Southern Utah University

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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Introduction to Academic Writing (Face-to-Face)

ENGL 1010-17

Course: ENGL 1010-17
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: ENGL
CRN: 32203

Course Description

The first of the required GE writing courses introduces students to academic composition. Students will engage in writing as a process, pre-drafting strategies, multiple drafts, peer review, and large and small-scale revisions. Students with ACT English scores between 17 and 28 must take 1010 before ENGL 2010; those with scores below 17 must enroll in ENGL 1010E. (Fall, Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): ENGL 0990 or ACT English Subscore or Accuplacer Next Generation score - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C Prerequisite Test (Min. Score): ACT English Subscore (17) or Accuplacer Next Generation (250) Registration Restriction(s): Intensive English Program majors may not enroll General Education Category: Written Communication

Required Texts

1. Supplemental readings that will be posted to Canvas 

2. The OWL Purdue MLA Format Guide – Available for free online

Learning Outcomes

1. Genre Awareness: Demonstrate critical and conceptual awareness of genre in reading and writing—including organization, content, presentation, formatting, and stylistic choices.
2. Context and Purpose: Analyze rhetorical situations and adapt to the audience, purpose, modalities, and the circumstances surrounding a range of reading and writing tasks.
3. Language Awareness and Usage: Recognize and make intentional, critical, and contextually-informed language choices across a range of rhetorical contexts/situations.
4. Recursive Writing Processes: Develop flexible, iterative, and reflective processes for invention, drafting, workshopping, and revision.

Course Requirements

Writing 1010 is the first of the required GE writing courses. In this course, we emphasize rhetorical skills and strategies for becoming successful academic writers. Through multiple drafts and different writing assignments, students learn to be confident, flexible, and resourceful writers. The writing skills and techniques we learn in 1010 are meant to make students comfortable with writing assignments in future courses in different disciplines as well. We will learn how to see “good writing” as something that transcends the fixed rules of grammar, style, and citation. This course will invite you to think of “good writing,” rather, as the product of practice, revision, and a willingness to approach new writing situations with curiosity and attention to context. Our goal is to cultivate skills, strategies, and habits of mind that will help you become a more effective writer and thinker. And, our goal is to help you enjoy writing and become a confident writer here at SUU and beyond.

Course Outline

Paper 1: Writing Argument Essay (15%) (2-3 pages)

For this essay, you will make an argument about writing: either a general argument about writing as a practice, discipline, and/or activity; or, an argument about your specific relationship to writing and/or your identity as a writer.

 

Paper 2: Rhetorical Analysis Essay (20%) (3-4 pages)

In this essay, you will choose an academic source on a topic of your choice and write a rhetorical analysis of it, taking into consideration the purpose, audience, and rhetorical strategies of your chosen source.

 

Paper 3: Persuasive Essay (25%) (5-6 pages)

Building on the topic that you chose for your second paper, this essay will build a persuasive argument about your topic. The goal is to develop a central claim about your topic, and to support and demonstrate this claim using at least four outside sources and your own rhetorical strategies.

 

Reflective Rhetorical Analysis (5%) (~2 pages)

A rhetorical analysis examines and explains how an author attempts to influence an audience. For this assignment, you will complete a short rhetorical analysis of your persuasive essay (essay 3). Your analysis should not simply paraphrase or summarize what you have said, but should provide a way of understanding how the text persuades its audience. This analysis will draw on readings from class to examine and explain your decisions and argumentative strategies in the essay you wrote. 

 

Reading Responses (10%)

For each reading response, I would like you to write a brief, half-page (single-spaced) response addressing the following:

 

1.)   Tell me one thing you know for certain from the reading.

2.)   Tell me one thing you’d like to know more about from the reading.

3.)   Tell me one thing you didn’t understand from the reading.

 

Your questions might deal with any part of the reading—a confusing example, a term from the text that struck you, an essay that intrigued you, etc. Each reading response is worth 2% of your grade. Late submissions (up to a week) will be accepted at half credit.   

 

Peer Review (10%)

Our peer review workshops will be held for each major writing assignment. They will be a way to receive and give feedback on our work in order to revise for the final submission. You must bring a complete draft of your assignment to receive full credit for these sessions; partial credit will be given for partial drafts.

 

Conferences (5%)

Toward the end of the semester, we will set up one-on-one meetings to conference about your work in the class, your preparation for the final essay, and your future writing goals. 

 

Participation (10%)

Participation includes attendance, discussion, in-class writing, group work, drafting, and revising. This grade will be determined by your regular attendance and participation in our class meetings. Please be sure to come to our meetings prepared and having done the readings. Readings are due the day they are listed; for example, you will come to our meeting on 9/3 having read “What is Academic Writing?” 

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work



I offer extensions without any grade penalty, but an extension request must be sent to me by email or Canvas message before the assignment is due. Work that is submitted late (with no extension request) will lose ten points per day that it is late. 

Attendance Policy

Your success and the success of this course depend on your active participation; therefore, your regular attendance is required. Be aware that a student whose absences are excessive may run the risk of receiving a lower grade or a failing grade, regardless of their performance in the class. You are allowed two unpenalized absences from class; every absence after that drops your total class grade by 5 points. Missing more than five classes puts you at risk for failing the class. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to get the class notes from a classmate. 

 

Please note: Zoom accommodations related to Covid restrictions for face-to-face classes have ended. There will be no live streaming or recording of class sessions.

Course Fees

None

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.