iv. policies, resources & suggestions - web vieweng 1010 common syllabus academic year 16/17....

ENG 1010 Common Syllabus Academic year 16/17

This document is organized into the following sections:I. Description of ENG 1010 (1-6)II. Syllabus Checklist (6)III. Assignment Descriptions (6-16)IV. Policies, Resources & Suggestions (17-21)

I. Description of ENG 1010

Department of English DescriptionInclude this section verbatim on syllabus.

ENG 1010 prepares students for English 1020 by building upon their diverse skills to help them become critical readers and effective writers at the college level. The main goals of the course are (1) to teach college-level reading practices; (2) to teach students to compose in basic academic genres by using an effective writing process and appropriate language conventions; (3) to use reflective writing to strengthen learning; and, (4) to instruct students in how to use digital technology to complete college-level reading and writing tasks.

To achieve these goals, the course encourages students to read carefully, respond analytically and critically, and write in a variety of academic genres, including summary, response, analysis, and reflection, for academic audiences.

WSU Undergraduate Bulletin Description Include this section verbatim on syllabus.

Cr 2-3. Only two credits count toward graduation. No credit toward English group requirement. Prerequisite: placement through ACT score or English Qualifying Examination. Offered for S and U grades only. One hour arranged. Extensive practice in fundamentals of college reading and writing in preparation for ENG 1020.

ENG 1010 Common Syllabus

Required of students qualifying on the basis of ACT score or English Qualifying Examination.

Course Placement for ENG 1010Include this section verbatim, but feel free to replace forms of “student” with “you” and “your” as appropriate for your syllabus.

Students are placed into ENG 1010 by different means (see the ENG 1010-1020 Placement Rules handout at <http://testing.wayne.edu//EPR.pdf>). Most students are placed via ACT scores: students with an ACT English score of 20 or below are placed into ENG 1010. Students can also be placed into ENG 1010 via the English Qualifying Examination (see the EQE Information handout at <http://testing.wayne.edu/app/testinfo.cfm?eid=TEEQE>). Students also may enroll in ENG 1010 if they received an S grade in APX 0500/ISP 0510.

General Education DesignationInclude this section verbatim on syllabus.

With a grade of S, ENG 1010 fulfills the prerequisite for the General Education Basic Composition (BC) graduation requirement. Successful completion of Basic Composition (BC) with a grade of C or better is a prerequisite to enrolling in courses that fulfill the General Education IC (Intermediate Composition) requirement for graduation (e.g., ENG 3010, 3050, Literature & Writing courses).

Learning OutcomesInclude this section verbatim on syllabus.

Reading Develop reading strategies to explain, paraphrase, and summarize college-level

material. Analyze college-level material to identify evidence that supports broader claims.

Writing Plan and compose a well-organized, thesis-driven text that engages with college-

level material, and is supported by relevant and sufficient evidence. Develop a flexible revision process that incorporates feedback to rewrite multiple

drafts of a text for clarity (e.g. argument, organization, support, and audience awareness).

Reflection Use reflective writing to evaluate and revise writing processes and drafts. Use reflective writing to assess and articulate skill development in relation to course

learning outcomes.

Technology Use

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Navigate institutional web-based interfaces, such as course websites, university email, and Blackboard Learn™, to find, access and submit course material.

Use computer-based composition technologies, including word processing software (e.g. Microsoft Word, PowerPoint), to compose college-level texts.

Use computer-based composition technologies to read and annotate course readings and texts authored by students (e.g. peer review).

Required TextInclude this section verbatim on syllabus.

The Warrior Writer. Custom ed. New York: Norton, 2014. ISBN: 9780393277435.

AssignmentsInclude this section verbatim unless you have received permission from the Director of Composition to teach alternative assignments.

Students are required to write a minimum of 20-28 pages (5,000-7,000 words) in ENG 1010 (including drafts and informal writing). This course will feature 5 major projects along with less formal writing for in-class activities and homework:

1. Literacy Narrative (2-3 pages)2. Summary (1-2 pages)3. Response (3-5 pages)4. Analysis (4-6 pages)5. Reflective Essay (and portfolio) (4-6 pages)

Project Formats and Submission Tailor this section to fit your course policies.

