Course syllabus for English 102

1. Instructor: Jeremiah Akin
Email: jakin@uidaho.edu
Office: Brink 112
Phone: 208-885-6156 (NO TEXTS, voice message only)
Be Here: MWF 9:30 AM-10:30 AM, TLC 023
Office Hours: MWF 10:30 AM-11:30 AM and by appointment
Course Description and Goals
English 102 focuses on the applied principles of expository and argumentative
essay writing, including summaries, critiques, and syntheses of texts, and the
research essay. The course emphasizes clear, concise, and vigorous prose. By
the end of this course yous should be able to:
1. Accurately assessing and effectively responding to a wide variety of
audiences and communication situations.
2. Comprehending college-level and professional prose and analyzing how
authors present their ideas in view of their probable purposes, audiences,
and occasions.
3. Presenting your ideas as related to, but clearly distinguished from, the
ideas of others (includes the ability to paraphrase, summarize, and
correctly cite and document borrowed material).
4. Developing a central idea or argument logically, supporting and
illustrating it clearly.
5. Writing critical analyses and syntheses of college-level and professional
prose.
6. Being able to make the connection between questions and problems in
your life both within and outside of college.
7. Gather and evaluate information and use it for a rhetorical purpose in
writing a research paper.
8. Using a variety of strategies during the prewriting or “invention” process.
9. Revising effectively.
10. Accurately proofreading your own work in order to produce writing that
maintains the conventions of publishing English.
11. Giving and receiving constructive feedback from peers.
12. Use flexible writing process strategies to generate, develop, revise, edit,
and proofread texts.
13. Adopt strategies and genre appropriate to the rhetorical situation.

2. 14. Use inquiry-based strategies to conduct research that explores multiple
and diverse ideas and perspectives, appropriate to the rhetorical
context.
15. Use rhetorically appropriate strategies to evaluate, represent, and
respond to the ideas and research of others.
16. Address readers’ biases and assumptions with well-developed evidence-
based reasoning.
17. Use appropriate conventions for integrating, citing, and documenting
source material as well as for surface-level language and style.
Class Details and Expectations
This class will be discussion-based, and I expect respectful adult conversation.
For this reason I have chosen popular culture as the theme of the semester.
Popular culture is a topic that has interested me for as long as I can remember,
and I think it’s an excellent theme for an introductory writing course because it
exists as a fairly neutral ground for practicing intelligent argument. Though
many of us have strong opinions about movies, albums, songs, and celebrities,
disagreements over the values of these things are generally benign and most
people can agree to disagree. Political and religious discussion is generally
discouraged, but also recognized as an important element as it relates to the
construction of popular culture. Discussion of controversial topics as they relate
to the semester’s theme should be as neutral as possible.
In order to participate in discussion, reading is necessary. I try to keep the
readings short and engaging, so do the reading, think about it, and come to
class with a brief question or response.

3. Assignments and Grading
All assignments are considered open for respectful class discussion. Course is
graded A, B, C, F, N (no pass), or I (incomplete)
Minor Assignments (10%)
Preparatory assignments and rough drafts will be graded as complete or
incomplete. Rough drafts are due one week prior to final drafts. Rough drafts
are expected to be full, complete articulations of the ideas. They are not
required to be pretty, but they should be close enough to the final idea to
spark discussion with peers of ideas that need to be clarified. 100 pts
Major Assignments in Brief (60%, details provided later)
Pop Culture Icon—choose a current celebrity (actor, popular scientist,
musician, etc.) that inspires you and explain why this person is inspirational.
100 pts, February 4
Pop Ethos—building off of your previously selected public figure, look at the
way this person is portrayed in the media and develop an idea of how
they construct their ethos. Find a way to define this ethos and explain how
this relates to your initial impression of this person. 100pts, March 4
Advertising Campaign Research Paper—using the skills that we’ve learned from
the previous assignments, choose an advertising campaign for a product
or service you either love or hate and write a research paper about how
the campaign works. 200pts, April 15
Remediation—present the discoveries of your research project in a new form
such as a presentation or a website. 200pts, May 6
Attendance and Participation (30%)
This class is about the presentation of ideas and based around peer discussion
and peer reviews, which means that all students are also teachers. This means
that your attendance in class is just as important as mine. For this reason you
are allowed no more than four unexcused absences. An excess of four
absences is grounds for failure. I also have a grading bias in favor of those
students who show up for class and engage with the material respectfully.
The department’s standard attendance policy follows. Attendance in English
101 is mandatory. Being present in class is the key to success in the course.
Compiling more than four unexcused absences is grounds for failure of the
course. An excused absence is an official note specifying the days and reasons
you were required to miss class. Excused absences must be in writing from an
official such as a doctor or a university instructor or administrator (in the event

