CLBR 090

Advanced Academic Writing

Fall Quarter 2009

Instructor:       Anne Hepfer                           Classroom:      PIGT 205

Office:             Lynn Building, Room 108      Days:               Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Office Hours:  MWF 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.            Time:               1:30 – 2:20 p.m.

                        and by appointment

Email:              hepfera@seattleu.edu

 

Replies to email messages will be provided within 48 hours except on weekends.

Texts

American Cultural Patterns: A Cross-Cultural Perspective by Edward C. Stewart and Milton J. Bennett (Revised Editon)

A Brief Guide to Writings from Readings  by Stephen W. Wilhoit (Fifth Edition)

 

Textbooks available at the Seattle University Book Store.

Attendance

Regular class attendance during the quarter is mandatory. Students who miss two classes during the quarter may have their grade lowered by one grade point (letter grade).

Punctuality is also mandatory; arriving to class tardy twice is considered equivalent to one absence.

 

 

Course Goals

To provide an understanding of American Cultural assumptions

To increase awareness of and effectiveness in American academic environments

To practice translating cultural values and assumptions into specific and practical applications

To develop student ability to produce appropriate modes of formal writing

To enhance strategic reading skills

To improve sentence level grammar

 

 

Course Work & Participation

The course work for this class consists of text-based homework, quizzes, interviews, written assignments and oral presentations.

 

All written assignments are due at the beginning of the class period.

No makeup quizzes will be given.

No late assignments will be accepted.

All writing assignments must follow appropriate university format, such as neatly typed and double-spaced on white bond paper using 12-point font; the right margin should not be justified.

 

The upper left corner should contain the following single-spaced information:

 

            CLBR 090 Advanced Academic Writing

            Your Name

            Date

 

Participation is defined as attending regularly and on time, contributing comments and questions, displaying appropriate listening behavior, and engaging in course material.

 

Note: Talking while other students are presenting is inappropriate behavior and will not be tolerated.

Grading

Writing assignment grades are subjective and receive points on a percentage scale.

With major assignments, the quality of the first and second drafts carries equal weight.

Assume the corresponding letter grade if your points are at the level listed as follows:

 

90 (A)  Writing demonstrates very strong organizational, academic, grammatical, and vocabulary skills.

80 (B)  Writing demonstrates good organizational, academic, grammatical, and vocabulary skills, but has some errors.

70 (C)  Writing demonstrates generally satisfactory rhetorical, grammatical, and vocabulary skills, but contains some consistent errors.

60(D)  Writing demonstrates some organizational, academic, grammatical, and vocabulary skills, all of which require improvement.

Less than 60 (F)  Writing demonstrates only basic organizational, academic, and grammatical skills; vocabulary is limited, and the ideas in the essay are difficult to understand.

 

In order to pass this class, students must earn C or above.  If your grade falls below C, you will be required to repeat this course the following quarter.  In this case, the letter grade F will appear on student transcripts, but will not affect your GPA.

 

Percentage breakdown on grades:      Two major assignments           (22.5% x 2)     45%

                                                            Three in-class essays               (15% x 3)        45%

                                                            Participation/Progress                                     10%

 

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined as using the ideas and words of other individuals without giving credit or acknowledging their work.  It is a serious academic offence for students to submit assignments as their own when this work in part of whole represents the work of another.  In this case, an appropriate course of action or penalties will be determined according to the Policies and Procedures for violations of the Academic Honesty Code.

(See the Academic Honesty Policy for further information.)

 

The last day of class is Friday, December 4^th.

There are no classes the following days: Wednesday, November 11^th (Veteran’s Day), and Wednesday – Friday, November 25^th -27^th (Thanksgiving Recess).

Note:  This syllabus is only a guideline of course policies and goals.  The instructor reserves the right to modify course objectives, concepts, and components during the quarter.  If subsequent changes in the course goals or policies occur, students will receive updated information and syllabus revisions.