The UTD First Year Experience

Rhet 1101
Critical Thinking and Oral Communication
Syllabus

Section: .039 Rooms: Tuesday SOM2.115 Thursday - CBW1.102

Instructor: Danny Cordova Office phone: 972-883-6102

Office Hours & Location: CN1.126 Email: danboy@utdallas.edu
First Year Leader: Felicia Skelton Email: fxs022000@utdallas.edu

Required Materials:

• UTD Student Planner & Guide

• Cohen, Harlan, (2005). The Naked Roommate, Sourcebooks, Inc. Naperville.

• DiTiberio, John, K. & Hammer, Allen, L. (1993). Introduction to Type in College, CPP,
Inc. Palo Alto.

• UTD student email account

Course Objectives:

• To enable you to learn from various departments on campus the critical information
necessary for successfully navigating UTD.

• To connect you with the UTD campus community by way of meeting other students,
getting involved, and learning how to make a difference.

• To provide you with a conceptual understanding of the college experience and the value
of a liberal arts-based education.

• To help you discover your personal learning style and ways to use that knowledge to
achieve greater success and enjoyment in your classes.

• To present tips, tactics, and techniques for more effective learning, emphasizing time
management strategies and critical thinking.

• To enhance your communication skills through opportunities for both oral and written
expression.

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Coursework & Grading Philosophy

• Rhet 1101 is a required course for all incoming freshmen as it has been effective in
raising GPA’s, retention from the freshman to sophomore year, and overall student
satisfaction and success.

• UTD is a selective admissions institution with one of the highest average Freshman class
SAT scores in the state, therefore performance and participation in Rhe t 1101 is
expected to reflect the caliber of students and academic standards of the university as a
whole.

• The course objectives for Rhet 1101 represent goals which are fundamental to student
success both inside and outside of the college classroom.

• Grading will focus on two primary elements of students work:

o College level communication of ideas presented in a high-quality format.
o Correct, well thought out, and/or researched content which significantly addresses
all required assignment elements.

Course Requirements

• Class Attendance & Participation

• Academic Autobiography
• Two Campus Events and Reaction Papers
• Library Tour
• Oral Presentation: Expert Testimony
• Group Project & Presentation: Becoming a Part of the UTD Campus Community

Class Attendance and Participation

Small Class Meetings – We will meet every Thursday in CBW 1.102 to explore a variety of
topics through interactive discussions and exercises. Attendance and participation is a significant
aspect of this course, thus you will receive a daily participation grade for small class meetings.

Participation Evaluation: This is a discussion-based course in which you will spend a

significant amount of time working in small groups. Your participation will be observed and
subsequently evaluated by your instructor according to the following guidelines:

10 points/day – Significant participation: assuming roles in group activities, relevant

contributions to discussions, and submission of any required written work generated in class.

0 points/day – Minimal to no participation: absent from class, doing homework during class
time, letting others complete group objectives with little or no input/insight/feedback from you,
not turning in written work generated during class. Disruptive or disrespectful behavior will also
result in 0 participation points for the day.

**Participation evaluations are at the instructor’s discretion. Point allotments will be based on
the objectives for the day and the instructor’s determination of the level of participation he or she
deems appropriate for the exercise.

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Large Group Meetings – We will meet every Tuesday in SOM 2.115 with several other
sections to hear presentations from various departments on campus and engage in various
activities. Attendance and participation is a significant aspect of this course, thus you will receive
a daily attendance grade form large group meetings. *Note in the schedule that there are several
classes that meet in a different location.*

Attendance Policy and Grading: For each large group meeting, you will receive 10 points for
full class attendance.

• Sign- in attendance sheets will be placed in the same location each week in the lecture
hall. You must sign in by your name within the first 5 minutes of class after which point
attendance sheets will be collected and those who have not signed in will not receive
attendance points for the day. However, attendance in class – even if you are late – is
important so that you do not have an unexcused absence (see box below.)

• Signing in for anyone else will result in loss of attendance points for you and the person
you signed in for.

• If you leave early from class, you will not receive attendance points for the day.

**If you know you will be late for any reason, or must leave early, inform your instructor before
the class day.

In addition to the grading policy for attendance (large groups) and participation (small class),
your final course grade will be lowered a full letter grade for each class missed after two
unexcused absences.

