Instructor: Dr. Ryan G. Van Cleave
Office: TBA
Phone: TBA
Email: vancleave88@yahoo.com

Class Times: 10:00-11:30 a.m. (kernel 07) & 12:30-2 (kernel 08)
Class Location: Goldstein 6
3 credit hours

Mission of the College: Ringling College of Art and Design recognizes that artists and designers play a significant role in society. The school's primary mission is to provide programs leading to a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree that prepare students to be discerning visual thinkers and ethical practitioners in their chosen area of art and design.

General Course Description from the RCAD Catalog: Writing Studio is an electronic portfolio-based course that introduces students to the demands of academic and professional writing by emphasizing Rhetorical Knowledge; Critical Thinking, Reading and Writing; Processes; and Conventions. Specifically, students can expect to compose regular short informal in-class writing assignments; to compose regular short homework writing assignments; to analyze, practice, and evaluate multiple reading strategies; to learn revision strategies; to compose essay-length pieces in various academic genres; to learn to use various research tools; to develop a research process; to expand their knowledge of documentation techniques and incorporating sources; to workshop and peer review each other's writing; to expand editing and proofreading strategies; and, to build an electronic portfolio. This course satisfies the Kernel writing requirement for Liberal Arts and is required of all students who do not transfer in an English Composition course or its equivalent.

• Rhetorical Knowledge -- By the end of our time together, you’ll better know how to recognize the importance of audience as you write; identify a specific purpose for what you write, and then focus on that purpose; and use format, organization, and language appropriate to specific writing situations.
• Critical Thinking, Reading and Writing -- We’ll learn some strategies for gathering, analyzing, and writing about issues that are important to specific audiences in specific contexts. Here are some ways we are going to do this: by working with demanding non-fiction readings and learning to interpret, incorporate, and evaluate these readings; by engaging in various research methods to study and explore topics, including library and Internet research, and interviews and observations; by using writing as a way of thinking through topics and ideas; and by analyzing different perspectives on issues so that you’ll begin to understand that multiple perspectives of an issue are in operation at the same time.
• Processes -- You’ll practice various writing and research strategies throughout the semester in order to identify some that work well for you. You’ll be able to adapt these strategies to various writing assignments in this class and in other classes. One of the most important things you’ll learn is how to choose a topic that isn’t too broad and isn’t too narrow for a given assignment. Then you’ll learn how to take a writing assignment through early brainstorming to a first, second, third, etc. draft so that you arrive at the best work you can possibly write; revise your drafts in a way that incorporates feedback into your writing; work with others as you read, write, and conduct research; be a good responder to others’ writing, which will, in turn, make you a better critic of your own work; discuss readings, writings, and other kinds of research with others and use those discussions as brainstorming, invention, or revision exercises; and actively participate in class discussions about readings and writings.
• Conventions -- Conventions include general characteristics of writing such as proper spelling and grammar, but also encompass such issues as what we expect in a title and how an introduction paragraph tells us what to expect about what we’re reading. When we’re done here, you’ll be more adept at writing in Standard Written English -- spelling, grammar, and punctuation -- plus habitually proofreading your writing so that everything you write, from email to informal homework assignments to formal research essays, sounds polished and makes you credible in the eyes of friends, family, classmates, professors, and future employers; organizing your writing; and recognizing that there are different strategies for conveying information, for researching information, and for evaluating and analyzing information.

Student Learning Outcomes: EN 151 addresses RCAD Learning Outcomes in Communication Skills (particularly writing), Thinking Skills, and Collaboration.

• Ballenger, Bruce.  The Curious Researcher, Longman, 2009.
• Gladwell, Malcolm.  Blink, Back Bay Books, 2005.
• Wysocki, Anne Frances and Dennis A. Lynch. The DK Handbook. Pearson Education, Inc., 2009.

Additional Materials:

• folder(s) to hold all of your papers and drafts -- be prepared to keep everything you write until the start of Spring semester 2010 -- even if I have already seen it/graded it
• writing material and your notebook computer (bring these to class)
• electronic media on which to save all of your writing
• your RCAD email account

Attendance: Because writing classes are performance courses that depend upon student attendance for both the class and the student’s success, this policy is non-negotiable. All absences count equally, irrespective of the cause.  Students who exceed the allowed number of absences cannot pass the course and will fail with a grade of “F.” For classes that meet two days a week, the maximum number of allowed absences is four (4). Please use your absences wisely.

