ENGL 281: Intermediate Expository Writing
Devising a Poetics of City-Living
Instructor: nanya jhingran
Email: nanyaj@uw.edu
[Please email me within work hours, Monday-Thursday 9:00 AM–5:00 PM; emails outside of these hours will receive response in order received, within 2 workdays.]
Office Hours: Tuesday 12:30–1:20 PM in PDL B-026; by appointment.
Course Overview
Much like cities themselves, the idea of a “city” - what it is, what it can be, who it is for, who gets to shape it - remains unresolved, ever-changing, and mired in knotted contradictions. One preliminary, almost facile, hypothesis - whatever else a city might be (in both ideas & reality), it is necessarily multimodal & (even if contradictorily so) composed. That is to say, the city is a particular sort of complex design which must congregate and choreograph a range of different modes of access and experience. In this course, we will take the wandering pedestrian’s eccentric route through a century’s worth of creative and critical production [across music, visual art, film, poetry, literature, philosophy, architecture, geography, and more] about “the city” as both a type of place and demonstrates one set of beliefs about what places can and should be.
Digressions are more than encouraged in this wanderer’s methodology, though the following inquiries and “errands” will serve as compass and mileposts:
- Perception: How is the city shaped by and shaping our experience of it? How is our sense-perception engaged by “the city”? Which senses are hyper-activated? Which become under-utilized? How does the city challenge perception and experience? How does life in the city produce, deal with, grow around, push against the particular perceptive and ethical challenges of city life?
- Emplacement: Where are cities built? How do they imagine themselves in relation to what came before? How have cities been different throughout history? How do different residents of the same city create different “places” within the city? How do various inhabitants of the same city understand their emplacement? How do they challenge, change, or complicate their given or inherited emplacements?
- Difference: How are cities built along lines of difference? How do we deal with differentiated experience in the globalized city fractured by processes of financialization, industrialization/deindustrialization, gentrification, white flight, segregation, red-lining, etc. Beyond “deficit,” how do we understand the city as it is seen by its residents and the conflicts that ensure from these often incompatible proximities?
- Choreography: How are all these moving variables choreographed by the city? How can we think of urban experience as a multimodal choreography of irreducible differences? How do artists, activists, and everyday people craft their experience of the city so as to not explain away but work with and across difference? How do we imagine a non-exclusive city? How can we otherwise configure the city form? How do we expand participation in the making of cities and life within them?
This is a composition course which fulfills the “C” requirement and so all our inquiry and energy will be geared toward building our individual and collaborative composition practices. Through class activities, readings, discussions, student-led facilitation, reading responses, and a final project, you will each attempt to answer some of these questions for yourself by shaping lines of inquiry and argumentation which articulate at the intersection of your own personal, intellectual, and creative interests. At the culmination of the quarter, students will turn in an e-portfolio of their work throughout the quarter.
Course Meetings and Location
Tuesday and Thursday 10:30–12:20 at Smith Hall 309.
Movie screenings will be asynchronous, streamed through the library’s website. In some occasions, we might watch the movie in class, synchronously, due to issues with streaming rights.
Assignments and Grading
In the Expository Writing Program, we do not give final grades to any written assignment before the Portfolio. You are, however, required to turn in class assignments on the listed due dates so as to fully participate in the learning process, give and receive timely feedback, and get credit towards your participation. Following is the grade breakdown:
Participation (30%)
This class will depend on far more than just lectures for learning. Seeing as the nature of the theme demands introspection and collective brainstorming, please be prepared to think actively and write thoughtfully while working through module assignments. Your participation grade comprises of:
- Regular attendance (no more than 2 unexcused absences).
- 5 out of 5 movie screening reflections and questions (Due on Friday evening by 5 PM after Thursday movie screenings).
- Active participation in group discussions, peer reviews, and class presentations.
