WRTG 111x
Introduction to Academic Writing
Fall 2019
Katherine Stealey-Bouta (UX2)
stealeybouta@gmail.com
Course Description:
Writing 111x offers instruction and practice in written communication and critical reading and concentrates on research methods and techniques. The main objective is to introduce you to writing as a way of developing, exploring, and testing ideas. It concentrates on research--methods and techniques.
The reading and writing assignments work fairly closely together. The instruction you receive from the textbooks often replaces the course lectures you would normally receive in the face-to-face classroom. Therefore, it’s extremely important that you read what is assigned to you. You will be responsible for understanding the concepts in the book by demonstrating your mastery of the knowledge in your formal paper assignments.
111x, a core requirement, is a “W' course, meaning that it is Writing Intensive. You should expect to spend no less than 9 hours of reading/writing time for each lesson and perhaps significantly more if you are a slow reader or a reluctant writer. These hours reflect the 3 hours of class time and 3 hours per hour of class time as homework required of any college course. Make sure you have read ALL of the the lesson and its content well before it is due.
Textbooks & Materials:
You should have (or be able to access) the following texts:
- Hacker, Diana. A Writer's Reference, 7th Edition or 8th. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011.
- Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing, Vols. 1 & 2. Eds. Charles Lowe and Pavel Zemliansky. West Lafayette: Parlor: 2010. (available for free online and for sale via hard copy)
Web readings are mentioned and sometimes linked where appropriate in the Assignments section.
A computer is highly recommended for this course. A smart/cell phone or iPad/tablet will not always work with the Dropbox site and app that is needed to submit the work. If the work is not submitted via Dropbox through a folder made on Dropbox and shared with the instructor, the work will not be graded. In addition, work submitted from smart phones is often formatted in such a way that makes MLA citations difficult to insert properly, resulting in lost points.
The inability to use the technology needed to do the lessons is not an acceptable reason for turning in work or turning it in late. This course is an eLearning course, so the student is expected to be able to master the technical skills needed to submit the work in a timely manner. If the student encounters problems, the eLearning center at UAF has a number of technicians who can work with students to help them figure out issues or problems with the technology.
Course Goals & Student Outcomes:
By the end of the semester you should be able to write a properly formatted 7-9 page research paper that displays a comprehensive understanding of solid academic research, standardized citation styles, and logical argumentation with support from authoritative sources.
Instructional Methods:
This is an online course and therefore the instructional methods vary from Blackboard instruction, to email, to online group discussions and conferencing methods. Your course is located at https://engl111s.community.uaf.edu.
Course Schedule:
This course runs from August 27- December 8. Make sure you are adhering to the schedule of assignments, due dates, and recommendations located on the course website.
Classroom Policies, Participation, and Late Work:
Due dates are due dates. Even online. This course is divided into 15 lessons. Your lessons will be graded and commented upon to give specific suggestions for improving your work, so turning in lessons regularly is required. Turning in 1 or 2 lesson per week will help you earn enough points to pass the course within a semester. Students who work ahead can finish the course before the end of the semester. Note that it is entirely possible to turn in Lessons 1 & 2 within 7 days of starting the course.
Your instructor will make every effort to grade your lesson within 3 days. If a lesson has been submitted in Dropbox for more than 72 hours, please send an email to your instructor but remember that they may take up to 7 days to grade the work you've turned in.
Plagiarism and Academic Integrity:
Honesty is a primary responsibility of you and every other UAF student. The following are common guidelines regarding academic integrity:
1. Students will not collaborate on any quizzes, in-class exams, or take-home exams that contribute to their grade in a course, unless the course instructor grants permission. Only those materials permitted by the instructor may be used to assist in quizzes and examinations.
2. Students will not represent the work of others as their own. A student will attribute the source of information not original with himself or herself (direct quotes or paraphrases) in compositions, theses, and other reports.
3. No work submitted for one course may be submitted for credit in another course without the explicit approval of both instructors.
Alleged violations of the Code of Conduct will be reviewed in accordance with procedures specified in regents' policy, university regulations and UAF rules and procedures.
Grading Policies:
You will be graded on a 1000 point system.
