Eastern Illinois University

Flach, Ashley

English

ENG 1001G-600 College Composition I

Whittemore, Amie

Eastern Illinois University 
The Keep 
Spring 2025 2025 
Spring 1-15-2025 
ENG 1002G-007 College Composition II 
Amie Whittemore 
Eastern Illinois University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://thekeep.eiu.edu/english_syllabi_spring2025 
Recommended Citation 
Whittemore, Amie, "ENG 1002G-007 College Composition II" (2025). Spring 2025. 80. 
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/english_syllabi_spring2025/80 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the 2025 at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion 
in Spring 2025 by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact tabruns@eiu.edu. 
English 1002: College Composition II Argument & Critical Inquiry, Spring 2025  
Amie Whittemore (she/her) (awhittemore@eiu.edu) 
In-Person & Zoom Office Hours:  TR: 10:30am-11:00am and 2:00pm-3:30pm  COLE 3566 or 
9:00am-11:00am Wednesdays via zoom: https://eiu.zoom.us/my/amie.whittemore 
 
 
What’s English 1002 all about?  
Welcome to English 1002! In this course, you will 
expand on the skills you learned in English 1001. 
College Composition II focuses on argumentation 
and the critical inquiry and use of sources and 
arguments. Course work entails analyzing others’ 
arguments and writing a variety of well-researched 
and ethically responsible arguments. You’ll gain 
further practice finding relevant information from a 
variety of sources and evaluating, synthesizing, and 
presenting that information. C1 901R (WC) 
 
This is a hands-on course: our work each week will 
involve a mix of reading, writing, short lectures, and 
small/large group discussion via our in class meetings and online activities. In addition to analyzing 
various texts and conducting research, you will provide feedback on each other’s work on occasion. The 
course will culminate in a final presentation, reflecting on your work for the semester. Throughout the 
course, you will reflect on your experience and growth as a reader, writer, thinker, and learner.  
 
What are the student learning objectives?  
Students will demonstrate the ability to: 
● Apply the principles of argument—claims, reasons, evidence, assumptions, counter-arguments, 
and counter-argumentation—in written documents 
● Produce cogent written arguments that consider ideas, issues, problems, and evidence from 
multiple perspectives 
● Evaluate primary and secondary source evidence, including quantitative data, to determine its 
credibility, appropriateness, and relevance 
● Integrate sources ethically, appropriately, and consistently in written documents 
● Use data and create graphical elements in their writing 
● Recognize how to transfer their writing processes, understanding of rhetorical principles, genre 
awareness, understanding of argumentative principles, and the research process to other 
writing situations 
● Present work in Edited American English 
 
What books/materials do I need?  
All materials will be provided on D2L/Perusall (app associated with D2L) and most of our readings will 
be from The Ask, an open educational resource from Middle Tennessee State University’s English 
Whittemore 1 
 
Department. Access to D2L (Brightspace) and your EIU email account are also required and you are 
expected to login to both places regularly. 
 
What will we do?  
Our theme this semester will be “attention” and you will craft three arguments about an issue you find 
worthy of attention.  
 
Below you will find a brief description of how I will evaluate your work this semester. You will receive 
more detailed information about assignments as we progress through the semester.  
 
Major Projects (500 points = 100 points per project) 
● Project 1: Entering the Conversation: For your first essay, you will analyze and evaluate an 
editorial from The New York Times or other reputable source and enter into argumentative 
conversation with this source. 
● Project 2: Classical Argument: For your second essay, you will continue on the same topic, 
crafting a classical argument. 
● Project 3: Proposal For your third essay, you will continue with the same topic, but write about 
it from a proposal standpoint, identifying a problem and offering a solution related to your 
topic.  
● Project 4: Revision and Remix: You will revise and remix one of the first three projects and write 
a short reflection commenting on how you approached the remixing and revision processes 
(Not sure what “remix” means? Don’t worry, we’ll cover that.) 
● Project 5: Final Reflective Presentation You will create a final presentation, reflecting on what 
you learned about your topic, as well as the importance of attention overall, and yourself as a 
writer and researcher. 
 
Exams & Informal Work (500 points) 
● In Class Exams (2 exams worth 150 points each = 300 points): Twice this semester, you will 
analyze two of your sources in class, using the techniques of rhetorical analysis and evaluation. 
Each exam is worth 150 points.  
● Informal Work (40 items, each worth 5 points = 200 points): Throughout the semester, you will 
participate in informal writing exercises, discussion board conversations, annotations on 
readings in Perusall (a learning app we will use), and peer exchange of work. These informal 
exercises will help you be more successful on your major assignments and develop your 
understanding of yourself as a writer, reader, and thinker.  
 
How will my work be evaluated?  
This course uses labor-based grading. While, in most writing classes, you are often graded on the 
“quality” of your writing (and the quality is entirely context-based and can be performed with little 
effort at times), I will grade you on the quality of your “labor.” That is, I will grade your performance this 
semester on the amount of work you complete, on your ability to meet deadlines and fulfill 
expectations, and on the demonstrated time and effort you put toward achieving course goals. Yes, 
your classmates and I will address the quality of your writing, and I expect that after careful 
construction and revision, your writing will be of the highest quality. I will also expect you to put 
Whittemore 2 
 
forward the substantial time and effort it takes to improve upon the quality of your writing. My 
feedback to you will be primarily through written commentary on your work; however, if you’d prefer 
an audio recording, I am happy to do that for you!  
 
I’m grading your work this way because an emphasis on the time and effort you dedicate to this class, 
rather than an emphasis on quality or on grades, which are not always an accurate measure of learning, 
helps you to focus on your learning and development as a writer. It also invites you to take greater risks 
as a writer: this risk-taking is the most important thing you can do to develop as a writer. Also, this 
transparency (you will know exactly the grade you’re going to get in this class, because you determine 
the effort and time you choose to put into it) allows all members of the class to be intellectually honest 
with each other, and transparency is fundamental to my teaching philosophy.  
 
Grading Contracts 
Although your grade is dependent on labor, to receive credit for a project it must be complete. Thus, if 
your project does not meet the requirements of the assignment (if it does not include required 
components, use appropriate citation (if applicable), meet length requirements, or adhere to academic 
integrity standards, for instance), then it will not receive credit. You will have an opportunity to revise 
major projects to meet completion standards.  
 
A = satisfactory completion of 900-1000 of the 1000 available points  
B = satisfactory completion of 800-899 of the 1000 available points  
C = satisfactory completion of 700-799 of the 1000 available points 
NC = satisfactory completion of 699 or fewer of the 1000 available points 
 
● To pass English 1002 with gen ed credit, students must earn a C or higher. Otherwise, an NC will 
be assigned (no credit) unless a significant issue with academic integrity has occurred, in which 
case an F may be assigned.  
● Failure to complete work will result in an NC or failing grade in the course. But there is no need 
to fail! Just do the work, and talk to me if you’re in a jam.    
 
Anything else I should know about grading?  
All grading is based on a “yes / no” scale. So, the only grade options  available for Project 1, for 
instance, is 0 (needs revision) or 100 (meets standards). If you do not receive a 100, you can revise your 
essay for credit. Similarly, the two exams will be short answer questions; your ability to meet question 
criteria will determine your grade. That criteria will be presented to you prior to the exams.  
 
All informal work is also scored on a “yes/no” scale, so if you do the homework to a satisfactory extent, 
you’ll get full credit. Definitions of “satisfactory” will be provided as we move through the class.   
 
What’s your late work policy?  
I will be generous with deadlines if you communicate with me in advance of them passing. Ideally, all 
Informal Work should be done by the time it is due as it will support your ongoing development as a 
writer this semester. For the most part, Informal Work will not be granted extensions, though I do make 
exceptions during extenuating circumstances; the way the course is set up, even if you miss a couple of 
Whittemore 3 
 
these assignments, they will not adversely impact your grade. All of that said, please communicate with 
me if you are having trouble meeting deadlines and we can work something out!  
 
