WRT$104

Prac,ces$of$Academic$Wri,ng:$Reach9Search
Hall$of$Languages$111
M/Th$1:00/11:45
Instructor:$Jana$Rosinski
Email:$jrosinsk@syr.edu
Oce$Hours:$M&W$12:00/1:00$@$Peoples$Place$Coee,$Hendricks$Chapel
Course$Descrip,on$and$Ra,onale
Foremost,$WRT$104:$Prac,ces$of$Academic$Wri,ng$is$a$course$designed$as$an$introducQon$to$
the$habits$and$pracQces$of$research/based$academic$wriQng.$We'll$begin$this$term$by$exploring$
just$what$"research"$means$in$our$present$context//a$surrounding$consisQng$of$insQtuQonal$
dynamics,$your$unique$interests$and$academic$pursuits,$and$an$endlessly$shiXing,$complex$
terrain$of$informaQonal$contour,$from$print$texts$to$digital$media$and$the$numerous$emergent,$
blended$forms$tugging$us$in$mulQple$direcQons.$When$we$say$"research,"$what$do$we$mean?$
How$does$the$term$change$when$we$partner$it$with$"wriQng"$as$in$"research$wriQng"?$How$do$
informaQon$environments$variously$reconsQtute$keywords$such$as$these?
Course$Outcomes
1.$Students$will$pracQce$a$range$of$invenQon,$reading,$revision$and$ediQng$strategies$with$the$
goal$of$developing$successful$habits$as$writers.
2.$Students$will$analyze,$reect$on,$and$pracQce$the$dynamic$use$of$language$in$diverse$
academic,$social,$and$technological$contexts.
3.$Students$will$consider$interacQons$between$audience,$situaQon$and$genre$as$part$of$their$
wriQng$processes.
4.$Students$will$pracQce$self/reecQon$as$a$means$of$developing$the$awareness$necessary$to$
adapt$to$changing$contexts.
Work$of$the$course
You$will$devote$Qme,$thought,$and$energy$to$a$variety$of$informal$and$formal$reading$and$
wriQng$pracQces.$During$the$course$you$might$be$asked$to$annotate$readings,$keep$a$record$of$
ideas$and$responses,$jot$down$observaQons,$take$notes$on$class$discussions,$experiment$with$
dierent$styles$and$organizaQonal$choices,$and$engage$in$a$variety$of$draXing$and$revision$
acQviQes.$All$these$acQviQes$are$important$and$will$have$an$impact$on$your$development$and$
success$as$academic$writers$(and$your$nal$grade).$

A$note$about$the$importance$of$keeping$up$with$your$reading$assignments:$wriQng$well$
depends$upon$reading$well.$The$course$texts$will$provide$you$with$ideas$and$arguments,$facts$
and$staQsQcs.$They$will$prompt$thought$as$you$agree$or$disagree$or$qualify$those$ideas.$They$
enlarge$the$context$for$our$class$discussion.$And$they$illustrate$choices$other$writers$have$made $
as$they$composed.$WriQng$and$reading$are$interdependent$pracQces,$and$you$will$move$
between$the$two$regularly$throughout$the$course.
Feedback$
You$will$receive$many$dierent$kinds$of$feedback$during$this$course.$Some$will$come$from$
fellow$students$and$some$will$come$from$me.$Both$are$important;$they$tell$you$in$various$ways$
how$your$readers$are$responding$to$your$wriQng.$This$feedback$will$also$help$you$learn$how$to$
assess$your$own$work.
Grading
There$are$three$projects$in$the$course;$each$The$breakdown$is$as$follows:
1.$An$Inventory$of$Eects$20%$due$July$10
2.$The$Rhetoric$of$VisualizaQon$25%$due$July$24
3.$Reach/Search:$A$CriQcal$Inquiry$25%$due$August$7
Course$blog:$InvenQve$Assembling$and$ConnecQng$30%
All$work$listed$here$will$be$assigned$a$leier$grade$corresponding$to$a$4.0$scale.
