Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

ENGL 2010 -- Intermediate Writing -- Public Apologies

ENGL 2010-14C

Course: ENGL 2010-14C
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: ENGL
CRN: 33905

Course Description

The second of the GE writing courses emphasizes the development of an effective academic style in argumentative essays that makes use of traditional rhetorical patterns, culminating in a major research paper. Subtopics will vary. Students with ACT English scores below 29 must take ENGL 1010 or ENGL 1010E before enrolling in 2010. (Fall, Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1010 or ENGL 1010E or ACT English Subscore - Prerequisite Min. Grade: D- Prerequisite Test (Min. Score): ACT English Subscore (29) General Education Category: Written Communication

Required Texts

All texts are provided as PDF or linked readings.

Learning Outcomes


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

Course Requirements

Requirements: To pass this course you must complete all the major assignments, fulfill all weekly assignments, and submit all assignments on time.

Course Outline

Major Writing Assignments

The bulk of your grade in ENGL 2010 will come from these interconnected assignments which culminate in a substantial, 10+ page research paper.

Discussions

Discussions are completion-based assignments that allow us to explore course ideas and readings in depth.

Workshops

Workshops are low-stakes activities designed to help you practice skills and explore ideas--they also let your professors check in on how your research is developing. They are designed to help with your Major Writing Assignments, so feel free to reuse and recycle the writing you do for them!



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

This course and its due dates are paced to help you manage your time through a broad amount of reading over 14 weeks (while being as humane as possible). If you find yourself falling substantially behind the due dates in Canvas you should make an appointment to talk to me so we can strategize. I don't penalize late work, but it also will not receive written feedback.

However, if you fall more than two modules/weeks behind, you have to meet with me before continuing. This is (1) so I can check in and offer help, and (2) so we can develop a clear plan to get you caught up OR a clear plan to get you withdrawn and in the best situation possible to try again.

Attendance Policy

Attendance: As with my Late Policy, if you miss or fall more than two modules/weeks behind, you must meet with me before continuing so we can make sure you are situated to do well!


 Accommodations: I am committed to making this class a pleasant and effective learning environment for all. Please reach out to me as early as possible about available learning and support resources, or contact theSUU Disability Resource Center.


Grading and Commenting:
Each major paper will have a submission window of one business week (8AM Monday to 5PM Friday) in which you can turn your paper in via Canvas. You may submit your paper at any point during this submission window. After many years of teaching, I have found that some students would simply like a rubric explaining quantitatively the strengths and areas for improvement in their writing, while others prefer more detailed written feedback, and some still prefer line-by-line suggestions on smaller things like grammar and style. So, in an attempt to customize the feedback each of you gets to best suit your learning style, the detail of my feedback will be based on when in the submission window you submit--earlier submissions will receive more detailed feedback than later submissions, and YOU control your destiny. For example, if you submit on Monday of the submission window, you can expect marginalia, a substantial end note, individual grammar and style notes, and a quantitative rubric. If you submit on Friday, you can expect a rubric.

Notes of Importance:
  • Your grade will never be affected by when you submit--only the level of detail in my feedback will change.
  • Late work will not be accepted for any reason outside of the submission window without my prior approval. 
  • Documents that cannot be opened will be considered missing. Please submit as a .doc or .docx to ensure compatibility with Canvas’ commenting function.
  • Due dates and times are based on Canvas Standard Time and are firm.
  • I am always happy to discuss a paper in detail during student hours regardless of when it is submitted in the submission window. Drop-ins are welcome, though making an appointment helps ensure I’ll be there (and not making copies/grabbing a sandwich/meeting with another student/etc.).

Course Schedule

Week 1: Information Literacy and Academic Writing
Reading:
  • “What is Academic Writing”, L. Lennie Irvin
  • “Googlepedia: Turning Information Behaviors into Research Skills”, Randall McClure
Assignments:
  • Discussion: Academic Writing — Due Thursday, 8/28
  • Workshop 1: I Understood the Assignment — Due Sunday, 8/31
  • Workshop: Information Literacy — Due Sunday, 8/31

Week 2: Finding Your Passion
Reading:
  • “So You’ve Got a Writing Assignment: Now What?”, Corrine E. Hinton
  • “Reinventing Invention: Discovery and Investment in Writing”, Michelle D. Trim and Megan Lynn Isaac
  • “Trust Me, I’m Sorry: The Paradox of Public Apology”, Alice MacLachlan
Assignments:
  • Discussion: Passion and Curiosity — Due Thursday, 9/4
  • Discussion: What is the function of a public apology? — Due Thursday, 9/4
  • Workshop: Public Apology Compare/Contrast Exercise — Due Sunday, 9/7
  • Workshop: Writing Studio 1 — Due Sunday, 9/7

Week 3: From Passion to Topic
Reading/Viewing:
  • “How to Read Like a Writer”, Mike Bunn
  • Writing Research Proposals Handout
  • “Modes” Video
  • “Research is Learning” Video
Assignments:
  • Discussion: How To Read Like a Writer — Due Thursday, 9/11
  • Discussion: Research Proposals — Due Sunday, 9/14
  • Workshop: Writing Studio 2 — Due Sunday, 9/14

