ENGL 299 D: Intermediate Interdisciplinary Writing - Natural Sciences

English 299: Intermediate Interdisciplinary Writing in the Natural Sciences (link: Nutrition 200) 

Section D: Multimodal Writing in Nutrition and Public Health

Autumn Quarter 2023

Instructor: Christina Shiea (she/her)

Location/Time: MGH 082A, MWF 2:30-3:20

Office Location: Padelford B5C

Office Hours (give me a heads-up if you’re coming!): MW 3:30-4:30, M online/in person @ MGH 082A and W online (https://washington.zoom.us/j/94909771580 or copy and paste "949 0977 1580" as the Meeting ID); or by appointment

Email: cshiea@uw.edu or Canvas message

Course Description

Welcome to ENGL 299D: Interdisciplinary Writing in the Natural Sciences! This course is a part of the Program for Writing Across Campus (PWAC), is an interdisciplinary writing program, and is loosely linked to NUTR 200. While ENGL 299D may have topical connections to the linked course, it is an independent 5-credit class (not a supplementary course or lab add-on) with the rigor of any 200-level “C” or “W” credit course.

This section primarily draws upon your own interests and experiences to reflect on your relationship with nutrition and public health. Whether you intend on a major in nutrition, related science fields, or public health, or you just want to focus on writing in a small intellectual community, this course will offer you opportunities to hone your rhetorical skills. Effectively conveying a message can mean combining and utilizing other modes through multimodality. This means you will still be expected to write, but you will also have opportunities to compose in genres and modes outside of standard academic writing. The assignment prompts are open-ended to allow you to bring your personal experience and interests into your writing. You are expected to select and consider topics that deepen, challenge, and enhance your own understanding. 

(Note: This class will not ask you to keep food journals nor calorie counts.)

Course Objectives:

• To engage with and understand writing as an ongoing, collaborative process that is context-specific
• To practice critical writing skills concerning the rhetorical situation, evidence usage, complex claims, and revisions
• To consider nutrition and public health on both local and global scales, keeping in mind the influence of cultural and social practices
• To critically examine multimodality and compose by recognizing appropriate genres and audiences
• To create complex lines of inquiry through identifying one’s own interests and background

Assignment sequences

1. Tracing a scientific fact
2. Multimodal nutrition and public health text
3. Major Assignment Presentation

Course Format

This class meets in person on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Writing assignments are due on Fridays by midnight ("midnight" being a loosely used word; a time before, say, 9am is acceptable) and discussion posts are due by Sunday at midnight.

Course Material

1) Stable access to the internet

(Materials will be linked or uploaded; writing textbook excerpts from Writer/Thinker/Maker: Approaches to Composition, Rhetoric, and Research for the University of WA AND Writer/Designer: A Guide to Making Multimodal Projects)

2) A UW email account you check regularly 

(Turn on Canvas email notifications for assignment comments and course announcements: Account → Notifications → Adjusting notification to “email”)

3) A laptop/tablet you can bring to class

Grading and Assessment

This class uses a labor-based grading scale, which means your grade is determined by the amount of work you complete regarding participation, assignments, and the timeliness of submissions. Assignments turned in will not receive grades or numbers and will only be graded for completion, and the only numerical grade will be your final grade at the end of the quarter. A respectable grade can be attained by attending and participating in class, starting your work early, being prepared for conferences, and submitting assignments on time. The quickest way to fail the course is by not turning in assignments, submitting sloppy or rushed work, “ghosting” or not participating in class, or missing assignments altogether.

Participation includes:

• Class contributions: Being active in group work, being respectful of different perspectives, being an attentive listener and thoughtful speaker. (Sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, and ableist language are not welcome.)
• Sharing and engaging with work in progress: Providing constructive peer feedback when appropriate (identifying strengths as well as aspects to work on, focusing on the writing and not the writer), treating others’ drafts with respect, approaching feedback as a conversation.
• Completing discussion posts and in-class writing prompts
• Attendance and professionalism: Coming to class on time, being respectful of the instructor and peers, staying on task and using electronic devices for class purposes only, consistently showing up prepared and ready to work. (Coming to class more than 15 minutes late or attending class but not participating count as unexcused absences.)

