Day: M/W Room: D327
The student will master the writing process, including strategies for invention, organization, revision, and editing. The student will develop critical skills in reading, thinking and writing. Writing assignments will emphasize analysis and argument and the student will master research writing and documentation. All formal essays will require research. AAS: Communications elective.
Course Alignment
General Education Outcomes are the knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, and behaviors that students are expected to develop as a result of their overall experiences with any aspect of the college, including courses, programs, and student services, both inside and outside of the classroom. The General Education Outcomes specifically learned in this course are:
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Responsibility
Catalog Description:
Prerequisite: Appropriate assessment score or completion of ENGL 1413 with a grade of C or better. The student will master the writing process which includes strategies for invention, organization, revision, and editing. The student will develop critical skills in reading, thinking, and writing. Writing assignments will emphasize analysis and argument. The student will master research writing and documentation. All formal essays will require research.
Relationship to academic programs and transferability
English I was designed to meet specific student needs either individually or within a program and is designed to transfer to other colleges and universities. KCC participates in the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI), a statewide transfer agreement for general education courses. All colleges and universities participating in the IAI agree to accept a collective “package” of IAI general education courses; transfer of courses separately is not guaranteed. For more information about IAI and the transferability of courses to specific four-year institutions, go to www.itransfer.org and MyCreditsTransfer/Transferology.
General Education Goals and Objectives
The general education program at KCC is designed to enable students to acquire communication and reasoning skills at a level reflecting college-level learning. Students who complete the general education program will be able to examine complex topics and apply systematic processes to form conclusions. The specific general education objectives addressed in this course are: Communication
Students who graduate from KCC will be able to create and interpret messages within specific contexts and multiple channels and modalities.
Course Goals
Upon completion of this course, students will recognize that:
- All written communication exists within a social and rhetorical context.
- Research is a tool for inquiry, support, credibility, and contextualization.
- Writing is a skill which can be learned and improved through practice.
- Effective written communication is focused, organized, developed, and rhetorically appropriate.
- Modern communication exists in multiple modes, including the combination of visual, textual, and oral.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students will:
- Use invention, drafting, revising, and editing strategies to write academic papers
- Write claims that are appropriate for assignment requirements
- Effectively organize paragraphs to suit the rhetorical situation
- Support claims and generalizations with adequate and relevant details, examples, explanation, and evidence
- Analyze and evaluate the use of rhetorical appeals in a variety of nonfiction texts
- Apply the principles of rhetoric in student writing assignments
- Correctly integrate and document outside sources through signal phrases, parenthetical citations, and a works cited page
- Apply self- and peer- review strategies for revision and improvement
- Create and share a multimodal project
Utilize standard grammar, spelling, and mechanics for clarity, tone, and style
Topical Outline
1. Rhetoric: Style, strategies, devices, tools, and appeals; relationship to audience
2. Research: Credibility, integration, citation and documentation, research as inquiry, types of sources, role of research
librarian
3. Composition: Focus, coherence, development, grammar, spelling, and punctuation, introductions, body paragraphs,
and conclusions
4. Reading: Engagement with texts: annotation, outlining, vocabulary; critical analysis of texts including non-fiction academic writing
5. Critically; Intellectually empathy, originality in thought, context of social cultural contexts, diverse viewpoints
6. Multimodality: Integration of visual, textual, and oral elements; methods of engaging audience; rhetorical awareness
Faculty Contact Information
Office Hours:
Mondays & Wednesdays from 12:30-1:30pm in L316
Tuesdays from 11:00-12:00pm VIRTUAL (Available by email or Zoom)
Professor Keith Stevenson
Course Information
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Use invention, drafting, revising, and editing strategies to write academic papers
- Write claims that are appropriate for assignment requirements
- Effectively organize paragraphs to suit the rhetorical situation
- Support claims and generalizations with adequate and relevant details, examples, explanation, and evidence
- Analyze and evaluate the use of rhetorical appeals in a variety of nonfiction texts
- Apply the principles of rhetoric in student writing assignments
- Correctly integrate and document outside sources through signal phrases, parenthetical citations, and a works cited page
- Apply self- and peer- review strategies for revision and improvement
- Create and share a multimodal project
- Utilize standard grammar, spelling, and mechanics for clarity, tone, and style
- Rhetoric: Style, strategies, devices, tools, and appeals; relationship to audience
- Research: Credibility, integration, citation and documentation, research as inquiry, types of sources, role of research librarian
- Composition: Focus, coherence, development, grammar, spelling, and punctuation, introductions, body paragraphs, and conclusions
- Reading: Engagement with texts: annotation, outlining, vocabulary; critical analysis of texts including non-fiction, academic writing
- Criticality: Intellectual empathy, originality in thought, context of social and cultural contexts, diverse viewpoints
- Multimodality: Integration of visual, textual, and oral elements; methods of engaging audience; rhetorical awareness
Textbook: No text :)
Students will be expected to read/watch instructional materials that I provide in Canvas throughout the semester instead of purchasing a textbook.
