Elements changed due to severe weather closure are marked in red. Severe Weather Closure StatementAll UNCW classes were canceled on Sept. 10 starting at 12:00 pm and resumed on Oct. 8. This resulted in a loss of 600 instructional minutes for this course. UNC System Policy 400.1.6 requires 750 instructional minutes (or the equivalent) for each credit-hour of a course. (For example, a 3-credit hour course requires 2,250 minutes of instructional time.) To make up for such a large and unprecedented amount of lost time, UNCW Academic Affairs developed a diverse and flexible plan. This plan contains adjustments to the academic calendar and daily schedule. The remaining 135 faculty-directed minutes will be made up through supplemental instructional content delivered via video and individual conferences. This revised syllabus reflects how this plan impacts our course. Course InformationTitle: Reading and Writing Arguments Course OverviewThis course asks students to analyze the rhetorical strategies of effective written arguments that address contemporary social and political issues. Students then will compose their own arguments using the insights gained from engaging these materials. An argument's effectiveness derives from internal aspects including structure, language choice, and presentation of evidence as well as external aspects such as audience awareness and context. In this course, students will examine these elements and put them into practice by producing texts that are refined through processes of drafting, receiving feedback, and revising. This course affirms the Seahawk Respect Compact, which will guide class interactions. We will engage cultural issues in this course, and the class will endeavor to cultivate an appropriate critical environment in which ideas can be discussed freely and civilly. All class members are expected to treat each other with appropriate courtesy and decorum, and all coursework should be completed in a thorough, timely fashion. All students must read and understand the policies articulated in this syllabus and sign the Course Contract in order to remain in the class. Catalogue Description:ENG 303 - Reading and Writing Arguments Course Learning Outcomes:To complete this course successfully, students should demonstrate the ability to:
Required Materials:
Materials may be obtained from:
Course PoliciesTechnology Expectations:
Routine interaction with educational technology is a component of this class, and computer problems are not valid excuses for incomplete coursework. Students should practice the core principle of digital data hygiene: redundant backup. Digital technology will fail; students should be prepared for that eventuality. Personal Technology Devices in the Classroom:Students may use laptops, cell phones, and other digital devices during class, provided that they do not disrupt other students' learning or the instructor's classroom management (however, research suggests that students will be better served by not using such devices in class). Students are responsible for their own engagement with class meetings and their corresponding success or failure in the course. Availability of Material Online:Some material students post to this website may be publicly accessible on the Web. Any material posted to the course website may be used anonymously for instruction or research purposes. The instructor reserves the right to record and display in-class and online academic interactions for instruction or research purposes. Attendance and Punctuality:Because this class contains a strong workshop and discussion component, class attendance is crucial. Role is taken shortly after class begins. If a student is not present when role is taken, he or she will be considered absent. If there are extraordinary circumstances that will prevent a student from attending class, he or she must contact the instructor beforehand. There is no separate attendance component of the course grade, but any student who misses more than five in-class meetings without clearance from the instructor will fail the course automatically. Additionally, any work missed because of an absence cannot be made up. This includes major assignments. The class abides by the maxim that all members of the class should show respect to one another by meeting at designated times and places prepared to work. Late Work:The instructor will make every reasonable attempt to accommodate late work. Statement on Academic Integrity:All UNCW community members are expected to adhere to the guidelines set forth in the UNCW Student Academic Honor Code. Students are expected to produce original work in this course. Collaboration and incorporation of external material and ideas into original work is of course necessary and acceptable, but all students are ethically obliged to document external sources through appropriate citation practices. Students who are uncertain if some element of their work constitutes plagiarism or another honor code violation should speak with the instructor. The point of any class is to educate, not to punish; nevertheless, the consequences of honor code violations are appropriately dire. Please consult the UNCW Code of Student Life for more information. Statement on Services for Students with Disabilities:The university will make every effort to accommodate students with disabilities. Students requiring accommodations should contact the Disability Resource Center, as the instructor can take no action without its guidance. Students should do this as soon as possible, as accommodations cannot be made retroactively. Statement Regarding Violence and Harassment:UNCW practices a zero tolerance policy for any kind of violent or harassing behavior. Students experiencing an emergency of this type should contact the police at 911 or UNCW CARE at 962-2273. Resources for individuals concerned with a violent or harassing situation can be located at the UNCW Crisis Resources page. Students should be aware that all university employees, including instructors, are legally obligated to communicate any report of alleged sexual misconduct, on or off-campus, to the Dean of Students. Three university entities are confidential resources exempt from this obligation: CARE, the Counseling Center, and the Abrons Student Health Center. Statement on Religious Observance:In accordance with NC SL 2010-211, students are entitled to two excused absences for religious observances per academic year. Students must inform the instructor in writing the first week of class if they will miss any classes due to religious observance. Additionally, students should inform the Registrar the first week of class who will then coordinate with the corresponding course instructors. Any absence for religious purposes will be considered unexcused unless a student submits the request in writing the first week to the instructor or Registrar. Course GradingGrade Disbursement:Each student will have private, secure access to his or her grades online through Blackboard. Grade Components:Engagement Assignments = 10 points Total = 200 points Final Course Grades:Although assignments will receive numerical scores, each student will prepare a brief Self Assessment near the end of the semester. This assessment will be shared with the instructor through an individual meeting during the course's final exam period. It will clarify what final course grade the student believes he or she has earned and why, based upon class achievement. The instructor will take Self Assessments into account when assigning final grades. This alteration adopts elements of "ungraded" assessment (more information here and here). Because severe weather closure has radically reshaped this course's structure, this policy seeks to alleviate student concerns about course compression and focus more holistically on learning and practicing course concepts. This courses uses the plus/minus grading system on final grade reports. The breakdown is as follows:
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