Assignments include:

• Short assignments: Shorter writing assignments that build up to major assignments. Based on the prompt, some short assignments will receive more extensive feedback; others will be marked for completion and receive brief feedback.
• Major assignments: Longer assignments that take more time and effort to complete. You will choose one of the two major assignments you complete this quarter to present in Week 11.
• Conferences: We will have three rounds of conferences this quarter, all of which have different expectations. Although regular classes are canceled for conferences, you are required to come prepared during your conference slot.
• Final presentation: You will present a major assignment of your choice in Week 11.

Timeliness includes:

• Submitting complete assignments: “Complete” means if your submitted assignment meets the prompt expectations. All assignments are either marked as complete, incomplete (assignment is submitted but missing a crucial component, and must be resubmitted within a week of the initial due date to be marked as complete), or missing. Keep in mind that assignments turned in late or initially marked as incomplete can still be marked as complete, but will not receive extensive written feedback.
• Regularly turning in assignments on time: Late assignments are accepted up to a week after the due date, but will not receive written feedback. Assignment extensions must be requested at least 24 hours before the due date. You can get verbal feedback for late assignments during in-class workshops or office hours.

Why labor-based grading? Traditional grading means students receive a number or grade for submitted assignments; the result is that students focus on attaining the highest grade possible for each assignment by submitting what they think the instructor wants to see. However, labor-based grading gives students more room for creativity and experimentation in their writing processes. It helps create distance between the idea of “good” and “bad” work. It is also more equitable because it means students from all kinds of backgrounds and writing experiences can do well in a class, so long as they commit the energy and time to complete what is asked of them. In the past, I’ve had no problem giving everyone As because they showed up and did the work. You’re still expected to write, examine, and think, as well as turn in work on time; how far you choose to use this class as an opportunity to further benefit yourself outside of assignment expectations is up to you. On my end, I’m still required to give you feedback on your writing, though I can now spend more time discussing the assignment itself rather than justifying an assignment grade.

Attendance policy

It’s always a good practice to send me an email if you must miss class; you don’t need to provide details, but notifying me lets me know you’re taking responsibility for your learning. You can miss THREE regular classes (classes that are NOT for conferences or presentations) unexcused. There are some time-sensitive assignments where absences cannot be made up and will impact your grade. (Note that missing this class to prioritize another one does not count as an excused absence.) 

Even with an excused absence, you are still responsible for keeping up with coursework. Before asking me, look through the class modules on Canvas and check with your classmates. Submitting all assignments but religiously missing class will impact your grade. Being absent means you can’t participate in class activities or interact with course material, and this lack of class-specific knowledge will reflect in your assignments.

Grading Scale

Extra Credit: Attending any nutrition or global health-related event and summarizing it in at least 200 words is the equivalent of 2 discussion posts or in-class prompts.

Policies and Expectations

General wellness and communication:

If you experience physical or mental health concerns or other issues that impact your learning in class, I am committed to working with you to provide reasonable accommodations. Because life happens and unexpected circumstances can arise, I’m willing to be flexible and do what I can to help you do well in this class. That said, I can only accommodate your academic needs if you let me know your situation as early as possible. In general, actively communicating with me throughout the quarter helps me understand that you’re engaged with the class and are committed to doing your best!

Assignments:

All assignment topics and formats are negotiable. Effective and meaningful writing is not based on whether a topic is “academic” enough; instead, it is based on recognizing, understanding, challenging, and working within the appropriate contexts.

Technology:

Please keep all electronics on mute or turned off during class time. You are expected to stay on task and use electronics for coursework only. In-class disruptions or extended off-task electronic use will result in an unexcused absence.

Instructor communication:

Outside of office hours, email or Canvas messages are the best ways to reach me. I generally take a day on weekdays and two on weekends to respond, so please don’t put yourself in a position where you need an immediate answer. While there is no need to be formal, please keep your emails respectful. (This means including a clear subject line, a salutation like “Hello Christina” or “Hi Professor Shiea,” a clear description of your concern, maybe several options as potential answers you’ve considered, and your name.)

Health and wellness:

Masks are recommended, particularly as COVID continues to circulate. If you are feeling unwell, and this includes non-COVID symptoms, please be considerate to your peers and yourself and don’t attend class.

