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English 101: Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research

Fall 2014 3 credits

Section 120 (12569): T-R 8:00 9:20 am Macals 4014
Section 197 (11426): T-R 9:30 10:50 am Macals 4014

Instructor: Dr. Marianallet Mendez
Office: MacAlister Hall, Department of English and Philosophy, Room 5037
Phone: (215) 895-6994
E-mail: marianallet.mendez@drexel.edu
Office Hours: T-R 11:00 am 12:00 pm or by appointment

This course develops your abilities to use writing as a tool for inquiry as you think through open-ended
questions. It also introduces you to rhetorical concepts and termsexigence, audience, context,
argument, and appealsthat you will apply in your writing and critical reading. In addition, it teaches
you how to find, evaluate, integrate, and document sources from a variety of media; and how to engage
in the many stages of the research and writing processes, from invention, to review, to final product.
Last, it engages you in ongoing reflective analysis about writing and your writing development.


First-Year Writing Program Learning Outcomes
The First-Year Writing Program (FWP) at Drexel is a three-course, year -long sequence that supports
Drexels Student Learning Priority of Communication, and Self-directed Learning. In English 101 we will
focus on the following objectives:
1. Use writing to explore your experiences and ideas
2. Use research to develop, support, and enhance your ideas
3. Understand writing and revision as processes
4. Respond productively to your classmates and others works
5. Promote a positive attitude toward writing, its relationship to learning, and yourself as writer
6. Cite sources correctly using documentation styles such as MLA format
7. Improve your grammar and mechanics

Course Requirements
Required Texts
Clark, Carol Lea. Praxis. 2
nd
ed., custom. Southlake, TX: Fountainhead Press, 2012. Print.

Required Materials/Equipment
Active Drexel email account
Access to Blackboard Learn (BbL)
Readings on Blackboard Learn
Working laptop
Printing paper, ink, printer/printing card, stapler/paper clips


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Course Policies and Resources
Grading
A+: 97-100 B+: 87-89 C+: 77-79 D+: 67-69
A: 93-96 B: 83-86 C: 73-76 D: 60-66
A-: 90-92 B-: 80-82 C-: 70-72 F: below 60
No Incompletes (INC) will be given in this course.


Composition Project 1 20% Class participation & quizzes 20%
Composition Project 2 20% Informal Writing 20%
Composition Project 3 20%

Academic Integrity
All students must abide by Drexels academic integrity policy. The Drexel Official Student Handbook
states as a violation of academic integrity to not acknowledge your sources regardless of whether you
quoted, paraphrased or summarized the information. Also, you need to refrain from fabricating source
material, stealing or buying compositions, or being complicit in a violation of academic integrity (e.g.,
writing a peers paper for him/her) (98-99). In addition, you also need to refrain from submitting the
same paper to more than one course, unless you have permission from your professor.
For further information, check out the Drexel Official Student Handbook at
http://drexel.edu/studentaffairs/community_standards/studentHandbook/general_information/code_o
f_conduct/

Add/Drop/Withdraw
You will have until the end of the 2
nd
week to add or drop a course. Please note that you are responsible
for any work you miss in the late addition of a course. For more information on Add/Drop, please visit
http://drexel.edu/drexelcentral/courses/adjustments/Adding%20and%20Dropping%20Courses/.
Undergraduates have until the end of the 7th week of the term to withdraw. For details on the
withdrawal policy, see http://drexel.edu/drexelcentral/courses/adjustments/course-withdraw/

