Syllabus

English 15S: Rhetoric & Composition/ The Arts at Penn State

Fall, 2012 * Sections 02,07,09

Instructor: Sheila Squillante

MWF 
Section 02--9:05-9:55 --320 Willard
Section 07--10:10-11:00-- 116 EE West
Section 09--12:20-1:10--105 Willard

Office: 143 N. Burrowes Building

Office Hours: W 1:30-3:00 in 143 Burrowes/R 11:15-12:45 at Websters Bookstore, 133 E. Beaver Ave.
Phone: 865-0009

E-mail:  please use ANGEL

REQUIRED TEXTS

Everything’s an Argument with Readings (5^th Edition), by Andrea A. Lunsford, John J. Rusziewicz and Keith Walter

Woe is I: The Grammarphobe’s Guide to English in Plain English, by Patricia T. Connor

Penn Statements

Kalliope Undergrad Student Literary Magazine (provided by instructor)

Handouts

Blogger.com account

What is Art & Where Am I?

1.

In late July of 2011, the United States House of Representatives voted on a bill that proposed a $20 million budget cut to the National Endowment Arts, the organization responsible for providing grants to dance, design, folk & traditional arts, literature, local arts agencies, media arts, multidisciplinary, museums, music, musical theater, opera, presenting, theater, and visual arts.

It failed.

But this is not the first time in recent years the federal arts budget has been up on the chopping block. And it’s not only professional artists and their programs that are at risk; 43 federal arts education programs were cut last year courtesy of something called the “Setting New Priorities in Education Spending Act.”

2.

In 2009, the Princeton Review ranked Penn State the #1 Party School in the Nation. NPR’s “This American Life,” responded with a scathing profile of the campus.  That same year, an 18 year old freshman died from alcohol poisoning after partying at a fraternity house.  As of August, 2012, Penn State ranks #7, a drop that university officials and many students feel relieved about. Though it seems some still beg to differ.

3.

In February, 2012 Penn State’s College of the Liberal Arts announced that it would no longer have the funds to admit new graduate students into their 25 year old, nationally-ranked MFA program in creative writing, effectively shutting it down. The wider creative writing world responded with outrage. The faculty, grad students and alumni voiced their protest, but the program was cut.

What do we care about in America? What are our values, beliefs and convictions? How do these values manifest themselves in the Penn State community? As students and faculty of this institution, what are our priorities for education?

This semester, we will spend time thinking about the role and importance (or frivolity) of the arts in American culture, and, more specifically, about the role of the arts here at Penn State.  We will confront the scenarios and questions above as well as many others, while keeping in mind the following questions:  What is art? Do we need it? How can we engage it? Do we have a responsibility toward it?

In order to do this, we will investigate our campus and participate in various local,artistic events from book readings to museum visits (& more!), and by the semester’s end, you will all be resident experts in the Arts at Penn State!

What is Rhetoric & What Am I Supposed to Do With It?

The more general subject of this course is rhetoric, the study of how language works and how to make it work well. The goal of English 15 is to help you develop your skills in rhetoric—a skill that is essential to success, not only in your academic life but also in your future careers. Everyone is somewhat skilled in their use of rhetoric, in more or less intuitive ways. But the difference between intuitive rhetoric and conscious artful rhetoric is something like the difference between walking and dancing; anyone can strut, not everyone can dance. Our goal for this class, then, is to develop a more conscious skill level.

Acquiring skill in rhetoric means learning to write and speak with a coherent sense of audience and purpose, and with a strategic sense of argument and design. It also means learning to read rhetorically, with a critical yet open-minded attention to the methods of argument and persuasion employed by others. Such methods may be used to teach, explain, create knowledge, alter beliefs, protect the innocent, recommend actions, reform society; they may also be used to manipulate, exploit and deceive. If we do not learn to look at rhetoric analytically, we risk putting ourselves in powerless situations—the dupe of others.

In this course, we will focus attention on the main aspects of effective discourse (ethos, pathos, logos, structure, style) and on the elements of the writing process (inventing, planning, organizing, drafting, revising, editing). By the end of the semester, you should be able to evaluate the quality of others’ arguments and to develop and articulate your own position clearly, thoughtfully, persuasively, and eloquently.

Course Requirements

To pass this course you must satisfactorily fulfill the following requirements:

·         Complete all 5 major assignments. Every portion of the project must be completed or a passing grade cannot be earned.

·         Hand all papers and assignments in on time. Late papers will be docked one letter grade per day, including weekends, unless you get my approval for an extension before the due date. This also holds for drafts that are due for peer review. Not only must you present a draft on the day of workshop, but the draft must also be a complete draft—with an introduction, body and conclusion at least roughly sketched out. I will not grade papers that have not been reviewed by your classmates.

