ENC1102: Writing in Action

Professor Welcome

Welcome to ENC 1102!

In addition to this syllabus, which will describe important resources and policies, you should also review the Professor Welcome, which can be found in the Student Resources Module, at the top of the Modules page. The Professor Welcome will provide information such as my name and contact information, office hours, and a few additional policies for this course. 

You are responsible for knowing the information contained in this syllabus and in the Professor Welcome.

Course Description

Welcome to Writing in Action the second of FIU's two-course writing sequence. In this course, we are going to build on your foundation of rhetoric and critical thinking. In ENC 1102, you’ll explore rhetoric and gain a more critical understanding of how to find, evaluate, and use sources effectively in your own writing. We will spend lots of time discussing how to “read” the research that you find and how to put that research into action through writing!

We are going to talk about research as a rhetorical process, just as you have already learned that writing is a process. It will be up to you to fill that process with interesting exploration and creative and critical thought. In this course, you will choose a topic to explore, and that topic, or variations on it, will be the subject of your writing and research for most of the semester. This means that you can make the bulk of your work in this course be about something that is truly interesting and engaging to you.

By successfully completing this course, you will gain a variety of practical skills you will use in other classes at FIU as well as your life beyond academics. These skills include drafting interesting research questions, finding and evaluating sources of information, effectively communicating with an audience, and crafting writing that responds to the demands of a specific rhetorical situation.

These skills will help you in future classes and in your career. Your professors and employers will expect that you can do research and generate ideas and support them, as well as present your research findings in a variety of contexts, which is why this is a required course. Reading critically, asking good questions, and broadening your perspective will also help you to be a more informed and empowered person.

Course Objectives

ENC 1102 satisfies the University Core Curriculum Communication requirement. The ENC 1102 learning outcomes that align with the Communication category description are described below. 

By the end of ENC 1102, students will:

Produce research-based writing that responds and adapts effectively to specific rhetorical situations

1. 1. Compose rhetorically effective media for different audiences
   2. Demonstrate awareness and use of strategic rhetorical and stylistic techniques within multilingual and diverse linguistic contexts
   3. Package information for an outside audience 
   4. Illustrate competence in multimodal/digital researched writing that aligns with 21st century literacies

Illustrate understanding of responsible rhetorical research and methodologies

1. 1. Develop critical knowledge of basic research methods.
   2. Give credit to the ideas of others through attribution and formal conventions
   3. Effectively evaluate source reliability and validity for rhetorical context (select sources that best meets an information need, based on the audience, context, and purpose of various formats)
   4. Understand research as a recursive, inquiry-based process

Apply foundational concepts of writing and rhetoric to the research process  

1. 1. Exhibit reflective and metacognitive thinking strategies
   2. Develop and use effective invention, composing, and revision processes
   3. Demonstrate the ability to engage in critical reading as part of a dialogue within a community of readers 

 

Expectations for this Course

This is an online course, which means most (if not all) of the coursework will be conducted online. Expectations for performance in an online course are the same for a traditional course. In fact, online courses require a degree of self-motivation, self-discipline, and technology skills which can make these courses more demanding for some students.

Policies

Please review the FIU's Policies webpage. The policies webpage contains essential information regarding guidelines relevant to all courses at FIU, as well as additional information about acceptable netiquette for online courses. For additional information, please visit FIU's Policy and Procedure Library.

As a member of the FIU community, you are expected to be knowledgeable about the behavioral expectations set forth in the FIU Student Conduct and Honor Code.

Textbook Information

• Author: Lunsford, et al. 
• Title: Everyone's an Author (FIU Custom Edition)
• Publisher: Norton
• ISBN: 978-0-393-43139-1

Important Note: Please review the page called "How to Access Your Textbook" in the Student Resources Module. That page will explain to how to find out if you already have access to the book and how and where to buy your book if you have to buy access. You can also find a link to the textbook (as an ebook) under the Student Resources Module, too.

We will use the ebook for this class since it's already built into Canvas. 

You must have the editions above (customized for FIU), no exceptions. 