Lateness, cell phones, and other disruptions: Your in-class writing will earn a zero on any day you are late, or on any day that your cell phone makes any sort of appearance during class time, or on any day I look over your shoulder and notice you doing anything that isn’t directly related to what we are doing in class. Zeros add up very quickly so please stay on task when you're in the classroom.

Late work: Once the clock strikes 10:030 a.m. (or 12:30 p.m., for the later section), all work should be printed and ready for class. It is your responsibility to be finished with your printing and your homework at the start of class. Work that is not physically present in the room at the beginning of class is late and will receive no more than half credit. Work that is more than twenty-four hours late will earn a zero. No exceptions.

We will stick closely to the Course Calendar; it is important that you keep up. You may certainly complete the assignments earlier, when possible, but it’s important that you complete them on time. Much of what you do for this class quickly leads to another assignment. Often, your daily work is part of a larger discussion that will not wait for you. It will be difficult for you and/or me to keep up when your work is late. Consequently, I rarely accept late assignments of any type. I am, however, flexible if you approach me ahead of time and explain why you believe you must turn something in late. If I agree to take your late work, I reserve the right to deduct grades for its lateness. This means if you submit late work and there are other problems with what you turn in, there is a possibility you may still not receive any credit for the work.

With a couple of exceptions, you’ll always know the homework and class work well in advance, so if you know you’re going to be absent, make plans to do the work on time, anyway. If you are absent, you are still responsible for doing your homework; if you miss class I expect that when you return to class, you’ll have all of your homework completed and up-to-date. Get in the habit of checking the Course Calendar -- your homework will always be posted there. “I wasn’t here…” is never an acceptable excuse for arriving unprepared.

"What if I miss a class?  Is my work going to get a zero, too?"  No.  If you turn in your work the next time I see you (probably the next class, I imagine), you will receive full credit.  You will, however, need to have THAT day's work too or you will receive less than full credit for THAT day's work.  For some of you, it might make sense to skip class but email me the work on or before the class meeting that you'll miss.  You don't have to do this, but odds are that if you're missing class, you probably might be inclined to skip the homework.  Once the next class meeting rolls around, you might well have a log-jam of work to do (a full week's worth) and that might mean a less-than-your-best job with it.

Homework format and computer-use: Our semester begins on the very first day of class. All homework is due on time, as spelled out for you in the course calendar, which is at your disposal twenty-four hours a day on our course website. All homework must be typed and in a reader-friendly format. I won’t read work that doesn’t look like it has been proofread; I also won’t read anything submitted without paragraph breaks; nor will I read work that is printed in fonts below eleven. Aside from proofreading, paragraph breaks, and font size: I don’t care if you single-space or double-space, nor do I care about font, ink color, paper color, etc. so go crazy with those if you wish (as long as it's legible--no yellow ink on yellow paper, etc., please).

Some of you will have computer problems over the course of this semester. I do not hear printer and computer excuses, so please don’t make them; they all sound the same and they are generally evidence of work done at the last minute. You are on a college campus and have many resources at your disposal. If something goes wrong with your computer, you need to take the initiative to find another computer to use and/or get the IT people to fix yours promptly.. In the interest of making sure you are clear on this issue, I’m going to be redundant: if your Internet goes down, use another computer. If your computer breaks, use another computer. If your computer gets a virus, use another computer. In other words, be resourceful and find a way to complete the assignments on time.

Course Description and Notes about the Course: You’ll write in class each time we meet, and we’ll discuss that writing often. You’ll almost always have a reading assignment, and generally, you’ll prepare a typewritten comment on what you read. You’ll bring those comments to class and we’ll discuss those, too. You’ll do some writing exercises in class that will help you generate ideas for papers. You’ll write drafts of your papers and share your drafts with the class. We’ll read the drafts in class and we’ll read them outside of class. All of your drafts and homework assignments should be typed and should fulfill the word count requirements, as well as anything else the assignment asks. Know that you are always welcome to exceed the word count, but that you should never write less than the required word count. I won’t accept handwritten homework or drafts: they are, in part, an indication that you waited until the last minute to do your work. Throughout the semester, you’ll be compiling a writing portfolio due at the end of the semester, and you’ll write a final reflection to accompany the portfolio. Knowing that you’ll be putting together a final portfolio of your writing, I cannot stress enough the importance of keeping every little scrap of writing you produce for this class organized in a folder. I promise you that if you try to keep your work organized, you’ll save yourself a world of headaches at the end of the semester.