Assignments and deadlines
Whether you submit your assignments in hard copy or electronically, it is your responsibility to ensure
that your instructor receives your work. Please read the weekly schedule carefully to make sure you
know when and at what time the assignments are due.
As a general rule, late assignments are not accepted. Contact the instructor in advance if you cannot
submit your work on time, and be prepared to explain and document why you cannot complete it on time.
Depending on the nature of the event, you may not receive full or any credit for the assignment. Just as a
reminder, computer/printer-related excuses are not accepted.
In-class assignments, including peer review and in-class discussions, cannot be made up. Also, you cannot
make up any work or exams missed due to an unexcused absence. Excused absences include verified illness,
documented serious family emergency, athletic events or other University-sponsored group activities,
subpoenas, jury duty, religious observances, and military service.
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Attendance
It is important that you attend each class to gain the most out of this course; you should assume that
attendance is mandatory. If you have an emergency that prevents you from attending class or from arriving
on time, make sure you contact the instructor as soon as possible. You are responsible for finding out what
you may have missed in class.
According to the First-Year Writing Program, students who miss more than 10% of class meetings due to
unexcused absences will have their grades reduced. Except under extraordinary circumstances, a student
who misses more than 20% of scheduled class time as a result of unexcused OR excused absences will fail
the course. An excused absence is defined as one that is the result of a condition or circumstance beyond
the students control, such as illness, a family crisis or emergency, or essential travel; an official university
event (e.g., academics, athletics or performing arts); or a religious holiday. Normally, an absence will be
excused only if there is some documentation verifying the circumstances that caused the absence. Last, if
you arrive to class five or more minutes late, you are welcome to stay in, however, it will count as though
you were absent.

Blackboard Learn (BbL)
In this course most assignments and communication student-professor will happen on Blackboard Learn.
Hence, you are expected to check the course website on a regular basis (http://learn.dcollege.net). Also,
keep an eye on the Announcements tab for any notifications and/or changes to schedule; on the
Discussion tab for posting of both informal and formal assignments; and on the Course Documents and
Readings tabs for accessing core documents such as syllabus and assigned readings, among others.
If you are having problems accessing Learn, setting up your email, etc. please contact
http://www.drexel.edu/irt/ or call the Help Desk at 215.895.2020.

Class Participation
This course relies heavily on in-class/online discussions. The course is conceived as a partnership between all
of you and the instructor, and therefore, it is very important that we all contribute to the learning and grow
of all members of the class. Class participation means being present and prepared, and actively engaged
with discussions, readings, and writing. More specifically, it includes BbL and in-class discussions, in-class
assignments, in-class group work, being prepared for conferences with the instructor, and other activities.

Drexel Office of Disability Resources
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that accommodations be made for all students with
documented special needs. If you require accommodations in this class please notify the instructor no later
than the second week of class. You need to present a current accommodation verification letter (AVL)
before accommodations can be made. AVL are issued by the Office of Disability Services (ODS). All
documentation is kept confidential.
If you need further information, please check http://www.drexel.edu/ods/. Also, you can contact the
ODS at 3201 Arch St., Ste. 210, Philadelphia, PA 19104, Phone 215-895-1401 or TTY 215-895-2299.
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Drexel University Writing Center
At the DWC peer and faculty readers can help you evaluate your writing and improve it according to
your purpose and audience. The Drexel Writing Center (DWC) is located in 0032 MacAlister (x6633). For
more details check out its web page http://www.drexel.edu/engphil/about/DrexelWritingCenter/

Email
All communication between you and the instructor will take place in BbL through the Messages tool. Only
with few exceptions you will receive instructors messages in your regular Drexel email account.
The instructor will check and respond to messages once a day M-F. It means that your messages will be
responded, if needed, within 24 hours (weekday). For your own benefit, keep a copy of all communication
you submit to the instructor.

Maintaining Professional Disposition
Using cell phones and laptops for non-class related activities, sleeping, eating, and any other disruptive
behavior during class time are not welcome at any time. Engaging in any of these activities affects your
class participation grade for the day.

Student Conferences
One-on-one instructor-student conferences will take place during the quarter (about 15 minutes per
conference). We will work out a schedule for these conferences; be prepared to discuss your work.

Syllabus Revision
The content of the syllabus is subject to revision by the instructor at any time during this course.