Example Coursework Grade = A+

3 Unexcused Absences B+
4 Unexcused Absences C+
5 Unexcused Absences D+
6 Unexcused Absences F

Requirements for an excused absence (no exceptions!):

• All students participating on UTD competitive teams (athletic and intellectual) must bring an
official Intercollegiate Competition Memo signed by John Jackson prior to any sanctioned
absences. Students must inform the instructor of the impending absence at least 2 weeks
prior to the absence. If this does not occur, it is at the instructor’s discretion to excuse or not
excuse the absence.

• Any anticipated absence arranged through Disability Services must be shared with the
instructor at least 2 weeks prior to the absence. If this does not occur, it is at the instructor’s
discretion to excuse or not excuse the absence.

• Students observing a holy day must inform the instructor before the class day to be missed

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Assignment Format

All assignments are due on the specified due date – NO LATE WORK WILL BE
ACCEPTED!! Also all work must exhibit the fo llowing format:

• A coherent essay that addresses all required elements of the assignment.

• Typed, double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font with one- inch margins.

• Students should include their name, section number, and date on all work.

• Papers should be free of typos, spelling, grammatical, and formatting errors.

• Vocabulary should reflect that of a college student, and writing style should be mature and
cognizant of the instructor as audience.

• If submitted via email, papers must be sent as an attachment, from your UTD email account,
following the above format and submitted on or before the specified due date.

Failure to adhere to any of the above will result in:

• A 10 % deduction for incorrect format.
• A 5 % deduction for multiple typos, spelling and grammatical errors.
• A 5 % deduction for poor language use and/or a disrespectful voice in the paper.
• No points for work turned in after the specified due date.

Grading
Class Attendance 100 points
Class Participation 100 points
Academic Autobiography 100 points
Two Campus Events & Reaction Paper 60 points (30 each x 2)
Oral Presentation: Expert Testimony 50 points
Library Tour 40 points
Group Project & Presentation 150 points
Total 600 points

Grading Scale*
600 A+ 462 – 479 C+
564 – 599 A 438 – 461 C
540 – 563 A- 420 – 437 C-
522 – 539 B+ 402 – 419 D+
498 – 521 B 378 – 401 D
480 – 497 B- 360 – 377 D-
359 & below F

*Point totals prior to adjustments based on unexcused absences.

Your Rhet 1101 grade WILL contribute to your cumulative GPA at UTD.

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Grade Breakdown

Points 30 40 50 100 150 600 A+ 4.00

28.2 37.6 47.0 94 141.0 564 A 4.00

27.0 36.0 45.0 90 135.0 540 A- 3.67

26.1 34.8 43.5 87 130.5 522 B+ 3.33

24.9 33.2 41.5 83 124.5 498 B 3.00
24.0 32.0 40.0 80 120.0 480 B- 2.67

23.1 30.8 38.5 77 115.5 462 C+ 2.33

21.9 29.2 36.5 73 109.5 438 C 2.00
21.0 28.0 35.0 70 105.0 420 C- 1.67

Class participation will serve to raise or lower your grade by one increment or maintain it as is, (+ , o, -).

Final course grade will be lowered a full letter grade for each class missed after 3 unexcused absences.

Grade points are computed by multiplying the points for each grade by the number of credit hours;
for example, 4 (A) x 3 (hours) = 12 grade points.

Grade point average (GPA) is determined by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the
number of semester hours for which a grade other than X, NC, or CR is received.

Only grades earned at U.T. Dallas are used in calculating the GPA.

Example Grade Points Hours Total

A 4.00 1 4.00
A+ 4.00 3 12.00
A- 3.67 3 11.01
B 3.00 3 9.00
C+ 2.33 4 9.32
14 45.33 GPA = 45.33/14 = 3.24

Online catalog grades and grade points website

http://www.utdallas.edu/student/catalog/undergrad02/progress.html

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*Rhet 1101 is a requirement for graduation. If you drop the course or fail it, you must take
Study Skills (DRDG 0v94) in the Spring. It will be recoded as Rhet 1101 in order to give
you credit for the course and enable you to replace your low grade or W.

Classroom Policies

• Cell phones should be turned off during class and calls and text messages are not to be
answered or placed during class time.

• Laptop computers are not necessary for any reason in this course. Please do not open
them at any time during class or you will be counted absent.

