What is a passing grade at saint leo university

Academic Writing I

Course Description: The techniques of effective writing, logical thinking, and intelligent reading, with special emphasis on expository writing. To ensure competence in oral communications, a speech component is included. Prerequisite: Passing grade in ENG 002 or satisfactory score on the English Placement Test Textbooks: Harris, Muriel G. Prentice Hall Reference Guide. 9th ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson-Prentice Hall,

2015. Print. ISBN-13: 978-1-269-86107-6 Hirschberg, Stuart, and Terry Hirschberg. The Academic Writing Reader: Saint Leo University. Boston:

Pearson Custom, 2006. Print. ISBN-13: 978-0-536-97592-8 Harris, Muriel G. MyWritingLab and eText Access. Upper Saddle River: Pearson-Prentice Hall, 2014. ISBN-13: 978-1-269-86106-9 A College English dictionary and some sort of device (flash drive, external hard drive, etc.) to save backups of your assignments are highly recommended. Learning Outcomes: As a result of this course, you will:

1. Perfect the ability to write clear theses. 2. Demonstrate proficiency in writing well-constructed introductory, body, and concluding

paragraphs. 3. Demonstrate the ability to revise and proofread. 4. Demonstrate proficiency in editing, revising, and producing drafts of an essay. 5. Demonstrate proficiency in spelling, punctuation, and grammar. 6. Improve sentence structure. 7. Improve writing style. 8. Improve critical thinking and problem-solving skills. 9. Improve speaking skills. 10. Develop proficiency in writing a five-paragraph essay in the various rhetorical modes.

Core Values: Students are expected to be mindful of the Benedictine core values of Saint Leo University when submitting work, interviewing outside resources, and working in groups. The English and Fine Arts department has identified integrity and respect as core values for focus in this course. Respect: Animated in the spirit of Jesus Christ, we value all individuals' unique talents, respect their dignity and strive to foster their commitment to excellence in our work. Our community's strength depends on the unity and diversity of our people, on the free exchange of ideas and on learning, living and working harmoniously. Integrity: The commitment of Saint Leo University to excellence demands that its members live its mission and deliver on its promise. The faculty, staff and students pledge to be honest, just and consistent in word and deed.

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Evaluation: Student will be graded on the following assignments:

Assignments: Points Weight Essays (6) 600 40%

MyWritingLab Exercises (35) 107 15% Midterm Exam 80 20% Final Exam 100 20% Discussions (8) 40 5% Total 927 100%

Grading

Grade Score (%) A 94-100 A- 90-93 B+ 87-89 B 84-86 B- 80-83 C+ 77-79 C 74-76 C- 70-73 D+ 67-69 D 60-66 F 0-59

A minimum grade of “C” is needed to fulfill the degree requirement. MyWritingLab Registration: Students will access MyWritingLab (MWL) via the LearningPath link under Course Home in the course menu. Students attempting to access MWL for the first time will be prompted to enter the access code received with the textbook. This can be done by doing the following:

1. Click the Learning Path link under Course Home. 2. Select Access Code. 3. Enter the access code, and then click the Next button and continue registration

After registering, students will have direct access to the MWL via the Learning Path link for the duration of the term when logged on to the course. Exams: You will take two exams, a midterm and a final. The Midterm Exam will cover materials from Modules 1-4, and the Final Exam will be comprehensive, covering materials from all eight modules. Essays: You will write six essays. The following information should be in the upper left-hand corner: name, essay type, class, and date. Your writing will be graded on organization, clarity, and coherence. A clear thesis, well-developed supporting paragraphs, and a logical conclusion are needed. You will also need to follow the directions for each typed essay; e.g., process analysis essay, narrative essay, etc. Smarthinking: With the exception of the 12-Point Essay, you will submit you draft essays to Smarthinking. You are to use the advice provided by the tutors to revise their essays and then will submit final versions of the essays to the Dropbox. (These Dropbox baskets are linked to Turnitin.) Additional information on Turnitin can be found by clicking the Policies and Information link under Course Home.