If you need an extension on one of the major projects, please email me to arrange an alternative 
deadline before the deadline has passed. For the most part, extensions will not be longer than a week.  
 
Deadlines serve us as writers and as a community in several ways: 1) they force us to produce work 
despite our anxieties about doing so; 2) by participating in discussion together, in a timely fashion, we 
can help each other learn and think about the texts we are engaging with and trying to create 
ourselves. Frequent missing of deadlines will make it difficult to pass the course and get as much out of 
it as you can.  
 
How should everyone behave in class, including the instructor? 
In this course we will discuss ideas with which you may disagree or that you may question—and that’s a 
wonderful thing. How boring it would be if we all agreed on everything! I hope you find yourself 
challenged and introduced to new perspectives, both from our readings and from your fellow 
classmates. I expect you to engage with others’ ideas respectfully and thoughtfully, to put forth honest 
effort in your work, to ask questions when you’re uncertain, and to take notes on your reading and 
during our in-person meetings, as needed.  
 
You can expect me to answer questions thoughtfully and provide you with clear objectives and 
standards for every activity and assignment in class. You are expected to treat your classmates with 
respect and can expect me to treat you with respect. Also, be sure when communicating on D2L to be 
thoughtful about your posts and proofread carefully. Humor doesn’t always translate well to the 
written word, so be mindful of your classmates’ feelings when you post.  
  
A Note on Academic Integrity 
Academic Integrity—Students are expected to maintain 
principles of academic integrity and conduct as defined 
in EIU’s Code of Conduct 
https://www.eiu.edu/deanofstudents/conductcode.php. 
Violations will be reported to the Dean of Students. 
https://www.eiu.edu/deanofstudents/ 
No AI generated work will be accepted in this class 
without prior permission and discussion of ethical use of 
AI. If I suspect the unethical use of AI, I will let you know 
in a straightforward way and you will have the chance to 
discuss your work and revise it, as necessary.  
 
Whittemore 4 
 
Students with Disabilities 
  
Students with Disabilities—If you are a student with a documented disability in need of 
accommodations to fully participate in this class, please contact the Office of Accessibility and 
Accommodations. All accommodations must be approved through Office of Accessibility and 
Accommodations. Please stop by McAfee Gym, Room 1336, or call 217-581-6583 to make an 
appointment. 
Academic Support Center 
Students who could use additional help achieving their academic goals are encouraged to contact the 
Academic Support Center https://www.eiu.edu/academicsupportcenter/. The Academic Support 
Center provides individual consultations, as well as assistance with time management, test taking, note 
taking, avoiding procrastination, setting goals, and other skills to support academic achievement. In 
addition, Academic Alerts may be utilized by faculty to help students who are not making academic 
progress or are not attending classes regularly get connected with the Academic Support Center and 
other important resources. To make an appointment, call 217-581-6696, or go to McAfee Gym, Room 
2230. 
 
I’m feeling a little lost. What should I do?  
Come visit me during my office hours (listed on page 1 at the top). These hours are your chance to 
talk with me about any aspect of the course or your experiences at EIU.  
 
What’s the Writing Center? 
I encourage you to use the EIU Writing Center located at 3110 Coleman Hall. This free resource 
provides one-to-one conferences with writing consultants who can help you with brainstorming, 
organizing, developing support, documenting, and revising your papers. 
The Writing Center is open to work with any student from any major at any stage of his or her writing 
process, and its system of one-to-one conferences demonstrates value and respect for individual 
writers, all of whom can benefit from feedback about their works in progress. The center is not a 
proofreading or editing or remedial service, however. It is a place where you can learn how to become 
a more thoughtful, independent, and rhetorically effective writer. 
To schedule an appointment, you can drop by the center (3110 Coleman Hall) or you can call 581-5929. 
The writing center is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. On Friday 
hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Consulting sessions last anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes. 
 
Do you offer extra credit?  
Your best option for extra credit is through visiting the Writing Center. You can make up three (3) 
missing informal assignments by substituting in a writing center visit (so 1 visit = 1 missing informal 
assignment, limit 3). All you need to do is request the Writing Center to email you a confirmation of 
your visit and forward that email to me to receive extra credit. Occasionally other extra credit will be 
Whittemore 5 
 
possible through attending English Dept events and readings.  
 
Student Well-Being:  
Your well-being is important. If you are experiencing emotional or mental health challenges, please 
consult this list for resources: https://www.eiu.edu/fdic/Student%20_Well-Being_26-July-2022.pdf 
Is everything in this document set in stone?  
We will stick to this schedule as closely as possible. Any changes will be posted in D2L.  
 
Whittemore 6 
 
English 1002 Schedule Spring 2025 
Week 1:  
January 14th: Introductions, syllabus overview, thoughts on argument and research 
Homework due January 16: Read “Habits of Mind” overview and watch TED talk on “soldier/scout” 
mindset and respond in D2L discussion. Read and annotate “Good Writers Always Follow my Rules”in 
D2L. 
 
January 16th: Skills Inventory, Introduction to “attention” and assignment sequence 
Homework due January 21: Review MLA format and submit practice essay to dropbox.  
 
Week 2:  
January 21: Introduction to Project 1 & Reject File 
Homework due January 23: Review MLA format and submit practice essay to dropbox.  
 
January 23: Project 1 Brainstorming & Researching Strategies 
Homework due January 28:  “Introduction: Entering the Conversation”  and “Go Ahead: Waste Time on 
the Internet” by Kenneth Goldsmith  in They Say, I Say (available on Perusall) 
 
Week 3:  
January 28: Conferences, No Class 
Homework due January 30: Complete conference prep activities and discussion board (see D2L for 
details).  
 
January 30: Conferences, No Class 
Homework due February 4:  Read “Reading Like a Writer” and “The Rhetorical Appeals”  in Perusall. 
Submit Topic Proposal to Dropbox.  
 
Week 4:  
February 4: Discuss Reading, MLA formatting and Prepare for Exam 1 
Homework due February 6: Prepare for Exam #1: Rhetorical Analysis of Editorial for Project 1 (see D2L 
for details). 
Whittemore 7 
 
 
February 6: Exam 1  
Homework due February 11: Read “Yes/No/Okay, But” in Perusall and bring materials to class to work 
on Project 1.  
 
Week 5:  
February 11: Project 1 Development 
Homework due February 13: Bring rough draft of Project 1 to class. 
 
February 13: Project 1 Development Continued 
Homework due February 18: Final Draft of Project 1. 
 
Week 6:  
February 18: Project 1 Reflection & Remix Activities 
Homework due February 20: Read “Wikipedia is Good for You?!” by John Purdy and “Reading Academic 
Sources” and “Using Academic Databases” on Perusall . 
 
February 20: Project 2 Begins 
Homework due February 25: Read “Chapter 6: Skeptics May Object” (TSIS 82-95) and “Social Media: 
The Screen, the Brain, and Human Nature” by Justin Vinh (TSIS 607-613) in Perusall.  
 
Week 7:  
February 25: Project 2:  Classical Argumentation 
Homework due February 27: Read “Classical Argumentation” and student examples 
 
February 27: Project 2: Reviewing Argumentative Strategies 
Homework due March 4: Read and annotate chapters on argument, signal phrases, and quotations 
from The Ask on Perusall. 
 
Week 8:  
March 4: Project 2: Research Time & Support 
Homework due March 6: Prep for Exam 2 
Whittemore 8 
 
 
March 6: Exam 2 
Homework due March 11: Bring Project 2 Prep materials to class.  
 