Description of Paper Assignments and Other Writing Requirements:

Anticipated number of outside sources: 2. 
Anticipated length: 1200 words.  
Anticipated number of visual pieces: 2. 

Along the way, expect to write a short annotated bibliography, at least one outline, at least three drafts, a works cited, and a couple of process memos. If you don't know what any of these elements are, don't worry--we'll talk about each in turn together.

Paper 2: Research Paper. By the time you finish this second major project, you’ll have

• Written a short exploratory writing on your topic.
• Collected and analyzed information from at least ten sources, which will range from books and journals in the library and/or in library databases, to newspapers (online and/or print), to various types of websites. You’ll write roughly 150 words on each source. This entire mess of research will be an annotated bibliography with a very formal voice. Ten sources times150 words per source is at least 1500 words. You’ll use your research in the below-mentioned 1500-word essay.
• Written a 1500-word essay or argument that incorporates the research that you diligently put together in your Annotated Bibliography. I expect the essay to have more personality and voice in it than did your Annotated Bibliography. The essay should be stuffed full of your own thinking, arguing, and amazing insights.  

In summary: anticipated number of outside sources: 10. 
Anticipated length: 1500 words. 

Along the way, expect to write an exploratory piece, an annotated bibliography, at least one outline, at least three drafts, a works cited, and a couple of process memos as part of accomplishing Paper 2.

Paper 3: Project Blink: We'll spread this out over about the first seven weeks of class, so sometimes we'll be working on this and the Process Analysis Project. But we can multitask -- don't worry. We are going to read Blink pretty much cover-to-cover. Along the way, you'll write 400-600 word formal reading responses to each section; there are eight sections altogether, including the introduction and conclusion, but since you -- presumably -- read the Introduction and Chapter 1 over the summer, we'll combine those two sections. As we read and write, we'll talk about the various sections in class, and we'll also be creating a running list of possible research topics -- for use in the Research Project. When we finish the book, you'll use the seven reading responses you wrote as a "first draft" of a critical review of the book. And at the end, you'll create a small portfolio of your best reading responses, the critical review, and a reflection on the process of reading, writing about, and talking about the book.

Final Reflection: The final reflection serves as your chance to describe the growth and development of your writing skills since the beginning of the semester. In the process of reflecting, you’ll revisit the Course Description and the Course Goals and Objectives, and review your work in the class in order to draw conclusions about your strengths and weaknesses as a writer -- and how the work in your portfolio illustrates these.  Near the end of the semester, I'll also offer a few questions of my own that it might prove fruitful for your to explore and reflect upon.

Final Portfolio: By the end of the semester, you’ll have a substantial collection of writing. You’ll organize a few pieces from that collection that you think represent your growth, as well as the best of your work this term, and build a portfolio to showcase them. You’ll include a creative homepage/introduction to your work, as well as a conclusion piece that will serve as your final reflection on the term. Both the introduction and conclusion pieces should help to bind everything together. Expect to include at least one informal in-class assignment; at least one short homework assignment; at least two of your polished papers; as well as your final reflection on the course.

The Papers link on the course website will have further information about paper assignments (as needed).

In-class/informal writings: The first thing we’ll do in class each day is write. The topics will sometimes be related to what you read for homework; sometimes they’ll be related to the paper we’re working on; sometimes they will be completely random. All I ask is that you give each in-class writing your best effort -- write for the entire time I give you; don’t stop until I tell you to stop. If you run out of things to say, be creative and make something up. At any given time, in-class writings are a way to get your brain warmed up and focused on our class; they’re also a way for you to use some of your creative energy; they’re a way to learn about what you think; and, of course, they’re great for practicing your writing. In-class writings cannot be made up; if you miss class or are late for class, you miss the in-class writing. These affect your participation grade, so plan accordingly. There are twenty-seven (27) in-class writings built into the course calendar; successfully complete 90% of them, and you will earn an A for this part of the course, successfully complete 80% of them, and you will earn a B for this part of the course, etc.

