This document provides an overview and syllabus for an introductory college writing course. The course focuses on strategies for critical reading, writing, revising, and incorporating sources. It will cover four major writing assignments, discussion boards, and invention work. Students must complete all assignments, earn a passing score on their final portfolio, and receive a passing grade from the instructor to pass the course. The syllabus outlines course objectives, requirements, policies, grading, and a tentative schedule.

1. Introduction to College Writing 1
English 101
Introduction to College Writing
Instructor: Barb Kirchmeier, Barbara@uidaho.edu,
Brink 213, 208.885.6156 (voice messages only),
Skype Barbara.Kirchmeier1
Office Hours: MWF 10:30-11:30 Brink 213, T/Th
12:30-2:30 online
Overview
English 101 is an introductory composition course that focuses on strategies
for critical reading, generating ideas for writing, planning and organizing
material, and for revising and editing. The course prepares you for the
demands of college reading and writing. We will focus on reading critically,
writing with a main idea, and properly incorporating source material into your
writing.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, a successful student should be able to…
• Quickly and accurately grasp the main point of college-level and
professional prose.
• Understand how writers present their ideas in view of their probable
purposes, audiences, and occasions.
• Develop a central idea or argument, and provide logical and clear support.
• Understand how to present ideas as related to, but clearly distinguished
from, those of others: i.e., paraphrasing, summarizing, and correctly citing
and documenting borrowed material.
• Understand the basics of synthesizing arguments.
• Use a variety of strategies for generating ideas and arguments.
• Understand that writing is a process, one that requires continuing and
recursive invention, rereading, and revision processes.
• Know and use strategies for revising effectively.
• Proofread accurately in order to produce writing that maintains the
conventions of Standard Edited English.
• Give and receive constructive feedback from peers.
• Use electronic environments for drafting, reviewing, revising, editing, and
sharing texts.
Materials
Textbook:
The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing. 7th edition. Ramage,
Bean and Johnson.
Access to BbLearn:
You will need daily access to BbLearn to complete this
online course. You can find your BbLearn at
https://bblearn.uidaho.edu.
New York Times Online Access:
You will be reading articles from the New York Times.
There is a monthly limit to the number of articles you
can read online, but you can also get free access via the
University of Idaho Library website (via LexisNexis).
Helpful Websites:
UI BbLearn Student Help:
http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/bblearnhelp/student-
help/
UI Help Desk: https://help.uidaho.edu/
The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL):
http://owl.english.purdue.edu

2. Introduction to College Writing 2
University Learning Outcomes
University level learning outcomes broadly describe expected and desired consequences of learning through integrated curricular and co-
curricular experiences. The outcomes become an expression of the desired attributes of an educated person and guide coherent, integrated and
intentional educational experiences. They provide us with a basis for ongoing assessment to continuously improve teaching and learning.
1. Learn and integrate - Through independent learning and collaborative study, attain, use, and develop knowledge in the arts,
humanities, sciences, and social sciences, with disciplinary specialization and the ability to integrate information across disciplines.
2. Think and create - Use multiple thinking strategies to examine real-world issues, explore creative avenues of expression, solve
problems, and make consequential decisions.
3. Communicate - Acquire, articulate, create and convey intended meaning using verbal and non-verbal methods of communication that
demonstrate respect and understanding in a complex society.
4. Clarify purpose and perspective - Explore one’s life purpose and meaning through transformational experiences that foster an
understanding of self, relationships, and diverse global perspectives.
5. Practice citizenship - Apply principles of ethical leadership, collaborative engagement, socially responsible behavior, respect for
diversity in an interdependent world, and a service-oriented commitment to advance and sustain local and global communities.
Course Requirements
English 101 is a three-credit, pass/fail/no pass course. The requirements listed below must be met for the student to pass English 101:
• There will be four major writing assignments, plus a final portfolio.
o Essay 1 Learning History
o Essay 2 Analysis of a Person’s Use of a Social Networking Site
o Essay 3 Response to an Argument
o Essay 4 Comparing Perspectives
o Final Portfolio
• We will complete one Discussion Board each week.
• We will complete at least one piece of Invention Work each week.