Group Facilitation (20%)
Each student will be a member of a 4-5 person group and each group has been assigned a class period in which they will be expected to facilitate a 50 min activity/discussion on the listed topic (more details forthcoming). This group project will consist of 15% of your participation grade.
Graded Assignments (50%)
Over the course of the quarter, we will engage our course materials through active reflection and reflective composition assignments. These assignments will vary in form, genre, and scope so as to allow you to critically and creatively engage the topic and the compositional challenges we move through in our study of the city. These assignments include:
- 3 Reading Responses: Over the course of the quarter there will be three reading responses. I will upload the prompt for each the week prior.
- Final Research-based Pitch and Project: At the end of the quarter, each student will pitch and complete a research-based inquiry into a topic of their choice which responds to our key course concerns with a complex, evidence-based, multimodal argument.
- Summary Reflections: The portfolio itself must craft a complex claim regarding the students’ experience of the course and its critical/compositional concerns, using the “wayposts” articulated in the overview as prompts and course assignments as evidence of their process of learning throughout the quarter. [I will supply a more in-depth prompt for this reflection as we near the end of the course.]
Prompts and detailed instructions on these projects will be made available well in advance. Assignments will be due at particular times during the course calendar and students are expected to submit them at the listed due-dates. You must submit any requests for extension a minimum of 4 days in advance of the due date. Any late extension requests are not likely to be approved, unless a dire emergency has occurred.
********************IMPORTANT GRADING POLICY: I will provide feedback, peer review opportunities, and revision ideas which students are encouraged to incorporate and re-submit the assignment, for a maximum of 1 resubmission per assignment until the last day of teaching. The peer review, initial pitch, and movie screening reflections will be ungraded and marked for “satisfactory completion” but you are welcome to attend office hours if you’d like any feedback or discussion around them.
Course Schedule
Click here for a weekly overview of course objectives, readings, and due dates. Subject to change.
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information & resources
COVID-19 Policies and Accommodations
Students are required to follow the University’s COVID-19 Face Covering Policy at all times when on-site at the University, including any posted requirements in specific buildings or spaces. If a student refuses to comply with the policy, the student can be sent home (to an on or off-campus residence). Student Conduct offices are available for consultations on potential violations of student conduct if needed. University personnel who have concerns that a student or group of students are not complying with this policy should speak with their supervisor, a representative of the academic unit, or report it to the Environmental Health & Safety Department.
This class is conducted partly in person. Therefore, unless you meet the criteria for an accommodation from Disability Resources for Students (DRS) or other special arrangement approved by the instructor that allows you to take the course remotely you should only register for this class if you can attend in-person.
• Please contact UW Disability Resources for Students (DRS) directly if you feel you may be eligible for an accommodation based on your status as an immunecompromised individual or based on other diagnosed physical or mental health conditions that might prevent you from being able to take classes in-person.
All UW students are expected to complete their vaccine attestation before arriving on campus and to follow the campus-wide face-covering policy at all times. You are expected to follow state, local, and UW COVID-19 policies and recommendations. If you feel ill, have been exposed to COVID-19, or exhibit possible COVID symptoms, you should not come to class. If you need to temporarily quarantine or isolate per CDC guidance and/or campus policy, you are responsible for notifying your instructors as soon as possible by email.
If you have a known exposure to COVID-19 or receive a positive COVID-19 test result, you must report to campus Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S). All UW community members are required to notify EH&S immediately after:
● Receiving a positive test for COVID-19
● Being told by your doctor that they suspect you have COVID-19
● Learning that you have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19
You can notify the COVID-19 Response and Prevention Team by emailing covidehc@uw.edu or calling 206-616-3344.
Academic Integrity
Plagiarism, or academic dishonesty, is presenting someone else's ideas or writing as your own. In your writing for this class, you are encouraged to refer to other people's thoughts and writing--as long as you cite them. As a matter of policy, any student found to have plagiarized any piece of writing in this class will be immediately reported to the College of Arts and Sciences for review.
