Guidelines and Proposal Form

WRITING INTENSIVE COURSES:

GUIDELINES AND PROPOSAL FORM

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING INTENSIVE COURSES

PROPOSAL FOR APPROVAL AS A “WRITING INTENSIVE” COURSE

SYLLABUS TEMPLATE

Prerequisite / Co-requisite

Audience

Course Description

Credits

Learning Objectives

Bibliography / Texts / Supplies

Requirements

Grading

Course Specific Policies on attendance

Academic Integrity Policy

Course Specific Policies on the Use of Turnitin

Disability-Related Accommodations

Diversity and Disability

Religious Observances Notification and Policy

Student Academic Work Policy

Course Schedule

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING INTENSIVE COURSES

The requirement for a writing-intensive course outside of the Writing Program is intended to familiarize students with the thought processes, structures, and styles associated with writing in the liberal arts.

To be included in the pool of writing-intensive courses that fulfill this requirement, a course must meet the following guidelines:

All the writing assignments should be designed to promote learning pertinent to the course. A wide range of possible writing assignments, such as reading responses, article or book reviews, idea journals, critiques, argumentative essays, research projects, laboratory reports, case studies, or collaborative projects, such as class magazines, are possible.

A minimum of four writing assignments, including drafts, totaling at least 4,000 words is required. One assignment must be at least 1,000 words.

At least two writing assignments must be out-of-class papers or drafts. Assignments that provide students with sequenced opportunities to improve their writing skills are encouraged. These could include drafting, substantive revisions, or writing the same kind of paper (e.g., a deliberative essay) several times over the course of a semester.

When in-class essays are used to meet these requirements, each must take at least 30 minutes to write.

At least three of the assignments must be returned to the students, with commentary and corrections, within two weeks.

All facets of writing (e.g. content, organization, conceptualization, grammar and usage, and spelling) should be subjects of attention, though how each facet is attended to could vary from assignment to assignment.

Writing-intensive courses are to be limited to 25 students, or they must have sections in which writing is dealt with that are limited to 25 students.

Separate 1-2 credit courses that require co-registration with a parent disciplinary course will be considered for inclusion in the pool of acceptable courses.

Courses outside the College of Arts and Sciences will be considered for inclusion in the pool if they meet the above guidelines.

PROPOSAL FOR APPROVAL AS A “WRITING INTENSIVE” COURSE IN

THE LIBERAL ARTS CORE CURRICULUM

COURSE TITLE: ______

PREFIX AND NUMBER (ABC ###): ______CREDITS: ____ FREQUENCY OFFERED: ____

SECTION(S):______

DEPT. (PROGRAM) & COLLEGE:______

NAME, OFFICE, AND PHONE NO. OF PROPOSER:______

1.1 Is the course approved (or is approval being sought) for credit in A&S?

1.2 Is the course approved (or is approval being sought) for credit in another school/college at S.U.? Which?

1.3 Is the course approved (or is approval being sought) to satisfy other requirements? Which?

2.1 With what frequency will the course be offered in the next three years?

2.2 What will the enrollment limit be on each section of the course?

2.3 Who will be the instructor(s) of the course?

3.1 Describe briefly the general educational goals of the course and how the writing assignments will promote attaining those goals.

3.2 List the kinds of writing assignment the course will contain and indicate:

(a) the number of each,

(b) the length of each, and

3.3 Which of the assignments listed above will be out of class assignments?

3.4 Which of the assignments listed above will be returned with commentary and corrections to students within two weeks of submission?

3.5 How will the assessment of performance on the writing assignment be weighed in the grade for the course?

DEPARTMENTAL APPROVAL :______(CHAIR)

The signature is taken to indicate that the course can be delivered as proposed, and that, if approved, it will be delivered that way whenever it is offered until a proposal has been approved to deregister the course from the Writing Intensive Course list.

Please attach a syllabus using the template provided

Please submit two copies, one original word doc and one signed and scanned copy, electronically to . Please do not submit physical copies.

If you have questions or need advice, contact Ashley Fundahn, Curriculum Specialist, at , or 3 1414.

