Spencer English 1302-SPRING 2015

ENG 1302: Written Argument and Research

COURSE SYLLABUS: SPRING 2015
Instructor: Andrew Spencer
Office Location: Hall of Languages 233
Office Hours: TR from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. or by appointment
Office Phone: (903) 886-5262
Office Fax: (903) 886-5980
University Email Address: aspencer6@leomail.tamuc.edu
PLEASE NOTE: This is a common syllabus used by all graduate students teaching sections of this course.
COURSE INFORMATION
Course Description:
This course provides students with advanced training in communication skills emphasizing the writing and
reading of argumentative prose and adapting writing to alternate audiences. Students will write weekly,
including such texts as journals, reading response logs, summaries of argumentative texts, argumentative
papers, and longer papers integrating secondary research activities include close reading of sample texts,
both student and professional. Some sections will emphasize special topics in both reading and writing.
Prerequisite English 1301 or advanced placement or CLEP.
Student Learning Outcomes:
1.Students will be able to recognize their own subject position, follow the arguments of others, and interpret
data.
2. Student communication will be clear, purposeful, and make appropriate use of evidence, data and
technology as applicable.
3.Students will consider different points of view, work effectively with others despite differences, and
understand the juncture between leadership and cooperation.
4.Student will understand and practice academic honesty.
Core Objectives (Language, Philosophy & Culture):
Critical Thinking Skills: Students will be able to recognize their own subject position, follow the arguments of
others, and interpret data.
Communication Skills: Student communication will be clear, purposeful, and make appropriate use of evidence,
data and technology as applicable.
Teamwork: Students will consider different points of view, work effectively with others despite differences, and
understand the juncture between leadership and cooperation.
Social Responsibility: Students will understand and practice academic honesty.
Local learning outcomes:
Critical Thinking Skills: Students will be able to recognize their own subject position, follow the arguments of
others, and interpret data.
This objective will be assessed by an evaluation of at least one essay or researched presentation from each
student.

Spencer English 1302-SPRING 2015

Communication Skills: Student communication will be clear, purposeful, and make appropriate use of evidence,
data and technology as applicable.
This objective will be assessed by an evaluation of at least one essay or researched presentation from each
student.
Teamwork : Students will consider different points of view, work effectively with others despite differences, and
understand the juncture between leadership and cooperation.
This objective will be assessed by an evaluation of at least one essay or researched presentation from each
student. Students will be responsible for reading and giving productive feedback to peers based on
guidelines and/or a rubric provided by the instructor. Students revise work based on feedback received in
peer review from one or more peers.
Social Responsibility: Students will understand and practice academic honesty.
This objective will be assessed by the instructor using a rubric upon each student's successful completion
of at least four major writing assignments.
Materials Textbooks, Readings, Supplementary Readings:
Textbooks and Materials Required:
Adkins, Tabetha. Ethnographic Inquires in Writing. Southlake, Texas: Fountainhead Press, 2010. 978-59871435-7
Sunstein, Bonnie Stone and Elizabeth Chiseri-Strater. FieldWorking: Reading and Writing Research.
Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006. 978-0-312-43841-8
Three-ring binder to keep all graded papers together, since you will need original copies of every writing
assignment which I grade to include in your final research paper.
Thumb drive or other means (dropbox.com account, for example) of storing digital versions of the essays and
other written material you generate (always, always keep a backup of everything you turn in!)
A valid, working email address that you check everyday
Optional Texts:
Resources for Ethnographic Research (asking good interview questions, professional
associations codes of ethics, etc.)
http://www.tamuc.edu/academics/colleges/humanitiesSocialSciencesArts/departments/literatureLan
guages/firstYearWriting/informationForStudents.aspx
The Celebration of Student Writing at Eastern Michigan University
http://www.emich.edu/english/fycomp/celebration/index.htm
Some of our past Celebrations:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMWkdAzGYvw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r0PGbfhHIo

Spencer English 1302-SPRING 2015

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Instructional / Methods / Activities Assessments
Grading:
You must revise your essays before turning them in as a part of your final paper. When I grade your assignments, I
will provide suggestions for revision. The Writing Center and your peers can also be excellent resources for such
information. Please dont wait until the end of the semester to begin your revisionsyou will not have much time
to work on them while you are completing your ethnography and preparing for your Celebration of Student
Writing presentation.
How Course Grade is Determined:
Writing Assignment 1- Research Proposal (9 Points) (2-3 pages): In this short essay, you should explain to your
instructor where youre going to do your research, what you will be looking for and at in that research site, and
why this site is appropriate for your research. In interest of conducting ethical research, explain your connection
to this site (i.e. you eat lunch there often, you know someone who works there, etc.). Make sure you include the
following:
Explain what ethnographers mean by literacy. Use at least one quote from Chapter 1 of EIIW to help you
explain the complexity of the term.
Explain what a discourse community is, and give examples of how you see all three elements (self-defined
group, common interest, same language or lingo) in the discourse community/research site you have
chosen.
Give at least one example of a literacy practice and a literacy event you might find at your research site/in
your discourse community. Describe the difference between the two terms.
Writing Assignment 2- Informed Consent and Code of Ethics (9 Points): Using The Belmont Report as a frame work
and the Codes of Ethics developed by professional organizations like The Modern Language Association, The
American Anthropological Association, The Association of Internet Researchers, or The American Folklore Society,
create a Code of Ethics you will follow in your own research. You may also find information in EIIW and FW to
assist you with this project. Once you have created your Code of Ethics, you will also need to create an Informed
Consent form that your research participants will read and sign. Remember that your research participants are the
audience for this text, so youll want to create an informed consent sheet that makes sense to them but also follows
the guidelines and expectations of your instructor. (3-4 pages)
Writing Assignment 3- Annotated Bibliography (9 Points): Since good ethnographic research involves both
fieldwork and traditional library research, you will need to gather sources that inform what you learn in your
fieldwork. These sources should be books, peer reviewed journal articles, and other relevant sources approved by
your instructor. Since the research youre doing is scholarly, you will only use scholarly sources to support your
claims. (That means no Wikipedia or Dictionary entries, for example.) You must annotate five items, including
three peer reviewed articles and two other secondary sources.
Writing Assignment 4- Ethnographic Setting Essay (9 Points): In this essay, you will show off your ability to use
descriptive language to paint a picture with words. Your goal is to describe your research site so thoroughly and
completely that readers feel they have been there themselves. This essay will eventually become part of your final
ethnographic essay. (2-3 pages)
Writing Assignment 5- Conclusion (9 Points): Now that you have completed all of the sections of your final paper
(WA1-WA4), it is time to sum up what you have learned. Using all of the literacy terms we have practiced all
semester (I will include them on the writing prompt that I give you) write an essay thoroughly detailing how your
discourse community functions giving examples of each term. Your first paragraph should be an introduction
following the CARS model with a strong thesis sentence. Your next paragraphs should be body paragraphs

Spencer English 1302-SPRING 2015

supporting your point, and the final paragraph should be a conclusion which restates your thesis and sums up your
entire paper
(2-3 pages).
Final Ethnographic Essay (9 Points): A final essay detailing the results of your study, what your findings mean in
relation to the field of literacy studies, etc. Look to chapters four and five in EIIW for what this project should look
like. Please include in one (MLA format) document with section headers:

Research Proposal (WA1)

Code of Ethics (WA2)
Annotated Bibliography (WA3)
Ethnographic Setting Essay (WA4)
Conclusion Research Proposal (WA5)

You must also include your graded copy of these assignments from the first time you handed them in so that I can
check to insure that you made all of the corrections I suggested for the final document.
Celebration of Student Writing (9 Points): Friday, December 5 from 10:00 AM to noon . The Celebration of Student
Writing is an event held every semester where students enrolled in ENG 1302 demonstrate and show-off what they
learned in their research projects. You should create some kind of display with artifacts, visual elements, and
information about what you learned in your research. The celebration will look like a science fair with rows of
tables and projects displayed. Your participation in this event is mandatory. Plan to arrive approximately 20
minutes early to set up.
Attendance (37 Points): Ive designed this class so that you will have to do very little work outside of the classroom.
I will even give you time in class to work on your papers, and when I assign something that cannot be done in class,
I will give you a day off to accomplish it. Consequently, attendance is absolutely necessary to pass this class. The
flip side of that is, if you attend class regularly, you will almost automatically get an A or B in this class.
Grading Points:
9 Points WA 1
9 Points WA 2
9 Points WA 3
9 Points WA 4
9 Points WA 5
9 Points Final Ethnography
9 Points Student Celebration of Writing
37 Points Attendance
= 100 Points
Grading Scale
90-100

