FDENG 301 Syllabus
Course Description
The goal of Foundations English 301 is to help you learn how to reason carefully and express ideas clearly as you respond to a variety of rhetorical situations. You develop these competencies as you learn to recognize strong arguments, uncover assumptions, evaluate evidence, recognize rhetorical patterns, and infer ideas from data. To apply these skills, you will conduct advanced research and write summaries, reports, and essays synthesizing ideas from diverse sources.
Prerequisites
You must have completed FDENG 101 (or its equivalent at another university) and must have accumulated 22 college credits.
Course Outcomes
- Write a cogent, extended argument supported by reliable research.
- Write substantive critiques of complex arguments.
- Synthesize evidence in a clearly written document.
- Produce writing that adapts to distinct rhetorical situations.
- Accurately document sources using a specific style guide.
- Produce at least thirty pages of polished writing, including at least twenty pages of instructor-assessed writing.
Required Materials
Textbook
Your textbook was created specifically for this course. It is provided at no additional cost to you and accessed through the textbook module of the course.
Please note that studying the textbook readings is crucial for your success in this course. Assignment instructions assume you have completed the readings. You should refer to the textbook as you complete your assignments. You will also complete timed, open-book reading quizzes throughout the course.
Software
You will use Microsoft Word, part of the Microsoft Office Suite, when writing papers in this course. As a BYUI student, you can download Word for free. Visit the Downloads section of the University Store website, choose the option you prefer, and follow their instructions.
Course Structure
This 14-week course is divided into five units:
- Unit One: Writing Foundations
- Weeks 01–03
- Unit Two: Ethical Decision Making
- Weeks 04–05
- Unit Three: Research and Writing for a Technical Audience
- Weeks 06–09
- Unit Four: Research and Writing for an Academic Audience
- Weeks 09–13
- Unit Five: Course Reflection
- Week 14
Each unit includes several lessons that introduce key concepts, ask students to identify those concepts in others’ work, and practice them in their own.
Writing Projects
- Ethicist Column
- You will respond to an ethical dilemma, justifying your response within a clear ethical framework. (250 words)
- Application Letter
- You will respond to a call for interns, identifying clear connections between your skill set and academic goals and the organization’s needs and objectives. (250 words)
- Technical Report
- You will evaluate and synthesize data to prepare a primary research report for an industrial or corporate client. (1500 words)
- Academic Paper/Academic Conference
- You will complete your proposed research, producing a research-based argument for publication in an academic journal or use at an academic conference. The argument must take a clear position and support that position with clear claims, logical reasoning, and quality evidence. (3000 words)
Online Writing Center
You are encouraged to plan ahead to allow enough time to work with tutors from the Online Writing Center to strengthen your writing skills. Using this free resource is optional, and is meant to help you improve your writing skills, not just to fix your paper. Tutors create a supportive and resource-rich environment where writers of all disciplines can enhance their writing skills, consider a reader's response to their writing, discuss revision strategies and writing principles, and increase their confidence and writing ability. Tutors will suggest improvements you can make and explain the writing or grammar principles behind those changes; however, they will expect you to make the changes on your own. Be sure to double check with your instructor if something a tutor says seems contradictory to course instruction.
You may work with a tutor in an appointment or through email. If you choose to set an appointment, please be punctual. If you are late to your appointment, you may not be able to receive help that same day.
You can access the Online Writing Center using the link provided above or the link located in the Student Resources module of the course.
Grading
Your grade will be based on the points you earn in each of the following weighted categories. Check your Grades tab for full details.
| Category | Weight |
|---|---|
| Activities and Preparation | 20% |
| Ethics Essay | 10% |
| Application Letter | 5% |
| Technical Report | 30% |
| Academic Paper | 35% |
| TOTAL | 100% |
Grade Scale
| Letter Grade | Percent Range | Letter Grade | Percent Range | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 93%–100% | A- | 90%–92% | |
| B+ | 87%–89% | B | 83%–86% | |
| B- | 80%–82% | C+ | 77%–79% | |
| C | 73%–76% | C- | 70%–72% | |
| D+ | 67%–69% | D | 63%–66% | |
| D- | 60%–62% | F | 0%–59% |
Due Dates
You should work on course assignments each day to prepare for the two weekly due dates: one midweek and one at the end of the week. See the course Calendar for due dates in your time zone.
Late Work Policy
Late work is not accepted on standard assignments. However, instructors may, at their discretion, accept late work when there are circumstances clearly beyond the student's control.
Writing projects submitted after the due date will receive a 10% penalty per day. No work will be accepted after the end of the semester.
University Policies
Academic Honesty
To facilitate better learning, papers submitted in FDENG 301 must be new papers; you may not "recycle" or reuse papers originally written for other courses. The originality/similarity reports from Turnitin are used in this course to check for original work.
You are expected to observe the Academic Honesty Policy by doing your own work and refusing to plagiarize. Any violation of the University’s Academic Honesty Policy may result in a failing grade for the affected assignment or a failing grade in the course. In addition, instructors will report all academic honesty violations to the Student Honor Office.
Reasonable Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
BYU-Idaho provides reasonable accommodations to qualified students with disabilities pursuant to applicable disability law. Information regarding services for BYUI students with disabilities may be found at the Disability Services web page.
If you have a need requiring special accommodations, identify yourself through Disability Services within the first two weeks of the semester and notify your instructor.
Other Policies
For more information on these policies or other policies, such as preventing sexual misconduct, refer to the University Policies page in the Student Resources module of this course.