Policy Statement
Spring 2020
ENGL 191, section 03
MTWR, 10:00-10:50am Webster Hall Chad KuehnIntroduction to Rhetorical and Analytical Writing
Welcome to ENGL 191! To facilitate your academic experience, the policy statement contains most of the “nuts and bolts” information you will need to complete the course. Please consult this
document (and all other documents I give you) first whenever you have questions about this course. Office Hours
I will hold regular hours on Mondays 11:00am-12:30pm, Tuesdays 11:00am-12:00pm, and Thursdays 4:00pm-5:00pm, or by special arrangement in room 123A in Webster Hall during the semester.
If these times are inconvenient, I may be able to meet with you at an alternative time. To schedule an appointment to meet during, or outside of office hours, please email me your request.
Please note that, if you stop by my office during office hours without an appointment, I may be with a student who made an appointment. Emailing your request reserves a common time for us to meet. Contact Information
The best way to contact me is by email at [email protected]. If the need arises and you need to give me something outside of class, my campus mailbox is located in Webster Hall, room 124.
Course Description
ENGL 191 introduces students to the theory, principles, and processes of effective written
communication typically encountered in college courses. Emphasis is placed upon critical thinking, critical reading, argumentative writing, community discussion, digital discourse, and student evaluation of composed arguments. Students will write at minimum 5,000 words (20 pages) for major assignments. Additional writing—such as in-class compositions, peer reviews, and summaries, among other things—should elevate the word count to 8,000 to 10,000 words.
Although there is not a formal theme for this section of ENGL 191, we will focus on how we think, what we value, and what we do as a result of literacy. Primarily, we will look at the role of culture, community discourse, and technology in establishing how rhetoric plays a vital role in shaping how we understand ourselves, influencing how we think, forming what we know to be true, and
expressing to others what we value. Much of our discussion will address what occurs at SCSU in particular and how we approach college education in general. We will spend a considerable amount of time, as well, considering what an English class is, what purpose it serves, and what the
differences may be between writing and composition, research and learning, product and process,
Thissemester, ENGL 191, section 03, is scheduled to meet 59 times over 16 weeks (January 13 to May 7). Mandatory conferences may occur outside of these hours. The final exam will be held Tuesday, May 17th, 12:20pm-2:35:pm, in a classroom assigned toward the end of the semester. Course Prerequisites
You must have a modest ability to read and write the English language at the college level—a competency usually attained by receiving credit for a college-prep or senior-level high school English course. Accordingly, there will be a diagnostic essay administered during the first or second class meeting to determine whether your writing ability meets the requirements of this course. If the results from that in-class writing suggest that you are not prepared, I may (a) suggest that you drop the course and enroll in one better suited to develop your writing skills, or (b) create an academic plan to ensure that you receive the assistance you need to excel in ENGL 191.
Course Outcomes
To fulfill the English Department’s goals as expressed in the course description as well as the SCSU Liberal Education Program curriculum, ENGL 191, section 03, has seven student-based outcomes. As a result of successfully completing this course, students will be able to
1. Use communication processes (such as inventing, organizing, drafting, revising, editing, and presenting) appropriate for specific tasks and audiences. This course emphasizes composing processes—inventing, organizing, drafting, evaluation, and
revision—as they pertain to argumentative writing. Students develop valuable experience with the basic stages of composing as they complete required assignments for the course. 2. Locate, evaluate, and synthesize material from diverse sources (print and non-print)
and multiple points of view, using them in a responsible and ethical manner. Students learn how to learn, use the library, evaluate multiple sources of all types, and compose discourse products using discovered information.
3. Evaluate communicative situations and use rhetorical tools appropriate for those situations. Students learn basic principles of rhetoric, including analysis of rhetorical situations, and writing for diverse audiences and with different purposes.
4. Construct logical and coherent arguments (logos), recognizing the role and value of credibility (ethos), emotional appeals (pathos), point of view, and individual voice and style in writing and in speaking. Most writing for ENGL 191 requires students to use appeals grouped under ethos, pathos, and logos for composing effective arguments using different genres, emphasizing understanding and negotiating conflicting perspectives. 5. Employ syntax, usage, and style appropriate to academic disciplines, for professional
environments, and for personal expression and interpersonal exchange. Required student writing addresses all of these skills and experiences, while also providing experiences composing expressive, informal, and transactional discourse.
