Diagnostic Essay
Your first essay this semester will be a short 3-5 page diagnostic essay designed to gauge your creative and critical thinking skills and abilities and to provide me with a sense of your strengths and weaknesses as a writer. This essay will not be formally graded; you will simply receive full credit for submitting a completed essay on the assigned due date. Failure to submit the essay on time and completed will result in no points for the Diagnostic Essay.
Four Essays
For each of your essays, with the exception of your academic essay, you must complete 4-6 pages, typed and double-spaced pages; the academic essay will require 6-8 typed and double-spaced pages. More specifically, your formal essay writing will require you to:
- Produce a personal narrative essay by exploring the main experience or experiences that influenced you about your selected topic.
- Offer a well-reasoned and properly justified and supported media critique essay of a song of your choice.
- Advance a well-reasoned and well-supported argument with credible, relevant sources (at least three) on an academic discipline of your choice in an academic essay.
- Develop a reflexive essay in which you review your work over the course of the semester and analyze and explain how your writing has evolved.
Final Exam
Your final exam will be your Reflexive Essay which will be handed in on the last day of class.
Writing Exercises
Each day in class will involve a short in-class writing exercise designed to enhance your creative and critical thinking skills by reacting and responding to assigned prompts.
Grades
You will receive a letter grade based on the final point breakdown which is as follows:
Diagnostic Essay: 50 pts
Personal Narrative Essay: 100 pts
Media Critique Essay: 100 pts
Academic Essay: 150 pts
Reflexive Essay: 100 pts
In-Class Writing: 100 pts
Participation/Attendance: 100 pts
Total Points Possible: 700 pts
Grade Scale and Standards:
A 93-100% C+ 77-79%
A- 90-92% C 73-76%
B+ 87-89% C- 70-73%
B 83-86% D 61-69%
B- 80-82% F less than 60%
A: Shows superior writing skills and a definite trend toward improving writing through significant revision. Very strong in all major areas: content, organization, style, and grammar and mechanics. All required work is apparent and well-organized. Class attendance and participation is exceptional.
B: Shows above average writing skills and improvement through revision. Strong in all major areas with some minor flaws. All required work is apparent and well-organized. Class attendance and participation is above average.
C: Shows average writing skills and some improvement through revision. Average in all major areas with some definite flaws. Most required work is apparent. Class attendance and participation are average.
D: Shows below average writing skills and very little if any improvement through revision. Writing is below average in all major areas with numerous flaws. Missing a good portion of required work. Class attendance and participation is below average.
F: Shows inferior writing skills and a serious lack of effort. Serious problems in major areas. Missing most required work. Serious problems with class attendance and participation.
Classroom Behavior, Boundaries, and Expectations
Please remain respectful of the instructor, your fellow classmates, and yourself at all times. There may be debate and discussion on a wide range of topics in this course. You may disagree with others at times. In fact, these things contribute significantly to learning. However, you must remain respectful, considerate, open-minded, and non-discriminatory at all times.
Any rude or disruptive behavior will NOT be tolerated.
AI Policy
Every piece of writing has a "voice". AI writing is no different. This course looks to explore/develop your own voice in writing. AI generated writing will score poorly in this class. However, it is not without its uses. It can be an effective grammar and organizational tool. You are free to use this developing tool in any way that isn't generative.