Assignments must be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman typeface, with one-inch margins.

Assignments must use MLA format for citations and document formatting (e.g., page numbers, headers, and line spacing).

Assignments must be submitted electronically through Blackboard. Please insert page numbers in the top, right-hand corner of your

assignments.

Grading Include the first paragraph below verbatim and tailor the rest of this section to fit your grading policies and scale (the following is just an example).

ENG 1010 is graded S/U (Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory, i.e. pass/fail). A grade of “S” will be awarded for students who achieve a course average of 75% or higher.

Grades on individual papers will be weighted as follows:

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Literacy Narrative (2-3 pages) 5%Summary Paper (1-2 pages) 15%Response Paper (2-3 pages) 20%Analysis Paper (3-4 pages) 25%Reflective Essay (4-5 pages) w/ final portfolio 25%In-class Writing (15-20 pages, over the whole semester) 10%

Attendance PolicyAdapt this section to articulate your class policies, and see Section IV of this document for recommendations on attendance policies.

Enrollment in ENG 1010 is capped at 22 students.

Class attendance is required, and attendance will be taken at each class session. Arriving more than 20 minutes late will count as an absence. Attendance, preparedness, and active participation count as [X] percent of the final grade. However, final grades drop by half a mark for each absence after three, and students will fail the course after five absences.

Plagiarism PolicyAdapt this section to articulate your class policies, and see Section IV of this document for recommendations on plagiarism policies.

Plagiarism is the act of copying work from books, articles, and websites without citing and documenting the source. Plagiarism includes copying language, texts, and visuals without citation (e.g., cutting and pasting from websites). Plagiarism also includes submitting papers (or sections of papers) that were written by another person, including another student, or downloaded from the Internet. Plagiarism is a serious academic offense. It may result in a U for the assignment or a U for the course. Instructors are required to report all cases of plagiarism to the English Department. Information on plagiarism procedures is available in the Department.

Other Course PoliciesAdapt this section to articulate your class policies, and see Section IV of this document for recommendations on course policies.

Students will be asked to share writing and make photocopies for others in class.

Students should ensure that all pagers, cell phones, watches, etc., won’t sound during class time. Students should not take or make calls, text message, or otherwise use electronic devices during class, except to access course-related materials.

Students must contact the instructor in advance if work cannot be submitted by the due date. No comments will be provided for late work. The instructor

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will determine specific grade reductions based on timely prior notification, whether revised deadlines are met, and similar factors. Late work will be accepted and graded only if a new deadline is arranged with the instructor in advance.

With a grade of S or better, this course satisfies the prerequisite for the General Education Basic Composition (BC) requirement. To meet university criteria for fulfilling this prerequisite, the course includes writing assignments totaling at least 20-28 pages (5,000-7,000 or more words). There is no final exam.

A grade of Incomplete will be issued only if the student has attended nearly all of the class sessions, submitted an Incomplete Contract (using the English Department’s recommended form) sign, and obtained the instructor’s signature on it.

Additional resources include the Academic Success Center <http://www.success.wayne.edu>and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) <http://www.caps.wayne.edu>.

Warrior Writing, Research, and Technology (WRT) ZoneInclude this section verbatim.

The WRT Zone is a one-stop resource center for writing, research, and technology. The WRT Zone provides individual tutoring consultations, research assistance from librarians, and technology consultations, all free of charge for graduate and undergraduate students at WSU. Tutoring sessions are run by undergraduate and graduate tutors and can last up to 50 minutes. Tutors can work with writing from all disciplines.

Tutoring sessions focus on a range of activities in the writing process – understanding the assignment, considering the audience, brainstorming, writing drafts, revising, editing, and preparing documentation. The WRT Zone is not an editing or proofreading service; rather, tutors work collaboratively with students to support them in developing relevant skills and knowledge, from developing an idea to editing for grammar and mechanics.

Librarian and technology support is a walk-in service. Consultants will work with students on a first come-first serve basis. Consultants provide support with the library database system, finding and evaluating sources, developing research strategies, organizing sources, and citations. Consultants will also provide technology support including, but not limited to: video editing, graphics creation, presentation building, audio recording, MS Office support, and dissertation formatting. The WRT Zone has several computers with the Adobe Creative Suite for students who want to work on multimedia projects. Our location is also equipped with two Whisper Rooms where students can work on multimedia projects in a more private and sound isolated environment.

