from the UWF Writing Lab (about $8.00 new or $6.00 used at the campus bookstore)  Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say / I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing. (2006) (from $15.00 new or from $13.00 used on Amazon)

A Note on Course Readings and Other Materials Some of the assigned reading for this course may present you with material that opposes your beliefs and values, and you may find some of the material offensive. Bear in mind that I am not advocating, nor am I asking you to approve of, adopt, believe, or embrace any of the points of view found in the material we will study in this class. However, it is important, first, to understand that some writers use such material to make their points, and, second, to consider ways in which these choices strengthen or weaken their points. Finally, understand that one of the reasons you are in college is to expand your knowledge, whether of things you know and approve of or otherwise. By remaining in this class, you consent to being exposed to the assigned materials. Alternative readings or assignments will not be offered.

Student Learning Outcomes By the end of Composition I, students should be able to I. Produce a researched argument that demonstrates knowledge of the following aspects of academic discourse: A. The elements of argument laid out in Stephen Toulmin’s theory of informal logic: 1. Claim, overall argument, thesis 2. Data/evidence/grounds/reasons/subclaims 3. Warrants 4. Backing for the warrant 5. Refutations/rebuttals 6. Qualifiers 7. Conclusions Syllabus 3

B. The common rhetorical characteristics of academic writing: 1. Demonstrative voice 2. Assumed peer audiences 3. Academic purposes 4. Context of project 5. Literature review 6. Problematization of the current conversation 7. Theoretical and/or methodological framework 8. Presentation of the argument using Toulmin informal logic 9. Conclusions 10. Use of transitional language that makes explicit the paper’s logical structure C. Rhetorical skills common in academic writing 1. Definitions of key terms/concepts 2. Summary 3. Paraphrase 4. Quotation, only where appropriate 5. Intertextual analysis 6. Internal Citation 7. Bibliography D. Quality prose that demonstrates knowledge of the following: 1. Complex sentence structure where required 2. Varied sentence structure for emphasis and clarity 3. Command over the syntactic logic of the sentence 4. Parallel construction where required 5. Reliance on active voice, active verbs, and agentive subjects 6. Knowledge of when to use passive voice 7. Coherent paragraphs that have clear purposes 8. Correct use of vocabulary 9. Words, phrases, and sentences that indicate transitional logic 10. No errors in grammar and mechanics II. Critically read university level texts by demonstrating knowledge of the following: A. Disciplines as socially constructed knowledge systems organized according to different sets of assumptions about how knowledge is produced in the humanities, social sciences, and “hard” sciences. B. Scholars’ disagreement in their interpretation of data III. Use library databases to locate sources appropriate for an academic research project IV. Demonstrate personal integrity by A. Taking responsibility for one’s work B. Applying the principles of ethical academic writing assumed in citation systems C. Avoiding academic plagiarism Syllabus 4

Course Assignments:

Quizzes: There will be a total of ten (10) short quizzes during the semester. Please bring notebook paper for these quizzes. You will take Quiz #1 on line at http://library.uwf.edu/eli2/new_tutorials/module_plagiarism/outcomes.shtml and either turn it in at the beginning of class or forward the results to me via e-mailby Thursday, 8/27. You must make 100% on this one, so read the tutorial carefully and take the quiz again if you have to. Quizzes #2, #3, and #4 will consist of fill-in-the- blank questions about the reading materials you were to have read in preparation for that day. For the remaining six (6) quizzes, you will need to bring the assigned readings to class with your notes in the margins so that you can identify the main claims, subclaims, evidence, and warrants in the articles you have read. You don’t need to go into a lot of detail for these assignments. I just want to know that you have read the material carefully and that you are able to organize your thoughts on paper. Quizzes will take place at the beginning of class, and you may not make them up if you miss them, so be on time for class. 20 (2 each)

Response Papers: These two-to-three-page (2-3) papers are intended to let you get your feet wet in preparation for your larger project. You will receive an assignment sheet describing the project and offering some tips for successful completion of each paper. 10 (5 each)

First Drafts: These are rough drafts that we will workshop in class before you polish them up to make them part of your final project. Obviously, they won’t be perfect, but you are expected to demonstrate due diligence (show you’re trying). We will talk about each of these assignments in class, and you will also receive an assignment sheet to help you. 8 (2 each)

Final Drafts: These are pieces written in preparation for your final project that are fine-tuned and ready to go. They include your research proposal, your annotated bibliography, your literature review, and your outline. We will talk about each of these assignments in class, and we will workshop the first drafts (see above). You will also receive an assignment sheet to help you. 20 (5 each)