6. Describe, summarize, and analyze written and spoken discourse, noting how language affects and reflects our perception of human values, cultural perspectives, and gender identities. Students summarize, analyze, and interpret written and spoken discourse, studying the use of language from rhetorical and cultural perspectives.
7. Identify and use appropriate skills for diverse types and levels of reading. Students will read a variety of essays and other prose forms. They learn reading strategies and skills for understanding and interpreting a variety of texts and other discourse products.
Though we may add to this list, we will not alter these seven intended outcomes. Our Husky Compact
Our Husky Compact is a bond shared by St. Cloud State University and its students that a SCSU education will prepare students for a life of growth and fulfillment–intellectually, professionally, and personally. When students graduate with an SCSU education, they will:
● Think Creatively and Critically ● Seek and Apply Knowledge ● Communicate Effectively ● Integrate Existing and Evolving
Technologies
● Engage as a Member of a Diverse and Multicultural World
● Act with Personal Integrity and Civic Responsibility
In this course, we will engage in a number of activities and assignments that reinforce some of these dimensions. For example, some of your assignments will be completed in the Connect environment, D2L, and Microsoft Word, all of which involve the technology dimension. Your reading
assignments will require you to think critically, and your group work and unit arguments will develop your ability to communicate effectively, seek and apply knowledge, and think creatively. Course Materials
There is one required resources for this course that is bundled by McGraw-Hill Education and available for purchase at the Husky Bookstore in Centennial Hall (ISBN: 9781307008593):
● Huskies Write: A Writer’s Guide to Composition and College Life, by Rex Veeder and Jason Tham
● Read, Reason, Write, by Dorothy Seyler ● Connect Composition, with digital handbook
Unless instructed otherwise, bring Huskies Write/Read, Reason, Write, a digital device, along with pen/pencil and lined notebook paper, to every class meeting. If we have an in-class assignment and you do not have your book, you will lose 5 participation points for the day.
Connect Composition is an interactive, adaptive learning tool that is integrated into our D2L site. To
determine your Connect learning plan for the semester, there will be a pre-test that we will complete during the second week of the semester. At the end of the term, you will complete a post-test to
determine what you’ve learned. Between these tests, you will complete seven LearnSmart modules. Your Connect grade will be determined by (a) your performance on the pre- and post-tests, and (2) completing the LearnSmart modules. In other words, if you complete all of the modules, you will retain participation points dedicated to Connect. But the scores you earn on the tests will determine your Connect grade.
You must purchase these texts by the end of the first week of class. Because we are using a customized textbook, you must purchase Connect at the Husky Bookstore, which is bundled with
HW/RRW and specially priced for all ENGL 191 students. With your purchase, you will have access
to the modules and digital handbook for four years. Do not attempt to purchase a used copy of this textbook—used texts will not allow you to meet the requirements of the course.
In addition to these texts, you will need regular access to a computer outside of class to read
assigned digital material, type assignments, receive email, complete Connect Composition tests and modules, and access our Desire2Learn (D2L) site. If you do not have a computer of your own, both PCs and Apple computers are available in the Miller Center, and most buildings offer a computer lab. Webster Hall offers a computer lab on the second floor, 220.
Please note that each time you submit a document to “Assignments” on our course D2L site, you will receive an email from D2L confirming submission. Always check your email inbox
immediately after submission for confirmation; retain that email for the duration of the course as proof of submission.
Assignments
The course is divided into four units. Each unit features a particular type of argument: definition, cause/effect, evaluation, and proposal. Although you will compose each argument individually, much of your work in class will be done collaboratively. Other assignments—such as class participation, quizzes and Connect pre/post tests—will assist us in better understanding the units. Unit Composition Process Documents/Activities
Each class meeting, activity, and assignment is intended to improve both your thinking and composing processes, which are primarily assessed through the units. Thus, you are expected to
submit all of the previously described composing-process documents as well as the final draft for
each of the four units. While assignment sheets for each unit will be provided that describe the
composing-process documents you will create—as well as specifics about the type of argument you will write and how to compose a final draft of it—the information below provides a general idea of what we will do.