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To make a face-to-face or online appointment, consult the WRT Zone website: <http://wrtzone.wayne.edu/>.

For more information about the WRT Zone, please contact the Director, Dr. Jule Thomas (email: [email protected]).

Student Disability ServicesInclude this section verbatim.

Students who may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss specific needs. Additionally, the Student Disabilities Services Office coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. The office is located in 1600 David Adamany Undergraduate Library and can be reached by phone at 313-577-1851. Please consult the SDS website for further information: http://studentdisability.wayne.edu.

II. Syllabus ChecklistBelow is a checklist you can use to be sure that your syllabus features all of the required elements. Please also consult the ENG 1010 Syllabus Template in constructing your syllabus.

1. Instructor and Section Information 2. Department of English Description3. WSU Undergraduate Bulletin Description4. Course Placement for ENG 10105. General Education Designation 6. ENG 1010 Learning Outcomes7. Required and Recommended Texts8. Assignments10. Project Formats and Submission11. Grading12. Attendance Policy13. Plagiarism Policy14. Other Course Policies15. Writing Center Information16. Disability Services Information

III. Assignment DescriptionsImportant Note: Revised or Modified versions of this and other project descriptions in this document are permitted, yet not without approval of the assignment/ project granted from composition director Jeff Pruchnic. To receive approval from Jeff, an instructor must e-mail the modified version of the project/ assignment well in advance of formally assigning it.

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Project 1 - First Week Reflection (Literacy Narrative)ENG 1010

Overview and Rationale:As a genre, the literacy narrative tells the story of an author’s participation as a reader and writer within a particular discourse community. This brief essay assignment, begun during the first week of class and revisited at the end of the semester, will give you the opportunity to interrogate and engage with your own enculturation as a university student, and to frame your experience of English 1010 as part of a continuous learning process.

Assignment Prompt:When you find yourself in a new situation, you have to learn how to read your environment, and draw on knowledge you already have to adapt. Keeping this in mind, consider both the knowledge you bring with you to this class, and the challenges you might need to negotiate this semester. Write a couple of paragraphs considering what you remember about your first experience of the WSU campus. What was your first day on campus like? Your first class here (was it this one)? What knowledge did you bring with you—about college, about school, about how to be a student, about the campus, about writing?

What did you have to figure out about this place, this academic community, and your own place within it? What was intimidating about it? Exciting? Surprising? Confusing? What knowledge did you already have that helped? Anything not fit exactly? How did you figure things out? How might you need to figure things out throughout the semester in this class? What do you hope to accomplish or learn this semester? (500-700 words)

After successfully completing this project, students should be able to:Reflect

o Recall and describe specific examples of past writing o Evaluate past writing experiences to identify existing knowledge, skills,

and potential challenges Write

o Use writing to assemble and represent initial ideas related to a project or task

o Choose and modify brainstorming strategies for generating and developing ideas

o Select authentic details to support and clarify ideas in writing o Develop free-writing practices to record ideas and compose early drafts of

essaysUse Technology

o Compose with Microsoft Word

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o Use Blackboard to submit assignments and access course materials

Minimum Requirements: Reflective Narrative Essay (500-700 words)

Grading: (Rubric Template - Adapt this section to articulate your class policies)

Excellent Acceptable Needs Improvement

Not Attended to

Content (may be subdivided)

Mechanics (may be subdivided)

Format (may be subdivided)

Due Date:Upload to Blackboard by [MM/DD]

Project 2: SummaryENG 1010

Overview and Rationale: One of the goals of the basic writing classroom is to understand the multiple genres of writing expected of college students. While we will discuss and practice multiple genres throughout the semester, the genre of summary is a foundational genre incorporated into most college writing – in other words, summaries are found almost everywhere.

Assignment Prompt:For this assignment, you will use in-class exercises to practice the conventions of summary writing. Activities include (but are not limited to) learning to appropriately annotate a piece of writing with specific attention to locating main points/ideas, and participating in readings of each other’s work. Along with the skills of reading for and writing a summary, you will use the experience of group critique to negotiate and make important decisions that impact their final written assignment.

