Introduction to Critical Reading and Academic Writing

Prothro-Yeager College of Humanities and Social Sciences

ENGL 1143 Sections 208 & 209 Spring 2026

MWF 10:00 – 10:50 AM PY 205; MWF 11:00 – 11:50 AM PY 205

Contact Information

Instructor:

 Dr. Peter Fields, Assoc. Prof. of English

Office:

 Bea Wood 230 (2^nd floor of Prothro-Yeager)

Office hours:

  MW: 12:15 – 2:15 PM; F 12:00 – 4:00 PM. And by appointment.

Office phone:

 (940) 397-4246

E-mail:

 peter.fields@msutexas.edu

Course Description

This course provides training in critical reading and academic writing. It focuses on the writing process and rhetorical concepts while requiring students to read and write a variety of texts. Students will be required to prepare a synthesis paper of moderate length demonstrating critical reading and academic writing skills, including selection, evaluation, analysis, integration, and documentation of sources

THECB Core Course Objectives

Critical Thinking Skills

·        To assess the student’s critical thinking skills, the Synthesis rubric will be applied to the Synthesis Paper.

Communication Skills

·        To assess the student’s written communication skills, the Synthesis rubric will be applied to the Synthesis Paper.

Personal Responsibility

·        To assess ethical use of sources as a measure of personal responsibility, the Synthesis rubric will be applied to the Synthesis Paper.

Teamwork

·        To assess the student’s teamwork, the Peer Review Teamwork rubric will be used to assess each student’s preparation for and participation in peer review workshops

Course Goals

·        Apply key rhetorical concepts through analyzing and composing a variety of texts.

·        Engage in a writing process that includes invention, drafting, collaboration, and revision.

·        Use reading and composing for inquiry, learning, thinking, and communicating in various rhetorical contexts.

·        Use strategies – such as interpretation, synthesis, response, critique, and design to compose.

·        texts that integrate the writer’s ideas with those from appropriate sources

·        Use sources ethically and in contextually appropriate ways and follow a designated style guide.

·        Demonstrate proficient use of linguistic structures, including grammar and mechanics, through practice in composing and revising.

Required Textbook

Ebook for The Bedford Reader. 15^th edition. Edited by X.J. Kennedy, Dorothy M. Kennedy, Jane E. Aaron, Ellen Kuhl Repetto. Bedford St. Martin’s/Macmillan Learning.

Study Hours and Tutoring Assistance

Tutoring and Academic Support Programs (TASP) provides free drop-in tutoring and homework help for MSU students. Located on the first floor of Moffett Library, TASP's Learning Center provides tutoring support in a number of core courses and subject areas. Remember that you don't need an appointment to utilize these services. Check the TASP webpage for times.

Student Handbook

Refer to:  Student Handbook

Academic Misconduct Policy & Procedures

Academic Dishonesty: Cheating, collusion, and plagiarism (the act of using source material of other persons, either published or unpublished, without following the accepted techniques of crediting, or the submission for credit of work not the individual’s to whom credit is given). *The use of AI at any stage of the composition of an assignment is prohibited, and that prohibition applies to all our assignments. Additional guidelines on procedures in these matters may be found in the Office of Student Conduct. Office of Student Conduct

Midterm Grades

In order to help students keep track of their progress toward course objectives, I will provide a Midterm Progress Report through Navigate. I will submit a grade for all students, not just those in danger of failing the course. Midterm grades will not be reported on your transcript; nor will they be calculated in the cumulative GPA. They simply give students an idea of where they stand at the midpoint of the semester. Students earning below a C at the midway point should make an appointment with me and consider visiting the Learning Center for tutoring services.

Final Exam

There is no final exam. The WP4 Remix Project replaces the final exam in this course.

Extra Credit

Extra credit for revision works in this way:

·        Only Writing Projects 1, 2, or 3 may be revised.

·        If the original assignment was late, the 10-point penalty still applies.

·        Students must have instructor approval before they revise.

·        Instructor’s approval includes specific instructions as to the nature and scope of the revisions.

All extra credit must be submitted to the relevant drop box by the last official class day of the semester: Friday May 8.

*Notice: Changes in the course syllabus, procedure, assignments, and schedule may be made at the discretion of the instructor.

Course Schedule:

Week  1

MLK Holiday

1/20 Syllabus

Discussion of Ch. 14 Argument and Persuasion, 503-518

1/23 Discussion of Vintiadis, “Mass Shooting and the Myth of the Violent Mentally Ill” 519

Instructions for Response Paper 1

Week  2

1/26 Drafting & reading aloud from Response Paper 1 rough draft in class

1/28 DUE DATE

Response Paper 1 due in drop box before 11:59 PM.

Discussion of Nancy Mairs 12; Anaya’s first draft 39; Revised Draft 51; Final Draft 64

1/30 Discussion of Jesse Ward “What PTSD Looks Like” 328

Instructions for WP1

Week 3

2/2 Drafting & reading aloud of WP1 rough draft in class

2/4 Drafting & reading aloud, cont.

2/6 Peer Review Workshop – bring 2 copies of WP1 rough draft to class

Week 4

2/9 Drafting & reading aloud of WP1 Final Draft in class

2/11 DUE DATE Writing Project 1 (Position Paper) due in drop box to be graded.

Examining Visual Images 22 (see Hanner image 24)

2/13 Discussion of Ward’s image & essay “What PTSD Looks Like” 328

Instructions for Response Paper 2

Week 5

2/16 Drafting & reading aloud of Response Paper 2 in class. Ward’s image & essay 328

2/18 DUE DATE Response Paper 2 due in the drop box.

More discussion of Ward, “What PTSD Looks Like” 328 – both essay and image.

2/20 Discussion of Thoreau & Urrea, cont.

Instructions for Rhetorical Analysis: both essay and image: Writing Project 2 (WP2)

Week 6

2/23 Drafting & reading aloud of WP2 rough draft in class.

2/25 Drafting & reading aloud of WP2, cont.

2/27 Peer Review Workshop Monday 3/2 – bring 2 copies of WP2 rough draft to class

Week 7

3/2 Drafting & reading aloud of WP2 rough draft in class

3/4 DUE DATE Writing Project 2 (Rhetorical Analysis)

Discussion of Muhlhausen, “How the Death Penalty Saves Lives” 538; Thompson, “What I Learned from Executing Two Men” 542.

3/6 Muhlhausen & Thompson, continued.

Instructions for Response Paper 3 (due the Wednesday after spring break)

Spring Break 3/9-14 No class

 .

Week 8

3/16 Drafting & reading aloud from Response Paper 3 rough draft in class 

3/18 DUE DATE Response Paper 3 due

Discussion of Sources & Annotated Bibliography Ch. 16, 653 & MLA format Ch 17, 663. Discussion of Lundberg, “Eating Green” 679

3/20 Discussion of Divakaruni “Live Free and Starve” 45.

Instructions for WP3 Synthesis Project and Annotated Bib.

Week 9

3/23 Individual Conferences

Bring rough draft of Annotated Bib

3/25 Individual Conferences

Bring Rough Draft of Annotated Bib

3/27 Individual Conferences 

Bring Rough Draft of Annotated Bib

Week 10

3/30 Individual Conferences

Bring rough draft of Annotated Bib

4/1 DUE DATE Annotated Bibliography due in drop box before 11:59 PM 

Holiday – Campus closed Thursday & Friday 4/2-4/3

Week 11

4/6 Instructions for WP3 Synthesis Project

4/8 Drafting & Reading aloud from WP3 Rough draft in class.

Week 12

4/13 Drafting & reading aloud from WP3 Rough Draft in class

4/15 DUE DATE – Rough Draft of WP 3 (Synthesis) due in the drop box before 11:59 PM.

4/17 Revising & Reading aloud of WP3 revision in class.

Week 13

4/20 Drafting & reading aloud from revision of WP3 in class

4/22 Revising & reading aloud from revision of WP3 in class.

4/24 Revising & Reading aloud from revision.

Week 14

4/27 Remix planning workshop

  4/29 DUE DATE Revised WP3 (Synthesis) is due in the drop box before 11:59 PM.

Week 15

5/1 WP4 Remix presentations begin.

5/4 WP4 Remix presentations in class.

5/6 WP4 Remix presentations in class.

5/8 DUE DATE – last day to submit WP4 Remix to the drop box before 11:59 PM. WP4 Remix presentations.

Week 16

FINALS  No Final Exam

Grading

Table 1: Points allocated to each assignment

Assignments

3 Response Papers (RP)

Short papers (2 paragraphs) that summarize and respond to a reading. 5 percent each. 15%

Writing Project 1: Position Paper (PP)

You will plan, draft, and revise this essay. It will make a claim supported with evidence and fully developed reasons. 20%

Writing Project 2: Rhetorical Analysis (RA)

You will plan, draft, and revise this essay. It will analyze the rhetorical situation and elements of a visual text. 20%

Annotated Bibliography (Annotated Bib) Summary and evaluation of each source for WP3.10%

Rough Draft of WP3 Synthesis paper

Students can use summaries from Annotated Bib  5%

Writing Project 3: Synthesis Paper

Our longest paper explores various perspectives on a topic of your choosing. You will plan, draft, and revise this paper. You will cite a variety of sources and show connections between them. 20%

Writing Project 4: Remix Project

Digital remix of WP3 presented to the class. 10%

Writing Workshops

3 Peer Review Workshops and 1 instructor conference – if missed,s counted absent

Total

**************************

100%

Table 2: Letter grade point values. Note: there is no rounding up of assignment grades and no rounding up of final calculated grade as computed by D2L: e.g., a 79.9 is a C; an 89.9 is a B; a 69.9 is a D; a 59.9 or lower is an F. The calculated grade is the semester grade.