At the beginning of each unit, we will begin the composing process with some sort of pre-writing activity. The pre-writing activity may take different forms and have many parts—worksheets, debate preparation, outlines, in-class compositions, and concept maps are just a few of the many things we may create—but, regardless of what we call the exercise, they all seek to achieve three primary goals: (1) to uncover your assumptions about a subject and the composing process, (2)
discover what you did not know about the subject and the rhetorical situation in which you are
After pre-writing, you will compose a first draft of your argument. The first draft is a complete draft—that is, it has an introduction, body, and conclusion aligned with the type of argument we are studying in a particular unit. The first draft likely will be shorter than the target page- or word-count of the final product. Assessment of the first draft will center on completeness of content,
organization, stylistic choices, and general attention to addressing the rhetorical situation. Like pre-writing, peer review may take on many forms. Reverse outlines, debates, analytical question guides, and oral/visual presentations may be used to help us give feedback to our peers while we become better acquainted with the argument genre that we study in each unit.
All work during a unit—classroom activities as well as process documents—is intended to lead to revising a final draft. Accordingly, all process documents are tied to your participation grade. Timely submission of completed process documents keeps your participation points intact. See below for a description of the impact on your participation grade for submitting late and/or low-quality work or not submitting work at all.
Participation
Class participation is crucial to achieving the course outcomes, and it is just as important as the quality of the final drafts you submit for your unit projects. If your time in class does not result in completing the process documents or a final draft, then there is no way to assess what was
ultimately learned.
All students begin the semester with the full 500 points designated for class participation. Points will be deducted from your participation grade when your performance does not meet the following basic expectations.
● Attend every class meeting: Unless classes are canceled either by the University or the professor, our section is scheduled to meet 59 times this semester. Students will lose approximately 8.5 points for each non-excused absence and approximately 3.5 points for each excused absence.
● Compose and submit all in-class writing, homework, and group assignments: Throughout the semester, we will (a) compose and share our thoughts about a variety of subjects and experiences, (b) complete homework (usually answering reading or viewing questions), and (c) contribute work to small group projects. Students will lose 5 points for each in-class writing, homework activity, or group assignment not completed or submitted within the designated time frame. Students may lose up to 5 points for submitted work that is deemed incomplete, low quality, or does not meet the assignment requirements.
● Bring your materials: To learn something from this course—and to assist your peers in the learning process as well—you must come prepared to each class meeting, otherwise, you may as well be absent. Bring your HW/RRW textbook to every meeting along with
assignments the day they are due. Students will lose 5 points for each item they do not bring to class.
● Be respectful: When either your peers or I are speaking, please pay attention by remaining quiet and focused on the speaker. Keep your electronic devices quiet and out of sight (e.g., smart phones, tablets), and be ready to make a worthwhile contribution to group and class discussions. Speaking to others, doing work for another course, checking email, visiting websites not related to the course, texting, sleeping, reading the paper, or any other behavior
that may be interpreted as not being respectful of others will reduce one’s participation grade by 5 points for each infraction. If you must leave early during class, please be courteous and let me know before class begins.
● Complete all seven LearnSmart modules in Connect Composition by the declared due date: To make the most out of ENGL 191—improving your writing, reading, and learning skills at a level appropriate to your needs—please complete each of the learning modules in our Connect Composition site through D2L. Students will lose 10 points for each module they do not complete, up to 10 points for each incomplete module, and 5 points for each module submitted after the due date.
Because of the distraction it causes in class, please keep in mind the zero-tolerance policy for using any personal, electronic media device (phone, tablet, music player, laptop, etc.) for non-course related work: If you text, call, surf the web, message, watch videos, listen to music, or play games (among other things) on one of these devices, you will automatically lose 5 participation points for EACH violation. If you need to use your device during class to conduct important personal business, please consult with me before class begins; you may leave the
classroom and conduct your business to minimize the distraction.
If you submit a final draft without submitting the pre-writing and/or first draft on the dates they are due, you automatically fail the unit (that is, you will receive zero points).
If you lose all of your participation points, you automatically fail the course. Quizzes
There will be a lot of reading assigned from the Read, Reason, Write text, especially at the beginning of the semester. You are responsible for reading the assigned pages, supplied in the course schedule.
At some time during most units, you will take a quiz assessing your familiarity with the concepts covered in RRW regarding the type of argument we are learning. Most quizzes will be administered via D2L prior to the first day of a unit and are open-book. Others may be taken during class. Of those taken during class, some quizzes may be taken as a group. The format of each quiz will be announced during class at least one week prior to the quiz date. Please consult course
materials—including the D2L “Announcements” section—for information regarding quiz formats and details. Quiz due dates can be found on the schedule.
Mid-Term and Final Exams
We are not scheduled to have a midterm exam. However, at the end of the semester, in addition to the Connect Composition post-test, we will have a mandatory “no-study” final exam in which you will compose an in-class composition about some aspect of the course.
