Welcome to your first-year composition course! This semester we’ll explore the connections between writing, reading, rhetoric, and critical thinking. You’ll practice writing for different purposes and audiences, and you’ll give and receive writing feedback you’re your classmates.

Course Topic of Inquiry: The Politics of Language

A writing class usually has a “topic of inquiry”—a specific subject to read and write about. For this class, that subject is the politics of language. “Politics” in this case doesn’t refer to Democrats and Republicans, but questions such as these:

• What is the relationship between language, race, and power?
• What is “Standard English” and where did it come from?
• How do attitudes about language standards empower some language users and oppress others?
• How do our language backgrounds—the people in this class—affect how we are perceived and treated by institutions and other people?

Course Learning Outcomes

In this course, you will work to:

1. Examine how attitudes towards linguistic standards empower and oppress language users.
2. Explore and analyze, in writing and reading, a variety of genres and rhetorical situations.
3. Develop strategies for reading, drafting, collaborating, revising, and editing.
4. Recognize and practice key rhetorical terms and strategies when engaged in writing situations.
5. Understand and use print and digital technologies to address a range of audiences.
6. Locate research sources (including academic journal articles, magazine and newspaper articles) in the library’s databases or archives and on the Internet and evaluate them for credibility, accuracy, timeliness, and bias.
7. Compose texts that integrate a stance with appropriate sources, using strategies such as summary, analysis, synthesis, and argumentation.
8. Practice systematic application of citation conventions.

What Will You Be Doing in this Class?

 

Major Writing Assignments

This course has FOUR (4) major writing assignments. All major assignments must be successfully completed in order to pass this course. You will write multiple drafts and revise each major assignment based on feedback from your peers and your instructor. Final drafts will be published on your Digital Portfolio (your own WordPress website).

Phase One Assignment                    Length                                     First Draft            Final Draft       Portfolio Version

Written Language &                              600-750 words                     Tues 2/20               Tues 2/27          Tues 5/7

Literacy Narrative

Phase Two Assignment                   Length                                     First Draft            Final Draft       Portfolio Version

Literature Review Essay                        1250-2000 words                 Tues 3/26                Tues 4/2                  Tues 5/7

Phase Three Assignment                Length                                     First Draft            Final Draft       Portfolio Version

Persuasive Essay                            500-750 words                    Tues 4/16                       Tues 4/30                Tues 5/7

Phase Four Assignment                   Length                                                                                              Portfolio Version

Self-Assessment Essay                     500-750 words                                                                                               Tues 5/14

 

First Drafts

One of the keys to becoming a good writer is learning how to revise and rewrite. To that end, this course requires first drafts for the first three major writing assignments, with due dates at least a week before the final draft. Together, these first drafts make up 15% of your total grade (see the 100 Point Breakdown below).     

 

Homework

On weeks where there are not major or minor writing assignments due, you will have reading and writing homework.

All assignments are due 30 minutes before the start of that day’s class, unless otherwise indicated on Blackboard.

 

Transparent Grading

 

What is Transparent Grading?

• It’s a grading system based entirely on your participation, attendance, and completion of homework, assignments, and revisions. Basically, if you can show up and turn in your assignments on time, you will receive top grades.

• This is different from the traditional grading method, in which teachers’ judge the quality of a student’s work in comparison with the rest of the class. Research has shown that this method can be racially biased and ineffective at improving student writing. 
• This grading system is based on the “grading contract” developed by scholars Peter Elbow and Asao Inoue and adapted by Missy Watson, Nicole Howell, and Kate Navickas.

Why Transparent Grading?

• Helps you take risks and explore different ways of writing, which is better for your writing development than trying to write whatever you think will get you a higher grade.
• Gives you a clear understanding of your grade throughout the semester (see page 2) 
• Gives all students a chance to earn high grades, regardless of your different English language writing backgrounds and experiences. 
• Values and rewards the time, effort and, labor you decide to commit to the class.

Are Classes with Transparent Grading Easy? Nope!

This class is demanding, with writing assignments every week and the expectation that you will make efforts to improve your writing and editing skills. While transparent grading is based on quantifiable outcomes (attendance, participation, completed work), quality matters too, and quality writing comes from a multi-step process:

• Each major essay and project will be substantially revised based on the feedback you receive. (You’ll see in the class calendar that there is time provided for revisions.) 
• You will be graded not only on your own work but the thoughtful feedback you provide on the writings of your classmates

Extensions and Make-up Assignments (Because life happens)

If you need extra time to complete an assignment, please reach out to me. But keep in mind:

• There must be a special circumstance that warrants the request.
• You have to contact me at least THREE (3) days before the assignment is due.

If you have fallen behind and are worried about your grade, schedule a meeting with me to talk about if you can complete an extra assignment, such as researching and writing about a course-related topic or meeting with a consultant at the Writing Center.

