Professor Richard McKee
Objectives: Writing Studio is designed to develop written communication skills through instruction and assignments that focus on basic thesis-driven, multiparagraph compositions (essays), as well as research writing using the MLA documentation system. Essays, expository prose, are the primary emphasis. Clarity of expression and grammatical correctness are expected on all work submitted in the course. Since good writing is the product of a process--idea, planning, drafting, revising--students should guide their writing through those various important stages to the supposedly finished work. Another aspect of the course is familiarization with the studio word processing program. All work submitted for a grade should be "processed," unless otherwise instructed. For assistance outside class, the college Academic Resource Center is open at night and on weekends, and is staffed at those times. By the end of this class, students should be competent at writing essays and conducting research in support of their writing. Computer fluency in word processing is also expected. As part of the Liberal Arts curriculum, Writing Studio poses writing tasks relevant to the academic and professional needs of future commercial artists and designers. Some projects will engage the students in considering the ethical dimensions of creating art.Desired Student Outcomes in Writing Studio:
At the end of EN 151 students will have demonstrated the ability to write thesis-driven, multiparagraph compositions of 700 words or more that exhibit an understanding and general command of Standard English; a specific purpose; clear and coherent organization; a grasp of critical and analytical processes when appropriate, or implied by the assignment; the ability to research a specific topic and write a paper on that subject that is at least one thousand words in length. These compositions should also exhibit competent utilization of a prescribed documentation format, preferably MLA; the ability to find, evaluate, and use research from various sources (library, electronic databases, the Internet, and others); the ability to appropriately quote, paraphrase, or summarize research sources and avoid plagiarism. In addition, all of the criteria for thesis-driven, multiparagraph compositions apply to each writing assignment in the course. Students should also exhibit the ability to understand college level writing, and demonstrate such through coherent analysis or summary. The ability to draft and polish written assignments by using standard word processing software or other computer based programs is also a learning objective of the course.
Supplies: Students are required to have pens (blue or black ink), and a notebook of 8 1/2 x 11 paper. Purchase the textbooks: Keys for Writers, by Anne Raimes; and Subjects/Strategies, by Eschholz and Rosa. You need these books for the second class meeting. Keys for Writers is required for all Ringling students enrolled in Writing Studio.
Attendance: Students should attend every class on time, and stay for the duration of the class, unless dismissed by the instructor! Attendance is taken at the beginning of class, and tardiness is counted as an absence for that class. Because lectures, discussions, and instructions occur at the beginning of classes, being late is generally irresponsible, very disruptive, and hazardous to your grades. So please be on time every day. Three (3) classes may be missed without penalty, but each absence after three is subject to penalty--the reduction of the final grade by one letter grade. There are no excused absences. Withdrawals from the course are the responsibility of the student.
Attribution of Sources for Writing Assignments: The intentional or unintentional use of another artist's or writer's words, ideas, images, intellectual property or research, without showing proper credit (documentation of the source), is called plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious form of academic dishonesty, and even illegal outside the walls of academe, where the American legal system can take over and punish plagiarists. In this class, plagiarized assignments receive an F, and the guilty student could receive an F for the course. Expulsion from school is another, albeit rare, possibility. Writing Studio will cover the proper ways to document, to give credit where it is due and required. In short, any time and any place that you use anyone else's words, images, or ideas, you must inform your audience (readers) that you have borrowed the material, doing so in a clear and acceptable format.
Grading: The final grade is determined by the combined total number of points you score on assignments--90-100=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, 60-69=D, and less than 60 is an F. All assigned work must be turned in on time, on the due date, or the work is penalized one letter grade for each class day it is late. Points toward the final grade are earned as follows:
Various essays and expository writing --- 60 points
Documented essay ------------------------20 points
Quizzes, drafts & short writings in class------------15 points
Final Essay (mandatory)------------------------------5 points
All assigned essays, those worth ten points or more, must be submitted for a grade or the student receives a failing grade for the course.
Some Criteria for Judging Essays and Written Work:— An A paper is focused, interesting, and organized throughout. It has excellent clarity of expression and is devoid of grammatical, punctuation, spelling and usage errors.
— A B is much of what an A is, but may have a few minor errors. It may lack perfect clarity and detail. A B is a good paper, but it is not excellent.
— A C is average to slightly below average in that it contains about a half-dozen or more errors, and lacks clarity and completeness. A C is often boring and uninteresting, seems hurried, and can be sloppy. A C often reads like a first draft.
— A D is a dismal effort, riddled with grammatical and spelling errors, and lacking a clear sense of writing purpose. D papers need a lot of work and help to bring them up to a C, and one who writes at this level needs tutoring.
— An F is abysmal, unthinkable, a disgrace, and nearly unreadable. F writing requires tutoring because it is usually full of mistakes of every kind, grammatical to usage and all points in between.
Disabilities Accommodation: The Ringling School makes reasonable accommodations for qualified people with documented disabilities. If you have a learning disability, a chronic illness, or a physical or psychiatric disability that may have some impact on your work for this class and for which you may need accommodations, please notify the Director of the Academic Resource Center (Goldstein 3; 359-7627) preferably before the end of the drop/add period so that appropriate adjustments can be made.
Factoid for Thought: A somewhat recent Census Bureau survey of 3,000 employers nationwide asked what factors the employers considered most important in their decisions to hire. On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being lowest), Attitude and Communication Skills (rated 4.6 and 4.2 respectively) were the top two considerations, outscoring by nearly a full point and more such various factors as recommendations, test scores, years of schooling, and industry-based experience. Writing Studio is a course that emphasizes communication skills. Thus it provides valuable support to your strivings to become artists, designers, photographers, etc. Think about it.
Further Reminders: No food or beverages are allowed in the Writing Studio. Personal audio equipment such as CD players are also banned from all college computer labs. Cell phone ringers must be turned off. Please adhere to these rules faithfully.