Course Syllabus

English 1010-31: College Composition and Rhetoric (COM1) for Fall 2020
M/W/F, 1:20-2:10 pm
Zoom Meetings
F2F - Starting September 7, 2020 - Classroom Building 215

Rachelle R. Greer, PhD
Email: rgreer2@uwyo.edu
Office: 325 Hoyt Hall
Office Hours: 
M/F- 11:00-12:00 pm
M/W 2:10-3:40 or by request*
Due to Zoom issues - please email me to request a meeting
Office Hours Location all semester (UW/COVID requirement):
Zoom: https://uwyo.zoom.us/j/6054848531

3 credit hours, No pre-requisites

Welcome to English 1010 and to our semester together. This course fulfills your COM1 requirement for the university—on pages 4-5 of our textbook are the seven learning outcomes we’ll work to achieve. In addition to helping you become a more competent and confident writer, I hope this course inspires you to be more enthusiastic about what it means to be a student on this campus and a citizen in our local, national, and international communities. I likewise hope that you find the assignments in the class useful to your personal growth and that you find our work together productive and perhaps even fun.

English 1010 is designed to prepare you for the types of writing you do while at UW, as well as strengthen your writing, reading, and thinking skills for your life and career. This course will give you practice in navigating a variety of communication tasks with the overall goal of helping you learn communication skills you will need in your college courses, profession, and life. English 1010 focuses on helping students: 

• Develop their writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills
• Engage in communicating for different genres, purposes, and audiences
• Employ effective research and source-attribution strategies within research-based assignments
• Practice multiple revision techniques
• Develop awareness of how to engage in civic issues for the purpose of strengthening communities

ENGL 1010 meets UW’s COM1 requirement. To satisfy COM 1, students must earn a final grade of C or better in the course.

You will have primary ownership of your learning and success in this class.  The time and investment you choose to give to this class will determine how much you gain from and enjoy the class. 

Spring ENGL 2015 Course
This English 1010 class is part of a two-semester writing sequence that fulfills the Communication 1 and Communication 2 requirements for general education at UW. Through English 1010, you will fulfill the COM 1 component. In the spring, you have a guaranteed seat in English 2015, which will give you the benefit of working with a Bridge instructor and many of your English 1010 peers while fulfilling UW’s COM 2 requirement. The English 2015 class will also help you learn more about disciplines at UW and communication styles within a variety of disciplines.

Bridge Program Connections

This English 1010 course is one of three courses in the Bridge Program, a first-year learning community that will help you fulfill University Studies requirements in small and engaging classes. This course connects in many ways with Heather Holland and Carl Mehta’s STEP 1101 courses. You will see us visiting each other’s courses and talking about shared ideas and assignments during the semester.

Required Text and Materials

• Hutson, Shelby, and Nancy Small, eds. Writing @ 7200 Feet: A Beginner’s Guide to Composition and Rhetoric. 2^nd ed., Hayden McNeil, 2018.
• Daily access to your University of Wyoming email and WyoCourse accounts 
• Daily access to a working computer
  • Access to a printer is strongly recommended
  • If we are required to move online, then your computer must include a camera and microphone that can be used to communicate via video conferencing and you'll need access to an internet connection that can be used to communicate via video conferencing
  • University of Wyoming email and WyoCourses accounts that you access daily.
• Materials that allow you to abide by all of the University of Wyoming's COVID-related policies and rules to promote the health and well-being of fellow students and your own personal self-care

If you can’t find something, ask your instructor. “I couldn’t find it” is not an excuse for missing an assignment.

When we meet in the classroom, please bring a tablet or laptop to class, if possible. When we are on Zoom make sure you have a laptop or desktop computer that you can use with a camera and a mic.

Zoom Etiquette 

• Mute your microphone 
  To help keep background noise to a minimum, make sure you mute your microphone when you are not speaking.
• Be mindful of background noise
  When your microphone is not muted, avoid activities that could create additional noise, such as shuffling papers.
• Position your camera properly
  If you choose to use a web camera, be sure it is in a stable position and focused at eye level, if possible. Doing so helps create a more direct sense of engagement with other participants. 
• Limit distractions
  You can make it easier to focus on the meeting by turning off notifications, closing or minimizing running apps, and muting your smartphone.  
• Avoid multi-tasking
  You'll retain the discussion better if you refrain from replying to emails or text messages during the meeting and wait to work on that PowerPoint presentation until after the meeting ends. 
• Prepare materials in advance
  If you will be sharing content during the meeting, make sure you have the files and/or links ready to go before the meeting begins.

Attendance Policy

This class is designed to be interactive and to coach you through the iterative process of developing your writing. It matters that you come to every meeting on time and as well prepared as you can be. Excessive tardiness, early departure, or lack of attendance will result in you being marked absent and losing credit for the live workshops (5 participation points per meeting).

