First Year Composition Mission Statement
First-Year Composition courses at Florida State University teach writing as a recursive and frequently collaborative process of invention, drafting, and revising. Writing is both personal and social, and students should learn how to write for a variety of purposes and audiences. Since writing is a process of making meaning as well as communicating, First-Year Composition teachers respond to the content of students' writing as well as to surface errors. Students should expect frequent written and oral response on the content of their writing from both teachers and peers.

Students are expected to be active participants in the classroom community. Learning from each other and from their teachers, students are invited to give thoughtful, reasoned responses to both assigned readings and the compositions of their peers. With an emphasis on in-class discussions and workshops, First-Year Composition courses facilitate critical understandings between reading and composing.

 If you would like further information regarding FSU's First-Year Composition Program, feel free to contact the program director, Dr. Deborah Coxwell-Teague (dteague@fsu.edu).
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Course Goals                                                                                         
This course aims to help you improve your writing skills in all areas: discovering what you have to say, organizing your thoughts for a variety of audiences, and improving fluency and rhetorical sophistication.  You will write and revise four papers, write sustained exploratory journals, devise your own purposes and structures for those papers, work directly with the audience of your peers to practice critical reading and response, and learn many new writing techniques.

 

Course Outcomes                                                                                
In ENC 1101 and ENC 1102 (or 1145/42), students work to develop their own thinking through writing.  The First-Year Composition Program sees the aims--goals and objectives--of the courses as outcomes for students, and we share the position adopted by the Council of Writing Program Administrators (WPA) regarding “‘outcomes,’ or types of results, and not ‘standards,’ or precise levels of achievement... [that] we expect to find at the end of first-year composition” (from the WPA Outcomes Statement). The aim lies in several areas:

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Rhetorical Knowledge
  By the end of first-year composition, students should:
  Focus on a purpose
Respond to the needs of different audiences
Respond appropriately to different kinds of rhetorical situations
Use conventions of format and structure appropriate to the rhetorical situation
Adopt appropriate voice, tone, and level of formality
Understand how genres shape reading and writing
Write in several genres

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Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing
  By the end of first-year composition, students should:
Use writing and  reading for inquiry, learning, thinking, and communicating
Understand a writing assignment as a series of tasks, including finding, evaluating, analyzing, and synthesizing appropriate primary and secondary sources
Integrate their own ideas with those of others
Understand the relationship among language, knowledge, and power

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Processes
  By the end of the first year-composition, students should:
Be aware that it usually takes multiple drafts to create and complete a successful text
Develop flexible strategies for generating, revising, editing, and proof reading
Understand writing as an open process that permits writers to use later invention and rethinking to revise their work
Understand the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes
Learn to critique their own and others‘ works
Learn to balance the advantages of relying on others with the responsibility of doing their part
Use a variety of technologies to address a range of audiences

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Knowledge of Conventions
  By the end of the first-year composition, students should:
Learn common formats for different kinds of texts
Develop knowledge of genre conventions ranging from structure and paragraphing to tone and mechanics
Practice appropriate means of documenting their work
Control such surface features as syntax, grammar, punctuation, and spelling

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Composing in Electronic Environments
  By the end of the first-year composition, students should:
Use electronic environments for drafting, revising, editing, and sharing texts
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
Understand and exploit the differences in the rhetorical strategies and in the affordances available for both print and electronic composing processes and texts     

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Required Textbooks and Course Materials
The New McGraw-Hill Handbook by Maimon, Peritz, and Yancey (McGraw-Hill, 2013)
Access to a Computer (the university provides a number of computer labs)
A secure, accessible way of storing class materials (i.e. pdf files, drafts etc)

A Twitter Account

AWordpress Account

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Requirements of Course                                                                          
All of the formal written assignments below must be turned in to me in order to pass the course.
Three papers, edited and polished
Three drafts and revisions of each of the three papers
Informal journals (tweets/blogs)
One final project and reflection
Two individual conferences-- scheduled by you and your instructor, in lieu of class time, to work one-on-one on a draft, writing strategies etc.
Thoughtful, active, and responsible participation and citizenship, including discussion, preparation for class, in-class informal writing as well as participation in online spaces

