Course Syllabus

[Updated 9/11/2020 at 2:51 pm]

English 1010-34: College Composition and Rhetoric (COM1) for Fall 2020
MWF, 1:20-2:10pm | Online only; synchronous, via zoom (click link for instructions)

• Instructor: Bethann Garramon Merkle, MFA
  • bmerkle@uwyo.edu | 408 Biological Sciences
  • Instructor Office Hours: By appointment and before and after class, using the same zoom link. MW, 1:00-3:00pm & F, 1:00-2:30 pm
• Writing Fellow: Courtney Titus
  • ctitus1@uwyo.edu
  • Office Hours: M, 6:00-9:00 pm (access via Penji) or by appointment
  • Schedule a session with Courtney.

3 credit hours, No pre-requisites

Textbook access info.

Daily recordings.

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Welcome to English 1010 and to our semester together. I'm excited to work with you this year to build your communication skills and to explore how communication can enhance your efforts to achieve academic, professional, and personal goals. 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.

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Inclusive Learning Environment [Updated 8/26]

In order to support your efforts, this course, including affiliated online spaces, supports an inclusive environment that respects the dignity of every person regardless of faith, heritage, sexual orientation or other expression of human identity and difference. In this learning community, we will welcome discourse and intellectual critique but reject harassment in all of its forms.

If you have questions about how this works, or how to contribute as a student to this approach to a learning community, etc., do feel free to reach out to me. I am happy to share what I know of for resources, etc.

Land Acknowledgement

We collectively acknowledge that the University of Wyoming occupies the ancestral and traditional lands of the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Crow, and Shoshone Indigenous peoples along with other Native tribes who call the Great Basin and Rocky Mountain region home. We recognize, support, and advocate alongside Indigenous individuals and communities who live here now, and with those forcibly removed from their Homelands. (Thank you to ASUW for this language, which was adopted by ASUW in spring 2020.)

Sexual Misconduct, Harassment, and Assault – Lauren’s Promise

Any form of sexual harassment or violence will not be excused or tolerated in this course. The University of Wyoming has instituted procedures to respond to violations of these laws and standards, programs aimed at the prevention of such conduct, and intervention on behalf of the victims.

I am adopting Lauren’s Promise, in honor of Lauren McCluskey. Lauren McCluskey, a 21-year-old honors student athlete, was murdered on Oct. 22, 2018, by a man she briefly dated on the University of Utah campus. We must all take actions to ensure that this never happens again.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

If you are experiencing sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking, please report it to me and I will connect you to resources or call the University’s STOP Violence program at 307-766-3434 orstopviolence@uwyo.edu (24-hour crisis hotline). You may also visit the Report It website to report on-line. You are also welcome to speak with me - note that all UW employees (apart from ~3 people) are 'Mandatory Reporters.' You are welcome to speak with us, but we are required to report incidents.

Additional resources are available from the UW Green Dot program.

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.
  • This book is available in hard copy from the UWyo bookstore. Here is the latest info about ordering the book.
  • It is also available as an ebook here.
  • Several parts of the book are available for free (digitally) until October 1. Follow this link for details.
  • If you experience any hardship in purchasing this book, please feel free to let your instructor know. They can connect you with support.
  • Recordings from each day's class will be posted. Follow this link for details.
• Daily access to your University of Wyoming email and WyoCourse accounts 
• Daily access to a working computer
  • Your computer (or phone) should include a camera and microphone that can be used to communicate via video conferencing.
  • You'll need access to an internet connection that can be used to communicate via video conferencing.
  • Support is available from the university if you do not have access to a computer or internet (even if you are not in Laramie). Please contact your instructor immediately so we can work on connecting you to those resources.
• 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 or writing fellow. “I couldn’t find it” is not an excuse for missing an assignment.

 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 class sessions (10 participation points per week).

Revision Options

[updated 9/11/2020]

All semester: revision is an option! Doing a writing task more than once, with an eye toward making it better, will help you grow your skills. Iteration, drafting, and editing are key parts of the writing process. So, if you'd like to revise work you have submitted/had graded, you can revise and re-submit within one week of receiving the grade, or an agreed upon deadline that you discuss in advance with me.

Life Happens

We understand that life happens. If you know you will be absent, speak to your instructor about it, and either turn in work in advance or meet the instructor's requirement for an alternative assignment.

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.

*Note: I do not expect/will not ask for, proof of 'life events' such as births, deaths, illness or other matters which may lead to your distress or absence. Furthermore, Student Health does not provide 'doctor's notes' as UWyo policy disallows instructors from requesting such notes. Please just stay in touch with me (and contact me in advance if possible) so that we can work together to ensure you can work through things and succeed in the course.*

--> Updated 8/25: Furthermore, UW has some specific attendance policies informed by, and responsive to, COVID-19.

COVID-19: Student Attendance Policy
UW will adhere to UW Regulation 2-108 Student attendance Policy. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, instructors are encouraged to add additional information on the attendance policy specific for their course and modality of delivery.

