English 1020 Syllabus, Rhetorical Analysis, and Reflective Essay Guidelines

Course Logistics, Grading, and Academic Policies

• Office Hours and Appointments:

  • Visits to the instructor must be scheduled in advance by making an appointment; otherwise, the instructor will not be present in the office.

  • The English Department main office is located on the $9\text{th Floor}$.

• Course Assessment and Grading Requirements:

  • The course point total is based on a scale of $100\text{ points}$.

  • A minimum grade of a straight C is required to pass the course and satisfy general education requirements.

  • Earning a grade lower than a straight C requires repeating the course.

  • The complete breakdown of grading policies and point distributions for all assignments is located on page $4$ of the course syllabus.

• Academic Integrity and AI Usage Policy:

  • Plagiarism policies are strictly enforced and reviewed in detail throughout the term.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) cannot be used to write essays or expand paper lengths (such as prompting AI or Siri to make a paragraph longer).

  • AI tools are restricted to select supplementary aspects of the writing and research process.

  • All submitted text must consist of meaningful content written entirely in the student's own voice.

Core Learning Outcomes and Major Course Assignments

• Four Foundational Learning Outcomes:

  • The curriculum targets four core literacy skills: Reading, Writing, Researching, and Reflecting.

  • The objective of the course is for students to demonstrate measurable skill advancement in all four areas by the conclusion of the semester relative to their baseline at the beginning.

• Major Course Assignments Outline:

  • The list of major assignments appears on page $3$ of the syllabus. Detailed assignment instructions, due dates, and point values are located on the course home page under the section labeled English 1020 Projects.

  • Project 1: Reflective Essay on Language and Literacy:

    • An introductory essay analyzing personal language practices across different environments, completed during the first two weeks of the semester.

  • Project 2: Rhetorical Analysis:

    • An essay analyzing the persuasive strategies and rhetorical choices utilized within texts.

  • Project 3: Argumentative Essay (Researched Argument Paper):

    • The largest paper of the course, requiring the integration and synthesis of multiple external sources.

    • Designed to instruct students on navigating and utilizing the Wayne State Library website for academic research.

  • Project 4: Multimodal Readback:

    • A project presentation derived from the research conducted in the argumentative essay.

    • Acceptable media formats include PowerPoint presentations, videos, podcasts, or other approved multimodal formats.

  • Project 5: Final Reflective Essay:

    • A comprehensive end-of-semester reflective project reviewing all coursework and skill acquisition across the term.

Required In-Class Writing Process and Campus Resources

• In-Class Writing and Revision Process:

  • Relying on AI to compose a paper is analogous to enrolling in a cooking class and only learning how to microwave a frozen Stouffer's dinner, which fails to teach actual cooking.

  • All major papers must be developed through a structured, painstaking in-class process consisting of five mandatory stages:

    1. Brainstorming

    2. Drafting

    3. Peer review

    4. Instructor review

    5. Revision

  • Mandatory Policy: Completed major papers will NOT be accepted for grading if they have not completed this required in-class development process. Skipping drafting workshops or peer review forums results in an automatic rejection of the final essay.

• Writing Center Services:

  • Located on the $2\text{nd Floor}$ of the Adamany Undergraduate Library (marked with large exterior signage), adjacent to the Student Center.

  • Provides free, one-on-one tutoring for any stage of the writing process.

  • Students can schedule advance appointments for individual tutoring sessions.

• Disability Accommodations:

  • Students requiring disability accommodations must communicate directly with the instructor to set up necessary arrangements.

Project 1: Reflective Essay on Language and Literacy Schedule and Objectives

• Key Deadlines for Project 1:

  • September 9: A complete or nearly complete draft must be brought to class for peer review, revision, and developmental workshops.

  • September 14: The final polished essay must be submitted to Canvas for grading by $11:59\text{ PM}$ (midnight).

  • Submissions are set for midnight on the due date so that students have the opportunity to ask final revision questions during class prior to turning in the assignment.

• Purpose and Objectives of Project 1:

  • Identify and reflect on the role of language in daily life by analyzing personal language usage across varying social contexts.

  • Establish direct connections between course concepts and personal lived experiences.

  • Establish a baseline analytical text that students will return to at the end of the term when preparing Project 5.

  • Analyze personal writing processes and habits.

  • Demonstrate critical awareness regarding the rhetorical uses of different varieties of English.

  • Develop effective composition strategies for writing a structured, reflective analytical essay.

Understanding Rhetoric and Rhetorical Analysis

• Rhetorical Definitions and Terms:

  • Rhetorical (Adjective):

    • In everyday speech, a "rhetorical question" refers to a statement phrased as a question where no direct verbal response is expected because the answer is self-evident or already understood.

    • Refers to strategic selections—such as rhetorical choices—made regarding language, tone, or approach to persuade a given audience.

  • Rhetoric (Noun):

    • Definition: Rhetoric is the art of persuasion.

    • Functions as an academic discipline examining how speakers and writers employ language to persuade specific target audiences across diverse scenarios.

Project 1 Parameters, Structure, and Audience

• Specific Parameters and Requirements:

  • Length: Must be a minimum of $500\text{ words}$. Essays exceeding $500\text{ words}$ are acceptable, but essays under $500\text{ words}$ are unacceptable.

  • Scope: Must analyze personal language use in exactly $2\text{ different social settings}$ from everyday life.

    • Examples of Social Settings: Home, work, school, social media, religious institutions, social clubs, or school-affiliated or non-school hobby groups.

  • Language Artifacts / Examples:

    • Must incorporate concrete artifacts or specific examples of personal language use.

    • Examples of Artifacts: Snippets from daily conversations, song lyrics, book quotes, personal writing samples, or text messages.

  • Analytical Focus:

    • Identify, describe, and analyze language choices within specific social contexts.

    • Examine target audience, social setting, and personal purpose as a speaker or writer within each environment.

    • Compare and contrast how language usage remains similar or differs between the $2\text{ chosen social settings}$.

  • Structural Layout:

    • An Introduction.

    • Focused body paragraphs starting with clear topic sentences.

    • A Conclusion summarizing insights gained about personal language practices through reflection and analysis.

• Primary Audience Designation:

  • The primary audience for this essay is the student author and their peers (classmates).

  • While the instructor conducts final grading, students must frame their writing toward their peers rather than treating the instructor as the primary target audience.

Group Activity Instructions

• In-Class Discussion Setup:

  • Students are required to form small discussion groups consisting of $3\text{ or }4\text{ people}$.

  • Chairs must be arranged in a facing circle to facilitate direct peer interaction.