WR115: INTRODUCTION TO WRITING
ACCELERATED LEARNING PROGRAM (ALP)
Fall 2016 | MKH 118 | 12:00-1:50 p.m. MWF

Office: SSH 210
Office Hours: 9-10:40 am MF; by e-mail appointment after class MW  
Office Phone: 541-917-4525
 	I listen to voice mails during office hours only. 
Cell phone: 503-451-0228 
You may call or text this number during business hours 8 am-5 pm M-F if you need to get in touch with me. I will reply as soon as I can! Please include your name/class (for instance, Marta from 11 am 121) 
E-­mail: steffes@linnbenton.edu or suzi.steffen@linnbenton.edu
I check e-­mail at least once every weekday between 8 am and 5 pm and will do my best to respond within 24 hours. I generally do not check e-­mail on weekends or holidays.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: 
Welcome to the Accelerated Learning Program! You have chosen to be a member of an exciting project which is taking place not only on our campus but nationwide. We all believe in your success! With your motivation, desire, and academic skills combined with our focused support and guidance, you will achieve WR121 mastery this term. To achieve that mastery, you’ll get lots of practice in the skills related to academic reading and writing. 

You can look forward to: 
	•	Reading a rich assortment of essays to develop good critical reading skills and enhance your writing 
	•	Reviewing and using strong study skills, grammar and mechanical skills, and collaborative skills throughout the term

Note: The WR115 course is transferable as an elective, but does not satisfy institutional writing requirements for a degree seeking or transfer student.

Learning Skills for Success (the skills that you bring to our class):
	•	Confidence in your strengths as a student and a writer. 
	•	Commitment to your own academic success. 
	•	Perseverance: “steady persistence in adhering to a course of action, a belief, or a purpose without giving way; steadfastness” American Heritage Dictionary 
	•	A good work ethic, a willingness to work hard all term, to take risks, to ask for help. 
	•	A good attitude. 
	•	A willingness to care about your own work and to work with and care about each other. 
		
Attendance and participation: Attend every class session. Be on time. Be prepared. Write your final text or send your final Snap at 12:59, and then turn your phone to airplane mode and stick it in your backpack or a pocket. Do not use phones during class except when you’re given permission. That permission will be rare.

Good time management skills are necessary for success in college. 
	•	Plan to devote at least two hours of work outside of class for each class hour. This class, with WR 121, is worth six credits. That means 12 hours of work outside of class, per week.
	•	Prepare for class! Read and re-read the material before coming to class.
	•	Do your work on time. Our class is organized around extensive workshop and revision; your rough drafts and final papers need to be on time, or you cannot pass.

Make use of campus resources 
	•	Make friends with the Writing Center staff and visit often.
	•	Get to know the Library staff, the Library itself and the resources online.
	•	Visit with your instructors early and often throughout the term. 
	•	Get to know each other right away and consider each other as team members!

Course Requirements and Grading : 
•	ALP Reflections : You’ll be keeping an in-class ALP Journal based on writing prompts (30%)
•	Writing and Grammar Exercises (20%) 
•	Summary and Response Writing (20%) 
•	ALP Portfolio : You’ll be collecting all of your work from WR115 and WR121 along  		with a Final Self Reflection and Grade Proposal for a final ALP Portfolio to be turned in  		at the end of the term. (30%). DO NOT THROW ANYTHING AWAY. 

WRITING 115 COURSE OUTCOMES 
1.	Write thoughtful, clear, and focused paragraphs and essays for a variety of purposes. 
2.	Illustrate critical reading by clearly summarizing, paraphrasing, and directly quoting. 
3.	Distinguish your ideas from others’ ideas.
4.	Focus a main point and develop this main point clearly and logically using examples and illustrations in a 
	well-organized essay. 
5.	Revise writing using standard college editing and proofreading conventions (grammar, syntax, spelling, 
	punctuation).