course.goals
materials
assignments

grading
attendance
electronica
ethics

disability


 

instructor kevin eric depew
office bal 4042
phone 757.683.4019
e.mail kdepew@odu.edu
web.page http://www.odu.edu/~kdepew
office hours mw 3-4 & by appointment


quick links

calendar
blackboard (email, collaboration, and readings)
resources


course.goals

This course presents key concepts, principles, traditions and conversations that define the field of rhetoric and composition, surveying major texts, movements, issues and methodologies. This course is designed primarily to prepare students for advanced courses studying applied rhetoric (e.g., composition, professional writing). It will also benefit any student who is interested in gaining insights about language, knowledge, and power from the perspective of rhetoric. The goals for the course include...

  • developing an understanding of key concepts in rhetorical theory
  • understanding the conversation among rhetoricians and those who apply their work
  • understanding rhetoric as praxis
  • developing a historical perspective of rhetoric
  • demonstrating an ability to analyze texts using rhetorical principles
  • demonstrating an ability to apply rhetorical theory for a specific purpose in a given context


course.materials

On Rhetoric: A Theory of Civic Discourse (2nd edition)
Author(s): Aristotle
Translator: George A. Kennedy
Oxford University Press
ISBN 9780195305098

Other readings will be retrieved from...


major.assignments

Project Proposal (50 points): Early in the semester, you will draft a proposal outlining how you will fulfill the course requirements. Not only does this give you the opportunity to see if the work you want to do is feasible, the proposal gives you the opportunity to focus your inquiries for the semester and receive guidance from the instructor.

WikiRhet Concept Entry and Revisions (100 points–50 pts for Concept Entry and 50 pts for the Revisions): By reading above and beyond the assigned readings, you will have the opportunity to acquaint yourself with the fields of rhetoric. For this assignment, you will compose an entry on a rhetorical concept. Then throughout the semester you will do research and contribute to these concept entry as a way to create a useful resource for you and your peers throughout the course of the semester.

Rhetorical Analysis (150 points): You will select a text–loosely defined–and analyze how the composer has applied the rhetorical concepts we have learned to this point in the semester to develop an (in)effective argument.

Demonstration of Application (200 points): This is your opportunity to demonstrate that you understand the course topic and material by creating a project that applies what we have learned to a specific situation and is relevant to your personal academic agenda.

Three Means of Failing the Course related to Major Assignments

  • Not completing a major assignment
  • Major assignments will be given no credit if the assignment is not turned in prior to the instructor returning the respective assignment to the class. This becomes the equivalent of not completing a major assignment
  • An act of plagiarism (or other forms of academic dishonesty)


grading

Major Assignments

I will be looking for evidence of each student's progress towards professional level work. More specifically I will be looking for evidence of...

  • well supported and "original" work that responds to a specific context
  • an understanding of rhetorical and writing theory, as well as the current discussions of its application
  • an ability to generate sound scholarship meeting the expectations of graduate-level work
  • addressing your audiences appropriately, including fulfilling generic expectations
  • prewriting and planning
  • professional quality work, in terms of mechanics, design, and protocol

Minor Assignments

Minor assignments are not busy work. Rather they are pre-writing opporunities that allow you to get feedback on ideas for major assignments, or they are an opportunity to think through the class discussion topic and be prepared to contribute. Failure to complete any of these assignments will be noted and factored into your final grade.

Grade Scale

Your final grade (500 points) and assignments will be graded on the following point scale* :
  A =92-100 % A -= 90-91.9 % B+ = 87-89.9 %
  B = 82-86.9 % B- = 80-81.9 % C+ = 77-79.9 %
  C = 72-76.9 % C- = 70-71.9 % D+ = 67-69.9 %
  D = 62-66.9 % D -= 60-61.9 %  
  F = 0-59.9 %    

* = The instructor reserves the right to adjust this scale based on the students' performance throughout the semester. Any adjustments will 1) apply to the entire class and 2) never deny a student the grade that she/he earns based upon this posted scale.


attendance

Students are required to attend every class. If you miss a class, for whatever reason, you are responsible for making up any missed work.