Reading Journals/Formal homework writings: These are most often written responses to and/or comments on what you read. I keep the word minimums on these reasonable -- just enough for you to show, in writing, that you are reading and thinking about what you read. Know that there will never be a right or wrong answer when you work on these -- I am looking for your reactions, ideas, and opinions. Please do not summarize the entire piece. We all read it, we know what it says; we need to know what you think about it. Use summary only to contextualize your ideas. Because these writings are homework assignments, I expect them to be typed, carefully spell-checked and edited, and titled creatively and appropriately. I expect you to incorporate authors’ names, titles, and quotes from each reading into your writing: this is excellent practice for incorporating outside sources into research papers. Getting into the habit, early, of incorporating sources seamlessly into your writing will make your academic life much easier. I will grade these on a scale of 10 to 0 based on whether it looks like you are actively thinking about and writing about what you read, on whether you’ve met the requirements of each individual assignment, and on whether you’ve edited closely and titled appropriately. There are twenty-four (24) homework assignments built into the course calendar; successfully complete 90% of them, and you will earn an A for this part of the course, successfully complete 80% of them, and you will earn a B for this part of the course, etc. Note: some homework assignments are no-brainers (like the email you'll send the first week of class), so don't let the high number scare you. More is better, anyway, since that means you can afford to "space" a couple and still do well in the course. For those of you who need a firm word minimum, go with 300 unless otherwise specified, though you are always welcome to go longer if motivated to do so.  (For PROJECT BLINK, all reading journals will be in the 400-600 word range.) [We've also talked about this numerous times in class, but the front page of every document you turn in to me must have your name, the date, the class, and the assignment, all in the upper left corner.  Every other page should have your last name and the page number.)

Conferences: We will meet in small groups throughout the semester to discuss your writing. Prior to group conferences, we’ll organize the groups and arrange to exchange drafts of each other’s work. If you do not have copies of your drafts on the days that they are due, you lose your chance to get feedback from your group members and from me. We’ll read and comment on everyone’s work before the conference and then discuss the work in our conference. I have canceled classes for these conferences, which makes it doubly important for you to attend (come prepared and be on time) your conference. Arriving for your conference late, unprepared, or not at all will result in an F for the conference. In addition to our scheduled group conferences, you are required to meet one-on-one with me once during the term to discuss your work. I will generally make these appointments with you immediately following the submission of the final drafts of your papers. Arriving late or missing scheduled conferences with me will result in a one-letter grade deduction from your conference grade. Note: my door is always open to you; you don't have to wait until our "official" conference to talk with me about your work. Feel free to stop in or email me to set up a time to meet whenever you want.

The public nature of class writing and discussions: Please consider every piece of writing you do for this class to be “public property.” Part of becoming a good writer is learning to appreciate the ideas and criticisms of others, and in this course our purpose is to come together as a writing community. Remember that you will often be expected to share your writing with others, so avoid writing about things that you may not be prepared to subject to public scrutiny, or things you feel so strongly about that you are unwilling to listen to perspectives other than your own. This does not mean that you are not entitled to an opinion but that you adopt positions responsibly, contemplating the possible effect on others.

Evaluation:

Process Analysis Project = 15% of final grade
Project Blink = 20% of final grade (10% for the 8 reading responses and 10% for the portfolio)
Research Project = 25% of final grade
Final Reflection and Final Portfolio = 10% of final grade
Typed homework responses and comments (outside of what you produce for Project Blink) = 10%
In-class writings and activities/participation = 15%
Conferences and written peer responses = 5%

NEW grading system (agreed to on Oct 1, 2009)

Reading Responses=10%
In-class writings and participation=15%
Conferences and written peer responses=5%
Project Blink critical review=10%
Final Reflection and Portfolio=60%

If you ever have a question about one of your grades or about a comment I make on/about your work, please ask me about it -- I’m happy to talk to you. I do not post grades to the course website, nor do I discuss grades over email. If you would like to know how you are doing in class, you must make an appointment to see me in my office (or meet with my before or after class).

Grading: To compute final course grades, the following values are assigned to the standard letter grades of A through F:

A = 4.0
A- = 3.7
B+ = 3.3
B = 3.0
B- = 2.7
C+ = 2.3
C = 2.0
C- = 1.7
D = 1.0
F = 0

We will discuss, as a class, grading criteria for your writing. Once we have that conversation, I will post a summary of the criteria we discussed and that is how I will grade your writing all term.

Participation: Active and meaningful participation is required. Participation includes coming prepared for class and showing that you actually thought about what you wrote rather than just wrote something to complete the assignment. This also applies to in-class writings: while they are informal and we’ll use them to get our thinking going and to generate discussion, I also expect that you’ll put your best effort into these each day. Participation, as I see it, also means participating in class discussions and small group work, especially when we have workshop days where we read and respond to each other’s work. Active and meaningful participation means that you are invested in the class, your work, and your writing. Please note, also, that I expect you to bring your textbooks/handouts to class on the days when you have assigned reading in them. Failure to do so will affect your participation grade.  