SYLLABUS TEMPLATE

[Enter course subject, number and title]

Instructor[Enter your name or TBA] Phone[Enter phone number or TBA]

Office[Enter your office location here or TBA] E-mail[Enter email or TBA]

Office Hours[Enter your office hours here or TBA]

Prerequisite / Co-requisite:

"[Enter prerequisite and/or corequisite COURSES]"

"[Enter any other types of prerequisite and/or corequisites (e.g., major, milestone]"

Audience:

"[Briefly describe the target audience for the course]"

Course Description:

"[Enter course description (SAME as description on CPF).]"

NOTE: This is the exact description from the course proposal form.

Additional Course Description: [If you wish to describe the course in further detail]

NOTE: Add additional description here OR delete this title/section.

Credits:

[Enter the number of credits for the course]

[If this is a variable credit course, explain difference in work per credit]

Learning Objectives:

After taking this course, students will be able to:

[Enter Learning Objective]

NOTE: learning objectives must be written in behavioral/measureable terms (e.g., describe, create, perform – NOT understand, think) and align with course activities and assessments/tests. For definitions and examples of acceptable learning objective format follow this link:

Learning Objectives definition and examples

Remember, learning objectives are NOT activities (e.g., read an article, perform an experiment.) they are the learning results of such activities, e.g, describe a theory, perform a skill, argue different perspectives.

Bibliography / Texts / Supplies – Required:

[Enter required texts or supplies]

Bibliography/ Texts / Supplies– Additional:

[Enter additional/suggested or optional texts or supplies]

NOTE: If you have none, delete this title/section.

Requirements:

[Enter required activities and projects]

"[Each activity/project should reference at least one learning objective.]"

"[Double-numbered/500-level ugrad/grad courses must specify different assignments]"

Grading:

"[Describe grading scheme]"

"[Percent value of how each assignment is counted and weighed]"

"[Provide Example calculation of hypothetical student's grade in course]"

NOTE: Provide a description on how students will earn grades for each assignment and their final course grade. Provide any school-wide grading policies. (See example table below.) Describe any other formulas or calculations used to arrive at final grade (e.g., grading curves, weightings, etc.).

Grades* / Grade points / credit* / Percentage Range / Total Points
A / 4.0
A- / 3.66
B+ / 3.33
B / 3.0
B- / 2.66
C+ / 2.33
C / 2.0
C- / 1.66
D1 / 1.0
D-1,2 / 0.66
F / 0

* source: http://www.syr.edu/registrar/students/grades/faq.html

1 Grades of D and D- may not be assigned to graduate students

2 Available only for Law students in LAW courses.

NOTE: You may use this table to indicate percentages or points to earn each possible course grade. You can modify the two columns to the right to meet your specific course grading scheme, however you must clearly indicate to students what percentage or point total they must achieve to earn a final grade as indicated in the first column “Grades.” Be sure to describe clearly how assignments are counted and weighted and any other methods used to determine final grade. Include differentiated grade scale when a 500-level course or there are both undergraduate and graduate students in the course. Faculty may choose to present this information in another format, e.g., not a table as long as the requirements above are met.

Course Specific Policies on attendance, late work, make up work, examinations if outside normal class time, etc.:

[Enter course specific information]

NOTE: If you have none, delete this title/section.

Additional Information:

[Enter any additional information needed for students]

NOTE: If you have none, delete this title/section.

Academic Integrity Policy

Syracuse University’s academic integrity policy reflects the high value that we, as a university community, place on honesty in academic work. The policy defines our expectations for academic honesty and holds students accountable for the integrity of all work they submit. Students should understand that it is their responsibility to learn about course-specific expectations, as well as about university-wide academic integrity expectations. The university policy governs appropriate citation and use of sources, the integrity of work submitted in exams and assignments, and the veracity of signatures on attendance sheets and other verification of participation in class activities. The policy also prohibits students from submitting the same written work in more than one class without receiving written authorization in advance from both instructors. The presumptive penalty for a first instance of academic dishonesty by an undergraduate student is course failure, accompanied by a transcript notation indicating that the failure resulted from a violation of academic integrity policy. The presumptive penalty for a first instance of academic dishonesty by a graduate student is suspension or expulsion. SU students are required to read an online summary of the university’s academic integrity expectations and provide an electronic signature agreeing to abide by them twice a year during pre-term check-in on MySlice. For more information and the complete policy, visit Syracuse University’s Academic Integrity website (http://academicintegrity.syr.edu).

[Enter any course specific expectations,]
[consistent with the Academic Integrity Policy, here]

NOTE: If you have none, delete the above text boxes but please leave the language under the heading Academic Integrity Policy in place, this is standard text that needs to remain.