In this class, you will do a lot of work and discussion of ideas in the classroom. Therefore the attendance policies are:

  • you are allowed the equivalent of the two absences, excused or unexcused. More than two absences will result in failing the course. The following scale is used to determine equivalency:
    • being late to class will be marked as a tardy and considered when your final grade is tallied.
    • students who miss between fifteen and eighty minutes will receive a half-absence
    • students who miss more than eighty minutes will receive a full absence

    You are not only required to to attend every class, but you are required to come to class prepared. Failure to come to class prepared will be noted and factored into your final grade. Therefore, it is recommended that you pay attention to the calendar.

  • submissions due the day of an absence
    • if you plan to be absent the day an assignment submission is due, you are encouraged to make arrangements to submit the work before that class
    • if you cannot submit the work prior to class you are encouraged to submit it at your earliest possible convenience, especially through email
    • the last day to submit work for credit is the first day that you return from an absence

To learn what work you have missed consult the instructor or the calendar.

As a general rule, a student missing a class assignment because of observance of a religious holiday or participating in any official extracurricular activity shall have the opportunity to make up missed work by following the guidelines above.


electronica

Electronica refers to technology-related issues.

E.mail Accounts
Having an email account is required; a lot of information for this class will be exchanged via email and Blackboard including some assignment submissions and class updates. You will want to establish a consistent email account that you will use throughout the entire semester.

Because Blackboard's "Send Email" function "talks to" your ODU account, it is recommended that you work with this account. At the very least, you are required to forward your ODU mail to the account you use most. To get an ODU account go to OCCS.

You are responsible for making sure that files and messages are successfully received by the instructor and your peers; other email providers cannot provide this security. Also you will want to be aware that some evaluated coursework will be returned via email; if you are concerned about other parties reading these messages, please make alternate arrangements with the instructor.

E.mailing Protocol
When emailing the instructor or the class list make sure that you include a subject line that includes the nature of the email. A subject line, such as "assignment" is vague. Instead be specific and state whether it is a "assignment submission," "question about assignment," or "assignment problem."

Also use the priority setting rhetorically; in other words, make your email message stand out when you really need to draw the recipient's attention to your message. Do not use the priority setting on your standard assignment submissions or simple requests.

Protecting Your Work
Backup your document files frequently. Also save all email transmissions for this course. Keep your files on your home machine, floppy disks, cds, and/or flash drives. You can also email documents to yourself as a means of backing up your work. The excuse "I lost my only copy" is not a valid one. Some tips for protecting your work–and yourself–are:

  • Save all English 686 work until the course is over
  • Maintain copies of drafts and work-in-progress
  • Create folders on your hard drive and in your INBOX (email) for this class.
  • Keep copies of your email messages related to the course as a record of your work. For all messages that you send to the instructor, you should either have the message sent to your "Sent" folder in your email account or cc: yourself the message so that you have a copy for verification

Electronic Ethics and Respect
Electronic media allows us some freedoms that print media does not allow. Consequently, it is also subject to abuse. Please be respectful of your peers throughout the semester by not displaying, viewing, or posting web pages, files, or emails that may make others uncomfortable. Violations of this respect can be considered harassment according to university policy and will be handled as such.


ethics&plagiarism

As per the University's Honor Code, you must do your own original work in this class–and appropriately identify that portion of your work which is...

  • collaborative with others
  • borrowed from others
  • your own work from other contexts

Whenever you borrow graphics, quote passages, or use ideas from others, you are legally and/or ethically obliged to acknowledge that use by following appropriate conventions for documenting sources. In this class, the most serious form of academic dishonesty is to recycle another individual's major project under your own name.

If you have doubts about whether or not you are using your own or others' writing ethically and legally, ask the instructor. Follow this primary principle: If in doubt, ask. Be up front and honest about what you are doing and about what you have contributed to an assignment.


documented.disability

If you have a documented disability, make sure you register with Disability Services (757. 683.4655). Once you do so, feel free to talk to the instructor about any special accommodations that you may need to fulfill the requirements of this course.


course.evaluations

At the end of the semester, you will have an opportunity to evaluate the instructor and the course. This is very important for helping the instructor and the department assess the course. Please take the time at the end of the semester to do these online evaluations.

last.updated 5.7.09