Week 9:  
March 11: Project 2: Rough Draft Development 
Homework due March 13: Final Draft of Project 2 Due 
 
March 13: Project 2: Final Draft Due; Remix & Midterm Reflection Activities 
Homework due March 25: No homework due. 
 
Week 10: Spring Break, No Class 
 
Week 11:  
March 25: Project 3 Begins 
Homework due March 27: Readings in Perusall on proposal writing,  categorizing types of sources, and 
conducting primary research.  
 
March 27: Project 3 Continues 
Homework due April 1: Read “Designing What You Write” in Perusall. 
 
Week 12:  
April 1: Project 3 Continues: Visual Aids 
Homework due April 3: Read Proposal Examples in Perusall  
 
April 3: Project 3 Continues: Examples 
Homework due April 8: Project 3 Prep Materials, Including Sample Visual Aid  
 
 
Whittemore 9 
 
Week 13:  
April 8: Visual Aid Share & Work Time 
Homework due April 10: Rough draft of Project 3 
 
April 10: No Class, Project 3 Conferences 
Homework due April 15: Final Draft of Project 3 Due 
 
Week 14:  
April 15: Project 3 Final Draft Due; Remix Activities 
Homework due April 17: Reject File Due 
 
April 17: Prep for Project 4 
Homework due April 22: Read “What I Really Want To Say Is” in Perusall. 
 
Week 15:  
April 22: Project 4 Activities 
Homework due April 24: Bring Materials to Class for Work Day 
 
April 24: Independent Work Day  
Homework due April 29: Project 4 Due 
 
Week 16:  
April 29: Project 4 Remix Shares 
Homework due May 1: Project 5 Prep  
 
May 1: Project 5 Prep 
Final Presentation (Project 5) Due Thursday, May 8, 11:59pm.  
 
 
Note: We will not meet during finals week. Project 5 must be submitted by 11:59pm on Thursday, 
May 8.  Please continue to check your EIU email during finals week as I may have last minute 
questions for you.  
Whittemore 10 
 


ENG 1002G-007 College Composition II

Spear, Rashelle

ENG 3005-001 Technical Communication

Tacke, Elizabeth

ENG 3402-001 Methods of Teaching Literature in the Middle and Secondary School

Park, Suzie

Eastern Illinois University 
The Keep 
Spring 2025 2025 
Spring 1-15-2025 
ENG 4390-098 English Studies Capstone, Honors 
Suzie Park 
Eastern Illinois University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://thekeep.eiu.edu/english_syllabi_spring2025 
Recommended Citation 
Park, Suzie, "ENG 4390-098 English Studies Capstone, Honors" (2025). Spring 2025. 113. 
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/english_syllabi_spring2025/113 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the 2025 at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion 
in Spring 2025 by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact tabruns@eiu.edu. 
ENGLISH STUDIES CAPSTONE 
English 4300/4390 
Spring 2025 / CRN 33088 & 33527 / 3159 Coleman Hall / TuTh 3:30pm – 4:45pm 
 
Dr. Suzie Park 
email: sapark@eiu.edu  
office hours:  Tuesday and Thursday, 3:00-3:30pm @ 3030 Coleman Hall 
Wednesday, 10:00am-1:00pm @ 1010 Old Main 
 
Welcome to the English Studies Capstone!
 
See miniature photographic artist Tatsuya Tanaka’s www.miniature-calendar.com. 
 
Course Description 
This capstone course invites you to reflect upon what you have learned and what you hope to learn and 
achieve in the near—and perhaps far—future. You have chosen the English major. This is simply one 
outcome of decision-making in your university years. Your choice of career path is further determined by 
a series of decisions. But have you considered how much of what you do is freely chosen or deliberately 
acquired? Could you quantify—roughly—how much of what you do comes from habit? The word “habit” 
originally denoted dress or clothing (one’s external appearance) and only later denoted mental 
constitution (internally ingrained behaviors). When you must make an ethical decision, how do you know 
whether you are right or wrong, or whether you have relied upon habitual programming? Does an ethical 
decision require creativity? 
 
Focusing on pressing, real-world problems (such as homelessness in the U.S.), we will explore what it 
means to be an autonomous and ethical human being, all while writing an English studies project 
designed for the public.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
Texts              
Adler, Kevin, and Donald Burnes. When We Walk By: Forgotten Humanity, Broken Systems, and the Role We 
Can Each Play in Ending Homelessness in America. North Atlantic Books, 2023. 
Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. 1972. Penguin, 1979. 
Graff, Gerald. “They Say/I Say”: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, with Readings. Norton, 2016. 
Hanh, Thich Nhat. The Miracle of Mindfulness. Beacon P, 1999. 
Ishiguro, Kazuo. Never Let Me Go. Vintage, 2006. 
Norton, Mary. The Borrowers. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1953. 
 
Catalogue Description for English 4300 
This seminar for seniors and advanced students emphasizes research and writing skills and their applicability 
in wider public contexts. Topics vary each semester but will cohere around considerations of the role of 
English studies in public discourse (digital and print) and culture. Required of English and English Language 
Arts majors. 
 
Learning Objectives for English 4300 
1. Advance critical reading skills in various genres and media within English studies and across a 
variety of public fora  
2. Demonstrate research skills in one or more fields within English studies using scholarly databases 
and archives  
3. Demonstrate ability to analyze scholarly and/or public documents in various media with attention to 
literary, rhetorical, and/or public contexts  
4. Develop critical writing skills and strategies by producing documents of various length and 
complexity for various audiences  
5. Hone English studies skills in order to engage with regional, national, and/or international issues  
6. Develop ability to present or otherwise disseminate their work in a public forum, both in writing and 
orally  
7. Listen and respond articulately to the ideas and perspectives represented by the instructor and peers 
 
REQUIREMENTS: BEFORE YOU COMMIT TO THIS CLASS  
 
CAPSTONE SEMINAR PROJECT: We will be reading fiction and non-fiction that will require sustained 
attention in reading. By putting fictional works into conversation with other provocative works, we will think 
together about crafting individual seminar projects that showcase your talents as a budding public intellectual. 
You will 1) conduct research about historical contexts and applications to our current historical moment, and 
2) produce a seminar project that fleshes out a theory of your own about the value of communicating with the 
public about human autonomy, creativity, and ethics. 
 
PLAGIARISM (using another writer’s written words or ideas without giving properly documented 
credit) will not be tolerated and will result in a FAILING GRADE on the assignment, if not for the 
course. I will follow the departmental policy on plagiarism:  
 
“Any teacher who discovers an act of plagiarism—‘The appropriation or imitation of the language, ideas, 
and/or thoughts of another author, and representation of them as one’s own original work’ (Random House 
Dictionary of the English Language)—has the right and responsibility to impose upon the guilty student an 
appropriate penalty, up to and including immediate assignments of a grade of F for the assigned essay and a 
grade of F for the course, and to report the incident to the Dean of Students. Respect for the work of others 
should encompass all formats, including print, electronic, and oral sources.”  
***Always submit your assignments using correct MLA (Modern Language Association) format.*** 
 
USING AI RESOURCES RESPONSIBLY: See above about plagiarism and see the following guidance: 
https://www.eiu.edu/fdic/ai_guidance.php 
 
 
 3 
CONFERENCES: As I get to know your writing better throughout the semester, I will require that you meet with me 
on an individual basis. In these conferences, we will discuss where you think your writing and critical skills are 
improving or need more work.   
 
LATE POLICY: For the purposes of your class participation grade, being late for class is the same as being absent. In 
addition, all papers and assignments are due at a specified time. 
 
