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CRITERIA FOR LIBERAL STUDIES COURSES AT IUP
CRITERIA FOR LIBERAL STUDIES COURSES AT IUP
as approved by
General Education Task Force
University-wide Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
University Senate
Council of Trustees
May 1988
February 1989
December 1992
- General Criteria
- Criteria which Applies to All Knowledge Courses
- Criteria for Courses Listed as Liberal Studies
Electives
- Criteria--Learning Skills: English Composition
- Criteria--Learning Skills: Mathematics
- Criteria--Knowledge Area: Humanities
- Criteria--Humanities: History
- Criteria--Humanities: Philosophy & Religious Studies
- Criteria--Humanities: Literature Knowledge Area
- Criteria--Knowledge Area: Fine Arts
- Criteria--Knowledge Area: Natural Sciences
- Criteria--Knowledge Area: Social Sciences
- Criteria--Knowledge Area: Health and Wellness
- Criteria--Non-Western Culture Requirement
- Criteria--Synthesis Area
- Implementation and Administration of Synthesis Course
- Criteria--Writing Across the Curriculum
CRITERIA FOR LIBERAL STUDIES COURSES AT IUP
GENERAL CRITERIA WHICH APPLY
TO ALL LIBERAL STUDIES COURSES
All Liberal Studies courses must:
(1) Contribute to the fulfillment of one or more of the "Goals for Liberal Studies" (pp. 7-8, "Liberal Studies at IUP").
(2) Have, if a multiple-section course, a basic equivalency (though not necessarily uniformity) among the sections in such things as objectives, content, assignments, and evaluation.
(3) Include the perspectives and contributions of ethnic and racial minorities and of women, wherever appropriate to the subject matter.
(4) Require the reading and use by students of at least one, but preferably more, substantial works of fiction or non-fiction (as distinguished from textbooks, anthologies, workbooks, or manuals) including, where appropriate, significant primary sources. Note 1: this does not mean that the use of textbooks, anthologies, workbooks, or manuals is inappropriate in Liberal Studies courses; it does mean that such works should not be the sole basis for instruction. It is important that students in Liberal Studies courses read works which develop sustained arguments or themes, that they can see books as repositories of ideas, and that they learn to recognize and wrestle with such ideas and controversies. They should come to associate books with learning and experience the kind of reading which adults find enjoyable and profitable (as opposed to textbooks which are, by definition, "school work"). Note 2: Courses whose primary purpose is the development of higher level quantitative skills are encouraged to include such reading, but are not expected to do so at the expense of other course objectives.
It is also recommended that, when possible, courses with multiple sections have at least some common reading to all sections. [We believe that the university ought to do its best to foster intellectual discussion among students outside the classroom as well as within. But we are not likely to be very successful if students have no, or few, common experiences, books or ideas about which to talk. Simply put, the more students who are reading the same book(s) in the same semester, the more chance we have of raising the level of intellectual discussion on campus.]
(5) Be distinguished from technical, professional, or pre-professional courses.
(6) Be distinguished from courses which are designed primarily for the needs of beginning majors and which presume the taking of additional course work in that discipline; that is, Liberal Studies courses should reflect the reality that, if they are courses which introduce a discipline to students, they may well be the only formal college instruction these students will have in that discipline.
(7) Be distinguished from remedial courses.
(8) Be taught frequently enough, and in cases where there are no alternate selections in sufficient numbers, to be real, not imaginary, choices for students.
All Liberal Studies courses should contribute to students' abilities:
(1) To confront the major ethical issues which pertain to the subject matter; to realize that although "suspended judgment" is a necessity of intellectual inquiry, one cannot live forever in suspension; and to make ethical choices and take responsibility for them.
(2) To define and analyze problems, frame questions, evaluate available solutions, and make choices.
(3) To communicate knowledge and exchange ideas by various forms of expression, in most cases writing or speaking.
(4) To recognize creativity and creative thinking.
(5) To continue learning even after the completion of their formal education.
(6) To recognize relationships between what is being studied and current issues, thoughts, institutions, and/or events.
