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Course Description
This ENC 1101 course will serve as an introduction to college composition. As such, we will write, a lot,
have small and large class discussions, read, develop critical thinking skills, analysis, and writing process.
We will write and revise three major projects. We will read, respond, and discuss each other’s
compositions, helping to revise and work through writing processes as we work towards our final drafts.
You will be asked to compose in ways that may be new or different for you, and you are encouraged to
take risks and see what you can learn. We will work with different key terms and concepts through the
semester to support the writing that we are doing.
Course Objectives
In ENC 1101 and ENC 2135, students work to develop their own thinking through writing. The College
Composition Program sees the aims–goals and objectives–of the courses as outcomes for students, and we
share the position adopted by the Council of Writing Program Administrators (WPA) regarding ―
“outcomes, or types of results, and not standards, or precise levels of achievement . . . [that] we expect to
find at the end of first-year composition” (from the WPA Outcomes Statement). The aims lie in several
areas:
Rhetorical Knowledge
By the end of college composition, students should:
● Focus on a purpose
● Respond to the needs of different audiences
● Respond appropriately to different kinds of rhetorical situations
● Use conventions of format and structure appropriate to the rhetorical situation
● Adopt appropriate voice, tone, and level of formality
● Understand how genres shape reading and writing
● Write in several genres
Processes
By the end of college composition, students should:
● Be aware that it usually takes multiple drafts to create and complete a successful text
● Develop flexible strategies for generating, revising, editing, and proof-reading
● Understand writing as an open process that permits writers to use later invention and re-thinking
to revise their work
● Understand the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes
● Learn to critique their own and others‘ works
● Learn to balance the advantages of relying on others with the responsibility of doing their part
● Use a variety of technologies to address a range of audiences
Knowledge of Conventions
By the end of college composition, students should:
● Learn common formats for different kinds of texts
● Develop knowledge of genre conventions ranging from structure and paragraphing to tone and
mechanics
● Practice appropriate means of documenting their work
● Control such surface features as syntax, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
COURSE MATERIALS
-Writing Situations, FSU Edition by Sidney I. Dobrin
-A writing notebook
GRADE CALCULATION
Project 1: 25%
Project 2: 25%
Project 3: 25%
Final Refection: 10%
Writing Notebook: 15%
ATTENDANCE
FSU’s Composition Program maintains a strict attendance policy to which this course adheres: an excess of three
absences is grounds for failure. You are required to be an active member of the ENC 1101 classroom community,
and if you do not attend class regularly, you cannot fulfill that requirement. You should always inform your
instructor, ahead of time when possible, about why you miss class. Save your absences for when you get sick or for
family emergencies. Not showing up for a conference counts as an absence as well.
If you have an excellent reason for going over the allowed number of absences, you should call Undergraduate
Studies (644 2451) and make an appointment to discuss your situation with them. If you can provide proper
documentation of extreme circumstances (for example, a medical situation or some other crisis that resulted in you
having to miss more than the allowed number of classes), Undergraduate Studies will consider the possibility of
allowing you to drop the course and take it the following semester.
Important Note: FSU’s Composition Program Attendance Policy does not violate the University Attendance Policy
that appears in the “University Policies” section later in this syllabus. The Composition Program Attendance Policy
simply specifies the number of allowed absences, whereas the University Attendance Policy does not.
FINAL GRADES
A 93 – 100 C 73 – 76
A- 90 – 92 C- 70 – 72
B+ 87 – 89 D+ 67 – 69
B 83 – 86 D 63 – 66
B- 80 – 82 D- 60 – 62
C+ 77 – 79 F 0 – 59
CIVILITY CLAUSE
This class will tolerate neither disruptive language nor disruptive behavior. Disruptive language includes, but is not
limited to, violent and/or belligerent and/or insulting remarks, including sexist, racist, homophobic or anti-ethnic
slurs, bigotry, and disparaging commentary, either spoken or written (offensive slang is included in this category).
While each of you have a right to your own opinions, inflammatory language founded in ignorance or hate is
unacceptable and will be dealt with immediately. Disruptive behavior includes the use of cell phones, pagers or any
other form of electronic communication during the class session (email, web-browsing). Disruptive behavior also
includes whispering or talking when another member of the class is speaking or engaged in relevant conversation
(remember that I am a member of this class as well), or any other behavior deemed by the instructor to be obnoxious
or distracting. This classroom functions on the premise of respect, and you will be asked to leave the classroom if
you violate any part of this statement on civility. In other words, be cool, and we will get along fine.
Late work
Students are expected to submit work on time. Late work will receive a 10%
deduction immediately at the assigned deadline and an additional 10%
deduction for each day late after that.
UNIVERSITY POLICIES
UNIVERSITY ATTENDANCE POLICY
Excused absences include documented illness, deaths in the family and other documented crises, call to active
military duty or jury duty, religious holy days, and official University activities. These absences will be
accommodated in a way that does not arbitrarily penalize students who have a valid excuse. Consideration will also
be given to students whose dependent children experience serious illness.