ABSENCE POLICY: If you miss more than five class period meetings, you will not pass this course. When you are 
absent, two things happen. First, your participation grade drops substantially. Second, you naturally fall behind in 
understanding course material and neither the class nor the professor can catch you up on everything missed in a day’s 
class. YOU need to decide when it is absolutely necessary to miss class. Be wise. Without a properly verified absence 
(“due to illness, emergency, participation in an official University activity, or participation in volunteer emergency 
work”), you cannot make up missed work and late assignments will be penalized. You must complete your Mid-Term 
and Final Exams on the scheduled dates.  
  
EMAILING POLICY: I want to get to know you and your work this semester. Thus I ask that you stop by my office(s) 
during office hours (or other scheduled times) so that we can talk.  
  
WRITING FORMAT: Your papers must include page numbers. Format: 12-point Times New Roman font, double-
spaced, with one-inch margins.  
 
PARTICIPATION: This means more than simply being present in class. It means being on-time, prepared (BRING 
YOUR CORRECT TEXTBOOKS AND HANDOUTS TO CLASS), thoughtful, respectful of others, engaged, and 
fruitfully open to criticism. While you’re in class, respect your teacher and fellow students. No cell phone use. 
 
GRADES: See the attached GRADING RUBRIC for details of the grading criteria I will use. 
Class Participation (10%) 
Word essays, in-class assignments, quizzes (20%) 
Discussion Post Responses (10%) 
Mid-Term (10%) 
Final Seminar Presentation (10%) 
Final Seminar Project: Abstract (5%), Draft (10%), Final (15%) 
Final Exam (10%) 
 
UNIVERSITY-WIDE POLICIES  
Academic integrity: Students are expected to maintain principles of academic integrity and conduct as defined in EIU’s Code 
of Conduct: https://www.eiu.edu/deanofstudents/conductcode.php. Violations will be reported to the Dean of 
Students: https://www.eiu.edu/deanofstudents/ 
 
Students with disabilities: If you are a student with a documented disability in need of accommodations to fully participate in 
this class, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations. All accommodations must be approved through 
Office of Accessibility and Accommodations. Please stop by McAfee Gym, Room 1336, or call 217-581-6583 to make an 
appointment. 
 
Academic Support Center: Students who could use additional help achieving their academic goals are encouraged to contact 
the Academic Support Center: https://www.eiu.edu/academicsupportcenter/. The Academic Support Center provides 
individual consultations, as well as assistance with time management, test taking, note taking, avoiding procrastination, setting 
goals, and other skills to support academic achievement. In addition, Academic Alerts may be utilized by faculty to help 
students who are not making academic progress or are not attending classes regularly get connected with the Academic 
Support Center and other important resources. To make an appointment, call 217-581-6696, or go to McAfee Gym, Room 
2230. 
 
EWP (Electronic Writing Portfolio): Over the course of their undergraduate careers, all students are required to submit two 
papers that meet the minimum requirements listed on this website (750 words minus title page and citations; written for a 
course; non-fiction expository prose): https://www.eiu.edu/assess/ewpmain.php Each submission is due by the last day of that 
current semester’s finals week. 
 
 4 
Schedule Readings (subject to change) Sign up for your “word” essay 
Week 1: Tu 
1/14/25 
 
• Introductions  
• Excerpt from Bruce Robbins, “Cruelty 
Is Bad” (H=handout) 
Each word essay/discussion post is due on Tuesday 
by 12pm on D2L. 
Th 1/16 Kazuo Ishiguro: Never Let Me Go 
Part I, Ch. 1-3 (pp. 3-36) 
 
Kevin Adler: When We Walk By 
Preface (pp.xv-xxiii) 
Short responses to Word discussion posts are due 
each Thursday by 12pm on D2L. 
Week 2: 
Tu 1/21 
 
 
Never Let Me Go 
Part I, Ch. 4-6 (pp. 37-76) 
 
When We Walk By 
Introduction (pp. 1-15) 
1.Ishiguro: 
 
2.Adler: 
 
Th 1/23 Never Let Me Go 
Part I, Ch. 7-9 (pp. 77-111) 
 
When We Walk By 
Ch. 1: Relational Poverty (pp. 19-32) 
(Monday, 1/27: last day to drop course) 
 
Post your responses to classmates’ Word discussion 
posts on D2L by 12pm. 
Week 3:  
Tu 1/28 
Never Let Me Go 
Part II, Ch. 10-12 (pp. 115-145) 
 
When We Walk By 
Ch. 2: Stigma, Stereotypes, and Shame 
(pp. 33-47) 
1.Ishiguro: 
 
2.Adler: 
 
Th 1/30 Never Let Me Go 
Part II, Ch. 10-12 (pp. 115-145) 
 
When We Walk By 
Ch. 3: Exclusion (pp. 49-59) 
 
Alex Woloch: “Two Kinds of Minorness,” 
extract from The One vs. the Many (H) 
Post your responses to classmates’ Word discussion 
posts on D2L by 12pm. 
 
LIONS IN WINTER FESTIVAL 
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/lionsinwinter/ 
 
Wednesday, January 29, 12:00pm  
Thursday, January 30  
Week 4:  
Tu 2/4 
 
 
Never Let Me Go 
Part II, Ch. 13-15 (pp. 146-183) 
 
When We Walk By 
Ch. 4: Paternalism (pp. 61-75) 
1.Ishiguro: 
 
2.Adler: 
 
Th 2/6 
 
Never Let Me Go 
Part II, Ch. 16-17 (pp. 184-203) 
 
When We Walk By 
Ch. 5: Individualism (pp. 77-85) 
 
Thorstein Veblen: Theory of the Leisure 
Class, extract (H) 
Post your responses to classmates’ Word discussion 
posts on D2L by 12pm. 
Week 5:  
Tu 2/11 
 
Never Let Me Go 
Part III, Ch. 18-20 (pp. 207-245) 
 
When We Walk By 
Ch. 6: Housing (pp. 89-103) 
1.Ishiguro: 
 
2.Adler: 
 
 
 5 
 
Th 2/13 Never Let Me Go 
Part III, Ch. 21-23 (pp. 246-288) 
 
When We Walk By 
Ch. 7: Work, Wages, and Wealth (pp. 
105-115) 
1.Ishiguro: 
 
2.Adler: 
 
Week 6:  
Tu 2/18 
 
Michel Foucault: “Panopticism” (H) 
 
Panopticism answers due on D2L by 12pm. 
Post your responses to classmates’ Word discussion 
posts on D2L by 12pm. 
 
Th 2/20 Mary Norton: The Borrowers 
Ch. 1-4 (pp. 3-34) 
 
Post your responses to classmates’ Word discussion 
posts on D2L by 12pm. 
Week 7:  
Tu 2/25 
 
The Borrowers 
Ch. 5-8 (pp. 35-70) 
 
Th 2/27 
 
The Borrowers 
Ch. 9-12 (pp. 71-104) 
 
 
DUE: Draft of conference abstract 
Week 8: 
Tu 3/4 
 
The Borrowers 
Ch. 13-16 (pp. 105-137) 
  
Individual conferences with Dr. Park 
Tu 3/6 The Borrowers 
Ch. 17-20 (pp. 138-180) 
 
 
DUE: Draft of conference presentation 
Week 9: 
Tu 3/11 
RESEARCH FINAL PAPER  
 
 
SPRING BREAK 3/17 – 3/21    Have fun and be safe! 
Week 10: 
Tu 3/25 
PANEL PROPOSALS DUE: EIU 
Student Research and Creative Activity 
Conference  
 
RESEARCH/DRAFT FINAL PAPER 
Individual conferences with Dr. Park 
 
Proposals due Thursday, March 27, for optional EIU 
conference on April 25: 
https://www.eiu.edu/studentresearch/ 
Week 11: 
Tu 4/1 
DRAFT PAPER FOR PRESENTATION  
Week 12: 
Tu 4/8 
 
