Undergraduate Courses, Fall 2004
Times and locations of class meetings are subject to change. Consult the UF Schedule of Courses for official class times and locations and an explanation of the class period abbreviations.
Lower Division (1000–2000) Special Content Courses
Note: Only course descriptions are listed below. For a comprehensive summary of course numbers, sections, times and locations, titles, and instructors, see the following web page:
CRW2300
Honors Seminar: Poetry Writing
Course description not available at this time.
ENC 1145
Writing About Football
Purpose of course: To think, learn, and write about football by reading literature and writing a series of varied assignments. We will discuss the history of the game in some detail, both the college and professional levels, have an appropriate guest lecturer, and see at least one video on the sport. We will have an etymology and rule quiz every class session. ENC 1145 fulfills 3 hours of the General Education requirement in English Composition. It presupposes no previous knowledge of football.
Text: The Dark Side of the Game: My Life in the NFL by Tim Green (Warner Books, 1996). This is available in the Campus Bookstore.
Writing assignments: Because this is a Gordon Rule course, students will write a minimum of 6,000 graded words: five essays, each 1,200 words long. Assignments will include different types of writing, for example, the Argumentative Essay (Should high schoolers be allowed/encouraged to jump to the NFL? Should there be a cap on rookie salaries?), the Comparative-Contrastive Essay (on two different football teams or positions or leagues or on the difference between football and another sport), a Descriptive Essay (on one player or team or league), and a Critique Essay about a football-related book to be read outside of class. Late papers will be penalized two points for each day late; a paper due on Thursday and handed in on the following Tuesday will lose ten points. Papers are due on these Tuesdays: Sept. 7 & 21; Oct. 5 & 19; and Nov. 2.
Tests: There will be five tests for a total of 60 points, which will be divided by two for the test component part of the grade. Tests will be on the following dates: Sept. 14 & 28; Oct. 12 & 26; Nov. 16; and Dec. 7.
Grading
- A: 90–100: this person writes clearly, has a strong thesis, organizes the material well, offers insight, uses creativity, and is free of errors. Participates regularly in class.
- B: 80–89: this writer is articulate, concise, and clear; has an occasional off-day, commits some errors, but has flashes of brilliance. Participates occasionally in class.
- C: 70–79: this student does competent work, but occasional errors and inconsistencies detract. Participates infrequently in class discussions. Misses class occasionally.
- D: 70–69: poor writing and thinking skills will send this person to the showers early. Seldom participates in class discussion. Misses many classes.
- E: 0–59: poor writing, thinking skills, poor attendance, lack of participation, and no motivation characterize this student.
Attendance is required; every three unexcused absences will result in the loss of one point from the total.
Percentage of grade components:
- 60% – 6 written assignments, each worth 10 points.
- 30% – quizzes on readings and class materials.
- 10% – class participation and regular attendance
ENC 2210
Technical Writing
Instructor Varies
Texts
- Technical Communication (seventh edition) by Mike Markell
- University of Florida Technical Writing – Custom Textbook (only available at Goerings)
- Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace by Joseph M. Williams
Overview
The aim of this course is to prepare you for writing and designing documents in technical and professional discourse communities. You will produce a number of technical genres – correspondence, reports, a proposal, and instructions – for various technical and lay audiences. Some of these assignments are taken from cases based on real-world situations and present you with a set of rhetorical considerations and constraints. Other assignments ask you to help identify actual situations to which you will respond. In both cases we will approach technical writing rhetorically, discussing such topics as organizational conventions, visual design, and style in the context of specific rhetorical situations.
Class will usually take place in a discussion or workshop format in which you will at different times discuss assigned readings, complete in-class writing and other exercises, critique sample documents, critique peers’ documents, and even lead discussions. Come to class prepared to interact. Because technical writing in the workplace is often collaborative, you will write the last three assignments in small teams.
This course satisfies the requirements of the Gordon Rule if all assigned work is completed.
Course Objectives
- Understand some of the features and processes of technical and professional discourse communities.
- Specify and adapt to the constraints of specific rhetorical situations, including audiences, purposes, and uses.
- Develop strategies for accommodating multiple audiences in one document and for accommodating both technical and lay audiences.
- Learn strategies for making documents accessible and user-centered. These include setting the context and creating pathways through a document.
- Learn to strategically orchestrate elements of document design, including type, spacing, and color.
- Design and integrate tables and figures in a user-centered way.
- Develop individual and collaborative writing processes appropriate for technical documents.
- Learn superstructures and conventions for common technical documents such as correspondence, reports, proposals, and instructions.
- Refine writing style for more strategic clarity, concision, coherence, cohesion, and emphasis.
- Critique and revise your own documents to insure that they fulfill their purposes.
- Form a community of writers with your peers in which you provide one another with extensive written and oral feedback.
LIN 2670
English Grammar
Purpose of course: A practical course in the basics of English grammar, including vocabulary, syntax, semantics, spelling, and pronunciation. No previous knowledge of English grammar is presumed. Because this will be an intensive course, please come to class prepared to participate in every session.
Text: Grammar packet available under LIN 2670 at the Campus Bookstore.
Requirements: 7 tests, each worth 14 pts. + 2 extra questions on the final test = 100 pts.
Grading scale: A = 90–100; B = 80–89; C = 70–79; D = 60–69; E = 0–59. The top three numbers in each category will earn a +, e.g. 87, 88, 89 = B+. If you miss a test, I will double the value of the next one. If you miss two tests in a row, I will triple the value of the next one. There will be no make-up tests. You may not skip the last test.
The seven tests will be on the following days:
- Thursday, Sept. 9
- Thursday, Sept. 23
- Thursday, Oct. 7
- Thursday, Oct. 21
- Thursday, Nov. 4
- Thursday, Nov. 18
- Tuesday, Dec. 7
The tests will be cumulative. The 7th test, which is not a final exam, will have an extra two points on it to bring the total for the course to 100 points.