You will work on this summary in stages: first reading and annotating an article-length piece, then drafting a summary of the piece, conducting peer review on summary drafts, revising and polishing the summary, and finally drafting a reflection on the process. (250-300 words)

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After successfully completing this project, students should be able to:

Reado Read and comprehend academic textso Recognize and adjust strategies for reading different genres of textso Adjust reading strategies to suit both academic and non-academic settingso Implement active reading strategies such as annotation, note-taking, and

pre-reading questionsWrite

o Comment upon and critically annotate texts in preparation for summarizing them

o Produce and revise multiple drafts of a summary in response to peer and instructor feedback

o Use focused, academic language

Reflecto Describe specific examples of the writing and reading processes used for

composing summarieso Evaluate the efficacy of reading and writing processes used to compose

summarieso Evaluate composing choices in order to identify changes in knowledge, skills,

and potential challenges o Evaluate the efficacy of written summaries in order to develop an awareness

of personal performance in relation to academic standards Use Technology

o Compose drafts using Microsoft Wordo Use Blackboard to submit assignments and access course materialso Incorporate common software platforms and technological tools into

reading and writing processes (e.g. annotate texts, review and comment on drafts, revise drafts, collaborative writing, etc.)

Minimum Requirements:(1) Group critique exercise (10%)(1) Article annotation (25%)(1) Peer review session (10%)(1) 250-300 word summary (50%)(1) Reflection (5%)

Grading: (Rubric Template: Adapt this section to articulate your class policies)


Not Attended to

Content: (may be subdivided)

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Citation: (may be subdivided)

Mechanics: (may be subdivided)

Formatting: (may be subdivided)

Due Date: Upload to Blackboard by MM/DD

Project 3: ResponseENG 1010

Overview and Rationale: The goal of this assignment is to learn and practice key strategies/concepts that “expert” writers use to enter into a greater “conversation.” Almost all academic writing is created in response to what has already been said, as opposed to being generated solely from a writer’s independent, ground-breaking insight.

This assignment is asking you to take on that role. You will be reading a text, listening to what the author is saying, and then developing your own view on the issues being discussed. Your papers will not only need to have original ideas, but they will also need to speak to the author who has already joined the conversation. In other words, you will need to connect your own ideas to what someone has said, showing how you are adding to the conversation and not merely speaking into the air.

This is the conversation cycle: listen to what others are saying about an issue (read), develop your own position on the issues (annotate, elaborate, synthesize), directly connect your position to the conversation taking place (talk about the ideas that the author puts forth), and use parts of what they say to support your unique contribution (integrate quotes into your own original ideas).

Assignment Prompt: You have read an article (from Project 2) that presents one or several ideas within its text. Now you will want to engage with this/these ideas in a way that you choose. This will require careful (re)reading, as well as additional annotation work. Throughout your process of developing this essay, you should be careful to fulfill the following three tasks:

1) Generate your own “take” on what you’ve read – your essay should not merely repeat the same ideas from the texts – this is *NOT* a summary! (we are moving beyond summary.) You *should* add to the author’s ideas by including your own thoughts, prior knowledge, experiences, analysis, etc.

2) Reference the author/article within your text.

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3) Present your ideas/thoughts in such a way that your reader is invited to think about this issue. In other words, offer insights that might lead someone to ask questions or consider his/her own situation.

After successfully completing this project, students should be able to:Read

o Identify and respond to the main ideas and supporting reasons of article-length academic texts.

o Adjust annotation strategies to respond to an author’s ideas

Write o Use annotations on readings as a prewriting strategyo Develop a sustained response to a text that is supported by logical reasons

and specific evidence. o Articulate ideas in focused manner, meeting the linguistic and stylistic

expectations of an academic discourse communityo Incorporate multiple drafts and revisions into the writing process

Reflecto Describe specific examples of the writing and reading processes used for

composing responses to academic textso Evaluate the efficacy of specific reading and writing strategies used to

compose responseso Evaluate composing choices in order to identify changes in knowledge, skills,

and potential challenges o Evaluate the efficacy of written responses in order to develop an awareness

of personal performance in relation to academic standards Use Technology

o Compose, revise, and provide feedback on drafts using Microsoft Wordo Use Blackboard to submit assignments and access course materialso Incorporate common software platforms and technological tools into


