102 ENGL

1. ENGL 102: Writing and Rhetoric
Fall 2021
MWF 10:30-11:20pm
Michael Decker
Email: mdecker@uidaho.edu
Office hours: TH 9-10am (or by appointment)
In this class I will expect you to put on your ideology glasses and continue eating from the trash can.
English studies are the use of theory and rhetorical concepts to interpret and reinvigorate writing,
film, classic and contemporary art, or other genres. This semester you will read various scholarship I
provide and use it to interpret assigned texts. This analysis will go together with the basic writing
requirements of English 102 which are:
1) Recognize and apply rhetorical concepts to the work of others.
• Comprehend college level and rhetorical prose and analyze how others present their
work and express their ideas.
• Use evidence of a rhetorical purpose in your own writing.
2) Apply effective research skills appropriate for your rhetorical purposes.

2. • Locate, evaluate, organize, and use research material collected from a variety of
sources.
3) Demonstrate critical thinking skills.
• Consider a variety of perspectives and opinions when you are crafting an argument.
• Present ideas that are related to, but clearly distinct, from the ideas of others.
• Write critical responses to the work of others.
4) Demonstrate your understanding that writing is a process.
• Apply a variety of strategies for generating, revising, editing, and proofreading.
• Revise your writing using additional invention and re-thinking after initial drafts are
produced.
• Give and receive feedback from peers.
The writings I will assign are primarily part of the eco-criticism movement as this is my expertise. I
would, however, like to hear from all of you about other lenses we can bring into this class. There is
a host of other ways to approach texts that deal with systemic issues similar to ones concerning the
environment. Our primary text will be The Norton Field Guide to Writing. You will read a section or
two from this guide a week. We will then discuss what you read in class and hopefully imbricate the
combination of theory and formulaic writing into your journals and final assignments.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK
Vandal Field Guide/ Norton Field Guide (5th
edition)
COURSE POLICIES
ATTENDANCE. Attendance in English 102 is mandatory. Being present in class is the key to
success in the course. You are allowed no more than three absences. 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 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.
CLASSROOM CITIZENSHIP. This BbLearn course is a learning community. Be respectful of
your fellow students and your instructor. If you have a problem with anything in the course, speak
to me about it privately after class or meet me during my office hours. Inappropriate behavior in our
course may result in expulsion from a class, contact from the Dean of Students, a loss of points,
and/or possible failure of the entire course.

3. TECHNOLOGY. No phones in class, please. I understand that a certain degree of technology will
have to be allowed for learning purposes. Laptops are only for intended class work. I reserve the
right to ask you to put any technology away during class periods.
REQUIRED TECHNOLOGY. 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 inline
grading software (New Box View), 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. More information is available in the
ITS Tech Support Portal: https://support.uidaho.edu/TDClient/KB/ArticleDet?ID=84.
EMAIL ETIQUETTE. I welcome your emails and questions – if you have questions about the
course, your work, due dates, 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).
DEADLINES. The due dates for all assignments are posted under the appropriate Unit on the
course BbLearn site. Late work will not be accepted without prior arrangement.
To request an extension on any assignment in Units 1-4, please email me. You can receive two extra
days to get work submitted with no penalty as long as you’ve requested an extension. If no request is
submitted, points will be deducted from the final grade on the assignment. Work not submitted will
earn a zero. All essays and the final portfolio must be submitted to pass this class. No extensions will
be granted during Final presentations.
ORIGINAL WRITING. All work for this class must be written for this section of English 101.
Reusing an assignment you completed in a previous semester, for a different 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.
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.

4. CAMPUS RESOURCES
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.
Center for Disability Access and Resources
Phone: 208-885-6307
Email: cdar@uidaho.edu
Web: http://www.uidaho.edu/current-students/cdar
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).
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.
Controversial Topics
Consistent with the University's educational mission, this class will introduce students to
controversial subject-matter and seek to ensure that students can discuss those topics knowledgeably
and civilly. This class will not direct or otherwise compel students to personally affirm, adopt, or
adhere to any of the tenets enumerated in Idaho Code 33-138 (H.B. 377), entitled “Dignity and

