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COURSE DESCRIPTION First and foremost, this is a writing course; therefore you’ll spend lots of time doing just that. I define “writing” pretty broadly – videos, social media, text messages, coding, poetry, essays, collages, to name a few possibilities. In this sense, you’re already a writer. The goal of this class is to engage you in writing, reading, and research practices that encourage you to ask questions about your own beliefs, values, and practices. You will have the opportunity to explore different modes of writing as you think and discuss topics related to literacy, society and culture, and disciplinary knowledge. This course has five major projects, each one building on the next. As we work through each project, we’ll be asking lots of questions, of our own and each other’s thinking and writing, and doing lots of writing and responding. Your participation matters. It’s important that you show up, listen, and actively engage with your peers. We will learn from each other in the community we create together. My goal as your teacher is to make space for you to ask questions, do provocative and innovative intellectual work, and learn to communicate effectively across modes, disciplines, and audiences. Ideally, the learning you do in this course will carry you through your college experience and into your chosen profession.

HOW TO PASS THIS CLASS: Show up. Do the work, all of it. Participate in the community of this class. And take revision seriously.

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TIER 1 WRITING GOALS As part of the general education requirement, Tier 1 writing contributes to the Michigan State University mission by focusing on inquiry-based teaching and learning that encourages students to begin to understand themselves as:

● contributing members of MSU’s community of scholars ● committed to asking important questions and to seeking rich responses to

those questions ● developing skills, knowledge, and attitudes that improve the quality of life for

self and others through scholarly, social, and professional activities. In pursuit of these goals, Tier 1 writing courses engage students in writing and reflection activities that make overt the ways that invention, arrangement, and revision activities:

● can be engaged across inquiry situations (scholarly, social, and professional) ● require the development of knowledge about the importance of contextual

factors that affect the application of these methods of inquiry MATERIALS

REQUIRED ● Notebook/paper ● Something to write with ● Eli Review (free) RECOMMENDED ● Laptop or tablet – please bring to class every day ● The Curious Researcher ● The Little Brown Handbook ● Reading and Writing Literacies

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THE 5 MAJOR PROJECTS Project 1: LEARNING MEMOIR - In this project you’ll write about an experience (or set

of experiences) of learning. The purpose of this project is to invite you to make sense of significant learning-related events in your life and to consider how they might be relevant to how you think about yourself as a learner now that you’re starting college. DUE: SEPT 9

Project 2: CULTURAL ARTIFACT ANALYSIS - You’ll chose an everyday thing—an

object, text, or product—and consider what it reveals about larger cultural values and practices. You’ll begin by carefully observing something, asking questions about its uses, meaning, and value, and then work your way to a conclusion about the artifact’s significance for understanding something about cultural meanings, practices or values. DUE: SEPT 30

Project 3: DISCIPLINARY LITERACY - Each academic discipline has its own ideas

about what counts as knowledge, its own rhetorical traditions, and its own written products—that is, its own literacy. Yet most of us come to college with only a vague idea of what it means to become a participating member of an academic discipline or a profession. This project lets you begin building your own understanding of how reading and writing operate within a discipline or profession of interest to you. DUE: OCT 21

Project 4: REMIX - For this project, you will transform one of your previous projects into

an alternative form or mode. Starting with the same focus and purpose as the original, you’ll transform the message to respond to a new rhetorical situation. You might choose to create a video, a photo essay, a poem, a web page, a painting, a poster, a collage, etc. DUE: NOV 18

Project 5: REVISED LEARNING MEMOIR - Your final project for this course gives you

an opportunity to revisit your work so far, consider what you’ve learned from it, and revise your learning memoir for a purpose of your choosing. This project should explore how, and in what ways, your learning has changed throughout the course. DUE: Wednesday DEC 10

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GRADING Project 1: Learning Memoir - 10% (100 points) Project 2: Cultural Artifact Analysis - 20% (200 points) Project 3: Disciplinary Literacies Project - 20% (200 points) Project 4: Remix - 15% (150 points) Project 5: Revised Learning Memoir - 15% (150 points) Participation, Journal Entries, Misc. Assignments (in-class & online) – 20% (200 points) TOTAL 1000 points GRADING SCALE Points Percentage Grade 1000-930 100-93 4.0 929-870 93-87 3.5 869-820 86-82 3.0 819-770 81-77 2.5 769-720 76-72 2.0 719-670 71-67 1.5 669-620 66-62 1.0 619-below 62-below 0.0