Each$of$the$numbered$projects$will$be$described$fully$in$separate$prompts$circulated$in$print$
and$posted$to$Blackboard.$
The$course$blog$is$a$space$in$which$you$will$post$your$invenQve$work.$We$will$cover$sejng$up$
the$collecQon$space,$pracQcing$collecQng$and$composing$habits,$types$of$posts,$and$the$
frequency$and$depth$of$posts$together$in$class.$
Course$Policies
WriQng$studios$are$courses$in$language$learning,$and$language$is$learned$in$communiQes;$
therefore,$it$is$essenQal$that$you$aiend$class$and$parQcipate.$$Absences$and$lack$of$preparaQon$
for$class$will$aect$your$classmates'$work$as$well$as$your$own.$The$work$you$do$in$class,$the$
work$you$do$to$prepare$for$each$class,$is$as$important$as$any$polished$assignment$you$turn$in$
for$a$grade.$In$addiQon,$each$unit$calendar$is$only$a$projecQon$and$may$be$subject$to$occasional$
changes$and$revisions$as$it$seems$appropriate,$necessary,$or$just$interesQng.$That$is$another$
reason$why$your$aiendance$is$vital.$
If$you$must$miss$a$class,$you$are$responsible$for$work$assigned.$$Please$realize,$however,$that$
class$Qme$cannot$be$reconstructed$or$made$up,$and$that$your$performance,$your$work,$and$
your$nal$course$grade$will$be$aected$by$absences.$$Because$presence$and$parQcipaQon$are$
essenQal$to$your$learning$and$performance$in$the$class,$you$will$be$dropped$a$full$leier$grade$
at$your$fourth$and$another$at$your$Xh$absence.$$If$you$miss$six$classes$(three$weeks)$you$will$

fail$the$course.$$If$you$are$absent$you$are$responsible$for$any$missed$work$and$any$
modicaQons$of$the$syllabus$and/or$assignments.
You$must$complete$all$of$the$primary$assignments$to$pass$the$class.$Unless$you$talk$to$me$
before$the$due$date,$I$will$only$accept$late$papers$under$extenuaQng$circumstances.$$I$also$
reserve$the$right$to$deduct$points$for$late$work.$
Student$Wri,ng
All$texts$wriien$in$this$course$are$generally$public.$$You$may$be$asked$to$share$them$with$a$
peer,$the$class,$or$with$me$during$classroom$acQviQes$or$for$homework.$You$will$also$be$asked$
to$sign$a$consent$form$requesQng$the$use$of$your$wriQng$for$professional$development,$teacher$
training,$and$classroom$instrucQon$within$the$Syracuse$University$WriQng$Program.
Blackboard
Our$course$is$loaded$on$blackboard,$a$University$on/line$teaching$support$system.$I$will$teach$
you$how$to$access$our$secQon$of$WRT$104$on$blackboard,$and$will$then$expect$you$to$be$able$to$
locate,$download,$and$link$to$a$range$of$course$materials$with$regularity$throughout$the$
semester.$I$will$also$contact$you$regularly$via$the$blackboard$course$listserv,$which$has$already$
been$created$using$each$students$syr$email$address.$Please$check$your$syr$account$at$least$
once$daily.$
Special$Needs$and$Situa,ons
If$you$believe$that$you$need$accommodaQons$for$a$disability,$please$contact$the$Oce$of
Disability$Services$(ODS),$hip://disabilityservices.syr.edu,$located$in$Room$309$of$804
University$Avenue,$or$call$(315)$443/4498$for$an$appointment$to$discuss$your$needs$and$the
process$for$requesQng$accommodaQons.$ODS$is$responsible$for$coordinaQng$disability/related
accommodaQons$and$will$issue$students$with$documented$disabiliQes$AccommodaQon$
AuthorizaQon$Leiers,$as$appropriate.$Since$accommodaQons$may$require$early$planning$and
generally$are$not$provided$retroacQvely,$please$contact$ODS$as$soon$as$possible.