CRITERIA WHICH APPLY TO ALL KNOWLEDGE AREA COURSES
All Knowledge Area Courses must:
(1) Treat concepts, themes, and events in sufficient depth to enable students to appreciate the complexity, history, and current implications of what is being studied; and not merely cursory coverage of lists of topics.
(2) Suggest the major intellectual questions/problems which interest practitioners of a discipline and explore critically the important theories and principles presented by the discipline.
(3) Allow students to understand and apply the methods of inquiry and vocabulary commonly used in the discipline.
(4) Encourage students to use and enhance, wherever possible, the composition and mathematics skills built in the Skill Areas of the Liberal Studies curriculum.
AS LIBERAL STUDIES ELECTIVES
All courses appropriate to the Liberal Studies Elective Area must:
(1) Meet the "General Criteria Which Apply to All Liberal Studies Courses."
(2) Not be technical, professional, or pre-professional courses.
CRITERIA -- LEARNING SKILLS
LEARNING SKILLS: English Composition -- 7 s.h.
Students will complete two courses in English Composition. The First English Composition Course (4 s.h.) should be taken as early as possible, certainly by the end of the freshman year; the Second English Composition Course (3 s.h.) should be scheduled no earlier than the third or fourth semester.
CRITERIA FOR THE FIRST ENGLISH COMPOSITION COURSE
A course appropriate to this category must:
(1) seek to teach students to write effective, organized prose which communicates clearly and demonstrates awareness of audience, adequate development, unity, and coherence;
(2) seek to teach students to select discourse structures appropriate for subject, audience, and the students' own level of knowledge and competence;
(3) provide students with ample opportunities to develop their writing skills; in addition, students must have a minimum of 3500 words of their prose reviewed and evaluated by their instructor;
(4) require students to read a substantial work of fiction or non-fiction (including collections) as a source for ideas, discussion, and writing activity;
(5) schedule one hour of private out-of-class conferences to be held with each student.
CRITERIA FOR THE SECOND ENGLISH COMPOSITION COURSE
A course appropriate to this category must:
(1) be primarily a writing course which teaches composition skills;
(2) teach report and research writing skills, especially the ability to read and evaluate resource material and synthesize it into appropriate form;
(3) emphasize general rather than discipline-specific research skills, although some instructors may choose to address topics generated by the students' major;
(4) teach students to use library sources to the extent required to accomplish the other goals of the course;
(5) provide students with ample opportunities to develop their writing skills; in addition, students must have a minimum of 3500 words of their prose reviewed and evaluated by their instructor;
(6) assign mainly non-fictional reading as a source for ideas, discussion, and writing activity.
LEARNING SKILLS: Mathematics -- 3 s.h.
Students will complete a mathematics course from a list of courses approved for Liberal Studies credit. It is recommended that this occur early, preferably in the freshman year. Since many majors build on certain mathematical skills, it is appropriate for major departments to specify which course or courses from the Liberal Studies list would provide the best preparation for their students.
CRITERIA FOR COURSES IN THE MATHEMATICS LEARNING SKILL AREA
All courses appropriate to the mathematics learning skills area must:
(1) introduce students to deductive reasoning;
(2) develop in the student problem solving techniques appropriate for the course;
(3) enable the student to understand the underlying principles of formulas;
(4) enable the student to use and interpret numerical information.
Courses appropriate to the mathematics learning skills area may include:
(1) mathematics courses that develop significant mathematical skills required by a major discipline;
(2) mathematics courses designed for Liberal Studies; in addition to the four criteria above, such courses must:
(a) develop students' confidence in handling numerical problems and data;
(b) be sensitive to the diverse background characteristics of the student;
(c) include elements on the history or appreciation of mathematics;
(d) introduce the hand-held calculator or the computer as a tool.
CRITERIA -- KNOWLEDGE AREAS
KNOWLEDGE AREA: Humanities -- 9 s.h.
A major objective of courses in Humanities knowledge area is to acquaint students with the heritage of Western civilization in all its richness and diversity, and, where appropriate, with its relationships with non-Western cultures.
Students will complete one 3 s.h. course in each of three areas: (1) History, (2) Philosophy and/or Religious Studies, and (3) Literature.
