This document is a syllabus for an English 102 college writing course. It outlines the course goals, learning outcomes, assignments, grading policies, and expectations. The main goals of the course are to improve students' skills in persuasive and expository writing for various audiences, purposes, and genres. Students will focus on community awareness and thinking rhetorically about interactions in their environment. Major assignments include essays analyzing a sense of place and a community issue, as well as a public service announcement. The syllabus provides details on class structure, participation expectations, assignments, grading scale, academic honesty policies, and instructor contact information.

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Syllabus English 102 Fall 2017
College Writing and Rhetoric
Instructor: Shannon Dryden
Email: sdryden@uidaho.edu
Office: Brink 102
Office Hours: Tuesday through Thursday 11:00 to 12:00
Course Goals and Learning Outcomes
English 102 is an introductory composition course, designed to improve your skills in persuasive,
expository writing, the sort you will be doing in other courses in college and in many jobs. Sometimes
this kind of writing is called transactional writing; it is used to transact something—persuade and
inform a reasonably well-educated audience, conduct business, evaluate, review, or explain a complex
process, procedure, or event.
Your section of English 102 will be focusing on community awareness and thinking rhetorically about
the interactions and situations we experience daily, perhaps without even thinking about them. We
will be using this framework for all of our major assignments and class discussions. This class will be
using research to more critically explore an issue you encounter in our community, our campus, or
your field of study and understand its connection to a broader issue confronting society at large. This
course is designed, first and foremost, to make you an effective writer across the disciplines,
throughout your academic career, and beyond the university. My goal is to guide you toward thinking
more critically about your environment and your place within it and help you to communicate these
ideas effectively and for a variety of audiences, purposes, and genres, regardless of your background,
interests, or academic goals. By the end of the course, a successful student should be able to…
1. Accurately assess and effectively respond to a wide variety of audiences and rhetorical
situations.
2. Comprehend college-level and professional prose and analyze how authors present their ideas
in view of their probable purposes, audiences, and occasions.
3. Present ideas as related to, but clearly distinguished from, the ideas of others (including the
ability to paraphrase, summarize, and correctly cite and document borrowed material).
4. Focus on, articulate, and sustain a purpose that meets the needs of specific writing situations.
5. Explicitly articulate why they are writing, who they are writing for, and what they are saying.
6. Write critical analyses and syntheses of college-level and professional prose.
7. Be able to make the connection between questions and problems in your life both within and
outside of college.
8. Gather and evaluate information and use it for a rhetorical purpose in writing a research paper.
9. Attend to and productively incorporate a variety of perspectives.
10. Develop flexible strategies for generating, revising, editing, and proofreading.
11. Understand writing as an open process that permits writers to use later invention and re-
thinking to revise their work.
12. Give and receive constructive feedback from peers.

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13. Use conventions of format and structure appropriate to the rhetorical situation and practice
appropriate means of documenting their work.
14. Locate, evaluate, organize, and use research material collected from electronic sources,
including scholarly library databases; other official databases (e.g., federal government
databases); and informal electronic networks and internet sources.
Class Deadlines
The due dates for all homework assignments and drafts are listed on the master course schedule posted
on the class BbLearn site, as well as in the course folder for each unit. If at any point these dates
change, the course schedule will be updated. You know the deadlines now, at the beginning of the
term, so late work will not be accepted without prior arrangement or communication.
Required Textbook
• Chapters from Jodie Nicotra’s Becoming Rhetorical. I will be providing you with PDF versions of
assigned readings.
• There will also be supplemental readings required throughout the course, which will be
available as PDFs on the BbLearn site.
Course Website
As this is an online course, all materials for the course can be found on the course BbLearn site.
All assignments will be submitted through BbLearn as well. Log on to BbLearn
(http://bblearn.uidaho.edu) using your University of Idaho NetID and password, and locate English
102. If you ask me a question that can be easily answered by reading the material provided
online, I will simply direct you to the corresponding assignment sheet, course folder, or section
on the syllabus/course schedule.
Attendance
Attendance in English 102 is mandatory. Being present in class is key to success in this course. If you
accumulate more than three (3) unexcused absences, you will automatically receive an F in the
course.
- Unexplained instances of being more than 5 minutes late to class will count as ½ an absence
each.
- 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).
- If you have other special circumstances or trips planned that would result in you missing
class, notify me in person or via email at least one week in advance, and your absence may
be excused on a case-by-case basis. You are responsible for making up work you miss due to
absences.