Course Specific Policies on the Use of Turnitin:

NOTE: If you do not use Turnitin, delete this title/ section.

Information about Turnitin usage for the syllabus template:

In order to comply with University policies and federal and state law, including privacy and intellectual property law, instructors who plan to use the software program Turnitin for detection of potential plagiarism should include a syllabus statement informing students that they plan to use Turnitin and use one of the two submission methods listed below:

NOTE: Do not include the text below in your syllabus; rather use text as directed by the Turinitin link.

Students submit their own papers or other assignments directly to Turnitin via Blackboard so that both student and instructor can view the results; OR
Students sign a statement giving consent for submission of their papers to Turnitin.

Suggested Turnitin syllabus language and suggested Turnitin consent form language are available at academicintegrity.syr.edu/turnitin-syllabus-statement/.

[Enter any course specific expectations,]
[consistent with the Turnitin Usage Policy, here]

NOTE: If you have none or do not use Turnitin, delete this title/section.

Disability-Related Accommodations

If you believe that you need accommodations for a disability, please contact the Office of Disability Services (http:/disabilityservices.syr.edu), located in Room 309 of 804 University Avenue, or call (315) 443-4498, TDD: (315) 443-1371 for an appointment to discuss your needs and the process for requesting accommodations. ODS is responsible for coordinating disability-related accommodations and will issue students with documented Disabilities Accommodation Authorization Letters, as appropriate. Since accommodations may require early planning and generally are not provided retroactively, please contact ODS as soon as possible.

Diversity and Disability:

Syracuse University values diversity and inclusion; we are committed to a climate of mutual respect and full participation. My goal is to create learning environments that are useable, equitable, inclusive and welcoming. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or accurate assessment or achievement, I invite any student to meet with me to discuss additional strategies beyond accommodations that may be helpful to your success.

Religious Observances Notification and Policy

SU religious observances notification and policy, found at the Hendricks Chapel website (http://hendricks.syr.edu/spiritual-life/index.html), recognizes the diversity of faiths represented among the campus community and protects the rights of students, faculty, and staff to observe religious holidays according to their tradition. Under the policy, students are provided an opportunity to make up any examination, study, or work requirements that may be missed due to a religious observance provided they notify their instructors before the end of the second week of classes for regular session classes and by the submission deadline for flexibly formatted classes.

For fall and spring semesters, an online notification process is available for students in My Slice / StudentServices / Enrollment / MyReligiousObservances / Add a Notification. Instructors may access a list of their students who have submitted a notification in My Slice Faculty Center.

[Enter course specific language as appropriate,]

[about how and when acacemic requirements will be made up]

NOTE: If you do not have additional information, delete this section.

Student Academic Work Policy

NOTE: If you do not use student works, delete this entire section.

SU policy on student academic work may be found at:

http://coursecatalog.syr.edu/content.php?catoid=3&navoid=270#Student_Academic_Work

Student work prepared for University courses in any media may be used for educational purposes, if the course syllabus makes clear that such use may occur. You grant permission to have your work used in this manner by registering for, and by continuing to be enrolled in, courses where such use of student work is announced in the course syllabus.

If you use students' work for educational purposes, University policy requires that you notify students in your syllabus (Academic Rules, Student Academic Work). The Curricula Committee suggests the following language:

NOTE: If you use student works for specific purposes keep the appropriate section(s), delete all of the bold wording, and keep the un-bolded statement.

If you intend to use student work for educational purposes during the current semester:

Educational use of student work: I intend to use academic work that you complete this semester for educational purposes in this course during this semester. Your registration and continued enrollment constitute your permission.

If you intend to use student work for educational purposes in subsequent semesters:

Educational use of student work: I intend to use academic work that you complete this semester in subsequent semesters for educational purposes. Before using your work for that purpose, I will either get your written permission or render the work anonymous by removing all your personal identification.

If you are teaching a course in which students will complete a capstone project required for the degree:

As a generally accepted practice, honors theses, graduate theses, graduate research projects, dissertations, or other capstone projects submitted in partial fulfillment of degree requirements are placed in the library, University Archives, or department for public reference.

Course Schedule: Week/lecture, topic for the week/lecture, and required reading are in the appropriate columns below.

Week/Lecture / Topic / Required Reading and Assignment
(ex. Week 1)