English 015: Rhetoric & Composition

ENGLISH 015: RHETORIC & COMPOSITION

T R 9:05AM-10:20AM Sutherland 217                 Fall 2017                               Section: 018

Instructor: Dr. Matthew Feltman                                          Office Location: 322 Sutherland

Email: maf53@psu.edu                                                     Office Hours: M 4:30-5:30PM

Introduction to the Course: Welcome to English 015: Rhetoric and Composition, a course that will engage you in an ambitious semester-long inquiry into the subject of rhetoric, an ancient art that has always been closely associated with education and with democratic institutions.  The course has a simple goal: to help you to become a “critical citizen” inside and outside the university—a citizen who engages actively and influentially through composition with the communities to which you belong.

Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here: You should consider this class NC-17. We may deal with some difficult political material and social questions; however, the goal—not dogmatism—is to examine multiple political positions for their insights into the complex questions regarding the intersections of popular culture and American life. Those of you unable or unwilling to participate in a mature discussion about offensive material should rethink your enrollment in this particular class. Substitute materials will not be provided. Students are urged to approach this course with both an open-mind and a willingness to engage in critical thinking

Required Texts and Materials: (1) Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon. Signs of Life in the U.S.A. Eighth Edition. (2) All other course readings will provided for you either on Canvas or on the web. (3) Instead of forcing you to buy a style guide, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University website. (4) A notebook in which to take notes. (5) A folder in which to organize handouts and materials from class. (6) A Penn State email address that you check regularly and use in all email communication with me.

ATTENDANCE & PREPARATION

Come to all class meetings.  You are required to attend every class.  If I need to cancel a class, I’ll notify you promptly by email and/or on ANGEL.  If you need to miss class for an excused absence, please let me know by email as far in advance of the class as possible, but at least 24-hours in advance.  I will excuse absences for religious holidays recognized by the University at , University-sponsored athletic events documented by a note from the coach or Athletic Director, or illnesses that you can verify.  I will also excuse absences for real emergencies that you can verify.  If emergencies interfere with your ability to attend any class, please consult with me promptly by phone or email—ideally within 24 hours of the emergency.  I will not subtract points from your grade for excused absences, but you should obviously try to avoid missing class since missing class might cause you to fall behind in your studies. You can miss 2 classes without an excuse without any adverse effects to your grade, but you should save these for unexpected situations.  If you miss 3 classes without an excuse, you will get 0 points for the class participation portion of your final grade.  For your fourth absence and every absence thereafter, I will deduct 50 points (per absence) off of your final grade / point total.  Be sure to obtain another student's email address so that you have someone to contact about what you missed in the event of an absence.  You can also contact me to make sure you know what you missed, but don’t expect me to re-teach the class for you. If you’re absent, you’re still required to come prepared for the next class.  

Get to class and any meetings we set on time.  We start class promptly every class period.  Every two times you are 5 minutes or more late to class, it will count as one absence.  If you know ahead of time that you will have difficulty making it to a class on time, please consult with me in person, by phone, or by email.

Come to class prepared.  Readings are to be read before the date on which I list them on the syllabus.  The date a given reading is listed is the date on which we will discuss that reading. You must do all of the course readings before class, and I will expect you to have read them with a pen or pencil in hand to make notes.  This shows me that you’re engaging with the readings.  You must also come to class prepared with your class notebook, handouts, the texts we are working from, and completed homework. Coming to class unprepared or without all your materials counts as half of an unexcused absence. 

Complete all assignments with care and according to submission guidelines and submit them on time.  All assignments are due according to specifications listed on the daily agenda of the syllabus. Major essays are due in the Canvas drop box and also on your e-portfolio.  For the versions you upload to the Canvas drop box, please follow these assignment submission guidelines: submit WORD document essays typed in 12 pt. Times New Roman font.  Margins for all document submissions should be 1 inch on all sides.  Do not include a title page but do title every piece.  Number all pages.  Adhere to MLA style.  If you know ahead of time that you will be unable to make a deadline, talk to me about it and we’ll see if we can make alternative arrangements.  Late work will be accepted for two calendar days following the due date with a 10% reduction in total possible points for each calendar day the paper is late.  If an emergency situation arises that keeps you from submitting an assignment within this timeframe, please consult with me promptly. 

Conduct yourself professionally and participate actively during EVERY day of class and for the full duration of every class.  You should present your best professional self in our college classroom.  You should take notes, raise questions, and respond to questions and ideas that arise in our discussions.  Whether I’m speaking or whether a student is speaking, I expect you to be courteous and alert.  Please turn off cell phones and other electronic devices you may have to fully enable you to focus on the work of the course.  If we’re working on computers, avoid social media distractions.  Likewise, avoid packing up early.  If you disrupt class once or appear less than wholly alert, I will give you a warning.  Every time thereafter that you disrupt class or appear to be less-than-wholly alert, I will ask you to leave class and count you as absent without an excuse for the day.