Core 110: Effective Writing King's College Fall 2004 Dr. J. Wallace	Syllabus Links Objectives and Goals of the Course Text and Materials Methods and Procedures Grading The Writing Center Attendance Academic Honesty Office Hours and Communication Schedule of Assignments Additional Links Internet Sites for Writers King's College Study Guides Effective Writing Resource Page The King's College Writing Center
A course in college-level composition with emphasis on writing clearly, effectively and interestingly for a variety of purposes and audiences. Individual conferences, writing workshops, ungraded writing exercises and regular writing assignments encourage practice in each step of the writing process.

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Objectives and Goals of the Course	The educated person must be able to discover ideas and express them clearly and effectively in writing. A creative art, writing allows us to discover who we are and what we think, to share our thoughts and passions with the world, and to shape our experience into knowledge. It is therefore essential to the development of each of us and to the health of free institutions. As a facet of effective communication, writing is also a practical art, one that society respects and regards as necessary for success in all careers and professions. Primarily, in this course you will learn to present a substantial thesis in a well-developed, well-structured essay written according to the conventions of formal English. Specifically, in this course, you'll learn to use creative strategies to discover ideas for writing, narrow a general subject to a specific one, translate a topic into a thesis statement, develop and support that thesis statement using specific evidence and concrete details, use techniques of drafting and editing in the writing process, outline or plan a logically clear and rhetorically effective development of the thesis, and recognize and use methods of development such as illustration, comparison/contrast, cause-effect, process analysis, classification, definition, narration, and description. We will work all semester to accomplish these objectives, but learning to write well takes a lifetime of practice. Successful writers who have painstakingly developed their craft over many years are able to describe objects or events accurately, understand and use organizing principles, use a variety of sources to discover information, understand and use library resources in the preparation of papers, compile and rank information, synthesize facts, concepts, and principles, call upon a broad vocabulary and demonstrate a sensitivity to language, use conventions of standard English in spelling, grammar and usage, support all generalizations with evidence and logical development (and good writers respect other writers who carefully defend what they say), appreciate the vital connection between good reading and good writing, develop ideas and to write clear and forceful prose for a variety of purposes and audiences, and present an authentic individual voice in writing. The hope is that after taking this course you'll not only have accomplished the objectives of finding a topic, developing a thesis, and so on, but will also have started to develop the habits of mind and the characteristics of an accomplished writer
Texts and Materials	One text is required for this course: The Short Prose Reader, 10th edition, by Muller and Wiener (McGraw-Hill, 2003).   I will also distribute supplemental readings.
Methods and Procedures	Class periods will consist of lectures, discussions, tutorials with the professor, peer editing workshops, and in-class writing. Each student is required to have at least one tutorial with me for the first two essays. For those students taking the course on campus, meetings with me will be held in the office. For students at the remote site, meetings will be conducted by phone. Reading: I will make daily assignments from The Short Prose Reader and will distribute supplemental reading materials occasionally during the semester.  Writing: Each student must write a series of four exercises in the first few weeks of class and, in the remaining months, three papers of approximately 750 typed words (three typed pages, double spaced), one of which will show the use of library resources, and a final exam/in-class essay. Each paper except the in-class final will be written in four stages: prewriting, rough draft, edited draft, final draft. After you have submitted the final draft of a paper, I will read it, grade it and return it to you with comments and instructions for improving the grade (see below). You must save the final, graded copy of all work in a portfolio. You should also try to save all of the work that led to a final draft (outlines, rough drafts, etc.). Additional writing assignments. I will ask you periodically during the semester to respond briefly in writing to questions and tasks. The purpose of these assignments is to give you an opportunity to practice your writing. The assignments will not be graded, but failing to complete them can be counted against your grade.
The Writing Center	King’s College maintains a Writing Center, a place staffed by tutors, usually English majors, who have taken CORE 110 and other writing courses. The tutors are trained in methods for helping students improve their writing at every stage, from coming up with ideas to polishing a final draft. The tutors WILL NOT proofread an essay, but they will help you improve your grammar and style. As a King’s student, you are entitled to use the Center whenever you feel the need, but I will also recommend the Center to you occasionally during the semester. The Center is located in the Mulligan Building near the post office.
Grading	The series of four exercises will count for a total of 20 percent of your grade, and the three typed essays will count for a total of 60 percent. The final exam/in-class essay will count for 10 percent.  The final 10 percent will come from your participation in class.  Participation means coming to class prepared; listening to the instructor and to your classmates; contributing when called upon and occasionally volunteering insights, answers and ideas (for example, contributing relevant points of interest, making connections between course material and material from other classes and from the world outside the school, questioning what you don't understand, and challenging what you disagree with); expressing and defending your comments clearly and constructively; demonstrating enthusiasm; and completing class exercises and additional writing assignments. All writing will be graded in terms of both content and form (including grammar and spelling) (see Grading Pyramid). In grading your paragraphs and essays, I will use a point system that awards you for substance, organization, coherence and so on. Because good grammar is vital to good writing, I will also penalize you for grammatical errors, but you will have an opportunity to “buy back” these penalty points by revising your essays after they are graded. A copy of the grading rubric is available online and is attached to this syllabus. All drafts and final versions of papers are to be submitted at the beginning of class on the date due. Final versions not preceded by draft versions will not be accepted. Work submitted after the deadline will not be accepted. (Exceptions may be made in extremely special situations, such as an emergency or severe illness, but you should try to communicate with me before the deadline.)
Attendance	Students in first-year courses are required by the college to attend all classes. If you are absent from class more than three times during the semester, I will reduce your final grade by one-third letter for each absence: a student finishing the course with an A and three absences, for example, will earn a B+.
Academic Honesty	A statement on academic honesty is available here and is attached to the syllabus.
Important Dates	Click here for a list of reading and writing assignments.
Office Hours and Communication	My office is Hafey-Marian 401. Hours are Monday and Wednesday from 3:30 to 5:00. I will be available on Tuesday and Thursday, but you must make an appointment with me for those days. E-mail: jmwallac@kings.edu Phone: Office: 826-5900, ext. 5673. Home: 696-2462.