Syllabus
Course Description
Expository Writing is the required writing course for all undergraduate students at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. In this course, students read and write about a variety of texts concerning a range of fascinating contemporary issues. By completing a series of essay assignments – each of which involves peer review and revision – students learn to read critically, analyze textual evidence, structure complex ideas, and develop independent arguments by making original claims that contribute to ongoing intellectual conversations.
Course Objectives
The course’s overarching goal is for students to come to regard writing as a form of critical thinking that is a life-long pursuit, not something that can be perfected in a single semester. Expository Writing helps students establish a foundation in writing and critical thinking practices that will serve them throughout their college careers and beyond. Students will come to recognize the value of creativity and intellectual risk-taking in an interdisciplinary context while learning to compose cogent and compelling arguments substantiated by thoughtful analysis of a range of sources.
Students who complete Expository Writing will meet the following certified learning goals:
- Communicate complex ideas effectively, in written English, to a general audience, and respond effectively to feedback through successive drafts and revision
- Evaluate and critically assess sources and use the conventions of attribution and citation correctly
- Analyze and synthesize information and ideas from multiple sources to generate new insights
Required Texts
All external texts will be available on Canvas, but some classwork is also considered a “required text.”
- Texts posted to our course Canvas site
- Select student essays as part of peer review and in-class exercises
- All instructor comments on drafts
Course Requirements
First-Week Writing Sample
Students will complete a writing sample during the first week of the semester to confirm appropriate placement. Any student who transfers between sections of 101 during the first week will be required to complete the Writing Sample in their new section.
Analytic Essays (75% of final course grade)
Students will write four Analytic Essays offering independent interpretive positions derived from synthetic analysis of nonfiction texts. Each essay includes a rough and final draft; most rough drafts must be a minimum of 1,300 words, and all final drafts must be a minimum of 1,700 words. Each essay will be evaluated according to the same grading rubric, available on Canvas.
Interpretive Exercises (10% of final course grade)
In addition to a variety of ungraded writing workshops and activities, students will write two formal short exercises – one at the beginning of the course and one at the end. Each exercise will be graded High-Pass/Pass/Low-Pass/Non-Pass, according to a grading rubric available on Canvas.
Online Participation (15% of final course grade)
Participation in all assigned class activities (including teleconference class sessions for synchronous remote sections) having completed the requisite readings and preparatory work in advance is required. All activities and their due dates will be posted in advance. After three absences (for synchronous remote sections) and/or missed activities, your participation grade will be impacted. After six missed class sessions and/or activities, you risk failing the class. The intensive nature of this course requires strong organization and time-management skills, and you are responsible for knowing what your assignments are and for getting them done on time.
Drafting and Revision
Students will participate fully in the drafting and revision process for each assignment, reviewing and responding to instructor and peer feedback. Revision entails more than mere correction or proofreading; it involves fundamental rethinking and rewriting, and you must revise every assignment substantively for it to be considered complete.
Canvas and Technology
Students will regularly check the course Canvas site and familiarize themselves with the features of Canvas and other online platforms required for remote instruction. You will receive important course announcements through Canvas and at your Rutgers email address, so it is also important that you check that account regularly. Additionally, students are expected to have consistent and reliable access to the internet, and it is your responsibility to reach out to your instructor to discuss any potential technological limitations, ideally before they become problems.