Methods of Evaluation
Students will complete, at minimum 3 major writing assignments and a multimodal project. This will help hone skills of observing, reflecting, making and supporting claims, and finding research for evidence/support. Source material should not overwhelm the student’s own voice. Page lengths are mandatory minimums; the works cited page does not count toward the minimum length. Source material should not overwhelm the student’s own voice.
- Rhetorical Analysis Paper: 2-4 sources, at least 1,200 words (equivalent to 4+ pages)
- Argument Paper: 4-6 sources, at least 1,800 words (equivalent to 6+ pages)
- Synthesis-based Annotated Bibliography: 6-8 sources, at least 1,500 words (=5+ pages)
- A multimodal project
These assignments may be given in any order. Students will also be expected to complete additional learning activities including in-class assignments, writing workshops on students’ work, and online work.
Evaluation
Assignment Category Percentage of Final Grade
Rhetorical Analysis Paper 15%
Synthesis-Based Annotated Bibliography 20%
Argumentative Paper 20%
Multimodal Assignment 10%
Other Assignments 35%
Grading Scale: A= 100-90, B= 89-80, C= 79-70, D= 69-60
Course Writing Assignments for English I: ENGL 1613
Students will complete, at minimum, 3 major writing assignments and a multimodal project. This will help hone skills of observing, reflecting, making and supporting claims, and finding research for evidence/support. Source material should not overwhelm the student’s own voice.
- Rhetorical Analysis: 2-4 sources, 4+ pages
- Argument: 4-6 sources, 6+ pages
- Synthesis-based Annotated Bibliography: 6-8 sources, 5+ pages
- A multimodal project
Assignments may be given in any order.
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Dean, Jennifer Huggins; 815-802-8484; R310; jhuggins@kcc.edu; Division Office- W102; 815-802-8700
Attendance: Please note that in accordance with the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations, item 3.3, the instructor has the right to record the grade of “F” for the course, reduce a student's grade, or submit an institutional withdrawal request to Admissions and Registration if a student has excessive absences as defined in the course syllabus. I will consider 3 or more absences excessive. I will be taking attendance at the start of class; in order to be counted “here,” you need to be on-time and stay the length of the class.
Plagiarism and Academic Honesty: Plagiarism is defined in section 17.6.b of the KCC Code of Conduct: “Representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own. Plagiarism includes claiming credit for assignments completed by someone else.” All instances of plagiarism on any assignment for this course deemed intentional by the instructor may lead to the immediate failure of the course with no opportunity for the student to withdraw. Any instance of plagiarism will be reported to the dean of student development. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to:
· submitting someone else’s paper
· using published material, including materials published online, without proper attribution/citation
· paraphrasing or quoting someone without attributing the quote in your paper (that is, without providing an in-text citation) even if the source is included on the works cited page
· working with someone (without my permission) to write your paper & submitting it as your own.
· using AI such as Chat GPT, or the like, to write your assignments or to alter your writing.
If you are in doubt, ask me.
Minimum Requirements: Be aware that papers that fail to meet minimum requirements (such as required page length, number and types of sources, type of paper or off topic), may receive a zero. You are in college; partial work does not necessarily receive partial credit. Also note that Works Cited pages do not count toward page requirements and block quotes (quotes of four lines of text or longer) may not be used in papers. Finally, simply meeting the minimum length and source requirements does not guarantee a passing grade.
Late Work: In general, I don’t accept late work; it’s vital that you keep up with the calendar since assignments often build off others. There are some assignments that are very time sensitive and cannot be turned in late under any circumstance such as peer response. If you experience a problem that is going to cause you to be late, email me so we can discuss.
Revisions: You will be given the opportunity to revise the Rhetorical Analysis and Community Proposal assignments for a higher grade. Such revisions must include substantial revision to be considered (such as more narrowly focusing your topic or further developing major points.) Making surface-level changes (such as fixing spelling, punctuation, or grammar mistakes) isn’t typically considered “substantial”. If you submit a revision, be sure all changes are highlighted. Revisions can’t receive higher than a 90%.
College Policies
For information related to the Student Code of Conduct Policy, Withdrawal Policy, Email Policy, and Non-Attendance/Non-Participation Policy, please review the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations webpage, which can be found at catalog.kcc.edu.