OTHER INFORMATION:
PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism is grounds for suspension from the university as well as for failure in this course. It will not be tolerated.
Any instance of plagiarism must be reported to the Director of College Composition and the Director of
Undergraduate Studies. Plagiarism is a counterproductive, non-writing behavior that is unacceptable in a course
intended to aid the growth of individual writers. Plagiarism is included among the violations defined in the
Academic Honor Code, section b), paragraph 2, as follows: “Regarding academic assignments, violations of the
Academic Honor Code shall include representing another’s work or any part thereof, be it published or unpublished,
as one’s own.”
DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENTS
For the first major project, you will be turning to your own life for inspiration. You will
undoubtedly be driven by broad questions of identity (Who am I? Where am I? How did I get
here? Where am I going?), but we will also be looking at more practical writerly concerns
(Which details should I include? Which details should I leave out? What if I want to fudge some
of those details? Where do I begin? Where do I end?). While you are certainly allowed to
compose a single essay that meets your word count, I would encourage you to experiment with
the use of vignettes, creating a series of smaller, stylistically varied fragments that combine to
add up to your final word count. Any time period or event in your life is fair game (though don’t
include anything too private or inappropriate, obviously), and creativity is encouraged. Do you
want to write a poem or song to depict a certain life experience or state of mind? Do you want to
recreate a significant event as a one-act play? Perhaps you want to dip your toes in the fantastical
or satirical. It’s up to you. This assignment is asking for the Truth, and in art – as many of the
works we examine in class will show us – the Truth and facts aren’t always synonymous. What
matters is that the true essence of your experience is captured. My hope is that this assignment
will show you that serious writing can take many forms, oftentimes eschewing traditional
beginnings, middles, and ends, as well as eradicating the dreaded five-paragraph essay formula.
Obviously, I also hope for you to push yourself to think critically about the creative process and
enjoy yourself as you experiment. After you have completed your 1,500 words of personal
narrative, you will be asked to write a 500-word rationale in which you reflect on the purpose
and effectiveness of your various stylistic choices.
For the second major project, you will turn your focus outward, examining the culture – and,
more specifically, the subcultures contained within it – that surrounds you. Subcultures can be
found everywhere in America, taking root in shared activities, interests, and circumstances, and
displaying unique customs and characteristics. You yourself undoubtedly belong to a few
different subcultures at this time. For this assignment, you will be asked to choose one American
subculture (preferably one you are not directly a part of) to examine over the course of a 1,500-
word essay. What is this subculture based around? Which activities and visual markers
distinguish them from the larger culture? What are their values? What kinds of people tend to
join? Where are they located? You should aim for detail and clarity in your descriptions.
Describe the subculture and its customs in a way that spreads understanding to a larger
readership. You should also aim for insight. While a subculture is rooted in specific customs, its
goals and values are often rooted in universal human concerns. What are these? You should also
aim for an informative tone, avoiding personal value judgments (both positive and negative) in
favor of evidence-based detail. You will be asked to use outside media sources for examples and
evidence. I would encourage you to even try to personally interview a participant in your chosen
subculture. After you have completed your essay, you will compose a 500-word process memo
discussing how you researched and composed your essay, focusing on both your challenges and
your successes.
For the third major project, you’ll be given the opportunity to blend the personal reflection of
Project One with the cultural awareness of Project Two, composing creative pieces that explore
any subject matter you like (excluding the overtly inappropriate, of course) while maintaining a
focus on the type of craft elements that allow you to maximize your effectiveness with readers.
We will read examples from a number of poetic and fictional forms such as flash fiction,
epistolary poems, persona poems, odes, sonnets, and one-act plays. From a list of forms, you’ll
be asked to choose four and compose a piece in each. Through in-class workshops and revision,
you will craft these pieces to match your vision and intentions to the best of your ability.
Afterward, you will compose a 500-word rationale in which you reflect on the intentions of each
piece and how your creative choices succeeded (or failed to succeed) at conveying these
intentions.
In a brief essay, you will reflect on how your relationship with writing has changed over the
course of the semester. What were your writing habits like coming into the class? How often did
you write? Who did you write for? What are your writing habits like now? Do you see yourself
carrying these on into future classes and projects? Which of the forms could you see yourself
working with again? What are your future goals as a writer?
Writing Notebook
You will be asked to dedicate a notebook to this class. You will write your name and
class/section number on the cover and bring it with you to class each day. As this is a class
focused on writing, a great deal of class time will be spent completing writing exercises. You will
do these in your notebook, hopefully generating material that you can draw from in your major
project assignments. Start each new class period’s writing on a new page and write the date at the
top. I will periodically collect all of these journals. While I do not planning on reading them
word-for-word, I will skim them to make sure you are fully participating in class.
Weekly Schedule
Readings and Drafts are expected to be completed before class on the day listed below. All drafts must be
submitted by midnight the night before.
Week One
Week Three
Week Four
Week Five
Week Six