• Arriving late is disruptive to class activities and may affect your attendance and
participation grade. If you have a legitimate reason for being late, please inform your
instructor ahead of time or immediately after class.

The University of Texas at Dallas is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of
federal equal opportunity legislation; reference Public Law 92-112 - The Rehabilitation Act of
1973 as amended. With the passage of new federal legislation entitled Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA), pursuant to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, there is renewed focus
on providing this population with the same opportunities enjoyed by all citizens.

As a faculty member, I am required by law to provide "reasonable accommodations" to students

with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Student responsibility
primarily rests with informing faculty of their need for accommodation and in providing
authorized documentation through designated administrative channels. Information regarding
specific diagnostic criteria and policies for obtaining academic accommodations can be found at
www.utdallas.edu/student/slife/hcsvc.html. Please visit the office of Disability Services in
Student Union (1.610) or call at 972.883.2098 to obtain proper paperwork for this class.
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Class Topic Schedule

Tuesday - Large Group Thursday - Small Group

SOM 2.115

August 23 August 25
UTD Information Scavenger Hunt: Class overview
Student planner & guide Learning styles inventory

August 30 September 1
Consume r Credit Due: Academic Autobiography
Learning styles review

September 6 September 8
UTD Counseling Center Academic success

September 13 September 15
Judicial Affairs: Academic Integrity Personal responsibility/living on your own

September 20 September 22
Meet in SOM 1.118 Due: Campus event reaction paper #1
Office of Registrar Library tour

September 27 September 29
UTD Library Due: Oral presentations: Expert Testimony

October 4 October 6
No Class No Class

October 11 October 13
Meet in SOM 1.118 Relationships/at risk behavior
Women’s Center/Health Ed./Campus Police Getting involved//making good decisions

October 18 October 20
Meet in SU Galaxy Rooms Due: Campus event reaction paper #2
UTD Multicultural Center: Table Talks Diversity review/images & perceptions

October 25 October 27
Information Technology Professionalism
Project prep time

November 1 November 3
Meet in SOM 1.118 Due: Group project evaluation paper
UTD Career Center & Office of Due: Group project presentations
International Education

November 8 November 10
TBA TBA

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 Appendix
Rhet 1101 Course Assignments

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 Academic Autobiography
Goal: To help you reflect on your life as a student thus far, including the
people and experiences which have prepared you for this new level of
higher education. And to get you thinking about what you want to
accomplish as a student at UTD.

Assignment: Write an autobiography – beginning with your earliest

memories of school – and illustrate your life as a student. Include the
following in your paper:

• What has been your best academic experience thus far? How has it
affected your approach to school?

• What teachers influenced you the most and in what ways?

• What has been the biggest challenge with regard to your education
thus far? How did it change your perception of yourself as a student
and/or your attitude toward school and learning?

• Was going to college always one of your goals growing up? If not,
when did you realize it would be a part of your education?

• When did you begin to believe you knew what you wanted your
career path to be? Do you still share that vision? Why or why not?

• In what areas do you feel you need to grow and improve in order to
reach your goals in the next several years?

• What are you most looking forward to academically at UTD?

• What other aspects of the college experience are you anticipating?

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 UTD Library Tour
Goal: To help you become familiar with the physical layout of McDermott
Library for future ease of use.

Assignment: You are to attend one of the scheduled library tours. Upon completion
you will receive proof of attendance from the library staff. Show this to your Rhet
1101 instructor for credit.

Library Tour Days & Times

• Wednesdays 11:00 – 12:00

• Fridays 1:00 – 2:00

If you cannot make one of the times listed above, you may set-up a personal tour by
going to www.utdallas.edu/library/services/libins.htm
• Under “Information Literacy Links” go to “Request a Personal Tour”
• Fill out required information, including the fact that you are taking the tour to
fulfill your Rhet 1101 requirement.
• Don’t forget proof of attendance to show your instructor.

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 Campus Events and
Reaction Papers
Goal: To introduce to you what is available to do on campus, and
encourage you to take advantage of opportunities for involvement and
entertainment.