4. of athletic events or field trips). You are responsible for making up work you miss
due to absences.
Attendance means being physically present, awake, coherent, and fully
prepared for class, with the day’s assignments completed. If you do not meet
all of these conditions, you can be marked absent for the day. You are
responsible for making up work that you miss.
300 pts
1000 Total Points Available

5. Textbook
Jodie Nicotra’s Becoming Rhetorical
Many of you may be familiar with The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing.
Though this is a classic textbook for introductory English courses, Jodie Nicotra’s
book is more applicable to this class. We will be talking quite a bit about
popular culture, and while Allyn and Bacon will teach you how to write in a
traditional manner, Nicotra will teach you how to analyze new media.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is turning in work that you haven’t created. It’s cheap, and you’re
only cheating yourself. Don’t do it. For more information, see
https://www.uidaho.edu/student-affairs/dean-of-students/student-
conduct/academic-integrity
Disability Support
CENTER FOR DISABILITY ACCESS AND RESOURCES REASONABLE
ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT:
• Reasonable accommodations are available for students who have
documented temporary or permanent disabilities. All accommodations
must be approved through the Center for Disability Access and Resources
located in the Bruce M. Pitman Center, Suite 127 in order to notify your
instructor(s) as soon as possible regarding accommodation(s) needed for
the course.
• Phone: 208-885‐6307
• Email: cdar@uidaho.edu
• Website: www.uidaho.edu/current-students/cdar
PLEASE READ, SIGN, AND RETURN THE GRADING CONTRACT ATTACHED BELOW

6. GRADING CONTRACT
Papers
70-79
Paper meets page-length requirements without filler (i.e. unnecessarily long block quotes, repeated points, sentences
designed to be longer than necessary, etc.). Sources are properly cited. Proper MLA formatting. Summary and analysis
demonstrate moderate comprehension of material. Paper meets all but one or two of the criteria specific to the
assignment.
80-89
Paper meets page-length requirements without filler. Sources are properly cited. Proper MLA formatting. Quotes and
references are appropriately placed and introduced. Summary and analysis demonstrate thoughtful reflection on
material. Appropriate and natural-sounding word choice. Sentences flow nicely into well-sectioned paragraphs. Paper
meets all of the criteria specific to the assignment.
90-100
Paper meets page-length requirements without filler. Sources are properly cited. Proper MLA formatting. Quotes and
references are appropriately placed and introduced. Summary and analysis demonstrate thoughtful reflection on
material. Writer makes the sources talk to one another and also talks to the sources. Appropriate and natural-sounding
word choice. Sentences flow nicely into well-sectioned paragraphs. Paragraphs are structured in an appropriate
rhetorical manner. Paper meets all of the criteria specific to the assignment.
Note:
Assignment criteria are moderately negotiable. If a student deliberately refuses to meet certain criteria, I expect a one-
sentence justification for each item not satisfied. This may be in the form of a typed note stapled to the paper and
turned in with the assignment. Justification is subject to teacher approval. Final drafts and portfolio drafts must show
evidence of revision. Semester portfolios must be turned in to receive a passing grade.
Participation
I expect all students to participate in class discussion at least once a week and in all group discussion. If there are any
students who suffer from crippling social anxiety or any other inhibitions, please feel free to let me know privately so
that we can make accommodations. Peer feedback is to be given in a “sandwich” form: praise first, criticism second, end
by summarizing the strengths.
Example format: “I like___. ___could be improved. Overall, (name) has done a great job of ___.”
Overall Grade
A: Student participates and turns in all four major writing assignments. Assignment scores average between 90 and 100.
B: Student participates and turns in all four major writing assignments. Assignment scores average between 80 and 89.
C. Student participates and turns in all four major writing assignments. Assignment scores average between 70 and 79.
Classroom Policy
Classmates will be respectful of one another and of the teacher at all times without exception. Classmates who are
disrespectful will be dismissed immediately and given an F for weekly participation. After three dismissals, students will
receive an F for the entire course.
NO BUTTHEADS ALLOWED. BE KIND.
Teacher: _Jeremiah R. Akin__________________________ Student: _________________________________________