Minimum Requirements: Pre-writing packet and Drafts:

Article annotations (15%) Quote response practice (10%) Rough draft (15%) Peer review activity (5%) Reflection/self-assessment (5%)

Final Draft: 1,000-1500 words MLA format

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Works Cited (not included in word count)


Total pre-writing: 50% + Total final paper points: 50% = Total project 100% points

Excellent Acceptable Needs Improvement Not attended to

Summary (may be subdivided)

Response (may be subdivided)

Organization (may be subdivided)



Project 4: AnalysisENG 1010

Introduction/Rationale: This assignment will draw from the analysis chapter at the beginning of our textbook, as well as analysis sections later on in the book. It is designed to encourage students to blend skills from the prior assignments, the summary and response. To complete this assignment successfully, students need to be able to accurately describe their source material (which involves summary skills) and be able to explain how the component parts of the source influenced their response to it. Ideally, they will also be able to see that examining the source from a different perspective will yield different responses.

Assignment Prompt: You will be writing an in-depth analysis paper. An analysis paper asks you to do more than either a summary or a response. For this paper, additional meaning should be added to the conversation. This is different from your response paper. In that paper, you wrote about your reaction to what you had read. An analysis paper, works to break down a text or argument into its component parts, and then to discuss or describe those parts using a particular perspective, theory, method, or lens. You have two options as ways to complete this paper.

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Option 1: For this paper, you may analyze an image of your choosing. You may find movie posters or book covers to very fruitful sources. As a visual analysis, you will discuss the formal elements of the image, but you will do that in order to support a thesis you are stating about the image. You can also include genre analysis and rhetorical analysis. This is not a comparison / contrast paper, but if a second image will help you to prove your thesis, you may include it.

Option 2: For this paper, you will analyze a music video of your choosing. The video should be one that you find interesting, whether or not you like the music. As with the visual analysis option, you can incorporate genre, visual, and rhetorical analysis into this paper. You may want to consider how the video represents the song and/or the artist.

The standard formatting rules in the syllabus apply to this paper.

After successfully completing this project, students should be able to:Read

o Explain college-level material using summary and paraphrasing strategies o Analyze college-level material to identify evidence that supports broader

claimsWrite

o Take critical notes on objects of analysiso Compose multiple drafts of an analysis essayo Provide useful peer review commentso Revise, proofread, and edit analytic essay

Reflecto Describe specific examples of the reading and writing processes used to

compose the analysis essayo Evaluate reading and writing choices in order to determine potential

challenges as well as changes in knowledge and skills o Evaluate the efficacy of analysis essays in order to develop awareness of

personal ability in relation to academic standardsUse Technology

o Compose, revise, and provide feedback on drafts using Microsoft Wordo Use Blackboard to submit assignments and access course materialso Incorporate common software platforms and technological tools into


Minimum Requirements:Draft Requirements:

1,000 words of text, not including the Works Cited page MLA formatting of your source, including a Works Cited page You will also need to submit samples of your prewriting.

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Reflection/self-assessment

Final Requirements: 1,000-1,500 words, not including the Works Cited page MLA formatting of your source, including a Works Cited page Peer Revision rubrics



Not attended to

Analysis (may be subdivided)

Content (may be subdivided)

Organization (may be subdivided)


Due Date:Upload to Blackboard by MM/DD

Project 5: Reflective essay (and portfolio)ENG 1010

Task: In the final project of the semester, you will write a reflective essay that summarizes and evaluates some work you have completed throughout the course of the semester. In other words, you are being asked to evaluate your own writing/writing practices (for example: how you used our writing workshops, your use of feedback to revise, the difference between drafts and final papers, etc.). Feel free to consider this and more as you plan your essay.

You will use the course learning objectives (Reading; Writing; Reflection; Technology Use) to help guide the evaluation you’ll make about your work and what you’ve learned. While you can write about all of the course learning objectives if you feel you’ve learned something about all of them, please write about only those objectives that you feel you utilized/improved upon during the course. Do not spend time writing about an objective for which you feel you cannot make a strong evaluation with great evidence to demonstrate your growth/learning.