Types of Events: You must choose events from two different categories

Cultural Multicultural
-Art Barn -Cultural Celebration
-Musical Concert -International Performance/Fair
-Theater Production

Student Life Academics

-Athletic Event -Speaker (faculty or invited guest)
-SUAAB sponsored events (Cooking Guy) -Meeting of a major-based organization
-Counseling Center workshop -Department brown bag/seminar
-ELP or other campus organization -LRC Calculus Pizza Party Review
-Meteor Theater (**5 points extra credit for attending the Freshman Event 8/25 or 26)

Events that do NOT qualify: Greek life events for your fraternity or sorority and Waterview
Apartment events.
s
Check This Week @ UTD for a complete list of campus happenings.

Reaction Paper: You must write a minimum one full page summary of your experience, which
includes the following information:
• The name of the event and what interested you in going to this particular event.
• What took place during the event.
• Your reaction to the event (enjoyed it, it was a hassle, etc.)s
• Suggestions for what might have made it more enjoyable/worthwhile.

*You must submit proof of attendance with your paper.

Extra Credit Event: DUI: A Powerful Lesson. Wednesday, November 2nd,

7:00 pm in the Galaxy Rooms. If you attend this event in addition to your two
required campus events and write up a reaction paper, you can earn up to 15 points of
extra credit to apply toward your class assignment grade.

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 Oral Presentation:
Expert Testimony
Goal: To enable you to become more comfortable with public speaking in a small,
comfortable environment.

Assignment:
1. Prepare a 2 - 2½ minute presentation on a topic you know very well. This could be a hobby, a
particular academic subject, your home town, a favorite book, etc. No research should be
necessary.

2. Practice your presentation so that you are prepared and comfortable with what you are going to
say. You will not be allowed to use note cards or prompts.

3. The following are critical to appealing and successful oral presentations. You will receive a score
for each of the following:

• Posture and appearance – Dress appropriately for a graded assignment (which means you
need to impress your instructor.) Do not sit, rest, or lean during your presentation, and keep
hands out of your pockets. No hats or gum!

• Tone of voice: volume, clarity – Plan to project so that a room of 20 people can hear you
easily. Speak relatively slowly and enunciate clearly.

• Eye contact with audience – Your audience wants to believe they are important to you, so
look at individuals in the room as you speak. Make them feel that you are speaking directly
to them (but don’t just single one or two people out – try to catch most people’s eye at least
once – especially your instructor’s!

• Well organized presentation of information - Just because the information is familiar to

you, doesn’t mean everyone will know what you’re talking about. Rambling about any topic
is never going to make people want to listen to you. Deliver the information you want to
share or the story you want to tell in an interesting, easy to follow manner that makes sense
to the naïve listener.

• Substantial content appropriate for time frame – Even brief speeches must have
substance. Make yours and everyone’s time worthwhile by saying something worth listening
to.
• Ability to engage your audience – You’ll be listening a lot more than you’ll be talking and
you don’t want to be bored. Don’t be the one who puts everyone else to sleep.

• Adherence to time limit – Even professionals have a time limit. It’s critical to accomplish
what you want to in the minimal time you are given without going over or coming up short.
It takes practice to get this down.
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 Group Project & Presentation
Becoming a Part of the
UTD Campus Community

Goal: To provide you the opportunity to work with classmates in a small

group of 3 – 4 people while exploring your new college campus.

Assignment: As a group, choose one of the following aspects of the UTD

experience to focus on and develop a presentation to share with the class.

1. What can UTD do for me?

Services and resources for students abound throughout the UTD campus
community. You can find help for academic success, social involvement,
entertainment, and personal development. This project will encourage you to explore
all that UTD has to offer you, how you can take advantage of it, and get you thinking
about what else you might like to see as part of the UTD campus support community.

2. What can I do for UTD?

UTD is a very unique place because it continues to grow and change with each
new group of students. There are countless opportunities for you to make your mark
on the campus community, and personally contribute to the development of your
university. This project will provide you the chance to begin establishing your role as a
mover and shaker on campus. What is your vision for the future of UTD – what do
you want to see change now? Put the wheels in motion with this project.

3. Learning from the Locals

A campus community is made up of people - and the faculty, staff, and your peers
are the support system you have at UTD. The saying “It’s not what you know, it’s
who you know” has a great deal of truth to it, and while you need to know a lot to
succeed at UTD, the more people in the campus community that you become
acquainted with, the greater your college experience will be. This project will get you
meeting and talking with people from all over campus and learning from their
knowledge about how to be successful and engaged in university life at UTD.