Extra Credit
There are no planned opportunities to earn additional points. Attendance
It is important that you attend every class meeting. In the event that you cannot attend, let me know as soon as possible, preferably by email. If you are absent on the day a project is due, you are still responsible for turning it in that day by the specified time. If you know in advance that you will not be in class due to an excused absence (see below)—and your absence will prevent you from
submitting something on the due date—contact me as soon as possible so that suitable arrangements may be made for submission. However, if you are absent when an in-class composition is assigned, for example, there will be no opportunity to make it up.
Students may qualify for an “excused” absence if they have a legitimate reason for not attending class. There are four categories of legitimate reasons for missing class:
(a) service as an enlisted and active member of the US military (including reserves) (b) service as a juror in a government-related civic or criminal case
(c) observance of a significant holiday associated with your practiced religion (d) participation in an official SCSU-sponsored event
(e) pregnancy (date of birth and postpartum period, mother or father)
For the absence to be excused, at least one week prior to the class to be missed, I must receive documentation (print-out or digital) on official letterhead containing a brief explanation for the absence and the date(s) of class from (a) a commanding officer; (b) a city, county, state, or federal official; (c) a local leader of your religious denomination; (d) an SCSU faculty or staff member representing your school organization or sporting team; or (e) a medical doctor (MD or DO, obstetrician or general practitioner). This documentation must be originally signed by the authority who wrote the letter and include her/his contact information.
Illness (yours or another’s), childcare difficulties, death of family members or friends, work emergencies, and any other life-related events are unfortunate and demand your immediate
attention. But they are not excusable. However, if any of the previously mentioned “non-excused” reasons results in accruing absences that negatively impact your overall final grade [see below], please contact me immediately so that we may accommodate your situation with the course. As previously mentioned, you will receive participation points for showing up and being active in discussion. If you are absent from class, regardless if it is an excused absence or not, you earn no participation points for that day and no opportunity to make up those points. To be considered as “present,” students must attend at least 30 minutes of the 50-minute class, according to my
timepiece. Although I encourage you to attend class when late, spending fewer than 30 minutes in class will result in an absence.
You have 11 absences to use at your discretion with the grade-penalty only being the loss of participation points. However, according to English Department policy, accruing 12 or more absences—essentially missing three weeks, which is 20% of the course—results in automatic failure. It is your responsibility to keep track of your absences.
Also, it is your responsibility to determine and prepare assignments for the next class meeting. If you miss, consult the schedule, the D2L page, and/or a classmate so you are ready for the next class.
Assessment
On the following page is a list depicting the point distribution for the course’s major composition assignments and activities.
Assignment/Activity Points Unit 1: Definition 200 Unit 2: Cause/Effect 200 Unit 3: Evaluation 200 Unit 4: Proposal 300 In-Class Compositions 250 Quizzes (10) 200
Connect Pre/Post Tests 300
LearnSmart Modules 250
Class Participation 500
Final Exam 100
Totals 2500
As indicated above, there are a total of 1000 points possible in this course. Final grades will be calculated according to the following scale:
Letter Grade Percentage Points GPA
A 86.68-99.99% 2167.76-2499.99 3.68-4.00 A- 80.00-86.67% 2000.00-2167.75 3.50-3.67 B+ 73.26-79.99% 1831.50-1999.99 3.25-3.49 B 66.68-73.25% 1667.00-1831.49 2.68-3.24 B- 60.00-66.67% 1500.00-1666.99 2.50-2.67 C+ 53.26-59.99% 1331.50-1499.99 2.25-2.49 C 46.68-53.25% 1167.00-1331.49 1.68-2.24 C- 40.00-46.67% 1000.00-1167.99 1.50-1.67 D+ 33.26-39.99% 831.50-999.99 1.25-1.49 D 26.68-33.25% 667.00-831.49 0.68-1.24 D- 20.00-26.67% 500.00-666.99 0.50-0.67 F 00.00-19.99% <499.99 0.00-0.49
Individual assignments (e.g., quizzes, final drafts) will work on the same +/- system.
Specific point totals for documents created during the drafting process of each unit will be provided during the preview of each unit.
I have included a few general grading criteria below. We will develop during class specific grading criteria for the each unit. Notice that these criteria address the quality of the document submitted, not the effort exerted or time spent to draft the document.
