Syllabus Rhe306 Onramps C Fall 2018 C
Syllabus Rhe306 Onramps C Fall 2018 C
Syllabus Rhe306 Onramps C Fall 2018 C
Office Hours
Videoconferences with Instructors and Course Staff are available via Canvas Conferences course by
appointment.
Writing Consultant
OnRamps Rhetoric students have access to a free Writing Consultant via videoconference. You will
receive more information about consultations via email when the consultant space is launched. The
Writing Consultant supports students in developing writing and research skills. The Consultant is not a
member of the grading team and cannot give you advisory grades, pre-grade work, or assess if grades
are accurate.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
RHE 306 is a writing seminar course in argumentation that situates rhetoric as an art of civic discourse. It
is designed to enhance your ability to research and analyze the various positions held in any public
debate and to advocate your own position effectively to a target audience. You will also explore the ethics
of argumentation, explaining what it means to “fairly” represent someone with whom you disagree, or how
responsibly to address a community with particular values and interests. Your work in this course will help
you advance the critical writing and reading skills you will need to succeed in college and in your
professional careers. Scholars in this course can expect to read and write daily.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
The readings, discussions, and writing assignments in this course are designed for learning how to:
CORE CURRICULUM
This course meets core curriculum requirement for Communication (I), or Texas Core Code 010 (aka
English 1301).
It is your responsibility to schedule sufficient wifi access and computer time to access the curriculum via
Canvas and conduct research by your due dates. You are responsible for learning to use the features of
Canvas on your own. For your convenience, links to the most popular Canvas Guides for students are
available in the Welcome Module of this course.
If you are enrolled in OnRamps Rhetoric you will have a minimum of four shells but may have more if you
are enrolled in additional OnRamps courses. Your shells:
3. OnRamps Orientation
4. Writing Consultant
Email. Email is an official means of communication at UT Austin. Your OnRamps Staff will use this
medium to communicate class, enrollment, and credit information. It is your responsibility to keep your
email address updated in Canvas and the OnRamps Student Portal at all times. Email returned to
OnRamps with “User Unknown” is not an acceptable excuse for missed communication. You are
expected to check email on a frequent and regular basis in order to stay current with OnRamps-related
communications, recognizing that certain communications may be time-critical. Regular email
management will also minimize the risk that the inbox will be full, causing the email to be returned to
sender with an error. Undeliverable messages returned because of either a full inbox or use of a spam
filter will be considered delivered without further action required by OnRamps.
OnRamps Student Portal. You will also visit the OnRamps Student Portal (aka OSIS) throughout the
term to view and make decisions about your current OnRamps enrollments, including whether you are
eligible for the opportunity to earn college credit, the type of credit you wish to receive (Letter Grade or
Pass/Fail), and, at the end of the course, whether you wish to accept or decline college credit, if earned.
URL: https://utdirect.utexas.edu/apps/ce/osis/
1. Formal Research Summary (RS) 1 page single-spaced—Research and summarize the argument
made in a viewpoint article. MLA citation required. (10%)
2. Mapping a Controversy Paper (MC 1.1) 5-6 pages double-spaced—This research paper analyzes
a contemporary controversy, its background, exigency, and the various stakeholders and
viewpoints that are involved in the controversy. The paper requires research into at least three
stakeholder viewpoints. The essay is expected to fairly summarize and represent major
viewpoints. Students bring a draft to class for a mandatory peer review. The essay is expected
to meet MLA citation and works cited standards. (15%)
3. Mapping a Controversy Paper Revision (MC 1.2) 5-6 pages double-spaced—This revision project
re-thinks and rewrites MC 1.1, demonstrating substantive improvements in the particular areas
based on revision feedback provided by the UT grader. (25%)
4. Persuasive Essay (PE 2.1) 5-6 pages—The persuasive argument essay targets a particular
audience and venue. The essay leverages strategic research to convince the audience that they
should believe, think, or do something about a particular and current controversy of the student’s
choice. A successful essay will demonstrate effective matching of its claims, evidence, and
reasons to the ideological and decorum expectations of the target audience. The writing process
includes a mandatory peer review of a draft. The essay is expected to meet MLA citation and
works cited standards. (20%)
5. Persuasive Essay Revision (PE 2.2) 5-6 pages—This revision assignment entails a goal-oriented
revision of PE 2.1 that demonstrates substantive improvements in the particular areas suggested
by UT grader feedback. (30%)
Tips for citation success: 1) Carefully check that each quote and paraphrase has a citation before turning
in your PEER REVIEW DRAFT. 2) When summarizing or paraphrasing other people’s ideas ask
yourself ‘Whose words are these? Does this need quotation marks? Is this too close to the original?’ 3)
Clearly label all of your draft files and include your works cited list in your drafts so that when you are time
crunched you have a back-up system.
