1. English 1301: Essentials of college rhetoric
Week One: An Introduction

2. Instructor introduction
Instructor: Mrs. Ashley Edlin
Office Location: ENGL 459
Office Hours: Mon. and Wed. 9:30am-11:00am
Address:
Personal Information

3. learning objectives
Identify and adapt appropriate communication choices based on subject, occasion, and audience.
Develop, apply, and express appropriate form and content in written, visual, and oral communication.
Demonstrate basic principles of critical thinking, problem solving, and technical proficiency as evidenced through communication choices, including those of organization, genre, and platform.

4. why rhetoric and writing matters
Answer the following questions on a piece of paper that will be turned in at the end of class.
What do you know about the term “rhetoric”?
What do you think you will have to write in college?
Why is it important to study writing in college?
What did you write in high school?
How will the writing you do in college be different from the writing you did in high school?

5. first-day business Check Roll: two truths and a lie Required Materials
Texas Tech’s English 1301/1302 Textbook (Custom Edition )
The St. Martin’s Handbook (TTU E-Custom Edition)
ebooks.bfwpub.com/ttu
Electronic storage media to hold copies of all work completed and submitted for the course
Access to a computer with Internet capabilities

6. assignments and grading
You will have one or more writing assignments due each week. The weight or value of each assignment varies, depending on the type of assignment and where each assignment falls in the curriculum. Please note that there is no final exam in ENGL 1301.
Your final grade for the course will be calculated by dividing the number of points you have earned by the total weights of all assignments. Your grade will be available 24/7 on Raider Writer.
Note: grades are not rounded, which means a 79.6, for example, is still a 79, or a C.

7. attendance
It is expected that you arrive on time and attend all scheduled classes.
If you must miss class because of an official university activity, you must notify me at least one week in advance, provide documentation in the form of a letter from the sponsoring department or unit, and arrange to turn in work either before your departure or immediately upon your return.
I will take attendance each week. After your second absence, 5% of your final grade will be deducted for each additional absence.
Regular attendance is ESSENTIAL to your success in this course.

8. due dates and late penalties
All assignments must be turned in online by 11:59.59 p.m. (CST) by the date stipulated in the online syllabus.
If you have trouble submitting your work online for any reason, your instructor and include a copy of your completed assignment, along with an explanation of the technical problem, prior to the deadline for the assignment.
I reserve the right to remove the late penalty if I have proof that you completed the assignment on time. Otherwise, any assignment(s) submitted late will receive the allowing deductions:
1-3 days late: 5 points will be deducted per day late
4 or more days late: starting on the fourth day, the penalty increases to 10 points per day late

9. classroom behavior
As college students, you are expected to behave in a courteous and respectful manner toward your instructor and the other students enrolled in the course. The following behaviors are among those viewed as unacceptable:
Using electronic devices, including but not limited to cell phones, iPods, laptops, and tablets without the instructor’s permission
Talking while others have the floor/interrupting others
Acting belligerently or in a belittling manner
Challenging the instructor’s authority
Displaying disruptive behavior
Students who repeatedly disturb the progress of the class may be asked to leave the class and discuss their behavior with a writing program director and/or a representative from Student Judicial Programs as a result of an instructor-initiated Campus Incident Report.

10. communication policies
Students are expected to behave in civil and appropriate ways both in the classroom and online.
Verbal harassment of instructors or fellow students orally, through , through the writing concern box, or through the comment evaluation function will NOT be tolerated.
Language that might be appropriate for friends is not always appropriate for academic discourse. Students must maintain a professional and courteous tone in all classroom and online correspondence.
Verbal harassment of instructors or fellow students orally or through writing will not be tolerated. I reserve the right to count absent or to drop from the course those students who repeatedly disrupt the class in ways that are unacceptable.

11. academic integrity and plagiarism
For the purposes of this course, “plagiarism” includes but is not limited to, the appropriation of buying, receiving as a gift, or obtaining by any means material that is attributable in whole or in part to another source, including words, ideas, illustrations, structure, computer code, other expression and media, and presenting the material as one’s own academic work being offered for credit.

12. software for the course
Raider Writer
You will receive an to your TTU address with instructions for resetting your password and logging in. This must be taken care of within the first 48 hours of our first class meeting. If you do not receive this within 48 hours, please contact me for further instructions.
All major assignments will be turned in to Raider Writer.

13. course website
The website for this course contains supplemental policies and procedures, your course blog, the course schedule, and other important information.

14. hybrid structure
Remember, this is a hybrid course. Since we will only meet face-to- face once a week, you will have a lot of reading and writing to do outside of class, but you will have a week to do it.
The reduced “seat time” gives you the flexibility to do the reading and writing at a time that is convenient for you. Just remember, this doesn’t mean you can wait until the last minute to begin your assignments. Keep a calendar, and develop some strategies that will help you to manage your time.
Because we only meet face-to-face once a week, you should check the course website and Raider Writer AT LEAST twice a week to make sure you stay up with updates, reminders, and any schedule changes.

15. “Why should i learn to write?”
Get into a group of 3-4 students who have the same major (or possible future major) as you.
Write down a list of all instances in your future career where effective writing skills will help you succeed.
For example, will you write s? Will you write business reports? What else will you write?
The group who lists the most instances will be awarded 5 bonus points on an upcoming participation assignment. Be creative!

16. readings and assignments
This week, you will need to complete the following items:
Buy the required materials
The St. Martins’ Handbook 7e
Custom textbook
Get into Raider Writer within the next 48 hours
Review this course website and familiarize yourself with all course policies and procedures.
Read Week 1 reading (also listed in Raider Writer):  1. First-Year Writing: Course Policies- textbook pages xv-xxviii 2. St. Martin's Handbook: Top 20 and How to Use Your Handbook 3. Audio Lesson: How to Succeed in this Course
Prepare for a quiz over the policies, procedures, and readings next time we have class.
Within 48 hours of our first class meeting, read the instructions for BA1 in Raider Writer. Once you have read and understand the instructions, submit BA1 to Raider Writer by the due date, which will be before I see you next. 

17. reminders No class next week: Labor Day
Your week 2 assignments will be posted to the website by no later than Friday, August 29. I will also them to your TTU address.
Although we will not have class, you should be prepared for an online quiz and/or discussion of these readings on our course website next week.
The readings are as follows:
First-year Writing: Chapter One, pp. 2-15; Chapter 6 pp
St. Martin's Handbook: Chapter 1, “Expectations for College Writing”; Chapter 60a, "Reading Texts in the Humanities" and DiYanni, "Developing a College Vocabulary" (available in the final part of the handbook, "WID/Critical Reading Skills”)
“Reading Critically” Audio Lesson
First-Year Writing: Chapter 2 pp ; Chapter 3 pp , 51-61
St. Martin's Handbook: Chapter 12 f 2, "Paraphrases" & Chapter 12 f 3, "Summaries"; Write on Tutorials, "Summarizing and Paraphrasing Sources”
“Introduction to Rhetorical Analysis” Audio Lesson