Advanced Essay Writing:
Persuasive Writing


English 425
Winter 2003

Professor Theodore
Email Address: alisse@umich.edu
Office: 4172 Angell Hall, 763-4279
Office Hours: Mondays 4:00 - 5:00 pm, Wednesdays 10:30 - 11:30 am,
and by appointment on Mondays and Wednesdays


Course Information

Welcome Texts Activities and Requirements
Grading Office Hours Communication Services for Students
with Disabilities
Writing Center Advanced Writing in
the Disciplines Program
Academic Integrity Final Notes

Persuasive Writing

English 425 Home Schedule of Assignments Grading Criteria Announcements and Updates Contact Information


Welcome
Welcome to English 425. The official title of this course is "Advanced Essay Writing," which is a vague but workable title for an upper-level writing course. In this particular section of "Advanced Essay Writing," we will work on a particular type of writing: argumentative or persuasive writing. In other words, we will think about written (and spoken) language as a powerful tool. We will think about language use as an act which matters, a deed which has consequences.

The signers of the United States Constitution declared the free use of language--freedom of expression--to be the most important right of United States citizens. Susan B. Anthony and dozens of other women used the only power they had, the power of language, to ensure women their right to vote in the United States. And the persuasive eloquence of Martin Luther King, Jr., changed this nation's consciousness. These were ordinary people doing extraordinary things with language. What about you? Do you aspire to extraordinary things, or do you simply hope to land a great job or appeal a parking ticket? Either way, you'll need to use persuasive writing.

This semester, we will increase our awareness of, respect for, and facility with persuasive writing. To heighten your enthusiasm for and understanding of argumentative writing, you will choose topics that matter to you as we play with, analyze, and practice such language use. We'll write almost daily, and you will submit occasional writing exercises and three formal essays to be evaluated during the semester.

Frequently, you will have the chance to consider ideas with which you disagree or examine things from a completely new or foreign perspective. Additional objectives of this class are that you increasingly will exhibit what Howard Gabennesch of the University of Southern Indiana calls "the willingness to grant due process to [different] ideas . . . before rendering an informed and reasoned verdict" and that you will "recogni[ze] that the world is often not what it seems." To help us achieve these objectives, would you please keep them in mind as you participate in the activities of this course?

Texts and Other Course Materials
There is one required textbook for this course, Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students, and recommended a handbook called The Everyday Writer. Both books are available at Shaman Drum Bookshop (313 South State Street, 662-7407, http://www.shamandrum.com). Throughout the semester I will post information for you on the class website, http://www.umich.edu/~alisse/ENGL425w03/index.html. You will occasionally need to print this material and bring it with you to class. Please bring Ancient Rhetorics, your class notebook (including handouts distributed throughout the term and lots of blank paper), notes and drafts for the paper on which we are currently working, and of course a pen or two to each class session.
-- Crowley, Sharon and Deborah Hawhee. Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students. 2nd ed. Allyn and Bacon, 1999. ISBN 0-205-26903-6.
-- Lunsford, Andrea. The Everyday Writer. 2nd ed. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2001. ISBN 0-312-24347-2.

Primary Course Activities and Requirements
The schedule of assignments includes readings, writing exercises, and three formal essays. Quizzes are a possibility. These (hopefully infrequent) quizzes and your active engagement in small-group and class discussions amount to the participation component of the course. Attendance is required.

Readings
This course is based on discussion, not lectures, so I expect you to do the assigned reading carefully and come to class ready to talk about your reactions to it. If in your "extracurricular" reading you come across a passage or a text which does something interesting with language or a particular writing strategy, please feel free to bring it to class to share with us. Given that we are studying the use of language as an act which has consequences, I encourage you to read other people's language as carefully as you write and read your own.

Writing Exercises and Papers
Writing exercises are short, thoughtful responses to questions posed in the readings or in class. We will talk about them in class, and I will often post information about the exercises on our class website (linked from the Schedule of Assignments). These exercises will not always be graded; when they are graded, they will be evaluated on a scale of 1-10. Papers are chances for you to develop your ideas, to express arguments for a particular audience and with a particular purpose in mind. I will distribute assignment sheets for papers two weeks before each is due, and I will distribute and we will discuss grading criteria within the first three weeks of class.

Papers and writing exercises must be typed, double-spaced, left-justified, and printed in a standard font and font size (usually 10 or 12, depending on the font), with one or one and one-quarter inch margins. All assignments are due at the beginning of class. Writing exercises will not be accepted after the start of class on the day they are due; instead, you will receive a zero for the assignment. A paper placed in my campus mailbox between Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. and the following Monday at 2:30 p.m. drops two letter grades. I will not accept a paper after 2:30 p.m. on the Monday following its due date; instead, you will receive a zero for the assignment.

Participation
In other classes, have you found that your participation increases the learning you achieve? Class participation will be informally but clearly reflected in your papers, since your papers will benefit from the clarity of thought and expression and the exchange of ideas which class discussions provoke. In addition, class participation is formally accounted for in your grade for this class. Class participation includes (but is not limited to) involvement in large and small group discussions, writing exercises, and an occasional unannounced quiz. Some active participation is taken as a given. Intelligent, frequent participation which forwards class discussion or consideration of relevant issues can raise your grade (questions you ask, by the way, may be as interesting as the answers we come up with). Failure to participate at a basic level, including by virtue of excessive absences, can reduce your grade, as can negative or inappropriate participation.