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The Details
Experiences Paper (50 points – Group grade)
This paper will enable your instructor to get the full picture of your experiences with the
project, and it will provide the substance and material for your in-class presentation. Papers should
include the following:
• A description of the experiences group members had during the project.
• Detailed information members gained from interactions with people, places, and activities
throughout the project.
• Group members’ assessment and discussion of the value of experiencing the UTD community
in the context of the project.
• Addressing all required specific elements listed in the individual project descriptions.

Presentations (50points – Group grade)

Each project will culminate in a presentation that your group will make to the class. The final
product will convey your experiences with the topic that you have selected. Your Experiences Paper
will provide the basis for this presentation.
Presentations must include all required elements described in the project descriptions on the
following page.
Any oral introduction or explanation given prior to the presentation done in class must be shared by
all group members.

The format of your presentation may take one of three forms:

• Video – Create a video/DVD
• Photo Slide Show – Put pictures on a CDRom to be shown via computer.
• Skit – All group members will perform live in class.

PRESENTATIONS SHOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 8 MINUTES IN LENGTH.

Individual Reaction Paper (50 points – Individual grade)

This paper will give you the opportunity to evaluate your experience working with your
group. This is an independent effort in which you will discuss – from your own perspective - the
workings of your group, the contributions of each member, and consider your own strengths and
challenges when working with others towards a goal. Include the following in your paper:

• Who held what responsibilities for completion of the project?

• How were these roles determined?
• How did the group communicate and was it effective? Explain.
• What were the group’s biggest strengths?
• What were the group’s biggest challenges?
• What was your greatest contribution to the group?
• What was your biggest challenge working in this group?
• What did you learn about yourself with regard to working with others in this context?
.

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What can UTD do for me?

1. Begin by identifying the campus services and resources that are available to help students in the
areas of
• Academic Success
• Social Involvement
• Entertainment
• Personal Development

2. Select one or two in each area and take advantage of them yourself. Get a good sampling of
experiences with these services by using them for a significant period of time, trying out different
ones, etc. A single visit or meeting is not going to give you a true picture.

3. Create a presentation that includes the following:

• An introduction to the services and resources available to students on campus.
• Your experiences with those that you selected:
o How did they work (where do you go, do you need an appointment, did it cost $$?)
o How were they beneficial?
o Best thing about each? Worst thing?
o Who did you meet (staff, students, etc.)
o What would you change about this service?
o Ideas for other campus services/resources.

What can I do for UTD?

1. Begin by identifying some ways that you would like to see UTD change. These can be global
changes (a future vision for the university) or specific changes (those with a more immediate impact
on student life.)

2. Explain why you would like to see these changes and what your vision for UTD is relative to your
ideas for change.

3. Determine the steps you would need to take to begin implementing the change. Consider:
• Who needs to be involved (what university administration/staff/student organizations should be
consulted, included in the change effort?)
• What is the first step? Next?
• What resources a re necessary?
• Is there student support for the change? How do you know?

4. Begin to follow the steps you have mapped out.

5. Create a presentation that illustrates your vision, the reasons behind wanting the changes you do,
and what you have done – and what remains to be done – to bring about that change. Don’t hesitate
to use your presentation to drum up support and help in making the changes you are working for!

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Learn from the locals

1.Identify some things that you need or want to learn from each of the following:
• A faculty member/instructor
• Your academic advisor
• A UTD staff member
• A UTD student leader (First Year Leader, Peer Health Educator, Orientation Team Mentor,
Peer Advisor, Student Government officer/representative, Multicultural Peer Advisor, etc.)
• An experienced UTD student
• A new freshman
• Someone with a different background from your own

2. Meet with each (make sure you make appointments when necessary) and discuss the issues you
have identified. Don’t hesitate to go further and learn more if the conversation allows.

3. Summarize what you discovered and present the different contributions and perspectives of the
people you have talked to.

4. Your presentation should include the following:

• An introduction to the people you met during this project (get their permission to use their
picture/video for the presentation. If they do not agree to that, simply talk about their
contribution in your paper and presentation).
• A summary of what you learned when talking with the different people you spoke with.
• What you have learned about being a student at UTD.
• What you have learned about the people who make up the UTD community.
• How this experience has changed your perspective of UTD. Of college. Of yourself.

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