CRITERIA FOR COURSES IN THE HISTORY KNOWLEDGE AREA
All courses appropriate to the history knowledge area must:
(1) treat Western civilization including at least the Age of Enlightenment through the present;
(2) treat several different kinds of history, e.g. political history, economic history, cultural history;
(3) treat the two centers of Western civilization, Europe and America, and consider Western civilization in a global context;
(4) consider the ideas and experiences of both men and women as well as treating dominant cultures and various subcultures.
In addition, all courses appropriate to the history knowledge area should:
(1) develop students' historical consciousness, that is, an understanding of the interrelationship of various aspects of culture at a given time and an ability to explore continuity and change among historical events and movements;
(2) enable students to perceive contemporary experiences in historical perspective;
(3) make students aware of various and sometimes contradictory historical interpretations;
(4) communicate the importance of primary sources which express the thinking of men and women of different ages.
CRITERIA FOR COURSES IN THE PHILOSOPHY AND/
OR
RELIGIOUS STUDIES KNOWLEDGE AREA RELIGIOUS STUDIES KNOWLEDGE AREA
Courses which are appropriate for the Philosophy and/or Religious Studies Knowledge Area may meet either the Philosophy criteria or the Religious Studies criteria below.
All courses appropriate to the philosophy knowledge area must:
(1) introduce students to some of the great philosophers of Western civilization, avoiding excessive emphasis on one author or period of philosophical development;
(2) introduce students to some or all of the major areas of philosophy (aesthetics, epistemology, ethics, logic, and metaphysics). Courses which choose to emphasize one or more of these areas must do so in such a way as to show students the relationships among the various areas of philosophy. Alternately, courses which choose to approach these areas of philosophy historically by examining one or more of the recognized historical periods in philosophy (e.g., ancient/medieval, modern, or contemporary) must do so in such a way as to show students the contrasts and similarities with other periods;
(3) provide opportunities, through the close analysis and evaluation of fundamental issues, for students to gain both an understanding of philosophy and an enhanced ability to think critically and responsibly about important issues;
(4) investigate relationships with non-Western traditions and cultures where appropriate;
(5) give due attention to the philosophical work of women and minorities;
(6) use primary sources when feasible and appropriate.
All courses appropriate to the religious studies knowledge area must:
(1) introduce students to the study of religion as a means to understanding Western culture and, therefore, to understanding themselves;
(2) provide a balanced, critical, nonsectarian examination of religion;
(3) emphasize an interdisciplinary approach to the study of religion;
(4) investigate the nature of religion and the forms of its expression, or the foundational roots and development of one or more Western religious tradition(s) over a significant time span;
(5) investigate relationships with non-Western traditions and cultures where appropriate;
(6) give due attention to the religious involvement and perspectives of women and minorities;
(7) acquaint students with religious texts and documents as appropriate, and encourage the development of independent judgment and critical evaluation of moral issues raised by these texts and by religious thinkers.
CRITERIA FOR COURSES IN THE LITERATURE KNOWLEDGE AREA
All courses appropriate to the literature knowledge area must:
(1) focus on important works of Western literature through an examination of its major genres (fiction, drama, and poetry), avoiding excessive emphasis on one author or genre or nation's literature;
(2) include works from at least three different centuries (e.g. the 16th, 18th, and 20th), although treatment need not be chronological or sequential;
(3) include works by women and minority writers;
(4) include an Anglo-American work;
(5) include a work in translation;
(6) include a contemporary work (i.e., 1945 to the present).
In addition, all courses appropriate to the literature knowledge area should:
(1) develop the student's ability to read independently and with careful attention to the text;
(2) enhance students' abilities to form and articulate their reactions to imaginative literature;
(3) foster the students' appreciation of literature.
KNOWLEDGE AREA: Fine Arts -- 3 s.h.
A major objective of courses in the fine arts knowledge area is to address the aesthetic aspects of artistic works so that students will appreciate the creative natures of human beings and be able to discriminate among various art forms, to make certain artistic judgments about the quality of particular art forms, and to enjoy the choices of art that they make.
