What Is Higher Education?

English 101 Spring ‘08 Unit 3 What is “higher education?” A Researched Exploratory Essay Overview: Does the image of John Belushi mean anything to you? By now, this mysterious part of life that we know as college is something you have all had a chance to taste. For some, it may be sour: full of adjustments and deadlines. For others, it may be bittersweet: a second chance. And for a few others still (of the newly liberated kind), it may be an incessant and unsavory reflux doomed to swirl down the toilet bowl of social distraction. In any event, I suspect that college is a uniquely defined flavor, for each individual who does the tasting. So don’t be fooled by the topic that will be guiding our inquiry during this unit. It is deceptively complex, rich with information, ripe with stories, and bursting with perspectives. As a class, we will read and discuss a sampling of sources that deal with topics related to “college life.” These sources will range in quality and subject matter from academic articles to popular culture. In addition, you will conduct modest surveys (in small groups) aimed at revealing how Boise State students experience some aspect of college life. Similar to the research and presentations you completed in Unit 2, your group will collaborate on survey findings and provide an informal presentation for the class. Also similar to Unit 2, you will need to keep an annotated bibliography as a reflection on all of your sources. Your final unit writing will be a six-page essay exploring, discussing, and raising questions about the multitude of ways that members of the college community experience the university. Your writing should develop around the question, “What is higher education?” and should integrate thoughts and ideas from at least five different sources. Two of these sources should be “academic” (scholarly writing), one should be “professional” (essayists, journalists, or business writing), one should be a print “alternative” (personal experience, film, poster, t.v. advertisement, etc.), and one should be based on survey-findings (yours or others’ in the class). Of course, you are welcome to use additional outside sources, should you find it helpful to your paper.

Here is our schedule for Unit 3:

Monday, February 25: Looking at research in an exploratory essay. In Class: Read & Discuss Ann Hodgman’s Essay, Return to the idea of “Good Writing” – Unit 3 hand-out Assignment: Read Bob Kustra’s “Welcome” and “Mission Statement,” “Matriculation Fixation,” by Joe Queenan, and “University Days,” by James Thurber (all in “Course Docs” under the Unit 3 heading on BB). *Be sure to bring hard-copies to class. Please closely read this hand-out and write down any questions you have regarding the schedule, assignments, or due dates.

Wednesday, February 27: Break-out Groups: How to do a Source Analysis, Writing Skill: Voice Assignment: Read “Rituals and Traditions; It Takes a Tribe” by David Berreby, and “Academically Speaking” by Rebecca Nathan (in WCWL), start compiling an Annotated Bibliography based on the Source Analysis Questions we worked on in class (be sure to add Kustra, Queenan, and Thurber to the A.B. as well as the Berreby and Nathan articles)

Friday, February 29: Break-out Groups: “College” Issues, Webbing Ideas, Survey Groups *please bring WCWL to class as well as hard copies of the essays you read for Wednesday Assignment: Read “Conducting Surveys” (“Course Docs” on BB). Come prepared to begin designing a survey with your group members. Exploration 1. *Instead of doing peer review in class, you will be taking your rough draft to the Writing Center for revision ideas and comments. You may want to go ahead and make your appointment (it would make most sense to schedule it during the week that starts Monday, March 10, as your final packet will be due the following Monday).

Monday, March 3: Group Work: Designing your Survey…and possibly the Sensory Sponge? Assignment: Read “What College is Really Like” by Michael Moffatt (in WCWL), add to Annotated Bibliography, Make Appointments for Writing Center!, Start Conducting Surveys

Wednesday, March 5: What are alternative sources? Break-out Groups: Source Analysis of Alternative Sources (visual) *please bring WCWL to class Assignment: Surveys, Reminder: Have you made your appointment to visit the Writing Center?