Week 4: Proposing Your Topic
Reading
  • Sample Research Proposals Handout
  • “Sorry, not sorry: 3 years into #MeToo era, real apologies are few and far between”, Bonnie Allen
Assignments:
  • Discussion: Apology vs. Defense — Due Thursday, 9/18
  • Workshop: Scholarship is a Conversation — Due Sunday, 9/21
  • Major Assignment 1: Information Literacy Narrative — Due Sunday, 9/21
Week 5: Researching Your Topic—Advanced Searching and Managing Sources
Reading:
  • “SIFT”, Mike Caufield
  • “Investigate the Source”, Mike Caufield
  • “Just add Wikipedia”, Mike Caufield
Assignments:
  • Discussion: Evaluating Sources — Due Thursday, 9/25
  • Workshop: Keeping track of the scholarly conversation — Due Sunday, 9/28
  • Workshop: Writing Studio 3 — Due Sunday, 9/28

Week 6: Researching Your Topic—Looking Beyond the Books
Reading:
  • “Apologies in the #MeToo Movement”, Georgia Nigro, Eleanor Ross, Talia Binns, and Celia Kurtz
Assignments:
  • Discussion: Self-Focus vs. Self-Other Focus — Due Thursday, 10/2
  • Workshop: Writing Studio 4 — Due Sunday, 10/5

Week 7: Researching Your Topic—Incorporating Source
Reading:
  • “Annoying Ways People Use Sources”, Kyle D. Stedman
Assignments:
  • Discussion: Annoying Ways People Use Sources — Due Thursday, 10/9
  • Workshop: Writing Studio 5 — Due Sunday, 10/12

Week 8: The Academic Research Paper
Reading:
  • “Acts of contrition: Forgiveness and effective intergroup apologies for historical institutional abuse”, Anne-Marie McAlinden
Assignments:
  • Discussion: The Academic Research Paper — Due Thursday, 10/16
  • Discussion: Group Apologies and Forgiveness — Due Thursday, 10/16
  • Major Assignment 2: Research Proposal — Due Sunday, 10/19

Week 9: Building Your Background
Reading:
  • “Punctuation’s Rhetorical Effects”, Kevin Cassell
  • “Weaving Personal Experience into Writing”, Marjorie Stewart
Assignments:
  • Discussion: Grammar and Punctuation — Due Thursday, 10/23
  • Discussion: The Background Section — Due Thursday, 10/23
  • Workshop: Writing Studio 6 — Due Sunday, 10/26

Week 10: Building Your Body I
Reading:
  • “They Say/ I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing”, Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein
  • “Argumentative Techniques”, Joseph Williams and Lawrence McEnerney
  • “Three Moves for Countering”, Joseph Williams and Lawrence McEnerney
Assignments:
  • Discussion: Rhetorical Moves — Due Thursday, 10/30
  • Workshop: Research Status Update — Due Sunday, 11/2
  • Workshop: Writing Studio 7 — Due Sunday, 11/2

Week 11: Building Your Body II
Reading:
  • Modes of Writing Handout
Assignments:
  • Workshop: Building the Body — Due Sunday, 11/9
  • Major Assignment 3: Project Report and Final Synthesis Matrix — Due Sunday, 11/9

Week 12: Conclusions and Introductions
Reading:
  • Sample Essay 1: “Apologies as signals for change? Implicit theories of personality and reactions to apologies during the #MeToo movement”, Karina Schuman
  • Sample Essay 2: “Comparing public responses to apologies: examining crisis communication strategies using network analysis and topic modeling”, Sejung Park and·Jin‐A Choi
  • Sample Essay 3: “The Effect of Bad News and CEO Apology of Corporate on User Responses in Social Media”, Hoh Kim, Jaram Park, Meeyoung Cha, and Jaeseung Jeong
Assignments:
  • Workshop: Conclusions — Due Sunday, 11/16
  • Workshop: Introductions — Due Sunday, 11/16
  • Workshop: Writing Center Feedback — Due Sunday, 11/16
  • Workshop: Writing Studio 8 — Due Sunday, 11/16

Week 13: Revising
Reading:
  • Practical Strategies for Revision Handout
  • Revising Drafts Handout
  • Editing and Proofreading Handout
Assignments:
  • Discussion: Revision — Due Thursday, 11/20
  • Major Assignment 4: Major Research Project — Due Sunday, 11/30Week 14: Reflecting
Reading:
  • N/A
Assignments:
  • Workshop: Reflective Rhetorical Analysis — Due Sunday, 12/7
Reading:
  • Modes of Writing Handout
Assignments:
  • Workshop: Building the Body — Due Sunday, 11/9
  • Major Assignment 3: Project Report and Final Synthesis Matrix — Due Sunday, 11/9

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.