English 3850 IFoundations in Rhetoric and Writing IFall 2015 I1
Foundations inRhetoric and Writing English 3850 l Fall 2015
Nathaniel A. Rivers l [email protected] Course Site:
slufoundrhet.tumblr.com Office Hours: MW, 1:00-2:00 We can now view
in better perspective the world of writing in which we live, see
better what this world really is, and what functionally literate
human beings really arethat is, beings whose thought processes do
not grow out of simply natural powers but out of these powers as
structured, directly or indirectly, by the technology of writing.
Without writing, the literate mind would not and could not think as
it does, not only when engaged in writing but even when it is
composing its thoughts in oral form. -Walter Ong, S.J., Writing as
a Technology ThatRestructures Thought Writing is part and parcel of
nearly every human endeavor, and many human endeavors owe their
existence and essence to writing. As Walter Ong, S.J., suggests, no
matter the course of ones lifepersonally and professionallywriting
is one of the primary ways we navigate that lifes contours and
complexities. By virtue of this virtue, English 300 traces the roll
of writing through a variety of societal endeavors. Likewise, this
course introduces students to the field of rhetoric and writing
through a sustained engagement with its practices and principles.
Students produce a variety of documents (across a variety of
genres) in terms of and in the context of key theoretical
understandings of that work: rhetorical theory, ethics, information
design, and decision architecture. As future (professional)
communicators, students will be continually required to analyze
(that is, theorize) audiences, activities, organizations, and
contexts. Successful writing practice is always predicated on a
prior theoretical understanding or framework.In addition to
addressing the theory/practice key binary, the course is organized
around two key metaphors: writing is mapping and writing is
decision architecture. Briefly defined, mapping is the purposeful
selection, arrangement, and presentation of information in a
usable, primarily visual format for a specific audience. It is an
active and creative process, and not merely the passive conveyance
of data. Decision architecture is the rhetorical (understood both
symbolically and materially) structuring of environments to promote
or prescribe certain actions, decisions, or behaviors. These
guiding metaphors influence every stage of the course, sometimes
directly, sometimes indirectly. In this course and in the writing
track at large, writing is not merely the transmission or
translation of data or information for an uninformed audience.
Rather, it is the generative act of creating, maintaining, and
reshaping professional and other social environments, which in turn
structure and guide the thinking and behavior of others (actions
with inherently ethical implications).With this in mind, the course
asks the following questions: what is writing?, what do writers
do?, and what does writing do? Throughout the semester, students
engage readings and one another, complete a variety of in-class
exercises, and produce a range of documents in exploring (both
theoretically and in practice) the work of professional writing.
All work in the course stresses the importance of primary research,
document design, effective writing, and audience
awarenessconsiderations that will shape the professional lives of
students. Course Texts Readings are either linked at
sophistmonster.tumblr.com or shared via GoogleDrive.
Course Projects Re-Writing @SLU To familiarize themselves with
the scene of writing at Saint Louis University, students are asked
to research and report on a crucial or visible piece of text at
SLU. This text can be written, spoken, photographed, or film.
Students will then re-write (re-vise or re-imagine) this text in
some way. In addition to the re-written text, students compose two
memos: one describing the original text and one documenting the
re-written, focusing on the why and how of that process. Mapping
Project Fully exploring the course themes of decision architecture
and mapping, this project asks students to map a campus space or
issue @SLU. Mapping here Mapping, a key metaphor for writing in
this course, is an active and creative process, and not merely the
passive conveyance of data. English 3850 IFoundations in Rhetoric
and Writing IFall 2015 I2 means the purposeful selection,
arrangement, and presentation of information in a usable format for
a specific audience. This project positions the creative and
constructive work of writing as important and necessary. Mapping
here is not to be understood as the passive mirroring of reality,
but the active creation of meaning and knowledge. In concert with a
primary theme of this course, mapping of this sort productively
combines theory and practice in requiring students to frame and
define both their audience and their object in specific ways
(theorize) in planning and composing their map (practice). Maps can
be static (e.g., infographics) or dynamic (e.g., audio tours).
