Syllabus
ENGW 1111-55
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First-Year Writing
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Fall 2020
Dr. Talia Vestri
MWTh 8.00 - 9.05am
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For course overview, see About
For faculty information, see Contact
For course calendar and assignments, see Schedule
For campus offices and programs, see Resources
Course Contributions
Writing: Blog Posts & Projects
Your principal writing platform for this course will be our Course Blog, for which you will act as a contributing writer and upload posts throughout the semester. On our Course Schedule, you will find seven (7) due dates for these assigned Blog posts, which will range in length from 100 to 1,500 words. Details for each Blog assignment can be found here on our course website.
Writing on a Blog will inspire us to think about both genre and audience in new ways. You might be used to writing essays with only your teacher as reader. Here, we will think about the intentions and strategies of public engagement, how to appeal to a public readership, and elements of a public-oriented writing voice.
At your leisure, you may add additional posts beyond those assigned. For instance, you might choose to offer a creative piece, such as a poem, comic, photograph, or meme; you might also post a set of “top 5” websites, blogs, books, or other items of interest. Be as inventive as you’d like!
Three (3) of these posts will serve as our first 3 Projects:
1. Framing the Conversation
2. Position Op-Ed
3. Opposition Op-Ed
Our fourth and final major Project will be a Long Essay. This 7-8-page piece of argumentative, academic writing will not be posted to the Blog. Instead, your peers will help you workshop multiple drafts of this essay over sequential weeks, and you will turn in the final version directly to the instructor. If, however, you would like to abbreviate a version of the paper for the Course Blog at the end of the semester, you may do so.
Why are we writing Blog posts for 7 weeks in a row? Writing is like a muscle. When you do not put it to use frequently, it withers and atrophies. Strengthening this muscle, and keeping it in tip-top shape, takes repeated effort. Writing on a frequent basis can maintain these skills while also helping to reduce the potential anxiety that can accompany the workload of fewer, higher-stakes assignments. We will be revising some Blogs in multiple drafts; others will be used as lessons for improvement on future work.
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Workshops
We will work frequently in groups to discuss our writing’s evolution, both from one draft to another and from one piece to the next. You should come to each class session prepared to engage with your classmates, to provide helpful critical feedback, and to welcome others’ comments with courtesy and respect.
When not discussing specific peer writing, we will also be using small-group conversations to engage with material during most class sessions. Each student will be responsible for making contributions at the majority of class meetings.
Flex Time
For many of you, this is your first college semester, which means transitions and shifts on multiple fronts. For all of us, this semester will present many known and unknown challenges due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
With these factors in mind, I offer two modes of flexibility for your Blog posts:
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You may delay the deadline of a post by one week. This option may be used up to 2 times. The final deadline for all posts is November 15, no exceptions.
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You may also elect to submit one piece to Dr. Vestri first, rather than post it directly to the blog, by the assigned deadline. In this situation, you can either (a) solicit instructor feedback before posting the final version or (b) request that this post not appear on the Blog. If you ask for feedback, the final post will be due to the Blog one week after you receive Dr. V's comments. This option can be used only once.
Due to the workshop nature of our class, if you take Flex Time when we will be discussing written work, you must come to class prepared to discuss your in-progress work with your classmates.
Long Essay Draft deadlines may not be extended.
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Work that is submitted late beyond these parameters will be penalized and will not receive written feedback.
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Evaluation
Feedback
You will receive written and verbal feedback on your work from Dr. Vestri and your peers at regular intervals. Verbal feedback will come in the form of casual and formal comments on your work during in-class workshops, breakout room chats, and one-on-one conversations with the instructor.
Each of the four (4) major Projects (Framing the Conversation, Position Op-Ed, Opposition Op-Ed, and Long Essay) will receive written qualitative comments and a quantitative rubric, which will be sent to you within 2 weeks of on-time submission.
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Unexcused late work will not receive feedback.
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Grading
The four Blog posts that are not Projects will receive a numerical mark between 1 and 10. Together, your performance and progress on these posts will constitute 30% of your course grade.