PRACTICE DELIVERY OF 
PRESENTATION 
 
→WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9: Required presentation at 
English Studies Conference 
 
Week 13: 
Tu 4/15 
DRAFT FINAL SEMINAR PROJECT  
Week 14: 
Tu 4/22 
DRAFT FINAL SEMINAR PROJECT →FRIDAY, APRIL 25: Optional presentation at EIU 
Student Research & Creative Activity Conference 
Week 15: 
Tu 4/29 
FINISH FINAL SEMINAR PROJECT FINAL EXAM: THURSDAY, MAY 8 
2:45pm-4:45pm 


ENG 4390-098 English Studies Capstone, Honors

ENG 4760-001 Special Topics in Professional Writing

Worthington, Marjorie

Eastern Illinois University 
The Keep 
Spring 2025 2025 
Spring 1-15-2025 
ENG 4904Z-001 Studies in Film 
Marjorie Worthington 
Eastern Illinois University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://thekeep.eiu.edu/english_syllabi_spring2025 
Recommended Citation 
Worthington, Marjorie, "ENG 4904Z-001 Studies in Film" (2025). Spring 2025. 124. 
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/english_syllabi_spring2025/124 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the 2025 at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion 
in Spring 2025 by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact tabruns@eiu.edu. 
ENG 4904: Studies in Film: Conspiracy Theory Films 
Professor: Dr. Marjorie Worthington 
Email: mgworthington@eiu.edu 
Office: Coleman Hall 3321 
Class: Mon. 3-5pm, Coleman Hall 3130 
Wed. 3-4: 15, Coleman Hall 3130 
Office Hours: MW l lam,-2pm or by appt. 
NOTE: Remember that we meet in different rooms on Mondays and Wednesdays! 
CATALOG DESCRIPTION: fu-depth study of major periods, genres, histo1y, criticism and/or theory of film. 
Topics to be announced. (Group 5) WI 
COURSE DESCRIPTION: A conspiracy theory is a belief that ce1tain world events are caused by shadowy, secret, 
yet powerful groups. Such theo1ies have been around for centuries, but significant elections, worldwide viral 
outbreaks, and the ability of social media to spread information quickly have combined to cause a veritable 
explosion of conspiracy the01ies. For decades, the conspiracy theory has been a popular topic in film, often 
depicting a hero with exclusive knowledge in a battle for truth against powerful yet hidden forces. This course 
will explore the many different ways conspiracy theories have been depicted in fictional, hist01ical and 
documentary films. We will look at how these films have changed over the years and how they reflect the 
cultures from which they emerge. 
TEXTBOOKS: 
The Anatomy of Film, Bernard F. Dick, referred to as "Anatomy" on the syllabus 
Routledge Encyclopedia of Film Theory, Edward Branigan, Ed., refened to as "Encyclopedia" on the syllabus 
FILMS: (All will be made available to stream in D2L, but we will watch most of them during class time and you 
will be required to attend!) 
Manchurian Candidate (1962) 
The Step ford Wives (197 5) 
No Way Out (1987) 
They Live (1988) 
Wag the Dog (1997) 
Enemy of the State (1998) 
Arlington Road (1999) 
A Scanner Darkly (2006) 
Spotlight (2015) 
Sony to Bother You (2018) 
Under the Silver Lake (2018) 
Don't Worry Darling (2022) 
COURSE OBJECTIVES: In this course, students will: 
1. Evaluate genre films as art f mm and cultural artifact 
2. Analyze and synthesize theories of film form and visual style 
3. Identify and analyze both narrative and non-narrative cinema 
4. Identify, critique and apply film theories and historical contexts to cinema 
5. Write analytically and effectively about cinema and related concepts 
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS: 
Film Screenings: We have time scheduled in our course to watch films together. We will usually do so 
(although sometimes I'll tell you to watch the films on your own - they are all available in our course D2L 
page). A community forms when we watch films together: I want our course to become this kind of community. 
ENG 4904, Spring 2025 
For this reason you must attend all class sessions and film screenings. When we watch films, you can bring 
snacks and drinks and even bring stuff to share if you are so inclined! I'll tly to do so as well. Often, the film 
will go longer than our class period. When that happens, we' ll finish it at our next class session. 
Short Essays: You will have to w1ite a series of sh01t essays (1 page single-spaced for undergrads, 2 pages 
single spaced for graduate students). Their due dates are clearly posted below and essays must be turned in to 
the D2L Dropbox by class time on the due date. 
Quizzes: Periodically we will have quizzes on the course mate1ial. Some of them are indicated on the syllabus, 
some are pop quizzes. Some are on the readings and terms from those readings, some may be on the films 
themselves. If we're having a quiz, it will be at the beginning of class, so if you're late, you cannot take the 
quiz. You cannot make up quizzes if you have an unexcused absence. 
Long Essay: You will wiite a longer essay (8 pages double spaced for undergrads, 15 pages for graduate 
students). This essay will be a comparison of the cinematography of three of the films we will be watching. So 
for this reason (and many other reasons) it' s a good idea to take good notes while watching the films! 
Presentation: You will give a presentation that illuminates one of the filmic tenns we will discuss in our 
course. You will have to show at least one film clip to demonstrate how that tenn operates. 
2 
Grad Students: You will also give an additional presentation about the production and reception hist01y of one 
of the films from our course. 
Final Exam: This exam will be cumulative, will cover the readings and the films and will involve short answer 
and essay questions. Pait of it may be take-home. 
POLICIES: 
Attendance: I take attendance eve1y day (even if you do not see me doing it). You ai·e pennitted no more than 
two unexcused absences. Each unexcused absence after two will lower your final grade by thi1ty points (3%). 
Excused absences are accompanied by approp1iate legal or medical documentation. 
Office Hours: I encourage you to come see me whenever you like. Come to ask questions, discuss problems or 
just to chat. Additional office hours can be held via Zoom and we can meet at times that are convenient for you. 
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined as appropriating words or ideas that ai·e not your own without giving proper 
credit. The temptation to plagia1ize can be great, paiticulai·ly in the advent of extensive computer technology 
and the collaborative nature of our class. However, the consequences of plagiai·ism ai·e dire and can result in a 
grade ofF for the assignment and even for the course. It will also result in a report to the Judicial Affairs Office. 
Academic Integrity: Students ai·e expected to maintain principles of acade1nic integiity and conduct as defined 
in Ell's Code of Conduct https://www.eiu.edu/deanofstudents/conductcode.php. Violations will be rep01ted to 
the Dean of Students. https://www.eiu.edu/deanofstudents/ 
Students with Disabilities: If you are a student with a documented disability in need of accommodations to 
fully paiticipate in this class, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations. All 
accommodations must be approved through Office of Accessibility and Accommodations. Please stop by 
McAfee Gym, Room 1336, or call 217-581-6583 to make an appointment. 
Academic Support Center: Students who could use additional help achieving their acade1nic goals are 
encouraged to contact the Acadeinic Support Center https://www.eiu.edu/academicsupportcenter/. The 
ENG 4904, Spring 2025 3 
Academic Support Center provides individual consultations, as well as assistance with time management, test 
taking, note taking, avoiding procrastination, setting goals, and other skills to suppo1t academic achievement. In 
addition, Academic Ale1ts may be utilized by faculty to help students who are not making academic progress or 
are not attending classes regularly get connected with the Academic Suppo1t Center and other important 
resomces. To make an appointment, call 217-581-6696, or go to McAfee Gym, Room 2230. 
Writing Center: EIU's Writing Center provides free one-to-one conferences with writing center consultants 
who can help you with brainstmming, organizing, developing suppmt, documenting your papers, and working 
with sentence-level concerns. To schedule an appointment, you can drop by the center (3 110 Coleman Hall) or 
you can call 581-5929 or click here: https://www.eiu.edu/writing/ 
Sexual Harassment and Misconduct: Eastern Illinois University prohibits relationship violence, stalking, 
sexual assault, sexual harassment, and other forms of sexual misconduct in any of its employment situations or 
educational programs and activities (see https://www.eiu.edu/mandatedinformation/assault.php). It is the 
responsibility of faculty chairpersons, administrators, and supervisors to info1m the appropliate offices about 
potential instances of sexual harassment. All other faculty and staff are expected to repo1t these incidents as 
well. Employees who are not required to report include those who work in the Counseling Clinic and Medical 
Clinic. Students are encouraged to contact the confidential advisor, located in the Counseling Clinic, who is 
able to provide support and advocacy, and explore options. 
Students who need to file a complaint have multiple options: 
•The University Police Depaitment (UPD) Phone: (217) 581-3212 (911 if an emergency). UPD office is open 
daily until 4:30 p.m.; officers ai·e on duty 24 hours. 
•The Office of Civil Rights and Diversity -Title IX Coordinator 1011 Old Main Phone: 581-5020 Hours: Open 
M-F from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and by appointment. 
•The Office of Student Accountability and Support: University Union-Lower Level Phone: 581-3827 Hours: 
Open M-F from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
• SACIS (Sexual Assault Counseling and Infonnation Services) is our community sexual assault services 
provider. Webpage: https://www.sacis.org/ Phone hotline: 1-888-345-2846; office phone (217) 348-5033. • 
Charleston City Police (for incidents occuning off cainpus): 614 6th Street Phone: (217) 348-5221 (911 if an 
emergency). 
The Interpersonal Violence Awareness Team's website has more helpful resources and infonnation: 
https://www.eiu.edu/sexualassaultresources/. EIU has an incident reporting fmm here: 
https :// cm.maxient. corn/rep01iingf01m.php?EastemlllinoisUniv &layout id=5. 
Student Wellbeing: I will try to bring snacks to class every day. Any student who faces challenges securing 
their food or housing and believes this may affect their pe1fonnance in the course is urged to contact your RA 
for suppo1t. Furthennore, please notify me if you are comfortable in doing so. This will enable me to help you 
access the help you need. These are weird and trying times. I know that. I also know that these times can take 
their toll in unexpected ways and your schoolwork can suffer because of it. I want you to be successful and will 
work with you to help you become so. In other words, don't drop out or blow off our class; talk to me about 
your situation. 
Grade Breakdown: 
Short Essays (5 at 50 points each): 25% 
Quizzes: 15% 
Long Essay: 20% 
Presentation: 20% 
Final Exam: 20% 
ENG 4904, Spring 2025 
SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS 
WEEKl-
Jan 13 M INTRODUCTION & Film viewing: Manchmian Candidate 
15 W Manchurian Candidate, cont'd. 
WEEK2 
20 M MLK Day -NO CLASS 
22 W READ: Anatomy, Chapter 1, READING QUIZ 
WEEK3-
4 
27 M Film viewing: The Stepford Wives, SHORT ESSAY 1: 1970s Women's Movement Essay due 
29 W READ: Anatomy, Chapter 3, READING QUIZ 
WEEK4-
Feb. 3M Film: No Way Out, SHORT ESSAY 2: 1980s Cold War Essay due 
5 W READ: Anatomy, Chapter 7 
WEEKS 
10 M Film: They Live 
12 W Read: Anatomy, Chapter 8, READING QUIZ 
WEEK6-
17 M Film: Wag the Dog, SHORT ESSAY 3: 1990s Pres. Clinton/Bin Laden Essay due 
19 W Read: Anatomy, Chapter 10, READING QUIZ 
WEEK7-
24 M Film: Enemy of the State 
26 W Read: Encyclopedia entries "Mise en Scene," "Close-Up," Point of View" 
WEEKS 
Mar. 3 M Film: Arlington Road, SHORT ESSAY 4: Oklahoma City Bombing Essay due 
5 W Read: Encyclopedia entries "Auteur The01y," "Theo1y ofldentification" "Suture" 
WEEK9 
ENG 4904, Spring 2025 
10 M Film: A Scanner Darkly, SHORT ESSAY 5: Film Term Essay due 
12 W Read: Encyclopedia entries "Camera," "Diegesis," ''Narration" 
SPRING BREAK MARCH 17-21 
WEEK10-
24 M Film: Spotlight 
26 W Read: Encyclopedia entries "Feminist Film Theory," "Gaze Theo1y" 
WEEK11-
31 M Film: Sony to Bother You 
Ap1il 2 W Read: Encyclopedia entries "Genre Theo1y," "Queer Theory/Queer Cinema" 
WEEK12-
7 M Film: Under the Silver Lake, LONG ESSAY DUE 
9 W ENGLISH STUDIES CONFERENCE - no class; conference attendance is required 
WEEK13 
14 M Film: Don't Wony Darling 
16 W Read: "Cinema & Ideology," "Imagined Obse1ver Hypothesis" "Ordinary Man of Cinema" 
WEEK14 
21 M Presentations 
23 W Presentations 
WEEK15-
28 M Presentations 
30 W Presentations and Exam review 
FINAL EXAM 
Thursday, May 8, 12:30-2:30 Final Exam 
5 


