FYR 174 Resource, Research, and Response

Fall Term 2011
Professor Kenneth  McNeil 
Office phone: 5-4578 
e-mail: mcneilk@easternct.edu
Office: Webb Hall  230
http://nutmeg.easternct.edu/~mcneilk/index.html

Office Hours: 
Tuesday 10:45-12:15
Wednesday 10:30-11:30, 6:00-7:00 PM
Thursday 12:00-1:30
And by appointment

 

Peer Mentor: Catherine Fargo
e-mail: fargoc@my.eastern.edu

Course Description
The First-Year Resource, Research, and Response course will introduce you to college life and life as an English major. It's designed to help you be more successful as you negotiate your way through college, through your major, and, hopefully, set you on your way to the professional goals you've set for yourself. It will provide you with skills and make you aware of campus services, most of which are free, that are designed to help you have a successful college career. The course will include academic planning, campus life, cultural events in Willimantic, critical and creative thinking, and communication, personal development, and study skills.

Course Requirements
Written Assignments 60%

Field Trip Assignment (20%)

Campus Cultural Events Report (do two reports) (20%)
You are to attend two cultural events and write a short report on each. See the calendar in Wordpress or the English Department calendar for possible events.

ENG 202 Research Paper Bibliography (20%)

Small or In-class Assignments 10%
Participation 30%

Participation
Regular attendance of classes is absolutely expected for this course. Two or more unexcused absences will lower your participation grade significantly.

Avoid plagiarism (stealing the words or ideas of another) like the plague. In this class acts of plagiarism incur a zero and could also result in course failure or even dismissal from the university.

Disclaimer:  I reserve the right to change the syllabus (with plenty of advanced warning)

Calendar
Week 1
September 1: Introduction, icebreaker, Eastern e-mail

Week 2
September 8 :Blackboard Vista; scavenger hunt around campus

Week 3
September 15: Touring the English major; Visiting The Writing Center--not just for non-English majors

Week 4
September 22: Oral presentation workshop: tips and techniques

Short Assignment

Week 5
September 29: Negotiating the major: the lowdown on requirements and classes

Assignment: bring in questions or confusions

Week 6
October 6: No class

October 7: Extra--Field Trip! Yale Center for British Art. Bus picks us up at 9 am in the library parking lot near the clock tower. Returns around 4 pm.

Field Trip Assignment

Week 7
October 13: Turn in field trip assignment

Time and Stress Management

Week 8
October 20: Advising workshop

Assignment: bring in plan of courses

Week 9
October 27: Research and methods

Week 10
November 3: Relaxation and Stress Relief

Week 11
November 10: Plagiarism and citing your sources

Week 12
November 17: Citing your sources: MLA style

Week 13
November 24: Thanksgiving Break: No class!

Week 14
December 1: Turn in research paper bibliography

Week 15
December 8: Alum visit.

"If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to contact the Office of Disability Services at (860) 465-5573.  To avoid any delay in the receipt of accommodations, you should contact the Office of Disability Services as soon as possible.  Please understand that I cannot provide accommodations based upon disability until I have received an accommodation letter from the Office of Disability Services.  Your cooperation is appreciated."

 Back to Kenneth McNeil's homepage