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For example, a student will submit the draft version of the Process Analysis Essay to Smarthinking by the end of Module 2 (Sunday). Smarthinking tutors will offer advice and typically return the essay within 24-48 hours. The students will use the advice to revise the essay, and then will submit the final version to the Dropbox by the end of Module 3 (Sunday). Tutors’ comments will be submitted along with the final version; otherwise, points will be deducted. Before submitting writing assignments to Smarthinking, you need to become familiar with the site. Smarthinking can be accessed by clicking the “Smarthinking” link under Course Home. Once in the Smarthinking site for the first time, click the Academic Resources link at the bottom of the page and then click the “Step-by-Step Smarthinking Student Handbook” link. Carefully review the handbook paying particular attention to the instructions on how to submit essays. Discussions: During each module, you will post your initial discussion response no later than Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT. Then, you are responsible for reading the postings of at least three other students and responding to those postings before Saturday 11:59 PM EST/EDT. This will give students 24 hours to revise their original work. The final copy is due no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT. In essence, each student is peer-reviewing other students’ work. Through these assignments, you will encounter a variety of writing. Some of it will be good and some of it will need more work. Learn from those writings that are good; use consideration and thoughtfulness to help those who need more work. Offer at least one positive and one constructive opinion to at least three students. To assure everyone’s material is read, once a student has three responses, please read someone else’s response. Feel free to read and respond to more than three students. The final posting for each student will be graded from 1-5. A score of 4.5-5 means the student has met all the requirements of the assignment: contains an effective topic sentence, possesses skillful language, is well organized, uses examples and detail, has good sentence structure, has good word choice, and possesses unity and coherence. A score of a 4.0-4.4 means the student has met almost all of the requirements, but needs a little more revision. A score of a 3.5-3.9 means the student has met the minimum amount of skill and is lacking some of the requirements needed for a well-developed essay. A score of 2.0-3.4 means the student is lacking most of the requirements needed for a well-developed essay. A score of 0-1.9 means the student is lacking all of the requirements needed for a well-developed essay. QEP Critical Thinking Discussion: Saint Leo University is dedicated to implementing critical thinking; as a result, we believe that Critical Thinking + Core Values = Decision Making. As part of this initiative, the final draft of the Module 1 discussion post (essay) will be collected as part of a university-wide study. To that end, you will complete the discussion assignment as directed in Module 1.

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Course Schedule: Module 1 Welcome and the 12-Point Essay Objectives When you complete this module, you should be able to:

 Compose a 12-point essay and explain the relationship between the 12-point essay and the 500-word essay.

 Summarize and implement the steps of the writing process.  Explain the components of an effective thesis statement.

Assignments

Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:

Post introduction to the class Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Read the following from Prentice Hall Reference Guide: Chapters 1 (pp.1-5) and 2 (Sections 2a-2e)

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Post draft of QEP Essay to Discussion Board Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post responses (peer reviews) to at least three classmates’ QEP Essays

Saturday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Complete MyWritingLab exercises Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post final version of QEP Essay to Discussion Board Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Submit 12-Point Essay to Dropbox Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Module 2 Introductions, Conclusions, and the Process Analysis Essay Objectives When you complete this module, you should be able to:

 Summarize the common mistakes often made in the introduction and conclusion paragraphs.

 Develop effective introduction and conclusion paragraphs.

 Explain the differences between the directive process analysis and the informative process analysis.

 Compose an effective 500-word informative process analysis essay. Assignments

Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:

Read the following: - From Academic Writing Reader: “Process,” “Learning to Read and Write” by Frederick Douglass, and “To Make Them Stand in Fear” by Kenneth Stampp - From Prentice Hall Reference Guide : Chapter 3 (Section 3e)

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Post draft paragraph to Discussion Board Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post responses (peer reviews) to at least three classmates’ paragraphs

Saturday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post final paragraph to Discussion Board Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT Complete MyWritingLab exercises Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT Submit draft of Process Analysis Essay to Smarthinking Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

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Module 3 Paragraph Writing and the Cause and Effect Essay Objectives When you complete this module, you should be able to:

 Explain the difference between causes and effects.

 Construct a well-developed paragraph using a topic sentence, unity, coherence, transitions, logical order, and examples.

 Use the writing process to create a cause and effect essay that demonstrates an understanding of this type of essay.

