ENGLISH
101 SYLLABUS TEMPLATE—Dec. 2, 2012
[The format of the
information below is up to you. You may rearrange content to fit your
needs. Please design the syllabus to accommodate your sense of good
design. This template contains what you must include, as well as some
additional materials.]
[Required]
Semester/Year
ENGL 101.0X:
Introductory Writing 3 credits [WRTG] [W]
Class Time: Day/Time
Class Location: Room #
Instructor: Your
Name
Office: Avery XXX
Phone: 335-XXXX (if
available)
Email: Your WSU email
Office Hours: (minimum
of 2/week)
Catalog Description [Required: verbatim]
Prereq
writing placement exam or Engl 100. Designed to
develop students' academic writing, critical thinking, rhetorical strategies,
reading and library skills. Credit not granted for more than one: Engl 101, 105, and 198.
Course Description [Required: write your own description of
what students will learn in your course. A sample has been provided from past
syllabi. Yours might be more specific and engaging.]
This course will introduce you to
the conventions of academic writing and research-based writing. My goal
as your teacher is to help each of you to understand your place as a writer and
critical reader of research-based texts, as well as develop an awareness of
your own writing process. The class readings, group work, and writing
exercises are all designed to help you develop the skills necessary to create
strong research-based arguments.
Required Texts The Academic Writer
(2nd Ed.) by Lisa Ede. Also list
any technological tools you might require (Angel, Writing Studio, Google Docs,
etc.).]
Course Goals [Required: verbatim]
By the end of ENGLISH 101 students will
Portfolio
[Required: describe the
portfolio and all major writing assignments and additional graded categories;
use your own language. Sample below.]
All ENGL 101 courses are portfolio-based.
The portfolio is the primary means for evaluating student work in the
composition program at WSU because it honors both the processes and products of
writing. Your portfolio will consist of a significantly revised cover letter,
final research project, and two of your three shorter projects. It must
include at least 22 pages of revised work (any draft after the first) and
demonstrate writing from sources. Drafts of your cover letter count as
revised work.
You will receive extensive feedback
on your writing from both your peers and your instructor, but you will not
receive grades on the drafts of your portfolio projects. Every
composition course at WSU uses this method of postponed grading in order to
ensure that the focus of the course is on your writing.
After I return the draft with my comments, you have the rest of the
semester to revise your projects
before submitting them for the portfolio. The portfolio will be evaluated
holistically at the end of the semester, and may be reviewed by other readers.
You must turn in every project in order to pass the course. Each
late draft will lower your final grade by 5%. Save All Drafts!! 101
Policy states that I can refuse to accept a project for which you have no preliminary
drafts.
Portfolio Evaluation
Criteria [Required:
verbatim]
All students in ENGL 101
will be assessed on the following criteria:
Indicates
which of the
Seven Learning Goals of the Baccalaureate are met by ENGL 101.
Writing Assignments
[Required: use your own
language here and include at least a listing of the major writing projects; a
minimum of four projects is suggested. Sample below.]
Project 1: Title and Description
Project 2: Title and Description
Project 3: Title and Description
Project 4: Final Research Project
Title and Description
Any other
projects/assignments
Grade Distribution
[Required:
you must have some grade distribution policy included in your syllabus; below
are possible distributions based on the Portfolio requirement. The Portfolio is
required and must be at least 50% of the course grade. ]
Sample A
50%
Portfolio
20%
In-class Writing and other in-class activities
10%
Mini-portfolios
10%
Annotated Bibliography
10%
Final Presentation
Sample B:
65%
Portfolio
15%
Group Annotated Bibliography
10%
Conference Proposal and Presentation
10%
In-class work and Participation
Sample C:
60%
Portfolio
20%
Online writing assignments (blogs, forums, etc.)
10%
Class Participation (Peer Reviews, written Revision Plans, Early Drafts)
10%
Weekly Source Reports
Sample D:
75%
Writing Portfolio
15%
Attendance and Participation
10%
Writing Journal
Grading Scale
[Strongly suggested: based on percentages; may be translated
into point scale.]
94-100%
A
90-93%
A-
87-89%
B+
84-86%
B
80-83%
B-
77-79%
C+
74-76%
C
70-73%
C-
67-69%
D+
64-66%
D
0-63%
F
WSU Grading Standards [Optional: since the below is a WSU
standard, it might be good to include it in your syllabus. Also note that WSU
has a multi-tiered grade system.]
The grading for ENGL
101 follows WSU standards:
A: Outstanding
achievement-awarded only for the highest accomplishment
B: Praiseworthy
performance-above average in most respects
C: Satisfactory
performance-work meets the standards for competency
D: Minimally
passing-effort and achievement less than satisfactory.
Midterm Grades [Required: verbatim. This is official
Composition Program policy. It must be in your syllabus so that students are
clear on how midterm grades work.]