In addition to your reflective essay, you will create and include a portfolio of all major writing assignments you’ve completed throughout the semester.

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Assignment Prompt:Compose a 4-5 page reflective essay (with attached portfolio) that evaluates your work this semester. Final reflections will be in MLA format: double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font with 1” margins. The following guidelines must be met:

1) As evidence for your evaluation, make direct reference to at least two of the four projects you wrote this semester (the more course work you reference, the stronger evidence you will provide for the evaluation you make). You may also reference any “informal” writing or class assignments/work we’ve done in the course.

2) Have a clear thesis for the reflection. In other words, be clear about what learning objectives you feel you’ve achieved/grown within. A sample thesis might look like this: “Throughout English 1010, I have improved my Reading and skills in Technology Use. In this reflection, I will show this improvement through specific work and experiences in the course.”

3) Remember that when evaluating ourselves in a reflection, it is not enough to simply say we achieved a learning objective – we must provide evidence of that achievement (See #1 above)!

4) Workshop your paper! Think about any review strategies that will help you submit a paper that reads well and follows the guidelines. Take your time, don’t let the simple stuff get in your way!

By the end of this project students should be able to:

Read Review previous work to develop ideas and strategies for approaching this

final essay Compare multiple writing samples to discover evidence of growth in the

learning outcomes and as writers in generalWrite

Use multiple invention strategies to generate and organize ideas Deploy a holistic writing process that guides writing from invention to

polished documentReflect

Describe and compare specific examples of reading and writing processes used throughout the semester

Evaluate efficacy of composing choices in each of the projects Evaluate the efficacy of a body of work in relation to academic course

outcomesUse Technology

Use Microsoft Word to compose, revise, and submit drafts of essays Use Blackboard to submit assignments and access course materials

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Incorporate common software platforms and technological tools into reading and writing processes (e.g. annotate texts, review and comment on drafts, revise drafts, collaborative writing, etc.)

Minimum Requirements Length Requirement: 1000-1500 words Assemble a portfolio of projects completed throughout the course


Excellent Good Needs Revision MissingReflection (specific references to coursework; evidence directly relates to learning objective(s); evidence is not only included, but analyzed)Thesis (a clear direction for the reflection is stated early in the project)Organization (clear use of intro, body, conclusion; ideas transition; topic sentences are used in each paragraph) Mechanics (project reads well; project follows MLA/assignment formatting guidelines)


IV. Policies, Resources & Suggestions

1. Required Text 2. Supplemental Texts3. Desk Copies4. Ordering Texts5. Revision6. Reflective Assignments7. Blackboard CMS8. Class Attendance9. Grading 10. Plagiarism11. Syllabus Submission12. Requests for Overrides

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13. Instructor Absences

Required TextThe Composition Program’s Curriculum Committee developed The Warrior Writer, a custom textbook being used for the first time in Fall 2015. Suggested textbook readings organized by project are listed above. Committee members chose the chapters originally published in other textbooks and authored introductory material after soliciting feedback from Composition Program instructors at teaching workshops and in other venues. This version will be required for two years (Fall 2015 through Winter 2017). During that period, committee members will solicit instructors’ suggestions for revising or replacing this textbook.

Supplemental ReadingsInstructors are welcome to use additional readings in ENG 1010 when appropriate. A list of recommended readings from the textbook and recommended supplemental readings can be found on the Program’s site here: <http://waynestatecomposition.com/teaching-resource-sites/eng-1010/>. However, if you are requiring students to purchase any text in addition to The Warrior Writer you must have these texts approved by the Director of Composition.

Desk CopiesDesk copies of all required or recommended texts are available in the Department of English. Most books are on the shelves next to the Composition Program office.

Ordering TextsThe WSU Barnes and Noble bookstore keeps the required and recommended texts for ENG 1010 in stock so there is no need to submit an additional order form to the bookstore unless you have had an additional required text approved.

RevisionRevision should be built into most or all of the major assignments. Students should submit drafts and receive comments from the instructor, and possibly peers, before submitting a final draft. Instructors may wish to allow students to revise one paper or project after students have submitted a “final” draft and received a grade. To earn an improved grade, students should demonstrate substantial revision involving one or more of the following: a WRT Zone conference, conference with instructor, revision memo, or the use of Word’s track changes and comment features to mark and describe revisions.