5. Nondiscrimination in Public Education.” Nor will this class direct or compel students to personally
engage in speech or other forms of expression when that direction or compulsion would violate U.S.
Supreme Court precedent or other binding legal precedent or laws — e.g., West Virginia State Board
of Education v. Barnette (U.S. Sup. Ct. 1943), which holds that public school students cannot be
compelled to salute the flag.
Respectful and Inclusive Learning Environment
As described in our College’s strategic plan, we want to protect and foster an inclusive and
respectful learning environment. This requires each of us to listen respectfully to each other’s
viewpoints and to participate in discussions in a calm, professional, and civil manner. In this course
and our discussions, we will welcome and value students from all cultures, races, ethnicities, genders,
abilities, lifestyles, opinions, nationalities, philosophies, sexual orientations, religious backgrounds,
ages, life experiences, and identities.
WRITING CENTER
The Writing Center, located on the third floor of the Idaho Commons in room 323, is dedicated to
providing one-on-one assistance to student writers and other members of the campus community.
Writers come to the center for help at various stages of their writing process, from brainstorming to
revision of drafted papers. Writing tutors assist with any kind of writing, from research papers to
personal statements for applications. The Writing Center also offers online tutoring to distance
students who are unable to visit in person. To make an appointment visit
www.uidaho.edu/class/writing-center.
TUTORING AND COLLEGE SUCCESS (TCS)
TCS offers three distinct services dedicated to student success: tutoring, SI–PASS, and Academic
Coaching. Vandal
Tutoring provides drop-in style tutoring in person at the Library or online through
uidaho.edu/tutoringonline at no cost to
undergraduates. SI-PASS provides peer assisted study sessions for difficult courses. You can find the
schedule of currently supported courses at uidaho.edu/si. Academic Coaching offers students an
opportunity to work with a coach, one on one, to improve their academic skills such as: effective
studying, test taking, time management, and note taking. Visit uidaho.edu/academic-coaching to
schedule an appointment.
Grade Breakdown
Essays
#1—50 points

6. #2—75 points
#3—125 points
#4—50 points
=200 points total
Journals
10 points each
=40 points total
Peer Review
20 points each
=60 points
Participation
100 points total
Class Schedule
August 23—First day of class; introductions
August 25—Introduction to free-write; discussion/overview of semester projects
August 27—Discussion of theoretical frameworks
August 30—Introduce Unit 1 project in detail
September 1—Read Val Plumwood’s “Dematerialization”; read “Quoting, Paraphrasing, and
Summarizing” in The Norton Field Guide to Writing (pp. 526-538)
September 3— Read Herman Melville’s “Postscript” from Moby Dick; read “Generating Ideas and
Text” in The Norton Field Guide (pp. 331-339)
September 6—Memorial Day, no class
September 8— Read “Arguing a Position” in The Norton Field Guide to Writing (pp.157-184)
September 10—No class (Available for conferences)

7. September 12—Journal 1 due by midnight
September 13—No class (Available for conferences if questions arise)
September 15—Read “Drafting” and “Getting Response and Revising” in The Norton Field Guide (pp.
340-355); Peer review day
September 17—Final workday, Unit 1; bring questions and last-minute adjustments to class
September 19—Unit 1 due by Midnight
Septermber 20—Read Doreen Massey’s “A Global Sense of Place”
September 22—Read William Cronon’s “The Trouble with Wilderness”
September 24—Read Edward Abbey’s “The First Morning” from Desert Solitaire
September 27—Introduce Unit 2; Journal 2 due by midnight
September 28— Read “Arguing” in The Norton Field Guide to Writing (pp. 397-418)
September 30—Class activity
October 4—Read “Classifying and Dividing” and “Describing” (pp.424-442)
October 6—Peer Review
October 8—Final workday, Unit 2; bring questions and last-minute adjustments to class
October 10—Unit 2 due by midnight
October 11—Introduce Unit 3
October 13—Library presentation with Diane Prorak
October 15—Review of research strategies
October 18—Class activity

8. October 20—Read “Getting a Start on Research” and “Evaluating Sources” in The Norton Field Guide
(pp. 479-510)
October 22—Read “Evaluating Sources” (pp. 511-518)
October 24—Journal 3 due by midnight
October 25—Conferences
October 27— Conferences
October 29—Conferences
November 1—Conferences
November 3—Conferences
November 5—Conferences
November 8—Conferences
November 10—Conferences
November 12—No class; Unit 3 due by midnight
November 15—Read "Acknowledging Sources, Avoiding Plagiarism” in The Norton Field Guide (pp.
539-543)
November 17—Read “Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing” in The Norton Field Guide (pp.526-
538)
November 19—Final class discussion; bring any last-minute questions before the break to class
November 21—Journal 4 due by midnight
November 22—Fall recess
November 24—Fall recess

9. November 26—Fall recess
November 29— Finals prep (Michael available for conferences)
December 1—Finals prep (Michael available for conferences)
December 3—Finals prep (Michael available for conferences); Unit 4 due by midnight
December 6—Finals
December 8—Finals
December 10—Finals