English 101: Composition

Fall 2015
Instructor:
Class Location:
Meeting Times:
Email:
Office:
Office Hours:

Amanda Sladek
155 Robinson
MWF 12-12:50 or 1-1:50
asladek@ku.edu
2023 Wescoe
10-11:30 Mon/Tues and by appointment
Course Description

Course Goals:
English 101, Composition, is designed to increase your range of writing abilities and to give you more conscious
knowledge and control of the writing choices you can make. Although you already know how to write, we will work to
understand writing better so that you can make more knowledgeable choices when you write. You will also practice
methods for learning how to write in new situations.
Based on national standards, the writing program at KU has established a set of objectives for students in English 101,
which also satisfies KU Core Goal 2, learning outcome 1. By the end of English 101, you should be able to:
Develop your own rhetorical flexibility within and beyond academic writing tasks
Analyze how language and rhetorical choices vary across texts and different institutional, historical, or public
contexts
Revise to improve your own writing
Required Materials:
You will need to have all of these materials by the second day of class.
Lunsford, Ede, Moss, Pepper, and Walters. Everyones an Author. New York: Norton, 2013.
o If buying from a source other than the KU Bookstore, dont buy the version w/readings.
Maimon, Peritz, and Yancey. A Writers Resource. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2016.
Department of English. Composition & Literature. Lawrence: University of Kansas, 2015.
Written Work
Writing Projects:
You will write four formal projects in this course in addition to daily activities and informal writing. Each project will build
on skills and understandings you have gained in previous assignments.
Writing Project #1:
Writing Project #2:
Writing Project #3:
Writing Project #4:

Exploring Literacies
Rhetorical Analysis
Community Writing
Revision

All writing projects should be typed, double-spaced, and written in 12-point Times New Roman with 1-inch margins
unless otherwise indicated. Details on these projects will be provided as the semester progresses.
Turning In Writing Projects:
You will turn in all of your major writing projects digitally via Blackboard. All papers must be uploaded as a .doc or .docx
file in order for me to open them. Failure to upload the file in the correct format will result in a late grade. All papers are
due by 11:59 pm on their due date unless otherwise indicated. If I require supplemental materials to be collected via
hard copy, those materials are due at the beginning of class on the due date. If you anticipate a problem meeting the
due date, please talk to me BEFORE the paper is due.

Sladek, English 101, page 2

Grading:
Your final grade for the course will be based on the following weightings for your graded work:
Project #1
15%
Project #2
20%
Project #3
20%
Project #4
20%
Homework/Journal
10%
In-Class Writing and Activities/Participation
10%
Peer Review
5%
In this course, we will be using the +/- grading scale, approved by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to describe
intermediate levels of performance between a maximum of A and a minimum of F. Intermediate grades represented by
plus or minus shall be calculated as .3 units above or below the corresponding letter grade. To calculate your final grade,
your letter grades will translate into numbers according to the following scale:
A+ 100
A
95
A- 91.5

B+
B
B-

88.5
85
81.5

C+ 78.5
C
75
C- 71.5

D+
D
D-

68.5
65
61.5

55

You can access your grades at any time using the My Grades feature on Blackboard. If you have any questions or are
concerned about your grade at any point, please talk to me. I will only discuss individual assignment grades 24 HOURS
(minimum) after the assignment is returned.
Late Work:
It is important to complete the assigned work on time in order to gain the fullest benefits from doing the work. This is
especially true for the daily work that helps you prepare or make use of material for each class period. I will not accept
late work for daily homework and I do not give make-up work for in-class activities (excepting religious holidays and
University-sanctioned events). Unless we have made arrangements in advance, I will grade down a late writing project
by one-third of a letter grade for each day it is late, including weekends (for example, a project earning a B will become a
B- if one day late, a C+ if two days late, and so on). According to Department of English policy, you must turn in all four
major projects to pass the course, even if a project is so late that it will have earned an F. Check your schedule for
potential conflicts well ahead of due dates, and speak with me ahead of time if you will have trouble meeting a deadline.
I do not grant extensions retroactively.
Other Writings and Class Activities:
The writing and other activities we do in class will vary widely and may include activities such as reflecting on your
writing process, reflecting on course readings, evaluating your own or a classmates work, or various other projects.
These activities are intended to allow you to experiment with different writing styles and reflect critically about course
material, so please use these as an opportunity to take risks and expand your thinking about writing.
These writings and activities will be graded with credit for having completed them successfully (checkmarks), rather than
with letter grades unless otherwise specified. Your grades on Homework/Journal and In-Class Writing will reflect the
percentage of these assignments successfully completed.