• At least once during each unit, you will be expected to meet with the instructor to discuss your Invention Work. These meetings will
take place electronically, typically through Skype.
• The Final Portfolio will exhibit your best work done during the semester as evidence of your readiness to advance into the challenges
of English 102, College Writing and Rhetoric. The Final Portfolio is due on Wednesday, May 3, 2017 at 12:00pm, and must contain
the following three items:
1. A comprehensive reflective letter. This letter introduces the work that you have included in your final portfolio. You will
detail how your selected papers meet the outcomes of English 101 and how these papers show you are ready to move into
English 102, College Writing and Rhetoric.
2. A revised, final draft of Essay 3—Response to an Argument
3. Your choice of one of the other essays you wrote and revised in English 101.
Your final portfolio will be evaluated by faculty in the English department. They will assign a rating of Pass (P) or Not Ready/No
Pass (N). If you fail to complete a Final Portfolio, you will receive a grade of F in the course, which will have a serious effect on your
GPA. In order to pass English 101, you must earn a rating of Pass (P) on your final portfolio.
Online Course Attendance and Participation
You must actively participate in this online class in order to pass the class. This means that you will need to logon to the course at least twice
per week to complete the weekly work. Assignments in this course are scheduled to be due on Monday at 11:59pm, Tuesday at 11:59pm,
Wednesday at 11:59pm, Thursday at 11:59pm, and Sunday at 11:59pm.

3. Introduction to College Writing 3
Course Policies
Original Writing
All homework for this class must be written for this class. Reusing an assignment you completed for another class, or back in high school,
constitutes academic dishonesty.
Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty, including inappropriate collaboration, will not be tolerated in this course. There are severe sanctions for cheating,
plagiarizing, and any other form of dishonesty to include suspension or expulsion from the UI. Please read the document labeled “Statement
on Plagiarism” on our BbLearn site for more information on plagiarism.
Technology
Required Technology
This is an online class, and you are responsible for securing a reliable Internet connection to complete the work. You must have dependable,
daily access to the internet to complete this course as designed. Many of our assignments are due at 11:59pm. If you don’t have access to the
Internet or a computer that late at night, please make arrangements to turn in assignments prior to the deadline.
You must have word processing software that allows you to save (and open) documents as .doc, .docx, or .pdf files. Feedback will be given
using BbLearn’s Crocodoc, and documents submitted in other file formats make providing feedback on your work difficult, inefficient, and
sometimes impossible. As a full-time University of Idaho student, you can download Microsoft software at no cost by visiting this webpage:
http://www.uidaho.edu/infrastructure/its/services/software/microsoft-products.
Technology Help
If you require help using BbLearn, make use of the BbLearn help page: http://webpages.uidaho.edu/bblearnhelp/student-help.
If you require help setting your computer up for BbLearn, sending and/or receiving emails, etc., please contact the Help Desk via email at
helpdesk@uidaho.edu or by phone at 208-885-HELP (4357).
The Public Nature of Class Writing and Discussion
Please consider every piece of writing you do for this class to be “public property.” Part of becoming a good writer is learning to appreciate
the ideas and criticisms of others, and in this course our purpose is to come together as a writing community. Remember that you will often
be expected to share your writing with others, so avoid writing about things that you may not be prepared to subject to public scrutiny, or
things that you feel so strongly about that you are unwilling to listen to perspectives other than your own. This does not mean that you are not
entitled to an opinion but that you adopt positions responsibly, contemplating the possible effect on others.
University of Idaho Classroom Learning Civility Clause
In any environment in which people gather to learn, it is essential that all members feel as free and safe as possible in their participation. To
this end, it is expected that everyone in this course will be treated with mutual respect and civility, with an understanding that all of us
(students, instructors, professors, guests, and teaching assistants) will be respectful and civil to one another in discussion, in action, in teaching,
and in learning.
Should you feel our classroom interactions do not reflect an environment of civility and respect, you are encouraged to meet with your
instructor during office hours to discuss your concern. Additional resources for expression of concern or requesting support include the Dean
of Students office and staff (885-6757), the UI counseling & Testing Center’s confidential services (885-6716), or the UI Office of Human
Rights, Access, & Inclusion (885-4285).