Instructors may also require students to submit a reflective letter explaining how they used these methods to reflect on their draft and make changes, or instructors may require that students submit a prerequisite memo with plans for revision before allowing students to submit a revision. In the letter or memo, students might discuss their planning process, their monitoring of their writing process, and/or their evaluation of their current draft.

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Reflective AssignmentsBecause all sections of ENG 1010 are required to participate in portfolio evaluation as of Fall 2013, students must develop final portfolios introduced by a reflective essay. To help them do so, all 1010 sections should include several short reflective assignments to scaffold students' work toward the reflective argument. Ideally, students should write a short reflection tied to each major writing assignment and short reflections tied to course learning outcomes, reading responses, or other writing assignments. Some reflective assignments can be informal and written in class or as homework assignments. Some should be written more formally and require students to provide evidence to prepare them to succeed in drafting the Reflective Essay. Examples of reflective assignments can be found on the Program’s website: <http://waynestatecomposition.com/teaching-resource-sites/eng-1010/>.

Blackboard CMSAll sections of ENG 1010 must maintain a Blackboard site for the purposes of: (1) posting the syllabus and some assigned materials (e.g. readings, assignments sheets); and, 2) having students submit (i.e. upload) assignments. Instructors are also required to maintain a Grade Book in Blackboard.

Wayne State students are familiar with Blackboard, and surveys indicate that they appreciate Blackboard sites for their courses and use them actively (especially the Grade Center). If you are not familiar with Blackboard, please sign up for one of the OTL’s several workshops on using Blackboard (http://www.otl.wayne.edu). Feel free to use a WordPress or other site as the main site for your course, but this alternative site should be linked to the course’s assigned Blackboard site. Use Blackboard to post copyrighted material to meet fair use guidelines.

Class AttendanceTo provide students with an appropriate gauge of their progress in the course, and discourage students from disputing course grades, instructors should include in the syllabus an attendance policy that sets explicit limits on absences and that specifies the percentage of the final grade contributed by attendance, preparedness, and participation. To minimize the risk of inappropriate grade inflation, instructors may wish to set this percentage at 9% or less. Instructors are strongly encouraged to require students to demonstrate preparedness and active participation to earn credit for attendance. In addition to awarding credit for attendance, instructors are strongly encouraged to penalize absence, for instance, by indicating that final grades drop by half a mark for each absence after three, and that students will fail the course after five absences.

Grading Grades in ENG 1010 convey important information about students’ level of preparation for future courses and future writing situations. This information is key to several audiences: students, who use it to gauge whether to seek additional support; students’ future instructors, who use it to evaluate students’ readiness to

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engage in the work required for their courses; advisors, who use it to guide students’ registration and other academic decision-making; and University administrators, who use it in conjunction with other information, such as students’ grades in Writing Intensive courses, to assess how effectively Composition Program courses prepare students to succeed in subsequent courses. Therefore, consistency of grading across sections is crucial for grades to convey accurate information to these audiences.

Because an “S” in ENG 1010 is required for students to enroll in ENG 1020, a final grade of “S” or above in the course indicates that the student has clearly achieved all the learning outcomes of the course and is prepared to write in ENG 1020. A non-passing final grade of “U” in ENG 1010 indicates that the student has not achieved the learning outcomes of the course and needs to repeat the course to be prepared to write successfully in ENG 1020.

It is important to note that not passing a student in ENG 1010 is not an absolute failure or a ticket to dismissal from the University. It simply reflects the student’s need to repeat the course in order to be prepared for successful writing in other courses. There are repeating students in most sections of ENG 1010 each term. The goal in grading is to avoid grade inflation (which sends students forward to future courses without the preparation required for them to succeed), while enabling as many students as possible to achieve “S”-level or better proficiency in the ENG 1010 learning outcomes.

Other Suggestions for Grading:1. Make assignments challenging. If assignments are too easy, especially at the beginning of the term, instructors may find themselves giving high grades that have the cumulative effect of an inflated course grade.

2. Grade written work, not effort. While of course it’s important to provide motivation by positively acknowledging students’ efforts, grades should reflect achievement and preparation for work at the next level, rather than effort invested.

