An "Introduction to Writing Studies" Screen

Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: Work submitted for this course must adhere to the Code of Academic Responsibility and Conduct as cited in the Handbook of Student Policies: "The academic community is operated on the basis of honesty, integrity, and fair play. Occasionally, this trust is violated when cheating occurs, either inadvertently or deliberately. This code will serve as the guideline for cases where cheating, plagiarism, or other academic improprieties have occurred. . . . Faculty members may fail the student for the particular assignment, test, or course involved, or they may recommend that the student drop the course in question, or these penalties may be varied with the gravity of the offense and the circumstances of the particular case" (65).

Academic Honesty Defined: All written and oral presentations must "respect the intellectual rights of others. Statements lifted verbatim from publications must be cited as quotations. Ideas, summaries or paraphrased material, and other information taken from the literature must be properly referenced" (Guidelines for the Presentation of Disquisitions, NDSU Graduate School, 4).

Special Needs: In keeping with the Americans with Disabilities Act, I would encourage students with disabilities who need accommodations in this course to contact me as soon as possible so that the appropriate arrangements can be made to accommodate particular needs.

Observations and Suggestions

This class is an "introductory" class–it will provide methods, frameworks, and some "big picture" concepts that you will see or use in other classes. I don’t expect students to develop "mastery" of the subject in an introductory class. If you start feeling overwhelmed at any point, please come talk to me.
Many of the readings in this course are examples of "academic writing;" they might refer to other scholars you are not familiar with, they might use words you are not familiar with, and quite frankly, they might seem a little bit dry. Again, I would say, "focus on the big picture." Academics are trying to get ideas across, and they are not trying to write stories that entertain. McLuhan was a joker and performer, and his books sold well in the general public, but I certainly won’t say his prose is "easy to read."
Have some fun with the assignments! Easy for me to say, I know, but notice that none of the assignments are worth a bunch of points. And because this is an intro class, my intention is for you to try some things out, play around with some ideas and texts. Pay attention to what you like to do, and which tasks you find difficult–becoming aware of your preferences will help you decide which courses to take, and perhaps even help you make some career decisions.
Stick around after class for an "end-of-week" review. Every Friday, I would like to get some specific feedback on how the course is going, and hear ideas about how I can help the class make sense of the material. We can go for coffee or just find a convenient place to meet. If you would like to attend one of these gatherings, but you have a time conflict, suggest an alternative time.