Additionally, this project stresses document design and primary
research in the form of observations, interviews, and perhaps
surveys, as well as secondary research. Interview Report In order
to explore the work of writers and to learn of career opportunities
in the field, this project asks students to first locate a
professional writer, secure an interview, prepare a set of
interview questions, and develop an interviewing strategy. Students
then conduct the interview and write-up a formal document reporting
their findings. Students engage readings on the practice of
interviewing, learning the principles of successful and ethical
primary research. While in several ways this assignment stands
apart from the others, the same underlying theoretical framework is
at work. In the planning stages, students create the interview as
an architecture, a technology, for guiding and shaping the
responses of their subject. In the report document (and in the
subsequent presentation) students then map out the findings of
their interview, selecting, arranging, and presenting the
information for several different audiences. Course Grades Arts
& Sciences Grading Scale A 4.0 B 3.0 C 2.0 F 1 A-3.7 B-2.7
C-1.7 B+3.3 C+2.3 D1 100% Class Participation1 You are authors in
this class. That means you are expected to learn about and follow
the social and cultural conventions of professional academic
behavior, which I will help you learn during the semester. Because
this class focuses a great deal on professional development and
writing/authoring, my grading schema reflects that professionalism.
Assigning letter or number grades does not improve your learning,
just as telling an author that the journal rejects his/her work for
publicationwithout any explanation as to whydoesnt make him/her a
better writer in the profession. I have designed and mapped this
class so you can achieve the learning outcomes and excellence by
providing structuring assignments that enhance your critical and
creative thinking, and by offering a lot of informal and formal
feedback on your in-progress work. Feedback Feedback often comes in
the form of informal in-class discussions about your assignments
and individual or group conferences. For instance, when I and your
peers offer critiques of your draft projects, we assume that you
will implement those revision suggestions into your drafts. When
you dont, you should have a very good reason in relation to the
purpose of the text for not doing so. Otherwise, when I am
reviewing your projects, I should be able to see your progress on
the text from the time it was workshopped as well as from informal,
in-class feedback or conferences with me. I hope that this grading
system will allow you the freedom and flexibility to take risks in
your assignments while also providing time for you to re-envision
and revise those drafts into more usable, sophisticated, and
polished texts by the end of the term.
1 Grading scheme borrowed from Cheryl Ball at Illinois State
University. English 3850 IFoundations in Rhetoric and Writing IFall
2015 I3 Participation? !Attendance: You are required to attend
every class session unless the schedule specifically indicates that
class is canceled that day. There are no such things as excused vs.
unexcused absencesif youre not here, I dont much care why. If your
absence is caused by a funeral or similar extenuating
circumstances, I will take that into consideration when I consider
your grade. If you miss more than one class, consider your grade in
jeopardy. If you miss a workshop, youll be doubly in jeopardy.
Also, attendance at out-of-class conferences with me is considered
the same as class time. If you miss a conference, you will be
counted absent. !Timeliness: If you show up late or leave early or
disappear (or fall asleep) for 15 minutes in the middle of class,
it will affect your participation. Timeliness also refers to the
time-sensitive nature of completing assignments and turning in
equipment on time. Late work is completely unacceptable, and I will
not give you feedback on it. If you do not have a major assignment
ready in time for our workshop days, it is your responsibility to
get feedback from your classmates outside of class upon (or before)
your return. If you return borrowed equipment late, consider your
participation grade in jeopardy. If you fail to return borrowed
equipment at all (like, you lose it or break it beyond repair), you
are responsible for replacing the equipment with the same kind, and
I will hold your final grade submission until it has been replaced.
!Readiness: Readiness is different from timeliness in that it
relates specifically to being prepared by the start-time of the
class period (and any outside-of-class work that we negotiate to
do). All homework must be completed before class starts. For
instance, printing of assignments or uploading of files after the
class period has begun will result in a delay of class, which will
negatively impact your grade. This bullet also refers to workshop
participation and group work participation in that if you do not
have a draft ready on workshop day, you are unprepared to provide
feedback to your workshop peers, or you are unwilling/unable to
perform the responsibilities of your group work, your grade will
suffer. !Thoughtfulness: Thoughtfulness translates to critical
awareness and participation in all manners of class activities.