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- 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.
Participation
In addition to being physically and mentally present in class, a portion of your final grade will be based
on your active participation in class each day. This is graded separately from attendance. Active,
engaged participation involves coming to class on time and prepared, both with materials and
something productive to add to class conversation—this includes any questions you may have. It also
involves being courteous to your classmates by not interrupting during class instruction or discussion.
As outlined below under “Course Etiquette,” use of technology during class will not be allowed unless
explicitly stated by the instructor. If you choose to disregard this rule, you will lose participation
points for the day.
Course Etiquette
Classroom citizenship: The online classroom 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. Disruptive behavior
during class may result in expulsion from a class meeting or the entire course.
Technology: All cell phones must be turned COMPLETELY OFF and put away. Unless you
have been given explicit permission to use your laptop in class, all laptops should be shut and
stowed. As stated above, use of technology during class time will result in points being taken
away from your participation grade.
Email etiquette: 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. If it is not formatted according to these guidelines, do not expect a
response.
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 online classroom interactions do not reflect an environment of civility and
respect, you are encouraged to meet with me during office hours to discuss your concern.
Additional resources for expression of concern or requesting support include the Dean of
Students office and staff (855-6757), the UI Counseling & Testing Center’s confidential services
(885-6716), or the UI Office of Human Rights, Access, & Inclusion (855-4258).
Office Hours

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My office hours and office number are listed above and on the BbLearn home page. I welcome you to
stop by to discuss your work, questions about the course, etc., during that time. If for some reason you
can’t come during my regularly posted hours, please email me or stop by after class, and we can make
other arrangements.
Course Requirements
Major Assignments
As discussed above, over the course of the semester, our class will be focused on the theme of
community awareness. The three course units will reflect this theme, beginning with an initial
reflection on the rhetorical properties of our environment and culminating in the creation of a
multimodal public service announcement designed to create awareness of your chosen issue.
The bulk of your graded work in this course will consist of these four major writing
assignments within thematically-focused project units, varying in genre, format, and page
length. For more information on these assignments, including detailed instructions and
formatting guidelines, please refer to their respective folders on the course BbLearn site.
•Unit 1: Identifying your Rhetorical Environment
- Sense of Place Essay
•Unit 2: Defining and Arguing a Rhetorical Problem
- Library Instruction Unit
- Annotated Research Scrapbook
- Macro-Micro-Response Essay
•Unit 3: Solving a Rhetorical Problem
- PSA Poster and Analysis Letter
Writing Journal
In addition to the major writing assignments, you will be expected to engage in short writing
prompts during class and to accompany assigned readings. These will be collected in a course
journal, which you must keep separate of your other classes and bring to every class
meeting. I will periodically collect and read journals to check your work and offer
encouragement. If you are absent, you are responsible for gathering missing journal prompts
from your classmates if you’d like to make them up.
Process Assignments
Process assignments are designed as building blocks to major assignment drafts, as well as
checkpoints to assess your understanding of each unit’s concepts. They are graded on
completeness and effort. For detailed instructions on completing and submitting individual
process assignments, please refer to unit folders.
Evaluation
Your grade in this course will be a combination of your work in the three formal writing units, daily
work completed in your writing journal, and participation points.
Formal Writing Assignments

