Instructor: Dr. Jessica O’Hara Email: jessicaohara@psu.edu
Section 07 Meeting Time: 12:45-2:00 PM Monday through Friday
Meeting Place: 222 Thomas Building
Instructor Office: 111 South Burrowes Building,
Office hours are available by appointment on Canvas. Please sign up for a time before midnight on the day prior to your scheduled meeting. If you schedule it on the same day, I may not see the notice that you signed up in time. If you can’t find a time that will work for your schedule, please contact me to suggest alternate times.
Regular weekly appointments will be available Wednesdays, 2:15 PM-3:45 PM and Thursdays, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM in 111 Burrowes Building.
Textbooks & Course Materials
Thank You for Arguing: Revised and Updated Edition by Jay Heinrichs IBSN: 9780385347754
The Circle by David Eggers, Penn State Reads selection (available for free at NSO and bookstore)
Penn Statements, Vol. 34
Canvas course management system
You will also need to bring a laptop or tablet to class with you every day. See me if that poses difficulty, and I’ll point you toward alternative arrangements.
Course Policies
Class Preparation and Participation
Please come to class having completed the reading or writing assigned for the day. We will often break into smaller groups for discussion and activities, and sometimes groups will be responsible for completing a task or reporting on their findings. We will also be having regular reading quizzes–another incentive to keep up with the reading.
Because you will be asked to bring a laptop, we are faced with special challenges and opportunities regarding electronic media. Aside from the distractions your phone presents, you may find yourself clicking over to Facebook, ESPN, Twitter, Pinterest, or whatever else might attract your interest, instead of engaging in class discussion or participating in the class activity. While this behavior is understandable, it is not a proper use of class time. Indeed, it’s a waste of everybody’s time–and definitely a waste of your money (or your parents’). You should only be using electronic devices during instructor-designated times for instructional purposes. Indeed, you will be expected to put away your mobile devices and stay on task during class time. Not doing so can impact your participation and attendance grade.
Email and Office Hours
I expect you to check your email (PSU Webmail) daily. I frequently send additional assignments, corrections, clarifications, cancellations, and the occasional pep talk via email. You may email me directly, too, at jessicaohara@psu.edu.
Email should be reserved for very short inquiries or for purposes of sharing very general information (for example: “I’m sorry that I missed class today; I am quite ill.”). Email should not be considered a replacement for office hours. If you need help with an assignment or are having problems with the course, come to office hours or arrange a meeting with me.
In the event you do feel the need to email me, stop and consider if you might find the answer on your own. Check the syllabus or contact a classmate before you email the instructor. I may not reply to inquiries to which the answer could be easily found on this website. I may also not respond to messages that lack decorum.
If my office hours do not work with your schedule, you may set up an appointment with me outside of those times. The best way to schedule an appointment outside of office hours is to speak with me before or after class or email me.
Late Work
You are allowed one 48-hour penalty-free extension for the semester. Beyond the extension, portfolios are lowered one whole letter grade for every class day that they are late. Late drafts will also negatively affect the portfolio grade.
Class Webpage
Our class website, which is where you are now, is your main source for course information. We will also be utilizing Canvas for its mass emailing, attendance recording, quizzing, office-hour scheduling, work submission, and grading functions. To access Canvas, use the same ID and password as you use to access your campus e-mail.
The Writing Center
As a free tutorial service, The Writing Center assists members of the University community who seek help with their writing assignments (and with their writing in general). Students can schedule 50-minute sessions with Writing Center tutors for help with any aspect of the writing process or a particular assignment. Every student can benefit from utilizing The Writing Center’s services—even students who get good grades on their papers. The Writing Center’s main location is 219 Boucke.
Academic Integrity and Source Documentation
In accordance with common sense and article 10 of PSU’s Code of Conduct, cheating, including plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty, will not be tolerated in this course. A suspected case of academic dishonesty will be referred to the College Committee on Academic Integrity, which may recommend academic probation, suspension, or expulsion. We will review proper documentation in class; however, claiming ignorance of what constitutes plagiarism is not a legitimate excuse.
Students should use the MLA style of documentation in this class.
Disability Support Services & Special Circumstances
The Pennsylvania State University encourages qualified people with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities and is committed to the policy that all people shall have equal access to programs, facilities, and admissions without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities. If you have a registered disability or any other special circumstance, please let me know about it within the first week of class. We can then devise a plan for how to approach the semester.
Statement on Nondiscrimination
The Pennsylvania State University is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, admission and employment without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities. It is the policy of the University to maintain an academic and work environment free of discrimination, including harassment. The Pennsylvania State University prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status. Discrimination or harassment against faculty, staff, or students will not be tolerated at The Pennsylvania State University.
Note: The Pennsylvania State University encourages qualified persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation in this course or have questions about physical access, please tell the instructor as soon as possible.
Assignments and Evaluation
Portfolios
Though we will have many writing assignments in the class and you will receive copious feedback on your progress, your formal writing will be assessed for a grade just three times. Most of the pieces will be reviewed and commented upon at earlier dates by your peers and by your instructor, and you will be given ample opportunity to revise drafts to prepare for the portfolio assessment. Each portfolio will be accompanied by a reflection piece about the writing process for the included pieces. For example, in Portfolio 1, you will include an introductory letter and two papers. You will be notified well in advance what pieces of writing the portfolio should include and how they should be presented.
Class Participation
Class participation is worth a substantial part of your final grade, so it’s in your interest, both in terms of your academic performance and the value you get out of the course, to participate as often and as meaningfully as possible. When calculating class participation, I take into consideration the quality of your in-class participation, attendance, contributions to group work, class presentations, preparedness, and homework.
Attendance is required, and I expect you to miss no more than three classes, barring any extended illness or extenuating circumstances. Students’ attendance will be recorded on Canvas. If your absenteeism is notable, it will negatively impact your final course grade. If you must be absent for an approved school activity, family emergency, or illness, you are welcome to provide me with documentation so that the absence may be excused.
If you are ill, send an email to your class buddy and copy me in an email when you are able, so you can stay on track. Please note that if you believe you have a virus, do not come to class.
Blogging
Blogging will be a major component of your English 15 coursework. You will be maintaining blogs in three categories. Your Passion Blog will be due on Tuesdays and Thursday. You will also be keeping a blog on The Circle, the posts for which will be due most Fridays. Occasionally, you will need to submit work on your Work in Progress category. You can learn more by consulting the Blogging tab under Assignments.
A word to the wise: Because there are many ways to lose a posting, it’s always a good idea to write your response in a word-processing program, save it on your hard drive, and then paste the response into the blog interface.
Quizzes
We will have several reading quizzes in English 15 via the Canvas utility, almost every Monday and Wednesday of the session. They will be announced in advance and will be worth 8% of your total grade. Your lowest quiz grade will automatically be dropped.
Assignment Values
Portfolio 1: 30%
Portfolio 2: 30%
Portfolio 3: 7%
Passion Blogs: 10%
The Circle Blog: 10%
Quizzes: 8%
Class participation and attendance: 5%
Grading Scale
A = 95 to 100, A- = 90 to 94.9, B+ = 87.9 to 89.9, B = 83.3 to 87.8, B- = 80 to 83.32, C+ = 75 to 79.9, C = 70 to 74.9, D = 60 to 69.9, F = 59.9
Note: The Penn State grading scale does not allow the option of awarding grades of C-, D+ or D- grades. This grading scale is recommended by the Penn State College of Liberal Arts. Instructors are not required to “round up” according to this scale.
English Department Grading Standards