 

We will also use the Little Seagull Handbook, which is included with the textbook above. A link to the handbook is also found in the Student Resource Module.

• Title: Little Seagull Handbook, Third Edition
• Author: Francine Weinberg, et al. 
• ISBN: 978-0393602630

Technical Requirements and Skills 

One of the greatest barriers to taking an online course is a lack of basic computer literacy. By computer literacy, we mean being able to manage and organize computer files efficiently and learning to use your computer's operating system and software quickly and easily. Keep in mind that this is not a computer literacy course, but students enrolled in online courses are expected to have moderate proficiency using a computer. Please go to the What's Required webpage to find out more information on this subject.

Internet Access

Because this is a fully online course, you need reliable access to the internet. Inability to access the internet will not be considered a valid excuse for missing assignments. If you have difficulties, reach out to me. 

Privacy Policy Statements for Partners and Vendors

• W.W. Norton
• Canvas
• Microsoft
• Adobe
• Google
• Turnitin

Please visit our Technical Requirements webpage for additional information.

Academic Misconduct Statement

Florida International University is a community dedicated to generating and imparting knowledge through excellent teaching and research, the rigorous and respectful exchange of ideas, and community service. All students should respect the right of others to have an equitable opportunity to learn and honestly demonstrate the quality of their learning. Therefore, all students are expected to adhere to a standard of academic conduct, which demonstrates respect for themselves, their fellow students, and the educational mission of the University. All students are deemed by the University to understand that if they are found responsible for academic misconduct, they will be subject to the Academic Misconduct procedures and sanctions, as outlined in the Student Conduct and Honor Code. Academic Misconduct includes:

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism 

Since the goal of this course is to gain experience writing and thinking critically, plagiarizing someone else’s writing, ideas, or work (presenting it as your own) defeats our purpose. Most importantly, you will not improve as a writer if you do not develop and exercise your own writing process. Thus, it is expected that all work submitted in this course be written by you this semester for this class. We will be using Turnitin through Canvas for your major writing projects. There is a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarized papers: plagiarized papers will be penalized. In extreme cases, plagiarism can lead to failing a course, community service, suspension, or expulsion, and the university has put academic misconduct procedures into place that faculty are required to follow. Please review the university’s policy on academic misconduct, which includes cheating and plagiarism, as well as the university’s plagiarism resources. 

But what is plagiarism? 

Plagiarism is the use and appropriation of another’s work without any indication of the source and the representation of such work as the student’s own. Any student who fails to give credit for ideas, expressions or materials taken from another source, including internet sources, is responsible for plagiarism. If, at any point, you look something up or quote someone else’s words, please be sure to credit the source, and put quotation marks around anything you took word-for-word. In addition, you also should not self-plagiarize: recycled papers, including work written by you or someone else outside of this course, will not be accepted. Bottom line: Submitting your own work late is better than submitting someone else’s work on time. 

Learn more about the academic integrity policies and procedures as well as student resources that can help you prepare for a successful semester.

Accessibility and Accommodation

The Disability Resource Center collaborates with students, faculty, staff, and community members to create diverse learning environments that are usable, equitable, inclusive and sustainable. The DRC provides FIU students with disabilities the necessary support to successfully complete their education and participate in activities available to all students. If you have a diagnosed disability and plan to utilize academic accommodations, please contact the Center at 305-348-3532 or visit them at the Graham Center GC 190.

For additional assistance please contact FIU's Disability Resource Center.

Web Accessibility Statements for Partners and Vendors 

• W.W. Norton
• Canvas
• Microsoft
• Adobe
• Google
• Turnitin

Please visit our ADA Compliance webpage for additional information about accessibility involving the tools used in this course.

Panthers Care and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

If you are looking for help for yourself or a fellow classmate, Panthers Care encourages you to express any concerns you may come across as it relates to any personal behavior concerns or worries you have, for the classmate’s well-being or yours; you are encouraged to share your concerns with FIU’s Panthers Care website.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers free and confidential help for anxiety, depression, stress, and other concerns that life brings. Professional counselors are available for same-day appointments. Don’t wait to call (305) 348-2277 to set up a time to talk or visit the online self-help portal.