Students will complete one 3 s.h. course exploring one or more of the fine arts.
CRITERIA FOR COURSES IN THE FINE ARTS KNOWLEDGE AREA
All courses appropriate to the fine arts knowledge area must:
(1) examine major works by leading artists, including, where appropriate, women and minorities, chosen to represent significant differences in style and/or historical era. At least one work should be examined critically and in detail.
(2) include where possible both Western and non-Western art;
(3) address the fine arts through at least one of the following:
(a) examination of major stylistic trends within the art(s) from a historical perspective
(b) introduction of various philosophies and theories of art
(c) the fostering of an understanding and appreciation of the creative process
(d) participation in the creative process with emphasis on divergent creative activities;
(4) require students to attend appropriate concerts, theater productions, exhibitions, etc.
In addition, all courses appropriate to the fine arts knowledge area should:
(1) fulfill the conditions set forth in this statement: "An appropriate Fine Arts curriculum for our time is one that takes as its overarching goal the building of a disposition to appreciate excellence in arts for the purpose of realizing the worthwhile experience that art at its best is capable of providing. The principle capabilities of such a disposition would be historical understanding, aesthetic, and critical reflection." (from R.A. Smith, "Aesthetic Education in Modern Perspective");
(2) include where possible a writing component.
KNOWLEDGE AREA: Natural Sciences -- 8-10 s.h.
A major objective of courses in this knowledge area is to foster in students what some have called "scientific literacy"-- that is, an experience with the scientific method of inquiry as applied to a given body of knowledge in one or more of the natural sciences. The aim of scientific literacy is not only to engender in students an awareness and appreciation of science but to increase their awareness of the complex and pivotal role it plays in contemporary human life.
Students will complete either Option I or Option II, depending on the requirements of their degree program or their interest.
Option I-- A two-semester natural science sequence, with a laboratory course each semester (8 s.h.)
Option II-- A one-semester course with laboratory (4 s.h.) followed by two one-semester non-laboratory courses (3 s.h. each). The second non-laboratory course may count as one of the Liberal Studies electives.
CRITERIA FOR COURSES IN THE NATURAL SCIENCE KNOWLEDGE AREA
All courses appropriate to the natural science knowledge area must:
(1) examine a body of knowledge of natural science that will contribute to an understanding of the natural world;
(2) provide an understanding of the development of natural science theories and their modification;
(3) teach students to formulate and test hypotheses;
(4) provide an understanding of some of the "great moments" in the history of natural science and the individuals, including women and minorities, responsible for them.
All laboratory courses appropriate to the natural science knowledge area must:
(1) provide students with opportunities to learn and apply data-gathering techniques;
(2) provide students with opportunities to develop skills in making accurate observations, in formulating concise and appropriate descriptions of natural phenomena, and in producing meaningful systems of classification for natural objects;
(3) provide students with opportunities to apply theories to practice in the working world of science.
In addition, all courses appropriate to the natural science knowledge area should:
(1) encourage an appreciation of the complex interrelationship of natural science with the life of the individual;
(2) develop in students the abilities necessary to cope with the consequences of natural science in the modern world;
(3) develop an inquiring attitude consistent with the tenets of natural science, an attitude that is willing to expose fallacy on the basis of reason, that demands evidence for scientific assertions, and yet is tolerant of hypotheses in the absence of contradictory evidence.
KNOWLEDGE AREA: Social Sciences -- 9 s.h.
In order to understand social institutions and processes, a major objective of courses in this knowledge area is to introduce students to the ways which one or more of the social sciences works. Students should learn the major ideas of whichever discipline is being studied, and they should understand the strengths and limitations of that discipline's method of collecting and interpreting data.
Students will complete 9 s.h. from a list of courses in the following social sciences, with no two courses chosen from the same discipline: anthropology, criminology, economics, geography, political science, psychology, and sociology.
