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In a writing-intensive (W) course, writing should be integral to the learning goals and subject matter of the course. In the language of UConn's General Education Guidelines, "Students should not write simply to be evaluated; they should learn how writing can ground, extend, deepen, and even enable their learning of course material. In addition then to general formal questions concerning strategies for developing ideas, clarity of organization, and effectiveness of expression--and discipline specific format, evidentiary, and stylistic norms—the W requirement should lead students to understand the relationship between their own thinking and writing in a way that will help them continue to develop throughout their lives and careers after graduation."
According to the policies of the General Education Oversight Committee and the Faculty Senate, those teaching W courses must:
An excerpt from an April 14, 2005 GEOC memo expands on those requirements:
"The key distinction between a W and non-W course is pedagogical, not whether writing is assigned or not. Writing, of course, may be, and in fact, should be assigned in many courses, with or without the W designation. What distinguishes a W course from any other course is that students must be provided explicit writing instruction and consistent faculty feedback to foster revision, and W courses require a minimum of fifteen, revised and edited pages of writing. It is likely that some courses may require fifteen or more pages of writing in a semester without offering instruction and structured opportunities for revision, but a course that did so would not qualify as a W course.
Because W courses require explicit instruction and consistent feedback for revision, it is not possible to register some students for W credit and others not for W credit in the same course. If the teaching practices in the course conform to the requirements for a W course, then the enrollment limits must conform to the university mandate (nineteen students per section) to enable effective writing instruction."
For the full document, please see follow this link:
http://geoc.uconn.edu/geocguidelines.htm
For the original W policy document, see the following PDF:
http://tricampuswriting.uconn.edu/W Course Guidelines.pdf
For other GEOC documents, please go to http://geoc.uconn.edu/
The General Education Oversight Committee (GEOC) sets W course policy, approves new W course proposals or modifications to existing W courses for intersession, and oversees assessment and curricular matters related to general education, including W courses.
The University Writing Center offers support to student writers, mostly through individual tutorials, and consults with faculty and graduate students as they teach writing in their home disciplines. The University Writing Center works in concert with GEOC and academic departments, but it holds none of their authority over either curriculum or faculty.
Is the purpose of my W course to teach students to writein my discipline or teach them to write more generally?
Both, but the emphasis is on writing in your own discipline.
Are guidelines for W courses different at regional campuses?
No. W courses, regardless of location or level, should meet the same four criteria. For those course requirements, please see the University Writing Center website. As with Storrs, most regional campuses have writing specialists to assist faculty and writing centers that offer tutoring.
Can I enroll beyond the 19 cap by giving out permission numbers?
Please don’t. Enrolling beyond 19 requires approval from the General Education Oversight Committee.
Does any kind of writing count toward the 15 page minimum?
No. Only writing that moves through a revision process counts. This does not mean that all writing in a W course must be revised—after all, many kinds of informal, exploratory, and one-shot writing can be quite valuable for student learning—but instead that at least 15 pages of formal, revised text must be assigned. Collaboratively composed texts can count aspart of those 15-pages.
Does the W requirement dictate that any specific genres mustbe assigned?
No. Those will depend on your discipline and course. Some W coursescenter on one 20-page research project (usually composed in stages),while others include three or four shorter essays; some featurespecialized genres (policy briefs, lab reports, proposals, abstracts,case study analyses, etc.), while others incorporate a mix ofgenres.
Do I need to assign a research paper?
No, but many W courses hinge on research and address how to evaluate, incorporate, and document sources. When assigning research projects, many faculty opt to divide them into smaller, progressive components (proposal, annotated bibliography or literature review, sectiondrafts, whole draft), each of which occasions response.
Should I require that students buy a separate book on writing?
That is up to you. If looking for advice on writing handbooks, discipline-specific writing guides, or online resources, the University Writing Center can make suggestions and get you examination copies. We can also help you create a print or online writingguide customized to your course.
Exactly how much writing instruction do I need to include,and how can I balance it with other course content?