Friday, March 7: All surveys must be complete! Presentation Preparation Assignment: Exploration 2, Find and review an alternative source to add to your annotated bibliography (you may wish to choose a college-themed movie from the list in “course docs,” but please use an alternative source other than any we already discussed in class), Finish any preparations for your presentation

Monday, March 10: Survey Presentations…and possibly the Sensory Sponge? Assignment: Read Unit 3 Student Writing Example 2 & 3 (“Course Docs”), Read “What is an Essay?” (“Course Docs”). As a class, we will work on designing a unique and distinct goals rubric for this essay. So think about what qualities would make a “good” researched exploratory essay or what writing skills you’d like to practice. Also, please post your survey presentations on Blackboard so your classmates may use your findings in their essays, should they choose to do so. Don’t forget: Writing Center Appointments should take place this week! (start or continue working on your rough draft)

Wednesday, March 12: Designing a Goals Rubric Assignment: Writing Center Appointments (Rough Draft)

Friday, March 14: Class Cancelled (Optional Conferences/Work Day) Assignment: Writing Center Appointments (Rough Draft)

Monday, March 17: Final Packets Due.

Exploration 1: A Day in the Life of a Boise State Student… On average, how many hours of your day do you study/go to class? How many do you play (socialize, eat, relax, do something that is otherwise enjoyable to you)? How many hours do you work (place of employment)? How many hours do you sleep? Would you add anything else to this list? Are you a traditional or non-traditional student? How does this affect your experience of college? What kind of sacrifices have you made to be here (family, financial, time, etc.)? Where/how did you learn about Boise State? Has anything surprised you about college life? What do you like best about college? Least? Did you feel sufficiently prepared for college? Why? Why not?

Exploration 2: The Role of the University How do you expect college to help you in the future? Do you think you will complete further education after an undergraduate degree? Why? Why not? Is your college education at Boise State a means to an end for you? In other words, do you view your time here as a journey with an open-ended destination or do you view your time here as a “to-do” to get to your destination? Does education only take place in the classroom? What other ways (or what other places) do you receive an education (in college or beyond)? Think about other college campuses that you have visited/seen/read about…how do you think Boise State compares/contrasts? Do you think there is a typical student at Boise State? How would you describe this typical student? The retention rate for Boise State is somewhere around 30%. Why do you think it might be so low? Reading: In WCWL, “Rituals and Traditions; It Takes a Tribe,” by David Berreby (A.B.) In WCWL, “Academically Speaking,” by Rebecca Nathan (A.B.) In WCWL, “What College is Really Like,” by Michael Moffatt (A.B.) “Course Documents” on BB, “University Days,” by James Thurber (A.B.) “Course Documents” on BB, “Matriculation Fixation,” by Joe Queenan (A.B.) “Course Documents” on BB, Bob Kustra’s “Welcome” and “Mission Statement” (A.B. – just one entry for both documents) “Course Documents” on BB, “What is an Essay?” “Course Documents” on BB, “Conducting Surveys” “Course Documents” on BB, Unit 3 Student Writing Example 2 & 3

Your Unit 3 packet is due Monday, March 17. It will need to be in a folder or binder that includes the following items: 1. A one-page, single-spaced cover letter (400-600 words). I’ve listed some questions to help guide your thinking. a. Which sources were most helpful? Least helpful? b. Did you have any trouble weaving all of the sources together in a cohesive essay? c. What research skills did you learn in this unit? d. Do you feel comfortable/confident in your ability to cite sources (both in an annotated bibliography and in-text?) e. Was this your first time writing an exploratory essay? As a genre, what were some of its challenges and benefits? f. What did you learn from studying and thinking about the content of your essay? g. Was it useful to design a goals rubric as a class? 2. Your six-page, double-spaced essay, following MLA style formatting for headings and in- text citations 3. Annotated Bibliography (there should be at least eight sources listed – the six sources listed under unit reading that include the mark A.B., your survey, and your print alternative source) 4. Explorations 1 and 2 5. Your Surveys & Presentation Notes 6. Ticket from the Writing Center (Peer Review) 7. This hand out

Points for Unit 3 (45)

Blackboard post (on survey presentation) = 2 points Explorations 1 & 2 (3 points each) = 6 total Survey = 4 points Presentation = 4 points Annotated Bibliography = 6 points Rough Draft = 4 points Writing Center Visit = 4 points Final Packet = 15 points ______/ 45 points