Disability Support Services Reasonable Accommodations Statement
Reasonable accommodations are available for students who have documented temporary or permanent disabilities. All accommodations must
be approved through Disability Support Services located in the Idaho Commons Building, Room 306 in order to notify your instructor(s) as
soon as possible regarding accommodation(s) needed for the course.
• 885-6307

4. Introduction to College Writing 4
• email at dss@uidaho.edu
• website at http://www.access.uidaho.edu
Grading
This is a pass/fail course, meaning that the only passing grade is a P. Non-passing grades are an N (for No Pass) or F (for failure). Individual
assignments during the term will be graded on a points system. Here is the distribution of points for the four units this semester:
Invention Work,
Conferences &
Drafts Final Essay Discussion Boards Total Unit Points
Unit 1 Learning History 25% 50% 25% 100
Unit 2 Rhetorical Analysis 25% 50% 25% 100
Unit 3 Response to an Argument 25% 50% 25% 100
Unit 4 Synthesizing Arguments 25% 50% 25% 100
Total Points 400 points
You will receive scores on all four of your major essays, on all invention work (to include drafts of all the essays), and on all your discussion
boards. All of these scores will be posted on BbLearn under the MY GRADES link (on the left side). In the last weeks of the term, you will
prepare your final portfolio, which will be evaluated by two different instructors in the English department.
Your Final Grade in the Course: Your final grade is comprised of two parts—a grade from your course instructor (me) and the evaluation of
your final portfolio (assessed by faculty in the English department).
First, you must earn at least 70% of the overall points (a minimum of 280 points) or above in order to earn a Pass (P) from your instructor.
Secondly, you will submit a final portfolio that represents your best work in English 101 as evidence of your readiness to move into English
102. Two other English department faculty will evaluate your final portfolio, assigning grades of either Pass (P) or Not Ready/No Pass (N).
You must earn a Pass (P) on the portfolio in order to pass English 101. A rating of Pass on your final portfolio means that your writing
demonstrates readiness for the challenges in English 102.
If the grade recommended by your course instructor conflicts with the grade you have earned on your final portfolio, the Writing Committee
(WC) will read your portfolio and decide whether you can pass the course. Your final grade in the course will be determined in the following
manner:
Instructor Grade Reader 1 Reader 2 Final Grade
P P P P
P P N P
P N P P
P N N N
N P P N

5. Introduction to College Writing 5
N P N N
N N P N
P No Portfolio No Portfolio F
F P P F
In other words, you must earn a Pass on your portfolio in addition to the work you did during the fall term in order to pass English 101. It is
possible to do passing work during the term but not produce a passing portfolio. In such a case, you will earn an N (Not Ready/No Pass) in
the course, and you will have to retake the entire course. For this reason, it is very important to take the final portfolio seriously.
If you fail to submit any major assignments or if you fail to submit homework that constitutes the process points under each essay
assignment, your instructor will recommend an F in the course.
Description of the possible grades for this course:
P Stands for Pass. A P has no effect on your GPA, but you earn three credits toward the 120 you need to
graduate. You must earn at least 70% of the overall points (a minimum of 760 points) or above and pass
your final portfolio to earn this grade.
N Stands for No Credit. It also means “Not Ready for English 102.” A grade of N has no effect on your
GPA, but it does mean that you need to take the course again.
F Stands for Failure. A grade of F has a negative effect on your GPA. If you fail to hand in any major
writing assignment or do not make a good-faith effort on your in-classwork, you will automatically earn an
F. An F is assigned to students who fail to submit the required work.
I Stands for Incomplete. Under very unusual circumstances you could be assigned an Incomplete in the
course if an emergency, accident, illness or death occurs within the last two weeks of the semester that
make it impossible for you to complete the course. In such a case, we will arrange a reasonable contract
that stipulates the timeframe in which you will complete the requirements of the course.
Course Schedule
Please note that this schedule may change as we progress through the semester; changes to the schedule will be posted on weekly BbLearn
posts.