3. Grade with a rubric. Rubrics help establish the focus and consistency of grading and are now required for all major assignments in ENG 1010.

4. Grade conservatively at the beginning of the course. This makes it easier to use the entire grading scale as the term goes on, especially for the later papers.

5. Make attendance and participation worth 9% of the grade at most so that these cannot be the determining factor between an “S” and “U” grade for the course. Feel free, however, to penalize students for inadequate attendance and/or participation.

6. Leverage students’ interest in grades. Students in any class are often highly motivated by grades, so help students to understand the quality of work required to achieve their desired grades.

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Student Evaluation of Teaching Scores and GradingInstructors, especially part-time faculty, are sometimes concerned about the relationship between grading and Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) scores. English Department administrators are aware that students sometimes rate instructors in rigorous required courses lower than they may deserve. In the Department, decisions about staffing are never made solely or primarily on the basis of SET scores. Using Rubrics in Grading For major assignments instructors should use a rubric for grading. The rubric should be included on the assignment sheet and ideally should indicate how the assignment supports students’ work toward course learning outcomes. Using rubrics for grading gives students the evaluation criteria for a particular assignment as well as a specific idea of the standards for writing in upper-level college courses. Using rubrics helps instructors achieve consistency and efficiency in grading by focusing on selected criteria that grow steadily more complex over the course of the term. Rubrics also help combat grade inflation. Final grades on papers should reflect the quality of writing, not the amount of effort expended.

Please see the sample grading rubrics available at the Program’s Teaching Resource website: <http://waynestatecomposition.com/teaching-resource-sites/eng-1010/>.Rubrics should be assignment-specific. Instructors may develop their own rubrics for assignments. A rubric can be designed in many forms, including a point system, a series of statements or questions, a checklist, etc. Some instructors design assignment rubrics in collaboration with the students.

PlagiarismStudents in ENG 1010 should be taught how to avoid plagiarism, either deliberate or inadvertent. The Warrior Writer has sections on using sources effectively and appropriately. The most effective way to prevent plagiarism is to develop assignments very specific to your particular section of ENG 1010. For instance, assignment sequences that build cumulatively and require students require students to submit each component for feedback before moving on to the next tend to minimize plagiarism. The same is true of assignments that use concepts from readings and tasks specific to a particular ENG 1010 section. Each ENG 1010 syllabus should include the instructor’s written plagiarism policy. (Please see the English Department Syllabus Checklist and Policy Information handouts that are distributed at the beginning of each term). All cases of plagiarism should be discussed with English Department advisor Royanne Smith. A first case of plagiarism typically does not result in departmental action beyond the instructor’s plagiarism policy, but the Department keeps records to track repeat plagiarism offenses, which must be reported to the WSU Dean of Students Office. To prevent and detect plagiarism, instructors may wish to review all major assignments with SafeAssign on Blackboard. If you are not familiar with SafeAssign, please sign up for

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an introductory training on Deterring and Detecting Plagiarism with SafeAssign at the WSU OTL [Office for Teaching and Learning]: <http://www.otl.wayne.edu>.

Syllabus SubmissionPer WSU policy, all instructors are required to submit a copy of their ENG 1010 syllabus to the Department of English (see the Syllabus Checklist). ENG 1010 syllabi will be reviewed within the English Department to check for the required elements of the current common syllabus.

Requests for OverridesInstructors should not feel pressured to add students over the limit and should consider carefully whether to do so, given the time commitment required for commenting and conferencing effectively. Instructors also should not feel pressured to add students or allow enrolled students to join the class after the class has met more than two times. The Department of English has a policy stating, “Students who do not attend one of the first two class sessions of an English course may be required to drop the course.” This policy appears on the online Schedule of Courses webpage, and it is displayed in the English Department.

Instructor AbsencesIf you will miss a class session for any reason (from professional travel to an emergency), please notify your students via Blackboard email or text messaging. Notify the Director of Composition at [email protected] for planned absences and the reason for being absent; notify the English Department for unplanned absences by calling or leaving a message at the front desk (313-577-2450) including your name, date, class information, and reason for absence.

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iv. policies, resources & suggestions - web vieweng 1010 common syllabus academic year 16/17....

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