POLICIES & PROCEDURES CLASS PARTICIPATION – To be successful in this class you must participate; further, the success of this class relies on your participation. Peer review, class discussion, D2L discussion forums, journal entries, coming to office hours - these are the myriad ways to participate in this course. That said, what I mean by participation is active engagement in the community of this class. ATTENDANCE – This is the where you need to “show up.” Attendance is mandatory. Per university policy, you are allowed two absences without penalty. For every absence beyond two, .3 grade points will be deducted from your overall final grade. If you must be absent, drop me an email and let me know. However, it is your responsibility to find out that day’s activities. Your first stop should be our D2L site, where I will upload each days notes after class; your second stop is your peers. Additionally, don’t be late. You must be on time to fully participate in this class. Every two late arrivals equals one absence and will affect your grade as indicated above. COMMUNITY ACCOUNTABILITY – In this class we will be reading, viewing, writing about, and discussing controversial topics. I expect you to treat one another and me with respect and maturity. There will certainly be disagreements among us as we come to this class with a wide range of experiences and histories. I will absolutely not tolerate any form of racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, or body discrimination.

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REVISION – Revision is a foundational practice in this course, as such you will be given as many opportunities to revise your projects as you see fit. For each revision you undertake you must submit a 250-word memo discussing how you’ve decided to revise your project. This memo and the quality of your revisions will be considered for a new grade. ACCESSIBILITY – MSU is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services and activities. Requests for accommodations by persons with disabilities may be made by contacting the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities at (517) 884-RCPD or on the web at rcpd.msu.edu. Once your eligibility for an accommodation has been determined, you will be issued a verified individual services accommodation (“VISA”) form. Please present this form to me at the start of the term and/or two weeks prior to the accommodation date (test, project, etc). Requests received after this date will be honored whenever possible. WORK SUBMISSION – All coursework will be submitted through a dropbox on D2L by the due date specific for each project. Late assignments will be deducted one Grade Point for each day it is late (unless alternative arrangements have been made). COMMUNICATION – You will primarily communicate with me via email. I will make every effort to respond within 48 hours. If you have not received a response from me after 48 hours please feel free to email me again. My office hours are on Tuesdays right after class, 12:30-2:30pm. If this time doesn’t work with your schedule, let me know as needed and we’ll find a time to meet. If you are ever unclear about an assignment, a policy, a task, please don’t hesitate to ask. ACADEMIC HONESTY - I take academic honesty seriously. Plagiarism, of any sort, will not be accepted and/or tolerated in this class. If plagiarism is evident and/or suspected, I will pursue it in accordance with the WRAC Department Guidelines and University Policy. Michigan State University has adopted the following statement about academic honesty: General Student Regulations

1.00 PROTECTION OF SCHOLARSHIP AND GRADES The principles of truth and honesty are fundamental to the educational process and the academic integrity of the University; therefore, no student shall:

1.01 claim or submit the academic work of another as one’s own. 1.02 procure, provide, accept or use any materials containing questions or answers to any examination or assignment without proper authorization. 1.03 complete or attempt to complete any assignment or examination for another individual without proper authorization. 1.04 allow any examination or assignment to be completed for oneself, in part or in total, by another without proper authorization. 1.05 alter, tamper with, appropriate, destroy or otherwise interfere with the research, resources, or other academic work of another person.

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Procedures for responding to cases of academic honesty and possible repercussions are outlined in Spartan Life: Student Handbook and Resource Guide. They can also be found on the web at: msu.edu/unit/ombud/honestylinks.html. Note that the new procedures require instances of academic dishonesty be reported through the registrar’s office and forwarded to the Dean of the College in which the student’s major resides.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY – Essays, journals, and other materials submitted for this class are generally considered confidential pursuant to the University’s student record policies. However, students should be aware that University employees are required to report suspected child abuse/neglect and allegations of sexual assault to the appropriate campus authorities when they become aware of such matters in the course of their employment. Sexual assault survivors are encouraged to meet with the Sexual Assault Program at the MSU Counseling Center for confidential counseling and advocacy services. RESOURCES The Writing Center – writing.msu.edu The Purdue OWL – owl.english.purdue.edu Counseling Services – counseling.msu.edu LBGT Resource Center – lbgtrc.msu.edu Women’s Resource Center – wrc.msu.edu Sexual Assault Program – endrape.msu.edu, 24-hour crisis line (517) 372-6666 Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities – rcpd.msu.edu Office of Support Services – oss.msu.edu

HOW TO PASS THIS CLASS: Show up. Do the work, all of it. Participate in the community of this class. And take revision seriously.