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Portfolio Grading                                                                                     
Components                              Percentage of Grade
Portfolio                                                 60%
Group Project                                         12%

Draft Submission                                    10%

Twittter                                                   10%
Blogs                                                      5%

Participation                                             3%

 

A 100 Point Scale is Used

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**NB: ALL FORMAL PAPERS AND THEIR DRAFTS MUST BE COMPLETED AND TURNED IN TO EARN A PASSING GRADE IN THIS COURSE. **

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Attendance                                                                                         
The First-Year Composition program maintains a strict attendance policy to which this course adheres: an excess of 4 absences in a MW or TR class is grounds for failure (this is two weeks of the course). You should always inform me, ahead of time when possible, about why you miss class.  Save your absences for when you get sick or for family emergencies.  Not showing up for a conference counts as an absence as well.  Remember part of your grade relies upon class participation--if you are not here you cannot participate!  When unable to attend class, if possible, have a strong voice in our online spaces to keep up with your coursework.

First-Year Composition Course Drop Policy                                                  
This course is not eligible to be dropped in accordance with the “Drop Policy” adopted by the Faculty Senate in Spring 2004.  The Undergraduate Studies Dean will not consider drop requests for a First-Year Composition course unless there are extraordinary and extenuating circumstances utterly beyond the student’s control (i.e. death of a parent or sibling, illness requiring hospitalization, etc).  The Faculty Senate specifically eliminated First-Year Composition from the University Drop Policy because of the overriding requirement that First-Year Composition be completed during students’ initial enrollment at FSU.

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Civility                                                                                                     
This class will tolerate neither disruptive language nor disruptive behavior.  Disruptive language includes, but is not limited to, violent and/or belligerent and/or insulting remarks, including sexist, racist, homophobic or anti-ethnic slurs, bigotry, and disparaging commentary, either spoken or written (offensive slang is included in this category).  While each of you have a right to your own opinions, inflammatory language founded in ignorance or hate is unacceptable and will be dealt with immediately.  Disruptive behavior includes the use of cell phones, pagers or any other form of electronic communication during the class session (email, web browsing).  Disruptive behavior also includes whispering or talking when another member of the class is speaking or engaged in relevant conversation (remember that I am a member of this class as well).  This classroom functions of the premise of respect, and you will be asked to leave the classroom if you violate any part of this statement on civility.  This classroom is a community and will function as a safe environment for all members. Furthermore, this policy extends into our online environment (ie the Twitter feed). While I cannot police the things you choose to tweet outside of our classtime (which will be dealt with exactly as problematic language in class), I expect you to consider the fact that the audience of your presence on Twitter will always include this classroom community. Additionally, this classroom functions on the basis of respect to the community, this includes your peers as well as myself. Know that you can also be removed from class for choosing to not do the day's reading because you are unable to be  an active participant, and this decision will be treated as a disrespectul act--you also will burn one of your absences each time you are excused from class for not doing the work for that day.

 

Technology

This course relies heavily on the use of technology, and your technological tools are welcomed into this classroom space (phones, tablets/ipads/readers, laptops, and the desktops provided in the classroom); however, you may not abuse this privilege. We blog and tweet as well as compose on screen, but you should keep in mind that the civility clause still applies. Do not take advantage of the freedoms you have regarding your technology. I expect to see phones out during class because you may be tweeting and such, and you should expect to see my phone out. I tweet with you.

