This unit will focus on the academic community, in contrast to the previous units' focus on the popular and public communities.  In this unit we will examine, among many things, the ways in which conceptions like that of credibility can vary widely from professional community to the next.  This will be of particular importance to you in regard to the prfessional community you chose to examine.  Through the two Feeder assignments and the Unit project you will examine a particular issue in your chosen professional community.  While you are free to chose any particular professional community, I suggest you chose a community that is close to your declared or intended major.  It always helps to be somewhat interested your research, and the more relevant the topic, the more interesting your research will become.
 

Feeder 1:

    For this assignment you will chose a professional community and a particular concern within this community to examine.  After choosing your particular community and concern, you will write a short essay (2-3 pages), in which you introduce the community and issue.  In crafting this essay, you will need to discuss the professional community at length.  Discuss its many facets, including a few of the ways in which it differs from other professional communities.  Then introduce the topic of concern,
examining the ways in which this issue is of particular concern to your chosen community, and the larger issues it may raise for other professional communities.  One site that may prove helpful in your research is DejaNews .
 

Feeder 2:

    In this Feeder assignment you will continue your research of your chosen community and issue.  The assignment to be turned in will be an annotated bibliography, to be completed in the MLA Works Cited style.  This can be accessed in the Resources
section.  After each source write a brief paragraph of three to four sentences in which you describe the source and how it contributes to your Unit Project.  The annotated bibliography must contain at least six print sources and two web sources.
 

Unit Project:

    This will be the final step of your research.  You will write an essay in which you examine the issue you introduced within the context of your chosen professional community.  Examine the many concerns raised by the issue within this community, along with enumerating the ways in which the community has attempted to solve the problems the issue raises.  Take an objective look at the various methods being employed to handle the problems raised by this issue, and identify the method that seems most effective.  I hold the same expectations for this essay that I held for all of the previous essays.  That is, a clear thesis that is developed and supported throughout the sections that comprise the essay.  It goes without saying that there are to be smooth transitions between each section, and that each section should be relevant to the overall essay, so I won't waste time by saying it again.  This essay is also to be 4-6 pages, and will be due...
 
 
 
 

Class Page                                                                                                    Unit 1
My Page                                                                                                       Unit 2
Policy Statement                                                                                            Unit 3
Class Schedule                                                                                               Resources