89-80

79-70

69-60

59 and below

Spencer English 1302-SPRING 2015

Late Work:
I do not accept late work. All papers are due in class on the date listed below. They should be printed and stapled,
and should use MLA format. I do not accept emailed copies.
I understand that life happens, and if you discover that you simply will not be able to turn in your paper on the due
date, I occasionally grant extensions IF you notify me at least 24 hours in advance. That means if your paper is due
on Wednesday at 12:30 pm, you must ask for an extension by Tuesday at 12:30 pm.
TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS
Flash drive or other means (dropbox.com account, for example) of storing digital versions of the essays
and other written material you generate (always, always keep a backup of everything you turn in!)
A valid, working email address that you check often (everyday)
Regular internet access (additional readings available online)
Access to a computer with a word processing program and a printer (assignments must be typed and
printed)

ACCESS AND NAVIGATION

Some supplementary texts for this course exist exclusively online, so you must have Internet access to read and/or
view these texts.

COMMUNICATION AND SUPPORT

Interaction with Instructor Statement:
Please contact you instructor with any questions you may have. Your instructors communication preference
is e-mail, and her address is: aspencer6@leomail.tamuc.edu . Also, each instructor in the Department of
Literature and Languages is required to keep at least two office hours per course per week.
Grievance Procedure:
If you have concerns about the class or about me as an instructor, please speak to me about those concerns.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of our conversation, the next person in the chain of command is the
Director of the Writing Program, Dr. Tabetha Adkins. Her e-mail address is Tabetha.Adkins@tamuc.edu.
See grievance procedures here:
http://www.tamuc.edu/academics/colleges/humanitiesSocialSciencesArts/departments/literatureLanguag
es/firstYearWriting/informationForStudents.aspx

COURSE AND UNIVERSITY PROCEDURES/POLICIES

Course Specific Procedures:
Writing Center

Spencer English 1302-SPRING 2015

The Writing Center offers writers free, one-on-one assistance. We welcome all writers, majors, and
disciplinesundergraduate and graduate students alike. In fact, we work from the premise that all writers,
no matter their ability level, benefit from the feedback of knowledgeable readers. The Writing Center staff is
trained to provide writers with just this service. In short, we are here to help you help yourself. In order to
ensure the most effective session possible, we offer visitors the following suggestions: (1) Get started on your
writing project early, and visit the Writing Center at least one day before your final draft is due. You will need
time to work with the ideas and suggestions generated in your tutorial sessions. (2) Bring a written copy of
your assignment, any relevant readings, and one or two specific questions or concerns you would like to
discuss with us.
We are located in the Hall of Languages, Room 103 (903-886-5280) and online at
http://www.tamuc.edu/academics/colleges/humanitiesSocialSciencesArts/departments/literatureLanguag
es/writingCenter/default.aspx

Academic Honesty
The official departmental policy: Instructors in the Department of Literature and Languages do not tolerate
plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonestly. Instructors uphold and support the highest academic
standards, and students are expected to do likewise. Penalties for students guilty of academic dishonesty
include disciplinary probation, suspension, and expulsion. (Texas A&M University-Commerce Code of
Student Conduct 5.b [1,2,3])
If you ever have any questions about a particular use of a source, always ask your instructor. They want you
to avoid plagiarism, too, so they will help you do so whenever and wherever they can. Do what you can to
take advantage of this supportto look innocent in addition to being innocent when it comes to charges of
plagiarism.
Students guilty of academic dishonesty of plagiarism can expect to fail the assignment in question or the
entire course depending on the nature of the incident.
On University-Sanctioned Activities
To accommodate students who participate in university-sanctioned activities, the First-Year Composition
Program offers sections of this course at various times of the day and week. If you think that this course
may conflict with a university-sanctioned activity in which you are involved--athletics, etc.--please see your
instructor after class on the first day.
University Specific Procedures:
Students with Disabilities
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides
comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation
requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for
reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you have a disability requiring an accommodation,
please contact:
Office of Student Disability Resources and Services
Texas A&M University-Commerce