Title IX: Students sometimes choose to share private information with their professors. We appreciate your trust! Nonetheless, students need to be aware that KCC faculty and certain staff are required to report any incidents of sexual harassment and/or violence that we may hear about. Specifically, we will contact KCC’s Title IX Coordinator, the Dean of Student Development and Services. Please don’t feel like you can’t reach out but be aware of our requirement to report. If you want to speak with someone who is not required to report, please know that you are very welcome to call the county’s confidential sexual assault hotline. No referral is necessary, and your anonymity is guaranteed unless you choose to share your name: 815-932-3322 (Kankakee) or 815-432-0420 (Iroquois).
College Resources
Writing Assistance: Writing assistance and online feedback will be available by visiting www.kcc.tutorocean.com or in person in the Mezzanine Level of the Student Success Center (the old library). Check the SSC for tutoring hours.
Tutoring Services: Tutoring assistance is free to all currently enrolled KCC students. Our tutor program is certified by the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA). For schedules, resources and other helpful information, go to www.kcc.edu/tutoring.
Office of Disability Services: KCC works closely with students and instructors to accommodate individual student learning needs. For the services they offer, their contact information and other helpful information, go to www.kcc.edu/disabilityservices.
Miner Memorial Library
The Miner Memorial Library provides a variety of services free to students. For the services they offer, their hours of operation and other helpful information, go to www.kcc.edu/library.
Student Supports
Food for Thought, the KCC Food Pantry, located in D321, is available to all students regardless of financial need. It offers students non-perishable foods, snacks, personal hygiene products and frozen lunches. Hours will vary by semester; please email foodpantry@kcc.edu for more information or to volunteer.
Transformative Growth Counseling provides personal counseling services for KCC students and staff. If you are struggling with any stressors, counselors are available. To make an appointment, go to: transformativegrowth.org/, phone 630-423-6010 or email contact@transformativegrowth.org.
Copyright
The materials on this course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course. Further Information regarding KCC's copyright policy is available at http://www.kcc.edu/copyright.
Syllabus disclaimer
**Course syllabus and calendar is subject to change.**
See Policies Above
Calendar
The following is a schedule to outline the scope and direction of the course. A more detailed modular calendar is provided in our Canvas course for each module.
MODULE 1: Course Introduction- Weeks 1-2
Concepts & activities covered: Course overview (including syllabus policies, calendar, key principles & skills). Creating a video using a guest recorder link. Documenting sources and MLA citation guidelines. Active reading: what, why, & how.
MODULE 2: RA Paper: Intro to Rhetorical Analysis- Weeks 3-6
Concepts & activities covered: Introduction to rhetoric, rhetorical situation, rhetorical appeals, and rhetorical analysis. Introduction to RA paper assignment. RA thesis, organization, and paper development. Analyzing critically.
Module 3: The Annotated Bibliography: Academic Research Skills –
Weeks 7-9
Concepts & activities covered: Introduction to Annotated Bibliography Assignment. Develop appropriately narrow, arguable research questions. Compare popular and scholarly sources. Library databases and best practices with research (including evaluating sources’ credibility). Incorporating sources well into your own writing (quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing correctly). Analyzing and synthesizing sources to make connections between their different points of view, information, and opinions.
Module 4: The Academic Argument Paper: Writing for a College Audience – Weeks 10-13
Concepts & activities covered: Introduction to Argument Paper Assignment. Learn about breaking down an argument into its claim, reasons, and assumptions. Develop an argument, working thesis, and paper outline. Analyze your own rhetorical situation and strategize for your audience. Imagine and address alternative arguments. Tips for writing a solid introduction and conclusion. Participate in revision activities.
Module 5: Audience Awareness in Multimodal Communication –
Weeks 14-16
Concepts & activities covered: Audience awareness and tone, voice, and style. Introduction to the multimodal presentation assignment. Review tips for designing presentation slides as well as smart presentation strategies (like methods for engaging an audience), while reflecting on the lessons learned while rhetorically analyzing others’ presentations. Wrap up the course.
College Policies, Resources and Supports
For information related to the Student Code of Conduct Policy, Withdrawal Policy, Email Policy, and Non- Attendance/Non-Participation Policy, please review the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations webpage, which can be found at catalog.kcc.edu under the Academic Regulations & Conduct Guide.
KCC offers various academic and personal resources for all students. Many services are offered virtually, as well as in person. Please visit Student Resources - Kankakee Community College to access student resources services such as:
- Clubs and organizations
- Counseling and referral services
- Office of disability services
- Student complaint policy
- Transfer services
- Tutoring services, etc.
The materials on this course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course. Further information regarding KCC's copyright policy is available at https://kcc.libguides.com/copyright.
|Course syllabus/calendar is subject to change.