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Southern Utah University

Spring Semester 2026

Writing About Taylor Swift

ENGL 2010-29

Course:	ENGL 2010-29
Credits:	3
Term:	Spring Semester 2026
Department:	ENGL
CRN:	12099

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

None! Everything you need for the class can be accessed for free online or Canvas.

Learning Outcomes

Core Curriculum

Written Communication

Construct arguments that demonstrate rhetorical awareness of purpose, audience, and context
Employ accurate and diverse diction, appropriate tone, and construct sentences varied in structure
Define the scope of the research question or thesis completely and determine key concepts.
Design and construct arguments for specific audiences with an emphasis on organizing, sustaining, and maintaining consistency
Employ standard grammatical usage, including correct punctuation for discipline, and adhere to a specific style guide

Information Literacy

Identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively and responsibly use and share information to achieve an intended purpose.
Access and document information and relevant sources using a variety of search strategies
Correctly use primary and secondary sources (including paraphrase, summary, and quotations) in ways that are true to the original text

Inquiry and Analysis

Systematically explore issues through the collection and analysis of evidence that result in informed conclusions and judgments.
Break complex topics or issues into parts to gain a better understanding of them.
Arrange and synthesize evidence to reveal insightful patterns, differences, or similarities related to focus

Course Requirements

Instructor Expectations

Assign at least 2-4 pages of formal or informal writing that reflects the student’s understanding of the writing process
Require 18-20 pages of polished writing, which must include:

ELO	Communication	Inquiry & Analysis	Information Literacy
Definition Paper	X	X	X
Research Proposal	X	X
Workshops	X	X
Major Research Paper	X	X	X

A persuasive writing project of 3-6 pages that includes at least four cited sources
At least one other short writing that requires multiple drafts, which could include narrative work or annotated bibliography
A research paper of at least 10 pages of text with at least seven appropriately documented sources (according to an appropriate style guide)
Require multiple drafts on all major papers, including instructor and peer response to student writing, as well as student revision.
Assign approximately 10-15 pages of informal writing, which might include exploratory writing, journal writing, annotated bibliography, and responses to assigned readings.
Require at least 150 pages of reading, including authors representing diverse perspectives that contribute to a student’s understanding of the course content but should not be the focus of the class.

Assignments

30% | The Eras Essays:
- A weekly 1-2 page mini-essay discussing some element or theme of whatever album we are studying that week
25% | Taylor Swift: The Final Essay
- 20% - A 2500-word rhetorical analysis of some element or aspect of Taylor Swift’s art, career, persona etc. Students must include 8 research sources, 4 of which must be published by peer-reviewed journals
- 2.5% Submitting a rough draft for peer review
- 2.5% - Completing a peer workshop and completing a grading rubric for your partner’s rough draft.
20% | Reading Responses
- A weekly reading assignment in which you will compose a 250-word response to a selection of texts chosen for their resonance with Taylor’s album.
15% | Participation:
- Weekly Engagement in class discussions, and the quality and timeliness of your work
10% | Self-evaluation and Reflection
- 5% - Essay 1: Self Evaluation
- 5% - Grade yourself / Reflections

|100% to 94% = A | 93% to 90 % = A- | 89% to 86% = B+ | 85% to 83% = B | 82% to 80% = B- |

|79% to 76% = C+ | 75% to 73% = C | 72% to 70% = C- | Below C- must retake the course! |

Course Outline

Weekly Schedule

Mondays: Discuss Eras Essays and the album of the week
Wednesdays: Applying research and sources
Fridays: In-class writing workshop

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

Late Work

I will accept late work all semester, but only for half credit on any assignment turned in after the due date. However, I understand that life intrudes and sometimes students need a little breathing room to succeed. Please be proactive and let me know when you are struggling. I wish to accommodate students who keep in touch with me, but I won’t make exceptions for students who don’t complete weekly assignments and then request accommodations at the end of the semester. We can all agree that’s unfair to the students who work diligently throughout the semester to make exceptions for students who do not.

Attendance Policy

Participation

Participation means COMING TO CLASS, as well as keeping up with weekly assignments and engaging in class discussions. It’s worth 15% of your final grade, and you will be evaluating yourself.

Canvas keeps a tally of your engagement with course materials, including how much time you’ve spent reading and interacting with each page, so there is a way for me to measure your engagement. It’s vital that you read each text in preparation for weekly discussions and engage with those aspects that compel your thoughts. Failure to participate in the discussions will hurt your grade.

Course Fees

All course materials are free to access on Canvas and online. No additional course fees.