7. OTHER COURSE POLICIES
Technology
I reserve the right to revoke any of your technology privileges if they distract
you or others. You may listen to music during appropriate designated work
times such as freewrites. I expect that you are fully engaged with the class at all
times.
Email
I welcome your emails and questions – if you have questions about the course,
your work, meeting times, etc., please contact me at the address listed above
or on the BbLearn home page. When you contact me, please treat it as a
professional correspondence—your message should have a greeting, be
written in complete sentences, and signed with your name at the bottom.
Generally, you can expect a response during regular business hours (Monday-
Friday, 8 AM-5 PM).
Submitting Work
I deduct 10% per day late for work submitted past a deadline. I will not accept
prep work once a unit is completed. If you need an extension, please email me
with your reasons, and I will either accept or deny your request according to
my best judgement based on your appeal. If you receive less than 70% on a
major assignment, you may revise it and turn it in within one week and no later.
You will receive the higher of the two grades. All writing must be original and
written for this class. Reusing and assignment you completed for another class,
or back in high school, constitutes academic dishonesty.
Academic Dishonesty
At the University of Idaho, we assume you will do your own work and that you
will work with your instructor on improving writing that is your own. Plagiarism—
using someone else’s ideas or words as yours own without proper attribution--is
a serious matter.
The Council of Writing Program Administrators defines plagiarism in the following
way: “In an instructional setting, plagiarism occurs when a writer deliberately
uses someone else’s language, ideas, or other original (not common-
knowledge) material without acknowledg-ing its source. This definition applies
to texts published in print or on-line, to manuscripts, and to the work of other
student writers.” (From “Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement
on Best Practices,” http://wpacouncil.org/node/9).
The consequences of plagiarism:

8. If evidence of plagiarism is found in student work in English 101, the instructor is
empowered by Regulation 0-2 of the general catalog to assign a grade of F for
the course, a penalty that may be imposed in particularly serious cases. In most
cases of plagiarism, the instructor will also make a complaint to the Dean of
Students Office, which is responsible for enforcing the regulations in the Student
Code of Conduct. So in addition to the academic penalty of receiving an F in
the course, you may also be subject to other disciplinary penalties, which can
include suspension of expulsion. Although such severe penalties are rarely
imposed for first-time offenders, the Dean of Students Office maintains
disciplinary records as part of a student’s overall academic record.
Instructors may demonstrate that a paper involves plagiarism in two ways: 1) by
identifying the source, and 2) by showing the discrepancy of style between
previous papers and the paper in question.
If a paper involves misuse of sources or other materials--which the CWPA
defines as when a writer “carelessly or inadequately [cites] ideas and words
borrowed from another source”-- the instructor may ask you to rewrite the
paper, using correct forms of documentation.
When you need to use words or ideas from another person—whether an idea,
a picture, a powerful statement, a set of facts, or an explanation—cite your
source!
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
(208-885-6757), the UI Counseling & Testing Center’s confidential services (208-
885-6716), or the UI Office of Human Rights, Access, & Inclusion (208-885-4285).