INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION Jenny M. Grosvenor 417 Old Mill, University of Vermont Jenny.Grosvenor@uvm.edu Online Office Hours: Mondays, 11:40 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. 802-656-1127 (w); 802-760-7911 (cell) or by scheduled "virtual" appointment. COURSE DESCRIPTION: Yes, you already know how to write. Or, no, you believe you can't write and never will. Either way, this is not why you're here, engaging with this text, about to enter the landscape of Written Expression. Yes, this college composition course will teach to how to become a better writer?and editor of your own work; but, more than that, the projects, assignments, and explorations on which you're about to embark will give you new eyes as a reader and writer. You will see the written word?others' and your own?in a discerning light. And you will take this newfound knowledge?critical ways of thinking, close reading, writing, and revising?with you on your future academic voyage and beyond. Know that how you feel and think about writing will never be the same at the end of this voyage of discovery?. But for now, trust the process. COURSE OBJECTIVES: To learn to read like a writer To improve and refine your writing skills To develop critical inquiry, effective argument and analytical skills To expand approaches to inquiry and argument through exploration and revision To explore different modes of communication and purposes for writing To master invention and revision at all stages of the writing process To attain confidence in your potential as a writer LEARNING OUTCOMES: Through critical reading and analysis, you will learn: To identify in assigned readings the main purpose, central arguments, rhetorical techniques, and cultural contexts To recognize effective and recurring patterns of persuasion and development Through process writing, you will learn: Precision of thought, effective editing techniques, and clarity of self-expression The art of using the written word effectively to construct persuasive essays REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS: Fields of Reading: Motives for Writing, Ninth Edition. Comley, Nancy R., Hamilton, David, Klaus, Carl H., Scholes, Robert, and Sommers, Nancy. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007. Essays and Explorations , An English 1 Anthology, Fourth Custom Edition for the University of Vermont. New York: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2010. Bird by Bird, Some Instructions on Writing and Life . Lamott, Anne. New York: Anchor Books, 1994. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TEXTS: A Writer's Reference, Sixth Edition. Hacker, Diana. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. The Elements of Style. Strunk, William Jr., and White, E.B. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1979. Note: These texts will serve you well throughout your four years of college and beyond.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Four formal essays - Reflective, Reportorial, Explanatory and Argumentative - each to include with submission a thinking page and mid-process draft Weekly freewriting and double-entry responses in your online Writer's Notebook Responses to readings and active participation in Discussion Board Dynamic involvement in online group peer-response workshops GRADING CRITERIA: Formal Essays (including thinking pages and drafts) 40% Final Essay and Cover Sheet 10% Writer's Notebook entries, four/week online 10% Peer editing workshop involvement 10% Responses to reading assignments on Discussion Board 20% Overall online presence, punctuality, and participation 10%

EXPECTATIONS: Keeping up with readings. Reading well precedes writing well (Donald Hall). This course - in which reading, thinking, discussion, response and writing are closely interconnected - requires critical exploration through a variety of assigned readings. Your completion of assignments and involvement will be measured by responses to prompts and peers via Discussion Board. Submitting work on time. Due dates are rigorous and unyielding. For each day that elapses from the time a Writer's Notebook entry, Discussion-board response, thinking page, draft, or final paper is due, points will be deducted from the final grade. Technical difficulties or lost files are not valid excuses for missing deadlines. Be sure to carefully save online responses and copies of all your writing throughout the semester. NOTE: You must be especially diligent in this online world of the electronic classroom that you save every draft. The re-vision essential to good writing requires seeing the changes from draft to draft. Online presence, punctuality, and preparedness. This is not only appreciated, but also expected. The vitality of the virtual classroom environment and peer workshops, and your personal progression as a writer depend on your effort and proactive involvement. Vigorous participation as well as sharing, and, most importantly, the respect of others' ideas (agreeing to disagree) is at all times required. Please pay close attention to the assignment schedule and response deadlines. ESSAY SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: All work must be submitted in Word Document format, preferably in 12-point font, double-spaced, thoroughly spell-checked and proofread. Headings should be in MLA format, flush left, and include your name, my name, the course title, and date, in descending order. Also indicate the draft (" Down," "Mid-process," or "Final"). Each missing writing-process piece (i.e. thinking page and/or draft) will result in points deducted from the final paper grade; an additional fourth process draft may count as extra credit. Each final formal essay should be approximately 1,000 words (3 pages) in length. Always be sure to defer to quality over quantity, content over length. THE WRITER'S NOTEBOOK: You are expected to write at minimum four entries per week: one freewrite, one double-entry response to the reading, one additional exercise, and one of pure choice. Unlike Discussion Board, these online entries will be read only by the instructor, and checked weekly. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: College students are expected to be honest in all academic endeavors. Any acts of dishonesty will not be tolerated. Cheating only hurts you, the student. Plagiarism - "borrowing" work from another source, another student, author, or the internet without proper acknowledgment and/or citation - is not only morally wrong, but impinges directly upon your own learning and personal growth. Such actions will result in an immediate failing grade, and could lead to expulsion from the learning institution.