Letter grades and points:

A 90 to 100

B 80 to 89

C 70 to 79

D 60 to 69

F Less than 60

Attendance Grade

Roll is taken right away. If you think you missed roll, inform me before you leave class to make sure I mark you present. If students miss one class (without documentation), they still have a 100 for the attendance grade. As of their second undocumented absence, students begin to incur a 10 point penalty for each undocumented absence. Absences can be excused if students provide documentation. The best documentation is a doctor’s note. Students may take a picture of this documentation (their name and the date—not the nitty-gritty details which are not my business) with their cell phone and send it to me by email attachment. Other types of documentation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Below is how the attendance grade works:

·        2 absences (90), 3 absences (80), 4 absences (70)

·        5 absences (60), 6 absences (50). 7 absences (40)

·        8 absences (30), 9 absences (20), 10 absences (10)

·        11 absences or more (0)

*NOTE: A missed peer review workshop or student conference counts as an absence.

Late Work 

If D2L indicates an assignment is late, it is penalized 10 points. The penalty applies even if the essay is late by less than a minute. All late work must be submitted by the last official class day of the semester: Friday May 8.

Note: You may not submit a paper for a grade in this class that already has been (or will be) submitted for a grade in another course, unless you obtain the explicit written permission of me and the other instructor involved in advance.

Plagiarism is the use of someone else's thoughts, words, ideas, or lines of argument in your own work without appropriate documentation (a parenthetical citation at the end and a listing in "Works Cited")-whether you use that material in a quote, paraphrase, or summary. It is a theft of intellectual property and will not be tolerated, whether intentional or not.

Student Honor Creed

As an MSU Student, I pledge not to lie, cheat, steal, or help anyone else do so."

As students at MSU, we recognize that any great society must be composed of empowered, responsible citizens. We also recognize universities play an important role in helping mold these responsible citizens. We believe students themselves play an important part in developing responsible citizenship by maintaining a community where integrity and honorable character are the norm, not the exception.

Thus, We, the Students of Midwestern State University, resolve to uphold the honor of the University by affirming our commitment to complete academic honesty. We resolve not only to be honest but also to hold our peers accountable for complete honesty in all university matters.

We consider it dishonest to ask for, give, or receive help in examinations or quizzes, to use any unauthorized material in examinations, or to present, as one's own, work or ideas which are not entirely one's own. We recognize that any instructor has the right to expect that all student work is honest, original work. We accept and acknowledge that responsibility for lying, cheating, stealing, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty fundamentally rests within each individual student.

We expect of ourselves academic integrity, personal professionalism, and ethical character. We appreciate steps taken by University officials to protect the honor of the University against any who would disgrace the MSU student body by violating the spirit of this creed.

Written and adopted by the 2002-2003 MSU Student Senate.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Disability Support Services in Room 168 of the Clark Student Center, (940) 397-4140.

All instructors in the Department have voicemail in their offices and MSUTexas e-mail addresses. Make sure you add your instructor's phone number and e-mail address to both email and cell phone lists of contacts.

Obligation to Report Sex Discrimination under State and Federal Law

Midwestern State University is committed to providing and strengthening an educational, working, and living environment where students, faculty, staff, and visitors are free from sex discrimination of any kind. State and federal law require University employees to report sex discrimination and sexual misconduct to the University’s Office of Title IX. As a faculty member, I am required to report to the Title IX Coordinator any allegations, personally observed behavior, or other direct or indirect knowledge of conduct that reasonably may constitute sex discrimination or sexual misconduct, which includes sexual assault, sexual harassment, dating violence, or stalking, involving a student or employee. After a report is made, the office of Title IX will reach out to the affected student or employee in an effort to connect such person(s) with resources and options in addressing the allegations made in the report. You are also encouraged to report any incidents to the office of Title IX. You may do so by contacting:

Laura Hetrick

Title IX Coordinator
Sunwatcher Village Clubhouse
940-397-4213

laura.hetrick@msutexas.edu

You may also file an online report 24/7 at Maxient 

Should you wish to visit with someone about your experience in confidence, you may contact the MSU Counseling Center at 940-397-4618. For more information on the University’s policy on Title IX or sexual misconduct, please visit MSU Texas Title IX

Senate Bill 11 passed by the 84th Texas Legislature allows licensed handgun holders to carry concealed handguns on campus, effective August 1, 2016. Areas excluded from concealed carry are appropriately marked, in accordance with state law. For more information regarding campus carry, please refer to the University’s webpage at https://msutexas.edu/campus-carry/rules-policies.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact MSU Chief of Police at police@msutexas.edu.

Pregnant and parenting students, faculty, and staff are eligible to receive support and resources from the Student Engagement and Title IX Offices. Support and resources may include early registration, personal financial support, parenting development resources, lactation rooms, and healthcare resources. For more information, visit the  Parenting Students Website or contact the Parenting Liaison Ruby Garret at  ruby.garrett@msutexas.edu or call 940-397-4500.