Additional Course Information

Some notable facts about Taylor Swift’s career

Taylor Swift holds 118 Guinness World Records as of 2024.
As of 2024, Taylor Swift released 243 songs, including covers but excluding her re-recorded songs, and 14 albums.
Named top artist of the year in 2023 by both Spotify and Apple Music, Taylor Swift was streamed 26.1 billion times on Spotify in January-November 2023.
As of 2024, Taylor Swift won 14 Grammys, 40 AMAs, 39 Billboard Music Awards, and 23 VMAs.
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is the first music event to surpass $1 billion in revenue, making it the highest-grossing tour in history and earning the artist a Guinness World Record.
As of October 2023, Taylor Swift is a billionaire and the second-richest female artist, with her music (new and re-released) being the primary source of her fortune. It’s estimated that she made about $400 million from the music, not including the $120 million made from streaming services and YouTube.
Over 50% of adults living in the US (53%) describe themselves as Taylor Swift fans or Swifties. Out of these fans, 16% call themselves “avid fans.”
She has tallied 46.6 million albums in the United States. On the US Billboard 200, as of August 2024, she has accumulated 14 number-one albums—seven of which sold one million first-week copies, and 81 weeks at number one—more than any other solo act. (Source: TechReport.com)

I replay my footsteps on each stepping stone
Trying to find the one where I went wrong
Writing letters
Addressed to the fire.
(Taylor Swift, “Evermore”)

A.I. Usage

Although I recognize that A.I. programs like ChatGPT are powerful tools that have incredible potential to streamline and facilitate human intellectual labor across disciplines, current legal concerns over plagiarism and intellectual theft make its use in a writing course precarious enough that any use of A.I. in my courses will constitute scholastic dishonesty. Any student caught using A.I. will receive a zero on the assignment and be asked to resubmit.

It’s not difficult to discern when a student in an introductory writing course is using A.I. to do their work. I’m a very close reader with a great sensitivity to syntax and vocabulary. What makes any piece of writing transcendent is your unique voice and mind. A.I. can work faster than you, but it can’t mimic nor replicate that. The profession landscape is changing, which is why it’s so vital to develop fundamental skills. People must distinguish themselves. Communication is the most valuable skill in life, personally and professionally. Cognitive rigor is essential to learning. If you don’t do your own reasoning, you don’t develop the neuropathways you need to thrive.

Writing Center

Consider taking your ideas and your written work to the Writing Center (BC 204, 435-865-8176) for HELP. The Writing Center is where students learn they are writers. As tutors, we guide students through the process of tackling the unique challenge of each writing situation by creating a safe space to practice, experiment, make mistakes, and find a voice. We listen because we believe that every student has something to say. Bring your writing projects in at any stage of the writing process and take advantage of this free service. We are open in the Writing Center in Braithwaite 204 Monday through Friday 8 am - 5pm, and in the Gerald R. Sherratt Library Monday through Thursday 7pm - 9pm. Sign up online for a session at our website: suu.edu/hss/writingcenter/. Also, feel free to email us at writingcenter@suu.edu, or call us at (435) 865-8176.

Respectful Conduct

You have the right to your beliefs and prejudices, but please be mindful that this is a community space in which all voices are welcome and necessary, including those whom disagree with me. I wish to help each student become a better writer, and thereby succeed in college, not to enforce my opinions and beliefs. You are welcome to disagree, but be careful to focus your arguments. I believe our differences enrich us as a collegiate community, and wisdom lies in recognizing and respecting that. I want my classroom to be a safe learning environment. Please be kind to one another.

Academic Resources

Academic Advising: 435-586-5420, www.suu.edu/advisors
Assistant Coaches for Excellence & Success (ACES): 435-865-8214, www.suu.edu/aces
Disability Resource center: https://www.suu.edu/disabilityservices/
Tutoring Center: https://www.suu.edu/academicsuccess/tutoring/
Office of Academic Success: https://www.suu.edu/academicsuccess/
Writing Center: https://www.suu.edu/hss/writingcenter/

Student Mental Health Resources

Counseling and psychological services: 435-865-8621, https://www.suu.edu/caps/, www.suu.edu/caps/letstalk.html
Dean of Students (for any crisis you don’t know where else to go): 435-586-7766, www.suu.edu/deanofstudents
Feeling stressed and need someone to talk to (but not quite counseling): https://www.suu.edu/cast/ Or cast@suu.edu
Peer Coaching (Trula Foundation): https://www.trulafoundation.org/
Off-Campus Counseling: www.cedarcitymh.com

Financial and Food Resources

Financial aid: 435-586-7735, www.suu.edu/finaid
Financial Wellness:435-865-8436, www.suu.edu/financialwellness
Food Pantry: https://www.suu.edu/cec/hope-pantry.html

Other Campus Resources

Non-traditional Student Services: 435-865-8760, www.suu.edu/nontraditional
Parent & Family Services: 435-865-8752, www.suu.edu/parents
Title IX office: 435-865-5419, www.suu.edu/titleIX
Withdrawing from classes: https://www.suu.edu/registrar/withdrawal.html. Or contact Anu Tufuga (anutufuga@suu.edu; 435-865-8208)
Complete list of student resources: https://www.suu.edu/blog/2018/09/campus-resources-services.html

Crisis Resources

Dean of Students: 435-586-7766
SUU Police: 435-586-1911
Cedar City Hospital: 435-868-5000
Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255; Text 838255
Southwest Mental Health: 435-867-7654
Utah Warmline (if you have a question or issue you want to talk to someone about): 833-SPEAKUT
Canyon Creek Women in Crisis Center: 435-266-5732; Crisis line: 435-865-7443
Utah Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-897-5465
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-4376
National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline: 866-331-9474

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.

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