CLBR 090
Fall Quarter 2009

Advanced Academic Discourse

Phone calls will be returned and replies to e-mail messages provided within 24 hours (except on weekends). 

Texts

American Cultural Patterns: A Cross-Cultural Perspective by Edward Stewart and Milton Bennett (Revised Ed.)
A Brief Guide to Writing from Readings by Stephen Wilhoit (5th Ed.)

Textbooks available at the Seattle University Book Store.

Attendance

Regular class attendance during the quarter is mandatory.  Students who miss three classes during the quarter may have their grade lowered by one letter grade.

Punctuality is also mandatory; arriving to class tardy three times is considered equivalent to one absence. 

Course Goals

To provide an understanding of American cultural assumptions

To increase awareness of and effectiveness in American academic environments

To practice translating cultural values and assumptions into specific and practical applications

To develop student ability to produce appropriate modes of formal academic writing

To enhance strategic reading skills

To improve sentence level grammar

Course Work & Participation

The course work for this class consists of three major writing assignments, out of class readings, grammar and sentence level exercises, quizzes, vocabulary work, and three in-class, timed essay tests. 

                         No makeup quizzes or essay tests will be given.

                                    Assignments are due at the beginning of class.

                                    No late assignments will be accepted.

All formal written assignments must follow appropriate university format, such as neatly typed and double-spaced on white bond paper using 12-point font; the right margin should not be justified.

The upper left corner should contain the following single-spaced information:

CLBR 90 Advanced Academic Writing

Your Name

Date

Class participation is defined as contributing comments and questions, displaying appropriate listening behavior, engaging in course material, completing homework on time, and coming to class prepared with books, assignments and supplies.

Grading

Writing assignment grades are subjective and receive points on a percentage scale.

With major assignments, the quality of the first and second drafts carries equal credit.

 Assume the corresponding letter grade if your points are at the level listed as follows:

90 (A)     Writing demonstrates very strong organizational, academic, grammatical, and vocabulary skills.

80 (B)     Writing demonstrates good organizational, academic, grammatical, and vocabulary skills,

but has some errors.

70 (C)     Writing demonstrates generally satisfactory rhetorical, grammatical, and vocabulary skills,

but contains some consistent errors.

 60(D)     Writing demonstrates some organizational, academic, grammatical, and vocabulary skills,

all of which require improvement.

 No          Writing demonstrates only basic organizational, academic, and grammatical skills; vocabulary is

Credit     limited, and the ideas in the essay are difficult to understand.

In order to pass this class, students must earn C or above.   If your grade falls below C, you will be required to repeat this course the following quarter.  In this case, the letter grade F will appear on your student transcripts, but will not affect your GPA.

Percentage breakdown of grades:       Three Major Assignments       (10% x 3)        30%

Three In-Class Essays             (20% x 3)        60%

                                                            Participation/Progress                                     10%

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined as using the ideas and words of other individuals without giving credit or acknowledging their work.  It is a serious academic offense if students submit assignments as their own work, but this work in part or whole represents the work of another.  In this case, an appropriate course of action or penalties will be determined according to the Policies and Procedures for violations of the Academic Honesty Code.

(See the Academic Honesty Policy for further information.)

The last day of class is Monday, June 8^th. 

There is no class on the following day:  Friday, April 10^th (Good Friday) and Monday, May 25^th (Memorial Day).  

NOTE:  This syllabus is only a guideline of course policies and goals.  The instructor reserves the right to modify course objectives, concepts, and components during the quarter.  If subsequent changes in the course goals or policies occur, students will receive updated information and syllabus revisions.