CRITERIA FOR COURSES IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCE KNOWLEDGE AREA
All courses appropriate to the social science knowledge area must:
(1) explore the critical thinking and analytical skills employed by the discipline to offer meaningful explanations of social and individual behavior;
(2) acquaint students with the various approaches, perspectives, or methodologies used to examine the intellectual questions and problems of the discipline(s);
(3) include, where appropriate, discussion of other cultures and subcultures, including minorities and the roles of women;
In addition, all courses appropriate to the social science knowledge area should:
(1) illustrate how a discipline shares common theories and methods with other disciplines in the social sciences;
(2) promote an understanding of individual, groups, and their physical and social environment by exploring and analyzing concepts developed in the discipline(s).
KNOWLEDGE AREA: Health and Wellness -- 3 s.h.
Health and wellness refer to a state of well-being which allows for the optimal functioning of an individual's unique physical and psychological resources. Health and wellness are achieved through acceptance of self-responsibility for lifestyle adaptations necessary to promote and maintain the most desirable level of physical, mental/emotional, and social well-being. As a way of life, health and wellness enhance the quality of life, contribute to the productivity and happiness of individuals, help them realize their greatest potential, and serve the best interests of the society as a whole.
Students will complete 3 s.h. in the health and wellness knowledge area.
CRITERIA FOR COURSES IN THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS KNOWLEDGE AREA
All courses appropriate to the health and wellness knowledge area must:
(1) address the major components relevant to a healthy lifestyle for both men and women. These major components include, but are not limited to, exercise, nutrition, stress, and substance abuse. In this respect, appropriate courses must be multidisciplinary in nature and not specialize in any single area of health and wellness;
(2) employ laboratory experiences and physical activities that correlate to the recognized content area of the course;
(3) utilize a scientific base, and promote knowledge and skills that have strong empirical validity;
(4) provide the students with an opportunity to assess their personal well-being and forecast the possible outcomes of altered patterns of behavior;
(5) focus on a variety of behavioral skills to assist students in selecting lifestyles for quality living;
(6) identify hereditary, personal, and environmental factors that affect health;
(7) assist the students in recognizing contemporary health issues and evaluating the credibility of health information;
(8) encourage the students to assume responsibility for their personal health as well as the wellness of family and community;
(9) address health and wellness in a gender-balanced fashion.
NON-WESTERN CULTURE REQUIREMENT -- 3 s.h.
A major objective of courses satisfying this requirement is to provide students with an opportunity to study at least one other culture on its own terms and as a result develop attitudes and understandings necessary to live in a world which is growing progressively smaller and in which contact between cultures has been and is regular.
Unless such a course is completed elsewhere in a student's curriculum, one 3 s.h. course on a non-Western culture must be chosen as a Liberal Studies elective.
CRITERIA FOR NON-WESTERN COURSES
General Criteria:
(1) Courses must develop an understanding of contemporary cultures that differ substantially from the prevailing cultures of the United States, Canada, Western Europe, New Zealand, and Australia.
(2) Courses must present cultures on their own terms with an appreciation of their dimensions, going beyond mere description of a culture. Those dimensions may include religion, economics, politics, art, language, literature, ethics, as well as other dimensions of the cultural milieu.
(3) Although a course may deal with a single culture, comparative courses addressing relationships among cultures are encouraged.
(4) A course may present one or more cultures by emphasizing a single dimension, e.g. art, music, dance, politics, religion. Such a course is appropriate if the dimension is represented in its cultural context, emphasizing cultural ideas, norms and issues.
(5) A variety of perspectives or methodologies--anthropological, geographical, historical, sociological, and so forth--may be employed, so long as the course emphasizes the cultural phenomena, issues, and values in contemporary society.
(6) Literature courses, either in translation or in the language of the culture(s), can be appropriate if the literature selected is authored predominantly by non-Western writers. The literature selected for such a course must represent cultural phenomena, issues and values in contemporary society.
Specific Recommendations:
(1) The course should encourage the use of indigenous material whenever possible rather than rely on secondary instructional material, reviews of the literature, or textbooks exclusively.
(2) The course should encourage the student to acquire cultural appreciation and understanding, and should provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate the ability to analyze and synthesize information about the culture.
(3) The course must address, where appropriate, the experience of women and the roles of men and women.