Grading Policies
Every Analytic Essay will be evaluated according to the same grading criteria, which will be provided early in the course. The following are additional Expository Writing grading policies:
- The analytic essay portion of the course grade will be determined by your highest level of sustained achievement until the end of term
- The lowest passing grade for Analytic Essays and for the course is ‘C’
- Late submissions of Analytic Essay rough drafts will result in a half-letter grade deduction (e.g. ‘B+’ to ‘B’) from that assignment’s grade; late submission of final drafts will result in a full-letter grade deduction (e.g. ‘B+’ to ‘C+’) from that assignment’s grade
- You must complete both Interpretive Exercises to pass the course
- All grades are subject to departmental review
All analytic essays will be assigned letter grades, and the following are the numerical equivalencies for each letter grade:
| Grade Range | Description | Numerical Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| A range | Outstanding: the student’s work demonstrates sustained and thorough achievement of course learning goals | A: 93–100 |
| B range | Good: the student’s work demonstrates serious engagement with all aspects of the course, including reasonable achievement of course learning goals | B+: 89–92; B: 81–88 |
| C range | Satisfactory: the student’s work satisfies requirements but shows significant problems or major gaps in achievement of course learning goals | C+: 77–80; C: 70–76 |
| NP/F | Non-passing: the student has not satisfied all requirements or submits work that fails to demonstrate achievement of course learning goals | NP/F: 69 and below |
The following circumstances will result in a final grade of ‘F’ for the course:
- If you fall two final drafts behind for any reason, you automatically fail the course regardless of work completed
- If you fail to submit rough or final drafts for any of the four Analytic Essays by the end of the course, you automatically fail the course regardless of work completed
- If you miss four class sessions and/or online activities, you risk failing the course; if you miss six class sessions and/or online activities, you automatically fail the course regardless of work completed
General Policies
Discussion and Office Hours
Even in a virtual format, discussion requires every student to take the intellectual risk of asking questions and offering observations, ideas, and arguments in response to one another and to the instructor. You are not supposed to know all the answers in advance, and you should never be afraid to ask a question. You should also take advantage of office hours, which allow you to continue the conversations begun in class and to get one-on-one help with any challenges you may encounter.
Etiquette
Your classmates are your colleagues, and therefore I expect you to behave toward each other in a professional, courteous, and helpful manner. Mutual respect will better enable us to discuss and develop diverse opinions and create a dynamic intellectual community.
Writing Center Online Tutoring
The Writing Program offers free tutoring for students enrolled in Expository Writing, and I strongly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to further develop the skills and habits of successful college writing. Students who enroll in tutoring meet virtually with the same tutor each week and have the opportunity to continue developing the skills required to succeed in the course.
Remote Learning
Per Rutgers University policy, no member of the University may record another without their explicit consent. This means that I will not record or post recordings of any remote meetings in which you participate without your explicit consent. Note that you should also refrain from recording online class meetings and discussions.
Dropping Expository Writing
You cannot drop Expository Writing without a Dean’s permission. This is true both during the semester’s initial Add/Drop period and later when students may withdraw from other courses with a ‘W.’ There are no exceptions to this policy.
Academic Integrity
Students and instructors have a duty to each other and to our community to abide by norms of academic honesty and responsibility. To present something as your own original writing when it is not is plagiarism. Plagiarism and other forms of cheating are serious violations of trust, and all written assignments for this course will be submitted via Turnitin software. Academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, will have severe consequences, in accordance with the University Policy on Academic Integrity and the Code of Student Conduct.
Disability Accommodations
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey abides by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments (ADAA) of 2008, and Sections 504 and 508. As such, all reasonable accommodation will be given to students with disabilities. Students who may require accommodation should speak with me at the start of the semester. You may also contact the Office of Disability Services at 848-445-6800 or dsoffice@echo.rutgers.edu.
Basic Needs Security
Any student who has difficulty accessing sufficient food to eat or who lacks a safe and stable place to live is urged to contact the Dean of Students at 848-932-2300 or deanofstudents@echo.rutgers.edu. You are also encouraged to notify me, if you feel comfortable doing so, and I can connect you with a Writing Program administrator who can direct you to additional University resources that may prove helpful.
Inclusivity in the Virtual Classroom
Students are expected to abide by the University’s code of student conduct while participating in all academic activities. Rutgers University is committed to a working and learning environment for all faculty, staff and students that is free from discrimination and harassment. Discrimination and harassment compromise the integrity of the University and unfairly interfere with the opportunity for all persons to fully participate in the academic, work, and living environment at Rutgers.