Writing Lab: I require that each of you complete tutoring sessions in the Writing Lab for skills you miss on the diagnostic test. This assignment is pass/fail: either you complete all the skills you need and get the five (5) points for tutoring, or you don’t complete them and get a zero on the assignment. I am also requiring that you get your final paper read as a Final Draft Reading in the Writing Lab. Final Draft means your paper has a beginning, a middle, and an end, not necessarily that it is ready to be turned in. This assignment counts the same as a Quiz grade (2 points), but the real reason you should want to have a paper reading is that it will help you write a better paper. Make an appointment early – at least four weeks in advance – because the appointment book fills up at the end of the semester, and a lot of people are turned away empty-handed. 7 (total)

10 (total) Syllabus 5

Participation and Conference: You are expected to read the materials assigned and be ready to talk about them in class. I’m not going to ask you fill-in- the-blank questions or give dry recitations of the material you’ve already read; I want a lively conversation among people who are engaged in the topic. Eight (8) points of your final grade will depend upon your willingness to enter into civil, informed conversation with your classmates, and two (2) points will depend on your taking an interest in producing the best product you can, including attending a 15-minute conference with me during the twelfth or thirteenth week of class to discuss your progress on your final project.

Final Project: The end goal for this class is to demonstrate your ability to plan, research, and execute a strong academic argument in a six-to-eight-page (6-8) paper. For details, see the Comp I Scoring Rubric on the D2L page at e-Learneing. You will also receive a detailed assignment sheet, and we will discuss this assignment at length in class. 25

Grading See attached rubric for grading criteria. Grading Scale: 100-point scale A (100-93) A- (92-90) B+ (89-88) B (87-83) B- (82-80) C+ (79-78) C (77-73) C- (72-70) D+ (69-68) D (67-60)

Class and Composition Program Policies The following policies have been adopted by the composition program. Some of the policies have been derived from the University’s requirements and/or the English and Foreign Languages Department’s standards.

Prerequisites: Students whose placement scores are in one of the following categories should enroll in ENC 0002C College Prep Writing, provided by Pensacola Junior College: -ACT English Usage score below 17 -or SAT-Verbal score below 440 -CPT sentence skills score below 83 Students scoring in these ranges should pass ENC 0002C before enrolling in ENC 1101 English Composition I.

Gordon Rule: ENC 1101 is a Gordon Rule course. Students must therefore write at least 6,000 words for the 3-hour course to satisfy the department requirement.

Student Code of Conduct: The Student Code of Conduct sets forth the rules, regulations, and expected behavior of students enrolled at the University of West Florida. Violations of any rules, regulations, or behavioral expectations may result in a charge of violating the Student Code of Conduct. Students are responsible for reading the Student Code of Conduct and conducting themselves accordingly. The current Student Code of Conduct can be found in your Student Handbook. Syllabus 6

Statement on Plagiarism: I do not tolerate plagiarism. You are responsible for knowing the university’s policy on plagiarism and abiding by that policy. The UWF policy on plagiarism can be found at the following URL: http://library.uwf.edu/eli2/new_tutorials/module_plagiarism/outcomes.shtml. The UWF Student Handbook defines plagiarism as “the act of representing the ideas, words, creations, or work of another as one’s own.” Students who plagiarize are guilty of the crime of stealing someone else’s intellectual property. This crime combines theft with fraud, and the penalty is correspondingly severe: failure for the assignment and, in some cases, for the entire course. An instructor may also recommend that the student be suspended from the university. For further information regarding academic misconduct, refer to the Student Handbook.

Attendance Policy: The knowledge we create together in classroom discussions cannot be replicated in course materials or in any other venue. Therefore attendance will inevitably affect your performance in this class. You should not miss class except for circumstances outlined in the University catalog. In the case of unexcused absences, the composition program has adopted the following policies: for classes that meet two days a week, if students miss more than three class meetings, the instructor will lower the final grade by one letter grade for each recorded absence beginning with the fourth absence.

Tardiness: Being late for class disrupts the class and denies you the opportunity to earn points for quizzes. Chronic tardiness is disrespectful to your instructor and your classmates. Therefore, I will count three (3) tardies as one (1) absence. Please be present and on time.

Late Paper Policy: Papers are due at the beginning of class. Late papers will lose one letter grade for each day they are late, including Saturday and Sunday. Consequently, papers more than three (3) days late cannot get a passing grade. Only one late paper may be submitted at one time. Do not under any circumstances slide papers under my office door. You will turn the final paper in to me in my office between 2:30 and 3:45 on December 8.