This may include activities such as having useful, productive
questions or discussion items based on homework (readings,
assignments, or peer-review work), collegial work completed with
your group mates, or thoughtful work demonstrated in the major
assignments themselves. In addition (a note for those of you who
like to talk a lot), thoughtfulness means that if you constantly
need to share in class, but your sharing is largely off-topic,
disruptive, or unhelpful, your participation may be more
distracting than useful. I will probably talk to you about this
before your grade suffers. If you have questions at any time about
your grade potential, please make an appointment with me. If I
believe that you are on a trajectory toward a C, D, or F, I will
let you know by mid-term. If youre participating in the basics of
the class, then youre probably passing and should only be concerned
with your individual goals for earning a B or A, described in more
detail below.Everyone in this class starts with a B/C. How you
participate changes that grade higher or lower. Students earn As
(see below), Bs (for mediocre participation in class, usually
related to group work), a few Cs (usually related to multiple
absences), and Fs (for failure to turn in a large number of
assignments or skipping out altogether). Earning an A The grade of
A is reserved for excellent work. Excellent work does not equate
with showing up every day, participating once in a while, and
turning in completed drafts on time. Those are the average
requirements of any class setting, and average equates to a C in
this academic setting.Here are some ways to earn an A: !Produce
excellent assignments. What constitutes excellence?Doing more than
simply completing the terms of the assignment. An excellent
assignment may meet any number of qualities, depending on its
purpose and genre. Well spend much time analyzing possible
qualities for your work, which means youll be creating evaluation
criteria for your own work. If your texts live up to your own
criteria, its likely your work will be excellent. !Participate
excellently in class. Excellence in class participation means not
simply speaking frequently, but all of the ways I mention in the
class participation section above. As some examples, you should
contribute in an active and generous way to the work of the class
as a whole by asking questions, offering interpretations, politely
challenging your classmates, graciously accepting challenges in
return, and being a productive group member. English 3850
IFoundations in Rhetoric and Writing IFall 2015 I4 !Be an excellent
citizen-scholar. Specifically, be able to demonstrate to me
(through discussions, group work, assignment drafts) that you (a)
understand and can reflect on the content of this class and show
progress toward that knowledge in your final portfolio; (b) reason
logically, critically, creatively, independently and consensually,
and are able to address issues in a broad and constantly shifting
context; (c) recognize different ways of thinking, creating,
expressing, and communicating through a variety of media; (d)
understand diversity in value systems and cultures in an
interdependent world; and (e) develop a capacity for
self-assessment and transferable learning. Productive
Participation!have a collegial attitude !bring your materials to
class every day !ask for help well in advance of a deadline !accept
responsibility for late or incomplete assignments !ask your
classmates for missed content if you are absent !be attentive in
class so that I avoid needless repetition !provide me assignments
on time and in the assigned medium !ask your classmates (or Google)
for help during open-lab sessions, then !if stumped, raising your
hand, calling me, and waiting patiently for help !use email,
appointments, or some other agreed-upon conferencing medium for
private or involved questions !understand that strategic (and
sometimes maximum) effort results in excellent work Course Goals
Writing in Context Analyze cultures, social contexts, and audiences
to determine how they shape the various purposes and forms of
writing, such as persuasion, organizational communication, and
public discourse, with an emphasis on: !writing for a range of
defined audiences and stakeholders !negotiating the ethical
dimensions of rhetorical action Project Management !understanding,
developing, and deploying various strategies for planning,
researching, drafting, revising, and editing documents both
individually and collaboratively !selecting and using appropriate
styles and technologies that effectively and ethically address
contexts and audiences !building ethos through voice, evidence,
documentation and accountability Document Design Make rhetorical
design decisions about documents (and other compositions),
including: !understanding and adapting to genre conventions and
audience expectations !understanding and implementing design
principles of format and layout !interpreting and arguing with
design !drafting, researching, testing, and revising visual designs
and information architecture Teamwork Learn and apply strategies
for successful teamwork and collaboration, such as: !working online
with colleagues !determining roles and responsibilities !managing
team conflicts constructively !responding constructively to peers'
work !soliciting and using peer feedback effectively !achieving
team goals Research Understand and use various research methods and
sources to produce quality documents, including: !analyzing
historical and contemporary contexts !locating, evaluating, and
using print and online information selectively for particular
audiences and purposes !triangulating sources of evidence
Technology Use and evaluate rhetorical technologies such as
emailing, instant messaging, image editing, audio editing, video
editing, presentation design and delivery, HTML editing, Web
browsing, content management, and desktop publishing technologies.
