RHE 306 Rhetoric and Composition is a course in argumentation that will enhance your understanding of academic writing and give you practice in producing it. You will learn how to:
Everything's An Argument. John Ruszkiewicz et al.
The SF Handbook for Writers. Ruszkiewicz, Hairston, and Friend.
Fast Food Nation. Eric Schlosser.
RHE 306 Web. http://www.drc.utexas.edu/rhe306/
You will be writing the following papers this term:
Paper I: Rhetorical Analysis Argument (15%).
Paper II: Definition Argument (25%).
Paper III: Causal Argument (25%).
Paper IV: Proposal Argument (15%).
Attendance and Participation-10% (attendance-3% and participation-7%).
Performance on the grammar and style part of the course-10%
To pass the course, you must turn in on time a good faith rough draft and a polished final draft of each paper. Your peers and I will look at and comment on the rough drafts. To complete each final draft, you must consider the comments you received on your first draft thoughtfully, acting on them and going beyond them to improve your draft substantially. Although you will not receive a grade for the rough draft, failure to submit one will result in the loss of a whole letter grade on the final draft.
Your final semester grade will be calculated from your formal paper grades, your performance on daily assignments and class work, and your perfomance on the grammar and style part of the course. You may fail the course if you consistently fail to fulfill the class work assignments. Also, be aware that regular participation in the discussion blog on our course website is considered class work. Do not discard any drafts, notes, papers or research materials you produce during the semester until you receive a final grade.
Consult the RHE 306 Web for a complete explanation of grades in this course: Chapter 4.4: Grading and Grading Criteria
Rough drafts and final drafts of all out-of-class papers must be typewritten. The first page of your paper must include the following information: your name, my name, course, date, and paper title. Double space the lines and use 1-inch margins all the way around the text. Staple your pages together. Unless you're told otherwise, your papers should have the same format as the sample MLA paper in The SF Express (see pp. 87-98). Both rough drafts and final drafts must always be submitted electronically as MS Word documents. Make sure that your name is part of the file name whenever you submit documents electronically.
Computers are available to you in the Student Microcomputer Facility (SMF) on the second floor of the Flawn Academic Center (FAC) (also known as the Undergraduate Library, or UGL). You should plan to get your IF number for the SMF immediately if you have not already done so. Some departments also provide computer labs, so check with your advisor. Also check the list of computer locations in The Student Guide to First-year Writing: Resources for RHE 306 Students.
You are expected to attend class regularly, to arrive on time, to have prepared assigned reading and writing, and to participate in all in-class editing, revising, and discussion sessions. If you have fifteen absences you will fail the course. Save any absences to use when you are sick, or when you have an emergency. If you find that an unavoidable problem prevents you from attending class, please discuss the problem with me.
Papers, drafts, and other out-of-class assignments will be turned in at the time they are due. If you cannot attend class on the date an assignment is due, arrange to have a classmate or friend drop it off during scheduled class time. There is no make-up for in-class work. I refuse to accept late rough drafts. Generally, I will accept late final drafts but each workday that you are late costs you one third of a letter grade.
Turning in work that is not your own, or any other form of scholastic dishonesty, will result in a major course penalty, possibly failure of the course. A report of the incident will also be made to the Office of the Dean of Students. Be sure you read and understand the Statement on Scholastic Responsibility in chapter 6 of The Student Guide. I strongly encourage you to use the services offered by the Undergraduate Writing Center (FAC 211, 471-6222) and the Learning Center (JES A332A, 471-3614). The consultants at these centers are trained to help you resolve your own problems so that all your writing reflects what you have learned.
We will be covering the use of sources extensively in class. In general, I will ask you to provide me with photocopies or printouts of all sources you use, when you submit your final drafts. I will explain the procedures for presenting this material later in the course. If you have any questions about the use you are making of sources for your assignments, see me before you turn in the project.
The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic adjustments for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TDD.