Policy Statement

Professor: Matt King (he, him, his; more on pronouns here and here)
Email: mrking@sbu.edu
Phone: 716.375.2457
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 10:00-11:15 and by appointment
Office Location: Francis 231 (also available via Zoom during office hours)
Class Website: https://mattrking.com/courses/e101/ and Moodle

University Writing and Communication Goal
University Learning Goal 3:  Students will develop competence in multimodal communication with special emphasis on oral, written, and digital communication, including an understanding of key issues relating to their use.

Learning Objectives

1. Students identify and respond to contexts using appropriate processes and modes of delivery.
2. Students use effective content and approaches to organization, style, and design that are appropriate for the discipline and genre of communication.
3. Students demonstrate control of syntax and mechanics by using language that communicates with clarity, fluency, and minimal errors.

Course Description
A composition course emphasizing writing foundations, including the development of a writing process with attention to generating content and addressing concerns of structure, style, syntax, and mechanics. Course assignments emphasize critical reading, writing, and argumentation skills, as well as professional and oral communication. This course is a prerequisite for English 102. (3 credits)

Course Objectives
Students who successfully complete the course will be able to:

• Demonstrate a writing process involving multiple drafts and strategies for research, invention, drafting, revision, editing, peer review, and reflection;
• Understand writing as a conversation with other writers;
• Analyze texts in terms of argument, structure, style, and audience;
• Adequately document sources and develop an understanding of the significance of different types of sources and the function of documentation;
• Produce writing that meets accepted standards of style, syntax, and mechanics for academic and professional writing;
• Deliver content through both formal papers and formal presentations.

Class Texts
– Joseph Harris, Rewriting: How To Do Things With Texts
– Other readings made available online as needed

Grading
Read my statement on grading here. The grading statement also includes the policies for late work and attendance.

Student Success Center
Revising and responding to feedback will be an invaluable and necessary part of your development as a writer this semester. All students working on writing projects are encouraged to seek help from the SBU Writing Lab. Writing Lab tutors are available for both in-person and remote sessions (via Zoom). Even if you do not have a draft to share, a tutor can help you brainstorm or work through an outline for an upcoming project.

To meet with a writing tutor, stop by the Student Success Center in Plassmann 100 or email the Writing Lab at writinglab@sbu.edu with your request. You may either schedule a tutoring session in advance or simply attend drop-in hours. The Writing Lab’s schedule can be found on the Student Success Center page within the Academics section on MySBU.

Academic Honesty
The writing you submit for our class should be your own; when you draw on the work of others, you should acknowledge it and include appropriate citations. Instances of plagiarism can result in failed assignments and potentially failure of the course. A list of unacceptable practices and procedures to be followed in prosecuting cases of alleged academic dishonesty can be found here.

Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities who feel they need academic accommodations should contact Adriane Spencer (aspencer@sbu.edu), Director of Disability Support Services Office, 100D Plassmann Hall (Student Success Center), 716-375-2065. Please reach out early in the semester so that they can assist you as soon as possible. Documentation from the Disability Support Services Office is required before I can make accommodations.

Email
Email will serve as an official means of communication for this class, and you should check the email account you have registered with the university regularly. Feel free to email me with your questions and concerns.

Title IX
Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender are Civil Rights offenses subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, etc. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you can find the appropriate resources at the Health and Wellness Center or at the Campus Safety Office. For on-campus reporting, see the Title IX Coordinator (Katie O’Brien, Vice President for Student Affairs) and Residence Life Staff (RAs, RDs, and other professional staff). The University’s policy and procedures regarding gender-based and sexual misconduct can be found online.

In the event of an emergency, call Campus Safety (716-375-2525) or contact Rob DeFazio (Student Conduct, 716-375-2190, rdefazio@sbu.edu). Be aware that most university employees are mandated reporters.

COVID Policies
Your top priority this semester should be maintaining your own physical and mental health and safety and helping to protect the health and safety of others. If you have COVID-19 symptoms or otherwise believe you might have been exposed to the virus, please do not come to class. If you are worried about attending class at any point due to concern for your own health, please let me know. If you are placed on a mandatory quarantine or in isolation for potential exposure to or contraction of COVID-19, please let me know.

Other Concerns
If you have any other concerns that affect your ability to succeed in this course – for example, affording costs related to the class, dealing with mental health issues, having regular shelter and food, etc. – please let me know, and I will do what I can to help.