Due to the nature of the portfolio system, which emphasizes
process over product, students who are making satisfactory progress in the
class (i.e., turning in assignments on time, meeting basic assignment
requirements, attending class regularly, etc.) will receive a midterm grade of
ÒX,Ó which indicates that coursework is in progress. Students who are not
making satisfactory progress will receive a grade of C- or below as a warning
and are strongly encouraged to meet with their instructor. Students
who belong to an organization that requires proof of satisfactory progress (not
a grade) in writing may request that their instructor sign a Satisfactory
Progress Form.
Project Submission
Guidelines [Required:
you must include a section on whether or not you will accept late work and what
penalties, if any, you will assess for late work. Also articulate how you
prefer projects to be turned in (email, hard copy, etc.).]
Attendance [Required: your syllabus must include an attendance
policy. The DOC/ADOC will support a policy that follows the general
guidelines below. Please note that items 1) and 2) are official Composition
Program policy. The third item is required, but the policy is at your
discretion.]
1) Roll will be taken daily.
2) Because of the collaborative nature of the course and the intensive
in-class work required, more than two weeks of absences will result in course
failure (i.e., 5 or more absences for a TTH
class; 7 or more for a MWF class). University-sponsored absences, illness, and
planned absences are included in this policy.
3) Include a policy
for making up in-class work. If you choose not to allow makeup of
in-class work, we will support that policy, although note that the University
asks (not requires) that make-up work be allowed for University-sponsored
absences and extreme illnesses—see
Academic Regulation Rule 73 for more information.]
Academic Integrity [Required: verbatim. The CWPA statement gives the policy
disciplinary credibility; the WSU policy is Washington State Code.]
The Council of Writing
Program Administrators (CWPA) states that ÒIn an instructional setting, plagiarism occurs
when a writer deliberately uses someone elseÕs language, ideas, or other
original (not common-knowledge) material without acknowledging its
source.Ó The WSU Academic Honesty
Policy (based on State of Washington Code)
expands the CWPA definition of plagiarism as well as explaining other
categories of academic misconduct. As a WSU student, you are bound by these
policies and are responsible for being aware of and abiding by them.
Students who commit intentional acts of plagiarism will be reported to
the Assistant Director of Composition and the Office of the Dean of Students
and will fail the class.
[During your first week
of class, it would be good to include a discussion of this policy as well as a
review of the WSU Plagiarism Information Site. Review of these policies and sites is a
great opportunity for a first, small assignment as the policies and other
materials require some critical reading skills.]
Reasonable
Accommodation [Required:
verbatim]
Students with Disabilities: Reasonable accommodations are
available for students with a documented disability. If you have a disability
and need accommodations to fully participate in this class, please either visit
or call the Access Center (Washington Building 217; 509-335-3417) to schedule
an appointment with an Access Advisor. All accommodations MUST be approved
through the Access Center.
WSU Safety Statement
[Required: verbatim]
Washington State University is committed to maintaining a
safe environment for its faculty, staff, and students. Safety is the
responsibility of every member of the campus community and individuals should
know the appropriate actions to take when an emergency arises. In support of
our commitment to the safety of the campus community the University has
developed a Campus Safety Plan, http://safetyplan.wsu.edu.
It is highly recommended that you visit this web site as well as the University
emergency management web site at http://oem.wsu.edu/
to become familiar with the information provided.
Personal
Communication Devices/Laptops [Optional: Instructors may include a
policy on the use of cell phones and laptops in their ENGL 101 courses. The
policy that follows is a possibility, but your policy might be worded
differently. Just make sure the policy (if you have one) is something reasonable
and that youÕre willing to enforce.]
Personal Communication Devices [Sample]
In order to ensure a
productive learning environment, you are required to turn off or set your
personal communication device to silent contact during class time. Use of cell
phones, pagers, PDAs, or similar communication device is not allowed during
classes unless such use supports class activities. Exceptions to this policy
may be considered upon request.
Laptops [Sample]
Laptops may be used in
class but only for class-related activities (e.g., taking notes, completing
in-class or group writing assignments). If it becomes apparent you are using
the computer for non-class activities (checking your email, playing games, Facebooking, etc.) then you will be asked to turn off your
computer and refrain from bringing it into class in the future.
Additional Resources [Required: verbatim]
Avery Microcomputer
Lab (AML)
All ENGL 101 students have access to the services and
facilities of the AML (Avery 101, 103, & 105), including free printing.
Writing Center
Students are encouraged to visit the Writing Center, which
provides free, walk-in peer tutoring service. The Writing Center is
located in CUE 403. The ENGL 101 program strongly encourages use of the
face-to-face Writing Center. Online tutoring is available through eTutoring.
ENGL 102
A one-credit writing workshop. Beginning the 3rd week
of classes, students and a facilitator meet in small groups once a week to
revise projects for ENGL 101 or any other course. Contact
Writing Programs for more
information. You can sign up for the class at ZZUSIS.
Course Calendar
[Required: your course
calendar should include a week-by-week description of due dates for readings,
major assignments, and other course activities. Please refer to the WSU
Academic Calendar when designing your schedule. Also, be sure to schedule
your AML Orientation and Orientation to the Libraries. Course calendars are subject to change, but should provide enough
guidance for both you and the students to prepare for your semester. For
examples of Course Calendars, contact the DOC or ADOC.]