Michael Shea Office: 289 Engleman Office Hrs: see printed syllabus Phone: 392-6741

Jacque Ensign Office: 210H Davis (Office Hrs: best to make appointment as sometimes I meet elsewhere) Phone: 392-6442 E-mail: ensign@southernct.edu (preferable way to reach me and get a response) When you email me, on subject line put your name, HON 150, and subject of message.

We are for difference: for respecting difference, for allowing difference, for encouraging difference, until difference no longer makes a difference.

-- Johnetta B. Cole

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The overall goal of this course is to have you read and write as critical thinkers; toward that end, we will focus on argument as a means of persuasion. By the end of the semester you will

--identify the structures of arguments

--construct your own argument on a given issue

--summarize other people's arguments on various issues

--be able to argue both for and against a position on a given issue

ATTENDANCE

Habits of punctuality and self-discipline are critical for your success in your career. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, students are expected to be at every class for the entire time. This means arriving for the beginning of class and staying for the entire class session. Missing class or portions of classes may seriously affect the final grade; six (6) absences, excused or unexcused, are grounds for an F in the course. Please let us know in writing whenever you will be unable to meet your obligations. You have a responsibility to us and to the other members of the class to show up, fully prepared and on time.

PAPER FORMAT

1. All papers are to be typed, double-spaced, 12 pt. font, with one-inch margins all around.

2. Type your paper's title at the top of the first page, then begin your text after a double-space.

3. Put page numbers in the upper right-hand corner of each page, after page 1.

4. Staple your paper in the upper left-hand corner. Please do not use clips of any kind.

5. Always turn in two copies of every writing and keep another copy for yourself.

6. Identify your paper as follows: on the back of the last page, in the upper right-hand corner (near the staple), put in this order your name, then the paper number, then the due date, then the date you hand it in, then the course number, then our names.

7. Any paper not following this format may be returned without comments & may lose up to 10 points.

LATE PAPERS

Unless you have made prior arrangements with us in writing, we expect your papers at the beginning of class on the due date; papers not turned in at this time are late. We will not accept a late paper without a good explanation in writing about why it is late. Late papers that we accept may lose up to 10 pts. and will be returned with a grade, but without comments. A copy of the explanation & paper must be delivered to each of us.

REQUIREMENTS

1. At the beginning of some class periods during the semester, we will ask you to write a 1-paragraph response to an interpretive question about the assigned reading. These answers should be concise and to the point, while still drawing upon SPECIFIC references to the text for support. (You may use your books, but you will have only 5-7 minutes to answer.) They will be graded E for excellent (100 pts.), S for satisfactory (85 pts.), and U for unsatisfactory (60 pts.). Any not handed in at the end of the exercise will get a zero. Please make sure that you have 8 1/2" by 11" paper that does not have ragged edges.

2. Seven papers. In grading the content area of your papers, we give most credit for the originality of your ideas and the persuasiveness of your evidence, so support your assertions with SPECIFIC references to the text. Concentrate on giving examples and citing pertinent quotations, and then interpreting and explaining them in light of your claims. But in addition to your content, the organization, expression, and mechanics in your writing are also important.

3. A short paper (4-5 pages) in which you assess the strengths and weaknesses of your performance in this course. Examine honestly what you think are your successes and failures. Let us see how you see yourself. You must explain and offer evidence for your claims, drawing on the criteria established in this course.

GRADING

The seven papers are 60% of your course grade, the self-evaluation is 20%, and the in-class writings are 20%. The standard numbers then apply: 96-100=A+, 93-95=A, 90-92=A-, 87-89=B+, 83-86=B, 80-82=B-, 77-79=C+, 73-76=C, 70-72=C-, 67-69=D+, 63-66=D, 60-62=D-, 0-59=F.

You can earn up to 10 points as extra credit added to your final grade average for the course. We believe in the importance of your becoming active, thinking citizens. To that end, you can earn up to 10 points as extra credit, to be ADDED TO YOUR FINAL GRADE AVERAGE. 1) Each letter you send to an editor earns up to 2 points, 5 points if it is printed; 2) each guest column you send in earns up to 5 points, 10 if it is printed. 3) We are reading books by authors who live in this area and whom you may have an opportunity to meet through this class. You can earn 10 points for a letter to an author. Bring the letter to class and we will mail it. If you have ideas about other options, please see us.

If you have any complaint about any grade that cannot be resolved after a discussion with us, we can let another teacher of this course grade a clean copy of your paper. We will assign you whatever grade the teacher gives it, unless the new grade is lower, in which case of course the higher grade will count.

***Please feel free to see us anytime. If you have a question, comment, complaint, suggestion, excuse, observation--or if you want just to talk--contact us or come by our offices. In any case, we hope you will stop by sometime in the course of the course, of course.***

 

Weston, Anthony. A Rulebook for Arguments. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1992. (RA)

The New Haven Advocate. (NHA)

 

* If class is canceled for any reason, please come to the next class prepared for both that class and the canceled one.