As a Student, You Have the Right to Expect That

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Course Policies and Procedures:

Clear, open and consistent communication is an essential part of any undergraduate level course. This includes communication between the instructor and students, as well as among students. Additionally, having clear understandings and expectations for one another is crucial. Therefore, I have developed the following rights and responsibilities for us to honor:

As a student, you have the right to expect that:

· All members of our class community will be treated cordially and respectfully.

Your submitted work will be evaluated and returned promptly.

· Your work will be graded based on criteria that you receive in advance. These criteria will be as objective and transparent as possible, but please acknowledge that grading is ultimately a subjective exercise.

· Your peers will exchange papers with you within the agreed-upon timeframe, and will bring your papers to class on workshop days.

· Your peers will read and respond to your written work thoughtfully and thoroughly.

· I will be responsive to questions and concerns, and will respond to emails promptly (usually within 24 weekday hours).

As the course instructor, I have the right to expect that you will:

Devote the necessary time to fulfill the course requirements. In general, undergraduate writing courses may require as much as 3 hours of outside coursework per every hour spent in the classroom, especially when a major assignment is due.

Take responsibility for your learning by staying actively engaged, attending all classes, and consistently checking UMD email and Canvas.

If you have an emergency or professional obligations that will impact your attendance, please contact me immediately.

Maintain professional decorum in all interactions including emails.

Accept that learning is a process that sometimes feels uncomfortable. The feedback you receive is part of the instructor’s professional obligation and is designed to promote growth. I will be glad to discuss pressing concerns about grades (at an agreed upon time, NOT via email), but be advised that grades are not negotiated. (Adapted from Linda Krakour).

FORMAT

The format for assignments will vary, it will always be assignment-specific, and you will be expected to follow the format required by each assignment. Submissions that do not follow these formatting guidelines will be penalized.

Before each assignment is due, we will hold peer review-draft workshops in class. You must email me a completed draft, with all required elements, by 9 am on the day of peer review. You must bring a polished and completed draft that meets all of the requirements of that particular paper assignment. You will exchange papers with a classmate and you will comment on the writing of your classmate. I will distribute peer review sheets to guide your constructive criticism. These sheets will be turned in with the final draft of your paper and will be graded.

As part of your Narrative Presentation, assignment, you will make a short PowerPoint presentation to the class during the last week of the semester. You may also be required to make a brochure or hand-deliverable for your intended audience.

Assignments and Grade Breakdown

· Topic Memo/Audience Analysis, 20%: an approximately four to six page, research-based paper that explores two possible topics as well as a likely audience for your final proposal. You will explore the one of your chosen topics throughout the semester in the Rogerian Argument and the Narrative/Executive Summary

· Cover Letter and Resume, 20%, you will conduct an audience analysis for an actual job for which you are currently qualified to perform and compose a resume and cover letter suitable for the prospective employer.

· Rogerian Argument Essay, 20%: an approximately five page, double spaced essay exploring two sides of an issue and attempting to find common ground from which to propose a solution. This kind of argument focuses on what two sides can agree on to help them move forward. This assignment will focus on effective use of research, introductions, transitions, and conclusions.

· Narrative Presentation/Executive Summary, 25%: Your narrative will feature a character who is dealing with your identified issue. In addition, you will explore some of the problems associated with the issue and present the audience-based solution. You may use notes, but you may not read the narrative. You will illustrate key points of the narrative with an approximately 7- slide PowerPoint presentation that uses principles of Presentation Zen. In addition, you will provide a research-based executive summary for the intended audience.

· Participation, in-class projects and writing, homework, peer reviews, reading responses: 15%

The Professional Writing Program requires each student to compose approximately 25 pages of original writing (6,250 words); the assignments for this course are in compliance with this page requirement.

Diversity: The University of Maryland values the diversity of its student body. Along with the University, I am committed to providing a classroom atmosphere that encourages the equitable participation of all students regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, national origin, race, religion, or sexual orientation. Potential devaluation of students in the classroom that can occur by reference to demeaning stereotypes of any group and/or overlooking the contributions of a particular group to the topic under discussion is inappropriate.

Attendance and Participation

The writing you will do in English 391 will be based on skills you will develop and hone in class; for that reason, your attendance and participation will have a direct effect on your work and, ultimately, your grades.

To be prepared to participate, you must complete all course readings before coming to class. You are expected to participate in class discussions, to be able to respond to questions posed to you, to have drafts when they are due, and to complete in-class writing. There may be unannounced reading quizzes based on the assigned chapters.

Regarding attention and participation, recent research from three studies concluded the following: “These classroom-based studies show that students often find the presence of these devices to be distracting—whether because having the devices in class makes it more likely that students will engage in activities such as texting or online social networking, or because students find themselves distracted by their peers’ use of devices to type, text, play games, or “surf” the internet”(http://teachingcenter.wustl.edu/Journal/Reviews/Pages/Research-In-Class-Devices.aspx#.UynZsYWhGf8)

Below are the policies on unexcused and excused absences, as well as tardiness. Please note that missing more than two weeks’ worth of class for any reason may result in a zero for the participation portion of your grade and may jeopardize your overall course grade. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what you’ve missed. Missing more than two weeks of class will make catching up difficult, if not impossible.

Late Arrivals: In the professional world tardiness is not tolerated. However, this campus is large, and another instructor may keep you late. So if you do arrive late on occasion, do not disrupt class, and let me know by the end of the schedule adjustment period if you anticipate ongoing conflicts. Persistent tardiness will be reflected in your participation grade and points will be deducted. More than two late arrivals equals one unexcused absence. Showing up on peer review/workshop days with incomplete documents constitutes an absence as does showing up for a conference without the required written material. Not showing up for a conference counts as two absences, as we take two class days off as compensatory time. There is nowhere to print on peer review/workshop days, so please be on time and print out your documents ahead of time. Remember that it is your responsibility to catch up on your own time, not the class’s.