(4) An approved exchange/study abroad program, which meets the general criteria of the non-Western requirements, may meet the requirement of the Liberal Studies program.
(5) An internship can meet the requirement for a non-Western course. A research paper or a report should be required that demonstrates learning appropriate to the general criteria.
(6) Interdisciplinary courses that treat cultural issues apart from the dominant United States, Canada, Western Europe, New Zealand, and Australian cultures are encouraged.
SYNTHESIS COURSE -- 3 s.h.
Synthesis is the way which well understood parts are combined into wholes; it is the capacity to weave many complex strands into a fabric, either recreating a pattern already known or imagining and designing new ones.
The major objectives of the synthesis course are threefold. First, the course ensures that students will have the opportunity to experience a systematic approach to synthetic reasoning, contributing to their ability to think effectively about broad and complex intellectual, social, and political issues as seen from multiple perspectives. Second, because the synthesis course is upper level, it will extend the Liberal Studies experience to include all four years of undergraduate study. Finally, individual students are expected to interact to extend their interests across disciplinary lines. The Liberal Studies Committee should encourage course proposals that are inventive, creative, experimental, and that show a willingness to take risks.
CRITERIA FOR SECTIONS OF THE SYNTHESIS COURSE
All sections of the synthesis course must:
(1) Nurture and stimulate, either implicitly or explicitly, the student's ability to think synthetically. In their proposals for sections of the course, instructors must identify the procedures by which this will be accomplished.
(2) Contain challenging intellectual content addressing significant issues. In their proposals for sections of the course, instructors must identify that content and those issues.
(3) View the content from the perspectives and approaches of a minimum of two discrete disciplines. In their proposals for sections of the course, instructors must explain how this objective will be achieved.
(4) Incorporate within its procedures for student evaluation specific methods to ensure that students' synthetic reasoning skills will be evaluated. In their proposals for sections of the course, instructors must identify the means by which this evaluation will be accomplished.
(5) Address the concerns of women and minorities whenever possible. In their proposals for sections of the course, instructors must explain how they will do this.
In addition, all sections of the synthesis course should:
(1) Include a variety of assignments, some of which should require written responses, designed specifically to encourage the student to synthesize new ideas and approaches from the material presented.
(2) Ensure, if exams are used as a method of student evaluation, that exams will consist primarily of essay or by discussion questions that will evaluate the student's ability to reason by synthesis, rather than by merely recalling content.
(3) Require readings from an assigned list comprised largely of original/primary materials (as opposed to general surveys or conventional texts from a discipline) and representing at least two discrete disciplinary perspectives.
(4) Assure the use of the most appropriate resources; these could include books and periodicals, guest lectures, films, audio and video tapes, field trips, and the experiences and perspectives of the students themselves.
(5) Keep course prerequisites to a minimum.
IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION
OF THE SYNTHESIS COURSE
(1) Because teaching methods and other factors which affect optimal class size may vary considerably among synthesis sections, the university should establish and maintain appropriate enrollments for individual synthesis sections in a manner sensitive to these needs.
(2) Students will not be permitted to take the synthesis course prior to the second semester of their junior year (standing determined by semester hours completed).
(3) In order to broaden their experiences, students should be encouraged to enroll in synthesis course sections taught by instructors outside of the students' major fields.
(4) When and if the Liberal Studies Committee is confident that sufficient resources are available, it should consider identifying the synthesis course as a "repeatable" multiple enrollment course. Thereby, students would be permitted to register for additional sections as free electives, but not to fulfill credit requirements in any other part of the Liberal Studies program.
(5) Students shall be permitted to register for any section of the synthesis course in order to complete a D/F repeat. The Liberal Studies Committee should take actions to ensure that students are aware of this provision.
(6) Because this course is unlike any other in the Liberal Studies program, the Liberal Studies Committee should develop a policy for the periodic review of approved discrete sections of the synthesis course.
(7) Proposals for sections of the synthesis course will be considered professor(s)-specific, and any change or addition of professor(s) should be approved by the Liberal Studies Committee.