Coronavirus Pandemic Addendum to Attendance Policy: During the fall of 2020 and for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic, the attendance policy applies as noted below:

• Self-Quarantine and Isolation: Any student notified that they have tested positive for covid-19 or that they have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for covid-19 may need to isolate for up to two weeks at a time (www.uwyo.edu/alerts/campus-return/index.html) Students will not be penalized for having to self-quarantine for exposure to an known positive. Students who test positive will be told to isolate and should continue to complete course work online for the duration of their isolation as they are able.
  
• Illness: Under no circumstances are students to attend in-person classes if they are experiencing any symptoms of covid-19. Illnesses are covered under the Authorized Absence program managed within the Dean of Students Office (www.uwyo.edu/dos)
  
• Note: All campus community members are requested to use the COVID Pass as a tool to track their personal health symptoms. If a student enters their daily temperature and symptoms and receives a “fail”, they should notify their faculty they will need to participate virtually for that day.
• Online Absences: In the event that the course moves online at any point in the semester, an official student absence for the online version of this course is when a student meets the following criteria:
  
  • The student does not engage with the week’s course material and/or does not turn in the week’s assignment on time.
    
  • The student or a dedicated representative of the student fails to communicate the reason for not engaging with the course material and/or not turning in the week’s assignment on time within the week of the absence.
    
  • The dedicated student representative is the person tasked by the student for reaching out on their behalf when they are not able - e.g. parents, other family member, significant other, etc. A faculty member can receive information from the student’s dedicated representative, but would need a FERPA release in place to discuss anything further. The Dean of Students will assist in these situations.

COVID-19 Policies [effective 8/4/2020 by UW]

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  to promote the health and well-being of fellow students and your own personal self-care.  The current policy is provided for review at:  https://www.uwyo.edu/alerts/campus-return/index.html.

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 these COVID-19 policies.   These behaviors will be referred to the Dean of Students Office using the UWYO Cares Reporting Form for Student Code of Conduct processes (https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?UnivofWyoming&layout_id=5).

Expectations for Communication and Commitments

As with all UW coursework, this course will be educational and useful to you. 

Our commitment to you:

• Your instructor and Writing Fellow will respond to questions, concerns, and feedback in a timely manner.
• Bethann will check email for our course M-F, at least at 9 am and 3 pm daily. Emails sent in the evening or on weekends will be responded to during the next business day.
• Assignment deadlines will be organized so that you do not need to submit during evenings or weekends.

Your responsibilities:

• Give and receive feedback from me and your classmates respectfully and constructively in all interactions.  This includes in Zoom chats, on WyoCourses boards, and within any other spaces associated with this course.
• Actively engage in civil discourse in a respectful manner. Use professional language in all course related forums.
• Communicate professionally.  Whenever you send class-related email or messages, please include a clear, specific subject line, a polite salutation, and use the body of the email or message to explain the purpose for the email and any attached materials. If you would like support or coaching about how to write professional emails, your instructor and Writing Fellow are available to help you with that. Just ask! :)
• Meet assignment deadlines. We expect that you're interacting with course material multiple times during the week. 
• Ask for help when you need it. For academic assistance for this course please see the Learning Effectiveness Tools handout or contact your instructor and Writing Fellow for available resources. For Dean of Students assistance please see: https://www.uwyo.edu/dos/student-resources/covid-19-student-resources.html
• Please let us know if you notice another student who needs help in our (anonymous) WyoCares referral option (https://www.uwyo.edu/dos/students-concern/index.html).

Structure and Policies for Live Meetings

The University of Wyoming has prioritized live meetings for first year students, and English 1010 is a primary class first-year students take. Therefore, our class is structured to include live, online meetings each week. This class was always scheduled as an online-only section. We will be online all semester, regardless of what other courses do. We are approaching this as a bonus -- we don't have to readjust once we find our groove together as a class!

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/
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. "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 provide you with instructions for making up that meeting and its assigned points.

In most circumstances, you must make up the work on the same day 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 that day. 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 8:00 pm on the date indicated. There is no penalty if you submit by 9:00 am the day after a deadline. There is no need to contact your instructor about extensions if you are able to submit within the grace period. All deadlines are in the Mountain Time Zone. Here is a time zone calculator, for your reference.: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html.

Extra Credit and Late Work

This course does not offer extra credit.

Assignments are only considered late if submitted after 9:00 am the day following an 8:00 pm deadline. 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/ or "ex-pause") because they are written in the tradition of expository writing, which provides readers with research findings in order 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 audiences. (~1,000 words + sidebars)

Researched Argument (COM1 Outcomes 1-6): The Researched Argument (aka RA) 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 work to persuade readers to consider the author’s point of view. (~1,000 words + sidebars)

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 RA or your Op-Ed. 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 your peers have also posted their presentations. You'll watch a group of your peers' videos and offer comments or feedback that can be useful as they finalize their portfolio 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 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 included in our WyoCourse Space:

• 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
    • There are also numerous resources listed in the Writing Resources module.

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.  Changes will be announced in class and/or via course announcements through WyoCourses.