Assistance for Students with Special Needs: The University of West Florida is committed to non-discrimination against students with disabilities. To facilitate equal learning opportunities and access to facilities, the university will comply with all provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The university will provide, upon request, reasonable accommodations or modifications to policies, practices, or procedures as long as doing so does not fundamentally alter academic programs or impose undue burden on the institution. Arranging accommodations should be a collaborative effort between students, faculty, and the Disabled Students Office. Although students may request specific accommodations, the university may choose to provide other, different accommodations of equal effectiveness. To ensure that students receive reasonable accommodations, they should register with the Disabled Students Services Office and let me know as soon as possible what accommodations are necessary. Syllabus 7

E-mail Communication: I will occasionally communicate with students via UWF e-mail. I will not use alternative e-mail addresses as doing so often results in confusion and disorganization. I expect you to check your e-mail regularly before you come to class and print any necessary documents for your use in class. You should maintain a professional tone when communicating with ANY professor both in person and via e-mail. Assume the tone is formal until the instructor suggests otherwise. Use the following as a guide when e-mailing your professors:  Address the instructor with the proper title (Dr., Mr., or Mrs.) unless he or she offers an alternative.  Identify yourself clearly and end e-mails with your full name. Often, it is not easy to identify a student only from the e-mail address, especially if you happen to be using an e-mail account other than your university account.  If you have a question, ask it directly and as clearly as you can.  Provide the instructor with some context for the question or comment. Why do you have this question? What prompted the comment?  Understand that instructors are often busy (many have 100 students per semester), so if you request office time outside the posted office hours, provide at least 3 different blocks of time that you are available to meet.  Often instructors get dozens of e-mails from publishers, administrators, students, and SPAM. A clear subject such as “student in your ENC 1101 class has a question” will help an instructor understand that the e-mail sent to him or her is important.

Technological Disruption Policy: I do allow laptops in class, but laptop users must sit in the back of the room to avoid distracting classmates. Please turn off all cell phones and pagers or turn them to vibrate. If a pager or cell phone rings, sings, oinks, or beeps in class, the student will lose two (2) points from the final grade at the end of the semester for each offense.

Respect for Classmates: I expect each student to show respect for diversity of opinions expressed during discussions and in draft workshops.

Problems or Questions: Talk to me. I cannot help solve problems that I don’t know about.

Award for First-Year Academic Writing Achievement The Composition Program offers the First-Year Academic Writing Achievement Award for the best final researched argument paper in Composition I classes. Each student's final researched academic argument paper has the opportunity to be nominated for this award. At the end of the semester, your instructor may nominate one student whose final paper exemplifies exceptional academic writing. The winner of the award will receive a cash prize, and the winning paper will be published on the English Department's homepage. One honorable mention will also receive a cash prize, and that paper also will be published on the English Department's homepage. All nominated students will receive certificates of nomination. For further information, consult with your instructor or visit the link on the English Department's homepage. Syllabus 8

Schedule of Classes and Assignments

Week 1 Tuesday, 8/25 Introduction to class Explanation of the syllabus Instructor’s expectations Discussion of UWF Plagiarism Quiz For next class:  Read the syllabus thoroughly  Use Diana Hacker’s Pocket Style Manual to familiarize yourself with MLA Style.  Read UWF Plagiarism Policy and complete quiz Thursday, 8/27 Plagiarism Quiz (Quiz #1) due at beginning of class Writing Lab’s Diagnostic Test For next class:  Read Nancy Wood’s “Chapter 1: Recognizing Argument and Finding Issues” pages 3-26

Week 2 Tuesday, 9/1 Results of Diagnostic Testing Discussion of Writing Lab Policy Quiz #2 on Argument Class discussion of argument For next class:  Read Nancy Wood’s “Chapter 2: The Rhetorical Situation” pages 27-44 Thursday, 9/3 Quiz #3 on TRACE Class discussion of rhetorical analysis For next class:  Read Nancy Wood’s “Chapter 5: The Toulmin Model of Argument” pages 103-129 Syllabus 9

Week 3 Tuesday, 9/8 Quiz #4 on Toulmin Class discussion of Toulmin Model of Argumentation Discussion of quizzes for remainder of semester For next class:  Read “Poll: Jon Stewart is America's Most Trusted Newsman” by David Knowles in Politics Daily  Read “Public Knowledge of Current Affairs Little Changed by News and Information Revolutions” from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press  Read Annenberg Public Policy Center study  Additional reading to be announced Thursday, 9/10 Quiz #5 on Knowles, the Pew Poll, the Annenberg study, and/or the additional reading Class discussion of Knowles, the Pew Poll, the Annenberg study, and/or the additional reading For next class:  Read “The Fake, the False, and the Fictional: The Daily Show as News Source” by Michael Gettings from The Daily Show and Philosophy, Jason Holt ed., (p. 16-27).