Spencer English 1302-SPRING 2015

Gee Library 132
Phone (903) 886-5150 or (903) 886-5835
Fax (903) 468-8148
StudentDisabilityServices@tamuc.edu
Student Disability Resources & Services
Student Conduct
All students enrolled at the University shall follow the tenets of common decency and
acceptable behavior conducive to a positive learning environment. (See Code of Student
Conduct from Student Guide Handbook).

Spencer English 1302-SPRING 2015

COURSE OUTLINE / CALENDAR

Ethnographic Inquires in Writing = EIIW; FieldWorking = FW
Schedule subject to change (probably will change).

DATE

To Read in Class

To Do in Class

T Jan. 20

Introduction; Icebreaker

R Jan. 22

Discuss syllabus; Share personal

literacy object

T Jan. 27

EIIW Chap. 1 (1-18) (on

website & in book)

In-class writing
My Position; discuss reading

R Jan. 29

Chap. 2 intro in EIIW (19-20)

Literacy Practices EIIW
(21-32)

Discuss readings (literacy

Brandt); Introduce WA 1

T Feb. 3

FW (1-8;14-18)

Discuss reading; in-class activity

(FW 13)

R Fen. 5

Literacy in Three Metaphors

EIIW (35-53).

Discuss reading

T Feb. 10

Write about discourse

community
Peer edit discourse community
draft

R Feb. 12

FW (43-54)

Introduce WA 2; discuss
subcultures (FW 54)

T Feb. 17

FW (23-42)

Discuss sites & reading (discuss

format of ethnography from
reading); introduce field notes
(FW78); sign up for conferences

R Feb.19
T Feb. 24

DUE in class

Write WA1
FW (73-84)

Meet at SRSC (outside

bookstore); Practice
fieldworking

WA 1

Spencer English 1302-SPRING 2015

R Feb. 26

Ethnographic Research
Ethics and Amish Values
EIIW (158-68)

Discuss reading; Informed

Consent

T Mar. 3

The Belmont Report EIIW

(122-39); FW 119-24; Copy
field notes

In-class writing (FW 88-9);

discuss readings (ethics);
introduce WA 2

R Mar. 5
T Mar. 10

Write WA2
Chap. 3 Intro EIIW (117-22)

Online class

R Mar. 12

Online class/1st Site Visit

T Mar. 17

Spring Break! (No class)

R Mar. 19

Spring Break! (NO class)

T Mar. 24

FW 219-29;

R Mar. 26

Discuss reading; introduction to

interviews

FW 165-172; 175-9;

Discuss reading; in-class activity

(FW 168-70); Introduce WA 3

R Apr. 2

FW 111-3; 124-136

Discuss reading; Artifact activity

T Apr. 7

Interviews

Write WA3
FW 186-97; Craft
Observation Guide #2-4

In-class writing (FW 193-4);

discuss reading; peer edit
Observation Guide

T Apr. 14

Write WA4

R Apr. 16

Turn in WA4

T Apr. 21

WA 2

2nd Site Visit (interviews)

T Mar. 31

R Apr. 9

Copy of field
notes

FW 101-110

Discuss reading; in-class activity

(FW 109-10)

R Apr. 23

Discuss Annotated Bib &

Research; Discuss Ethnography
format

T Apr. 28

Write WA5

WA3

WA 4

Spencer English 1302-SPRING 2015

R Apr. 30

Discuss Presentations & Final

Portfolio

WA5

T May 5

Class Presentation of
Ethnographies

Presentation

R May 7

Class Presentations cont.

Final
Ethnography

F May 8

CELEBRATION OF STUDENT
WRITING

T May 12

Finals week no class

R May 14

Finals week no class

Celebration of Student Writing: Friday, May 8 from noon until 2PM in the Field House
Final copy of Ethnographic Essay Due: April 30

The Celebration Presentation serves as your Final Exam. Congratulations on finishing the semester!