Bruce Leland
Simpkins 217
MWF 11:00-12:00; TT 10:30-11:00 and 1:30-2:00
mfbhl@wiu.edu

English 180 is the first in a series of required writing courses in the educational programs at Western Illinois University. Writing is fundamental in the academic life, for in the process of writing a person can discover and clarify information, ideas, judgments, different ways of understanding, and even at times passions and convictions that matter most to him or her. In writing, a person also effectively communicates the information, ideas, judgments, ways of understanding, or convictions to others.

This effective communication of thought is the hallmark of a university education, and in one way or another it is the goal of most courses in the curriculum. English 180 is intended to help students develop strategies for effective writing and clear thinking so that they may more readily achieve the goals of their own course of study at the university.

Official Course Objectives

English 180 Information Sheet

Structure of 180-22 & 36

Popular Culture in 180

Internet Links

Schedule	Bulletin Board	Mail	Password	Grades	WebCT

Class Meetings:

Class meets every Tuesday and Thursday for 75 minutes. We will alternate between the computer lab (Simpkins 321) and a classroom (Simpkins 324). If we are not in one room, we'll be in the other.

Grades:

I tend not to grade with mathematical precision. The following percentages will, however, give you a sense of how your final grade will be determined:

Major papers: 70%
In-Class Writing: 10%
Bulletin Board: 10%
Participation and exercises: 10%

Grading Standards: While we will concentrate on particular issues of thinking and writing with each assignment, all writing you publish (i.e. share with your reader) will be evaluated on its effectiveness in its rhetorical context, as measured by the customary standards for college writing.

Stuff

Escape clause: This syllabus and the WebCT site are subject to revision as circumstances dictate. You can expect additional links and revisions to be added with some regularity--check it often!.

Special needs: If you have a condition which requires physical accommodation in the classroom or which may interfere with your ability to complete course requirements, please let me know at once. If you have an emergency which keeps you from class, notify me by phone or email. If fasting for Ramadan or Lent causes problems, let me know about that too. Finally, if you feel you are falling behind at any time or failing to work up to your potential, come in to see me.

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www.wiu.edu/users/mfbhl/180/syllabus99.htm
08/20/99