Revision: Current writing theory and practice advocates a process approach to writing in which revision of writing over multiple drafts is a major component. In each of the major paper assignments, you will complete subsequent drafts. After the completion of an individual draft, you will receive revision assignments that you must follow and complete on time in order to earn full credit for your work. Know that failure to significantly revise between drafts and/or complete all the drafts for an assignment is grounds for failure for the paper. At the very least, if you do not revise substantially between drafts, you will lose one letter grade from the final grade of your paper.

All writing for this class must be written for this class: To pass this class all major writing assignments must be completed (Paper 1, Paper 2, Paper 3, and the Final Reflection and Final Portfolio), and all writing for this class must be written for this class. Reusing a paper you wrote for another class, or back in high school, constitutes academic dishonesty.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is stealing. Whenever you borrow a phrase, sentence, paragraph, or even an idea stated in your own words, from any outside source (news writing, magazine, TV show, book) without giving credit to that source, you have plagiarized. Plagiarism is cheating yourself and someone else. The consequences are severe, including failure for the assignment, probable failure for the course, disciplinary referral to the Dean, and possible expulsion from the College. Academic integrity is expected of every individual in the College (see the Student Code of Conduct section of the Student Handbook). If you have any questions about how to acknowledge someone else’s words or ideas, see me. If you have any doubt about what constitutes plagiarism, see me, someone in the Writing Center, or Terra Williams.

Writing Center: Ringling's Writing Center (located in the ARC) offers one-on-one help for students with their writing. The staff consists of faculty and consultants trained in writing and teaching. The Writing Center is happy to help you with a writing problem, with an assignment, or just improve your writing; but know that the Center isn't a "fix it place" where you can drop off your paper like you'd drop off your car for an oil change. They'll work with you, not for you. Make an appointment by calling ahead (941.359.7627) or emailing (askarc@ringling.edu) or by stopping in at the Center, located in room 227 of the Ulla Searing Student Center. They get very busy around midterms and finals, so plan ahead during those times or you might find yourself without help.

Disabilities Accommodations: The Ringling College of Art and Design makes reasonable accommodations for qualified people with documented disabilities. If you have a learning disability, a chronic illness, or a physical or psychiatric disability that may have some impact on your work for this class and for which you may need accommodations, please notify the Director of the Academic Resource Center (Room 227 Ulla Searing Student Center; 359-7627) preferably before the end of the drop/add period so that appropriate adjustments can be made.

Health and Safety: Ringling College of Art and Design is committed to providing students, faculty, and staff with a safe and healthful learning and work environment and to comply with all applicable safety laws and regulations and safe work practices.

Finding Ryan: Admittedly, it might be tricky since I am a fulltime freelance writer who works out of a home office and I also teach classes at Eckerd.  Still, I will meet with students before and after class, and I'm happy to take appointments to meet at other times and/or other days.  I teach Mondays and Thursdays 10:00-11:30 and 12:30-2, so clearly I'm on campus during those times.  I'm typically going to be in my office between those two classes so you could swing by then to see me.  In any case, if you know you need to see me, it never hurts to tell me you're coming in so that I make sure I am physically in my office and not somewhere else on or off campus.

Emailing me (and any other instructor and/or colleague): Remember that email, while convenient, does not offer the same bandwidth as talking to someone in person or over the phone. A five-minute face-to-face conversation can sometimes take several email exchanges over a period of hours or days. Thus, use the following guidelines when crafting your email message:

• Use my email address vancleave88@yahoo.com for all correspondence.
• Create an informative subject line that includes “EN 151.” Avoid uninformative subject lines such as “hi” or “hey there,” “help me,” “question,” as well as ones that sound like spam: “you gotta hear this” or "Great Idea!"
• If you are writing to ask a question, write a detailed message explaining the problem and your concerns. Also include the steps you took to work the problem out on your own so that I don’t go over the same ground you covered.
• Realize that I might not always immediately recognize your email address. Please make sure to include your first and last name in a signature line at the bottom of your email, just as you would if you were sending someone an actual old-fashioned pen and paper letter.
• Remember to check your email for a response from me. I will generally respond within twelve hours during the week and twenty-four hours on the weekend.

If you aren’t acquainted with proper email netiquette, see About.com’s “Top 10 Most Important Rules of Email Netiquette”.

God clause: Policies, assignments, and calendar are subject to change. Keep yourself informed by checking your email and the course announcements area regularly.