Syracuse$University$and$I$are$commiied$to$your$success$and$to$supporQng$SecQon$504$of$the
RehabilitaQon$Act$of$1973.$This$means$that$in$general$no$individual$who$is$otherwise$qualied
shall$be$excluded$from$parQcipaQon$in,$be$denied$benets$of,$or$be$subjected$to$discriminaQon
under$any$program$or$acQvity,$solely$by$reason$of$having$a$disability.
You$are$also$welcome$to$contact$me$privately$to$discuss$your$academic$needs$although$I$cannot
arrange$for$disability/related$accommodaQons.
Computer$Use
We$will$be$using$email$for$contact$outside$class.$Use$email$to$contact$me$about$your$
coursework,$to$set$up$an$appointment$to$meet$with$me$outside$class,$or$to$ask$a$quesQon.$As$a$
general$rule,$I$will$respond$to$your$email$inquiries$within$24$hours.

Computer$technology$provides$us$with$an$impressive$range$of$tools$and$applicaQons$for$
composing.$Such$technologies$present$us$with$numerous$choices$as$well$as$the$potenQal$for$
mulQmedia$enhancements$and$greater$composiQonal$neatness$and$eciency.$Nonetheless,$the $
usual$warnings$about$saving$your$work$apply.$When$relying$on$computer$technology,$take$
appropriate$steps$to$ensure$that$your$work$is$backed$up$and$plan$extra$Qme,$as$needed,$for$
integraQng$mulQmedia$features$in$your$work.
The$Wri,ng$Center
Experienced$wriQng$consultants$at$the$WriQng$Center$(101$HB$Crouse$Hall,$on$the$Quad)$can$
teach$you$how$to$succeed$on$individual$assignments$and$ulQmately$become$a$beier$writer.$
Theyre$prepared$to$work$one/on/one$with$you$at$any$stage$of$your$process$and$with$any$kind$
of$wriQng$youre$aiempQng$while$aiending$SU.$Whether$you$need$help$understanding$an$
assignment,$brainstorming$ideas,$revising$subsequent$draXs,$or$developing$ediQng$strategies,$
face/to/face$and$online$appointments$are$available$for$25/$or$50/minute$sessions$throughout$
the$semester$and$can$be$reserved$up$to$seven$days$in$advance$via$their$online$scheduling$
program,$WCOnline.$In$addiQon,$drop/in$appointments$are$welcome$Monday$through$Thursday$
from$10:00$a.m.$to$2:00$p.m.$and$brief$concerns$or$quesQons$can$be$emailed$to$consultants$via$
the$eWC.$For$more$informaQon$on$hours,$locaQon$and$services,$please$visit$hip://wc.syr.edu.$
This$is$a$free$resource$to$all$students$and$highly$recommended$for$every$assignment$you$work$
on$in$this$class.$
Academic$Integrity
All$wriQng$submiied$for$this$course$is$understood$to$be$your$original$work.$In$cases$where$
academic$dishonesty$is$detected$(the$fraudulent$submission$of$another's$work,$in$whole$or$part,$
as$your$own),$you$may$be$subject$to$a$failing$grade$for$the$project$or$the$course,$and$in$the$
worst$case,$to$academic$probaQon$or$expulsion.$For$a$more$detailed$descripQon$of$the$
guidelines$for$adhering$to$academic$integrity$in$the$College$of$Arts$and$Sciences,$go$to:$hip://
academicintegrity.syr.edu
Religious$Observances
SUs$religious$observances$policy,$found$at$hip://supolicies.syr.edu/emp_ben/
religious_observance.htm,$recognizes$the$diversity$of$faiths$represented$among$the$campus$
community$and$protects$the$rights$of$students,$faculty,$and$sta$to$observe$religious$holy$days$
according$to$their$tradiQon.$Under$the$policy,$students$are$provided$an$opportunity$to$make$up$
any$examinaQon,$study,$or$work$requirements$that$may$be$missed$due$to$a$religious$
observance$provided$they$noQfy$their$instructors$before$the$end$of$the$second$week$of$classes.$
For$fall$and$spring$semesters,$an$online$noQcaQon$process$is$available$through$MySlice/
Student$Services/Enrollment/My$Religious$Observances$from$the$rst$day$of$class$unQl$the$end$
of$the$second$week$of$class.