Absences for religious observance require emailed notification 48 hours prior to holyday.

Due Dates

Both workshop and due dates must be respected. Extensions are awarded for documented medical reasons only. For a workshop in a non-computer classroom, there is no ability to print, so if you are having trouble with your printer, print out the paper in the library.

Commenting on Drafts: During peer review, you may make an appointment in class and I will offer comments on each of your assignment drafts, but because of the quick turnaround time between draft due dates and final due dates, my comments are not extensive, nor will they indicate every aspect of improvement or strength of a particular paper. The comments are guides only. For more in-depth assistance, please visit me during office hours.

Discussion: Preparation for discussion is expected. This means that you must not only read assigned material but must also think about it, formulate questions, consider alternatives, and be prepared to make suggestions.

Peer Review Workshops: Workshops are designed to improve writing skills. This means that you are expected to thoughtfully read classmates’ work and offer constructive criticism. Polite approval of another’s work is a waste of your time and does not help your classmate. Polite suggestions do. You will submit your draft document via email attachment in a word document by 9am on all days when peer review is scheduled. Please respect your peers and be sure to bring a to class completed draft, with all required elements. Be on time since I assign partners at the beginning of class.

For all absences, excused and unexcused, please provide a handwritten note explaining your reason for the absence. In addition, you may provide university documentation in the form of a health center or doctor’s note as warranted.

The Bottom Line

To pass this class:

Complete all assignments. You may not skip an assignment and then take a lower grade.

Attend class regularly (no more than 3 unexcused absences).

Come to class on time. This is essential for a twice-a-week class.

Provide constructive feedback for and assist your peers.

Read all assignments and be prepared to respond orally or in writing.

Participate in class discussions.

Unexcused Absences. You may take up to one week’s worth of no-questions-asked absences (2 days) per semester for both the expected (i.e., being the best man in your brother’s wedding) and the unexpected (i.e., a flat tire).

If you take a no-questions-asked absence, however, you are still responsible for whatever material was covered in class. If a major scheduled grading event (assignment due, in-class workshop/peer review, presentation) is scheduled for that class period, and you don’t show up and don’t have a university-sanctioned excuse (see below) then you will lose the points for that activity.

Excused Absences. The University excuses absences for your own illness or the illness of an immediate family member, for your participation in university activities at the request of University authorities, for religious observance, and for compelling circumstance beyond your control. Documentation is required for all excused absences. If you have an anticipated excused absence, you must let me know in writing by the end of the schedule adjustment period or at least two weeks in advance.

Absence for one class due to your own illness: The university requires that you provide me a self-signed note attesting to the date of your illness, with an acknowledgment that the information provided is true. Providing false information to University officials is prohibited and may result in disciplinary action. The Health Center has an online form (http://www.health.umd.edu/sites/default/files/Class%20Excuse110.pdf).

Absence from more than one class because of the same illness: You must provide written documentation of the illness from the health care provider who made the diagnosis. No diagnostic information shall be given. The provider must verify dates of treatment and indicate the time frame during which you were unable to meet academic responsibilities.

Non-consecutive medically necessitated absences from more than a single class: Such absences may be excused provided you submit written documentation for each absence as described above, verifying the dates of treatment and time frame during which you were unable to meet your academic responsibilities. However, as also noted above, if you miss too many classes—even if excused—though you are technically eligible to make up the work, in practice students are rarely able to do so.

Making Up Work

Timeliness is important in making up work. If you have an excused absence, please make arrangements with me as soon as possible to complete the assignment(s) you have missed during your absence.

Revision Policy

You are not permitted to rewrite your papers after they are due. In addition to proofreading aloud you are encouraged, however, to write and rewrite your papers several times BEFORE they are due. You should plan on consulting with your peers during peer review, with me during and outside of class, and with tutors in the Writing Center to facilitate this revision.

Academic Integrity and Honor Pledge

Plagiarism, whether it is submitting someone else’s work as your own, submitting your own work completed for another class without my permission, or otherwise violating the

University’s Code of Academic Integrity will not be tolerated. You are expected to understand the University’s policies regarding academic integrity. These can be found at the Student Honor Council website at www.studenthonorcouncil.umd.edu. Please visit this website, click on the “students” link, and read the information carefully.

Diversity

The University of Maryland values the diversity of its student body. Along with the University, I am committed to providing a classroom atmosphere that encourages the equitable participation of all students regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, national origin, race, religion, or sexual orientation. Potential devaluation of students in the classroom that can occur by reference to demeaning stereotypes of any group and/or overlooking the contributions of a particular group to the topic under discussion is inappropriate.

Disability Support Services

If you have a registered disability that will require accommodation, please see me immediately. If you have a disability and have not yet registered it with Disability Support Services in the Shoemaker Building (301-314-7682 or 301-405-7683), you should do so immediately.

Email Correspondence

I will respond to your emails within 24 hours. I do not check my UM email account on the weekends so if you send me an email at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, I have until 5:30 p.m. on Monday to respond to you. Because this is a class that focuses on using professional writing in a variety of contexts, you will be expected to follow professional conventions in your email correspondence with me. Please use a salutation, a brief, well-constructed message, and a closing in all of your email. In addition, please be mindful of using correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. The email you send to friends and family is different from the email required in a professional setting; this is your opportunity to hone your skills.