Core Course Policies Technology Expectations !ability to interact
with the course website and other websites !access to word
processing, visual design, podcasting, and web design software
English 3850 IFoundations in Rhetoric and Writing IFall 2015 I5 !a
suitable email account checked regularly for course-related
business !a Flash drive or other means to backup coursework Routine
work with technology is a component of this course. Students need
not be technological experts to succeed in this course, but digital
technology interaction is integral and computer problems are not
valid excuses for incomplete work. Practice the core principle of
digital data work: redundant backup. Digital technology will fail;
be prepared for that eventuality. Personal Technology
DevicesStudents may use laptops, cell phones, and other digital
devices during class, provided that they do not disrupt other
students learning. This is not a trick. This course is situated in
an increasingly connected multimedia environment. Each student is
responsible for his or her own engagement with class meetings, and
thus his or her resultant success or failure. Availability of
Online Material Because of the nature of the course, some material
posted to the course website may be publicly accessible through the
Web. (A students grades and personal information will not be shared
publicly.) Additionally, any material posted to the course website
may be used anonymously for teaching or published research
purposes. For these reasons, students are encouraged to select
usernames that are different from their real names. SLU Statement
of Academic Integrity The University is a community of learning,
whose effectiveness requires an environment of mutual trust and
integrity, such as would be expected at a Jesuit, Catholic
institution. As members of this community, students, faculty, and
staff members share the responsibility to maintain this
environment. Academic dishonesty violates it. Although not all
forms of academic dishonesty can be listed here, it can be said in
general that soliciting, receiving, or providing any unauthorized
assistance in the completion of any work submitted toward academic
credit is dishonest. It not only violates the mutual trust
necessary between faculty and students but also undermines the
validity of the Universitys evaluation of students and takes unfair
advantage of fellow students. Further, it is the responsibility of
any student who observes such dishonest conduct to call it to the
attention of a faculty member or administrator. Student ConductThis
courses code of student conduct is informed by Saint Louis
Universitys own code of student conduct, best encapsulated by the
following statement: All members of the University community are
expected to contribute to the development and sustainability of
community through word and action. Our community is characterized
by respect for the dignity of others, honesty, and the pursuit of
truth. Insults, slurs, or attacks of any kind are not allowed in
this class (this includes f2f meetings and on the course site). Any
student who engages in this type of behavior in the classroom will
be permanently removed from the class. This code of conduct is
equally important to maintain during group meetings outside of
class. In order to have an effective teaching and learning
environment we must practice both respect and tolerance, without
question. The remainder of the universitys code of student conduct
can be found at http://www.slu.edu/x24293.xml. English as a Second
Language Help is available at the ESL Resource Center, where tutors
are specialized to work with second-language concerns.They work
with any international student, undergraduate or graduate, who
wishes to seek assistance. In one-on-one consultations and
workshops, our ESL writing coaches provide feedback and offer
strategies to improve your writing at every stage, from
brainstorming for ideas to polishing final drafts. We also offer
workshops and individual assistance in other language-related
areas, including TOEFL test-taking strategies, multi-media
projects, grammar, research, and conversation skills. For more
information, to make or cancel an appointment contact Christian
Rayner at 314-977-3052 or visit http://www.slu.edu/x49411.xml.
Students with Special Needs In recognition that people learn in a
variety of ways and that learning is influenced by multiple factors
(e.g., prior experience, study skills, learning disability),
resources to support student success are available on campus.
Students who think they might benefit from these resources can find
out more about: !Course-level support (e.g., faculty member,
departmental resources, etc.) by asking the course instructor.
!University-level support (e.g., tutoring/writing services,
Disability Services) by visiting the English 3850 IFoundations in
Rhetoric and Writing IFall 2015 I6 Student Success Center (BSC 331)
or by going to www.slu.edu/success. Students who believe that, due
to a disability, they could benefit from academic accommodations
are encouraged to contact Disability Services at 314-977-8885 or
visit the Student Success Center. Confidentiality will be observed
in all inquiries. Course instructors support student accommodation
requests when an approved letter from Disability Services has been
received and when students discuss these accommodations with the
instructor after receipt of the approved letter.