Each of the three Project posts and the Long Essay will receive written feedback, as described above, along with a letter grade (A, A-, B+, etc.). The four Projects will count for 5%, 10%, 15%, and 25% of your course grade, respectively.
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Your active engagement in class sessions, especially workshop discussions, will constitute 15% of your overall course grade. Please note, however, that as in any course, your level of involvement can often have an implicit impact on your overall evaluation, whether positively or negatively.
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Grading Breakdown
Blog Posts (7 total)
- Project 1 / Framing Conversation
- Project 2 / Position Op-Ed
- Project 3 / Opposition Op-Ed
- Other Posts
Project 4 / Long Essay
Workshops & Participation
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60%
5%
10%
15%
30%
25%
15%
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Final Grades
Since writing is as much about process as it is about product, your final course grades will reflect the arc of your performance, including your evolution and improvement, across the entire semester.
A minimum passing grade (a C) requires that you participate fully in the course, completing all assigned written work and engaging actively in our class meetings. Performance at the B or A level indicates work that is strong or exceptional.
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Any student who earns a C- or lower will need to repeat the course in order to fulfill the university's writing requirement for graduation.
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Academic Honesty
Submitting work with your name on it implies that you claim sole responsibility for its words and ideas. Integrating material from other sources, without appropriate reference, whether online or in print—or work that leans heavily on the “helping hand” of a friend, roommate, or family member—violates this policy.
Students will be responsible for reading and understanding NU’s principles and policies regarding intellectual honesty and academic integrity.
The Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution (OSSCR) provides information on student conduct, disciplinary processes, and sanctions. All members of the NU community are expected to maintain honesty in all academic studies. In Writing Program classes, this definition of plagiarism applies not only to borrowing whole documents, but also to borrowing parts of another’s work without proper acknowledgment and proper paraphrasing or quotation.
We will discuss effective and responsible use of sources throughout the semester. If at any time you have questions or concerns, please email me to chat.
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Expectations
Attending Class
This course meets Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 8-9am. As part of Northeastern's Hybrid NUFlex instructional delivery method, this course offers you flexibility to choose the physical location from where you will join each week.
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If you attend class virtually, please do the following things to prepare:
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Find a location free of distractions, to the best of your ability.
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Gather materials such as your headset and pens and paper for taking notes.
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Load up the documents and readings we will be using for the class session.
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Join Zoom and test your camera and microphone.
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Wear appropriate clothing and look as presentable as possible (sure, wear pajamas on the bottom, but don’t roll out of bed and hop onto Zoom!).
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Our Zoom login information is linked on the Course Schedule page. For enhanced security, you will be asked to join in the Waiting Room before being admitted.
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If you join from the classroom, please do the following:
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Wear a mask in all buildings.
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Maintain 6 feet of distance from others.
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Come to class only on days indicated as permissible by the Dynamic Scheduling Platform on your Student Hub.
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Adhere to campus self-monitoring and testing protocols.
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Do not enter campus buildings if you have symptoms of illness.
If you enter the classroom without a mask, you will be asked to leave.
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Click here for updates on NU's current COVID-19 policies and procedures.
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Absences
If you need to miss a class meeting, please alert Dr. Vestri in advance, if possible. A brief email is fine. While you are welcome to explain any circumstances of which you would like your instructor to be aware (and, of course, to ask for resources for support, if desired), you do not need to feel obligated to share any details of your personal wellbeing, health, or other private matters.
Excessive absences, whether excused or unexcused, may lower your course grade.
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Respect
The classroom can be a challenging space. I expect each of you will help me to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome. If you should find yourself feeling uncomfortable with any aspects of our class, I invite you to speak with me or to seek resources that can best support you.
NU and the Writing Program seek to foster learning environments that embrace diverse foundations of knowledge, and we aim to respect the differences in learning and cultural differences that may arise in our work together. If you are a multilingual or international student with specific questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Professor Qianqian Zhang-Wu, Director of Multilingual Writing.