Writing Resources

Writing tutors are the most helpful when they’re given sufficient information about your classwork. Help your tutor help you by providing assignment prompts, samples, and your own ideas. I encourage you to take advantage of the following (free!) writing resources:

The Odegaard Writing and Research Center (OWRC) offers free, one-to-one, 45-minute tutoring sessions in person or online for undergraduate, graduate, and professional writers in all fields at the UW. Tutors and librarians collaborate with writers at any stage of the writing and research process, from brainstorming and identifying sources to drafting and making final revisions—working on any writing or research project, as well as personal projects such as applications or personal statements. To schedule an appointment, go to https://depts.washington.edu/owrc or go in person to the first floor of Odegaard Undergraduate Library. 

(I tutor at the OWRC in addition to teaching this course. Because receiving various sources of feedback is a valuable experience for your writing, you should meet with a tutor other than me at the OWRC. If you would like to talk to me about your writing, come during office hours or make an appointment.)

The CLUE Writing Center offers free one-on-one tutoring and workshops in Mary Gates Hall. It's first come, first served, so arrive early and be prepared to wait if necessary! CLUE also offers tutoring on a range of other subjects, including math, science, and so on. For more information, go to https://academicsupport.uw.edu/clue/subjects/writing-center/.

Academic Integrity

Plagiarism, or academic dishonesty, is presenting someone else's ideas or writing as your own. In your work for this class, you are encouraged to refer to other people's work—as long as you cite them. As a matter of policy, any student found to have plagiarized any work in this class will be immediately reported to the College of Arts and Sciences for review.

Some specific examples of plagiarism are:

• copying without proper documentation (quotation marks and a citation) written or spoken words, phrases, or sentences from any source, including AI programs like ChatGPT;
• summarizing or paraphrasing without proper documentation (citation) ideas and phrases from another source (unless such information is recognized as common knowledge);
• borrowing facts, statistics, graphs, pictorial representations, or phrases without acknowledging the source (unless such information is recognized as common knowledge);
• collaborating on a graded assignment without the instructor’s approval;
• submitting work, either in whole or in part, created by a professional service and used without attribution (e.g., paper, speech, bibliography, or photograph).
• recycling work from another class.

As your instructor, I would much rather look at work you wrote yourself, even if you don’t feel satisfied or confident about it. Submitting your own work gives you more opportunities for self-development and growth. Since this class section encourages you to select topics that are related to your own interests, I hope you feel encouraged to produce your own work!

Disability and Religious Accommodations

If you need accommodation of any sort, please let me know so that I can work with the UW Disability Resources for Students Office (DRS) to provide what you require. This syllabus is available in large print, as are other class materials. More information about accommodation may be found at http://www.washington.edu/students/drs/.

Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Faculty Syllabus Guidelines and Resources. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form available at https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/

(Basically, if any class demands conflict with a religious observance for you, I am happy to work with you. Please just let me know early in the quarter.)

Concerns

If you have any concerns about the course or your instructor, please see the instructor about these concerns as soon as possible. If you are not comfortable talking with the instructor or not satisfied with the response that you receive, you may contact Megan Callow, Director of the Program for Writing Across Campus at mcallow@uw.edu. 

UW Resources

Q Center:

The University of Washington Q Center is a fierce, primarily student run resource center dedicated to serving anyone with or without a gender or sexuality – UW students, staff, faculty, alum, and community members. They host and support student groups, put on regular programming events, house a lending library, and amplify student voices on their Student Blog.  Explore their website for more information at http://depts.washington.edu/qcenter/wordpress/. 

UW Food Pantry:

In the US, an estimated 15-25% of college students do not get enough food due to costs associated with a college education. Food insecurity negatively affects physical, mental and emotional health, making it difficult for people to perform well at school and work. Any Hungry Husky relieves this issue by providing nutritious, wholesome food to anyone in the UW community. The UW Food Pantry (Poplar Hall 210) provides UW students, staff and faculty with shelf-stable groceries and seasonal fresh produce for no cost. Anyone with a Husky ID is welcome. For more information, check them out at https://www.washington.edu/anyhungryhusky/.

NOTE: Readings and in-class activities are subject to change. Assignment due dates will not change (with the only exception being that an assignment is canceled).

Finals: 12/9-12/15 (NO CLASS)

NUTR 200 final exam: Thurs 12/14