 

The 100 Point Breakdown

 

Four (4) Major Assignments:                                                               60 total points

• Language & Literacy Narrative On time: 15 points
• Literature Review -1 point for every day late
• Persuasive Essays No credit after 15 days late
• Self-Assessment Essay

Three (3) Minor Assignments:                                                               15 total points

• First Drafts of the 1st 3 Major Assignments                                   On time: 5 points                                                                                                                                                                       -1 point for every day late                                                                                                                                                         No credit after 4 days late

Ten (10) Homework Assignments:                                                       15 total points

On time: 1.5 points

-0.2 points for every day late

No credit after 8 days late

Attendance:                                                                                                5 total points*

• 0-2 unexcused absences: 5 points
• 3-4 unexcused absences: 4 points
• 5-7 unexcused absences: 0 points

You are required to attend required classes and to be on time. Being a few minutes late a few times in a semester is understandable, but we may need to talk if lateness becomes a problem. If extenuating circumstances prevent you from attending class, do not hesitate to contact me so that we can determine how to proceed. 

*With 8 or more absences, it’s up to your instructor to decide whether you can pass the class.

 

Class Participation, and Peer Feedback:                                            5 total points

This class requires your active participation and willingness to work with your peers. While it’s understood that everyone has good days and bad, this class requires your participation (by actively listening, taking notes, asking questions, offering comments, etc.). It is also expected that you will work cooperatively and collegially in groups, to share your writing, to listen supportively to the writing of others, and, when called for, to give full and thoughtful assessments that help your colleagues consider ways to revise. 

45 + 35 + 10 + 5 + 5 = 100!

 

What Materials You’ll Need

Required Materials

This is a “ZERO Textbook Cost” course. All reading materials will be accessible on our course website. We will also read a collection of student writing (yours, your peers’, and others’). Please either print or have digital access to all course documents and materials for class.

We will be writing every day in this class, and you will need to keep this writing for reflections at the end of each unit. I recommend bringing a small notebook or journal to class. If you prefer to use an electronic device, create an easily accessible folder for your writing.

 

Online Technology and Software Requirements

You will need to regularly access:

• Our class website, where you’ll find a class calendar and all class materials.
• Blackboard, where you’ll submit materials.
• CUNY Academic Commons, where you’ll create a Digital Portfolio.
• Word-processing software of your choice: Microsoft Office, Office365(available for free to CCNY students), Google Docs, etc. No matter what you use, please save all documents as .doc or docx files and please no links, PDFs, or Pages files.

 

Recommended Resources

The Writing Center

The CCNY Writing Center provides a supportive learning environment where students can have one-on-one tutoring sessions with experienced writing consultants. The Writing Center is also available for virtual meetings. It’s an amazing free resource! Students can schedule an appointment through the online booking system. Visit their website for more info http://www.ccny.cuny.edu/writing/ 

Open Education Resources:

Use these additional resources as needed for help with the writing process, editing, and formatting.

• https://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/write/fieldguide/index.asp
• https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1v2xmaster/
• https://writingcommons.org/
• https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
• https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/

 

Course Policies

 

Be in Touch with Your Instructor

I want to get to know you, and I take seriously my role in supporting your learning. I strongly encourage you to contact me and visit during office hours (or make an appointment). And I expect you to keep me informed about your work, your progress, your questions, and your problems, preferably BEFORE your grade is the central concern. Do not hesitate to email me!

Respect Classroom Community

It’s essential that we are all courteous and considerate of each other at all times. As a group, we will represent diverse cultural, racial, linguistic, and gendered identities and abilities. As your instructor, I am committed to creating a comfortable and safe classroom environment. That includes paying attention when classmates are speaking or sharing their writing.

Participation

As learning from each other will be a large part what we do, you are expected to be an active participant in the classroom community. Everyone has different approaches to participation, so you can engage in class in a way that best fits you (by quietly but actively listening, asking questions, and/or offering comments). Everyone is required to participate in peer review.

Language

Students in this class come from different educational, linguistic, and racial backgrounds and that it takes several years, not a semester, to develop English academic language, especially if English is a student’s additional (and not first) language. We will learn in this course about the racial politics of using language as a tool for measuring students’ and others’ learning, qualifications, and intelligence. You are expected to take an active role in developing their writing and language. As your instructor, I am committed to adopting approaches deemed most effective by the fields of Second Language Writing and Composition and Rhetoric.

Accommodations/Inclusivity

I will work with individuals on a case-by-case basis to determine how best to accommodate your needs as a learner and the course’s learning outcomes. The AccessAbility Center/Student Disability Services ensures equal access and full participation to all of City College’s programs, services, and activities by coordinating and implementing appropriate accommodations. If you are a student with a disability who requires accommodations and services, please visit the office in NAC 1/218, or contact AAC/SDS via email ([email protected]), or phone (212-650-5913 or TTY/TTD 212-650-8441).

University and Military Obligations

Any absence due to a university-sponsored group activity (e.g., sporting event, performance, band, etc.) will not count against you, as stipulated by university policy, as long as you FIRST provide written documentation within the first two weeks of the semester of all absences. This same policy applies if you have mandatory military-related absences (e.g., deployment, work, duty, etc.). This will allow us to determine ahead of time how you will meet assignments and our contract, despite being absent.