This will vary and is left to the wisdom of each instructor. Notethat “writing instruction” means more than impartingrules for grammar, usage, and documentation; it also involvesteaching students to explore and shape their ideas, analyze theiraudiences, frame arguments, gather evidence effectively and ethically,understand genre conventions, and attend to style. Many facultyreserve writing instruction for their comments on drafts or theirindividual conferences with students. Many build it into lecturesand discussions, showcase models of successful and unsuccessfulwriting, introduce mini-lessons on key stylistic points, and holdwriting workshops on days when drafts are due. Writing instructionshould complement rather than compete with course content: learningto write in a discipline means learning to think, argue, researchand communicate with the community of scholars in a given field.
Can a final writing project substitute for a final exam?
Maybe. The general rule is that 100 and 200 level courses require final exams, but exceptions are possible. Check with your department in advance of the semester to see if a final exam exemption has been approved for the course; the department can also request one from the dean. For courses numbered 300 and above, the instructorcan make such decisions without consulting the department.
What kinds of revision should be built into my W course?
You choose. It usually entails commenting on drafts or conferencing with students in advance of their final submission of papers. Other options include having students critique each others’ drafts (be sure to structure and supervise such peer review), holding small group tutorials, or bringing drafts before the whole classfor review.
Should I grade drafts?
That is your choice. Some opt to grade them; some deliver a tentative grade (“If this draft were your final version, it would merit a D because…”); some hold off on grading to encourage exploratory thinking and risk-taking. In any case, when responding to drafts your focus should be on formative comments: that is, posing questions, affirming what is working, pointing out shortfalls, and making suggestions so that students can putyour comments to use as they revise.
Are there UConn-wide standards for evaluating student writing?
No. You set the criteria appropriate for your course and discipline. If interested, you can find several discipline-specific sample grading rubrics on the University Writing Center website. We recommend that you distribute your expectations for writingand your grading policy early in the semester.
How should I respond to sentence-level errors in student writing?
Set high standards for editing and stick to them, but also help students meet those high standards. Error-ridden final submissions of assignments should not pass. We might expect more frequent sentence-level problems in drafts, because there writers tend to focus moreon finding their purpose, shaping their ideas and structure, and gathering evidence. Some faculty address sentence-level concerns by working with students individually; some introduce occasional in-class lessons on key usage, style or documentation matters. Another option is referring (but not requiring) students to make appointments with the Writing Center, where we often work toward helping students edit their own work. As a general rule, avoid line editing an entire student draft, as this is often counter-productive because it means that you are editing for the student. While you should respond throughout a draft to a student’s ideas, structure, and voice, better to line edit no more than the first 20% of the text; for the latter 80%, jot a check in the margin for each grammatical or documentation error. This alerts students to the frequency of their surface errors but allows you to engage with the intellectualand structural substance of the text.
How do I deal with potential cases of plagiarism?
When planning your course, consider ways to promote academic integrity: discuss in class the ethical standards and documentation conventions for your discipline; on your syllabus include the plagiarism policy and your expectations for intellectual work; create detailed assignments tailored to your course; require students to complete the on-line plagiarism module in WebCT; alert students to potential problems in early drafts; and never accept final papers for which you haven’t seen the required drafts. If you discover plagiarism, please inform your home department and the Dean of Student’s Office; also see the Student Code of Conduct(www.dosa.uconn.edu).
Shouldn’t my students have learned to write and document sources in Freshman English?
In Freshman English students grapple with complex readings fromthe humanities and social sciences; they practice interpretation,argument, and research; and they write several essays, some ofwhich incorporate sources. They write and revise at least 30 pagesof text. Still, because academic writing is a deeply contextualactivity, no single course can prepare students for the rangeof writing they encounter across a college curriculum, nor canany single course inoculate students from making sentence-levelmistakes in other contexts. When students receive consistentand rigorous response to their writing across courses and overa number of years, they develop into skilled and versatile writers.
Where can I get more information about the W requirement orget assistance with my course planning?
The General Education Oversight Committee sets W policy and overseesW courses. The University Writing Center offers faculty and teachingassistants workshops, online resources, and individual consultations.We also make individualized tutorials in writing available toall UConn students.