ENG 4904Z-001 Studies in Film

Abel, Colleen

Eastern Illinois University 
The Keep 
Spring 2025 2025 
Spring 1-15-2025 
ENG 5020-600 Graduate Workshop in Creative Writing 
Colleen Abel 
Eastern Illinois University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://thekeep.eiu.edu/english_syllabi_spring2025 
Recommended Citation 
Abel, Colleen, "ENG 5020-600 Graduate Workshop in Creative Writing" (2025). Spring 2025. 128. 
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/english_syllabi_spring2025/128 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the 2025 at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion 
in Spring 2025 by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact tabruns@eiu.edu. 
ENG 5020: Graduate Workshop in Creative Writing
3 credits / online / Spring 2025
Dr. Colleen Abel
crabel@eiu.edu Office hours
Office: CH 3811 Monday, Friday 11:00-1:00 p.m.
*and by appointment
Required Texts
Brockmeier, Kevin. The Ghost Variations: 100 Stories.
Chang, Victoria. Dear Memory.
Davis, Lydia. Samuel Johnson is Indignant.
Fennelly, Beth Ann. Heating and Cooling.
Offill, Jenny. Dept. of Speculation.
Rankine, Claudia. Citizen.
Miscellaneous readings (D2L)
Course Description
Minis. Flash. Micro. Short Shorts. In this multigenre creative writing workshop,
students will explore the power of the short form. How does one tell a powerful story on
a small scale? How can fragments, flash fiction, or micro memoirs accumulate to tell a
bigger story? Through the reading of fiction, nonfiction and hybrid texts—as well as
critical works about short forms—our class will learn techniques to work and think in
miniature then apply those techniques to our own writing to accumulate a
chapbook-length finished work.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, you should be able to
● Develop advanced ability and a repertoire of artistic strategies in the writing of
prose and hybrid work
● Deepen your understanding of prose and hybrid work through intensive readings
of contemporary authors.
● Learn the techniques and tools that comprise the specific subgenre of flash
● Hone critical reading skills.
● Evaluate, constructively, the works-in-progress of your peers
● Reflect upon your own creative processes and practices
Instructional Philosophy
“Read, read, read. Read everything -- trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they
do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read!
You'll absorb it. Then write. If it's good, you'll find out. If it's not, throw it out of the
window.” -William Faulkner
“Writing teaches writing.” -John McPhee
Course Delivery Method
This course will be delivered online through our learning management system, D2L
Brightspace, http://www.eiu.edu/d2l. If you need help, contact ITS User Services for
technical support issues.
Email: support@eiu.edu
Phone: (217) 581-4357
Support Hours: 7:00 AM - 4:30 PM, Monday-Friday with your EIU NetID account or
password, contact Campus Technology Support at (217) 581-4357 or support@eiu.edu.
Grade Breakdown
Creative Exercises: 100 points
Discussion Board Posts: 200 points
Three Workshop Pieces: 150 points (50 points each x3; includes posting on time for
workshop)
Workshop Feedback: 150 points (50 points feedback)
Synthesis Paper: 100 points
Two Craft Analysis Papers: 200 points (100 points each)
Chapbook: 100 points
____________
1000 points total
Creative Exercises: Most weeks, we will be doing a creative exercise to generate new
work. These are designed to take about fifteen minutes; you shouldn’t treat them as a
demand to write an entire short piece on the spot. You can always choose to expand on
any of these exercises for your workshop essays.
Discussion Board Posts: This class is asynchronous, so when it comes to the
discussion board questions and the creative exercises, you can think of these as our class
meetings. These cover activities we would otherwise be doing in face-to-face meetings.
My expectation is that each week you have a discussion board question due, you can
write your response by the due date. I’ll be looking for about 250 words in your
response; the more specific, the better. The second part of the discussion board will be
at least one response to a classmate. These responses should be at least 100 words,
and should be more than simply saying “Good point!” or “I agree!” If you respond to
their discussion question, you should be adding to what they say, not merely echoing
what they say. Please limit your responses to other discussion posts, rather
than any creative exercises we might be doing that week.
ThreeWorkshop Pieces: Over the course of the semester, you will be asked to write
and workshop three pieces. The instructions for each will be available on Dropbox.
Synthesis Paper: The synthesis paper’s goal is to take one week of discussion board
conversation and put it into a coherent and organized summary, complete with
quotations from your peers. Your job is to pull together a few coherent threads from our
weekly conversation and present them to the class. Each of you will have your particular
week assigned to you. See Dropbox for a sample.
Workshop Participation: Each of you will be workshopped three times over the
semester. You will provide written feedback for your peers when it is their scheduled
workshop time.
What does good feedback look like? Good feedback gives the reader a sense of your
response to the piece as an audience member. Over many years of teaching I’ve found
that students most appreciate:
● A description of what you think their piece is about, what you think it’s
trying to achieve, and what the main idea or theme seems to be.
Sometimes this means stating things that seem obvious, but often this is
something people see differently, so it helps to have many perspectives
● Things that you respond to with excitement or surprise. Everyone loves
hearing where their piece really took off and flew. This is helpful, too,
because authors want to try to preserve in revision those things that the
audience is responding well to (usually!)
● Questions that you have. Is there anything confusing? Are you especially
curious about why the author did or did not make a particular choice?
● Ideas you have about what they could do in revision to experiment with
different directions. This isn’t quite the same as saying you didn’t like
something or that an element wasn’t “working.” These are “constructive
possibilities”: what if this were shorter? Longer? Included research? What
might that do for the piece?
All of this will take a generous paragraph (200 words or more) to achieve. 
Craft Analysis: Twice during the semester, I will ask you to write a brief (3 pages)
analysis of a craft aspect from a piece that I have assigned. Samples will be available on
D2L.
Chapbook: For your chapbook, we’re aiming for somewhere between 20 and 40 pages
long. Chapbooks can either focus on one longer piece or multiple smaller pieces that
speak to each other in some way. This chapbook should include a preface that
contextualizes the work for the audience. (Two pages or so is fine.) It is also the case that
the chapbook should contain revised material: at least 50% of the chapbook should
consist of work that you have substantially rewritten / rearranged / reimagined.
Instructor Response Time
For emails, please allow me up to 24 hours to respond to your message, 36 hours on
weekends or holidays. For grades, please allow a week to ten days for me to get back to
you for large assignments, though it will likely take less time than this. 
Learner Participation Guidelines
Turning in late work for a workshop means you forfeit the right to feedback from your
peers. I also reserve the right to forgo feedback on late work. Feedback needs to come to
the writer before the workshop takes place, unless you have an exceptional