A—Outstanding work that shows a superior analysis of the assignment. Provides excellent selection
of content, organization, and wording of material to fit the rhetorical needs of the particular situation. Uses a style that is fluent and coherent. Has no mechanical errors. Shows great insight, perceptiveness, originality, and thought.
B—Good work that performs at a level necessary to meet course requirements. Has a thorough,
well-organized analysis of the assignment. Shows judgment and tact in the presentation of material appropriate for the intended audience and purpose. Supports ideas well with concrete details. Has an interesting, precise, and clear style. Is free of major mechanical errors. Although it is strong, interesting work, minor problems remain.
C—Meets all basic requirements of the course and assignment. Provides a satisfactory analysis of
the writing task, subject, and audience. Accomplishes its purpose with adequate content and detail. Uses details, organization, and expression appropriate for the rhetorical context. Has acceptable mechanics. Nothing is remarkably good or bad about the work.
D—Meets the assignment requirements but is weak in one of the major areas (content, organization,
style, mechanics) or offers a routine, inadequate treatment. Shows generally substandard work with some redeeming features.
F—Unacceptable work in one or more of the major areas: Fails to meet one or more of the basic
requirements of the course or the assignment. May fail to cover essential points, or may digress to nonessential material. May have inadequate development resulting from failure to support generalizations or from unclear relationships between generalizations and examples or details. May lack adequate organization and show misunderstanding of the rhetorical context. May use an inappropriate tone, poor word choice, excessive repetition, or awkward sentence structure. May be unclear. May contain an unacceptable level of errors.
Typing Requirements
With the exception of in-class assignments, all documents must be typed and digitally saved, preferably using a current version of MSWord. I do not grade submissions that are submitted in a format other than what is requested. If I am unable to open your file on my computer, such work will automatically be considered late and subject to the policy described for late work.
Therefore, unless you are told to do otherwise, save and submit all documents as Word files (“.doc” or “.docx”) or in rich text format (“.rtf”). If you do not own, or do not have access to, MSWord or a computer, or have special circumstances that prevent you from fulfilling this obligation, please see me before an assignment is due so that we may find a reasonable and appropriate solution.
As previously mentioned in regards to email confirmations of D2L submissions, retain a digital copy of all assignments for the duration of the semester in the event that a problem occurs with University technological equipment or services.
Late Work
I will work to keep you aware of all assignments and their due dates, both in class and on D2L. Unless prior arrangements are agreed upon, late work will not be accepted.
Intolerance
I will not allow personal attacks, destructive criticism, or behavior/language that could be offensive to any member of the class. This prohibition includes sexual harassment as well as sexism, racism,
homophobia, ableism, and similar prejudicial behavior. If you are not certain how a comment or a piece of writing will be received, see me before sharing it with a peer.
The Write Place
The Write Place offers one-on-one tutoring sessions—in person or online—to assist all members of the St. Cloud State University community in all phases of the composing process. Students from all disciplines meet with writing center consultants on all types of writing at any stage in the writing process—interpreting assignments, brainstorming, planning and organizing research, getting started, developing ideas, organization and logical progression, revising, and editing.
Writers using The Write Place are encouraged to schedule appointments ahead of time rather than dropping in, especially during midterm and final exam periods when the consultants’ schedules fill quickly. Additionally, writers are encouraged to contact The Write Place early in the drafting process. Meeting with a consultant shortly after a writing project has been assigned insures both a good beginning to the project as well as time available for a return visit before its due date.
The Write Place has two locations for face-to-face visits. Its main location is in Webster Hall, Room 117. Appointments at the main location are available each day of the week except Saturday. The second location is on the first floor of the Miller Center Library. Appointments at the satellite are available Monday-Friday.Below are the hours of operation this semester at each location.
Main (Webster-117) Satellite (MC Library)
Sunday noon – 5:00pm MTWRF 10:00am – 4:00pm
Monday 9:30am – 7:00pm Tuesday 9:30am – 7:00pm Wednesday 9:30am – 7:00pm Thursday 9:30am – 5:00pm Friday 10:00am – 4:00pm
The Write Place appointment policy is that students may have one appointment (in person or online) per day per location. To insure all have an opportunity to receive the support they require, students are permitted a maximum of four hours per week in the main location and three hours per week maximum in the library location. The maximum length of time for an appointment is 90 minutes. You have two options to schedule your appointment. You may visit The Write Place’s main location (Webster Hall) schedule a date and time with the front desk attendant for either an in-person or online session. You may also schedule an appointment online via The Write Place website
http://www.stcloudstate.edu/writeplace/
All appointments end 5-10 minutes early so the writing consultant may log information about your tutorial—to track your progress—and prepare for her next appointment.