I understand that life happens. If you know you will be absent, speak to your instructor about it, and either participate on-line (zoom) during our class meeting or work asynchronously to complete the same work students completed live. Please only use asynchronous delivery for illness or emergencies and with the approval of your instructor.

If you are participating in a university-led event (for example, as part of a sports team), make sure your coach has sent an official note excusing your absence. If you experience a crisis that prevents you from completing your work, speak to your instructor, or ask an appropriate campus official to document your situation.

COVID-19 Policies

During this pandemic, you must abide by all UW policies and public health rules put forward by the City of Laramie, the University of Wyoming, and the State of Wyoming. Wear face coverings when you are with others, stay the required physical distance apart from others, take required COVID tests for campus presence and travel, and report your health status in the COVID app daily. For the health of our UW community, you should limit unnecessary personal travel.

As with other disruptive behaviors, we have the right to dismiss you from the classroom (Zoom and physical), or other class activities if you fail to abide by this policy.

Expectations for Communication and Commitments

I will do my best to make this course useful to you and will respond to questions, concerns, and feedback as quickly as I am able. My commitments as your instructor:

• Respond to questions
• Provide timely and detailed feedback
• Respect you as a learner and an individual

Your commitments as a student in this course:

Remember, this is your class. What you put in - you will get out of this class.

• Abide by all COVID related policies and rules to promote the health and well-being of fellow students and my personal self-care.
• Give and receive feedback from your classmates and me respectfully and constructively in all interactions. This includes in Zoom chats, on WyoCourse boards, and within physical classroom spaces.
• Attend required meetings and actively engage in civil discourse in a respectful manner. Limit your use of Zoom chats and always chat in all forums using professional language.
• Communicate professionally. Whenever you send class-related email or messages, please include a clear, specific subject line and use the body of the email or message to explain the purpose for the email and any attached materials. Conduct yourself professionally.
• Meet assignment deadlines. We expect that you're checking our English 1010 course material multiple times during the week and keeping track of both activity and major project deadlines.
• Ask for help when you need it.

Structure and Policies for Face-to-Face/Live Meetings

The University of Wyoming has prioritized live, face-to-face meetings for first-year students, and English 1010 is a primary class first-year students take. Therefore, our class is structured to include live meetings each week.

We will be meeting three days a week regardless of the format (Zoom or Face-to-Face). However, if you are not able to attend due to illness or COVID concerns, then contact your instructor immediately, either through your uwyo.edu address or through your WyoCourse Inbox.  Your instructor will verify that you have a legitimate reason to miss your live meeting, and then will provide you with instructions for making up that meeting and its assigned points through a Zoom Meeting or asynchronously.

We are scheduled to start meeting in person on September 7, 2020. We will conduct these meetings safely and according to UW COVID-19 guidelines. 

To prepare for our online meetings, make sure Zoom works on your computer during the first week of the semester:

1. Go to https://uwyo.zoom.us/

   Video Conferencing, Web Conferencing, Online Meetings, Screen Sharing - Zoom Zoom unifies cloud video conferencing, simple online meetings, and cross platform group chat into one easy-to-use platform. Our solution offers the best video, audio, and screen-sharing experience across Zoom Rooms, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and H.323/SIP room systems. uwyo.zoom.us

2. Click "Sign in" and use your uwyo.edu login credentials 
3. Under your "Profile" (upper right), find your "Personal Meeting ID"
   You may need to click "Show" next to it so you can copy the link.
4. Copy the link and paste it into a new browser window
   This step should allow you to see if your computer camera and video will work on zoom.

If you have any potential technical limitations, notify your instructor immediately. If we do move online, specific instructions will be posted in the Announcements. "I don't know how to access Zoom" or "I didn't know we were meeting online" will not be sufficient to excuse a weekly workshop absence. 

If you know you will miss one of these meetings, then you must email your instructor immediately, either through your uwyo.edu address or through your WyoCourse Inbox. Your instructor will verify that you have a legitimate reason to miss your live meeting, and then will provide you with instructions for making up that meeting and its assigned points.

In most circumstances, you must make up the work by Friday at 5:00 pm of the week that you missed the meeting. For example, if you miss a Wednesday meeting, then you must contact your instructor on that day and make up the work by Friday at 11:59 pm. Unless you are sick or have an unusual circumstance that will prevent you from attending your meeting, then it will be easier just to go to the live gathering as assigned rather than scramble to make up the work. 

Arrangements for making up missed meetings or other assignments in this class are the responsibility of the student. In other words, do not rely on your instructor to take this initiative. You must contact your instructor, and they will work with you from that point.

You may not have a parent or other proxy contact the instructor unless you have previously arranged for this accommodation through UW's office of disability services or through UW's Office of Academic Affairs.