circumstance. I may not be able to reschedule your workshop if you miss class that day.
I cannot give credit for feedback turned in after a workshop has taken place. If you
cannot attend workshop, please upload your feedback beforehand.
Discussion boards will be closed one week after the due date and will no longer accept
work. If you feel you need to make up these points, please reach out to me for an
alternate assignment.
Other late work will be discounted one point for each day late.
Perhaps the most important classroom policy of all concerns our learning environment.
A successful learning community is one in which we can learn from people whose
perspectives we might not necessarily share and I ask everyone to be constructive and
mindful. Speaking our minds is a fantastic privilege of this environment, but doing so in
an aggressive or hostile way helps no one. Good workshop etiquette protocol is below.
***DISCLAIMER: One question that students often ask: is it okay if I write about …?
Usually, they want to know if I will be upset if their work contains profanity, violence,
sexuality, drug use, etc. The short answer is no. What I care most about is the quality of
your writing. That being said, please do consider your audience before you workshop a
piece. We will discuss things like trigger warnings and distressing material as part of the
consideration of the genre. One exception: if your piece contains hate speech or bias
toward protected groups, I am obligated to report this to the university.
EIU Policies
Academic Integrity
● Students are expected to maintain principles of academic integrity and conduct
as defined in EIU’s Code of Conduct. Violations will be reported to the Dean of
Students. Department statement on plagiarism: Any teacher who discovers an act
of plagiarism—“The appropriation or imitation of the language, ideas, and/or
thoughts of another author, and representation of them as one’s own original
work” (Random House Dictionary of the English Language)—has the right and
responsibility to impose upon the guilty student an appropriate penalty, up to
and including immediate assignments of a grade of F for the assigned essay and a
grade of F for the course, and to report the incident to the Office of Student
Standards. Respect for the work of others should encompass all formats,
including print, electronic, and oral sources.
Note: AI may come up in the class, and I look forward to discussing its
wide impact on creative writing. However, do not use these tools to
create any of the work you turn in for this class. If I suspect your
work to be AI-assisted, I will conference with you to determine an
appropriate course of action, which will likely include redoing the work.
Student Success
● Students who could use additional help achieving their academic goals are
encouraged to contact the Academic Support Center
https://www.eiu.edu/academicsupportcenter/. The Academic Support Center
provides individual consultations, as well as assistance with time management,
test taking, note taking, avoiding procrastination, setting goals, and other skills to
support academic achievement. In addition, Academic Alerts may be utilized by
faculty to help students who are not making academic progress or are not
attending classes regularly get connected with the Academic Support Center and
other important resources. To make an appointment, call 217-581-6696, or go to
McAfee Gym, Room 2230.
Students with Disabilities
● If you are a student with a documented disability in need of accommodations to
fully participate in this class, please contact the Office of Accessibility and
Accommodations. All accommodations must be approved through Office of
Accessibility and Accommodations. Please stop by McAfee Gym, Room 1336, or
call 217-581-6583 to make an appointment.
Writing Center
The writing center (Coleman 3110) can absolutely help English students / English
majors / graduate students with their assignments, including creative ones. And you can
make an online appointment if you are an online-only student!
A Note on Workshop
Sharing creative work is an exciting, but vulnerable process. There are things to
remember if you are the artist, as well as if you are the audience. Here are a couple of
foundational principles that successful workshops are based on.
1. This is a semi-public space. If you don’t believe audience matters—in other
words, if you write only for the purposes of self-expression—this may not be the
right environment for you. Dismissing what a roomful of people think about your
work because you are only “writing for yourself” places your audience in an
uncomfortable position. Self-expression is private and requires no external input.
Art is dialogic: it requires both a creator and a receptor (audience) to make it
come alive.
2. Revision is the most important part of writing. If you are interested in others’
opinions, but not open to changing your work based on feedback, this may not be
the right environment for you.
3. You must trust that strangers have valuable things to say about your work. The
people here are smart and generous; they care about literature and about reading.
If you are frustrated if they seem to be “not getting it” perhaps this is a sign that
something in your work needs to be clarified. This is not a sign that we didn’t
read it carefully ahead of time. It means that we’re working through our
questions and individual interpretations, and that is often the most useful part of
workshop.
TL; DR: All of the above may be summed up as: be open-hearted and open-minded.
Course Schedule
Fiction
Week One: Monday January 13: Introductions
Discussion Board 1 question and Creative Exercise 1 due by Friday 11:59 p.m.
Week Two: Monday January 20: Davis
Discussion Board 2 question due by Wednesday 11:59 p.m.
Discussion Board 2 response and Creative Exercise 2 due by Friday 11:59 p.m.
Week Three: Monday January 27: Brockmeier
Discussion Board 3 question due by Wednesday 11:59 p.m.
Discussion Board 3 response and Creative Exercise 3 due by Friday 11:59 p.m.
Post your piece onWorkshop forum by Friday noon
Week Four: Monday February 3: Small Group Workshop
Workshop Feedback due by Friday 11:59 p.m.
Week Five: Monday February 10: Offill
Discussion Board 4 question due by Wednesday 11:59 p.m.
Discussion Board 4 response and Creative Exercise 4 due by Friday 11:59 p.m.
Craft Analysis 1 dueWednesday, February 12 by 11:59 p.m.
Week Six: Monday February 17: Offill
Discussion Board 5 question due by Wednesday 11:59 p.m.
Discussion Board 5 response and Creative Exercise 5 due by Friday 11:59 p.m.
Post your piece onWorkshop forum by Friday noon
Week Seven: Monday February 24: Half-Group Workshop
Workshop Feedback due by Friday 11:59 p.m.
Week Eight: Monday March 3: Half-Group Workshop
Workshop Feedback due by Friday 11:59 p.m.
Nonfiction / hybrid
Week Nine: Monday, March 10: Fennelly
Discussion Board 6 question due by Wednesday 11:59 p.m.
Discussion Board 6 response and Creative Exercise 6 due by Friday 11:59 p.m.
Week Ten: Monday, March 24: Chang
Discussion Board 7 question due by Wednesday 11:59 p.m.
Discussion Board 7 response and Creative Exercise 7 due by Friday 11:59 p.m.
Craft Analysis 2 dueWednesday, March 26
Week Eleven: Monday, March 31: Rankine
Discussion Board 8 question due by Wednesday 11:59 p.m.
Discussion Board 8 response and Creative Exercise 8 due by Friday 11:59 p.m.
Post your piece onWorkshop forum by Friday noon
Week Twelve: Monday April 7: Workshop
Workshop Feedback due by Friday 11:59 p.m.
Week Thirteen: Monday, April 14: Workshop
Workshop Feedback due by Friday 11:59 p.m.
Week Fourteen: April 21: Workshop
Workshop Feedback due by Friday 11:59 p.m.
Week Fifteen: April 28: Revision
Discussion Board 9 question due by Wednesday 11:59 p.m.
Discussion Board 9 response and Creative Exercise 9 due by Friday 11:59 p.m.
Chapbook dueWednesday, May 7