(20%) 10 20-point writing exercises
(30%) 10 30-point discussion board entries
(30%) 3 Short Papers: 100 points each
(20%) 1 Longer Research Paper: 2 50 point drafts and 1 final draft
- 600-699 points for a D;
- 700-799 for a C;
- 800-899 for a B,
- and 900 or more for an A.
Instructor Feedback and Checking Your Grades:
Inquiries from students will be acknowledged promptly – often within the same day. Lessons will be graded within one week after the due date. To check your grades for assignments and find comments from your instructor, you should see Blackboard: to check your grade average overall, click on the My Grades link in the sidebar menu of the course shell in Blackboard.
The UAF Writing Center:
The Writing Center is a student-staffed, student-oriented service of the English Department. Tutors can assist you in all phases of the writing process, including the following: brainstorming and generating topics, organizing ideas, developing research strategies, use of citation styles (MLA, APA, and Chicago), and editing for clarity and correctness. Tutors collaborate with each student on a one-to-one basis in any phase of the writing process: planning, drafting, or revising. They also help writers discover ways of improving grammar, mechanics, and punctuation.
Appointments at the Writing Center are 30 minutes long. Call or stop by to make an appointment. Walk-in sessions are often available, but in the last half of the semester they are often booked.
The Writing Center also features a computer lab with 18 computers and free printing for up to 25 pages. Technicians and tutors are on hand to assist with computer-related questions.
Located on the 8th floor of the Gruening Building (Office hours may vary in summer - call to confirm)
Phone: (907) 474-5314
|
MON |
TUE |
WED |
THUR |
FRI |
SUN |
| 10 a.m. — 4 p.m. | 10 a.m. — 4 p.m. | 10 a.m. — 4 p.m. | 10 a.m. — 4 p.m. | 10 a.m. — 1 p.m. | 1 p.m. — 6 p.m. |
| 7 p.m. — 10 p.m. | 7 p.m. — 10 p.m. | 7 p.m. — 10 p.m. | 7 p.m. — 10 p.m. |
No Basis (NB), Incomplete (I) and Instructor Withdrawal (W):
This course adheres to the Center for Distance Education Procedure regarding the granting of NB Grades. The NB grade is for use only in situations in which the instructor has No Basis upon which to assign a grade. In general, the NB grade will not be granted.
Your instructor follows the University of Alaska Fairbanks Incomplete Grade Policy:
“The letter “I' (Incomplete) is a temporary grade used to indicate that the student has satisfactorily completed (C or better) the majority of work in a course but for personal reasons beyond the student’s control, such as sickness, he has not been able to complete the course during the regular semester. Negligence or indifference are not acceptable reasons for an “I' grade.'
Successful, Timely Completion of this Course Starting and establishing your progress through this course early can help to encourage your successful completion of the course. Toward this end, this course adheres to the following eCampus Procedures:
- The first contact assignment five days after the first day of instruction. Failure to submit this assignment within the first two weeks of the course could result in withdrawal from the course.
- Failure to submit the first content assignments (Assignments 1, 2 and 3) by the deadline for faculty-initiated withdrawals (the ninth Friday after the first day of classes) could result in instructor initiated withdrawal from the course (W).
Student Support Services:
UAF eCampus’s Student Services helps students with registration and course schedules, provides information about lessons and student records, assists with the examination process, and answers general questions. Our Academic Advisor can help students communicate with instructors, locate helpful resources, and maximize their distance learning experience. Contact the eCampus Student Services staff at 907- 479-3444 or toll free 1-800-277-8060 or contact staff directly — for directory listing see: https://ecampus.uaf.edu/staff .
Disability Services:
The UAF Office of Disability Services operates in conjunction with UAF eCampus. Disability Services, a part of UAF's Center for Health and Counseling, provides academic accommodations to enrolled students who are identified as being eligible for these services.
If you believe you are eligible, please visit their web site (https://www.uaf.edu/disability/) or contact a student affairs staff person at your nearest local campus. You can also contact Disability Services on the Fairbanks Campus by phone, 907-474-7043, or by e-mail (uaf-disabilityservices@alaska.edu).