Course Pacing

This class follows a 3-day weekly schedule. This means that there are three specific days each week when assignments are due (i.e., Monday/Wednesday/Friday, Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday, etc.). You can find more information about the due-date schedule in my Professor Welcome (in the Student Resources Module) and you can learn more about this format in the Welcome Videos. 

It’s important that you look ahead to what is due each week. Some assignments will require you to start earlier than others, so make sure to build time in your schedule to complete these assignments by the specified due dates.

Course Communication

Communication in this course will take place via the Canvas Inbox. Check out the Canvas Conversations Tutorial or Canvas Guide to learn how to communicate with me and peers using Announcements, Discussions, and the Inbox. I will respond to all correspondences within 48 hours.

Email and Announcements

It is your responsibility to check your FIU email every day and the announcements on Canvas at least every 48 hours. If there is a technical glitch on Canvas, if I need to correct something, or if I need to remind you of something, I will email you or post it to the announcements. 

You are also encouraged to email me if you have a question or concern (or chat during virtual office hours). If needed, a phone call or Skype call can be arranged to discuss any questions/concerns.

Formatting

All work, unless otherwise noted, should be typed, double spaced, and in Times New Roman 12pt font or Arial 11pt font. Pages should have standard one-inch margins on all sides. 

Please only submit documents in the following formats: .doc, .docx, PDF.

Discussion Forums

Keep in mind that your discussion forum postings will likely be seen by other members of the course. Care should be taken when determining what to post.

Throughout the semester you will be asked to complete assignments in Discussions. Each time, you will be asked to post, then comment on two classmates’ posts. You will be given specific instructions about what you should post and how you should comment. In order to complete the assignment by the due date (without losing any points for tardiness), you need to manage your time so that you can post and comment before the deadline. Additionally, if you post but do not comment on two classmates’ posts, you have not completed the assignment and will not receive higher than a C grade for that Discussion.

Quizzes

In order to mitigate any issues with your computer and online assessments, it is very important that you take the "Practice Quiz" from each computer you will be using to take your graded quizzes and exams. It is your responsibility to make sure your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements.

All assessments will auto-submit when (1) the timer runs out OR (2) the closing date/time is reached, whichever happens first. For example, if a quiz has a closing time of 5:00 pm but the student begins the exam at 4:55 pm, the student will only have 5 minutes to complete the quiz.

Assessments in this course are not compatible with mobile devices and should not be taken through a mobile phone or a tablet. If you need further assistance please contact FIU Online Support Services.

Drafts and Peer Review

Throughout the semester you will be asked to submit drafts of your assignments for peer and instructor feedback. Whenever you are asked to submit a draft, it should be a complete, polished draft. In other words, you shouldn’t write something very quickly and turn it without proofreading or editing. If you do your best work and then your peers and I suggest revision, that revision process will help you both improve as a writer and get a better grade. In contrast, if you turn in a very, very rough draft, the process of revision is somewhat wasted, since peers will likely point out things that you would have recognized on your own. 

When we do peer reviews, you are expected to comment by responding to the questions provided in the instructions. If you do not use those questions, you will not receive full credit. Additionally, your grade for the peer reviews is based on the quality of your feedback; if you submit a draft but do not comment on your classmates’ work, you will receive a zero on the assignment. 

 

Late Work

All small assignments (assignments, discussions, and quizzes) have specific deadlines. The deadlines are very important for keeping everyone in the class on track. You will need enough time to complete the work, and I will need enough time to give you feedback before the next set of assignments is due--that way, you can use my feedback to help you do well on the next set of assignments. In addition, your input is needed to help classmates develop and revise their projects. 

 Small assignments and discussions can be turned in late for up to 50% credit up until the end of the module.  Once the next module begins, small assignments may not be made up. The only exception to this is peer review. Peer review cannot be submitted late since timely peer review is a specific and time-sensitive step within the writing process.