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Rough drafts of major writing assignments – indicated below in bold – are worth 50 points.
They will be evaluated based on completeness (50%) and effort (50%). Your rough draft must
be submitted to the assignment drop-box below the Unit header on the left-hand panel of the
BbLearn site. You will also be required to bring hard copies to class on the dates specified on
the course schedule as peer review days.
Final drafts of major writing assignments are worth 100 points and will be evaluated based on
rubrics. These rubrics are provided on the second page of each of the assignment instruction
sheets. You must complete each major assignment by the final due date in order to pass
the course.
Writing Journal
Free writes and assigned journal entries will be evaluated less formally. A full score will be
awarded for a writing journal that fully and thoughtfully engages with the associated prompts.
Participation
As stated above, participation is determined separately from attendance. Full participation
points will be awarded to students who arrive on time and actively engage in class discussions
and activities. Points will be deducted for use of technology during class, unless explicitly
allowed by the instructor, or for disruption while students or the instructor are speaking.
Final Grades
Final grades will be based on a 1,185-point scale. This means that to have a final grade of C, the
minimum grade required to pass the class, you must have earned at least 830 points over the
course of the fall semester. A B will have earned 948 points, and so on. Points are distributed as
indicated below:
• Unit 1: Considering your Community – 200 points
- Syllabus Quiz – 10 points
- Process Assignment: Visual Rhetoric – 20 points
- Process Assignment: Voice and Style – 20 points
- Sense of Place Essay: Rough Draft – 50 points
- Sense of Place Essay: Final Draft – 100 points
• Unit 2: Defining and Arguing a Rhetorical Problem - 415 points
- Library Instruction Unit – 35 points
- Process Assignment: Rhetorical Reading – 20 points
- Process Assignment: Concept Outline – 20 points
- Process Assignment: Synthesis Paragraph – 20 points
- Macro-Micro-Response Essay: Rough Draft – 50 points
- Peer Review Worksheet – 20 points
- Research Scrapbook: 100 points
- Macro-Micro-Response Essay: Final Draft – 100 points
- Unit 2 Project Presentation – 50 points
• Unit 4: Rhetorical Remediation Unit – 170 points
- Process Assignment: Micro Essay Draft – 20 points
- PSA Concept Draft – 50 points
- Unit 3 Project – 100 points

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• Writing Journal (100 points per unit) – 300 points
• Participation (50 points per unit) – 150 points
In order to pass the course, you also must complete the entire Library Instruction Unit and
hand in all major assignments.
Final Grades are assigned as follows:
A
Represents achievement that is outstanding or superior relative to the level necessary to
meet the requirements of the course.
B
Represents achievement that is significantly above the level necessary to meet the
requirements of the course.
Grades of A or B are honors grades. You must do something beyond the minimum required in
order to earn an A or B.
C
Represents achievement that meets the basic requirements in every respect. It signifies that
the work is average, but nothing more.
W
Stands for Withdrawal. This is the grade you will receive if you withdraw from the course
after 9/1 but on or before 10/27. A W has no effect on your GPA, but you can have only
20 W credits during your time as an undergraduate at UI (about six courses. After Friday,
10/27 you can no longer withdraw from the course.
N
Stands for No Credit. A grade of N has no effect on your GPA, but it does mean that you
need to take the course again. You will earn a grade of N if your grade is an N and you
have done all the work for the course. You also must have made a good faith effort to
complete all the assignments. Handing in just any piece of writing just to avoid getting an
F will not work.
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 to succeed at a major
assignment, you will automatically earn an F. If you accumulate more than three
unexcused absences, you will automatically earn an F. If your average grade is an N but
you did not complete one of the major components of the course or you exceeded the
maximum number of unexcused absences, you will automatically earn an F in the course.
There is no reason for receiving an F in this course, unless you simply fail to submit the
required work or fail to come to class.
I
Stands for incomplete. Under very unusual circumstances you could be assigned an
Incomplete in the course if something happened to you within the last two weeks of the
semester that made it impossible to complete the course (a serious accident or illness that
left you hospitalized and very significant personal tragedy, etc.
10.) 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.
Disability Support Services
Phone: 208-885-6307
Email: dss@uidaho.edu
Web: http://www.uidaho.edu/studentaffairs/asap/dss

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11.) Policy on Plagiarism in English 102
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. You must be aware, however, that if a paper
involves plagiarism of any kind, I am empowered by Regulation 0-2 of the general catalog to assign a
grade of F for the course. In most cases of plagiarism, I will also make a complaint to the Dean of
Students Office, which can result in suspension or expulsion from the university.
I am aware, however, that many students, even beyond First Year Composition classes, struggle to
properly accredit the work of others within papers, and I recognize two basic kinds of plagiarism, as
outlined with the Modern Language Association of America:
1. Malicious or intentional plagiarism. This is the most serious kind of academic theft. It
involves using someone else’s work as your own without citing the source, including direct
copying, rephrasing, and summarizing, submitting someone else’s paper as your own, or
submitting your own work from a different semester or different course. It also involves taking
someone else’s idea and putting it in different words. Even if several different sources were
copied, it is still plagiarism.
2. “Plagia-phrasing” or mosaic plagiarism. Not indicating directly quoted passages or ideas
even while citing the work as a general source.
If a paper involves plagiarism of the second kind, I will ask you to rewrite the paper using correct
forms of documentation. However, if you persist in committing this kind of plagiarism, you could be
subjected to a more severe penalty of the type described above. 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!