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Drafts, Revisions, and Final Papers                                                              
You will need to make copies of your drafts and revisions (not final papers) before you come to class on days we workshop for each group member.  The number of drafts needed will be provided to you prior to each workshop.  I require that all drafts and revisions be typed (MLA format, 1-inch margins).  You have access to a number of computer labs around campus, so if you don’t have your own computer take advantage of one of FSU’s.  Final papers do not need covers or title pages.  All you written work must have your name, my name and the date at the top of the first page.  You will be responsible for some photocopying expenses for this class on occasion, in order to share your writing with your peers.  You will generally be choosing your own topics and structures for the drafts and papers in this class.  You will be required to share your work with your classmates so take care in what you choose to write about.  Your writing for this class is nearly always public in the sense that others will be reading, hearing and commenting on it. Drafts will be due by midnight the night before Workshop via BB under the corresponding "assignment" in "Projects".

 

Reading Writing Center (RWC)                                                                    
The Reading/Writing Center, located on the second floor of the Williams building and Johnston Grounds, is devoted to individualized instruction in reading and writing. Part of the English Department, the RWC serves Florida State University students at all levels from all majors.  Its clients include a cross-section of the campus: first-year students writing for composition class, upper-level students writing term papers, seniors composing letters of applications for jobs and graduate schools, graduate students working on theses and dissertations, multi-lingual students mastering English, and a variety of others.  The RWC serves mostly walk-in tutoring appointments, you should also register online with the RWC scheduler to ensure that you will get an appointment; however, it also offers three different courses for credit that specifically target reading, undergraduate writing, and graduate level writing.

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Strozier Satellite Location                                                                      
The Strozier location serves students where its most convenient for them and alongside the research and advising services the library offers.  Only walk-in appointments are available at this RWC location, on a first-come first-serve basis, but students can sign up in advance the day of an appointment at the tutoring area.  Hours vary by semester, but are updated on both the RWC website and the Strozier Library website at the start of each semester.

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Digital Studio                                                                                       
The Digital Studio provides support to students working individually or in groups on a variety of digital projects, such as designing a website, developing an electronic portfolio for a class, creating a blog, selecting images for a visual essay, adding voiceover to a presentation, or writing a script for a podcast. Tutors who staff the Digital Studio can help students brainstorm essay ideas, provide feedback on the content and design of a digital project, or facilitate collaboration for group projects and presentations.  Students can use the Digital Studio to work on their own to complete class assignments or to improve overall capabilities in digital communication without a tutoring appointment if a work station is available.  However, tutor availability and workspace are limited so appointments are recommended. To make an appointment email us at fsudigitalstudio@gmail.com or visit the Digital Studio on the second floor of the Williams Building or in Johnston Ground.  Hours vary by semester and are updated on the website.

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Plagiarism                                                                                           
Plagiarism is grounds for suspension from the university as well as for failure in this course.  It will not be tolerated. Any instance of plagiarism must be reported to the Director of First-Year Composition and the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Plagiarism is a counterproductive, non-writing behavior that is unacceptable in a course intended to aid the growth of individual writers.  Plagiarism is included among the violations defined in the Academic Honor Code, section b), paragraph 2 as follows: “Regarding academic assignments, violations of the Academic Honor Code shall include representing another’s work of any part thereof, be it published or unpublished, as one’s own.”  A plagiarism education assignment that further explains this issue will be administered during the second week of class.  Each student will be responsible for completing the assignment and asking questions.

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Gordon Rule                                                                                      
In order to fulfill FSU’s Gordon Rule “W” Designation (writing) credit, the student must earn a “C-” or better in the course, and in order to receive a “C-” or better in the course, the student must earn at least a “C-” or better on the required writing assignments for the course.  If the student does not earn a “C-” or better on the required assignments for the course, the student will not earn an overall grade of “C-” or better in the course, no matter how well the student performs in the remaining portion of the course.  The University stipulates that students must write 7,000 words in ENC1101 and 1102 (at least 3,500 words per course).

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ADA                                                                                                    
Students with disabilities needing academic accommodations should in the firt week of class 1) register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) and 2) bring a letter to the instructor from SDRC indicating the need for academic accommodations. This and all other class materials are available in alternative format upon request