Week 4 Tuesday, 9/15 Quiz #6 on Gettings Class discussion of Gettings For next class:  Read “The Good, the Bad, and The Daily Show” by Jason Zinser from The Daily Show and Philosophy, Jason Holt ed., (p. 41-53). Thursday, 9/17 Quiz #7 on Zinser Class discussion of Zinser Discussion of response papers For next class:  Write 2 to 3-page Response Paper #1 (You must turn in two hard copies – one to be marked and returned to you and one to go into your file so that I can use it later to evaluate your progress.)  Read “Stewart and the Media” by Steven Michels and Michael Ventimiglia, excerpted from “Can The Daily Show Save Democracy? Jon Stewart as the Gadfly of Gotham” in The Daily Show and Philosophy, Jason Holt ed., (bottom of p. 85 to bottom of p. 88)  Read “The Media: Democracy’s Guardian Angel” from Jon Stuart’s America (the Book): A Guide to Democracy in Inaction, (p. 131- 165). Syllabus 10

Week 5 Tuesday, 9/22 Response Paper #1 due at beginning of class (two copies) Quiz #8 on Michels and Ventimiglia and/or Stewart Class discussion of Michels and Ventimiglia and Stewart For next class:  Read “Bullshit and Political Spin: Is the Medium the Message?” by Kimberly A. Blessing and Joseph J. Marren from The Daily Show and Philosophy, Jason Holt ed., (p. 133-145).  Read “Stephen Colbert, Irony, and Speaking Truthiness to Power” by Kevin S. Decker from The Daily Show and Philosophy, Jason Holt ed., (p. 240-250). Thursday, 9/24 Quiz #9 on Blessing and Marren and/or Decker Class discussion of Blessing and Marren Discussion of Response Paper #1 For next class:  Read“Public Discourse and the Stewart Model of Critical Thinking” by Roben Torosyan from The Daily Show and Philosophy, Jason Holt ed., (p. 107-120).

Week 6 Tuesday, 9/29 Quiz #10 on Torosyan Class discussion of Torosyan Thursday, 10/1 Discussion of Library Resources Class will meet in the main library, room 123 For next class:  Write 2 to 3-page Response Paper #2 (two copies)  You should have two (2) peer-reviewed articles chosen from the Library’s book stacks or databases by 10/15 so that you can include them in your annotated bibliographies. Fulfilling your search quickly (over this weekend) may also give you some direction for your research proposals.

Week 7 Tuesday, 10/6 Response Paper #2 due at beginning of class (two copies) Discussion of Research Proposal For next class:  Write first draft of Research Proposal (two copies) Syllabus 11

Thursday, 10/8 First draft of Research Proposal due at beginning of class (two copies) In-class workshop of first drafts For next class:  Write final draft of Research Proposal (two copies)

Week 8 Tuesday, 10/13 Final draft of Research Proposal due at beginning of class (two copies) Discussion of Annotated Bibliographies For next class:  Write first draft of Annotated Bibs 1-3 Thursday, 10/15 First draft of Annotated Bibs 1-3 due at beginning of class In-class workshop of Annotated Bibs For next class:  Write first draft of Annotated Bibs 4-6

Week 9 Tuesday, 10/20 First draft of Annotated Bibs 4-6 due at beginning of class In-class workshop of Annotated Bibs For next class:  Write first draft of Annotated Bibs 7-8 Thursday, 10/22 First draft of Annotated Bibs 7-8 due at beginning of class In-class workshop of Annotated Bibs For next class:  Write final draft of Annotated Bibs

Week 10 Tuesday, 10/27 Final draft of Annotated Bibs due at beginning of class Discussion of Outline Assignment For next class:  Write Outline for Final Paper Thursday, 10/29 Outline due at beginning of class Discussion of Literature Review For next class:  Write Lit Review Syllabus 12

Week 11 Tuesday, 11/3 Lit Review due at beginning of class Introductions and Conclusions For next class:  Work on Final Paper Thursday, 11/5 Questions about Final Paper, discussion of concerns, ideas, etc. Sign up for conferences (You must attend one 15-minute conference with me on Tuesday, 11/10; Thursday, 11/12; or Tuesday, 11/17. One- hour conferences on Tuesday, 12/1 and Thursday, 12/3 are optional.) For next class:  Work on Final Paper

Week 12 Tuesday, 11/10 Video presentation (I will take attendance.) For next class:  Conferences Thursday – no class  Work on Final Paper Thursday, 11/12 Conferences For next class:  Conferences next Tuesday – no class  Work on Final Paper

Week 13 Tuesday, 11/17 Conferences For next class:  Conferences Thursday – no class  Work on Final Paper Thursday, 11/19 Conferences For next week:  Holiday – no class  Final Paper due 12/ 8.

Week 14 Tuesday, 11/24 Holiday, no class Thursday, 11/26 Holiday, no class Syllabus 13

Week 15 Tuesday, 12/1 I will meet with students by appointment only for one-hour conferences to discuss final papers. Thursday, 12/3 I will meet with students by appointment only for one-hour conferences to discuss final papers.

Final Papers with marked copies of outside sources attached are due in my office between 2:30 and 3:45 on Tuesday, December 8. I will accept papers early; just give your paper to me in class or in conference. I will not accept late papers, so give yourself plenty of time to get to my office.