[If you've read all the way to this point, email me to let me know and you will receive an extra credit for doing so!]
Complaints
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 the following Expository Writing Program staff in Padelford A-11: Director Stephanie Kerschbaum, kersch@uw.edu or Associate Director of Writing Programs, Michelle Liu, msmliu@uw.edu. If, after speaking with the Director of the EWP, you are still not satisfied with the response you receive, you may contact English Department Chair, Anis Bawarshi; bawarshi@uw.edu, (206) 543-2690.
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/ (Links to an external site.).
Religious Accommodations
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/ (Links to an external site.).
Campus Writing Centers
The Odegaard Writing and Research Center (OWRC) offers free, one-to-one, 45-minute tutoring sessions for undergraduate, graduate, and professional writers in all fields at the UW. We will work with writers on any writing or research project, as well as personal projects such as applications or personal statements. Our 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. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please see our website (https://depts.washington.edu/owrc (Links to an external site.)), or come visit us in person on the first floor of Odegaard Undergraduate Library.
The CLUE Writing Center offers free one-on-one tutoring and workshops, and is open from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday to Thursday in Mary Gates Hall, throughout the regular school year (Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters). 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. Read more here: https://webster.uaa.washington.edu/asp/website/get-help/clue/writing-cen... (Links to an external site.)
Campus Safety
Call SafeCampus at 206-685-7233 anytime – no matter where you work or study – to anonymously discuss safety and well-being concerns for yourself or others. SafeCampus’s team of caring professionals will provide individualized support, while discussing short- and long-term solutions and connecting you with additional resources when requested.
- Campus safety guards can walk with you on campus after dark. Call Husky NightWalk 206-685-WALK (9255).
- Stay connected in an emergency with UW Alert. Register your mobile number to receive instant notification of campus emergencies via text and voice messaging. Sign up online at www.washington.edu/alert (Links to an external site.).
For more information visit the SafeCampus website at www.washington.edu/safecampus (Links to an external site.).
Counseling Center
UW Counseling Center workshops include a wide range of issues including study skills, thinking about coming out, international students and culture shock, and much more. Check out available resources and workshops at: https://www.washington.edu/counseling/ (Links to an external site.)
Health and Wellness
Health & Wellness provides support, advocacy, consultation, and education to the University of Washington campus community. Services are free for UW students, faculty, and staff. You can work with advocates on your behalf or on behalf of someone you know. Programs include Alcohol & Drug Consultation and Education, Suicide Intervention, Sexual Assault, Relationship Violence, Stalking and Harassment Advocacy, and Student Care Program. For more information: http://depts.washington.edu/livewell/ (Links to an external site.)
Q Center
The University of Washington Q Center builds and facilitates queer (gay, lesbian, bisexual, two-spirit, trans, intersex, questioning, same-gender-loving, allies) academic and social community through education, advocacy, and support services to achieve a socially-just campus in which all people are valued. For more information, visit http://depts.washington.edu/qcenter/ (Links to an external site.).
FIUTS
Foundation for International Understanding through Students: FIUTS is an example of a campus organization that can bring together your social and academic learning. "FIUTS is an independent non-profit organization which provides cross-cultural leadership and social programming for UW's international and globally minded domestic students. FIUTS is local connections and global community!" FIUTS also offers a free international lunch on the last Wednesday of every month beginning with a lunch on September 28 from 11:30-1:30 in the Kane Hall Walker-Ames room. Consult FIUTS' web site for a detailed calendar of events and links to many resources http://www.fiuts.washington.edu (Links to an external site.).
Any Hungry Husky
The Any Hungry Husky program helps mitigate the social and academic effects of campus food insecurity. By providing students, staff, and faculty with access to shelf-stable, non-perishable goods and community resources at no cost, this initiative aims to lessen the financial burden of purchasing food and supplement nutritional needs. This resource is for everyone in the UW community. Learn more here: