Bruce 363, pg.

1
ENGLISH 363: Scientific Writing (MARC Section)
Spring 2014 Syllabus

Instructor: Dr. Leslie Bruce Office: UH-435
Course: English 363 Office Hrs: M 2-4; T/R 2-2:30,
Meetings: M 4-6:45 in H-326A and by appt.
Email: lbruce@fullerton.edu

Course Description
Earning a C (2.0) or higher grade in English 363 will satisfy the Universitys undergraduate,
upper-division writing requirement.

In this course we will build upon the critical reading, thinking, and writing experience you
gained in English 101 with the goal of enabling you to write effectively in what remains of your
undergraduate career and beyond. The sciences, like other academic disciplines, have developed
specialized forms of communication, tailored to serve specific social functions. For example, an
institution like the NIH might write a request for proposals (RfP), to which a group of scientists
might respond with a proposal. The scientists who win the NIH grant will need to compose
progress reports as they proceed, and so on. We might define the social function of such an
exchange as funding scientific research to improve health in the United States. In this class,
we will initiate you into the scientific discourse community, taking into consideration its
audiences, methods of communication, conventions, and values. We can do this in part by
developing your ability to analyze and employ a variety of scientific genres, which in this class
will include proposals, statements of purpose, review articles, and presentations. The class will
also enable you to situate and support your own research results within the established discourse
of others published work and with a style conforming to scientific convention. At semesters
end, youll submit a portfolio showcasing your strengths as a scientific writer. While I will
occasionally give short lectures to explain a concept or to demonstrate a technique, most of our
class time will be spent writing, reading, talking, and thinking together in peer groups.

Prerequisites: Completion of GE Category A.2, Written Communication

Learning Outcomes: After completing ENGL 363, students will be able to
1. Write formally and informally, in-class and out-of-class, for a variety of scientific
audiences and purposes.
2. Find, evaluate, select, synthesize, organize, ethically cite, and present information from a
variety of sources appropriate to their disciplines.
3. Compare, contrast, and synthesize carefully and objectively the relative merits of
alternative or opposing arguments, assumptions, and cultural values.
4. Organize ones thoughts and communicate them clearly and persuasively to address a
scientific rhetorical situation. Employ IMRAD organizational pattern where appropriate.
5. Recognize, evaluate, and employ the features and contexts of language and design that
concisely express and influence meaning and that demonstrate sensitivity to gender and
cultural differences.
6. Improve ones own and others writing skills through the assessment and critique of
written works.
Bruce 363, pg. 2

Required Texts (available at Little Professor Bookstore on Placentia or online)
o Ann M. Penrose and Steven B. Katz. Writing in the Sciences: Exploring Conventions of
Scientific Discourse (Part of the Allyn & Bacon Series in Technical Communication),
3/E.
o Booth, Wayne. The Craft of Research, 3
rd
edition.
o Our class Titanium site. If you do not have a personal computer, be sure to visit a
computer lab on campus to access your CSUF email account and our Titanium site. I use
Titanium to post grades, to make announcements, to monitor your progress on
presentations, and to communicate with students. You will use Titanium to collaborate
with other students on a group writing task and presentation.

Course Requirements and Grading
You will receive a detailed assessment sheet or rubric from me for each assignment: these sheets
will tell you what youve done well, and where you should focus your energies in future tasks.
The assignments are described briefly below. I will distribute more detailed assignment sheets in
class and post them on our Titanium site well before the due dates. The assignments and
requirements carry the following weights:

Assignment/Requirement Weight Due Date(s)

1. Two conferences with instructor 5% Weeks 6 & 14
2. Statement of Purpose 10% Feb. 10
3. Proposal 20% Mar. 17
4. Review Article (group) with presentation 20% Apr. 28
5. Outcomes Portfolio 35% May 7, 11:55 PM
6. Electronic Writers Notebook 10% 3x/semester TBA

This course will be graded on a +/- scale. Grades will be assigned according to the following
rough scale: A = 100-90%; B = 89-80%; C = 79-70%; D = 69-60%; F = 59% and below.

1) Two Conferences with Instructor (total 5%)
After submitting your first major assignment and before submitting your portfolio, you
will chat with me about your progress as a writer. The first conference will focus on
your proposal prewriting activities, while the second will build your revision and self-
reflection skills.

2) Statement of Purpose (10%)
From applying to graduate programs to seeking grants for research, you will be asked to
demonstrate your personal competence and talents in a variety of written formats. In
week three, you will submit a statement of purpose conforming to the guidelines
provided by a graduate program to which youd be interested in applying or to which
you have applied.


Bruce 363, pg. 3
3) Proposal (20%)
Scientists write proposals to obtain research funding or permissions and to develop new
programs. You will submit a proposal for the project described in a pre-approved,
published research article.

4) Review Article & Presentation (20%)
Scientific journals often solicit review articles from experts in particular fields. Written
for a broad scientific audience, such reviews report the findings of studies on a specific,
contemporary subject of interest. Using a variety of peer-reviewed sources, you and a
team of students will find and read contemporary studies on a subject of your choice.
Afterward, youll report these findings objectively in a four- to five-page review article
using the citation style required by a journal (APA, CSE, etc.) of your choice. Your
group will also present your findings to the rest of the class.

5) Outcomes Portfolio (35%)
On the last day of class, youll submit an outcomes portfolio that will allow you to
reflect upon, assess, and polish a few pieces of your work into a collection you think
best reflects your competence as a scientific communicator. This portfolio will contain
work selected by you as representing both your best works and your achievement of
the outcomes listed on page one of this syllabus. The detailed instructions posted on
our Titanium site specify some minimum requirements, including, for example, at least
one full-length, fully revised assignment, a Writers Notebook entry, and a cover letter.
Your 500-750-word cover letter will justify your selections and reflect upon what they
demonstrate about you as a writer. Periodically, we will write reflective pieces in your
Writers Notebook and discuss different organizational patterns for our portfolios.

6) Writers Notebook (10%)
Keeping an electronic writers notebook containing all of your reflective, analytical, and
process writing throughout the semester will help you record, guide, and improve your
writing and learning in this class. Youll submit your Writers Notebook three times
during the semester.


Important Class Policies

Participation and Attendance
o I allow one freebie absence (no excuse necessary) in this once-a-week class. Each
additional unexcused absence will reduce your total semester grade by 1%.
o If you miss more than 25% of the class (four or more unexcused absences), I drop
your semester grade a full grade.
o If you miss more than 30% of the class, I reserve the right to fail you.
o If you are absent, visit our Titanium site, where I will upload major assignments and
lesson plans. It is your responsibility to read these documents.
o If you arrive significantly late or leave significantly early, you will be marked absent
for half of the class meeting.

Bruce 363, pg. 4

Bruce 363, pg. 5
Assignment Format
All assignments must follow the format required by the institution to whom youre writing (grad
school, funding agency, journal), and/or the citation style required by your discipline (ACS,
APA, Chicago, CBE, etc.). In the heading of each text you submit, you must include the name of
the citation style you are using. You must also provide a Works Cited or Bibliography list
with every written assignment.
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism: Academic dishonesty involves plagiarism (using someone
elses work as your own or without acknowledgement) and cheating; we will discuss both in
class. Depending upon the severity of the incident, the student will receive a failing grade on the
assignment or for the entire course; the incident will be recorded on the students CSUF records.
According to CSUFs Student Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism, plagiarism is:
! The submission of material authored by another person but represented as the students
own work, whether that material is paraphrased or copied in verbatim or near-verbatim
form.
! The submission of material subjected to editorial revision by another person that results
in substantive changes in content or major alteration of writing style and
! Improper acknowledgment of sources in essays, papers, or presentations.
You can read more about plagiarism and writing a research paper at:
http://fdc.fullerton.edu/learning/Academic%20Integrity/student_guide_to_avoiding_plagia.htm
In addition, according to the Department of Biological Sciences,
! Cheating is the use of another's work as your own. Copying another student's
homework or lab report, looking at another student's exam, or using information from
another student to enhance your performance on a task are all examples of cheating.
Students who violate university standards of academic integrity will be reported to Sandra
Rhoten, Associate Dean, Dean of Students Office, Judicial Affairs and are subject to disciplinary
sanctions, including failure in the course and suspension from the university. University policies
are strictly enforced in this course. Please familiarize yourself with the academic integrity
guidelines found within the current student handbook or explained on the FDC website:
http://fdc.fullerton.edu/teaching/resources/Academic_Integrity/

Late Work
Late work will be penalized. If you know you will be absent, turn in your assignment before the
due date. Papers lose one grade level per day, including weekends (A, A-, B+, B, etc.). I DO
NOT ACCEPT PAPERS VIA EMAIL. You may submit your work to me in class or drop it in
the locked box just outside of the English Departments door. The staff will date stamp your
work and put it in my mailbox.


Bruce 363, pg. 6
Extra Credit
If an extra credit assignment is distributed, the student can choose to complete or not complete
the assignment. If the assignment is distributed during the class period, students must be present
to take advantage it.

Administrative Policies
! Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: I am happy to discuss accommodations
you need to succeed in this class. If you have a disability or special need for which you
are or may be requesting an accommodation, please inform me and contact the Disabled
Student Services Office, located in University Hall 101, as early as possible in the term.
For more information, the Disabled Student Services Office can be reached by calling
(657) 278-3117 or visit their website at www.fullerton.edu/disabledservices/.
! Withdrawals and Incompletes: be certain to check CSUFs guidelines and deadlines for
withdrawals. Incompletes can only be given to students who arrange a timeline to
complete their coursework with the instructor BEFORE the grading period is over.


Extra Help
1. Email Me
Email is the best method for contacting me. You can ask me questions or set up office hour
meetings with email, but do not send me papers or rough drafts via email. I require that
assignments be submitted to Titanium on the assignment due date (see Late Work). Also,
please be informed that I do not respond to email on weekends.
2. Office Hours
Take advantage of office hours to talk to me about ideas for your papers or assignments.
3. The Writing Center
The Writing Center provides tutoring and workshops for students. If you feel you need help
with your writing, make an appointment with themtheyre there to help you! Writing
Center Phone Number: (657) 278-3650

Recommended Online Resources
Oxford English Dictionary online (OED): Youre required to use this authoritative
online dictionary for your glossary assignment. On CSUFs homepage, log on to the
portal with your password, click on Library, then A-Z Databases, then scroll down to
Oxford English Dictionary. This is the authoritative source for definitions, etymologies,
and spellings.
Duke Universitys Scientific Writing Resource:
https://cgi.duke.edu/web/sciwriting/index.php
Purdues OWL (Online Writing Lab). Resources for general and technical writing, as
well as exercises for writing more effective sentences. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
Norton/Write website. Free resources for learning about and practicing effective
paragraph and sentence-writing skills
(http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/write/writesite/exercises/welcome.aspx) and
research and citation skills
(http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/write/writesite/exercises/welcome.aspx)
Bruce 363, pg. 7
John Jay College of Criminal Justices E-Resources with Writing and Grammar
Tutorials: http://jjc.jjay.cuny.edu/erc/index_jjc.php
APA Style Tutorial: http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspx
ACS Style: http://library.williams.edu/citing/styles/acs.php
CSE Style: http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/resdoc5e/RES5e_ch07_o.html


Emergency Procedures
In the event of an emergency on campus, students should follow the procedures detailed at
http://www.fullerton.edu/emergencypreparedness/ep_students.html.

Faculty Obligation to Meet Classes: In the event of an emergency (such as an earthquake) that
disrupts normal campus operations or causes the University to close for a prolonged period of
time, we will do our best to continue the class via Titanium, if it is available. Therefore, check
the class Titanium site and your CSUF email for messages and instructions as soon as possible
after such as event, and at least once a day. You can obtain emergency information about
campus operations on the CSUF web site, via the Fullerton Campus Operation & Emergency
Closure Line (657-278-4444) or the Irvine Campus Operation & Emergency Closure Line (657-
278-8676).