WRITING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM
Criteria for
Writing-Intensive Courses
IUP is committed to the improvement of student writing skills; therefore, the responsibility for writing must be university wide. This means that writing must be practiced and reinforced throughout the curriculum. Students need to be educated to recognize that writing is a necessary and frequently used skill. Writing assignments must be designed to increase learning by encouraging students to integrate new knowledge with previous knowledge and to teach discipline specific uses of writing.
Courses which develop writing skills are of two types: (1) Writing courses--those that provide direct instruction in writing skills and the process of writing (the two required English composition courses) and (2) Writing-intensive courses--those that have content as their primary focus but also reinforce writing skills by using writing as an integral part of the learning experience. Writing-intensive courses are addressed in criteria which follow.
GOALS FOR WRITING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM
(1) Encourage and reinforce student learning by using writing as a learning tool;
(2) Help students write more effectively;
(3) Prepare students for writing in their careers and in their personal and community lives;
(4) Encourage literacy across the university;
(5) Demonstrate IUP's commitment to effective writing skills.CRITERIA FOR WRITING-INTENSIVE COURSES
[revised, University Senate, December 1992]
In designing writing-intensive courses, departments are urged to be creative and to modify/design courses which are both faithful to the university-wide criteria and reflective of the differences among fields of study. Faculty are urged to determine the number of papers or words (specific number and kinds of writing assignments), grading scales, and teaching strategies appropriate for individual writing-intensive courses.
All writing-intensive courses must:
(1) Integrate carefully planned writing assignments into the course so that they increase student learning and enhance student ability to write.
(2) List the improvement of student writing among the course objectives in the syllabus.
(3) Distribute specific written instructions, including criteria for evaluation, for major assignments.
(4) Guide students in conceiving, organizing, and presenting written material in ways appropriate to the subject being studied.
(5) Provide ample opportunities for students to improve their writing skills and to have at least 5000 words (approximately 15-20 typed pages) comprising two or more separate assignments evaluated by an instructor. Depending on the nature of the course, appropriate writing assignments may include such formats as case studies, laboratory reports, journals, letters, memos, formal essays, research articles, project or grant proposals, and so forth.
(6) Provide an opportunity for students to revise at least one of their writing assignments after receiving response from the professor.
(7) Include, with whatever informal or draft writing is appropriate, at least one assignment that requires students to produce finished, edited prose.
(8) Consider written assignments as a major part of the final grade; in most cases, this should be 50% or more.
In addition, all writing-intensive courses should:
(1) Give attention to both the process and the product of writing. Intervention in the writing process, particularly in its early stages, is a highly effective way of helping students produce better written work. For example, students can be assisted with task definition, topic selection, information gathering, organization and formatting, and revision strategies. Major assignments should have clearly defined stages of preparation and regular progress reviews.
(2) Provide opportunities for students to consult with instructors and perhaps tutors or one another as they prepare drafts of assignments or revisions.
(3) Provide an appropriate variety of writing experiences by including writing with different audiences, purposes, or formats. There should also be an appropriate mixture of in-class and out-of-class writing and of graded and ungraded writing.
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WRITING-INTENSIVE COURSES
(1) Students must complete two writing-intensive courses, at least one of which must be in their major.
(Note: "major" need not be interpreted in the narrow sense of "major program" nor need it mean "major department"; closely allied departments, programs or disciplines might wish to present such a course collaboratively or to make arrangements for their majors to schedule a writing-intensive course in an allied department, program or discipline.)
(2) Courses numbered 101 through 499 may be writing-intensive courses.
(3) Some sections of multiple-section courses may be designated as writing-intensive without all sections being so designated.
(4) Writing-intensive courses/sections will be designated with a "W" on scheduling information, transcripts, and other appropriate materials.
RESOURCE GOALS FOR WRITING-INTENSIVE COURSES
(1) Sufficient sections of the first English composition course must be offered so that it can be completed during the students' first year.
(2) Class size is a critical factor for a successful writing-intensive course; the university must take particular care in maintaining small enrollments in writing-intensive courses or sections.
(3) All three campuses must have adequate writing centers.
(4) Workshops must be conducted on a continuing basis for faculty members preparing and teaching writing-intensive courses.
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