Information Technology (IT)

If you have any IT related challenges, please contact the UWIT Service Center:   https://uwyo.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/1940/Portal/Requests/ServiceDet?ID=8890

 Required Assignment Deadlines 

Word counts do not include supporting items such as cover letters or references. Unless otherwise noted, the time deadline is 11:59 pm on the date indicated. All deadlines are in the Mountain Time Zone.

Extra Credit and Late Work

This course does not offer extra credit.

Late assignments are not accepted without a university-approved absence or instructor extension. Your instructor may grant a small extension as long as you contact them prior to the deadline, communicate about the situation leading to needing the small extension, and get the instructor’s approval as well as a new deadline.

Final portfolios must be turned in on time. Check your final portfolio uploads carefully—if you upload the wrong files, you will not be able to change them once the final deadline passes.  

Required Major Assignments

These assignments are the processes by which we’ll work on achieving the seven COM1 learning outcomes for this course (see pp. 4-5 in your required textbook, Writing @7200 Feet). Also, growing out of the course outcomes, the “Grade Guidelines” on pp. 21-28 of the textbook describe how assignments will be evaluated.

Expos Essay/Mid-Term Portfolio (COM1 Outcomes 1-7): The Expos Essay asks you to summarize a scholarly article, identifying main arguments and key information for a public audience. We call these pieces “Expos” (pronounced /ek' spōz/) because they are written in the tradition of expository writing, which provides readers with research findings to inform and educate. Expository writing is found in many academic contexts, including our student journal, Inside English 1010, and popular news publications that run feature stories on cutting edge scholarship for general academic audiences. (~1,000 words + sidebars)

Researched Argument (COM1 Outcomes 1-6): The Researched Argument begins with your own curiosities about an issue or a problem, proceeds through a research process, and results in you working to persuade your readers to consider your position on the issue or problem. Your instructor will help you identify appropriate issues and develop an academic research question, but in the end, the focus will be up to you. What is important is that you invest in the issue you research and that you allow your writing to be a genuine process of inquiry and learning. (1,750-2,000 words + Works Cited; also requires Abstract and Annotated Bibliography)

Opposite Editorial (COM1 Outcomes 1-7): The Opposite Editorial (Op-Ed) is a civic genre that has different expectations than academic writing. Engaged citizens write Op-Eds for the general public in order to share their viewpoints with the community. In general, Op-Eds educate readers about an issue beyond how the media may already be covering it, and to persuade readers to consider the author’s point of view. (~1,000 words + sidebars)

Panel Presentation (Outcomes 3, 5, 7): As you are revising the other major projects for your final portfolio, you will prepare a video presentation about your final researched argument. In the presentation, you will state your main thesis and offer a summary of your supporting points. Your video will be posted to a group discussion, where some of your peers have also posted their presentations. You'll watch your peers' videos and offer comments or feedback that can be useful as they finalize their RA revisions. 

Final Portfolio: At the end of the term, you’ll submit revised, polished versions of your Researched Argument and either your Expos Essay or Op-Ed in a final portfolio, along with a Cover Letter narrating your revision choices and growth as a writer over the term. Revisions are mandatory and should take into account feedback given by your instructor to your previous drafts. (2,750< base text words plus info like sidebars, Works Cited)

Please note that all three major assignments--the Expos, the Researched Argument, and the Op-Ed--are required and must be turned in as drafts for instructor feedback in order to be included in the final portfolio. In other words, you must submit all major assignments in order to pass the course. A student who skips a major assignment--such as the op-ed, for example--will receive an F in the class regardless of the final average.

 Grading Scale

This course does not offer extra credit. The course also has a strict attendance policy (see above).

Final portfolios showing no effort at revision may be substantially penalized. Final grades are based on percent of points earned: >90% = A, 80-89% = B, 79-70% = C, 69-60% = D, <60% = F.

The College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) has a clear and specific policy regarding grade appeals, found here: www.uwyo.edu/as/student-appeals/index.html. Please review these carefully.

 Additional Policies

Please turn to our textbook, Writing @7200 Feet, second edition for additional classroom policies on pp. 11-16. While you’re there, please also read the Frequently Asked Questions about our portfolios and the grading process, on pp. 17-20.

The following policies are now included in our WyoCourse Spaces:

• Under Classroom Climate & Conduct, find policies on
  • Classroom Behavior
  • Statement on Diversity
  • Academic Dishonesty
  • Duty to Report
• Under Learning Tools, find policies on
  • Substantive Changes to the Syllabus
  • Disability Support
  • Student Resources

While you will be shown the location of these policies during the first week of classes, it is your responsibility to read and understand them. If you have questions about the policies, please email the Director of First-Year Writing, Dr. Nancy Small (nancy.small@uwyo.edu).

Schedule Overview

The instructor may make changes to the syllabus as the course proceeds.  If necessary, these changes will be announced in class.  Substantive changes made to the syllabus shall be communicated in writing to the students.