Rhetoric I
Section 2:
8:00-9:20 a.m. MR
Bray 132
Section 37:
12:30-1:50 p.m. TF
Bray 127

Prof. G. Steinberg
Office: Bray 125A
Office Phone: 771-2106
Office Hours: 9:30-11:00 a.m. MR,
2:00-3:30 p.m. TF,
and by appointment
E-mail: gsteinbe@tcnj.edu

Course Description. The Rhetoric Program at The College of New Jersey consists of a two-course sequence designed to develop skills in writing, speaking, and listening; logic and critical thinking; and library research. The two courses are inten ded to support the college's comprehensive learning goals and outcomes, specifically those concerning effective communication. The courses are designed to teach students the effective communication skills they will need to succeed in college and beyond. T he specific skills which the rhetoric program focuses upon are those directly related to the analysis and production of persuasive arguments, both written and oral.

Goals. As my goals for this course, I want you

1. to perceive persuasion and argument primarily as a form of dialogue rather than as a form of debate or competition,
2. to develop your ability to read and listen critically and to write and speak clearly and effectively in standard English,
3. to develop your critical reasoning skills in the use of analogy, deduction, and induction,
4. to develop your ability to collect, analyze, and interpret information and to communicate the results to others,
5. to develop your ability to make informed judgments concerning ethical values, and
6. to develop a greater sense of responsibility for your own learning and work.

Requirements. All students in Rhetoric I are required to complete

1. one diagnostic, no-credit, in-class writing,
2. five essays of 2-3 typewritten pages, and
3. three speeches of 3-5 minutes.

Grading. Each of the five graded essays will be worth 135 points, and each of the three speeches will be worth 95 points - for a total of 960 points (5 X 135 + 3 X 95). But your final grade for the course will be computed on a 1000-point scale - 40 points more than the total possible for all your essays and speeches. To make up the difference, you will have the opportunity to earn 40 extra-credit points during the course of the term (mostly through in-class exercises and participat ion in peer reviews of your classmates' work). These extra-credit assignments are optional (you may do as many or as few as you choose), but you have every reason to do as many as possible. Letter grades will be translated into points and points into lett er grades according to the following chart:

If you get an A on every essay and speech but complete none of the extra-credit assignments, you will have earned 910 points, which is only an A-. If you get a B on every essay and speech but complete none of the extra-credit assignments, you will have earned 818 points, which is only a B-. And so on. If you want to get an A in this course, you will have to earn at least half the extra-credit points available to you (as well as do A work on your graded assignments, of course). But even if you aren't st riving for an A, extra-credit points can help you in other ways. If you get B's on all your essays but C's on all your speeches, you will have earned 788 points (a C+); just 12 extra-credit points will put you over the top for a B-. Even two or three extr a-credit points can make a big difference in your final grade if you end up the semester a couple points below the cut-off between an A- and a B+ or between a C+ and a B-. NOTE: I will usually announce extra-credit assignments one class meeting before you are to do them, and since they generally consist of in-class exercises of one kind or another, you cannot make them up or turn them in late if you are absent on the specified day.

Attendance. Regular attendance is a virtual necessity for successful completion of the essays and speeches in this class. Class discussion constitutes important, useful preparation for the course's graded assignments. If you miss a class, you will essentially lose out on that day's contribution to your preparation, since it is never really possible to reproduce or recapture the dynamics and flow of information for a missed class meeting (even if you get notes from someone). If, however, y ou positively must miss a class, I will expect you to find out what you missed and to come fully prepared - without excuses - to the next class meeting.

Office Hours. My office is Bray 125A. My office hours this semester will be 9:30-11:00 a.m. MR and 2:00-3:30 p.m. TF. If you cannot come to see me at those times, please feel free as needed to call my office (771-2106) or talk to me befor e or after class to arrange an appointment to see me at another time. You may also contact me by e-mail (gsteinbe@tcnj.edu), or you may leave a message for me in my box at the English department offices (outside Bray 108).

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