Note: Specific texts and assignments vary from slightly instructor to instructor. This is a general syllabus designed to give potential students an overall understanding of the course.

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Required Materials
Magelsdorf, Kate, and Evelyn Posey. Choices: A Basic Writing Guide with Readings. 3rd ed.  Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2003.
1 Pocket Folder
1 Spiral Bound Notebook
Fee Card: $5.00 (you can get this at the WMU Bookstore).

Course Description
English 1000 builds on the abilities you have already developed in writing and critical thinking. Particularly, we will focus on the writing process as a necessary structure for producing focused, articulate writing. The papers you will write specify each step of the writing process, prewriting, drafting, revising and editing, in order for you to produce high quality work. Ultimately, your ability to manipulate the stages of the writing process will allow you the skills needed in order to produce successful academic writing required of you in your first-year writing course, throughout college, in everyday life, and in the workplace. Broad goals for you in the course include:

•  Developing dexterity with writing processes of prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing.
• Preparing to adapt your writing for academic readers by incorporating suggestions from your peers, writing consultants, and myself.
• Developing skill at writing papers that articulately present and elaborate on original ideas.
  

    
Course Requirements
Daily course time will be divided into two portions, Whole Group Meeting and Writing Studio. Students who skip either portion of any class period will be considered absent for the entire class period.

Whole Group Meeting: During this required hour of class, instructors explain assignments, teach writing process strategies, lead discussions and group work, and facilitate learning. 

Writing Studio: During this required hour of class, two consultants and the class instructor supervise groups of 5-6 students. The Writing Studio focuses on responses to students’ work as well as further discussion of assignments as needed. Students share their work and questions as they learn to discuss and utilize writing processes. Students learn from all group members as well as from the consultants and instructor; therefore, students are expected to actively participate in the small group work.

In addition to in-class requirements, students are required to make an appointment for and attend an Individual Consultation once every two weeks.

Individual Consultation: During these individual meetings, you and a consultant discuss your writing decisions, class progress, etc. You may meet this requirement in two ways:
(1) Ideally, you will meet with one of the two Writing Consultants assigned to our class. Weekly, consultants offer two hours for 20-minute individual appointments for our class.
(2) If you are unable to meet with our class consultants, you must call the Writing Center (387-4615) to arrange and attend an appointment with a Writing Center Consultant.  Writing Center Consultants offer 50 minutes of time per meeting.

You may choose to meet with our Writing Consultants more than one during a two-week period, and you may make appointments with the Writing Center as often as twice a week.   

Additional course requirements include: attending all class periods, participating in Whole Group Meeting and Writing Studio, completing and turning in all assignments on the due date, and communicating with me concerning any obstacles, questions, concerns, or emergencies.

Papers
You will write four 4-6 page papers and several short writings over the next 15 weeks! That means that you will need to devote serious attention to this course from the first day. Class periods will be focused on helping you develop ideas, pinning them on to the page, and revising and editing; however, you will also need to plan on working diligently outside of class. Papers will be worked through multiple drafts throughout a paper cycle and, in conjunction with continued work outside of class, will result in your most polished and excellent writing!

Since engaging in the writing process is a critical component of this course, I reserve the right to not accept a paper if I have not seen earlier drafts or those drafts do not reflect revision.

Late work is not an option!  We will be moving rapidly from one draft to another, one paper to another. If you get behind, there aren’t empty spaces for you to catch up. Exceptions may be made if, and only if, an emergency situation arises. In this case, you must contact me ASAP! Late papers that do not fit into the latter category will be considered incomplete, missing papers.
A missing paper will greatly affect your ability to be considered for advancement into English 1050.

Academic Honesty
You are responsible for making yourself aware of and understanding the policies and procedures in the Undergraduate Catalog (pp. 274-276) that pertains to Academic Integrity. These policies include cheating, fabrication, falsification and forgery, multiple submission, plagiarism, complicity and computer misuse. If there is reason to believe you have been involved in academic dishonesty, you will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. You will be given the opportunity to review the charge(s). If you believe you are not responsible, you will have the opportunity for a hearing. You should consult with me if you are uncertain about an issue of academic honesty prior to the submission of an assignment or test.

Attendance
Punctual attendance is mandatory. If you miss three class periods within one paper cycle you will not be allowed to submit that paper, resulting in a missing paper.

Special Needs
The Western Michigan University College Students with Disabilities: An Abbreviated Resource Guide for Faculty and Staff states:
“Any student with a documented disability (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the professor and the appropriate Disability Services office at the beginning of the semester.”

Disabled Student Resources and Services (DSRS), 387-2116, serves students who have documented physical and psychiatric disabilities. The Office of Services for Students with Learning Disabilities (OSSLD), 387-4411, serves students who have documented learning disabilities and related emotional issues. The Office of Institutional Equity (OIE), 387-8880, acts affirmatively on behalf of qualified persons who have disability related compliance issues in accordance with Federal and State guidelines and regulations.

I am happy to accommodate any student with special needs; please do not hesitate to communicate with me about any additional assistance you may need.

Course Credit
English 1000 is a Credit/No Credit course. In order to receive credit you must complete the latter requirements in addition to showing fluency in the writing process. Evaluation will be based upon the following four-point scale:
Excellence: Demonstrates ability to thrive in this aspect
Competence: Demonstrates ability to succeed in this aspect
Progressing: Possesses some strong traits; improvement needed
Developing: Significant area of concern; in need of instruction and assistance

Ultimately, it is up to me and the English 1000 Program Director as to whether you are able to advance to English 1050. 

Daily Credit
A major portion of your overall credit resides in daily credit. Each day you are responsible for attending class, participating in activities, and coming prepared with homework complete. Although this course focuses on your abilities with the writing process, an equally valuable goal of this course is to establish solid, effective work habits that you will utilize throughout the rest of college. An average of 3s and 4s is expected on daily work in order to gain course credit. Not attending class constitutes an automatic 1 for daily work; if you are not in class, you will not receive credit for the homework due that day.

Projects
The course will consist of 5 major projects, including

• Writing About the Ways We Change
• Examining Cultures
• Evaluating Your World
• Identifying Issues, Proposing Solutions
• Reflecting on our Writing

Your instructor will provide you with a schedule for each project at the beginning of the work leading to the completion of that project.