Please Include the Following Statement on All W Course Syllabi
According to university-wide policies for W courses, you cannot pass this courseunless you receive a passing grade for its writing components.
Optional Add-Ins for Your W Course Syllabus
***Please note that the following are not official UConn statements, but feel free to use or adapt them as you wish***
University Writing Center
All UConn students are invited to visit the University Writing Center for individualized tutorials. The Writing Center staff includes talented and welcoming graduate and undergraduate students from across the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. They work with writers at any stage of the writing process, from exploring ideas to polishing final drafts. Their first priority is guiding each student's revisions, so they frequently provide a sounding board for a writer's ideas, arguments, analytical moves, and uses of evidence. They can also work with you on sentence-level concerns, but please note that they will not proofread for you; instead, they will help you become a better editor of your own work. You should come with a copy of the assignment you are working on, a current draft (or notes if you are not yet at the draft stage), and ideas about what you want out of a session. Tutorials run 45 minutes and are free. You can drop in or make an appointment. For hours, locations, and more information, please go to writingcenter.uconn.edu.
Academic Integrity
In this course we aim to conduct ourselves as a community of scholars, recognizing that academic study is both an intellectual and ethical enterprise. You are encouraged to build on the ideas and texts of others; that is a vital part of academic life. You are also obligated to document every occasion when you use another’s ideas, language, or syntax. You are encouraged to study together, discuss readings outside of class, share your drafts during peer review and outside of class, and go to the Writing Center with your drafts. In this course, those activities are well within the bounds of academic honesty. However, when you use another’s ideas or language—whether through direct quotation, summary, or paraphrase—you must formally acknowledge that debt by signaling it with a standard form of academic citation. Even one occasion of academic dishonesty, large or small, on any assignment, large or small, will result in failure for the entire course and referral to Student Judicial Affairs. For University policies on academic honesty please see UConn’s Responsibilities of Community Life: The Student Code: http://www.dosa.uconn.edu/student_code.html. Please note that ignorance of prevailing academic conventions or of UConn’s policies never excuses a violation. You are encouraged to come see me if you have questions about when and how to cite; you would also be wise to consult a writing handbook.
Students With Disabilities
Students who think that they may need accommodations because of a disability are encouraged to meet with me privately early in the semester. Students should also contact the Center for Students with Disabilities as soon as possible to verify their eligibility for reasonable accommodations. For more information, please go to http://www.csd.uconn.edu/.
We also recommend that you include syllabus language that explains your expectations for revision, your late draft and paper policy, and your grading criteria.
According to the General Education Oversight Committee of theFaculty Senate, “qualified graduate students may beused to assist faculty in a 200-level W course or, with facultysupervision, to teach a 100-level W course. All new instructorsof W courses will be provided with an orientation. This orientationwill be required of all teaching assistants assigned to assistin a 200-level or to instruct a 100-level W course.”
The University Writing Center offers this W orientation eachAugust and January, right before the semester begins. Registrationforms for these orientations will be posted online well in advanceof each orientation.
To register for the January 2009 W Teaching Orientation, please click here for the online form. Request a Tutor Talk
The orientations outline best practices for teaching writingin the disciplines. They feature interactive workshops on buildingrobust revision processes into W courses, designing effectiveassignments, responding to student writing, and handling thepaperload. Our aim is not only to enhance the quality of studentlearning in W courses but also to explore strategies that canmake each instructor’s writing-intensive teaching moreeffective and rewarding.
You need attend the W orientation only once during your timeat UConn. However, we encourage you to attend the stand-alone workshops offered each semester on various teaching topics. Please note that as of 2006, attending the stand-alone workshops during the regular year cannot substitute for the January or August W orientations unless arrangements are made wellin advance with the Director of the University Writing Center.
The University Writing Center is happy to work with graduatestudents as they plan and teach their W courses. Beyondoffering the W orientation and regular-year workshops, we inviteyou to meet with us individually to discuss your teaching ofwriting in the disciplines.
Main Office: CUE 124, (860) 486-4387 | Mailing Address: 368 Fairfield Road, Unit 2168, Storrs, CT 06269-2168