Week Reading Task, Complete on Monday Discussion Boards, Complete
Original Posts on Tuesday by
11:59pm, Response Posts on
Wednesday, and Reply to Response
Posts on Thursday
Invention Work, Complete by
Sunday at 11:59pm
1 (1/11-1/15) Syllabus and Schedule Discussion Board #1: Introductions Completing alternate writing
placement process:
www.writeclassuidaho.com
2 (1/16-1/22) • Essay 1 Assignment Instructions
• Allyn and Bacon Guide, pages 17-
20
• Allyn and Bacon Guide, pages 125-
131
• Sherry Turkle, Introduction to
Evocative Objects: Things We
Think With (PDF on BbLearn)
Discussion Board #2: Finding an
artifact for Essay #1
• Description of Learning
Artifact
• Idea Draft Essay #1

6. Introduction to College Writing 6
3 (1/23-1/29) • Allyn and Bacon Guide, pages 26-
32
Discussion Board #3: Organizing
Essay #1 for a reader—purpose,
thesis, and body paragraphs
• Rough Draft Essay #1 Due
4 (1/30-2/5) • Allyn and Bacon Guide, pages 418-
423
• Allyn and Bacon Guide, pages 426-
431
Discussion Board #4: Peer Review
Essay #1
• Final Draft Essay #1 Due
5 (2/6-2/12) • Essay 2 Assignment Instructions
• Allyn and Bacon Guide pages 42-
57
• Link to readings on the
connections between rhetoric and
social media use on BbLearn
• Allyn and Bacon pages 57-65
Discussion Board #5: Critical reading
and researching context
• Analyzing the rhetorical
situation
6 (2/13-2/19) • Allyn and Bacon Guide pages 451-
458
• Amanda Lenhart piece linked on
BbLearn
Discussion Board #6: Analysis of a
SNS User Profile and making a claim
for Essay #2
• Rough Draft Essay #2 Due
7 (2/20-2/26) • Allyn and Bacon Guide 82-88
• Allyn and Bacon Guide 66-74
• Allyn and Bacon Guide 543-556
• Allyn and Bacon Guide 451-458
Discussion Board #7: Peer Review
Essay #2
• Final Draft Essay #2 Due
8 (2/27-3/5) • Essay 3 Assignment Instructions
• Articles in the “Articles for Essay
3” folder on BbLearn
• Allyn and Bacon pages 88-92
• Allyn and Bacon pages 102-105
• Allyn and Bacon pages 29-31
• Allyn and Bacon pages 92-102
Discussion Board #8: Summarizing
the author’s argument
• Believing and Doubting
Game
• Generating a Strong
Response
9 (3/6-3/12) • Allyn and Bacon pages 113-116
• Review your article for Essay 3
Discussion Board #9: Creating a thesis
that projects your desired claim,
provides insight to your support, and
creates organization for your reader
• Rough Draft Essay #2 Due
No Class 3/13-
3/19: Spring Break
10 (3/20-3/26) • Allyn and Bacon Guide pages 439-
451
• As He Himself Puts It (PDF on
BbLearn)
Discussion Board #10: Peer Review
Essay #3
• Final Draft Essay #3 Due
11 (3/27-4/2) • Essay 4 Assignment Instructions
• Allyn and Bacon pages 284-294
• Read Room for Debate articles
posted on BbLearn
Discussion Board #11: Summary and
connection to synthesis question
• Comparing Texts
• Exploring your own ideas
12 (4/3-4/9) • Allyn and Bacon pages 294-303
• Allyn and Bacon pages 305-308
Discussion Board #12: Integrating
your idea into the synthesis essay
• Rough Draft Essay #4 Due
13 (4/10-4/16) • Allyn and Bacon pages 308-310 Discussion Board #13: Peer Review
Essay #4
• Final Draft Essay #4 Due
14 (4/17-4/23) • Portfolio Instructions
• Allyn and Bacon pages 623-632
Discussion Board #14: Picking essays
for your portfolio + revision plans
• Revision of Essay #3,
annotated
15 (4/24-4/30) • Example portfolio on BbLearn Discussion Board #15: Peer Review
Reflective Letter
• Revision of Essay #?,
annotated
16 (4/31-5/3 at
noon)
Final Portfolio Due at noon on
Wednesday, 5/3