SCHOLASTIC HONESTY
Before beginning the course, complete the OnRamps Orientation course in Canvas, which includes
exercises about academic integrity. Turning in work that is not your own, or any other form of scholastic
dishonesty, will result in a major course penalty, possibly failure of the course. This standard applies to all
drafts and assignments, and a report of the incident will be submitted to the Office of the Dean of
Students and filed in your permanent UT record. So, take care to read and understand the Statement on
Scholastic Responsibility, which can be found online at
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/rhetoric/firstyearwriting/plagiarismcollusion.php. If you have any doubts
about your use of sources, ask your instructor for help before handing in the assignment.
Possible accommodations that are allowable depending on your need and disability include extended test
time, test administration in a reduced-distraction area, utilizing speech software, using a calculator in
certain circumstances, or reading test questions aloud (but NOT explaining the questions).
You may make a request for an accommodation in your college distance course by using the secure form
at this link:
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/69fa2f6b8dd9429d9e598004bc8cacf1
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
OnRamps students are subject to the University’s academic integrity policies. Each student in the course
is expected to abide by the University’s Honor Code:
“As a student of The University of Texas at Austin, I shall abide by the core values of the
University and uphold academic integrity.”
This means that work you produce on assignments and exams is all your own work, unless it is
specifically assigned as group work. The Instructor of Record or your high school teacher will make it
clear for each assignment or exam whether collaboration is allowed.
Always cite your sources. If you use words or ideas that are not your own (or that you have used in work
submitted in a previous class, you must make that clear using MLA citation strategies for paraphrasing
and quoting. Otherwise, the work is considered plagiarism and subject to academic disciplinary action, up
to and including failure of the assignment or of the entire course.
You are responsible for reading and understanding UT’s Academic Honesty Policy which can be found
here: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/acint_student.php.
More information about academic integrity may be found in the mandatory OnRamps Orientation in
Canvas.
COLLEGE CREDIT
This is a college course delivered via distance education through a dual-enrollment program, which
means you may earn credit through the UT Austin University Extension for RHE 306 in addition to earning
high school credit.
Your high school teacher is responsible for assigning high school grades and determining high school
credit. The OnRamps Instructor of Record is responsible for assigning college grades and determining
college eligibility and credit. High school grades may differ from college grades, even on identical
assignments, because of differences in high school and college expectations. Your high school grades
AND work will not contribute to your college grade.
The table below describes the college credit process. Throughout the year you will be provided with
detailed information and instructions for accessing the portal and indicating your decisions about your
college course.
Important Steps and Dates in College Credit Process—MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Dates (Central
Step Action
Time)
Visit the OnRamps Student Portal to select the type of credit you wish to
earn if you qualify for eligibility for college credit:
• Letter Grade: You are taking the course for a letter grade, such
as A, B, C, or D. If you earn and accept credit for the course, the Mon. Oct. 1, 8am
1 letter grade you earn will appear on your UT Austin transcript, – Fri. Oct. 19,
• Pass/Fail: You are taking the course for credit only. If you earn 5pm
and accept credit for the course, “CR” indicating credit earned will
appear on your UT Austin transcript.
If you plan to attend a college other than UT Austin, please consult that college to fully understand how
letter grades and Pass/Fail designations are treated in terms of transfer. For many Texas institutions,
OnRamps courses will transfer as credit without the letter grade.
CLAIMING UT CREDIT
All enrolled students that successfully meet the college-readiness requirements and complete the college
course will be assigned a final college course grade in May. You may elect to claim your UT credit or not.
We encourage you to discuss this choice with your high school counselor. If you accept your letter grade
for UT credit, that credit is guaranteed to transfer to public Texas colleges and universities. Save this
syllabus in case the college you choose to attend needs it to determine course equivalency.
This is a no-risk proposition. If you are not satisfied with your college grade, you don’t need to claim it. If
you are, take the credit wherever you go to school. Either way, you will have experience with what is
expected in college, and you will be ready to handle it.