ENG 5020-600 Graduate Workshop in Creative Writing

Taylor, Timothy

ENG 5502-001 Mentored Composition Teaching

Rhoades, Gary

Gomes, Richard

Shanker, Jennie

Murphy, Laura

Echikson, Dan

Quinn, Ryan

Organizing professionals: Academic 
employees negotiating a new academy
Gary Rhoades, Professor
Center for the Study of Higher Education
University of Arizona,
UCWAZ, Local 7065, CWA
Table of Contents
◊ Chapter 1: Now is the time
◊ Chapter 2: A critical juncture and a distinctive dynamism
◊ Part I: From the margins to the center: Contingent academic
◊ employees organizing and negotiating a new academy
◊ Chapters 3-5 on contingent faculty organizing, on contingent faculty contracts, 
& graduate and postdoc organizing and contracts.
◊ Part II: Faculty negotiating retrenchment and technology amid 
◊ management’s austerity agenda
◊ Chapters 4-6 on furloughs, retrenchment for exigency and other rationales, and 
instructional technology
◊ Chapter 9: Organizing and negotiating for respect and public purpose: Toward 
a new progressive normal.

Bread & Roses, & more, in Chapters 3 & 4
In Chapter 3, I invoke the phrase, analogizing adjunct faculty at GW to the textile
Workers in Lawrence, MA, whose creative tactics enabled them to win despite
confronting vehement resistance from extraordinarily powerful employers.     
Organizing through coalitions with students, metro campaigns, Inside/Outside 
Strategy, imagined identity with public messaging and events about exploitation.
In Chapter 4, I invoke the phrase & look at how it is embeded in contracts,
in labor-based conceptions of quality (access to instrctl resources & PD),  
Expressed in the mantra, “Faculty working conditions are sts’ learning conditions.”
Connecting academic labor to the public interest, beyond “bread & roses.”

Graduate & postdoc employees negotiating a
workplace, respecting their full humanity
Extraordinary levels of organizing, remarkable scope of what has been negotiated,
& unprecedented levels of strike activity.
* Wages, range of benefits, & workload for independent work.
* Professional development & support.
* Larger social movements & intersecting workplace & social justice,
with independent external arbitration. The new “bread & butter.
UC student workers & respectful work environment provision
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
(Aretha Franklin had it right…)
• Respect for workers, in their full humanity
• Respect for their work, in labor-based conceptions of quality
• Respect for higher education’s public purposes
In virtually every organizing, mobilization, & contract campaign I analyzed, 
respect was a core issue
Faculty negotiating furloughs, retrenchment, 
& technology amid an austerity agenda
If furloughs catalyzed organizing, faculty voice & institutional trajectory were also key.
The cases of UIC & UCWs, & the importance of coalitions among employees.
Remarkably few examples of furlough provisions, but valuable examples of how locals
negotiating furloughs with alternative proposals, & with shifts in institl priorities.
Far more exigency provisions than in 1990s, slightly more retrenchment for other 
reasons provisions.
Some exemplary examples of language, but far from widely embedded in CBA’s
Little to no provision for contingent faculty voices; absent in PTO contracts
Chapter 8: Protections & possibilities
Small but important # of provisions going “beyond distance education (hybrid, course 
management systems, online office hours)
Generational & gendered shift in faculty stance on using technology (Cytnia Eaton)
Strengthening the defensive script (far more provisions than in the 1990s)
Flipping the script (more proactive provisions regarding academic input and control of 
choice of technology & cms, course/program approval, evaluation, & professional 
development-–see Lane C.C.)
Broadening the script (bargaining student, social justice, and public interest issues that 
involve bargaining beyond the two parties at the table). 
Principles for negotiating a new 
academy: Activist funds of knowledge
◊ Collective identity and coalitions that get beyond 
ourselves & our sense of specialness, building strong 
coalitions by enacting & embodying respect for other 
workers/groups on campus and beyond. 
◊ Intersecting workplace justice and social justice. linking 
them with a labor-based conception of educational quality, 
the public interest, & serving hed’s public purposes.
◊ Time(ing) matters, affect matters, & resource mapping 
matters, effecting change takes timeliness, & iterative 
action over time, it relies on the catalyzing effect of affect 
surrounding (dis)respect, & it requires employees 
recognizing and respecting their range of resources.
Thank you…
grhoades@arizona.edu


Book Discussion: Organizing Professionals: Academic Employees Negotiating a New Academy (Rutgers University Press, 2025)