Sladek, English 101, page 3

Policies and Expectations

Attendance:
What we do in class is important for meeting the goals I listed above, and our class sessions will depend on your
participation in some activities. Therefore, good attendance is expected. To attend a class well means not only being
physically present but also being preparedhaving read the assignment well enough to be able to talk about it and
having completed any preparatory writing assignments--and participating in whatever activity class entails. Since
homework and in-class activities account for 20% of your final grade, your grade will suffer from any absences by
missing in-class work.
You are allowed four free absences, no questions asked. If you miss more than four classes, your final course grade will
be deducted one-third of a letter for each additional class missed. For example, if your final grade would have been a B
but you missed five classes, your final grade is now a B-. If you miss nine class periods, you automatically fail the course.
Each day of class is also worth up to 5 participation points, so if you miss class, you miss out on those points. If you arrive
late for class (meaning you arrive after I take roll), you lose 2 participation points for the day.
I will excuse absences for University-sponsored events and religious holidays. Please let me know in advance if you are
going to miss class for those reasons. I excuse absences for illness only in the case of serious, documented illness that
requires you to miss more than one class (like if youve been hit by a bus or need a kidney transplant). If you anticipate
missing several classes or if you have a concern about attendance, please talk to me.
Peer Review:
As noted in the schedule, Units 1 and 2 have designated peer review days (the Unit 3 group conference counts as peer
review for that unit). Peer review sessions will be conducted in class and will be graded on thoughtfulness, effort, and
completeness. You cannot make up the points missed on peer review day (unless we have arranged for an excused
absence in advance).
Technology:
Because so much of this class depends on group work and collaboration, cell phones are not tolerated in class unless we
have made previous arrangements. These devices are distracting to me and to other students. Please put them on silent
and leave them in your pocket or bag. Laptops are allowed for educational purposes only. If I suspect you are using your
laptop for other purposes, I reserve the right to ban laptops from my classroom. iPods may be allowed on certain days
which I will announce in class.
E-Mail Policy:
Feel free to e-mail me with any issues related to the course, assignments, or anything else. However, before you e-mail
me with a question, please follow these steps:
1.
Check your syllabus for an answer to your question.
2.
Check the assignment sheet (if applicable) for an answer to your question.
3.
Check Blackboard for an answer. Please note that most documents handed out in class (including the
syllabus) are also available on Blackboard in case you need another copy.
If you still have a question or concern, I will respond as soon as possible. Please check you KU email account regularly, as
I will sometimes send out important course information via email.
Conferences:
Successful writers are usually those who collaborate with others to generate ideas, outline papers, proofread, etc. For
this reason, we will work together in class and will meet individually to discuss your writing. Six class periods will be
devoted to individual and group writing conferences. Each of you will be responsible for attending a conference during
each week. Missing a conference will count as the equivalent of three absences, since I cancel three classes for each
conference. Similarly, each conference will be worth three days in-class writing points. If you have to reschedule your