Keep in mind that when scheduling an appointment with a writing consultant, you are reserving that person’s time to meet exclusively with you, not another writer. If you miss an appointment, you potentially take away an opportunity from a fellow student seeking help on a writing project. Consequently, do your best to attend your appointment on time. Missing three appointments in any semester will cause your account to be disabled. An appointment will be considered “missed” if a writer misses the first 10 minutes of the session. If you cannot attend, please contact The Write Place (320-308-2031; [email protected]) at least 15 minutes before your appointment is scheduled to begin so that someone else may benefit from your schedule time.
The Write Place consultants and its director strongly encourage you to begin using these resources as a student in ENGL 191, continue visiting for all of your other courses, and toward the end of your college career as you prepare application materials for your career or graduate school. Academic Dishonesty
According to the University, this broad category is defined (among other things) as the attempt to use unauthorized information to take an exam or quiz, complete an assignment (including the use of improperly cited sources and submitting an essay purchased from an internet site), reuse work from an assignment completed in a previous or current course (including ENGL 191) without first
obtaining my consent, or knowingly assist another student to commit the acts previously mentioned. Specific examples of academic dishonesty may be found in the “Prohibited Conduct” section of the
Student Information Handbook. All cases of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of
Students. Students guilty of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the assignment that they used the unauthorized information and may possibly fail the course.
Please note that self-plagiarism is a thing. Self-plagiarism occurs when a student submits work from another course or a previous unit assignment without instructor permission for a current assignment. If you are unsure if using work you completed outside of the current course or unit qualifies for self-plagiarism, please contact me first prior to submitting your work for a grade.
Accommodation
SCSU is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in employment and educational opportunities and works to provide reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities. Accordingly, any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent him/her from fully demonstrating his/her abilities should contact me as soon as possible so we can discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full participation and facilitate this course’s intended educational experience.
Accommodations are provided on an individualized, as-needed basis, determined through
appropriate documentation of need. Please contact Student Accessibility Services, (Centennial Hall 202; [email protected]; 320-308-4080) to discuss reasonable and appropriate accommodations. Also, if you are an active member of the military and are called for deployment (locally or abroad), please contact me as soon as possible so we can make appropriate accommodations. As previously explained, to have absences excused due to military service, please provide documentation from your commanding officer or unit liaison.
Withdrawals and Incompletes
The last day to drop this course with a “W” on your transcript is Tuesday, XX April 2020. If you don’t officially withdraw, but quit attending class, you will receive a grade at the end of the
semester based upon both your overall attendance as well as all assigned work for the course. If you desire an “Incomplete,” contact me as soon as possible. Requesting an Incomplete does not mean that you will receive one; you will only be considered if you meet the following conditions:
1. You had been attending class and turning in work regularly throughout the semester. 2. There is a legitimate impediment that prevents you from continuing regular performance in
the course after the drop date. (I will determine what qualifies as a “legitimate” obstacle.) 3. You were passing the course with at least a C grade prior to the hardship occurring.
If you satisfy all three requirements, we will then create a contract outlining what (and when) work must be completed in order to complete the course and replace the “I” on your transcript.
If during the semester you have questions about the practical aspects of the course, I encourage you to first consult the documents I’ve given you. Usually, the information you seek has already been provided. Many students, however, do not heed this advice.
If you have a question about the information provided, you can’t find an answer from course documents, or you find a discrepancy between the policy statement and, say, something posted on D2L, please ask your questions in class (your classmates probably have the same questions). If you aren’t used to asking questions, consider our classroom a safe place to practice.
Finally, I expect each ENGL 191 student to be responsible for their own learning. That means reading assignments before coming to class, asking questions about material you read but don’t understand, inquiring about your grade during the semester, and meeting with me during office hours to discuss both your challenges with writing early in the semester as possible. Whether you are struggling with a concept, an assignment, a peer’s behavior, or a personal issue outside of class that interferes with your ability to achieve your best, the sooner we meet the sooner we
collaboratively find a way to maximize your potential to learn course material.
I will do whatever I can to help you achieve the course outcomes stated in this policy statement. However, please keep in mind that if you wait until the end of the semester to “straighten it out,” it may be too late for me to help.