Our course has 3 major projects. Late major projects will be reduced by 10 points if turned in within a week of the deadline.  After 7 days, you should contact me to see if arrangements can be made for a project to be submitted. Additional late penalties may be applied after the 7 day timeframe.  Late projects will not be accepted after the deadline for the final project of the next module – please note that this will result in failure of the course since all 3 projects must be completed in order to pass.  

Note: in the case where a unit project is a series of discussions instead of one major paper/project, each discussion must be turned in before the next one is due.

If you fall behind on your classwork, please reach out to me as soon as possible so we can discuss what will be best for you and your progress in the course.

Grading

There are three major modules in this course, representing the three major projects. As each project is assigned, I will provide and explain detailed grading criteria with an assignment sheet; there will be a small quiz to ensure you understand the details on the assignment sheet. Then we will practice the skills and concepts throughout the module, before the project is due. You must submit a satisfactory draft of all three major projects in order to pass this course.

 

Course Grades Distribution Table

Course Requirements	Weight
Activities	35%
Drafts and Reflection	15%
Project 1: Researching Rhetorically	15%
Project 2: Collecting Information Responsibly	20%
Project 3: Putting Research Into Action	15%
Total	100%

 

Letter Grade Distribution Table

Letter	Range %	Letter	Range %	Letter	Range
A	93 or above	B	83 - 86.9	C	70-76.9
A-	90 - 92.9	B-	80 - 82.9	D	60- 69.9
B+	87-89.9	C+	77 - 79.9	F	59 or less

 

Getting Help

Please come to me with any problems or questions, because I want to help you succeed in my class.

Beyond the instructor, students may benefit from other resources FIU offers. Here are some frequent obstacles students face, and the programs and services that FIU provides to assist with the obstacle.

I am encountering issues in the course.

• If you have questions or concerns about this class or your grade, first, please speak with your instructor to try to resolve the issue. If you still have questions or concerns after attempting to speak with your instructor, contact one of the following program administrators: Cayce Wicks, Associate Director and Student Success Coordinator, cwicks@fiu.edu, Cindy Chinelly, chinelly@fiu.edu, Associate Director, Kimberly Harrison, Program Director, harrisok@fiu.edu.

I’m having trouble with a writing assignment. I can’t get started, organize my ideas, develop this beyond the first two pages, etc.

• Center for Excellence in Writing (more casually called the Writing Center): During any stage of the writing process, the writing consultants at the writing center are available to help you set clear goals, bring focus to your ideas, and encourage creative and critical thinking. I may, at any point in the semester, recommend you visit the writing center. However, I do actively encourage all students to take advantage of this great resource. Even the most confident writers can benefit from the help our writing center provides. The CEW can be found on the first floor of the Library (GL120).

I’m having trouble reading these academic articles. I am finding it difficult to study effectively. My high school study strategies aren’t working in college.

• University Learning Center: The Learning Center is also found in GL120, and also has peer tutors available to help you. The Learning Center is the place to go if you want assistance focused on reading or study skills.

I’m really stressed out and it’s affecting my classwork or my life. I’m having personal problems that are interfering with school.

• Counseling Services: If you find your academic performance (or just your daily life) is hindered because of anxiety, stress, depression, relationship issues, or other personal struggles, FIU offers Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) to help you. CAPS consists of licensed psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, and trainees with expertise in dealing with student concerns and development. Registered students are eligible to utilize these services and participate in the programs.

I have a diagnosed disability and need accommodations in order to do my best.

• Disability Resource Center: Any student with a diagnosed disability has access to special accommodations through the DRC. You must register with the DRC in order to receive such accommodations.

I am encountering technical problems in my Canvas course.

• FIU Canvas Help Team: Please ensure you contact support immediately upon the issue occurring. I can usually help you if you are having a problem with a very specific assignment. However, if you are having trouble accessing Canvas or if you are noticing something that seems like a technical glitch, please contact Canvas support

 

If you encounter any technical difficulties, please contact the FIU Canvas Help Team. 

Course Time Zone: Eastern Time (ET) -  All due dates are according to this time zone