Sladek, English 101, page 4

conference after youve already signed up, please notify me via e-mail. If you must reschedule your conference with less
than 24 hours advance notice, you will lose half of your in-class writing points for the conference. More information will
be provided as the semester progresses.
Statement on Diversity and Inclusion:
As a premier international research university, the University of Kansas is committed to an open, diverse and inclusive
learning and working environment that nurtures the growth and development of all. KU holds steadfast in the belief that
an array of values, interests, experiences, and intellectual and cultural viewpoints enrich learning and our workplace.
The promotion of and support for a diverse and inclusive community of mutual respect require the engagement of the
entire university.
Diversity relates to but is not limited to the following: age, creed, disability, race, ethnicity, gender or sexual identity,
language background, learning differences, marital status, national origin, public assistance status, and veteran
status. Each of these aspects of diversity relate to ones identity. The University of Kansas values diversity in its student
body and believes that the intentional creation of a diverse learning environment is essential to achieving the
University's educational mission. The University fosters a multicultural environment in which the dignity and rights of
the individual are respected.
I support an inclusive learning environment in which diversity and individual differences are understood, respected, and
appreciated. I believe that all students benefit from training and experiences that will help them to learn, lead, and
serve in an increasingly diverse society. All members of our campus community must accept the responsibility to
demonstrate civility and respect for the dignity of others. Expressions or actions that disparage a persons or groups
race, ethnicity, nationality, culture, gender, gender identity/expression, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status,
or disability are contrary to the mission of the class. I expect everybody present in the classroom to promote an
atmosphere of respect for all members of our community.
Statement on Religious Observances:
According to University regulations, in cases of conflicts between regularly scheduled class activities and mandated
religious observances, the student is responsible for initiating discussion with the instructor to reach a mutually
acceptable solution. Please speak with me privately if scheduled activities conflict with mandated religious observances,
so that a make-up activity may be scheduled for you at a mutually acceptable time.
Academic Honesty:
Stealing and passing off as your own someone elses ideas or words, or using information from anothers work without
crediting the source, is called plagiarism. Some specific examples of actions that constitute plagiarism include pasting
together uncredited information or ideas from the Internet or published sources, submitting an entire paper written by
someone else, submitting a paper written for another class (and thus not original work), and copying another students
work (even with the students permission). In order to avoid unintentional plagiarism and to represent your work
honestly, you will need to be meticulous about giving credit to any and all sources, whether directly quoted (even a few
words) or paraphrased.
Because one of the goals of this course is to help you improve your writing, plagiarism hurts you as much as it does
anyone. If you plagiarize anothers work, you will not be receiving the needed feedback to improve your own
writing. There will be a zero tolerance policy for any type of plagiarism in this class. All incidents of plagiarism will be
penalized, reported, and kept on file in the English Department, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the
University Provosts Office.

Sladek, English 101, page 5

Policy on Student Academic Creations:

Since one of the aims of this course is to teach students to write for specific audiences, ungraded student-authored work
may be shared with other class members during the semester in which you are enrolled in the class. Please do not
submit materials on sensitive subjects that you would not want your classmates to see or read, unless you inform me in
advance that you do not want your work shared with others.
Other uses of student-authored work are subject to the Universitys Policy on Intellectual Property and the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act. If I desire to use your work outside of this class (e.g. as a sample for another class or
future classes), you will be asked to fill out and sign a written form authorizing such use.
Writing Help:
For help with your writing, I strongly encourage you to contact the KU Writing Center. At the Writing Center you can
talk about your writing with trained tutors or consult reference materials in a comfortable working environment. You
may ask for feedback on your papers, advice and tips on writing (for all your courses), or for guidance on special writing
tasks. Please check the website at http://www.writing.ku.edu/students/ for current locations and hours. The Writing
Center welcomes both drop-ins and appointments, and there is no charge for their services. For more information,
please call (785) 864-2399 or send an e-mail to <writing@ku.edu>. The website is loaded with helpful information about
writing of all sorts, so check it out even if you consider yourself a good writer.
Accessibility Policy:
The Academic Achievement & Access Center (AAAC) coordinates accommodations and services for all KU students who
are eligible. If you have a disability for which you wish to request accommodations and have not contacted the AAAC,
please do so as soon as possible. Their office is located in 22 Strong Hall; their phone number is 785-864-4064 (V/TTY).
Information about their services can be found at http://disability.ku.edu. Please contact me privately in regard to your
needs in this course.
Prerequisites:
All students are required to enroll in ENGL 101 and to remain continuously enrolled in ENGL 101 or ENGL 102 until ENGL
102 (or ENGL 105) has been completed. All KU students must take two Core 2.1 courses. Students pursuing a BA in the
College are required to take either ENGL 101 and 102, or ENGL 102/105 and a second Goal 2.1 course.
Drop/Add:
Students may neither add nor change sections in any English course after Friday, August 28 without departmental
permission. The last day to petition to add classes is Monday, September 21.
If you are having trouble succeeding in the course, it is especially important that you consult with me so that we can
develop a plan of action that may enable you to complete the course. If you decide to drop this class, please refer to the
following website: http://www.registrar.ku.edu/current/schedule.shtml. From September 15 to November 18, you will
be assigned a grade of W. You may not drop or withdraw after November 18.
The Department of English reserves the right to terminate administratively the enrollment of any student who misses
two consecutive class meetings during the first two weeks of the semester. Should an emergency situation cause you to
miss two consecutive class meetings, you should contact the instructor(s) or the English Department, 864-4520,
immediately.
Be sure to read Composition & Literature thoroughly for all other Departmental policies. CAL also has helpful grammar
tips, sample papers, and general information on many aspects of ENGL 101,102, and 200-level courses.

Sladek, English 101, page 6