·         Complete library research requirements. I will talk more about this later in the term.

·         Come to every class having read the assigned chapter or text and be prepared to share/present your insights. I will call on people randomly and administer pop quizzes periodically.

·         Complete all homework assignments & quizzes. Note: any quizzes missed because of unexcused absence cannot be made up.

·         Maintain both regular attendance and active participation in peer review workshops, exercises, and discussions.

Participate in two mandatory out-of-class field trips.  Details to come.

More about Attendance & Participation

You are allowed three absences—regardless of the reason. Those absences are your business and I do not require lengthy explanations as to their cause. If there are extenuating circumstances (illness, family crisis, etc.) please contact me as soon as possible. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to get all assignments and complete all work missed. This class depends on your presence and participation every day. If you must be absent please send me an email notifying me of this fact. Additionally, please be on time. Lateness is disruptive and disrespectful to both me and to your fellow students. Continued late arrivals will be converted into absences at my discretion.

The classroom is meant to function as a community, and the many discussions, events, and projects we will share will work best if every voice is heard. I understand that some people find such conversation difficult or uncomfortable, but I guarantee you that learning to actively engage your classmates and professors is one of the MOST important skills you can learn at the outset of your college life and it is part of my job to help you learn this skill. Therefore, I will expect hands in the air, emphatic head-nods and voices ringing out in disagreement or support at every class period. Please note that showing up, following along quietly and handing in your assignments on time will garner you a C for class participation.  If you want the higher grade, you must reach for it; you must earn it.

Close your laptop. Turn off your cell phone.

TEXTING = ABSENCE

NO EXCEPTIONS.

Course/Individual Blogging:

Some of your writing assignments will take the shape of blog posts that you will upload to your a personal blog you will create for this class. All students must register, create and maintain an account with Blogger for the duration of the course. I will provide more instructions as we approach that part of the course.

Mandatory Field Trips: 

There are two mandatory, free, out-of-class field trips for our course. I will provide more details about the expectations surrounding these events in class.

* IAH Film Festival, Sat & Sun, September 28-29 

* "In The Red and Brown Water," Saturday, November 10th, 2pm, Playhouse Theater

Artistic Events:

In addition to the mandatory field trips, you will be required to seek out and attend one other arts/cultural experience and and write about your experience on your blog. I will provide a list of possible events as the semester goes on and explain more about the writing requirement in class.

Office Conferences:

Think of my office as an extension to the classroom and use my office hours to discuss any aspect of your reading and writing: problems, questions, papers you’re working on, ideas you wish to develop, strategies you’d like to try, etcetera. I will hold regular, weekly office hours. There is no need to make an appointment. 

Paper Format:

All final papers will be submitted electronically to the designated drop box on ANGEL. Additionally, approved argument proposal, rough drafts, signed peer review comments from draft workshops, and other materials and notes that represent the various stages of the paper’s development (including and notes and photocopies and printouts from any sources you have used) must be submitted in hard copy form during class. If any of these things are missing, the project will not be accepted. Hard copies should be typed in 12 point font, using black ink, double-spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides. No odd fonts, please. A separate title page is not necessary. Place your name, date, and instructor’s name in the upper left hand corner of the first page. If you have a title, place it above the text on page one. Please number all pages and staple or paperclip. Double-sided printing is acceptable.

Email Protocol:

Please use ANGEL email to contact me in the event of an absence or emergency, to set up an appointment, or for quick questions only. Please do not send lengthy inquiries about your work, complaints about grades or drafts you wish me to review. Please observe proper email netiquette. 

Grading & Course Structure

Please refer to this link for a detailed description of grading criteria used in all Penn State composition courses.

Grades:

As noted above, you must satisfactorily meet all course requirements to pass this class. When figuring your overall grade, I will use the following formula:

Papers/Projects

Memoir            `           10%
Visual Analysis              10%

Blog Journal                  15%
Group Project                25% (10% individual effort; 15% group effort)

This I Believe                 10%

Arts Events Participation                            15%

Attendance & Classroom Participation          15%

PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is the intentional or unintentional act of using another person’s words or ideas as your own without attribution. If you have any questions about plagiarism and its consequences, please ask. Plagiarism demonstrates contempt for ethical standards, your instructor, and your peers. If you are caught plagiarizing, you risk failing the course. You may also be referred to the Office of Judicial Affairs, and this may result in probation, suspension, or expulsion for academic dishonesty.

Penn State encourages qualified persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation in this course or have questions about physical access, please tell me as soon as possible