I expect you to come to each session prepared, with reading and writing assignments completed. I also expect you to be attentive and responsive to other members of this class--your colleagues. This classroom must be one of mutual respect and open exchange. The University's Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities explains that the University of Michigan "is dedicated to supporting and maintaining its scholarly community. As its central purpose, this community promotes intellectual inquiry through vigorous discourse. Values which undergird this purpose include civility, dignity, diversity, education, equality, freedom, honesty, and safety." If you have any questions, please talk with me, review this code at http://www.umich.edu/~oscr/20010701SRR.html, or call the Office of Student Conflict Resolution at 936-6308.

Attendance
Attendance is required. It is a prerequisite for class participation (discussion, workshops, quizzes, etc.); thus, your presence will have a direct and important effect on your success in this course. If you are absent, seek out two classmates for an explanation of what was covered that day, and then see me during office hours. You may have two absences without penalty (if you are absent on a day a paper or writing exercise is due, the assignment still must be submitted by the start of class on the due date to avoid late penalties). For each unexcused absence after your first two absences, your final grade will be lowered by one letter grade. Two late arrivals or early departures (of less than fifteen minutes) convert to one absence. If you miss more than fifteen minutes of a class, you will be considered absent.

Adapting the Course Procedures and Requirements
If you have questions about course procedures or if you want to bypass a course requirement or deadline, write me a memo or send me an email well in advance. Make clear for what you are asking and tell me whatever I need to know to make a decision, which I will convey to you in writing or via email (making the request does not guarantee an affirmative reply). I can't usually give you full attention in the moments before or after class. I will make better decisions if I am given good information and time to consider a question or problem.

Grading
Your final grade in this course is a compilation of assignments, as the list below makes clear.

Paper #115%
Paper #225%
Paper #325%
Exercises20%
Participation15%

Did you notice that an "E" in participation will preclude you from earning an "A" in this course--no matter how good your writing is? This emphasis on participation reflects the research on teaching and learning which demonstrates that--regardless of your learning style--activities such as discussion and ungraded, short writing significantly increase learning. To account for the learning which cannot be entirely reflected in your graded writings, your participation contributes to your overall grade in this class.

Remember that absences, late arrivals, and early departures also have an impact on your overall grade for the semester (see the "Course Activities and Requirements" section above for more information).

Office Hours
I will hold office hours throughout the semester. Office hours are an extension of the classroom. You are welcome to come by with questions, comments, and concerns. If you are enjoying a writing strategy or topic and would like to discuss it further, if you are having a problem with the course, if you don't understand something, come and see me. I am happy to talk with you about your writing exercises or papers during office hours, whether it is to work with you at the brainstorming stage or to give you some feedback on a draft. Why not stop by?

Communication Outside of Office Hours
With Me
The most efficient way to get in touch with me outside of class time and office hours is email. During the semester, I check my email every weekday--more frequently than I check my campus mailbox for notes. I have an answering machine on my office phone, but I check that only on days when our class meets. Outside of office hours, email is by far the best option. When possible, I will use email to contact class members in case class is canceled because of snow or some other emergency, or if I want to pass on useful information about the class.

With Your Classmates
Your classmates are an integral part of your English 425 experience. I recommend that you introduce yourself to people in this class (you will have opportunities to do so early in the semester), and that you exchange email addresses with several classmates so that you can form study groups, find out what you missed in case of an absence, etc. This email exchange is voluntary, so if someone declines to give you her or his email address, please respect that choice.

Services for Students with Disabilities
If you think you may need an accommodation for any sort of disability, please contact Services for Students with Disabilities (G-219 Angell Hall, 763-3000, http://www.umich.edu/~sswd/ssd) and make an appointment to see me during my office hours within the first two weeks of the semester.

The Gayle Morris Sweetland Writing Center
You may find the Sweetland Writing Center to be a valuable resource when you write papers for this and other University of Michigan classes. If you are interested in finding out more about their services, including the On-Line Writing Lab, Writing Workshops, and Peer Tutoring, visit the Sweetland at 1139 Angell Hall, call 764-0429, or check out their website at http://www.lsa.umich.edu/swc.

The Advanced Writing in the Disciplines Program
This course is part of the Advanced Writing in the Disciplines Program (AWDP). That means it fulfills the Upper-Level Writing Requirement. The mission of the AWDP is predicated on the belief that "Writing makes thought visible and enhances learning," and the AWDP's "purpose is to provide writing-centered courses in students' chosen fields (or fields of interest) that incorporate writing as a catalyst for research, dialogue, analysis, and expression." In this class, we'll go a step further--we'll see writing not only as something which enhances learning and acts as a catalyst for research, dialogue, analysis, and expression, but also as something which is performative, which has real consequences in the world. Since our philosophy about writing includes the AWDP's, this course fulfills that requirement.

Academic Integrity
Academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, cheating, double submission of papers, aiding and abetting dishonesty, and fabrication, will not be tolerated. Carefully review the English Department's policy on plagiarism. If you have any questions about "what counts," please see me immediately.

Some Final Notes
Commercial Notetaking
The collection, recounting, promulgation, or selling of materials based on this course, including its website, lectures, exercises, assignments, handouts, or other activities and materials is prohibited.

Changes in the Policies and Schedule of Assignments
These course policies and the schedule of assignments are subject to change. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out about such changes.

A.T.03

Most recent update: December 25, 2002.

Welcome Texts Activities and Requirements
Grading Office Hours Communication Services for Students
with Disabilities
Writing Center Advanced Writing in
the Disciplines Program
Academic Integrity Final Notes

Persuasive Writing

English 425 Home Schedule of Assignments Grading Criteria Announcements and Updates Contact Information


http://www.umich.edu/~alisse