Assignments

Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:

Read the following: - From Academic Writing Reader: “Cause and Effect,” “How the Web Destroys the Quality of Students’ Research Papers” by David Rothenburg, and “Want-Creation Fuels Americans’ Addictiveness” by Philip Slater - From Prentice Hall Reference Guide: Chapters 19, 15, 20, 21, and 3 (Sections 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3e)

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Post draft paragraph to Discussion Board Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post responses (peer reviews) to at least three classmates’ paragraphs

Saturday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post final paragraph to Discussion Board Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT Complete MyWritingLab exercises Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT Submit draft of Cause and Effect Essay to Smarthinking Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT Submit final version of Process Analysis Essay to Dropbox Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

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Module 4 Revision and the Narrative Essay Objectives When you complete this module, you should be able to:

 Describe the techniques for revising an essay.  Explain the difference between revising and proofreading.  Explain the components of an effective paragraph: a topic sentence, unity,

coherence, transitions, logical order, and examples.  Use the writing process to create a draft narrative essay that incorporates all

of the narrative characteristics and demonstrates an understanding of this type of essay.

Assignments

Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:

Read the following: - From Academic Writing Reader: “Narration,” “Report from Ground Zero” by Dennis Smith, and “My Brother, Gary Gilmore” by Mikhal Gilmore - From Prentice Hall Reference Guide: Chapters 35, 37, 38, and 2 (Sections 2e and 2f)

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Post draft paragraph to Discussion Board Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post responses (peer reviews) to at least three classmates’ paragraphs

Saturday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post final paragraph to Discussion Board Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Complete MyWritingLab exercises Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Submit draft of Narrative Essay to Smarthinking Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Submit final version of Cause and Effect Essay to Dropbox Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Complete Midterm Exam Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

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Module 5 Comma Splices, Fused Sentences and Fragments, and the Compare and Contrast Essay

Objectives When you complete this module, you should be able to:

 Recognize and fix comma splices, fused sentences, and fragments with the five different methods provided.

 Recognize and explain the point-by-point and the subject-by-subject structures of the compare and contrast essay.

 Use the writing process to create a compare and contrast essay that incorporates one of the structures and demonstrates an understanding of this type of essay.

Assignments

Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:

Read the following: - From Academic Writing Reader: “Compare and Contrast,” “Sex, Lies, and Conversation” by Deborah Tannen, and “The Lowest Animal” by Mark Twain - From Prentice Hall Reference Guide: Chapters 11 and 13

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Post draft paragraph to Discussion Board Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post responses (peer reviews) to at least three classmates’ paragraphs

Saturday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post final paragraph to Discussion Board Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Complete MyWritingLab exercises Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Submit draft of Compare and Contrast Essay to Smarthinking Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Submit final version of Narrative Essay to Dropbox Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Module 6 Subject-Verb Agreement and the Argument Essay Objectives When you complete this module, you should be able to:

 Explain the 10 rules for creating subject-verb agreement.  Use the writing process to create an argumentative essay that incorporates

its characteristics (the assertion, the evidence, and the counter argument) and demonstrates an understanding of this type of essay.

Assignments

Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:

Read the following: - From Academic Writing Reader: “Argument,” “From a Native Daughter” by Haunani-Kay Trask, “Is Harry Potter Evil?” by Judy Blume, and “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society” by Jonathan Kozol - From Prentice Hall Reference Guide: Chapters 12 and 24

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Post draft paragraph to Discussion Board Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post responses (peer reviews) to at least three classmates’ paragraphs

Saturday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post final paragraph to Discussion Board Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Complete MyWritingLab exercises Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Submit draft of Argument Essay to Smarthinking Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Submit final version of Compare and Contrast Essay to Dropbox Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

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Module 7 Punctuation, Examples, and Illustrations Objectives When you complete this module, you should be able to:

 Explain the need for examples in writing and identify the different types of examples.

 Utilize commas, semicolons, apostrophes, colons, and quotation marks correctly within sentences.

Assignments

Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:

Read the following: - From Academic Writing Reader: “Gathering and Using Examples,” “Boyhood with Gurdjieff” by Fritz Peters, and “Moonlit Nights of Laughter” by Fatima Mernissi - From Prentice Hall Reference Guide: Chapters 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, and 46

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Post draft paragraph to Discussion Board Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post responses (peer reviews) to at least three classmates’ paragraphs

Saturday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post final paragraph to Discussion Board Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Complete MyWritingLab exercises Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Submit final version of Argument Essay to Dropbox Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Module 8 Plagiarism Objectives When you complete this module, you should be able to:

 Explain what plagiarism means.  Explain how plagiarism relates to your writing.

 Summarize the guidelines for avoiding plagiarism. Assignments

Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:

Read Prentice Hall Reference Guide: Chapter 68

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Post draft paragraph to Discussion Board Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post responses (peer reviews) to at least three classmates’ paragraphs

Saturday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post final paragraph to Discussion Board Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Complete MyWritingLab exercises Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Complete Final Exam Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT